[The Finkerbury files: Secrets of the footplate]

Dunno about the fuel but I could look at the pictures all day.

[Why on earth would anyone model early British railways in HO?]

Cramptons were peculiar, in that they had longitudinal frameseither side of the wheels, and the carrying wheels were individually sprung off these  frames without compensation, but the drivers had a transverse spring on the top of the boxes, and the middle of this was mounted on a bracket riveted on the backplate of the boiler. I suppose you could say this gave a bit of compensation. I tried to make one a while back, you had to do it very different from any other loco, but I’m afraid the outside valve gear beat me.

[Why on earth would anyone model early British railways in HO?]

Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked such a question really, I’m sure what you’re up to is going to turn out well, and best wishes with making progress. That’s a very good poster you’ve knocked up.

[Why on earth would anyone model early British railways in HO?]

How are you doing with the layout since your last pictures?

[Downsizing]

 

If you’re doing a traverser, drawer runners from B&Q are a good base, they have nice smooth ball bearings in them.

i chose a quiet spot away from Japanese tourists.

[Downsizing]

I did measure slabs on the platform at Bath station, (THE Bath station, not Green Park) so pukka GWR ones, the edging slabs are 4’x3’, and the rest are either 2’square, or 3’x2’. Isn’t it nice how this blog is turning into a thread?

[The Greyhound]

Lovely looking job, I would have thought the pub frontage would have received more than just the pub name, like brewers, ales and stout, etc.,painted on over the bare brickwork?

[Downsizing]

Glad to see the layouts survived the move and you’ve got the space left to enjoy them. It’s all so neat and clean and tidy, too. 

[Tweedale - Castleport]

Love the way you’ve stepped the houses up in no space at all.

[Coal wagons for Sherton Abbas]

There’s a school of thought that says if you stick two layers of plastikard together they’ll warp, three layers and they don’t know which way to warp and don’t. TBH, I wouldn’t bother detailing the inside, just make a load of coal to fit inside, which is simpler, although you have made a lovely job of it.

[Fire Fly valve gear]

Sorry, I didn’t make the connection, very informative article, and these photos are good, although it’s sad to see the state it’s in.

[Fire Fly valve gear]

There was a recent Broad Gauge Society journal which looked at the early valve gears.

[N&SBLR Modular Layout Part 1]

Sounds fun, got any pictures/ plans of the previous modules?

[GWR large flat dray]

Another lovely job, the way you chop up the figures,two legs and four, to get the right posture is a real inspiration, and the load looks good, too.

[Ratkin & Son horse-drawn wagon]

Looks really good, but I fancy your slipper boy has a fruit business on the side?

[Luggage Van - Underframe]

I agree with you re using Perspex in this application, it’s a strange choice. I hope the chassis tracks well on your tracks, as I find six wheelers are total ****. You may well find that the centre wheelset needs more play.

[Coal part 2]

Thar scene looks totally convincing, really well staged reconstruction.

[7mm test track]

I think a test track lives up to the name if you make it as a reverse curve, two radii facing each other across a bit of straight. That way you can check a lot more about how your stock performs.

[Latest News]

I ain’t committing on which ones as I don’t want you hanging around waiting for an eighty year old to save up and phase in with lots of other unfinished jobs. I’ll pester you when I can make it, roll on Telford.

[Latest News]

Oh bum, I can understand why you carry limited stocks, but some of your long listed stuff is on my “get it when you’ve saved up enough” list, still best wishes for your personal goings on. In the meantime, can I vouch as a disinterested party that the sintered laser production method does give an excellent surface finish on the items you’ve showed me at shows, much better than some 3D production methods from other sources.

[Porters and Barrows]

I love the natural poses and how you’ve fitted them in with a “prop” rather than isolated on their own. Great work.

[Coal!]

Interesting addition. Duncan Models are worth looking at, too.

[Tweedale - A Day Trip To The Woods]

I must copy your scenic methods and hope I get as good a result. The overall vista looks very good, and I really like your well reasoned facilities for trippers in no space at all. Great work.

[Lamps and Lamplighters]

Excellent work as ever. One thing to query, would you have a lamp placed halfway between the retaining wall and the siding, where it looks as if it’s in the middle of a cart access road?

[The Contraption]

Very, very clever, — and it works, amazing!