ChrisN

Thank you for your explanation. On the Cambrian's early coaches the Third Class did not have full height compartments so, like yours had two lamps per 5 compartments, but composites, and probably Firsts had full height divisions. There must have been a 5 compartment Third, it certainly looks the part.

They look amazing. Question. The Second Class compartments have an oil lamp over each one, but there are only two for the four First class. I would have thought it might be the other way round, or four oil lamps on the First Class, or am I missing something. (Who needs brakes? Nasty fiddly things to model. Much prefer my earlier stuff that does not have them.)

Yes, the 'Prince' class was almost just a bigger version of the 'Firefly'. How clever.

A friend of my son said she saw a pigeon sitting happily on a power line until it stretched its wing out and touched the pole...............

Yes, I thought it was.

Mike, So different from trains that ran even a short while later. Quite a long train too. Would Thunderer have managed one of that length? It is fascinating to see Maidenhead Station now and then see the original pictures and try and imagine it in today's setting. (I know the original station was not in quite the same place as today's but I am thinking of images after it moved.

An interesting read and a fascinating machine. Would it have worked if the gearing was different, or would it have failed anyway as there is no weight over the driving wheels?

So I could do all my documents in a GWR font!

Dana, Just the one I do not have. 😒 One more to buy! 🙂 (In looking to see if I had it I found 121 which was 'missing'. Hiding in the wrong drawer.)

Mike, If it only ran for just a year, and as they extended the line it became obsolete, then maybe it was quietly got rid off and officially forgotten to save embarrassment. Very interesting build, it looks like a death trap.

Mike, Again, fascinating. It does bring to life those early locos.

Tony, Yes, I think I have done that on previous ones. Maybe I shall paint them a wood colour and dry brush black.

Rats, you noticed! Yes the footboards are not completely parallel. I did have a problem with these as I was trying to sink the staples into the MDF. I tried to drill all four holes and then push the first two in and having attached the footboard make sure it was parallel, then add the other two. It was not so easy. I use plastic strip, reinforced with an 'L' shaped piece at the back, but of course, as you need to cut out a recess for the axle boxes the whole thing is quite flimsy. A thicker strip would be stronger but then it would look overscale. Thank you for the warning on width. They did look a bit wide to me, so I ran it through the station and it seemed fine. I do not think that there will be anything in future that might cause trouble.

Well, not much has happened, so not much of an update. It has not helped that I have been on holiday for a week. (I know I should be home slaving over my modelling desk.) I took with me a box that was packed with things to do and a small craft mat along with the necessary tools and glue, and the box got opened, and sat on the table looking at me. The trouble was that we were not home much, we had a self catering cottage in Devon, so nothing happened, unlike last year when I built two carts. So before I went away, I fixed couplings to my siphons, sorry they are tension lock, and painted the bare bits with primer. So some boring pictures. And from underneath I used a pair of end cutters to shorten the staples back to the running board. I am afraid I have splashed the primer around rather freely. The six wheeler has had the same treatment. I have to be careful which side I photograph as the other running board is a bit bendy and superglued in some of the wrong places. And from below. You might be able to see that I have changed how the centre wheel is fixed. Instead of having one piece of wire, and the two plastic retainers to hold it in place, which were making it sit proud, I have used two pieces of wire which were then bent over to keep it in place. It is more simple and it works. I bid on a Ks six wheel Tri-composite clerestory and won. (It needs work doing on it.) I ran it round some of my curves thinking it would come off, and that I would take a plastic Ratio wheel and take the flange of, and found it went around with no problem. I then wondered why I had gone to so much trouble to have a floating centre axle! So, painting. I have started to paint the iron work below the solebar black, but then I thought, what colour should I paint the running board, footboard and even the solebar? I quick internet search shows that you should not model a model, as all the ones I saw were different. So, any thoughts? If you have been, thanks for looking.

Shaun, Thank you. I am glad it inspires you. As you know I am supposed to be making a house at the moment, but that takes thought and effort. 🙂