Wright writes.....

[Arthur]

You haven't missed owt.

 

Mike. A Yorkshireman.

Indeed Mike, there are few sorrier sights than the Yorkshireman bedazzled by the delights of Lancashire. Only the wealthier Yorkshireman, the type of chap who can afford a flat cap for his whippet, can afford the visit yet his eyes, more accustomed to the grim gloom of his home turf, see but little of the glittering vista, the brightness being just too much.

 

So yes, they return having seen nowt.

 

Arthur. A Lancastrian, and with boundary changes, a Salfordian.

 

 

it really is in, and surrounded by, Manchester; like Westminster and London?

 

During my art school days, I frequently visited the Whitworth Gallery which is in Salford (I think....)

 

Without further offending Salfordians, surely the LMS/LMR could have come up with a more famous city to call their final Pacific after. If a condition of the naming was that the LMS/LMR had to run a service to/through a city, what about Bath, York or Aberdeen? Was/is Perth a City? I know Wolverhampton now is.

 

No, not Salfordians but 'Gods Chosen' and 'Gods Chosen' have to venture into Manchester to visit the Whitworth Gallery which is on Oxford Road, along with the Salutation pub.

 

Salford is not surrounded by Manchester, it is, essentially, the western portion of said conurbation. The eastern boundary of Salford being but a mile from Manchester City centre;

 

 

I suspect that the City of Salford, through its docks and industry, gave the LMS a darn sight more revenue than York, Perth and Bath combined, the LMS having a near monopoly of rail service in the city.

 

 

This posting was sponsored by the City of Salford Tourist Board.

[coachmann]

'City of Salford' was as good a choice on name for a LMS Pacific as any. I worked for BR Parcels (Passenger) in 1959 and our area No.8 (or 9) was all in Salford and Weast. In fact, when we drove out of Victoria Parcels depot we were almost immediately in Salford. I saw more industry there than I ever saw in Manchester. The latter was all warehouses or so it seemed. Salford was a proud city and this showed on its fleet of buses which after the war wore a polished bronze green. I'm pretty sure the walled goods yards were in Salford where we took diesel fuel. They were of course famous for the L&YR 0-4-0ST 'Pugs' and later on the set of Coronation Street. 

Edited October 20, 2016 by coachmann

[APOLLO]

Here is the grand old girl

 

 

I must admit these were a dying breed when I started spotting in Wigan back in the early 60's. I have but one working model - a Hornby Dublo "City of London" which still works well and will pull 'owt I care to put behind her. She's getting a bit tatty now but she runs like a swiss watch. How long will the current ones last ?.

 

This class of loco was banned from Victoria / Exchange due to their weight (on the curving brick viaduct towards Eccles). This did not stop one or two passing over, causing all manner of bother in the operating dept (as per J R Carter in his excellent local book "Footplate Cameraman".). I doubt they travelled on the L&Y lines - but who knows !!.

 

When I was at Tech back in the early 70's I would catch the train home to Wigan from Salford Central. The 17-10 Southport express (6 car DMU) would depart Salford Central usually at the same time as the EE type 4 (Class 40) hauled Blackpool express departed, and a race would ensue to Pendleton (now Salford Crescent) where the lines separated. Our DMU was quick off the mark but the thundering type 4 usually overtook us in the vicinity of Tony's photograph, perhaps the only bit of railway excitement Salford has ever seen !!

 

I alighted at Salford Central a few months ago, as it is handier than Victoria for the shops in mid- Deansgate. They have done a superb job of refurbishing the old victorian brick subway, a swish new all glass glass booking hall and repainted the magnificent cast iron bridgeworks. The platforms are still tatty, and very low also, quite a step down from the train.

 

Now who dares to model this fascinating complex and once very busy area ?

 

Brit15

[Headstock]

Another old Tebay locomotive was of course City of Salford, It was usually on the West coast postal. Both locomotive and carriages were built by Derek Shore. We had quite a few Princess coronations, I nicknamed 6233 slippery Sid as it was bound to produce a wheel spin if not driven properly on the Royal Scot. In prototypical fashion, this would be as it started the climb of Shap.

 

Photo courtesy of Derek Shore.

