Little Didcot

[The Fatadder]

Re the rotank (I assume I am right in saying this is the road rail milk tank?).

 

I keep thinking that an etched chassis wouldn’t be too hard to design, along with a 3D print for the road tank.

 

I will try and remember to bring the tape measure along to the Didcot tour this year...

(Then in 4 or 5 years I may finish the drawing)

[Castle]

Hi Rich,

 

That’s the one! That is also a really kind offer Rich.

 

I don’t want people thinking I’m just going around RMWEB trying to get someone else to do my projects for me! I recently suggested the ROTANK and the HYDRA in the Oxford Rail wish list too as I figured that having found a space in the market, they with their vehicle production business could do something with it. Imagine them available in a range of liveries with era appropriate road vehicles on. A no-brainer I would have thought... I’ve now got two people offering to do models here on Little Didcot too! The most important thing is that you guys do the projects you want to do. If that crosses over with my stuff then great but don’t feel that you have to follow my particular peculiar wants!

 

A quick note. I’m having a chat with an expert on GWR milk tanks here on RMWEB via a PM at the moment as there seems to be a little confusion on the exact diagram of the GWS ROTANK. The GWS website might be a bit off... I will report back as soon as possible as it might make a huge difference!

 

All the best,

 

Castle

Edited March 7, 2018 by Castle

[gz3xzf]

Castle’s Modelling Musings Volume 1...*

 

Hi Castle

I think that is great, it gives one a finite list of models to make/acquire and, of course, an end point. Much better than my idea of buying random stuff that happens to be on sale at the time!  

 

 

sem34090

I am also interested in a model of BPC, do you have a RMWeb thread/Facebook page for South Coast Railway Models?

[The Fatadder]

Hi Rich,

That’s the one! That is also a really kind offer Rich.

I don’t want people thinking I’m just going around RMWEB trying to get someone else to do my projects for me! I recently suggested the ROTANK and the HYDRA in the Oxford Rail wish list too as I figured that having found a space in the market, they with their vehicle production business could do something with it. Imagine them available in a range of liveries with era appropriate road vehicles on. A no-brainer I would have thought... I’ve now got two people offering to do models here on Little Didcot too! The most important thing is that you guys do the projects you want to do. If that crosses over with my stuff then great but don’t feel that you have to follow my particular peculiar wants!

A quick note. I’m having a chat with an expert on GWR milk tanks here on RMWEB via a PM at the moment as there seems to be a little confusion on the exact diagram of the GWS ROTANK. The GWS website might be a bit off... I will report back as soon as possible as it might make a huge difference!

All the best,

Castle

My offer isn’t too selfless, I will need someone to hold the other end of the tape measure!

[Castle]

Now that I can do Rich!

 

All the best,

 

Castle

[57xx]

 

Hi All,

 

I thought that it might be useful for those interested to have a look at the other popular reference volumes in the Castle Library with regards to the GWR / WR wagon fleet. Let’s have a look at a few oldie but goodies first shall we? These are still available for purchase second hand and can all be tracked down with varying degrees of difficulty. I will include a shot of the front and the back for the (I)SBN numbers.

 

This one is quite good - lots of interesting pictures in it including some of the weirder stuff likePOLLENs and CROCODILEs in early BR liveries. Something that isn’t that easy to find strangely. I guess works shots in GWR is a given so that’s usually available... Anyway, old book, nice addition to the collection, a few really interesting shots. If you can pick it up at reasonable cost go for it but not essential.

 

F97A792D-41CF-4319-8107-932DEBA68386.jpeg

 

The rear picture is the one of loads of broad gauge stock at Swindon for breaking up - it’s a classic!

 

6CCDFB71-071E-4089-AB57-EF1B07CCBC10.jpeg

 

Next we have the book with the 16 word title! There are some really quite interesting bits in here. Loading of wagons, how to and how not to do it, pictures of all sorts of weird stuff like the S&T mes van conversion I built recently and much more. If you have the wagon bible then this is probably the next one to hunt down.

 

22E60FBE-D3A7-4130-9765-B1D1C13E940A.jpeg

 

FA4229D4-4A45-451F-84E8-F2F367640164.jpeg

 

It’s a bit of a porkie to say this is mine because it isn’t (!) but it’s on long term loan from a good friend. This is a really great book as it has several drawings not in the wagon bible. The most important of which is a large selection of most (not the O58 ROTANK sadly - grrrr!) of the GWR milk tankers and a few other bits and pieces. Well worth having to compliment the bible.

