MarkC

We've discussed a RTR B16 in the recent past, along with A8s & Raven Atlantics, of course. Big potential problem, of course, would be clearance between the bogie wheels & the cylinders. NER coaches? Ooh, yes, both clerestory and "normal" roofed stock. Mark

I've tried to download this file - has it been deleted? I suspect that it was/is very useful. Mark

Indeed - which makes one wonder if the SMG are softening us up for pulling the plug, now that her centenary year is coming to an end. Which will make certain folk very happy, of course... Mark

Grosmont, NYMR Mark

Another vote for Craftsman's kits - and also for the MPD models. That 1F is an absolute bargain at GBP50 👍 Mark

What, no button for the sound effects when executing the other use for the firing shovel, mentioned upthread? 😉 Mark

This was the big concern when the centralized signalling centers were first proposed - what happens if, for example, somebody accidentally puts a *JCB scoop through a cable run? I don't recall any proper answer to this ever being offered... * other excavating machinery is available... Mark

Oh, how true. Myself & writing of risk assessments are, at best, uneasy bedfellows these days. It's all gone too far...

That's a seriously impressive roundtuit pile, Darius 👍 Mark

Semi completed J25 for under GBP50 - looks less challenging a project than some I've picked up over the years... Mark

I've added Class D20, Class D17/2 and BRCW Class 104 DMUs to the list above. Mark

Yes, the shipping equivalent of the aviation industry's increased security, the ISPS Code, came in at the end of 2001, shortly after the 9/11 atrocities. mark

Ooh, now there's a thought. Nucast Partners have re-released the kit. I'll drop them a line & see what might be done. Cheers Mark

You are quite correct, sir - for some reason my fingers didn't connect with the brain... will amend the post Mark

Not quite - there's still one missing - the 77xxx. I know that years ago there were thoughts of building one, then there was the idea to use the chassis of 76077 for one - but she's now being restored in her own right. 77014 - the one that got away, even though she had a claim to be preserved, as the loco that worked the last steam hauled revenue-earning train on the SR, a Bournemouth-Weymouth parcels, on the evening of 9th July 1967. Mark

I agree, Paul. They certainly add presence to the gates. Mark

Cheers, Rex. It's the sideframes that are the issue though - nothing in the Dart range leaps out as even close to what I am looking for. Mark

Interesting point about lamps on gates - another example of proof being in photos 😎 Now watch someone produce photos of the same location both with and without lamps... Mark

I'm trying to find a suitable bogie for my Clayton railcar, but as yet haven't had any success. It's quite short - 7' wheelbase - but shortening sideframes holds no fears. Suggestions appreciated. Cheers Mark

Ah, so that's where the 9 million bicycles referred to by Katie Melua went... Mark

Given the issues pointed out by others, to me you'll be as well just building the kit as supplied, tbh. That's what I'll be doing with mine. Regarding frames, I had a Nucast K1, an eBay rescue, to build. Its original whitemetal lump chassis casting was missing, so I built a chassis using a set of DA's K4 frames. That worked well. Mark

A percentage of cargo was always expected to be lost because it ripened too early - up to 5%, if memory serves. Having done a couple of trips on banana boats in the mid 80s, both as "Genny 3rd" and "Frosty", I still remember watching a lot of bananas being dumped for that reason. The aim was to arrive at the discharge port with the cargo still 'green & firm' - and was quite hard work for the Engineers. Lots of hard running of the generators to keep the refrigeration plant going. For the first 3 days, all you seemed to do was pump the hold bilges out, as the bananas released a lot of water. You blew cool air into the holds at 11.1 Deg.C until the outlet air was at 12.2 Deg.C, then adjusted the inlet to 13.3 Deg.C for the rest of the voyage. Numbers I'll never forget... Mark

I'm sure that I've read accounts by various folk that say that 61379 was, to quote one description, "a bit of a dog", not well regarded by footplate crews or maintenance staff. As for changing loco IDs - there are, of course, several examples of this being done officially - Royal Scot, Coronation, Windsor Castle to name but three... Mark

Crazy Little Thing called Love - Queen

It's a great arrangement, isn't it? OK, there's some faffing about getting the spring tension right, but after that, happy days! Mark