[Focalplane]

The story went that 46235 City of Birmingham fouled the eastern tunnel at New Street and thereafter no Semis were allowed in New Street until the very end of steam and the rebuilding of the Bull Ring in the early 1960s. I think this may have been made up to explain the lack of pacifics away from the Trent Valley Line. It seems more likely that the 6P/7P ten wheelers were more than enough for most Birmingham trains while the Midland Region kept its relatively few pacifics for the longer runs to Crewe and beyond. As a rare visitor to the Eastern Region i could hardly understand why they needed so many 4-6-2s over there!

[Focalplane]

Apollo's photo of City of Salford raises something I had never realized before: The front footplate is similar, if not identical, to that of the de-streamlined Semis even though the Ivatt "twins" were never streamlined. I wonder why?

[AndyID]

Here is the grand old girl

 

 

I must admit these were a dying breed when I started spotting in Wigan back in the early 60's. I have but one working model - a Hornby Dublo "City of London" which still works well and will pull 'owt I care to put behind her. She's getting a bit tatty now but she runs like a swiss watch. How long will the current ones last ?.

 

This class of loco was banned from Victoria / Exchange due to their weight (on the curving brick viaduct towards Eccles). This did not stop one or two passing over, causing all manner of bother in the operating dept (as per J R Carter in his excellent local book "Footplate Cameraman".). I doubt they travelled on the L&Y lines - but who knows !!.

 

When I was at Tech back in the early 70's I would catch the train home to Wigan from Salford Central. The 17-10 Southport express (6 car DMU) would depart Salford Central usually at the same time as the EE type 4 (Class 40) hauled Blackpool express departed, and a race would ensue to Pendleton (now Salford Crescent) where the lines separated. Our DMU was quick off the mark but the thundering type 4 usually overtook us in the vicinity of Tony's photograph, perhaps the only bit of railway excitement Salford has ever seen !!

 

I alighted at Salford Central a few months ago, as it is handier than Victoria for the shops in mid- Deansgate. They have done a superb job of refurbishing the old victorian brick subway, a swish new all glass glass booking hall and repainted the magnificent cast iron bridgeworks. The platforms are still tatty, and very low also, quite a step down from the train.

 

Now who dares to model this fascinating complex and once very busy area ?

 

Brit15

 

Don't know about the L&Y but City Of Salford was a regular on the former G&SWR. I used to see it at 8:15 am screeching on the check-rail curves after leaving Paisley (Canal) on it's way into St Enoch. Must have been around 1961.

[Headstock]

The story went that 46235 City of Birmingham fouled the eastern tunnel at New Street and thereafter no Semis were allowed in New Street until the very end of steam and the rebuilding of the Bull Ring in the early 1960s. I think this may have been made up to explain the lack of pacifics away from the Trent Valley Line. It seems more likely that the 6P/7P ten wheelers were more than enough for most Birmingham trains while the Midland Region kept its relatively few pacifics for the longer runs to Crewe and beyond. As a rare visitor to the Eastern Region i could hardly understand why they needed so many 4-6-2s over there!

 

I think that Stannier would disagree with you on that one, he is on record as bemoaning the LMS boards decision not to build more pacific locomotives, specifically comparing the LNER's policy with that of the LMS. On the subject of the open front footplate, this allowed easier access for the valves to be examined or extracted without dismantling the footplate. 

[jrg1]

Apollo's photo of City of Salford raises something I had never realized before: The front footplate is similar, if not identical, to that of the de-streamlined Semis even though the Ivatt "twins" were never streamlined. I wonder why?

Piston valve examination would be easier.

[Tony Wright]

Another old Tebay locomotive was of course City of Salford, It was usually on the West coast postal. Both locomotive and carriages were built by Derek Shore. We had quite a few Princess coronations, I nicknamed 6233 slippery Sid as it was bound to produce a wheel spin if not driven properly on the Royal Scot. In prototypical fashion, this would be as it started the climb of Shap.

 

Photo courtesy of Derek Shore.

Lovely scene, and it brings back memories of my photographing Tebay for BRM many years ago. I think I took a shot of 46257 crossing the Lune. In those days, Shipley club members had to hold up the sky!

 

I mentioned it then, and noticed it still in the picture; ten-spoked bogie wheels on a Princess Coronation? 

 

I have a thing about bogie wheels (as is well-known) and the Coronations had a most-distinctive, nine-spoke type. No RTR steam-outline locos have decent bogie/pony wheels in my view. DJH (which I assume Derek's kit is built from) used to just supply standard ten-spoked bogie wheels, whatever the kit.  