 

DBA0612B-43F8-45E6-B40D-F6D608DA2625.jpeg

 

374BD05E-048D-41C1-85DE-5E040CAD7827.jpeg

 

And finally (as they say on the news), a couple of modern offerings which provide a nice layman’s overview of services and a number of really interesting images too. Again, worth reading if you can lay hands on them for reasonable money. I’m lucky in that my GWS membership gets me 10% off in the DRC bookshop. Subtle membership plug intended...

 

5C721723-D3AC-45B3-B635-E532FA2F82E1.jpeg

 

3A3290F6-BD93-4630-AF78-25669566DC08.jpeg

 

874ADB79-7B92-47CA-AA7B-D2EE4FC97103.jpeg

 

5B1C2622-4893-4DF8-9E6B-D1B6BC099A4E.jpeg

That's a nice selection of books, I have all but two of them and now I'm going to have to track down the J.H. Russell one and the drawings book. Just when you think you have enough books....

 

Freight loads is in my library two. How good are the last two? I've been tempted a few times..

 

As above, I have got both volumes and am finding them a good read, both from the pictures in it and the general learning about how goods workings worked. Worth getting IMHO.

[Castle]

Hi All,

 

Little No. 7202 update - no, I haven’t forgotten...

 

...well maybe I had a bit! It was put in its box about a year ago and other things happened in OO, 12”:1’ scale and in real life too so it fell back down the pile (quite literally!). A few days ago, after making progress on several other fronts which included 5 Panniers that have been weathered and modified, the continued saga of the AA7 brake van and a little more progress on a model of 18100, the corner of a green PDK kit box waved at me and instilled a few pangs* of guilt. So I have fiddled a bit, received a few more burns, slapped on a bit of filler and hey presto, and she now looks like this:

 

 

I don’t know quite why the handrail holes didn’t line up but the ones I drilled did! The handrail looks wobbly it isn’t in real life - weird... She now needs to be dismantled for the last time, the various holes and imperfections in the body filling and the crank covers and balance weights fitting. Weathering and a few other detail bits and we will be good to go!

 

In other news, the Didcot modelling squad made an appearance at Alexandra Palace yesterday and had a great time. Many thanks to everyone that was there exhibiting and for the organisers too. It was lovely to shake hands again with friends such as Andy Y and Modelu Alan again and to meet our very own modelling ‘Tommy’ in the shape of KH1 and his magnificent Up the Line layout. It was great to see that one in the flesh finally! Another highlight was paying homage at the layout of the late great Reverend Denny - wonderful to see that still working too and full credit to the layout’s owners and operators for it.

 

I’ve was a bit naughty at the show and I’m going to lightly mutilate (as opposed to the ought right abuse suffered by the last two I had!) another one of these - for nefarious and time bending purposes too...

 

 

That will do for now!

 

All the best,

 

Castle

 

PS: The latest RMWEB tour of DRC is open for business and as always the link is below.

 

*What is it with the autocorrect on my iPhone? It tried to change this word to pants!

Edited March 26, 2018 by Castle

[M.I.B]

Wow - so much to comment on in such a few lines.

 

72Xx looks great - i still envy anyone who can solder.

 

Rev Denny's masterpiece inspired such a huge proportion of this hobby whether we realise it or not, and so it is so good that Buckingham has been kept going and all credit to those who have "saved" it.

 

Another RMWeb Didcot trip - you are not only so very generous of your time modelling at 12"@1' but you manage to squeeze in yet another look behind the scenes for us all.  How do you find the time?  It's very impressive.

 

 

For those who haven't yet enjoyed this tour - please do so while you can, and don't forget to drop some "folding" in one of the collection tins as a mark of appreciation for the "extra tour" you are receiving.

[EHertsGER]

But I rarely take the hat off!

All the best,

Castle

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tH1wecSeuu8#

[81E]

Going Loco (Coal)

 

Hi All,

 

While it is great fun to build loco kits, it can get a bit overwhelming. I have quite a bit done and then decided to write a list of what was left to do on little No. 7202 and then wished I hadn't. It was quite long... So, what to do? Now wagon kits - they are like eating Pringles in two different ways. Once you start, you can't stop and they are small and snack size. A quick refreshing pause from the engine. But which one of the kit mountain to tackle?

