brianthesnail96

I imagine they'll fly them in again, like they did with the first batch. Still cutting it a little bit fine! I did see a photo of Bodiam, it did appear to be a smidgen on the bright side.

Looks very nice in the green Chris. You've done a good job of the paint there! Looks a little drab in plain black, that's a much better advert for the quality of the model. Comparing this one to the photos of the 2nd EP it was definitely the right choice to retool the wheels, they are much improved on the other one. Can't wait!

Well, I didn't want to say that, but... And I have now- if there had been any sanity left to question I think that engine would have seen it off! Will make sure Harry comes and finds you at Guildex- thank you.

I suspect after Telford Paul M is going to be seriously questioning his sanity, given the interest in the sound ones... I wonder if they'll overtake the Fowler in terms of % of overall build that are sound fitted. I'm debating if I should go for a lined green one instead of plain black. Think I'll stick with black and repaint.

Be interesting to see how good the Dapol sound project is (must admit I'd probably look at fitting my own if I do give in to temptation- I wonder if there's space for an extra speaker in the bunker, the "factory fit" space looks to be in the boiler). If they've used the same guy that Lionheart uses it should sound the part. I'd want to fit a keepalive myself but that's just personal preference now. Shame that the SR one missed the condensing pipes (given that they've got tooling for them) but that should be an easy addition- probably easier to add than take away, couple of bits of sprue and some thin washers or similar should do the trick. I was suitably impressed by the appearance of the (non motorised) paint samples, so it's good to know that they run well too

I've always preferred running to building myself (always liked planning too mind...), to the extent that I ripped up half of the roundy roundy I was bought as a child (probably about 10- 11) and rebuilt it as a fiddle yard- terminus with a big goods yard. Everything I've had since has been similar- "shunting" passenger trains is possible too of course, in a way. I used to split and reorganise trains so a 3 coach rake would go out as a 4 or a 2, and other permutations thereof, using the bay platform for storage "off peak". Part of the reason I bought BT&S was the way it was laid out to give a reasonable amount of shunting in a fairly small space- and more to the point, shunting with a purpose. As well as the fixed (tank wagons to the loading/ unloading bay- although with three different types of tanker traffic there's a fair amount of movement there) and coal wagons under the hoist feeding the boiler house, there are three or four different locations for merchandise traffic, which can be determined by either a card game or just on the spur of the moment based on wagon type & the what is currently on the layout (i.e. open merchandise wagon to the road exchange siding 'cos there hasn't been anything in there for a while). I find this keeps me amused for ages, whereas just moving wagons around a yard because it seems like a good idea doesn't hold the same appeal. This is where an industrial location tends to score over a goods yard, although the ideal is probably a goods yard with an additional traffic flow to add variety- colliery exchange sidings, china clay dries etc. With BT&S being 0 gauge, I use 3 links and I find that that helps add to the enjoyment, the "hands on" as mentioned earlier in this thread. I think I'd lose something with automatic couplings. The same applies to points- solenoid motors but with a "lever frame" of switches which again helps with the effect over push buttons or probe- type, and scores hands down over DCC point control which just feels like I'm playing a computer game (although I like DCC for loco control).

I'm glad I managed to pick mine up (cheap, secondhand but by the looks of it virtually unrun) when I did. One of the ones with Paul for fitting noise to (the black one- still not decided if it's staying that way though).

That first photo of the King is I think the only time I've genuinely had to have a proper second look to determine if it's the real one or not- I scrolled past it to get to the photos of the model the first time before something clicked and I went "hang on a minute"- and it still took a second or two to spot the giveaways! I hope they can replicate that paint finish in production, it's something quite special (and like Mr York, I'm not usually a fan of gloss finishes).

