dpgibbons

I assume that the choice of single or double bladed points would depend on the likely speed and weight of the trains passing over them. Thus catch points would usually be double bladed (and provided with a sand trap) to cope with runaway trains, whereas the sidings in the OP's track plan would require only a simpler (and cheaper) single blade trap point.

Thanks. Is it mascara or eyeshadow you use?

Weathering powders applied before ballasting, so resistance to water is untested. But the Tamiya powders I use are quite sticky.

I've found it quicker to spray everything rail colour (Tamiya Nato Brown) first. I then colour the sleepers using dark weathering powders which gives a nice colour variation.

And finally, after almost five years - it's here. I've had a payment request from Dapol saying the 45xx has arrived and is ready to ship. And Ellis Clark appears to have the models already in stock. I gave up waiting years ago, so I'm afraid Dapol won't be getting my money for this one.

At the other end of the sophistication scale, Blu-tac is a simple and very versatile way to hold parts for soldering. In this case use it to hold the two pieces edge-on, and then nudge them into an exact right angle using a set square.

According to GWR.org, 4167 in early BR days carried lined black with no insignia, whereas the photo suggests that by 1960 it had insignia but no lining. They don't list 4167 as one of the handful of the class to receive unlined green, so presumably it reverted to unlined black with early crest at some point and was still carrying that livery in 1960.

Any thoughts on liveries? BR green/early crest on a 51xx was very rare, as the late crest was introduced six months or so before the class began to be repainted in lined green. Only 6135 was recorded with this combination. Similarly BR black/late crest must also have been unusual and short-lived.

Rails want a GBP30 non-refundable deposit on pre-orders. I think I'll wait until we see the deco samples.

Laser-cut baseboards such as those from White Rose are pricey but go together quickly and precisely, and require no carpentry skills. If your diorama doesn't need wiring and point motors then XPS foamboard is an option - it's stiff enough to need no bracing, just framing to protect the foam edges.

Inspecting, photographing, writing and posting an ad for second-hand stuff is quite time consuming, as any eBay seller will tell you. Simply unpackaging and repackaging a loco can take ten minutes. So I suspect that Hattons have decided it's more profitable to skip most of these steps. Now they let the buyer do the inspection and accept a higher level of returns - which is how some RTR manufacturers already operate. On the flip side, this would imply that Hattons aren't opening the boxes before they buy, which might be welcome news to unscrupulous sellers.

Living in Australia I am often spraying at above 25 degrees. More thinners and retarder is usually what you need to compensate for the higher temperature.

Nice design. But the main station lacks any provision for coal/mileage loads, and the combined loco headshunt/goods shed/end loading road could restrict operations.

So we may well see 45xx production samples at the GOG Doncaster show on Saturday. Too late for me though. I bought elsewhere.

The usual explanation for the GWR and some other pre-grouping railways adopting right-hand drive was that it's easier for a right-handed fireman to wield the coal shovel from the left-hand side of the cab.

I have mislaid the five packaging screws supplied with this model – two long ones that hold the loco mount halves together, and three short ones that secure the loco to the mount. Could anyone give me the correct sizes for these screws so that I source replacements please?

Exquisite!

Thanks - putting names to the necessary tools is half the battle!

I'd like to 3D print a dome and chimney for a saddle tank loco. How might I accurately determine the dimensions of the curved surfaces that they will sit upon to ensure a perfect fit?

That would satisfy the BoT, but without a vacuum connection how would the guard brake the unfitted section?

I'm curious about that photo. The coach at rear is presumably not connected to the loco's vacuum brake as required for passenger vehicles since the 1880s, so would it be empty stock acting as a brake van?

My thought would be thin border strips of wood along the top of the baseboard edge, with just a thin layer of ballast/scenic material on top.

Humming can be caused by power supply fluctuations, and is worse at higher voltages. Try hooking up a 9V battery and see if that improves things. Then get a regulated 12V or better still a 9V DC switched power supply.

So would freight trains pull up at stations for inspection - something rarely seen in model form - or would the platform preclude a proper check of the running gear?

Of relevance to average speeds - I recall reading that unfitted freight trains were required to stop at intervals for inspection. No doubt the old grease axleboxes were prone to running hot.