 

I wanted to do one that was unusual and whilst thumbing through my list, my eye rested on the N34 coal wagon. Now, I had no kit for this and I didn't think one existed so I went to GWR.co.uk and it's authoritative lists and this was confirmed. Feeling lucky though I went on the Internet and typed in GWR N34 loco coal wagon and a new option since my last search presented itself. A shop on Shapeways by the name of Stafford Road Model Works now offers body kits of several types of GWR wagons including the N28, N30 and - wait for it - N34 (Woo Hoo!) that is designed to clip to the Dapol 21t hopper wagon chassis. So, bypassing the existing kit mountain and working on the principle of buy it while you can see it as it might not be there in the future, my PayPal account received a work out. Actually, it's not too bad. The body was about £20 all in and Hattons provided an unpainted Dapol wagon was mine for £6 plus P&P. So, without paint and transfers (I already had those) it was about £28 for a custom wagon kit of a prototype unavailable elsewhere. Not bad at all...

 

No. 63066 is the prototype for the model. It was built at Swindon to diagram N34 as part of lot No. 1480 in 1946. The steel bodied wagon for the conveyance of locomotive coal was a fairly common type on the GWR and when you think that large sheds such as Old Oak Common were consuming deliveries of around 3,000 tons of South Wales' finest a week at their peak, you can see why... At the turn of the century, the GWR management became concerned with the inefficiencies represented by the standard small private owner coal wagons and was keen to encourage the use of larger vehicles where possible. The figures make this clear. If a train was to carry 600 tons of coal, if we use wagons of 10 tons capacity, the train is made up of 60 wagons, is 1080' long and has a tare weight of 369 tons. If we load the same amount of coal into 20 ton capacity wagons, the train length is reduced to 30 wagons that are 735' long and have a tare weight of just 288 tons! This is a massive saving in all areas and make it easier to move, lower maintenance costs and take up less siding space. Funnily enough, the maths don't keep scaling up using GWR era technology. They did build some 40 ton bogie coal wagons under diagrams N1/11/14/15/17 between 1904 and 1910. The same 600 ton train only has 15 vehicles but is 690' long and weighs 280 tons tare. Not a huge saving on the previous effort and forty tons is a LOT of coal where as 20 tons is a more useful amount in some ways and allows a greater range of delivery sizes to be undertaken.

 

image.jpeg

 

In an effort to practice what it preached (to the largely deaf ears of the majority of private owner vehicles as it turned out!) the 20 ton loco coal wagon became a common sight on the GWR. There were several versions that had a number of arrangements of doors (end and side), body design and brakes. The N34 has two doors per side, no end doors, square corners to the body and Morton brakes. It has a 4 wheel under frame that has a 12' wheel base. Twenty tons was chosen as it was a reasonable and yet quite large capacity to expect a 4 wheel chassis to cope with. No. 63066 is (I think - please correct me if I'm wrong!) the sole surviving member of the N34 wagons. There is a similarly rare example of the earlier (1931) Dia. N27 version No. 83831 at the Severn Valley as part of the 813 Fund collection. Jim Champ's excellent introductory article on GWR Iron and Steel Bodied Loco Coal Wagons on Miss Prism's site is available for perusal here:

 

http://www.gwr.org.uk/nondiags.html

 

And to the model... The main constituent parts are laid out below. The chassis is still firmly attached to its hopper body, the new 3D printed body is ready for work and a transfer sheet has been liberated from the archives.

 

image.jpeg

 

The unpainted chassis is quite nice - there are a few small differences between this and the one for the N34 but once weathered...

 

image.jpeg

 

Lots of different ways of writing LOCO and COAL here! There is a bit of a discussion as to the correct colour for GWR loco coal wagons. Some say black, some say grey, some say wibble but that may be because they are mad (2pencils up your nose and underpants on your head). I saw a picture in the GWR wagon bible of a 1948 built N34 in BR black with BR(W) lettering so, despite it being unlikely that a 1946 built wagon would have been repainted into a 1948 livery, I went for that. It's a BR livery I wouldn't have otherwise...

 

image.jpeg

 

The 3D printed body had apparently been polished (!) and has a subtle texture on it. I figured that there were two options open to me here. 1 - spend hours and hours sanding it so it is absolutely smooth or 2 - accept it and incorporate it into my weathering. Because I am a lazy type we are going to have a go at option 2. I will let you fine people judge how good it looks. I was looking at getting the body done in the FUD material which would have been smoother but at £40 for a wagon body I figured that was a bit much! The only issue I can see with the body is that the door bang springs are in the wrong place. On the prototype, the hinge pins are in line with the straps and the door springs are in between them. The springs are perhaps the least successful part of the print bit are well done within the limitations of the technique. I shall be fiddling about with a bit of scrap brass etch here to make new ones.

