BR traction instructor

Rivets everywhere is the order of play with these hoppers, any added as surface decals needing to be similar to the moulded ones on the body. The stock of Archer resin rivets is quickly being consumed by the prototype hopper and fresh stocks of a couple of Railtec variants are now on order to provide for the four production hoppers. Matte varnish is used to seal the rivet rows in place and everything allowed to dry completely between riveting sessions. The Railtec rivet detail arrived the day after ordering and looks to be a good match for both the moulded detail on the wagon and the Archer style already in use... BeRTIe

Rivets everywhere is the order of play with these hoppers with any added as decals needing to be similar to the moulded ones already on the body. The remaining Archer resin ones are being quickly consumed by the prototype hopper and a couple of Railtec rivet variants now on order to provide for the four production hoppers to follow. The lines of rivets added are sealed with matte varnish to keep them in place and each session of riveting allowed to completely dry before the next is contemplated... BeRTIe

...bending the leaf springs uniformly upward (in this instance) a little would help to accurately replicate an empty wagon. The W irons have stated dimensions and altering those would produce a less rather than more accurate result. Thankyou...we have various otherwise unavailable diagram variants in the pipeline for Mostyn. BeRTIe

...the gap that you refer to must vary according to the weight carried by the wagon on the prototype and the style of axlebox fitted. The leaf springs will become more flattened out/deflected under heavy load and that gap consequently greater. This hopper is modelled fully loaded. The gap being smallest when the prototype wagon is empty/leaf springs hardly deflected. The Tipplers retained the Rumney plate style W irons of their prototype whereas the W irons fitted to the hoppers are Bill Bedford open ones. The alignment of buffer centre height relative to that of a SLW type 2 diesel is what might be expected for a fully loaded hopper... BeRTIe

Construction is complete on the prototype diagram 1/161 hopper and it is now in red oxide primer/getting the Archer rivet detail added prior to finish painting, lettering & weathering. The ladders are a nod to a respected fellow modeller, the late David 'Nobber' Goodwin from Barrowmore club, who passed away some 6 years ago. He made the first attempt to construct one of these for Mostyn but unfortunately got the wheelbase wrong and the model never made it on to the layout. Building his ladders onto the first of five such hoppers ensures that at least some of his effort isn't wasted and provides a nice memory of him. His now modified hopper body will also end up on one of Justin's underframes to come. The use of the incorrectly dimensioned hopper body and consequent scratchbuilt underframe with incorrect wheelbase is shown here simply to highlight the advantage of adapting Justin's Tippler underframe combined with using the David Monk Steel dimensioned drawing for the type. The yellow powder was meant to show that the hopper was in sulphur traffic... BeRTIe

In the meantime construction is complete on the prototype diagram 1/161 hopper, it is in red oxide primer/getting the Archer rivet detail added... BeRTIe

Living on The Solway plain amongst a fascinating history that stretches back hundreds of years, this title is providing considerable insight into some of the troubled times that have beset it...ideal reading matter for a squally, windblown Saturday whilst waiting for the weather to clear and a cycling opportunity to present itself. Around 4pm the wind dropped and the sun came out for a lovely 15 mile circuit of the local back lanes. This vivid rainbow added to an otherwise routine composition... BeRTIe

Mauch Chunk, 1950s American steam & diesel is now a Barrowmore club layout, the O gauge Johnstown road Cambrian layout now stored pending an outcome. We have spent the last week progressing various issues on MC and its stock prior to the layout being dismantled to allow Mostyn to be erected in the clubroom for its May Railex Aylesbury exhibition prep. Building two 40ft box cars plus a 40ft stock car from HO kits, fettling various tank car running issues as well as fettling 7 vintage 2&3 axle bogied Central New Jersey/Santa Fe coaches/baggage & mail cars to get them running on the layout for the first time has been my contribution. Converting the 3 axle bogied ones to body mounted Kadees, making & adding gangway end bellows amongst the work done. On the loco side the main issue dealt with was a Camelback that wouldn't run in reverse and shorted in one direction. Stripping the gearbox tower revealed a missing stepped washer that needed a replacement fabricating from the spares box, whilst painting the rear of one wheel cured the intermittent short that was ailing the beast. Testing each area of the chassis with a multimeter whilst trying to replicate the conditions for the short proved somewhat more time consuming than the remedy. This is the HO kit stock car, which needed a roof repaint in red oxide primer this morning to repair some wayward glue damage... BeRTIe

I've purchased several of his books over time and used his images to inform my modelling. RIP Maurice

What a glorious, good to be alive day today. Pleasant back lane walk in the bright Spring sunshine from Silloth to Abbeytown to catch the Wigton bus, then another back lane walk from Cockermouth to Bassenthwaite (with impressive views of Skiddaw) lake to reach a nice pint of cool cider at the Castle Inn hotel and the third bus of the day, back to Wigton. BeRTIe

...wonder whether lamp oil for the semaphores arrived as this or whether heaters in the various buildings made use of this? BeRTIe

...in the mid 80s the Ashburys to Dowlow trip (via Chinley) conveyed any loaded tanks for the TMD as far as Buxton URS, ready for a shunt across onto the TMD, empties returning similarly. From the late 1980s this working became the Warrington Arpley to Dowlow via a similar route and continued to convey loaded tanks to/empty tanks away from Buxton. Gas Oil and some white diesel arrived this way, as well as some Lube Oil. I have no knowledge re kerosene. BeRTIe

...I've had no mither re hobbies with any of the last three ladies in my life (around 24 years total) cos I manage the time, space required and cost expenditure involved at sensible levels. My current girlfriend still works and enjoys watching the various soaps that she records during the week, giving me a nice amount of time to get some modelling done, as well as have a decent social life with her. BeRTIe

Here is a screenshot of buffer BP03. BeRTIe

This little chap has climbed a long way up and might have to walk a long way down one of our fence uprights... BeRTIe