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Pen Green Workshops in 4mm


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Just over two years ago I started a blog on this site which I hoped would kick-start a small layout project. Due to my business getting busier, children, horses and a house move time and funds have been limited. For those who missed my blog (not difficult), around 2003 I photographed an interesting set of buildings at Pen Green Workshops, formerly part of the Corby steelworks and quarry system. A look at contemporary mapping shows that the prototype track layout was very similar to the well known Inglenook Sidings plan, and this set me on the path of a small project that might be finished and would provide operational interest. Importantly it won't cost a fortune and once completed will maintain operational interest. I have also considered that it will one day be added to other modules representing other parts of the system (I'm getting ahead of myself here as I've barely started the first phase.

 

Sadly the site has now been flattened, but I will post some of my pictures shortly. I have spent the last couple of years collecting together some suitable RTR stock, and invested in a Heljan Class 14 as motive power. In the interests of getting things going I will stick with OO gauge.

 

This is an overview of the site. The layout will be set infront on the nearest building. The site is set in a cutting, an ideal layout setting:

 

post-25126-0-92026800-1493242151_thumb.jpg

 

The sidings will be located where the crane is sitting, with the building at the left side on the baseboard:

 

post-25126-0-69018500-1493242408_thumb.jpg

 

I have purchased a number of items of RTR stock to get things moving. I have a selection of wagons for the shunting puzzle element, but hope also to run more prototypical short trains of matching wagons, scratchbuilding some of the more unique items:

 

post-25126-0-34103700-1493242541_thumb.jpg

post-25126-0-41602100-1493242565_thumb.jpg

 

Right, here goes. I'll see what happens.

 

Jim

Edited by Jim15B
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Do you think the bug that bites and infects us with railway enthusiasm is a relation of the bug who's bite is responsible for a love of horses? By the way the picture on the left is of 'Charlie' the last horse to be employed by B.R. engaged in shunting a horse box at Newmarket in 1967. In the same year as he made an appearance at the Horse of the Year Show, his mate 'Butch' should have been with him but he had died in harness shortly before the show. The very last in a long line of unsung hero s.

 

Best Wishes

 

Guy

 

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Do you think the bug that bites and infects us with railway enthusiasm is a relation of the bug who's bite is responsible for a love of horses? By the way the picture on the left is of 'Charlie' the last horse to be employed by B.R. engaged in shunting a horse box at Newmarket in 1967. In the same year as he made an appearance at the Horse of the Year Show, his mate 'Butch' should have been with him but he had died in harness shortly before the show. The very last in a long line of unsung hero s.

 

Best Wishes

 

Guy

 

 

Hi Guy. I'm a saddler and bridlemaker and have combined my hobby and work through my (small) collection of railway horse brasses and original harness which I may restore should I ever get time. Horses have very much slowed the progress of my modelling as, between looking after ours and working for other peoples, I don't have a lot of free time (or cash). Is Charlie the horse that featured in a short film on horse shunting? I have a feeling he is but haven't seen the footage for a while. Another interesting piece of footage available on Youtube is the film of the equine flu outbreak in LMS stables which is a fantastic piece of film. As an aside I have a leather token pouch in the workshop that is also awaiting restoration - another project that's been waiting for that bit of free time.

 

Sorry it's taken me a while to respond, another busy week!

 

Jim

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Looking forwards to seeing this layout progressing,,,

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

Thanks Mark, hopefully I'll get some updates on here soon - a bit of pressure should get things moving!

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Short update on planning.  The exit from the board will be to the right, representing the south on the model.  It will be disguised by a version of the rather optimistically named "Corby Aquaduct", a structure that is unlikely to make an impact on any study of historic man made water courses.  The Aquaduct is actually a pipe carrying what appears to be a cross between a drainage ditch and a brook over the BR Manton line and the former works railway.  I am hoping to add a sector plate at some stage so the pipe will hide the entrance to this.  I am using a board 4' x 1' 6" which emphasises the long narrow nature of the site, but might restict how I can incorporate the pipe due to the height at the front of the scene.  Once I get a chance to put some track on the board I'll see how it looks - no fancy computer planning here.