[Tony Wright]

I think I'd better keep my descriptions of the geography of Greater Manchester quiet for a time. My apologies for getting Salford so far out of place. 

 

In future, I'll stick with what I know a little bit more (not a lot) about. 

 

 

I was fortunate in obtaining several BR official photographs of Little Bytham, taken in about 1957 as a guide as to what overhead structures would need raising/demolishing/rebuilding pending future electrification of the main line (nearly 30 years into the future as it happened!).  One of these was the footbridge at Bytham. Shots like this provided a mass of detail for the project we're building. 

 

 

One huge advantage (or is it a disadvantage?) of modelling an actual prototype is that one can attempt to replicate real views. Obviously, the physical size of my camera renders my getting the same view impossible (it's far too big), but comparative shots like this are useful for getting things more or less in the right place. The footbridge is yet to be completed - lamps, stretchers across the top of the deck, etc - but I'm generally pleased with this scene. If nothing else it shows how unobservant I can be at times. Note the white top to the no-trespassing sign's post and its black base. Note, too, the parlous state of the tarmac  surface on the Up platform in the prototype picture. I'm not modelling that! 

 

Finally, thanks for the comments about RTR locos. I feel a hypocrite at times (many times) having written reviews down the years which generally praise them (six pages for Hornby's A4), but, in service, over years, I can't see how most modern RTR locos can still be running in, say, 40 years' time (as all my scratch/kit-built locos have done). I know the split chassis has been superseded now, but a friend who bought one of the last Bachmann A4s with that mech' has just told me that it's failed. It's literally split - two axles have just collapsed, and it's had little running.

 

Micklner might be right in stating that I probably see more 'failed' RTR locos because I offer a service (a sort of loco-clinic at shows). It's interesting (at least to me) that I see far more recent locos to be fixed than any from the days of my youth. One guy brought an ancient Tr-iang Jinty, saying it was running 'roughly'. The reason? Its motor brushes were worn away - less than five minutes, with new brushes, and off she went (for another 50 years?). Minutes later, a guy brought a Hornby streamlined Coronation; motor out of mesh, a wobbly set of drivers and the valve gear jammed. Rough treatment? Maybe, and a far more accurate model than 47606, so should current RTR locos be now sold with the caveat that 'these are only to be used on scale railways by experienced railway modellers'?  Perhaps, but will they pull? 

[Focalplane]

Tony, your comment about the camera being too big raises the question - why not use a mirror at ground level at 45º and shoot downwards?  Would that work?

 

Ironically I have been using my iPad Mini for recent photos and videos and, with the lens in one corner of the device, it is possible to shoot at "ground level" without any additional accessories.  Depth of field is acceptable as well.

[Headstock]

Lovely scene, and it brings back memories of my photographing Tebay for BRM many years ago. I think I took a shot of 46257 crossing the Lune. In those days, Shipley club members had to hold up the sky!

 

I mentioned it then, and noticed it still in the picture; ten-spoked bogie wheels on a Princess Coronation? 

 

I have a thing about bogie wheels (as is well-known) and the Coronations had a most-distinctive, nine-spoke type. No RTR steam-outline locos have decent bogie/pony wheels in my view. DJH (which I assume Derek's kit is built from) used to just supply standard ten-spoked bogie wheels, whatever the kit.  

Morning Tony,

 

Yes, it is the DJH kit, showing it's age a little? The photograph must be at least sixteen years old and the loco perhaps approaching thirty. I forgive the bogie wheels just for the sheer audacity of deciding that we should be banking full sized trains over Shap, and without the supposed benefits of DCC. I think that the method that was employed was a much simpler solution from an operating point of view.

[APOLLO]

Tony I think somehow the diesel / electric modeller has an advantage over steam in that the former usually has a central motor driving 8 or 12 wheels on two bogies - hence very smooth and powerful running. Model steam models have mainly direct drive to 6 wheels on a comparatively long wheelbase, and the "disadvantage" of motion to operate. This probably applies both to both scratch / kit built and RTR models though the skill of the builder can iron out most if not all steam loco "problems"

 

Certainly all my recent (last 20 years) diesels from Bachmann & Heljan out perform all my RTR steam locos in smoothness / haulage (except my Hornby Dublo 2 rail ones !!). I'm sure though that scratch / kit built steam locos can work wonderfully well - I've seen many do just that at exhibitions - but it takes skill and patience to achieve, which, Tony, you obviously have. 

