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I thought about ordering one on Saturday after reading Jeffs post. However when I looked it up on the bay it said ‘Last One’ so thought about it and didn’t bother. I looked again today and it still said last one but also 2 sold in last 24 hours! Marketing ploy, dodgy stock control or what? Do I really need another tool? Merry Christmas, Ian.

Oh I don’t know! A bit of masochisim is good for the sole and the Sou’ West NEVER omitted the ampersand. That’s why I invested in custom made lettering decals a long time ago. I find it hard enough drawing straight lines without hand painting lettering but Mike has got the later just right. Sorry for invading your thread Mike, keep up the good work. Ian.

David Cross, Derek's son holds the copyright. I know he lives down south somewhere but I don't have an address. Ian.

While reorganising part of my workshop I decided to sort out the component storage area. Lo and behold I discovered that I have sets of wheels for over 20 locomotives! I better get a move on and get the locos built before I fall from the tree. Ian.

Mike, That is a very neat idea which I must try on my next wagon build. I have a few wagons with the self tappers showing through the floor, easily hidden by a load but not all wagons run loaded! In the past I have soldered the w-irons onto a piece of brass which I have then glued under the body but I have usually left the under frame timbers off the model. Ian.

Every little helps, perhaps add a piece bag made from a sliver of lead too! Many a mickle makes a muckle! Ian.

Can you get a fat driver and equally fat fireman in cast Whitemetal? I know that helps my Edwardian 4-4-0s pull a decent train. Ian.

I’ve got a S7 Thomas! Ian.

Thanks for asking Steve, I have not been on RMwebb much since the changes were made. I find it Not so easy to get around. However I have finished 4 of the locos, shown in a lineup below, with the other two still in the paint shop. I built them as a batch with 3 being in Scale Seven and 3 O fine standard. This was an interesting build but required some special jigs and tools to make the curly footplate and double curved cab. I also made patterns and cast some of the boiler mountings and details to save a bit of time. Worth the effort especially as I made more than one! I think I have now built all the Caley Locos I like so back to the Sou’ West. There is a Stirling 8class 2-4-0 in the paint shop just now and the next build will be an ‘Auld Bogie’ one of the Manson rebuilds of James Stirling’s 6 class 4-4-0. Ian.

I have a model D also and it gets a lot of use in cutting out mostly 7 mm scale loco parts. It is very satisfying steering the stylus round a pattern and watching a loco kit appear! Mine lives in my workshop, which is next to the dining room so warm and dry. I assume your slides and tables are greased from the picture. You can still pick up a good example at quite modest cost but watch out for damaged pantograph arms which can be expensive to repair or replace. The main body is very heavy and rigid but careless handling with badly placed slings can wreck the quite delecate working parts. Ian

I have just seen this thread and can add a bit of information on the origin of the tender design. It is in fact a copy of the standard Glasgow & South Westetn tender, originally designed by Hugh Smellie and perpetuated by James Manson. Dubs built a number of locos for the G&SWR and either just copied the tender design although I suspect they would have come to some arrangement with the Sou'west. There are some detail differences, axleboxes, springs and buffers being the major ones. The Sou'west drove on the tight so there would be no need to alter the position of the hand brake. Lovely model. Ian.

On the G&SWR wagons had the ironwork painted black when new but when they were repainted everything just got painted grey! I know that is an example from a mainline company but I would expect PO wagons to be treated similarly. I know how long it takes to paint the ironwork on a miniature wagon so the time on a full sized one would be similar and come at a cost. Ian.

Mike, I too swithered over track layouts and the real size of points and crossings. The almost universal use of Peco track and points, which has a passing resemblance to real track but in no way is it an accurate replica, does give a distorted idea of space requirements. It is only when you look at a scale drawing of an actual point that you see just how much space the real railway requires. However in modelling we have to make some compromises and unfortunately length is where we have to make the most! When I built Auchlin I used B6’s for the main line and a variety of A switches on the sidings and pit tracks. Most of the points were curved into Ys which saved space and saved the odd inch here and there. That allowed me to get a passing loop in a through single line station and sidings, which could hold 10 wagons, all into 15 feet. The smaller pre group stock we favour looks just fine on the shorter switches and you will find that visiting stock from a later period will run through ok. My Horwich Mogul could access the sidings over the A switches but the Duchess could only run on the main line B6’s! In the real world a Duchess would be on dead slow over a B6! Ian.

Nigel was on the GOG stand on the Saturday of Glasgow Model Rail this year. ian.

I don’t think that comparing the price of model then and now really gives an indication of the real ‘Cost of Modelling’. What you are comparing really is how inflation has affected the hobby. It is more interesting finding out just how much per hour your modelling costs. For example. If I buy a kit and the other bits and pieces required to construct it for, say, £10 in total and I take 4 hours hobby time to build it then my cost is £2.50/hour. On the other hand buying an off the shelf locomotive costing £100 needs virtually no time to get it working so costs none of my hobby time but quite a bit of my capital! I hardly buy anything rtr now but invest in raw materials and components to build from scratch. My modelling costs works out at pence per hour but the value of the finished models adds considerably to my assets. Ian.

12-18 months but price difficult to predict at this early stage.

The G&SWRA is working with an established kit maker providing information and assisting with the castings. The kits will be available to all. However being a member of the Association will be beneficial in attracting a discounted price. Ian.

The G&SWR Association are currently pursuing the production of an etched brass kit for the 361 class 0-6-0 in 7mm scale. Current thinking is that extra parts for the M&C version will be included.

I taught my whole career in senior secondary schools, some of them approved too. I found that 15 minutes at the modelling bench every night, after my after dinner nap, put the world into perspective and kept me sane. Since I retired I find that I don’t need the nap but the modelling is still essential. Ian

Hi Mike, Yes it worked! Ian.

It’s still there and in use! It came from Portpatrick to replace the original which was destroyed in a fire. The line is still operated by tablet and semaphore signals. Regrettably the Stranraer line sees very little passenger traffic since the Irish Ferries left Stranraer and moved to the non rail connected Cairnryan port. Non car using passengers get bussed from Ayr station. Stranraer still has a good service but it is very poorly patronised. Ian.

Agh! Boadicea axles fair cuts the legs of the workmen! Merry legless Christmas, Ian

The Dalmellington Iron Co ran trains for their miners consisting of very old 2nd hand coaches acquired from the North British. None of the locomotives were equipped with train braking gear and not all of the coaches had hand brakes! Some of the 6 wheelers had the centre wheels removed, seating was plain wooden benches and there was no heating or light! Better than walking to work, just! Ian

I don’t know much about the J37s performance, the one at Ayr saw little use, but I do remember the Caley 812s belting down through Cumnock, on the G&SW, with coal from Sanquhar bound for Ayr Harbour. They had around 20 fulls on but they were coasting down grade! Ian.

Hi Polybear, Needle files are fine for delecate work but for a lot of model building too small. Get a couple of decent quality 8”/200mm flat files, a smooth and a second cut, half round is useful too, and keep them solely for brass and nickel silver. You will find that filing a straight edge and cleaning up etch is much quicker and more accurate than plittering with needle files. Keep expensive needle files for detail work. Any decent tool shop will have a range of quality files but Cromwell tools are good. https://www.cromwell.co.uk/shop/abrasives/engineers-files/09010101?familiesDisplayed=10&familySkip=20&page=3 Ian