 

post-25126-0-41508000-1493847549_thumb.jpg

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Hi Gus.  I'm a saddler and bridlemaker and have combined my hobby and work through my (small) collection of railway horse brasses and original harness which I may restore should I ever get time.  Horses have very much slowed the progress of my modelling as, between looking after ours and working for other peoples, I don't have a lot of free time (or cash).  Is Charlie the horse that featured in a short film on horse shunting?  I have a feeling he is but haven't seen the footage for a while.  Another interesting piece of footage available on Youtube is the film of the equine flu outbreak in LMS stables which is a fantastic piece of film.  As an aside I have a leather token pouch in the workshop that is also awaiting restoration - another project that's been waiting for that bit of free time.

 

Sorry it's taken me a while to respond, another busy week!

 

Jim

Hi Jim,

Charlie is the one featured in, I think the Pathe News clip on Youtube.I haven't seen the LMS flu one yet but I'll look it up for sure. I've got a 12year old (or so his passport says)14.2h Connemara cross (very cross)grey gelding called Seamus. Had him 2 years of which it took him 12 months to regain any trust he might have had in men, very head shy - slightest thing would panic him, but now he's settled in he's a smasher, a lot of fun around the place

A good book on the subject of railway horses is 'The Long Haul' by Brian Holden now out of print but funnily enough saw a copy at Manchester Christmas model railway exhibition last year. A very good read well illustrated thoroughly recommended. A portrait of Charlie being on the front cover.

On a different tack (pun intended) I saw a set of LMS cob harness go through a at Chorley harness sale not that long ago, didn't fetch a lot

 

Best wishes

 

Guy

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Hi Jim,Charlie is the one featured in, I think the Pathe News clip on Youtube.I haven't seen the LMS flu one yet but I'll look it up for sure. I've got a 12year old (or so his passport says)14.2h Connemara cross (very cross)grey gelding called Seamus. Had him 2 years of which it took him 12 months to regain any trust he might have had in men, very head shy - slightest thing would panic him, but now he's settled in he's a smasher, a lot of fun around the placeA good book on the subject of railway horses is 'The Long Haul' by Brian Holden now out of print but funnily enough saw a copy at Manchester Christmas model railway exhibition last year. A very good read well illustrated thoroughly recommended. A portrait of Charlie being on the front cover.On a different tack (pun intended) I saw a set of LMS cob harness go through a at Chorley harness sale not that long ago, didn't fetch a lotBest wishesGuy

Guy,

 

Just spotted my typo in your name - apologies. I seem to have gone wildly off topic already, but I'll try to post the link to the horse flu video later. I do have the Holden book which is excellent as you say. We're on ponies at the moment due to the children but hope to get a ride and drive for my wife and I at some point - might see if I can get a dray, assuming of course that I come into some money from somewhere.

 

Not a lot of horses in the steelworks at Corby but I should get some on the next project - always plan at least two layouts ahead.

 

Jim

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Just over two years ago I started a blog on this site which I hoped would kick-start a small layout project. Due to my business getting busier, children, horses and a house move time and funds have been limited. For those who missed my blog (not difficult), around 2003 I photographed an interesting set of buildings at Pen Green Workshops, formerly part of the Corby steelworks and quarry system. A look at contemporary mapping shows that the prototype track layout was very similar to the well known Inglenook Sidings plan, and this set me on the path of a small project that might be finished and would provide operational interest. Importantly it won't cost a fortune and once completed will maintain operational interest. I have also considered that it will one day be added to other modules representing other parts of the system (I'm getting ahead of myself here as I've barely started the first phase.

 

Sadly the site has now been flattened, but I will post some of my pictures shortly. I have spent the last couple of years collecting together some suitable RTR stock, and invested in a Heljan Class 14 as motive power. In the interests of getting things going I will stick with OO gauge.