 

I often wonder just how long some of my recent RTR will last, compared with my 60's & 70's stuff. My growling Lima diesels though (some super detailed) will probably last for ever !!

 

Brit15

[jrg1]

Tony I think somehow the diesel / electric modeller has an advantage over steam in that the former usually has a central motor driving 8 or 12 wheels on two bogies - hence very smooth and powerful running. Model steam models have mainly direct drive to 6 wheels on a comparatively long wheelbase, and the "disadvantage" of motion to operate. This probably applies both to both scratch / kit built and RTR models though the skill of the builder can iron out most if not all steam loco "problems"

 

Certainly all my recent (last 20 years) diesels from Bachmann & Heljan out perform all my RTR steam locos in smoothness / haulage (except my Hornby Dublo 2 rail ones !!). I'm sure though that scratch / kit built steam locos can work wonderfully well - I've seen many do just that at exhibitions - but it takes skill and patience to achieve, which, Tony, you obviously have. 

 

I often wonder just how long some of my recent RTR will last, compared with my 60's & 70's stuff. My growling Lima diesels though (some super detailed) will probably last for ever !!

 

Brit15

For a steam model to match a diesel/electric, the motor would have to be in the tender, driving via a shaft and universal joints-the same as RTR diesels/electrics.  Just having a gearbox in the steam locomotive would leave room for ballast-also the motor could be replaced/upgraded easily.  

[coachmann]

I have a thing about bogie wheels (as is well-known) and the Coronations had a most-distinctive, nine-spoke type. No RTR steam-outline locos have decent bogie/pony wheels in my view....

Those wishing to fit correct 3' dia. 9-spoke bevel rim bogie wheels need look no further than Alan Gibson's 4mm scale - Ref. G4836ST

 

I am posting this in for for the benefit of railway modellers .... 

Edited October 21, 2016 by coachmann

[Michael Edge]

In view of recent discussions of the Hornby A4, this is what I do with them.

This is the latest A4 converted to EM for Carlisle - to be re-named Merlin

While the plastic bodies of modern rtr locos are usually very good, the wheels and motion never look satisfactory to me. In this case the wheels have been replaced with Markits (I've done others with Gibson) and all the motion is new from my own etches.

The etch has complete mainframes and some packing blocks, this is built around the Hornby chassis block. The view from underneath shows the plastic keeper plate removed, springs and brakes are now metal and fitted to the new frames. This photo also shows gaps where Hornby should have fitted brass axe bearings but didn't - irrelevant now as there are proper bearings in the new frames. The Cartazzi axle is now on a long pony truck, there is a convenient screw hole in the block injust about the right place for this pivot. Simply having sideplay on this axle does not work, some radial movement is essential but the effective radius of the Cartazzi arrangement is much greater than most modeller realise. This setup works well on the 3'6" minimum radius of the Carlisle layout, in 00 gauge it will easily go round 28" radius. A new properly suspended bogie (also on the etch) has been fitted, the existing Hornby cylinder sides are still there, rounded more at the bottom.

Close up of the motion from below, it now has a correct three bar crosshead arrangement and the con. rod does pass up into the gap between the lower bars.

This will the fourth Hornby pacific for Carlisle, the others have all performed satisfactorily with Cerrobend crammed in for weight. Though still lighter than kit built or scratchbuilt locos they have adequate power/adhesion for Waverley line trains.

 

[gr.king]

Those slide bars look satisfyingly crisp, solid and three-dimensional. Are they part of the new etch too?

 

Is there a multi-layer expansion link option, with radius rod slotted through, or just the single layer please?

 

 

Added at a later time: I now see that enlargement of the bottom image confirms that the expansion link (or radius link) is split into two layers with the radius rod between.

Edited October 21, 2016 by gr.king

[Brian Kirby]

The problem in the Scot seems to be mazak cancer as some of the screws holding the gear tower in place fail.

 

Baz

I fear we are at the early stages of a RTR loco chassis failure epidemic, many of us have been seduced by some exquisite RTR locos in recent years, but i'm afraid (as Tony has already observed) that many of these mechanisms are not built to last, and are in many cases, more difficult to repair, than the equivalent kit-built chassis. My use of the strong term "epidemic" is mostly aimed at the cast mazak/alloy chassis used on Hornby steam models, plus the cast chassis on both Hornby and Bachmann diesel models. As reported by Barry and others, the Royal Scot class seem plagued by mazak cracking, particularly with the gearbox cap and it's very thin flanking sides, along with the sides of the gearbox proper.