It's just a very peculiar coincidence that I'd happened to spot it (while not aware that I was next to the railway formation until I did!) the day after you made your request- I wasn't specifically looking for the railway, we were just exploring a corner of our new home town that we'd not been to before (and I hadn't spotted this post at the time). There was a road bridge (adjacent to a road junction) a little way up the branch from the station, it's most definitely not there any more and I couldn't see any evidence of it whatsoever the other day although I admit I wasn't looking. As for the Nailsworth branch, a brief(ish) summary: - Some buildings (but not all) at Stonehouse Bristol Road survive, it's in use as a training centre now and looks in reasonable order from what you can see from the road. There's some trackwork left from the coal depot that was built on the old junction, and the footbridge over the main line between Old Ends LC & the station is still there and still in use. - The trackbed from the station curving around to head towards Stroud has gone under houses, but the shape can be seen in the way the estate is laid out (from Google). After this it becomes a footpath for a bit, and there's an overbridge hiding beside a newish roundabout on the adjacent road, mostly infilled. It then disappears under more houses, and I suspect road widening- I've not been able to find anything much of it or the canal transhipment wharf until you get to the bridge over the canal just North of Ryeford, which survives. - No sign of Ryeford station, it's under the new bypass- completely flattened. - Most of the trackbed survives adjacent to the bypass, including the very low bridge over the river. Disappears under the road again as you approach Dudbridge. - Dudbridge itself is now gone under a roundabout, and a realignment of the road down from Selsley. However the large mill (which had a short NG line feeding it from the branch goods yard) still stands, as do the retaining walls and part of the platform. - From here to Nailsworth it's mostly intact, although the A46 has encroached in a few places (widening/ realignment), there's a housing estate at Woodchester and a few access roads to other estates cutting across at various locations. The sawmills at Woodchester have vanished on the railway side of the road, but the Brown family are still cutting timber on the other side (and still with steam power on occasion). Woodchester station is gone but what I believe is the crossing keeper's cottage survives. - Nailsworth station is still there and I'm told in good condition, although I've never seen it. Not sure what happened with the goods yard, which was at a lower level of course. - From Dudbridge to Stroud, the initial curved embankment from the junction is gone (more houses) but once pointing more of less towards Stroud it's pretty much intact (with multiple road overbridges) until just shy of the viaduct on the approach to Wallgate. - As you've seen, the viaduct at Wallgate (on a sharp curve) is still partially still standing- the infilled arches of what was the middle portion still in use for garages etc. Wallgate itself has vanished under an small trading estate.

Had missed the last couple of updates- glad you are pleased with the MW, Paul M has mine at the moment for the same treatment. Should make an ideal stablemate for the Fowler on BT&S. I'd have thought with the keepalive though the graphite is completely unnecessary? Dave had used it on BT&S (on Giles' recommendation), when I got the layout the Fowler was very erratic (pre sound install) which improved dramatically after a track clean- so I suspect it probably attracts dirt a bit on little used layouts. Of course a quick wipe with a graphite stick would probably have cured it! I did buy some sticks after seeing The End of The Line at exhibition and being impressed with how well the 0-14 ran and will probably try them out next time the layout is set up, for the occasional visiting non- KA equipped loco.

Difficult to pick up any features to identify where the station was now, the Lister's building it was adjacent to (indeed, the reason it was so compressed) isn't there any more either! Cam station location isn't much better, just a grassy area and an industrial building the other side of the level crossing- I had to look it up on Google as despite looking when we drove through I could see no evidence of a railway at all from the ground- despite the obvious hints in the name of the pub & road! Jelle Jan's google streetview link is the bridge I was thinking of, still looks very much like the google pic.

Yes it is- if you mean the one between Cam & Dursley stations (not Cam & Dursley Station, which really is near enough Coaley Junction of course). I've just moved to Cam and we were on a bit of an explore on Sunday- I'd just made a comment about how little evidence of the branchline there is (I didn't really know where it ran, but we encountered The Railway pub and Station Road so we knew we must be close) when we passed it! Very overgrown, there's a footpath under it now (crossing the railway- unusually most of the surviving trackbed doesn't even look to have a footpath along it) so I'll go back and take some photos when I get a chance. Having moved from Stonehouse, where most of the branchline to Nailsworth (and the Stroud branch) is fairly easy to trace & with a fair amount of architecture left, it surprised me how completely the Dursley branch has disappeared. Can still work out where most of it went on Google maps though, by following the trees!