 

This is an overview of the site. The layout will be set infront on the nearest building. The site is set in a cutting, an ideal layout setting:

 

attachicon.gifPen Green 1.jpg

 

The sidings will be located where the crane is sitting, with the building at the left side on the baseboard:

 

attachicon.gif007.jpg

 

I have purchased a number of items of RTR stock to get things moving. I have a selection of wagons for the shunting puzzle element, but hope also to run more prototypical short trains of matching wagons, scratchbuilding some of the more unique items:

 

attachicon.gifIMG_2734.JPG

attachicon.gifIMG_2735.JPG

 

Right, here goes. I'll see what happens.

 

Jim

 

Hi Jim,

Did you know these buildings were due to be demolished? just goes to show that we should record as much as possible of these industrial settings before they go. Often thought a drone would be a good tool when it comes to making an assessment of such landscapes. I'm at the same stage as you regards modelling, except  nearly all of the buildings, track and topology are no longer there regarding the local ironworks I wish to portray in model form. So I'm left with maps, photographs etc. with which to work. The only thing that does remain of the iron works

 is 17 million tons of slag and I don't think that will be going any where soon! Keep us up to date on your progress.

 

Best

Guy

 

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Will be interested to see this develop. I used to wander along the footpath that ran alongside the yard from Pen Green Lane to Gretton Brook Rd to while away the school lunch break. Th place served as the main workshop for the minerals section and all manner of heavy plant could be seen in there. A Scammell based drilling rig seemed to be permanently parked alongside the hedge and there were always bits of excavators lying around. I can't recall anything about the rail connection into it but pretty sure it had one.

 

The aquaduct carries the infant Willow Brook over the railway, it passes through the tube works site before flowing downstream to eventually join the Nene near Nassington.

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Hi Jim,

Did you know these buildings were due to be demolished? just goes to show that we should record as much as possible of these industrial settings before they go. Often thought a drone would be a good tool when it comes to making an assessment of such landscapes. I'm at the same stage as you regards modelling, except  nearly all of the buildings, track and topology are no longer there regarding the local ironworks I wish to portray in model form. So I'm left with maps, photographs etc. with which to work. The only thing that does remain of the iron works

 is 17 million tons of slag and I don't think that will be going any where soon! Keep us up to date on your progress.

 

Best

Guy

 

 

 

 

I had no idea that the site was going to be flattened.  It was about 2003 that I photographed it, and shortly afterwards the offices (I'll add a photo shortly) were let to a florists who, for reasons best known to themselves, painted the building bright blue.  I was glad I'd got to it before then.  It was about ten years later that I went back to find that it had all gone.  I had a very frustrating experience with Pen Green loco shed.  That was owned by Phoenix Tyres who moved out, leaving the site vacant.  I had the opportunity to go in and look around and found the offices and shed in remarkably good condition, with the inspection pits still in situ and even a few remnants of signs from its days as the Minerals Division's shed.  Unfortunately this was before camera phones.  I returned a couple of weeks later armed with camera, tape, ranging poles and notebook only to find an empty piece of ground, with barely a brick left to show that there had ever been anything there.  I'm still annoyed with myself for not having got in sooner.  The old wagon works building is still in existance I think (or was last time I looked), but a large dog on site has always prevented me taking a closer look.

 

Which ironworks are you modelling?  Are you going to include all 17 million tons in model form?!

 

Jim

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Will be interested to see this develop. I used to wander along the footpath that ran alongside the yard from Pen Green Lane to Gretton Brook Rd to while away the school lunch break. Th place served as the main workshop for the minerals section and all manner of heavy plant could be seen in there. A Scammell based drilling rig seemed to be permanently parked alongside the hedge and there were always bits of excavators lying around. I can't recall anything about the rail connection into it but pretty sure it had one.

 

The aquaduct carries the infant Willow Brook over the railway, it passes through the tube works site before flowing downstream to eventually join the Nene near Nassington.

