AJCT

Following this with interest as I still have several Airfix ones to complete. When I started in P4 I conscientiously rebuilt all my 00 16-tonners to P4 with compensated W-irons, but your post suggests that's not really necessary. I do weight mine to 25gm per axle though, ie 50gm per wagon, and replace the wee handles on the end doors with wire. Alasdair

In Scotland it's called "harling". Not yet tried replicating it in 4mm, though. Alasdair

You're welcome... Alasdair

Quite so... but I was looking for examples of double-track main lines splitting into 4 tracks through the station as per Peter's plan above. Forgot about Kilmarnock, though: Stannergate on the D&A Joint is another possibility. But given Peter's Waverley Route preference I thought the original layout at Melrose with the application of a little Modeller's Licence or Rule One might be a way forward ! Alasdair

Here is my essentially-completed horsebox with its opaque white toilet window. I "glazed" this with a piece of white 20thou plasticard fitted into the rebate from behind, leaving a gap of 2mm at the top. The vent is represented by a 2.5mm deep piece of white 30thou plasticard stuck in so it's flush at the top and projects out at the bottom. Reference to photographs shows the edges of the "frame" are quite narrow (which is why I didn't like the one in the kit) and I achieved this by scribing lines to mark out the edges and painting them maroon with a very fine brush and a very steady hand... not one of my better efforts, perhaps, but you get the idea. Alasdair

You're welcome... the 4-track station arrangement you suggested was rare in Scotland: Larbert is the most obvious one which springs to mind. But, on the Waverley Route, I believe the original layout at Melrose was so (see https://www.railscot.co.uk/locations/M/Melrose/ ) - finding the date when the layout was changed would require some research, but pics in this collection show clearly that the platforms were widened at some time. Scope for some Modellers' Licence, maybe ? Cheers - Alasdair

Pleased to hear you're on the mend and planning your next layout... one can't keep a keen modeller down. Sorry to be picky, but this is Cupar in Fife, on the ECML from Edinburgh to Aberdeen, between the Forth and Tay bridges. As shown, there were only 2 platforms and no additional running lines, but until the mid/late 1960s there was a single centre road with trailing connections off the Up and Down Mains which functioned as either an Up or a Down Refuge Siding - hence the gap between the tracks shown here, and the interesting overbridge design seen in https://www.railscot.co.uk/img/3/337/ . Coupar Angus was on the now-closed Strathmore line between Perth and Kinnaber Jn, the one-time continuation of the WCML from Carlisle to Aberdeen - see https://www.railscot.co.uk/img/70/429/. My Sectional Appendix says there was an Up Refuge Siding, and a Down Goods Loop - possibly the outer face of the island platform, which would have handled local passenger trains for the Blairgowrie branch. HTH ! Alasdair

A number of years ago I got from the Hawick & District MRC a spreadsheet list of steam locos recorded as having worked through Hawick, and 60045 Lemberg is included under the A3s - no date(s) or details of workings, though. HTH. Alasdair

Great, thanks very much for that - unfortunately I don't have the Tatlow book, but while searching the internet I did come across a pic of the interior of a BR Std horsebox as preserved at Shildon, and that appeared to be the same configuration as you described. But it doesn't do to assume that they were all like that ! Cheers - Alasdair

That pic would suggest that the walls of the groom's compartment are a lighter colour, so I've painted mine cream as suggested by others, with the seat to be dark red. Does anyone have any info on where the toilet door was from the groom's compartment - centred or to one side, and if so which ? I've never been convinced about the toilet window vent on this kit, and plan to make up my own - see the top pic on the next page of the Bradford Barton book Paul refers to, showing the LNER horsebox in the bacground with the toilet window vent at the nearer end. Alasdair

This all takes me back to the days when (like others on here) I had a go at creating other types of Mk.1 stock from Tri-ang-Hornby coaches, at a time before Lima or Mainline when you could only get BSK, CK, RMB and Sleepers - and the overlength BG. I had a wonderful time hacking up several pairs of BSKs to create correct-length BGs from the brake ends, and then making up SKs or TSOs from the bits left over! Other BSKs plus bits of CK went into a BCK and a couple of BSOs, and I think that parts from a couple of CKs went into an FK. With the advent of the Bachmann product some of the conversions were sold on but I still have the BGs and BSOs. As it happens, I never went for Lima or Mainline because I felt that the plastic sides were thicker and made the windows even less convincing than the Tri-ang-Hornby ones. For me, this was inspired by articles in the Model Railway Constructor from the early 1960s on carving up Kitmaster coaches to represent other BR Mk.1 types: by the time I started wielding my hacksaw the Kitmasters were long since unavailable, although I've subsequently been able to collect quite a few built-up Kitmasters (in various states) from second-hand stalls at shows. By the time I became aware of the Coopercraft versions I reckoned I had more than enough BR Mk.1 stock to last me a lifetime... happy days ! Alasdair

The shed had certainly gone by 1977 - in fact the roof had gone by the date of the green BRCW Type 2 pic further up this thread. The turntable was out-of-use after the observation car was withdrawn which I think was in the late 1960s but I'd have to do some research to check. Didn't get a run in the Kyle line car but I think managed a short trip in the Mallaig one in about 1962 or 63. After the first 2 BRCW 26s (D5300/01) were restored to green livery for railtour etc work in August 1992 they may have sported yellow ploughs, but that was probably due to contemporary safety requirements. HTH Alasdair

A tip I got from somewhere (possibly originating from Tony Wright) was to use sections of used (ie clean) biro inner tube which is 2mm ID and cuts easily - see attached pic of the bogie from my Bachmann BR 4MT 2-6-4T converted to P4. HTH. Alasdair

I like this a lot, and will be following your progress with interest. As well as having had late-1960s family holidays in the area, I was part of the team dismantling the 60' turntable in 1977 for removal to Aviemore on the Strathspey Railway. I think I read an article in a back number of Railway Magazine which mentioned the use of LMS Class 4 2-6-4T locos on Kyle Line services while the turntable was being replaced. Tiny tip... yellow snowploughs didn't appear until well into the "Rail blue period", circa 1972 from personal recollection: prior to that they were black/grey/dirt - see the colour pic of the green Type 2 in Portchullin Tatty's post above. Alasdair

This is a dead easy P4 conversion - I just changed the wheelsets on mine. No form of compensation, even with the 12'0" WB - it ran fine round my circuit and I wouldn't claim my track is any better than "reasonable". Alasdair