Mikkel

We all know that one! 🙂 Another excellent build, Nick. It looks so crisp in that photo with the primer! The trick with the former is a nice one, I had not considered that it could be used for down-sloping sheets like that. And that rope must be the tightest I have seen, very impressive. I always feel compelled to paint the whole thing, whether sheeted or not, but from a rational point of view it is pointless of course.

That must have been painstaking work. Impressive stuff.

I like the presentation with drawings in the background. Can I ask what software you use?

Here is the response, with the measured time and precision of someone who has been a long time in the business 🙂 Apologies for leading the thread a little astray.

But try as they might, they can't fit us in there. So the next logical step is VR goggles. (only half kidding)

This is the problem with the LB&SCR, it's always there in the wings, waiting for the next opportunity to lure innoncent men away from their chosen company. A family saloon is a nice excuse though. Must give that some thought, thank you.

A lovely assembly of stock. And the Devensian Ice Sheet in the background, proper historical modelling 😜 Edit: But wait, it never reached your location. Tut tut.

Excellent idea! The only disadvantage is that you'll only sell one per customer 🙂

Similar condition as this view of 3317 on Mike Morant's site, which seems to have faint shadow of lining on cab when enlarged: https://mikemorant.smugmug.com/Trains-Railways-British-Isles/GWR-and-BRW/GWR-4-4-0s/i-RdxP6NZ/A Edit: But 3317 has screw reverser cover, which I understand was fitted from mid-1920s.

Thank you very much, Nick. That Archer's photo is indeed quite a sight! BTW, Paddington have been in touch, asking why on earth there has been no mention of the company's own Pantechnicons. Here is an 1894 specimen. Tempting subject for a scratchbuild.

Thank you. No pick-up on the power bogie at all in my case. But it's the least of my worries, as it turns out. Also various assembly/QC issues on the powered bogie (bits not pushed home etc). Runs like a bag of nails, despite running-in. Will arm myself with a glass of the strong stuff and do some surgery. Worse things are happening in the world.

Your comment made me realize that the prototype photos I have seen of Pantechnicons all show them on flat wagons, not well wagons. @magmouse, can you think of photos that shows them on well wagons? (I looked in the HMRS collection but only found photos of them on the ground, but probably my error).

I wonder if anyone can help with a little query: My SRM will not run when the unpowered bogie is off the track/rolling road. Does anyone know if this is as it should be - i.e. a result of the way it is wired - or does it indicate an issue with pickups on the powered bogie? PS: No. I'm not trying to run it with one bogie off the rails 🙂 Just trying to diagnose a variety of issues with my replacement example.

Well that's a dilemma! 🙂 Probably best not to, it would distract me every time I looked at it, prototypical or not.

I haven't. I thought Powderham might be that example, but maybe you're right that the angle conceals it: In RCTS Part 7, photo G31 shows 3307 with top feed in 1913, but that has the boxes (D2 boiler though). Maybe the topfeed and boxes/covers go together, timewise.

Thank you, it would certainly be nice to leave them on, as it will be tricky to conceal the cut-out completely. I have so far found only one photo of a pre-WW1 curved-frame Bulldog that has the covers mounted, but will investigate more. Excellent, you have thought of everything! That's the advantage of someone who develops products for his own use too.

I’ve started a curved frame Bulldog project, directly inspired by @The Fatadder's recent build (seen here) which alerted me to @heraldcoupe’s 3D printed loco bodies. Many thanks to both. I must emphasize that my Bulldog shell is one of Bill's rejects. It has various small flaws and should not be taken as representative of his approved prints. But I think I can fix most of it. The project is an experiment anyway, a means to to cut my teeth on 3D printed loco bodies. Above is the Bulldog body on the Bachmann Dukedog donor chassis, for which it has been designed. If I understand correctly, Bill's body shells represent latter-day Bulldogs, modelled after particular prototypes. I would however like to backdate mine, either to ca. 1919-22 or ideally to 1913-14. At first I thought this would involve a good deal of work, but the more I look, the simpler it seems. In particular I have become enamoured with this photo which shows 3301 "Powderham" at Par in 1913. As far as I can see, the body matches the Powderham photo on the following counts: D3 taper boiler (right?) Top feed Early lubricator cover Strengthened frames (as far as I can see?) Chimney Plain smokebox door Tapered buffers Deep frame “swing-hanger” bogies (although slightly different pattern?) Fluted conrods C10 and Siphon 😊 What would need doing: Make portholes in cab front Remove "boxes" at bottom of firebox (what are they?). Edit: Or maybe not, see comments. Replace tender. Is that a Dean 3000 gallon tender on Powderham? If so, Bachmann's City tender would match Standard name and no. plates from Light Railway Stores (Powderham did not have the special plates). The “tiebars” below the cranks were always going to be tricky, regardless of date. I want to be able to remove the body, so must either come up with something detachable (micro magnets?) or just leave them off. Edit: Dukedog tie bars will do, see comments. But I may have overlooked something significant, or got it all wrong?

I also enjoyed the video. Nice smooth running all round - not least the County tank. Very impressive, Neal.

Ah, that is a particularly lovely shot. Great angles and a nice blend of colours. Also, I like your weeds, dude!

Thanks, that's recent so maybe still some around.

I wrote to ask, I'll report back if he replies. There was talk of retirement I think. Very kind of you, thanks. They do look great. But I'm thinking much of the fun is in putting it together.

I know the feeling. I often make a mess with powertools, and then have to remedy with good old manual tools. Your end results look neat, nice save.

What a sight, Dave, they are beautiful. With layouts like yours we can see what it was like. Of course it wasn't always summer, etc, but there must have been moments like this nonetheless. The U14 is one of those six-wheelers that could have been a four-wheeler (perhaps it even became one, can't remember). Which makes me wonder why six wheels were chosen in the first place. Better riding?

Ah, very nice! Something elevated would look grand. This is Alexandra Docks at Newport.

Oooh, that is very nice. Some interesting views to be had from all sides. I like "Shed, misc." which of course is quite different from "Old stores" 🙂