Great to hear from someone who remembers the site in use.  The map I have shows rail access (the rails were just still visible) and I'll add a copy shortly.  The strange thing is that the doors to the building are all very low - a standard 5-plank wagon would barely fit so I suspect that there may have been some specialist wagons for moving heavy plant into the building.  I presume that what became the Vayland Engineering building was used to maintain the larger plant and that the workshops I'm looking at were for smaller bits of kit.  I seem to remember that Tonks shows it as an ironworks but I think that's because it's the site of the first Corby Ironworks (all my books are boxed still following my house move so I'm struggling to check my references).  I'll have to find some pictures of the Scammell or something similar as I'll have to include one now!  

 

Thanks too for the reminder regarding it being the Willowbrook.  I wasn't 100% certain but you've answered that one.

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As mentioned previously, this is the office block prior to it's Smuf blue paint job.  I won't include it in the current model as I won't have room, but I like it's simplicity and utilitarian lines and will probably model it in some form in the future if I can find a home for it.

 

post-25126-0-85054200-1494020491_thumb.jpg

 

This is the plan of the site circa 1968.  I made these rather poor map copies nearly twenty years ago for no reason that I can remember when I first started working in Corby; I wasn't doing any modelling at that time having just left university, but still had a keen interest in the ironstone and steelworks lines.  I have found a much clearer version on a historic maps website but haven't obtained a copy yet.

 

post-25126-0-29305500-1494020883.jpg

 

post-25126-0-98811600-1494021284_thumb.jpg

 

As can hopefully be seen from the plan, the single siding to the works is accessed from the line to the left curving around (and quite steeply up) away from the site.  Due to the space available I don't intend to include this line, but I will hopefully have space for the line on the right that links the mineral lines with the exchange sidings and the works.  As my intended scheme is as a shunting puzzle this loop line will not connect to anything, but will become useable should I build a fiddle yard or add an extension to the south (right).  In order to allow for the shunting element I will be adding two sidings to the existing one to the Inglenook  specifications.

 

Edited to add the larger plan showing that the line giving access to the site is a spur leading only to the switchback siding.

Edited by Jim15B
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For anyone following this for the equestrian interest (not usual fayre for steelworks), this is the link to the 1949 railway horse flu footage.  This is my favourite film (I don't get out much).  I can just imagine working as a saddler there, though in reality it was probably pretty grim, especially for the apprentices.

 

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I had no idea that the site was going to be flattened.  It was about 2003 that I photographed it, and shortly afterwards the offices (I'll add a photo shortly) were let to a florists who, for reasons best known to themselves, painted the building bright blue.  I was glad I'd got to it before then.  It was about ten years later that I went back to find that it had all gone.  I had a very frustrating experience with Pen Green loco shed.  That was owned by Phoenix Tyres who moved out, leaving the site vacant.  I had the opportunity to go in and look around and found the offices and shed in remarkably good condition, with the inspection pits still in situ and even a few remnants of signs from its days as the Minerals Division's shed.  Unfortunately this was before camera phones.  I returned a couple of weeks later armed with camera, tape, ranging poles and notebook only to find an empty piece of ground, with barely a brick left to show that there had ever been anything there.  I'm still annoyed with myself for not having got in sooner.  The old wagon works building is still in existance I think (or was last time I looked), but a large dog on site has always prevented me taking a closer look.

 

Which ironworks are you modelling?  Are you going to include all 17 million tons in model form?!

 

Jim

Hi Jim,

I'm planning to model part of the Barrow Haematite iron and Steel Co site in Barrow-in-Furness in 7mm O gauge. My family connections go back to the 1860's with this industry, son following father down to 1963 as a lot of men did as fireman/drivers. One of the BHISCo locos still exist in the form of back converted F.R. 0-4-0 No20 running at N.R.M. Shildon at the moment. The Furness Railway originally sold these locos into industrial service, the Ironworks converting them into saddle tank form. Two locos were placed on plinths in the '60's, one of them being transformed into No.20 by the Furness Railway Trust. My paternal grandfather was badly burned in 1939 whilst driving a slag tipping train when a hopper of molten slag derailed and engulfed in footplate the fireman was not so lucky. Not one brick upon another survives of  what was the largest Ironworks in the world in the 1860s

Just looking at your latest posting, what size board have you got room for ?

