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Showing content with the highest reputation on 29/03/24 in all areas

  1. Looking from the farmyard past the gate down the lane that goes over the brook. I can confirm that the Colonel is fishing with his rod and not standing there try to fill the brook!! Looks odd from this angle?
    27 points
  2. Three views on the former Caledonian system that duplicated the North Brirish line between Glasgow and Dumbarton Crossing the River Kelvin at Partick Central. The flour mills on each bank both once had their own sidings. Glasgow University in the distance. Meadowside Granary, built between 1911 and 1967 and said to be the largest brick-built structure in Europe. Scotstoun West, with Albion lorry factory beyond
    16 points
  3. 14 points
  4. After a late breakfast of hot cross buns with Rose's English Breakfast marmalade, it was time to have a go at 2182's guard irons and sandpipes. I found some old bits of etch - I think they actually came from some Fox nameplates - that are about 1.5 mm wide. A bit more than scale, I think, but the convenience outweighed that. I filed one end to a semi-circle but didn't bother trying to taper them. Next I bent a dog-leg on each one, so that the lower end of the guard iron is in line with the rail. It was then relatively easy to sweat these to the outside of the frames at each end. I did try to work out the scale position but, in the end, the frame spacer screws provided a convenient datum. The rear irons should have a strut behind them but I've left this off at the moment for fear of the whole lot coming undone if I try and solder it in. We'll see. The sandpipes are 0.55mm brass wire, another find in the Useful Box. I drilled through the frames at each corner, so that I could pass the wire through and form a U-shape with the pipe at roughly 45 degrees to the rail and clearing the flange so I can still remove and refit the wheels. My box of drills jumps from 73 to 76, so no 73 it was. Again, the sandpipes are aligned with the rails and I trimmed them so that they end about 1mm above rail level. Here's the state of play so far: I think that's it for the chassis until the brake blocks arrive. I could start the body but it's more likely that I'll do something completely different - possibly starting to install the uncouplers at Pentowan?
    14 points
  5. In addition to shelves of shame, I have a display unit that I'm starting to take to exhibitions and Midland Railway Society events. This has prompted me to work towards a representative set of models showing the historical development of Midland wagons, even though doing so includes building a few that are out of period for me. Fortunately @billbedford's Mousa Models range makes this an easy task, at least as far as opens go. Here's his D663A 10-ton goods and coal wagon (with wooden end pillars) and D607 12-ton mineral wagon in progress: The MR letters are from an HMRS Methfix sheet (thanks to @WFPettigrew) and this time they went on like a dream. Builders plates (mostly hidden by the brake levers) and tare weights are from the Slaters waterslide sheet that comes with the current issue of their kits - I never got on with the tare weights on the old Pressfix or Methfix version of this, finding it difficult to get good alignment. With the waterslide version, one has a bit more time for adjustment, and it's easier to see what one is doing. I need to make myself the artwork (in CorelDraw) to print some D-shaped numberplates. I've got on order the D352 end door 12-ton mineral wagon, which was the Midland's first step into 12-ton wagons for general mineral use, and the D204 12-ton loco coal wagon, which apart from its cupboard doors, set the pattern for the D607 / D673 / D663A family of wagons.
    12 points
  6. Highly impressive view.
    12 points
  7. Today dawns as breezy with hazy sunshine. This heralds two things. 1. The start of the Easter weekend heatwave. 17c predicted today. ( 23c tomorrow, 21c Sunday, 20c Monday and a more reasonable 12c on Tuesday) And 2. The start of a period of no meat and alcohol and general abstinence before Sunday. Breakfast was egg, bread and smoked salmon ( one mustn't deprive oneself too much) and there will be a meagre diet heavy in bread, cheese and fish between now and Sunday when the equivalent of half a pig lands on your plate for breakfast. Tomorrow morning, as is tradition, we will take our little basket of food to the church and join one of the regular rugby scrums to get it blessed. Happy Easter everyone. Andy
    12 points
  8. Thank you for your comments with regards to B.O.B Mr King, yes the railway is mostly my own work, I built the baseboards, laid the track and made the kits. Scratch built the buildings that kits were not available for. Assistance came from my wife and grandson with scenery, painting etc. As stated previously the signals were made by my friend who is also a railway modeller. Started in 2018 the fiddle yard boards came from previous layouts, Brackenbridge (ROTM Jan 88 and around 20 exhibitions and from an attempt at Melton crossing on the Hull line which morphed into a freelance 4 track East coast mainline depiction which although started in 2005 and never finished due to a house move. Mr Carrol, the model is 43’ 7” long and 8’ 2” wide and is located in a purpose built loft. The scenic section is 34’ 6” long or 2625ft just 15ft short of a half a mile (2640ft) and varies from 1’ 6” wide to a maximum of 3’ wide. The fiddle yards are 2’ wide. Mr West & Grob12324, see below for more photos to the station in the North. The ballast is still a work in progress. I started with granite on the viaduct. I couldn’t find any colour photos to confirm the type of ballast so any help would be appreciated. Thanks Nik
    12 points
  9. Computer has been playing silly games again, I wondered why I hadn't taken a photo of the B17 leaving, and now I have found out. Apparently the thing randomly decided that 9 came after 11, and put the image right at the end of the page, where I failed to notice it. Anyway, here it is. So there we are, now we can look again at the V2, and everything is back in correct order, until the next time this thing decides otherwise.