 

image.jpeg

 

On to the conversion! Wheels out!

 

image.jpeg

 

Couplings off!

 

image.jpeg

 

Fake load thingy out and body off!

 

image.jpeg

 

The wagon weight is fixed in by the melting plastic until it can't fall out method. I don't know what you would do if you wanted to display the wagon empty?

 

image.jpeg

 

A little light destruction resulted in it coming away.

 

image.jpeg

 

First trial for is quite good. A little trim of the two plastic clips is needed to make it all go together seamlessly.

 

image.jpeg

 

Before I push it home, I decided to have a look at the prospects for fitting weight to it. Hmmmmmm - quite a large gap between the bottom of the body and the top of the chassis. I wonder...

 

image.jpeg

 

...yes! The weight was designed to fit in here and without the hopper sections of its previous incarnations in the way, a great fit! Time to start hacking away at plastic now.

 

image.jpeg

 

The far more to scale instanter is fitted as shown above. The previous mount of the tension lock coupling is mostly cut away using the frames as a guide. I'm not happy with those buffers though.

 

image.jpeg

 

These ones from Lanarkshire Model Supplies are much better even if it's not 100% correct. There is less and less of the original wagon left at this rate!

 

image.jpeg

 

Click! And it fits!

 

image.jpeg

 

The coal load looks nothing like actual coal but it is a start. A couple of chunks of styrene down two of the sides makes it fit better.

 

image.jpeg

 

A little more weight helps the use of scale type couplings as it is less likely to roll away on you as you couple up so liquid Gravity was stuffed in where possible.

 

image.jpeg

 

A little work with some scrap etch and we have eight new door bang springs! Two coupling springs and two split pins to add after paint and we are good to go!

 

image.jpeg

 

Primer shows off that texture - could be good, could be bad...

 

image.jpeg

 

A spot of Rolling Stones lyrics and it was painted black!

 

image.jpeg

 

A dose of transfers, weathering and real coal sees it looking like this. The surface looks like pitted and rusty metal. Whether such a 'young' wagon as depicted would be this pitted is another matter but this is the nature of the material as it comes without fettling. It could be that if the wagon was being depicted much later in its life that this would be wholly appropriate. Still, it looks like a convincing effect to my eye at least and if I find I really can't live with it later on, it's a plain black livery and I have plenty of transfers left over! What do you think?

 

image.jpeg

 

As a small plug for a small manufacturer (usual disclaimer - just a satisfied customer and all), you can access their Shapeways shop on the link below for all manner of GWR and other goodies!

 

https://www.shapeways.com/shops/stafford_road_model_works

 

All in all, it's been a nice break from the much more demanding 72XX build and I have No. 6866 Morfa Grange to weather for a friend and No. 3822 to weather for me. I must get back to the kit, detailing and weathering mountain. It isn't going to sort itself out...

 

All the best,

 

Castle

You've made a much better job than my attempts!

 

Thanks for pointing out the error with the door springs. I have to confess that I produced the original using drawing alone. I have now updated the 3d model see https://www.shapeways.com/product/JVUTWGZ2Z/00-gwr-n34-steel-bodied-21t-loco-coal-wagon-v2

 

 

PS you can reduce the graininess of the model by lightly sanding with very fine emery after the first coat of paint (primer) then re-spray but avoid the rivet detail.

Edited June 16, 2018 by 81E

[Castle]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tH1wecSeuu8#

 

Hi EHerts GER,

 

I can confirm that no ladies undergarments have ever been thrown on a stage when I have been on it. Mind you, the only stage I am usually found on is a coaling stage where such events are understandably quite rare...

 

All the best,

 

Castle

[Castle]

You've made a much better job than my attempts!

 

Thanks for pointing out the error with the door springs. I have to confess that I produced the original using drawing alone. I have now updated the 3d model see https://www.shapeways.com/product/JVUTWGZ2Z/00-gwr-n34-steel-bodied-21t-loco-coal-wagon-v2

 

 

 

PS you can reduce the graininess of the model by lightly sanding with very fine emery after the first coat of paint (primer) then re-spray but avoid the rivet detail.

Hi 81E,

 

I love that username! Thanks for the kind words and I'm glad I can be of service to help refine your excellent kit! If you need anything else, measurements, photographs or indeed visits for such things can be arranged. No problem.

