Mark Laidlay

Thanks, fascinating to see the they started with 1/4" I wonder why they changed so quickly though.

I'm going to love reading your ebook. My pedantic nature is already coming out as I must point out that Hornby (Binns Road version) did produce H0 models under the predictable name of "Hornby Acho". Unfortunately RMWEB won't allow me to link an article regarding the development of 00. You've probably seen it already on their website. "A History of OO Gauge - The Double O Gauge Association". Thanks for your interest Mark in Melbourne

We know Henry Greenly used imperial measurements so how did 1/4" scale morph into 7mm scale? Or is my assumption about Greenly wrong and he did nominated 7mm scale? On a similar matter, when did 3/8"scale become 10mm scale? Mark in Melbourne

Question from a foreign prototype modeller (Victorian Railways - the state, not the era). Why did so many railway companies have ramps at the end of passenger platforms at most stations? Here in Australia we imported plenty of British engineers to build our railways but they largely didn't bring this feature with them. Some stations had limited ramps down to a barrow crossing but not the full on slopes seen in the UK.

No, I went looking for something, it was an assumption on my part. Where do Märklin get made?

The best bits of my railway are what friends contributed and spurred me on to my own improvement and improvements.

Here's the cab side in April 23.

A couple of photos showing the size difference between 4mm and 3.5mm scales.

Has anyone been able to fix the chuff rate? When the the loco is running quickly the chuff seems far to slow to me.

My model arrived today in Melbourne from China via Germany and TMC. It’s my only H0 scale British loco and likely to stay that way, although I have vague recollections of having a Lima 4F somewhere. Is funnel too big? What’s that bit of green between the splashers between the front two axles, the drive from the motor appears to go to the rear drivers. Why is there no effort at modelling the drawbar between the loco and tender? What can I do about the moving frame when only the rear axle should be moving? I suppose that’s the price of buying a model that can go around tight curves. The cab numbers are surely wrongly positioned, was that right at any time? It’s a big step from the tender to the first coach, I could have got a shorter NEM Kadee. The green looks better in the flesh (plastic) than the photos. It does look nice coupled to NSWGR coaches as it did in 1988/89, although it is the wrong colour and number for it's Australian tour of course.

Talking about the loco famous for being famous, my model arrived today from China via Germany and TMC. It’s my only H0 scale British loco and likely to stay that way, although I have vague recollections of having a Lima 4F somewhere. Is funnel too big? What’s that bit of green between the splashers between the front two axles, the drive from the motor appears to go to the rear drivers. Why is there no effort at modelling the drawbar between the loco and tender? What can I do about the moving frame when only the rear axle should be moving? I suppose that’s the price of buying a model that can go around tight curves. The cab numbers are surely wrongly positioned, was that right at any time? It’s a big step from the tender to the first coach, I could have got a shorter NEM Kadee. The green looks better in the flesh (plastic) than the photos. It looks just right the way the NSWGR coaches demonstrate the size difference.

This packaging mentions the Kean link, I guess that makes it very early. All three boxes are empty.

I've used electrically conductive grease. I have a very long 1:50 grade between two decks and run a 14 coach train ok (not with steam sorry Tony) so I don't think there is any impact on drawbar pull. I made a recording but the 10mb limit is stopping me, there's a recording on Facebook demonstrating the effectiveness, just look for "The Costerfield Line".

Weirdly I have one. As a lover of Garratts I couldn't resist building one. It has two big RG4 in it and a bit of extra weight. It's 1.5kg (99% on the driven wheels) and has won a few loco power contests and no train has ever slowed it down. All that power doesn't help with the retention of detail, hitting a platform at H0 clearances will result in damage to the platform and/or loco, it won't stop the loco.

Since we are showing off D3s I have two. One is the latest plastic fantastic with all the bells and whistles, well DCC sound but no bells, this is not the USA! It's in regular use on lighter duty jobs due to limited weight and my very long 1:50 grade. The other is Samhongsa brass from 1982 painted by myself and no coal or weathering done over the last 40 years, it's on the list. No DCC decoder so this is the first time it has been out of the box for 20 years. This class of D3 is a 1929-47 rebuild of the Dd class from 1902 which was near first in house loco designed and built by the Victorian Railways, previously most designs were from British engineers and builders. The Dds started out on express passenger work but ended up on lightly laid (60lb/yd) branch lines. 261 were built, mainly here in Victoria but 20 were built by Beyer Peacock, 20 by Baldwin and another 20 by Walkers in Queensland. Those 60 would have been delivered by sea.

Aaahh, York, the first weekend of our UK 2023 trip, some great memories including meeting Tony and Gordon Gravett. And that hour watching "Hills of the North", then 2mm scale York. The Spring EM exhibition was the last weekend so Canada Street and many layouts I had seen in MRJ were seen. Then there was Bristol with Copenhagen Fields etc. etc. etc. Hopefully enough memories to last through my dotage. Mark in Melbourne

For those of you that have your H0 60103, does it come with a knuckle coupler that can be fitted to the NEM socket on the tender? Is the colour as bad as the videos look? Are the flanges really that big? Mark in Melbourne wishing I had got a brass version all those years ago.

Does your model of Little Bytham show any history of the line to Edenham? Mark in Melbourne

We see lights on Australian models as well but often with switches underneath so the lights can be turned off. Locos also often come with directional lighting, that might have been great in the '80s but that's not how real loco lights work. DCC can be configured to do it properly. Mark in Melbourne

Doesn't look like they have fixed the funnel.

I'm not. I was in discussion with an insurance company regarding cover for my model railway, I saw the model railway as a whole, it never occurred to me that it was a collection of rollingstock, track, buildings etc. etc. which is what they suggested. Mark in Melbourne

Here's the brass version, there's one for sale in Melbourne currently - the seller seems to be looking for $6,000AUD. It's not selling, yet. I won't be buying it. At least the tender wheels aren't green...

Well Trix is Marklin's 2 rail brand, a bit deceptive of me, in days past they they used the Hamo name. I don't do preserved locos, but this is my only exception, I would prefer a apple green version as it visited Australia in 1988. The only other option in H0 was a nice brass version at 2.5 times the price of the Marklin/Trix. I had hoped that some Australian company would commission DJH to do a kit, it would have been easier than most as DJH would already have most of the information required, just change the scale. It sounds like the Trix model is a bit scary, I wonder if someone will do a replacement chimney? That might help with the most glaring issue. It's costing me about 400 quid plus postage, no VAT for me. Mark in Melbourne

I hope Trix get it right with their new Scotsman given how much it is costing me. It's due to arrive in the UK next month. Mark in Melbourne

The wheels are still Hornby green, very hard to tell when on the track. Ross is fairly strict re 1962 era on his railway, these anachronisms are largely my fault, I just like LNER rollingstock. I need to find a Q6 and a couple of O4s next or something more appropriate to his coal trains.