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Having never weathered anything in my life I certainly don't feel qualified to give advice or indeed to offer any form of criticism, but I'm pleased to see that you decided to return to 37803. I think this is a super layout and until you provided details of your stock in a recent post I would never have imagined that you had only a limited number of locos available as there always seems to be plenty going on. I've obviously never looked closely enough to see that it's usually the same loco's on view but I never was a 'spotter'. In that respect I just thought that the weathering on 37803 was a little too heavy and not quite to the same high standard of detail that I have come to expect (though for sure, still far better than anything I could manage myself). The nail polish remover looks to have done a decent job, in fact it looks to have done a very good job as you now have a locomotive that shows signs of having been recently washed. Somewhere between what you originally put on and what you've now taken off is where you need to be in my view. Don't they say "It's not what you put on but what you take off" with regards to weathering? I'm sure you'll get it just right. As for the 37s in coal sector livery and a set of MGRs, that was a great choice and I'm looking forward to seeing the full rake when you get hold of the remainder.

I can understand the temptation of OO gauge as it's what we all come back to eventually and the choice of products in that scale is now just overwhelming but don't give up on your scratch-built G scale which as everyone else has already mentioned is truly amazing. However, you have to do what interests you most and gives you the greatest satisfaction at the end of the day. I've really enjoyed following your progress with the larger scale even if I haven't always made it clear that I've been visiting your thread.

60009 looks simply stunning in those shots Dave, you've done a tremendous job with her, and that tail lamp on the platform (second photo) actually looks like it's lit (perhaps it is?) If only there'd been a hint of smoke from no. 9s chimney or some steam from beneath the footplate! Brilliant.

And so you should be. With the amount of work you've put in to this and the high quality of construction I'd hold out until you are offered a reasonable price! It's been one of the highlights of RMweb to keep an eye on this thread and see the ferry develop - really excellent stuff!

Thanks for the details about your enhancements to the Mk2d's Dave and for the photographs which illustrate it clearly. I was initially a bit wary of purchasing what turned out to be a total of 11 Dapol Mk2ds but I was pleasantly surprised by how nice they actually look. I'm not sure I'm ready to tackle a full repaint just yet but its something to consider for the future. As I'm still a bit 'green' when it comes to all this, can I ask, did you simply fit the required wheels into the bogies or did you also fit bearings? The wheels on the ones I have that had been re-wheeled by their previous owner are a very loose fit and when placed on track you can actually move the body of the coach sideways to some extent. Would bearings be a possible solution do you think? Mick

Hi Dave, Apologies if this has already been fully explained but what work are you actually doing on the Mk2d's? I have acquired a number of similar coaches, some in blue/grey and some in Intercity livery. The blue/grey ones have been re-wheeled but unfortunately not the Intercity ones. They are all in excellent condition and don't compare too bad considering their age but what would you suggest needs to be done to improve them? What exactly have you done with yours? Mick

A fine barrier there Leon, exactly as I remember them. Just going to have a trundle round now to those oil tanks you've been fitting - there can be problems with oil spillage seeping down into the water table and contaminating water supplies... When you get the opportunity can you take some photographs showing the same areas but with a wider viewpoint so it's easier to see how all the different scenes fit together. Mick

Hi Leon, Yes, I think a barrier would be quite suitable in that area. As for whether it's in a raised or lowered position that's entirely up to you and how you feel about driving across if the barrier is set against you You could always make it capable of being operated but no doubt as in the real world, you'll end up driving across anyway while no-ones looking. Some kind of warning signs as depicted earlier would also be an option or in addition to the barrier or perhaps even just the hatched squares. Personally I'd go for the barrier because that's what I remember and it's what made me think that if they had them among the mess and muck of a pit yard then they'd have them on other similar works rail crossings too. Mick