 

I did a lot of finishing work on my 3D printed POLLEN Es but I felt that on my example of your kit, it really added something to the vehicle so I left it well alone. While we as modellers do lots in terms of paint finishes, we don't think too much about texture so to have it built in is a bit of a bonus!

 

All the best,

 

Castle

[Dazzler Fan]

The choice of material has to be economic in 3D printing; to get a mirror

finish from the get-go can be very expensive

 

You can pay £40 or £80 for a set of prints depending on the finish of the

material.

 

On 84998-84999 there was fine detail on the Buffer Ends that required

FUD for the supplied model: hence the expense and very limited market.

The 4mm SDJR No 25a Dazzler is a good case in point. it is difficult to bring it

to market for £150 - now who pays that for a colliery shunter kit!

 

With the NRM research and help of "The Man Himself at Didicot", I am proud
of what was achieved with the Pollen models..

 

Noel

Edited June 20, 2018 by Dazzler Fan

[81E]

To try and keep costs down I am starting to think about being selective as to which materials I use for certain components. One of my earlier vehicles and most recent (a Bullion Van and a Siphon J) have been made using white (or black) strong flexible materials for the underframe and roof while I've printed the bodies in Frosted Ultra Detail

 

 

 

 

If you have a totally flat surface with no detail I've found that spraying WSF polished with Halfords primer and polishing back 3 of four times can give a very smooth finish so I am thinking of using this for a GWR Oil burner tank with separate detail in FUD

[BenL]

 

To try and keep costs down I am starting to think about being selective as to which materials I use for certain components. One of my earlier vehicles and most recent (a Bullion Van and a Siphon J) have been made using white (or black) strong flexible materials for the underframe and roof while I've printed the bodies in Frosted Ultra Detail

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you have a totally flat surface with no detail I've found that spraying WSF polished with Halfords primer and polishing back 3 of four times can give a very smooth finish so I am thinking of using this for a GWR Oil burner tank with separate detail in FUD

 

As someone who's long wanted to model a couple of GWR oil burners I'm very happy to read about your latest plans - are you thinking of doing the tanks for both the 3,500g and 4,000g tenders?

[RJS1977]

As someone who's long wanted to model a couple of GWR oil burners I'm very happy to read about your latest plans - are you thinking of doing the tanks for both the 3,500g and 4,000g tenders?

 

I've had a model of a GWR oil burner since my 5th birthday ;-)

[Guest Lyonesse]

I've had a model of a GWR oil burner since my 5th birthday ;-)

You should tell us more.  Was it a contemporaneous model when you were five?

[Castle]

As someone who's long wanted to model a couple of GWR oil burners I'm very happy to read about your latest plans - are you thinking of doing the tanks for both the 3,500g and 4,000g tenders?

And the Pannier version too?

 

All the best,

 

Castle

[Castle]

The choice of material has to be economic in 3D printing; to get a mirror

finish from the get-go can be very expensive

 

You can pay £40 or £80 for a set of prints depending on the finish of the

material.

 

On 84998-84999 there was fine detail on the Buffer Ends that required

FUD for the supplied model: hence the expense and very limited market.

The 4mm SDJR No 25a Dazzler is a good case in point. it is difficult to bring it

to market for £150 - now who pays that for a colliery shunter kit!

 

With the NRM research and help of "The Man Himself at Didicot", I am proud

of what was achieved with the Pollen models..

 

Noel

Hi All,

 

This and what 81E is talking about is quite right. It’s the selection of the appropriate material for the job that is important. You could pay out for it all in FUD but that would be massively expensive. Noel got the balance exactly right with the mix of detail and main body parts with the POLLENs. They come up really easily with a little bit of effort. They are nicely unusual wagons as well. If there was a preserved example of either the bullion van or the SIPHON J at DIdcot, I’d be having a go at those too! I wouldn’t be surprised if one of my fellow Didcot modellers buys one though - it might cross my desk yet...

 

It’s great to see both these guys not only having a go at furthering he hobby with 3D printing but also making them available too the likes of me too!l... It’s a great time to be a railway modeller!

 

All the best,

 

Castle

[RJS1977]

You should tell us more.  Was it a contemporaneous model when you were five?

 

How old do you think I am? ;-)

[Horsetan]

Hi All,

 

Little No. 7202 update - no, I haven’t forgotten...