As for the 17 million ton slag heap, (it really is impressive if you're into slag) 200 ton of it I can account for 'cos it's under my stables and smithy!

Keep us up to date with your plans.

Best

Guy

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The plan has always been that I will use a four foot board.  It's the optimum size for an Inglenook-style layout in 4mm and the timber can be bought to size easily.  I was thinking about keeping the width at 2' as that's the standard ply sheet size, but recently wondered whether I could go as narrow as 1'6".  Having cut a spare piece of board to this size I now think it will be too narrow and not allow me to set the scene as well as I would like, so I think I'm now back to the 2' width.  This will allow me to include the passing line to the east on a slight rising grade and also have the embankment at the back of the site.  Hopefully I'll also have room for the Scammel drill once I've found out what it looked like.

 

Although the recent move to our Victorian pile has given us much more space (and much more work in rennovations), the layout will have to be kept in the workshop and, as always seems to be the case, the contents of that room seem to have expanded to fill the new larger space.  In the short term the board will have to be stored on end until I can configure somewhere more permanent to keep it, so portability is important.  I've got the softwood for the frame and hopefully by the end of the month I'll have the ply top so I can properly start things moving.

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The drilling rig is almost certainly going to be a heavy unit for exploration of new reserves rather than a small production drill for blasting, and most likely based on a 1956 onward Scammell Constructor 6x6.  Unlikely to be any pictures of it working so a yard view is your best bet.

 

The drill rig would not be a massive oilfield type often seen on the Constructor (good for 7,000+ ft!), but a rotary rig capable of several hundred feet.

I'm guessing the S&L drill rig would be somewhere between these two in size:

 

post-17823-0-26106500-1494075822_thumb.jpg

post-17823-0-98276500-1494075833_thumb.jpg

post-17823-0-48532600-1494075802_thumb.jpg

 

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I KNEW I'd seen a picture of the rig somewhere - and just after posting the above I found it:

 

post-17823-0-90700900-1494076438_thumb.jpg

 

Found here with a pic of a production drill too -  http://www.ourcorby.org.uk/page_id__222_path__0p40p.aspx

 

Looking at the pic again, I wondered if it was being used in this instance for very deep blasting holes - note the white material which may be blast hole filler material - but I believe it is simply limestone chippings / dust from the drilling operation emptied from the air cyclone separators above.

Edited by Osgood
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The larger drilling units were still  used for drilling the holes for blasting and shattering the ore bench. 

 

Photographic evidence supports this, and both the Corby Area (Green) Tonks book and Introductory (Grey) book feature images of the quarries around Corby showing these larger drill rigs in use, as part of panoramic photographs. The fact they were used for shot drilling is evident as they are posed on the exposed ore bench, after the limestone has been stripped off by the larger stripping shovels and drag lines. 

 

There were also smaller, more portable rigs. Pitsford quarries had a small Ruston Bucyrus excavator modified this for purpose. 

 

Paul A. 

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The plan has always been that I will use a four foot board.  It's the optimum size for an Inglenook-style layout in 4mm and the timber can be bought to size easily.  I was thinking about keeping the width at 2' as that's the standard ply sheet size, but recently wondered whether I could go as narrow as 1'6".  Having cut a spare piece of board to this size I now think it will be too narrow and not allow me to set the scene as well as I would like, so I think I'm now back to the 2' width.  This will allow me to include the passing line to the east on a slight rising grade and also have the embankment at the back of the site.  Hopefully I'll also have room for the Scammel drill once I've found out what it looked like.

