jrg1

It would be helpful if there was a guide to the standard Midland/LMS tender-the permutations trip up the unwary.

I used two to produce the correct length and have sprung 6-wheel bogies ready to convert to P4. A model that can be considerably enhanced and worth the effort.

I would suggest that Mazak is an inappropriate material for this application

Perseverance produced a booklet detailing the difference in GCR tenders.

Please describe the paint job-very convincing

Nostalgia central! The best Kitmaster kit and I hankered after one for a long time. Eventually along came Heljan, and I now have my Garratt. I still have some Kitmaster coaches waiting to be built.

GW's rivet press and sheet metal roller are excellent tools

Tin the brass with 188 solder. Turning the iron temperature down and changing the bit. tin the WM with 90 solder. Line up the two components and clamp. Run 90 solder around the edges. Far easier and quicker than glue, just don't forget to adjust the temperature for WM......................

Can you give more details of the Longworth volume, please?

Can you describe how you arrange pickups?

Happy days at Lincoln Central-the image brings back so many memories; Brits on the Harwich Boat Train, the fish trains, the holiday excursions to the coast, the Bulleid coach sets on the Cleethorpes-South coast workings, L1s on the Grantham locals, Compounds at St Marks and the main line diversions. So much variety. Any more Lincoln photos out there?

The Gas Turbine compressor needs to be turning all the time, and driving this via the CT turbine takes most of the fuel, whether no load or full load. Therefore the machine is only really efficient flat out. Jet engines are simply gas generators, with no power turbine coupled to a power output, eg gearbox and driven unit, such as a generator. Railway duty cycles mean that GTs are unsuitable for rail applications. The Union Pacific GTs would have performed well working at high speed/full load, and UP invested heavily in them, but advances in diesel technology saw them superseded. But for WW2, the UK may have seen a fleet of LMS Turbomotives working the West Coast expresses.

The Rover gas turbine car is in the Science Museum. First generation container ships had gas turbine propulsion. Various warships had dual GT/diesel propulsion. Over here in Australia, BHP had two classes of ship running on gas turbines. These were re-engined with Wartsila diesels, whilst two vessels retained Solar GTs for electrical generation. Large oil rigs usually have gas turbines for power requirements.

You and me both. Airfix kits from Woolworths-I used to buy all the model tanks and lineside range, and a visit to Nobbs for Kitmaster and Tri-ang. Nobbs used to have a huge layout set up every Christmas, and I remember a demonstration diorama of landscaping. All inspirational, and leading to scratchbuilding, metal kitbuilding and P4 today. Thanks to Woolies and Mr Nobbs!

An interesting resurrection, and it will be good to see the finished model. It was mentioned that Markits produced paper sides for the Bulleid pacifics, which would probably have saved time. I would prefer to use 0.010 plastic sheet for the same effect, as I am (Slowly) converting an Airfix Bulleid to the proposed 2-8-2, with an eight wheeled tender.

Couldn't agree more-what a waste scrapping them. I also thought the same regarding the Midland and Western Pullmans. What was wrong with running them as a conventional loco-hauled train? BR preferred to hide it's problems in the scrapyard

Use baking foil between the links to stop the assembly seizing up with solder.

When I first started modelling, what nearly extinguished my interest in the hobby were poor, pricey kits that simply did not go together, chassis that could never work properly, and later on, etched kits that were simply rubbish. I still have an old LNER brass van in my scrap box that will shortly be going to a live-steam club for melting down and being cast into something useful.

I saw a photograph of a preserved class 56 in two tone BR green, and it looked a damn sight better than all the paint jobs the class had to endure under BR

The Raven Pacifics had problems with the curves into Newcastle station, Marks showed the wheels grinding on the frames

The wagons could be the basis of industrial user wagons-here's examples from Lincoln.

Happy to oblige-incidentally, the NCC even had a Bulleid Tavern Car in the consist for a short time.

A vernier height gauge can be adjusted very quickly to then scribe datum lines for handrails, etc.

Excellent-a masterclass in taking a kit and upgrading it! More please!