    11 points
  10. While paint was drying I got into running a few trains. In no particular order…🙄 at various locations around the layout
    11 points
  11. 60867 swings under the bridge and away. Gayton Hall then left, but we didn't get a shot of that. It did leave platform 2 free, so we have yet another 34E V2, which as sneaked down the engine road, backed on to the stock for the 7.25 KX, and is now bringing it into the platform.
    11 points
  12. And a great shame too. I had been thinking about building a 'Cathedral' for some years and eventually got around to it. An expensive project undeniably, but worth it in the end. A couple of hours a night for two months resulted in this: The model is constructed from parts of China-made Hornby Princess and Hornby King models, parts of a recent Hornby County tender and the usual assortment of wire, plastic card, screws, brass and detail parts from the bits box. The only other parts purchased were the name and number plates. It took nearly two months of evenings to construct as there were a lot of false starts, neither model having been designed to be combined in this way! All of the boiler fittings from the Princess were cut away, as was the cab, and the cylinders, steam pipes and motion were also removed. The King gave its cab to the build, along with its bogie, double chimney, steam pipes, wheels, smoke-box door, piston rods, slide bars and cross-head, cylinders and buffer beam. Everything else had to be scratch built, including the splashers. The tender has an adapted Hawksworth tender top and the tender chassis is adapted from the Princess with additional GWR fittings. The Princess chassis block was used but, like the trailing truck, it was adapted to take the new body. The model retains the Princess’ connecting rods but nothing else. Tony
    10 points
  13. Talking of Tom's weathering, Tony, he also does diesels really well! This is a D63XX diesel hydraulic (Dapol model) that Tom weathered for me a few years ago. He has done other stuff for me as well and currently has a batch of models with him right now.
    10 points
  14. I couldn’t really resist continuing with the Westinghouse pump, so it now has the compressed air pipe fitted and the basic fittings for the steam feed and exhaust. The feed pipe fitting was made from some 0.5mm OD brass pipe, soldered into the groove cut in to the back of the steam cylinder. This did not have a large enough bore and so it was reamed out using an 06 endodontic file. These are the smallest used in root canal treatments and are made from nickel titanium alloy. The size represents 0.06mm diameter measured 1mm from the tip. The video clip shows it in action. The regulator on the LHS is next to be added and the pipe work can be seen here as a piece of 33swg phosphor bronze wire. Having this running plate unit as a separate sub-assembly has made it much easier to work on. Apologies if this post relives dental memories for some! Tim
    10 points
  15. Good morning folks, One more saying from me about Derbyshire, 'me owd ducks'. Derbyshire born, Derbyshire bred, Strongth in'th arm, thick in'th head. And this came from a lad from 'Illson ', otherwise known as Ilkeston. Cheers, Nigel.
    10 points
  16. And the latest batch of brambles. With a base of darker spray paint and light green third covering. Used more hairspray too. I’ll have to send the Mrs. out for more now😙
    10 points
  17. I think the A1 below is another example of Tom Foster's weathering............ Seen on Grantham, which can be seen at the York Show over the weekend. I've actually built a few locos which run on Grantham (they'll probably be seen over Easter), including........ This SEF J69 (painted by Graham Nicholas himself), which is always employed. This DJH C2 (painted by Geoff Haynes). And this Jamieson V2 (also painted by Geoff). York is one of the best modellers' shows in the calendar - I recommend a visit.
    9 points
  18. I thought that the accepted terminology to be uttered upon giving an injection to a patient was “you’ll feel a little pr1ck” (the “p-word” being - until recently - a perfectly respectable English word). Perhaps it’s now banned by the NHS because of the hours of innocent amusement it afforded grubby skoolboys and those for whom “mind in the gutter” would be a step up. One of the arguments for censorship is to protect the tinies. To a certain extent I would agree, but have any of those promoting such censorship actually hung around with the little darlings? Apart from the fact that Lord Of The Flies was a documentary and not a dystopian novel, the language the average 11 year old uses would make a sailor blush and make a RSM seem at a loss for words. And as for the average teenager….. Anyway, a few more thoughts: Being a teenager is a relatively recent phenomenon, until the 20th century for the majority there was childhood and then - when able - you went to work. Child or adult - pretty uncomplicated. Swearwords (or “effing and blinding” as some would have it) are seriously overused. When every other ****ing word is a ****ing swearword, they loose their ****ing power to shock. They should be used like salt, pepper and chillies: in just the right amount at just the right time. Finally, anyone who has really mastered the English language and knows how to use antistrophe, dysphemism, hyperbole, litotes, periphrasis and other tools of rhetoric, can easily be cutting, caustic or downright nasty without once using an offensive term or a swear word (Winston Churchill is credited with gibing at Attlee as “a sheep in sheep’s clothing” and a “modest man who has a good deal to be modest about.” - cutting and caustic with nary a bad word)