   I have recently repaired two Hornby Reb. Patriots (same chassis as Scot) for chum Robert Carroll, with the very same problem, the fix (again as mentioned above) was to raise the rear of the motor, and reinforce it's front fixing, with liberal amounts of glue under and around the motor, as an attempt to stop the motor shaking loose. Not a perfect solution, in truth a bit of a bodge, one wonders how long it will last? The gears themselves seem fine, as are the motors, but another problem seems to be the method of attachment, one screw at the back of the motor, plus one screw at the front of the adjoining gearbox, but no rigid fixing between the two, which encourages vertical movement at this vital spot. 

   Besides the Pats and Scots, i've also repaired two Rebuilt Bulleids with the very same problem, the method of fixing and cast gearbox cap is common to many other Hornby models. Removing and replacing the bodies on these particular models is a task in itself, with all the various dangling wires, but why do the bodies have to be such a tight fit? To replace everything with an etched chassis, plus presumably new motor, wheels and gears, is a costly exercise, has anyone tried re-using the Hornby parts in an etched chassis? Perhaps the answer is a specially designed etched chassis as a direct replacement, which will accept the Hornby motor, wheels and gears?

   Diesel modellers are not immune from these problems, a few years back reports started trickling through, about "expanding chassis" afflicting their otherwise excellent Class 31/Brush Type 2 model, which sounded like something out of a "Quatermass" film? A little while later, some batches of Bachmann Warships were starting to go banana-shape, with a distinct droop on the buffer beams. The problem again seemed to be poor quality casting, perhaps compounded by the ingress of damp? Don't have nightmares!

                    

                                                                                               Cheers, Brian.

Edited October 21, 2016 by Brian Kirby

[The Fatadder]

At least with steam models we do have the comet range to fall back on once the rtr chassis start to let go.

 

I rather look forward to eBay being flooded with dead Granges, Castles and Halls....

[ROY@34F]

Those slide bars look satisfyingly crisp, solid and three-dimensional. Are they part of the new etch too?

 

Is there a multi-layer expansion link option, with radius rod slotted through, or just the single layer please?

 

Graeme, Mike may well answer this , but I'm sure the Radius link (as we were taught to call it) is 2 or 3 layered. Mike sent me some etchings a year or 3 ago for my Hornby engines. Theban be made to work properly in gear .

 

Regards, Roy.

[Tony Wright]

In view of recent discussions of the Hornby A4, this is what I do with them.

WP_20161021_09_36_52_Pro.jpg

This is the latest A4 converted to EM for Carlisle - to be re-named Merlin

WP_20161021_09_37_09_Pro.jpg

While the plastic bodies of modern rtr locos are usually very good, the wheels and motion never look satisfactory to me. In this case the wheels have been replaced with Markits (I've done others with Gibson) and all the motion is new from my own etches.

WP_20161021_09_38_36_Pro.jpg

The etch has complete mainframes and some packing blocks, this is built around the Hornby chassis block. The view from underneath shows the plastic keeper plate removed, springs and brakes are now metal and fitted to the new frames. This photo also shows gaps where Hornby should have fitted brass axe bearings but didn't - irrelevant now as there are proper bearings in the new frames. The Cartazzi axle is now on a long pony truck, there is a convenient screw hole in the block injust about the right place for this pivot. Simply having sideplay on this axle does not work, some radial movement is essential but the effective radius of the Cartazzi arrangement is much greater than most modeller realise. This setup works well on the 3'6" minimum radius of the Carlisle layout, in 00 gauge it will easily go round 28" radius. A new properly suspended bogie (also on the etch) has been fitted, the existing Hornby cylinder sides are still there, rounded more at the bottom.

WP_20161021_09_39_02_Pro.jpg

Close up of the motion from below, it now has a correct three bar crosshead arrangement and the con. rod does pass up into the gap between the lower bars.

This will the fourth Hornby pacific for Carlisle, the others have all performed satisfactorily with Cerrobend crammed in for weight. Though still lighter than kit built or scratchbuilt locos they have adequate power/adhesion for Waverley line trains.

Terrific stuff Mike,

 

However, MERLIN should have a 1935-'37 streamlined corridor tender (with a strip at its base), not a 1928-type, ex-A1/A3 (as shown in your pictures). Should you wish to have a 64B A4 with a second-hand tender, you can have WILLIAM WHITELAW, UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA (much later on), EMPIRE OF INDIA or KINGFISHER. 