 

Although the recent move to our Victorian pile has given us much more space (and much more work in rennovations), the layout will have to be kept in the workshop and, as always seems to be the case, the contents of that room seem to have expanded to fill the new larger space.  In the short term the board will have to be stored on end until I can configure somewhere more permanent to keep it, so portability is important.  I've got the softwood for the frame and hopefully by the end of the month I'll have the ply top so I can properly start things moving.

Like your plans Jim, have you got a O.S. map of the site? I think like a lot of projects model railway or not if you can devote even half an our once or twice a week it all adds up to progress. Are you thinking of having the layout portable or a permanent fixture? I think the possibilities for interesting asides like the drilling rig are very wide in a steelworks setting-I'm thinking I'd like to model the transporting of ladles from melts to ingot shop etc. Of course I'll have to scratch build these and other steelworks perculiarities. 

Going back to the railway horse thread, have you come across 'Great Western Horse Power' by Janet Russell ?

Best Wishes,

Guy

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I KNEW I'd seen a picture of the rig somewhere - and just after posting the above I found it:

 

attachicon.gifS&L Rig.jpg

 

Found here with a pic of a production drill too - http://www.ourcorby.org.uk/page_id__222_path__0p40p.aspx

 

Looking at the pic again, I wondered if it was being used in this instance for very deep blasting holes - note the white material which may be blast hole filler material - but I believe it is simply limestone chippings / dust from the drilling operation emptied from the air cyclone separators above.

Osgood,

 

Thank you so much for the information and for the photos. Now that I've seen it I realised that I've seen the one of the drilling rig before, but didn't think of it. That'll make an interesting project! I have in mind that it will be in a derelict condition with a coupe of flat tyres somewhere infront of the building. I may have to base it on a Scammel Contrator as I can't find a Constructor at a reasonable price, though I will keep looking. I'm not sure that my skills will be up to scratchbuilding it. Looking at the link above, I like the "moon buggy" drilling rig in the slide show. Now, have I got room for a dragline......

Edited by Jim15B
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The larger drilling units were still  used for drilling the holes for blasting and shattering the ore bench. 

 

Photographic evidence supports this, and both the Corby Area (Green) Tonks book and Introductory (Grey) book feature images of the quarries around Corby showing these larger drill rigs in use, as part of panoramic photographs. The fact they were used for shot drilling is evident as they are posed on the exposed ore bench, after the limestone has been stripped off by the larger stripping shovels and drag lines. 

 

There were also smaller, more portable rigs. Pitsford quarries had a small Ruston Bucyrus excavator modified this for purpose. 

 

Paul A. 

Thanks Paul.  Unfortunately my Tonks are packed in a box somewhere awaiting the building of some book cases so I haven't been able to refer to them for a while.  However, I am now feeling obliged to dig them out as they are becoming essential again.  The use of the drills for shot drilling would also have prolonged their life I would presume.  Somewhere (I presume in Tonks) I've seen a picture of an ore bench covered in regular holes, I presume for blasting.

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Like your plans Jim, have you got a O.S. map of the site? I think like a lot of projects model railway or not if you can devote even half an our once or twice a week it all adds up to progress. Are you thinking of having the layout portable or a permanent fixture? I think the possibilities for interesting asides like the drilling rig are very wide in a steelworks setting-I'm thinking I'd like to model the transporting of ladles from melts to ingot shop etc. Of course I'll have to scratch build these and other steelworks perculiarities.

Going back to the railway horse thread, have you come across 'Great Western Horse Power' by Janet Russell ?

Best Wishes,

Guy

The layout will have to be portable as even at 4' wide I don't have a permanent site for it, so it will have to sit in the workshop. I'm hoping that this thread will help me find that 30 minutes a week as I will feel obliged to show some progress if anyone is watching. I'm working seven days a week at the moment so I could probably do with setting some time aside for this. I have been working on a few bits and bobs over the last couple of years, including an RT Models slag ladle, which so far is a lovely little model. I'll add its details soon.

 

Yes, I have Janet Russell's book; I'd love to do something similar for the LMS, but that will probably be for another lifetime.

Edited by Jim15B
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