richard i

Thanks jim has also warned me off the keyser one. The info on the motors and gearboxes is useful. I will play around with them to what fits each loco when they are built enough to weigh it up. richard

The weather allowed a diversion back to the carriages. Sunny but not quite warm enough so I took over the shed put the heater on and sprayed away. only the brown body colour to hand paint on. The variation of background colour of red and black should I hope give a subtle variation in top colour. That’s the plan anyway. I will need gold numbers for the first and third but simple not fancy without any other colours. I can find yellow ones is there a railway company which had similar? richard

More questions. this is the front of the tender the circles below the coal hole have been etched through. Is that for a handle? Does the little extension on the front of the coal area floor go through the door,( it fits) or does it fold down to give the height at the front of the tender. any thoughts or proof gratefully received. in other news. I was going to build the main parts of the tender but realized I need to mark out the back for handrails. So will do that first. richard

The tender debate may be solved. Whilst looking for valve gear I can across another tender I had brought for a “future project” it is rather well done and is a 4000gal one, though it might need a little work topside. The other is shorter so a 3500? Which would only be right for the first few and only for the first couple of years. it does have the small blemishes on the paintwork this side which I need to investigate. Gunk I can remove or paint scratches I will need to cover. Blending the paint colour, now that’s a challenge for me with such poor colour differentiation. for that matter getting the loco the same colour too. who was it who did a paint match service and would put it in a spray can for you? richard

The pit falls of modeling a model. richard

If you have some Indian red, the buffer stocks and the side valences and steps were painted that colour. richard

If you have some Indian red, the buffer stocks and the side valences and steps were painted that colour. richard

Looks good. Fox do the crest in two sizes and the great central in the larger size. richard

Questions tenders, do I look to modify the white metal one , ( or is it a 3500gal one?) or steal the tender from a director kit which is very far down the build list. It is brass. It is to go with the white metal loco, same material matter? then motors and gear boxes. I got these a while ago. Does anyone know if the little motor is powerful enough for the job? Are the gear boxes appropriate or is that all down to how low they are geared? what about the motor with plastic gear, does this have much mileage or is it going to be a weak link ? richard

No suez to be blocked. No straights of malacca to negotiate. And now for Britain, NZ does not have containers taken off big ships and on to smaller ones as UK does as shipping firms do not want to risk a big ship delayed at UK port . Eg Rotterdam to felixstowe . This was not the case three years ago. Big ships used to feel confident of getting a berth on time in felixstowe and therefore not delayed previously.

Building up from the flat. trying a different approach. Following on from last coach build of adding the detail in the flat and then joining the big pieces together rather than get the basic shape and then add the detail. let’s see if it makes for an easier build. anyone got strong views on which approach is better from experience? richard

I have seen a stand at a show.

Thanks for the advice. I will look to overlap. I will make another disk to hold the boilers shape. I think I will brace them apart, but how far. Too near the back and it might not leave room for the motor which can mostly fit in the firebox. Too near the front and I will lose the space to put extra weight in to balance it out. that’s my next play….. or start the tender to build it in tandem. richard

Some bending rolling and cutting out has occurred. it has led to a question. The boiler is rolled, but it is too big for the end piece. This means to be the correct diameter it will overlap at the bottom of the boiler. do I: overlap it and file back the extra? overlap it and use the extra to give a greater binding surface? cut back to the right length by using pi to workout diameter of a circle to a straight line. Half from each side so chimney is in the right place. it will mostly be hidden behind wheel arches. thoughts? thanks to Richard for letting me borrow his rollers as the made forming shapes so much easier. richard

Yes but not the glazing. that would break all the rules.

I dream of getting 11 hours straight to model. Imagine how much I could get done. time taken by work and kids…usual story of a forty something. richard

Thanks. take what time you need. It is a hobby. The carriages are not going anywhere. richard

Are your stocks back up as I was looking at bogies and the website had lot out of stock? thanks richard

It might be a bad place to start but it is in the journey. It is also so it will make the other look better. i look forward to the extra metal which can be melted into some people or boiler fittings. one plus side no tender so no thick sides to file down. I need to resolve it. I have some spares picked up on my travels so I will see if one works. The worsley works one comes with a brass sided one. richard

After prodding and poking at the part built Atlantic at club, I think I will have a go at building one….or two. One normal and one compound. To be honest parts pulled away quite easily so t will need rebuilding with solder anyway. I have the white metal body and parts of the chassis of one and the etched kit from worsley works which is all flat etch so needs the chimney/ dome etc. Do I cannibalizes the white metal or use it’s boiler as it is heavier……..or Use the template of the brass frames to make another set of Atlantic frames because whistle metal frames are poor? Or do I turn one into a B1 ( for the Lner types) if I have to make another set of frames I might as well make them for a 4-6-0. Plus there is no valve gear to speak of for the white metal version so coupling rods need to be made. what are peoples thoughts. Do any of these kites fly?

Visiting princess. the loco not royalty? Or is Kate coming to cut a ribbon to declare the track now open? richard

The class 13 was going to be a scratch build. The lot. Too tight fisted to use an expensive kit. love what you have done with yours though. It is inspiration. so I might build it as an 0-8-0 to remove worry over where the weight is. I need to look at length of wheel base vs an 04 coupled wheelbase. boiler, footplate, even cab are easy enough. It is the chassis. I did look at the Hornby option but wanted to try for the daylight. The chassis does not have a flat top to use as a datum though because of the height of the centre wheels. I ponder on. maybe draw a template in cad. I am only at lesson one so that will be some way off. richard

The thigh method works until you drop something because the little piece is guaranteed to fall to the floor and be lost for a long time to the carpet monster. richard

Carriages outsides done only this one needed any roof detail. they need to take a pause until a couple of dry warmer days to complete the spray painting then the interiors. until then another project. richard

I have seen his great cad renderings of the 6 wheelers and wondered how available they would be as they would look great as a set on Dettingen. richard