Those low relief factory units make a very effective backscene and I like your choice of colours however, the shot of the Corus building, the one looking down onto the roof, is particularly pleasing to me and very realistic. I had to retrace back through the thread to see why I hadn't noticed it so clearly before. Just needs the usual clutter about the yard area. Do you intend to do anything about the crossing adjacent to the Corus building? I assume that is intended as the entrance for the road vehicles and what with health & safety regulations as they are, road vehicles and diesel loco's don't tend to mix very well in such environments. I would imagine there would be something along the lines of a simple barrier that was manually lowered or perhaps you have something more sophisticated in mind? I only have experience of colliery yards where they tended to make do with a simple barrier lowered by the colliery staff to prevent access to road vehicles when trains were about. Used to get some very disgruntled lorry drivers!

I must be honest John and say that when I first read about your intention to use the Playmobil parts I was sceptical about your chance of success. How wrong I was and how pleased I am to be able to admit that! It did look cheap and very toylike at first but it now looks absolutely the part. I'm sure your modelling skills have a lot to do with it but you must have generated immense additional interest in Playmobil gear with the results you have achieved. Totally inspirational - can't wait to see what you come up with next.

I've now added 47406 to my 'fleet' and again, it's another excellent locomotive. My only gripe, and it appears it's one that can be levelled at almost all new releases of late, is the difficulty trying to remove the bodies. The 47 has two screws either side of each bogie and a central one right at each end of the loco making six in total. The 2 end ones are very difficult to undo being right in the vicinity of the leading edge of the bogie and even more of a pain to replace. The ones by the side of each bogie are okay but then, just to be sure the body isn't going to become dislodged, there are four bodyside clips, one beneath each cab door which are the devil to prise apart. I wonder just how much unnecessary damage is being caused to these 'new' loco's simply through the owner trying to remove the body in order to fit a DCC chip? I managed to dislodge one of the bodyside clips entirely and it fell to the floor but luckily, being an integral part of the door window glazing, it simply slotted back in again. In the end I kept the damage down to just one dislodged wire which must be for the cab lighting as everything else seems to work okay. It's getting to the point where I'm beginning to wonder if DCC is a good thing or not but there again, shouldn't there be easier access for simple maintenance tasks?

Excellent work there Leon. I'm not sure how I've managed to miss this one but delighted to come across it this evening. I spent more than 25 years working with freight trains across in Yorkshire and your modelling skills and attention to detail certainly captures the mood as I remember it. You've really made great use of the space available to you and it all looks very spacious and uncluttered. If I were you I'd be very tempted to stick with the sector liveries - you don't need any 66's! Sadly I don't have the room available to build a layout indoors and so I am resigned to the garden but at least it allows me the opportunity to run some lengthy freight. After reading through your entire thread I can't wait for the weather to improve so that I can get back out there. I'll be keeping a watch on how you progress so keep up the great work. Mick

Just to add to what's already been noted, my 47461 arrived this morning and there was no sign of damage to the outer packaging. Rails had done a decent job of packing the loco in both bubble wrap and then layers of corrugated paper/card with plenty of parcel tape but upon opening I discovered the exterior of the loco box, still wrapped in its white tissue paper, had sustained a hefty bump to one end although fortunately there was no damage to any of the contents within. It certainly appears to me that the box must have been damaged prior to packing and posting. Had I purchased as an 'investment' it would be on its way back to Rails but as it's for use on a layout I can put up with a damaged box. Rails have been notified. On a brighter note - what a really nice looking locomotive!

I'm sure those photographs of the interior of your railway room will be an inspiration to many would-be modellers who feel they haven't the necessary space for a main line type of layout. Possibly even to those considering less demanding branch lines. I've not seen these images before and I am amazed at just how much you've managed to put together in what appears to be little more than a box room. However, it's not just what you've fitted in but the thoroughly professional way in which it's all been done that makes Waverley West one of the highlights of RMweb. Excellent attention to detail and like many Scottish based layouts there's a wonderful variety of loco's and rolling stock in all their different liveries. Waverley West's thread is also easy to find for me as it's undoubted popularity with the majority of members means it's always near the top of the listing!