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That's the one, the engineer that services our heating keeps telling me it is not ideal with the hard water in our area - but it chunters away in the airing cupboard.

I live in a 2002 new build, the insulation is not particularly good and we still have the original boiler coupled to a Gledhill (don't ask me what it does). I am sure the experts would say the house leaks heat like a sieve, the boiler is inefficient and the Gledhill is not effective. It strikes me that the available technologies to replace this set up (whatever they are: heat pumps, hydrogen, renewables, etc) are not there yet. If the government offered £5000 to get proper insulation, upgrade household heating systems (smart thermostats/TRVs/etc) and install new super efficient gas boilers (combi/condensing etc) would that have a meaningful impact? I have to think this would be a more palatable approach that has a realistic chance of being achieved in the next 5-10 years? Stephen

Mike, Thanks for the tip, the datum point allowed me to use my schoolboy maths to figure out the scaling of the PDF: 89%. This reveals that the Ian Beattie drawing is somewhat inaccurate, with the smokebox and running plate being approximately 5mm too long. By contrast, the Proscale running plate and valance match your drawing, as does the Comet chassis frames. With these fundamentals established, I am feeling a little more inclined to make a start on the kit......tomorrow! Thanks again, Stephen

Hi Mike, I printed the PDF at 100% but it looks a little too large. Do you happen to know the % print ratio to bring the diagram down to 4mm? Thanks Steve

An old post, but a good one and can be applied to any track. You may not want to adjust the sleeper spacing, but the painting/weathering tips should be useful - as will the subsequent discussion. Good luck! Steve

Richard, Looks like the running plate is too short to me too. The Beattie drawing shows the same, the cab overhang at the rear looks as if it makes up for the missing 3mm or so on the running plate! As you say, it means adding a fillet of brass under the rear of the cab to extend the running plate to the rear of the cab panels. I have seen a lot of adverse feedback on this kit, which is a shame but its not going to put me off! Rightly on wrongly, this is my first all brass build, all my previous efforts have been DJH whitemetal/brass efforts. Funnily enough I also have a London Road G5 to build, but I prefer to build up my experience using the Proscale in the first instance. Yours is looking good, looking forward to seeing it fully dressed! Thanks for all the advice and two great threads that will be invaluable to me in the not too distant future. Steve

I also have one of these that is nearing the top of my to do pile. I only have the Ian Beattie drawing to go by. Does anyone know how accurate his V2 is in Bradford Barton's LNER Locomotives to Scale? Placing the valance etch against the drawing reveals some interesting differences. See below. I am hoping to match the Proscale body with a Comet chassis, but am worried that may not work out as planned! Steve

Richard, I have one on my workbench waiting to be started. It must be the umpteenth time I've opened the box and then found something else to do! Any chance you took some photos and could start a thread to show us the way to go? Steve

John, I wonder if Covid prevented this? Although that doesn't mitigate it, other manufacturers have decorated samples shipped here for inspection and approval before production starts. This is such a shame for Hornby. I suspect many will just be happy with opportunity to buy one at a "realistic" price? Steve

I seem to remember that that the whistle is prone to damage on the Clans, and Britannias for that matter?

@Western Aviator Done, I also asked about a 4mm Anhydrite wagon just for good measure!

Sorry you missed out on these, although they do pop up on well know auctions sites. I don't mean to sound smug, but I am fortunate enough to have one ready and waiting, although I think they were double headed to mitigate risk of failures en route? I also have an SLW 24 with Condor headboard!

Any chance of a 4mm version?

Not sure if it has been mentioned here before, but Amazon Warehouse can be a source of some interesting Hornby bargains: https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=Hornby&i=warehouse-deals&ref=nb_sb_noss. Currently features a Q6 for £88.33 (although its a picture of a B1), A2/2 Thane of Fife for £121.15 and 2x Yellow Submarine Eurostar for £104.54. Plus Free postage! All returned items, so classed as used and in varying condition - usually damaged packaging. Worth checking from time to time for updates.

@MarkC A picture popped up on the Wright writes thread, more evidence that the WD 2-10-0 fleet were Scottish based!

Thanks @Chris M, I have seen a few photos of the Warley layout. @Southern Fabricatoralso has a blog on his build and @Michael Edge has another. Popular location and lots of inspiration. Steve

@PeterBB My thoughts exactly, I would have used more of the new slimline motors but I had a lot of the old fashioned solenoid motors that I needed to reuse. If there was no room on the surface I cut the baseboard so they could be clipped directly to the underside of the point. Steve

Took my BMW for a service this week and noticed the showroom was only 2/3rd full. Speaking to the service manager he disclosed that they hadn't had any new cars for many weeks. All the cars in the showroom were 2ndhand. He had no idea when they might get new stock.

I agree, in my experience the jointed con rod prevents the whole lot from binding up due to the lateral side play of the wheel sets - which on my builds tends to be very limited on the leading axle but quite generous on the trailing axle to enable the loco to negotiate curves.

Ian, I also eagerly await your updates of the trials and tribulations of the AFK. Personally, I like to see a couple of photos in the post. Perhaps they can be billed as a taster with a link to your site to see more? Steve

So a few pics of the Isinglass coach, it still needs a lot of work but the next issue is to figure out how to secure the body to the underframe. The interior is cobbled from a couple of Airfix LMS Corridor Composites.

@John Tomlinson after much fettling (understatement to say the least) I have managed to get the Isinglass sides to fit the Hornby underframe. Much of the L section at the bottom of the sides has been removed (slitting disk and Dremel) which has weakened the them, so I reinforced them with brass strip. All very loosely assembled but the Isinglass/Hornby combo seems to compare well with a regular Hornby Gresley. Will post some pictures. Steve

Thanks @John Tomlinson, after a bit of experimentation last night I found you were right. The Hornby underframe is almost 3.5mm too wide for the Isinglass sides! Removing sufficient material to compensate will weaken the sides and Hornby floorpan. Additionally, the Hornby floor pan is moulded with the angles to fit their coach ends, whereas the Isinglass ends are flat. Thinking.......

I recently received an Isinglass Sleeper 3rd body which I am planning to marry up with a Hornby 61'6" underframe from their Sleeper 1st. Does anyone have any experience of using this combination and any tips/tricks before I start? I saw that @John Tomlinson experienced some bowing with the Isinglass Sleeper 3rd he built, so I am thinking about reinforcing the sides with some brass strip to reinforce it. Many thanks, Steve

Thanks Mike, buffer stop will be duly removed!