[robertcwp]

I fear we are at the early stages of a RTR loco chassis failure epidemic, many of us have been seduced by some exquisite RTR locos in recent years, but i'm afraid (as Tony has already observed) that many of these mechanisms are not built to last, and are in many cases, more difficult to repair, than the equivalent kit-built chassis. My use of the strong term "epidemic" is mostly aimed at the cast mazak/alloy chassis used on Hornby steam models, plus the cast chassis on both Hornby and Bachmann diesel models. As reported by Barry and others, the Royal Scot class seem plagued by mazak cracking, particularly with the gearbox cap and it's very thin flanking sides, along with the sides of the gearbox proper.

   I have recently repaired two Hornby Reb. Patriots (same chassis as Scot) for chum Robert Carroll, with the very same problem, the fix (again as mentioned above) was to raise the rear of the motor, and reinforce it's front fixing, with liberal amounts of glue under and around the motor, as an attempt to stop the motor shaking loose. Not a perfect solution, in truth a bit of a bodge, one wonders how long it will last? The gears themselves seem fine, as are the motors, but another problem seems to be the method of attachment, one screw at the back of the motor, plus one screw at the front of the adjoining gearbox, but no rigid fixing between the two, which encourages vertical movement at this vital spot. 

   Besides the Pats and Scots, i've also repaired two Rebuilt Bulleids with the very same problem, the method of fixing and cast gearbox cap is common to many other Hornby models. Removing and replacing the bodies on these particular models is a task in itself, with all the various dangling wires, but why do the bodies have to be such a tight fit? To replace everything with an etched chassis, plus presumably new motor, wheels and gears, is a costly exercise, has anyone tried re-using the Hornby parts in an etched chassis? Perhaps the answer is a specially designed etched chassis as a direct replacement, which will accept the Hornby motor, wheels and gears?

   Diesel modellers are not immune from these problems, a few years back reports started trickling through, about "expanding chassis" afflicting their otherwise excellent Class 31/Brush Type 2 model, which sounded like something out of a "Quatermass" film? A little while later, some batches of Bachmann Warships were starting to go banana-shape, with a distinct droop on the buffer beams. The problem again seemed to be poor quality casting, perhaps compounded by the ingress of damp? Don't have nightmares!

                    

                                                                                               Cheers, Brian.

Time will tell whether the rebuilt Rebuilt Patriots last. My two Converted Scots were fine when last used. The expanding/disintegrating chassis issues with diesel models seem largely confined to particular batches. I think some Heljan 47s suffered, as did one particular batch of Bachmann 42s (D804 in blue was a failure for me), and the early Hornby 31s. I have lots of other locos, some of which are now 15 or more years old, which are fine.

 

For steam models, my sense is that Bachmann's are more robust and reliable than Hornby's overall although the vast majority of Hornby ones are fine too.

[Tony Wright]

Westerner and friends came today, bringing with them some most-interesting models. 

 

Including.......

 

A trio of WR motive power.

 

 

A Hymek.

 

 

A Collett RF conversion

 

 

A Bachmann Ivatt 2-6-0 4MT.

 

 

A Highflyer.

 

 

A Hughes 7F.

 

 

And the GCR commemorative loco. I know this is scratch-built, and the painting is by Micklner. 

 

Since I'd only cock-up any descriptions, perhaps Alan and SAD might comment, please. 

 

 

 

I ran two B1s built/converted by Phil Ramsay (Mallard). Phil has asked me to find new homes for these, a proportion of what they sell for being donated to charity. The first one is a Bachmann/Replica body on a Comet chassis, renumbered and weathered by Phil.

 

The second he built from a Nu-Cast kit on top of a Comet chassis. Phil had painted it and I lined, lettered, numbered and weathered it.

 

I've made any slight adjustments to them to make sure both run beautifully smoothly (perhaps my guests of today might comment?). I've also fitted lamps and crews, and changed the ghastly tender wheels on the plastic-bodied one. 

 

Anyone interested, please PM me and I'll advise on what's being asked. They are what they are - layout locos which work exceptionally well. They also show what a modeller can do; a modeller who quacks! 

Edited October 21, 2016 by Tony Wright

[micklner]

Nice to see LNER B3 Valour reunited with its chassis ( I didn't paint the Chassis). 

Edited October 21, 2016 by micklner