ian@stenochs

Here is an example, big nuts and bolts on the smokebox saddle and frames and smaller ones on the cylinder head and buffer body. All look different to the rivets on the buffer plank.

I have one of these in the paint shop, built it to S7 standards and didn’t find any problems with clearances on the motion. My kit was one with the updated castings though.

I’m just catching up after a weekend away. Definitely a G&SW 10 ton mineral. Here is a scan from a view of Ardrossan harbour in much earlier times with an almost new example amongst the older dumb buffered wagons. Only a single shoe brake, probably one either side in the Curzon St view but not definite. Note that the 6ton wagon has no brake on this side. I wonder what traffic the wagon carried to Birmingham, probably not coal. The G&SW had loads of mineral wagons so perhaps pushed into service instead of an open merchandise wagon.

Omitting the ampersand is a sloppy modern trait which neither the G&SWR nor the GS&WR did. Googling gswr gets you to the Gloucester Warwickshire Railway!

My first scratchbuilt loco was also from a W Hardin Osborne drawing which appeared in the Modeller. When I eventually obtained a copy of the GA drawing of the engine in question I was really disappointed at the number of errors on the published plans. A lesson learned and I don’t trust a drawing without a lot of checking. Ian.

I have scratch or kitbuilt 300+ locos in 4 and 7mm scale and have built them all to run on an H&M Flyer which I bought in the 70s. The output voltage is just about 10v and it can barely gjve 1/2 an amp. However if I can get a model, mostly 7mm scale now, to run well on my test rack with the Flyer then I know it will perform perfectly with a better controller. If you build your models to run well on poor fuel just think how good they will be on top quality stuff!! Ian

They are not funding road repairs adequately either which means potholes are becoming reverse sleeping policemen. Drive fast at your peril and risk damaged tyres and suspension or worse! Ian.

The loudest ‘experts’ are those who never build anything of substance.

Mike I have used Invertrain for buffers, some of the range are the old Northamptonshire products. Ian. https://invertrain.com/product-category/buffers/wagon-buffers/page/4/

I make my own in the oven with a ceramic pizza stone. 3 × 12" at a time with top quality toppings, no plastic cheese, for around a fiver and about 1/2 hour of my time. Alternatively we can get one delivered for £20!

The late Richard Chown built his metre gauge Norwegian railway to 43.5 scale and used S7 track standards on his hand built track. I built a Beyer Peacock 2-4-0T for him and used Slaters IOM wheels. However I cannot recall just what gauge we used but I do remember extending the 21mm gauge axles! After his passing the layout and stock went to the railway museum in Hamer in Norway. Ian.

The Caley pug was the first loco kit, other than Kitmasters. which I bought. It was sometime in the 60's when I was a student and from Glassfords model shop in the Cowcaddens are of Glasgow, long gone now! It went together well enough and ran OK as an 0-4-0 with the bogie just along for the ride. I parted with it when I changed over to P4 in 72 and saw the late Mike Gilgannons version of the same kit. Chalk and cheese! Ian.

The G&SWR engines did spend most of their time on lightly laid and curvy colliery lines but to access these branches they had to use main lines too. There are signalbox registers for Kilwinning junction which records rather a lot of movements and that is on the busy line between Ayr, Largs and Glasgow. They were also used extensively on shunting duties at Princes Pier and Ardrossan where the tender capacity helped keep them working longer without topping up unlike pugs with relatively small tanks and coal space.

Four wheeled engines are relatively simple to build from scratch so why not have a go! I described my 7mm one here https://westernthunder.co.uk/threads/simple-loco-to-fill-a-space.5028/

One if these perhaps?

Go for it Dave. Our little railway society has has made a few complaints about banking problems/incompetance with the result that our income from compensation far outweighs the interest we get from our savings! Ian.

Remember the driver who probably had a first class view of the incident and could do nothing to prevent it. He or she has to deal with that trauma which will be with them always especially when/if they return to the cab. Ian.

Philip, I got a couple, attached. A real blast from the past. I remember Ross Pochin's articles in MRN which inspired me to model something different from the mainstream. It was very good to see that they still stand up to scrutiny today. Ian.

I use a lot of 10BA screws on my S7 locos. Ian.

It would be nice to have some hair!

We hope to meet up with other followers of the true gauge How about the S7 stand at 12.00 noon? Ian.

189 is one of James Manson's 8 class while 241, 240 class, is basically the same engine with a larger boiler and cab to suit. There were only two 8 wheeled tenders which were moved around. Yes I have had a rake of M&GSW coaches on the stocks for years but coach building is soul destroying! I can just manage 1 coach for every 4 locos I build.

It will be good to catch up Dave. I'm not bringing anything this time. I have however been busy and just in the process of completing another for my collection. This one with the bogie tender for the 'diner' off the Midland, non stop from Carlisle to Kilmarnock! Ian

Ken & I are going to the Gog show on Saturday too but still staying in Bridgnorth so we can spend Friday on the Severn valley. Hopefully we can catch up at the show. Ian.

Mike, I'm sure you are underestimating you'r ability big time! Having seen your work on here and in the flesh you need have no fears of rewheeling your coaches. Ian.