class8mikado

Wonder if there was enough work done for Bachman to consider updating their N Gauge offering...

Arrived at FMR today, fancied another Mermaid ( dont we all) but at £ 28... im having to think about it some...

Indeed, i have made a lighter shade cream wash and a deeper crimson wash add gone over my Dapols ( all 9, what a pain...) Carefull not to cover the details ( lettering, linings), just the larger panels -once coverage is more than 80% the the eye cant distinguish between similar shades from about a foot away ...

Since the Mermaids sold like hot cakes there must be a demand for a few sharks...!

Does anyone know what the correct size Hex nut/spinner is for the centre driver crankpin on a Dapol 9f, none of mine seem to work?

Compared to the actual Birds Custard that Dapol used on their Gresleys, even more custard-like than railmatch 312 I suppose I should be more forgiving. Sure variations did occur but perhaps not as extreme as this. Even today Saphos rails blood and custard is different to ( and more attractive than) Tornado's support coach...

Also noticed the wheels aren't actually the same diameter as Mk 1's /NGS bg,/ hawksworth, but look good. Pity they wont match.

Picked a couple of C&C up from my Local (FMR) earlier today, as a model they are lovely, and the connection is quite close, might struggle to avoid buffer lock on '1st radius' and the wheels are already blackened which will save me a job later. One major disappointment is the colour. Compared to Farish MK 1'S and an NGS full brake the cream is just a tad darker, but the Crimson just isn't Crimson, its more like crimson Lake / maroon. Heres a few comparators, the Suburban and the Hawksworth have been 'weathered' somewhat and still aren't quite as dark...

Eye wateringly lovely though they are, surely the Teak thomsons are of very limited provenance ( as only the first few batches emerged this way post- war, later batches being Crimson/cream from new with the original batches painted over by the early 50's ? ) unlike Gresley teaks which were around for 20 odd years... something to run behind a BR blue pacific maybe

For the Johnster, no sound and a bit speeded up, but some interesting consists, the fish train with a stove R after three minutes, Brake van not always the last vehicle, sometimes 2 involved. ( White Fish vans particularly rare !) watch to the end for the royal train !

Having seen a collection of photos of parcels trains late 5o's early sixties which seem to be a real heinz 57 of kinds and regions... my question is in early br days presumably a train would be held together to its ultimate destinations which could be several hundred miles away but presumably the loco would only work as far as a convenient change point ... and regional loco and crew would take the trains on.... so no s15's running into lmr or er then.

Looking at some old film of scottish fish trains i noticed one which seemed to have a stove R or similaras a brake. Comment was that at the higher speeds a standard brake van was untenable, even with a van or two hung behind to steady it....

Started looking at N just to get a model of a Jubilee that i travelled behind. about a decade ago. When i saw the detail in todays models i went mad for it and have been picking up bits mostly second hand to the tune of £ 3,000 and i havent even got a Layout yet. Just enjoy tinkering and weathering. Just about reached the Limit of whats available RTR for the Era and location. Havent bought much for about a year now, saving up for some Farish Thomson Coaches. Reckon it will be 2021 and £ 40 a piece. which is ridiculous when i have been picking up Blue Riband Mk 1 'S for less than

Gah! ... want one now, suppose its plausible one would work though to the eastern region in the mid 1950's ...

Nothing being said about the inevitable further delays as Coronavirus affects output from China... yet