John_Hughes

Yes, another corker. I wish I had a fraction of the skills on display!

Yes, of course; if it works full-size it will indeed work on the model - except that you can't scale down either tolerances or physics, and our usual model tolerances, using commercial products, are way, way over scale. Sid Stubbs of blessed memory could do it, and many others have done it as well, so it's not impossible, and I never said it was; but in my bodging experience, it can be tricky, and I like to keep things easy because I get more done that way.

Agreed - but the tolerances on the prototype are probably quite a bit tighter than the inevitably sloppy fit of model coupling rods, where we have such factors as not-quite-identical crankpins, slight wheel wobble and so on to deal with. I suspect it's no accident that so many RTR 0-6-0 locos have the motor driving the centre axle. Actually I'd guess that even on a CSB chassis, solid rods won't actually impede the springing too much. After all, we're only talking of fractions of a mm displacement, surely?

The GWR added a bay (on the other side of the level crossing to the south of the existing station) at Barmouth to relieve the summer pressure on platform space, and it was regularly used by the Dolgelley (incorrect GWR spelling, so apologies) shuttles. It was also the only passenger platform I know of with a loading gauge just beyond the platform!

I agree with you about the boiler. I have no absolute objections to the Milky Bar type - indeed, I used the one in the London Road Jinty with no trouble at all - but this one just didn't cut the mustard, so like you I replaced it. Being inherently lazy I just knocked up a quick replacement design in Sketchup and let Shapeways do the rest, giving me more room for the motor and gearbox as well as for a little more weight, though those big side tanks do help.

The washers are presumably to stop the wheels shorting against the frame on curves? I tried that route myself but found that when the loco was reversing, the pony truck tended to drift to one side or the other, and it just didn't look right. I suppose that's why the instructions suggest adding a spring to centre it, but the hornblocks seemed less of a faff, and the resulting chassis will even cope with the Peco small radius points on my shunting plank, which came as a pleasant surprise. Did you use the fold-up buffer-beams as supplied? I ended up making new ones out of wood and using the etch just for the face.

I think I just need to run a file along the top of the brake linkage; the contact between it and the coupling rods is minimal anyway, just a few thou; it certainly doesn't affect the running, which is excellent. Can I ask how you handled the rear carrying axle? I ended up mounting it in Gibson's sprung hornblocks rather than as a pony truck, but John now makes a proper radial arrangement, and I had wondered about trying that. In the end it seemed too much trouble!

Very nice! On my own I can just hear the coupling rods barely touching the brake linkage when they're at the bottom, but I imagine you managed to avoid that trap!

Like most other things in Norway, sadly.

Subscription copy arrived 10 minutes ago, looks good!

Decals (not available from anyone else) ordered in the middle of last week, card charged instantly, no sign of the product yet. I suspect that it's shambolic rather than evil, though still not really the way things ought to be done. But then the proprietor seems to have his hands too full to get properly organised, and can't afford to bring in help.

I've said it before and I'll say it again ... Wow!

Well, if it's any use to you, this is what a panel's worth of sleepers for Hudson-style track looks like - just add rails and some sort of ballast to complete. I can get them 3D printed for you if you wish, but a single panel does cost a bit ;-)

It may be red now, but 'back in the day' it was green, as was No. 1 Talyllyn also.

Being stupid (and totally mentally locked into what I do to earn money) I actually saw Decauville and understood Hudson, probably because that's what I have the drawings for. Is that still any use? Sorry to be so off-topic!

There were reports in the local media yesterday (Sunday) that all Cambrian Lines services were cancelled following a complete failure of the signalling system; to add insult to injury, there were also warnings that there were insufficient buses available for bustitution. What the blazes happened? And did it also - as I presume it did - involve the cancellation of WHR services as the Cae Pawb crossing signals couldn't be cleared?

I've drawn them up - ages ago, right after your original query - but haven't done anything else. (I'm mostly a writer, and the latest book came out at the end of April, since when I've been busy with signings, promo events and the like. Good fun, but horribly time-consuming.) I'll see what I can manage this weekend. Sorry!

I understand the problems. Llangollen would be wonderful - and convenient for me - so I'll cross my fungers and hope!

I've no chance of making it to Embsay, but Warley, now, that looks possible. Is there any chance of arranging it so that the punters can get into the saloon? I'd love to see the interior 'in the flesh' so to speak, and I'm sure i'm not the only one.

All I can see is a sad face icon.

I finally got round to making a set of those fire-iron hooks, having been putting it off for as long as I could. In the end - like most things that I've been a bit leery of - they turned out to be quite simple and only took about 20 minutes.

I've had one on the stocks for a while now, just adding stray bits and pieces as the mood takes me - though really it's just about ready for the paintshop with a couple of other locos to be done at the same time. The 'milky bar' boiler went into the bits box pretty quickly, to be replaced by one I had 3D printed with enough room inside it for some serious weight - and more in those lovely big side tanks - and I made up new buffer beams as well. The sandbox linkage on the kit is a bit of a bodge but I decided I could live with it so otherwise it's pretty-much according to Hoyle, and an absolutely smashing runner.

Oh wow! The FfR had about a thouand slate wagons, IIRC...

Lovely work - as per your usual, of course - but it makes the point very clearly. But for the de Winton I'm sure it will be just perfect!

What a wonderful picture! The train seems to be running on what appear (judging by the overhead wires) to be streetcar tracks.