 

...well maybe I had a bit! It was put in its box about a year ago and other things happened in OO, 12”:1’ scale and in real life too so it fell back down the pile (quite literally!). A few days ago, after making progress on several other fronts which included 5 Panniers that have been weathered and modified, the continued saga of the AA7 brake van and a little more progress on a model of 18100, the corner of a green PDK kit box waved at me and instilled a few pangs* of guilt. So I have fiddled a bit, received a few more burns, slapped on a bit of filler and hey presto, and she now looks like this:

 

EB5E3CFA-04CD-4E1F-96A2-4F40E8EB1CD7.jpeg

 

I don’t know quite why the handrail holes didn’t line up but the ones I drilled did!.....

 

Probably an error in the artwork for the smokebox wrapper. Just as well you warned us about this, as I have one of these to put together at some point.

 

How did you get on with the casting for the tapered boiler top? The one I had looked a bit distorted, so I cobbled a new one in advance from plain sheet.

[Castle]

Hi Horse,

 

Mine was Just about useable. The only thing I changed was that I swapped out the roll your own parallel section with a tube section. There were copious amounts of filler used to blend it all together however... Perhaps a reissue with a resin boiler like their 47XX kit is in order?

 

All the best,

 

Castle

[Castle]

Hi All,

 

Been a while hasn’t it?!

 

I have a few model projects in the go and I will start posting again in the not too distant future but until then here are a few 12”:1’ prototype images to be getting on with!

 

Ancient 0-4-0s have been a key feature this summer with the wonderful little engine Captain Baxter built by Fletcher Jennings in 1877. Here he is alongside 81Es oldest resident Shannon built by George England & Co. in 1857!

 

 

Things Pendennis went well - it’s got to the stage where it is lots of fiddly little jobs so progress isn’t always massively apparent but it is occurring(!). A little but vital project undertaken by right hand man Harry was the restoration of the cab seats. Rather than make new, the originals have been spruced up and made shiny once again!

 

 

The main steam pipes have been sent off up north for replication in fresh steel. The tape measure gives some indication of how large these items are...

 

 

No. 4079 was moved outside to allow No.3650 to get under the crane in the lifting shop to have its boiler removed at the beginning of the pannier’s overhaul. Looks good even if we do say so ourselves!

 

 

Also moved outside was No. 2999 Lady of Legend - in the very temporary black paint scheme she will wear for a photo charter prior to her being painted green and entering traffic.

 

 

No. 4079 also received a very special visitor. Peter Ward was her driver out in Australia and was one of the people responsible for convincing Rio Tinto to send her home. He now lives in the UK and has just retired from driving on the big railway. He was able to be one of the first to try out those seats!

 

 

I was duty manager one day when a minor problem with No. 4144 stopped it running. So, having lemons we made lemonade. We got Railmotor No. 93 (originally built 1908) running on the branch and then coupled up No. 3 Captain Baxter (built 1877) to Dean clerestory third No 1941 (built 1901) and Dean 4-wheel brake third No. 416 (built 1891) and put that on the main demonstration line. This meant that the total age of the 4 items of rolling stock in operation that day was almost 500 years! Half a millennia with 4 vehicle’s is pretty good going I think.

 

 

 

If you are looking for something to do this weekend - a big shunt has be done to set the scene for Didcot’s ‘Engine Shed Experience’ over the Bank Holiday Weekend. There are other cameos around the shed including the rarely outside No. 5900 Hinderton Hall! Trains are running every day plus Real Ale Bar, and on Monday the launch of our nature trail. Don't forget your camera!! You won't see this many GWR & BR(W) locos ‘on shed’ anywhere else! I will be working on No. 4079 on Saturday and Duty Manager on Monday so come by and say hello if you can!

 

On that note, I promise to upload a bit of actual modelling soon. I have done quite a lot but no one thing has reached fruition and it got to the stage where all the modelling kit just needed sorting out before I went nuts so that’s taken a few modelling sessions away too but for the greater good I feel!

 

There may also be two ‘Castle Tours’trips next year as well. One to DRC as normal and another to an as yet undisclosed location (you can probably guess!). More news on that as it occurs.

 

All the best,

 

Castle

[Mikkel]

Lovely mix of motive power Castle. The 4-6-0s are magnificent but that improvised vintage train has got real character!

 

I look forward to the modelling updates. Captain Baxter is the next project I suppose?     

[Castle]

Hi Mikkel,

 

No Baxter sadly - it just doesn’t fit in with the modelling plan and if I deviate from the plan then I might start buying all sorts of stuff and my wallet will be subject to what can only be described as cruel and unusual punishment...

 

I agree on the vintage stuff - lovely to see out and about!

 

All the best,

 

Castle