Excellent, will keep watching then

Ahh! It's a small world- especially as both myself & "Ruston" Dave know Kev Mills as well! I've just joined up myself actually (bit tricky to get out of it considering I crew for the PR officer...) Cracking magazine.

You got it! Just back from three days of playing with the roller- ace

Hope you've not given up on this one Jon, it was starting to come together really nicely!

Nearly 4 months without progress- blimey. All has been a bit busy of late- as well as getting involved with a couple of traction engines (Garrett 4CD in Showman's trim and a lovely old Fowler Roller, for those interested in such things- will get some photos up), we've bought a house. This has understandably been a bit of a time- sink. However we're getting there now, and I'm cautiously optimistic that BT&S might just fit in the back room in it's entirely. At the very minimum I'll have room for a proper workbench! Itching to get it back up and running and have a proper play, and do some more work before our next exhibition which is early 2016. Downside of this house buying lark apart from the time aspect is that I seem to have rather less disposable income than I did have, so the rolling stock fleet has not expanded as I'd hoped...

Eugh, green stuff! Looks good Dave. I assume the "tippler" is a drop for bottom doors/ hoppers instead of a rollover type affair, otherwise designing it so you can get an engine on it (to access the shed) and still securely hold inverted wagons will be fun. I know you are reasonably restricted on length but you could presumably have deeper boards or even slightly "L" shaped? Looks nice and open to the left and a bit cramped at the right. Will certainly be a different modelling challenge to BT&S with all that greenery, water and such.

Cheers Chris, will have to do some measuring up this end.

It would have been Charles Wares, they've being going for yonks.

The Triumph 'box (Spitty and Dolomite, Vitesse as well I think) is the same as the Marina one, albeit with different ratios & some variation in input shafts IIRC. Was tempted to stick one in my Marina estate (I really like the one in the 1850 Dolly I play with occasionally- dropping in and out of 3rd OD is great for spirited driving on twisty roads!) but it requires quite a lot of surgery to the transmission tunnel to go in, so it'll get a type 9 instead. MX5 engine/ 'box is a good shout, there's a few in Triumphs that I know of, I'm sure there are some in Minors too. Both flavours of Mk1/ Mk2 are cracking engines without too much electrickery to get in the way of enjoying them, and donor cars are dirt cheap now. Edit, I think that's what you were saying actually, sorry!

I think an LT77 is heavier (and taller) than a Type 9. Left field choice, 1700 O series and LT77 out of a Sherpa/ Freight Rover... if you can find one. MGB OD 'box is a massive great lump! I fancy putting a Perkins Prima turbo (using Marina 1700 petrol, Freight Rover diesel & Montego bits!) with an LT77 behind in a Mk3 Marina estate someday, would go like the clappers and do 40mpg+. Still think Marina 1275s are much better in Marinas though. They even did vans you know...

So "yes" then presumably! Chris, since it appears to be in your possession currently, could you be so kind as to measure the overall width across the cylinders for us please? It won't affect my order but it would be nice to know if I'll have to make an "adjustments" to make it fit through some of the smaller gaps on BT&S. They are rather large beasties by 0-4-0ST standards!

Presume there's some nice separately moulded gauge glasses to fill the gap on the backhead too The steam manifold is a lovely piece of work! Very much looking forward to this

I believe there's sensors in the Adblue system on trucks to check that they aren't doing that (as it's not the right/ controlled dosage)! Think they probably put the truck into limp mode, which means the driver has to go to his nearest dealer and explain why it's throwing up that particular faultcode... Good to see you've got onto the 60's at last Jim!