davefrk

Heavy load transporter???? It looks suspiciously like a molten iron carrier or 'bullet', used around the steelworks and very rarely on the mainline these days. The ones I used to see at BSC Ravenscraig were in that sort of condition though. A complete wagon in it's own right not a wagon carrying a tank.... Dave.

I once bought lathe tools from them, never again. Not even good junk. Dave

Okay, but the Airfix firebox is shorter than the Bachmann one by just over a mill! and to make the interface look better it would need to be shortened surely. Dave.

Hi, all been a bit quiet on the Blackgill front, how are things going? Dave Franks. Say Hallo to your dad from me.

Yeah, 3 quid for one and £3.50 for the other..... I think he's living in cloud cuckoo land with his prices. Dave.

Almost got it, leaving aside the obvious that you've quoted. The front sandboxes are fixed to the chassis and they sit in line with the others along the chassis side where-as they should stick out on a solid bracket so they come to within approximately 2mm of the footplate edge making the front view look bulky under the beam, check a 3/4 view photo and you'll spot it. I've built a few etched 4F chassis and some were right, some the same as Bachmann. Even Airfix had them sticking out a bit but that horrible push along chassis had to be binned. Oh and the guard irons are no-where near wide enough, they don't even come out to the OO wheelsets. Okay, rant over, just annoyed they can't get it right when previous models were, nearly. The splashers on the Bachmann model are still, of necessity slightly over size but better than the Airfix ones by 1mm and are a nice fit in the metal footplate if a little widely spaced, good for the wider gauges though the measurement inside at 22.2mm doesn't leave much clearance for P4. Personally I'm in a quandary whether to re-chassis or save time and just re-wheel, rectify and pack out the chassis to EM. I have some trial etches for a 4F chassis so I may mod one for this Bachmann model, afterall it's basically a good model and with a bit of work a great model but then so can the Airfix one be. Talking of which, the two side by side show a difference of just over a mill in the length of the firebox but the detail is much better on the new Bachmann model. All other dimensions are very close and the chimney shapes are similar but as someone else has said - are they correct.? One last thing, talking of the front sandboxes, how does one fill them when there's no filler cap on the footplate. Oh dear. I think it's a good model and it runs beautifully out of the box, add some detail, change the buffers for your period if you need to. And, just be grateful there's no gearbox under the boiler to offend the eye. Dave. And I'm not going to be drawn into a debate on chassis Vs frames, totally different things, so there.

So, a nice model overall. But has anyone found any faults or discrepensies yet? ---- Me being a smart ass has, try looking at the front elevation of the loco below the beam.... Would it put me off buying one? probably not but Airfix did do that bit more correct back in the day. Sorry. Dave.

And, where's the handrail on the tank, I mean, all the water will run out of those holes... Some people Dave.

Hi Don, I'll ask SWMBO about the porridge, she's a guid Scots lass (with some Irish roots) and can make a mean porridge.... Are you using the spurtle correctly? Dave.

What! No old landrovers...... I'll have to put that right. 'Daisy' in Concourse condition at the Callander Classic. Shame about the mud. Jim Smellie of 'Caley Coaches' fame was just a few yards away with his Triumph Vitesse. A Rover run around the Perth area, in the rain. Again one or two railway modellers included. And working for a living, collecting 500 kilo of Scottish pink ballast. Suitably weathered.... Daisy is a Landrover Series 2A 1966. All the best, Dave.

I was going to say - bright and sunny here in Blantyre, Scotland but it's starting to rain now..... Dave.

Ah, the big supersheds, I had to buy plumbing stuff to completely redo the pipework in the kitchen, it was 2/3rds the price at a local 'plumb centre' and made in Britain not Far East. Why do we entertain these 'supershed' places. Orange and white ones particularly. Dave Franks, Still working on the kitchen but nearly there.

And, Bachmann seem to have got the centre wheel balance weights in the right place unlike the 3F. At least from what I can see in the photos. Dave.

Don't say that Clive, shame on you..... Jason, just send them to me and I'll send you some Hornby ones by return, I've got a load of those old square axle ones.... Just need to turn the flanges down in the trusty Black & Decker. Dave.

This Larry person, is that the one who builds the odd coach????? Dave Franks

EM wheels eh, maybe fate is trying to tell you something.... Love the piccies. Dave Franks.

Hamilton, Scotland. Where I grew up but not born. Known for it's fine Palace. Built and extended by the Dukes of Hamilton and with the proceeds from the coal mines was but a gallery for one of the biggest art collections in the country. Apparently there was once 26 pitheads within a three mile radius of Hamilton top cross, all now long gone. The Palace became unstable due to the mine workings underneath and was taken down in the 1920s. The local saying being :- 'Coal built it an coal cau'd it doon'. Not entirely true though as the first part of the house was built in the 17th century replacing a tower house sacked by the enemies of Mary, Queen of Scots. One of the Dukes being Regent for the young Mary. Some of the huge cast iron railings were saved and are now in front of the local private school and give an idea of the grandeur of the palace. Dave Franks

Yes and there's more to come over the next few months, not just Scottish ones either. Thanks for the glowing review Jason. The layout's looking V good. Wish my own was getting on so well, just two more fiddleyard boards to build and I've got a 'circle'..... Woo - Hoo. Can I suggest though, the stops in the platform roads should have some old heavy loco buffers and red oil lamp on. Board of Trade regs. or something. Have a look in your scrap boxes, I may have something in mine which might do you if not. All the best, Dave Franks

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Train-for-sale-/141027749224?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item20d5e8ad68 'Excellent condition'. Okay so where's the coupling rods and, has someone fitted scale wheels, could be a bargain after all. Dave Franks

Moscow, the one in Ayrshire, Scotland. A bonny wee village in the middle of nowhere. Dave Franks

And he's been trying to sell it for over a year at that price, was, IIRC even dearer before that. Dave.

And it looks as though they've sorted the battery box conundrum, at last. Or is it an old photo????? Dave Franks

Hi Phil, you're right of-course, SWMBO only got these at the supermarket till she could get to the petshop and buy a 'bucket load'. There is a proper dispenser on the other side of the table. Fruit etc. is usually spiked on this thing. Another pic of, I think a starling. And a pic of a Cockatiel family, five 10 week old chicks and the mother middle right. Dad was having a kip elsewhere.... All chicks now gone to good homes. Dave.