    9 points
  19. Did a boat train ECS on Redbridge Wharf today, mmmm...
    9 points
  20. Today has been one of dodging hither and thither. With Jill being icky I've been chief cook, shopper and bottle washer and in between times I've tried to get some tidying up done in the shed followed by photographing the layout for an article in MRJ. Sadly my photography skills are right up there with cycling goldfish so for every twenty shots taken, maybe one is usable. I did manage to do a bit of work in the shed as well, finishing off some fire buckets and wall mounting brackets and a horse dray. In amongst all of this a friend phoned to ask me if I could go over and witness some legal signatures and in so doing I was offered a beer and a cheese scone - well, it would have been rude to refuse wouldn't it? Hence I am somewhat knackered so after a session on RMW a bit of overnight eyelid inspection will probably be on the cards. It's a rich, full life providing you don't weaken. Dave
    9 points
  21. I've neglected my 409 recently because of work so I brought her out to play again 🤠
    8 points
  22. That'll look grand at the head of my Beatles van rake.
    8 points
  23. George Street, or at least the end of it. Gresley brake parked in the headshunt siding, whilst the Royal Oak receives it's weekly delivery of ale
    8 points
  24. Awe rite me owd Lovers, I think teenagers have officially been eliminated, suddenly young people are children till 18 and adults afterwards. In the UK , Pre 1880 you worked when you could, prior to industrialization that would at your parents work, minor work from age 4 or 5... 1880 you were a child till age 10, then you started work. 1893, age 11, 1899 age 12 1918 age 14, 1944 age 15 1972 age 16, 2013 age 17 England only 2015 age 18, England only. No wonder they are putting the pension age up, or soon you'd finish school and retire.. "Country and western" as such no longer exists, generally it's "country music" in the USA as an equivalent to UK's " folk music". Calling it "country and western" annoys many. Though there are many regional variations of country music. As there were in old folk music in the UK.
    8 points
  25. Me thinks that the barn scene is finished. A few tufts of long grass, a sprinkling of rosebay willow herb and… …that owl! Thought that I’d throw in this image too.
    8 points
  26. Been off the layout for quite a while but wanted to get some more scenery done on the incline. First bit of static grass on today. Also learnt something new today; I always thought the grass applicator was a bit rubbish and its a really expensive one. Anyway, saw something today on youtube which mentioned having new batteries in it as they need the power and use a lot of it. That got me thinking about using a 15V battery pack with the same connector as the 9V battery. Result was excellent static grass laid down, or standing up to be more precise! Lineside view ....and from above Much more work to do and time to reorder more materials.
    8 points
  27. No, no - all mere ‘Pretenders to the Throne’. As the old rhyme used to go: ”Where North meets South, The bit between Is NOTTINGHAM, The Midlands’ Queen!” Though of course you missed out Derby, which redeems your list somewhat in our eyes. “Ah, Derby - a place where Men are Men And Women (and Sheep) are glad …”
    8 points
  28. Good afternoon, To ECML 'spotters of steam, a 'Streak' (A4) was always the most-wanted. Certainly, when one came into view at Retford, the shriek 'Streak' from the mass gathering of 'skoolboys' (I never saw a girl trainspotter) would assault the ears. Though not at Little Bytham, the first A4 I saw was the doyen of the class - SILVER LINK. Naturally, I had to build a model of her (from a Wills kit on a scratch-built chassis, which Ian Rathbone painted). Thanks to my model time machine, here 'I' am taking a picture of her! It's been seen before, but worth it again? Though I suppose the A4s were the most-exciting, I really loved the A1s as well........... Thanks to the same wonderful time machine, and a fair bit of imagination, here 'I' am taking a picture of GREAT CENTRAL (DJH/Wright/Rathbone). Which, given the quality of my model Rollieflex............ Turned out fine! Regards, Tony.
    8 points
  29. I realised as soon as I posted and did change it immediately but not quickly enough it seems ☹️ Dave
    7 points
  30. Add in fruit and veg and that sounds pretty healthy to me, as long as the bread has some goodness. Good Friday always strikes me as the most important day in the Christian calendar, being the origin of the cross that is the emblem, yet isn't even a holiday here, while Monday is.
    7 points
  31. Not when it's your turn to go cake snafflin' though.....
    7 points
  32. Hello again. I spent some hours to create a new back head, put it into place, and make the holes for the lights. The same lights has been made on the milling machine: i choose to do them 1,1x2,1 mm, with a 0,8 mm bore for the lighting. They seems ok at my eyes. During the operation i damaged the left side ventilation (?) openings: after several trial and errors, i was able to create them again at the milling machine. I've also milled the metallic frame, to create some space for the several components of the decoder sound with stay alive. And moreover, i removed the plastic support of the NEM couplings, and applied two small brass rectangles where solder the missing details: air reservoir and ladder on the front, brake cilinder on the back. I've also added the left to right links on the braking gears. Ok, that's all for the moment. Best regards and Happy Easter Antonio
    7 points
  33. I think that Billy Connolly brilliantly summed up the whole C&W genre with this: Joking apart, probably one of the best C&W songs ever is the Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard version of Townes Van Zandt’s Pancho and Lefty
    7 points
  34. Ahh, southerners, bless their cotton socks. They do sometimes have pre-conceived ideas about us unintelligible northern picts. As for addressing people, here it is 'orrite gurl?' or 'orrite boy (or orrite feller? if over 60)?' And 'yessir' is often heard after a statement, 'she'll be orrite, yessir'. Yessir is sort of more yezzer in pronunciation.
    7 points
  35. It is now time for the aforementioned prolonged eyelid inspection to begin so good night/day/morning/evening to you depending on your longitude. Dave
    7 points
  36. Little more modern p-way gang and vans..
    7 points
  37. Enough. I eat a fair bit. Currently have some Soumaintrain on the go. Real French cheese which spreads easily straight from the fridge. Not always available in Summer due to being so runny.
    6 points
  38. Do you know how many calories there are in Cheese?? Yours, A despondent Bear.....😢
    6 points
  39. Thanks very much for the loco IDs. As for the 03, it is on some track, in the photo there is a curved line visible from by the piece of red cloth going under the heap of coal and towards the loco. Also if you look at the 08 there is a point under it, it must set for the 08, so there must be ttrack leading off to the right towards the 03. Howevere I think the 03 was dumped as it was still there some months later. This photo on X (twitter) by @bowes railway just about shows the track. David
    6 points
  40. I believe I have detailed the calculation for the optimum number of pannier tanks on here before. It's based on the established Wolf - Spiers theorem of vintage motorcycles: N=X+1 Where N is the ideal number to own and X is the number that you already own.
    6 points
  41. I have the vague memory I might have posted this before, but I think it's worth a second look.
    6 points
  42. As the old rhyme goes: Hooray, hooray the first of May Outdoor nookie starts today Dave
    6 points
  43. I have had three orthopaedic operations using spinal anaesthesia and would go for it every time instead of generals but since my upcoming operation is a spinal decompression on three discs and vertebrae it has to be a general - I did ask the surgeon if it could be done with local anaesthesia but he said that since I would be flat on my front for several hours and if I moved a millimetre during the procedure it could leave me paralysed the answer was no, it has to be general. Ho hum.... Dave
    6 points
  44. Me again, Of possible interest............. This rather dark slide shows 60029 heading south on Gamston Bank (a few miles south of Bawtry) in 1961. I'd venture to state that this is limestone ballast, though very dirty. Stoke Summit is definitely limestone country. Which is why WMRC used Slater's N Gauge limestone ballast when building Stoke Summit, though it could be a bit too clean - I take full responsibility, since I ballasted the lot! Norman Solomon also used Slater's limestone ballast when he laid the scenic-side trackwork on Little Bytham. He weathered it more than I did. Finally.......... Trackwork doesn't have to be ballasted to look impressive. Carlisle (EM), in 2016. Regards, Tony.
    6 points
  45. It was definitely in Kings Norton, but name noted for the future. I've managed to get my house husband jobs done and get on a quick run to Gadki. Well it would have been quick without thd accident on the A2. The gantry signs of a red triangle with a car on its side was overstating things a bit though. Only a few EMUs to be seen but the Polish air force put on a show to keep me entertained EN57 753 pulls in whilst the final F16 of a flight of 4 turns in on a short approach Andy
    6 points
  46. Swayfield on Stoke Bank in 1970 and 1972 with both green and blue locos. Swayfield Class 55 07.05 Newcastle to Kings X April 70 J2087 9004 Swayfield Class 47 1990 08.48 York to Kings X March 72 J2830 Swayfield Class 47 1993 up 08.50 Bradford to Kings X July 72 J2978 Swayfield Class 47 down 18.30 Kings X to Hull July 72 C0994 probably 1997 Swayfield Class 47 up 08.50 Bradford to Kings X Nov 72 C1167 David
    6 points
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