jimwal

Hi Clive, of our lot only Andy will be at the show on Saturday I believe, as he's not on here we won't crowd you out. An attempt by John Doyland to do group train ticketing floundered when it was discovered that the GEML was shut between Witham and Shenfield with replacement buses. I see there is a bus there this weekend. Just a thought, when you are bored of operating how about building a bridge under it? Jim

Has a J27 0-6-0 been announced by any one else?

Running at Keith's: his Jinty and a few wagons and my Stanier 8f with approximately 20 fitted wagons. Some of these date back to our exhibition days, others much newer. The evenings discussion topic: do we wish for the lifespan of a giant turtle (200 years?) or even longer, to complete all of our modelling projects! Jim

Hornby have produced a GWR Macaw H, also as a BR 'Bogie Bolster A'. I don't know weather it is in the current catalogue but they can be found fairly easily. Jim

I did a Triang 3MT on the 2-6-4T chassis with 'Montrose' cylinders and valve gear and Romford 21mm driving wheels. The chassis needed cutting shorter at the back and altering a bit at the front. I felt it was an improvement on the Triang chassis but as David says, now outclassed by the Bachmann Model. I have an old H/D A4 chassis which many years ago became a test bed for magnet configurations prior acquiring a magnetizer. It had been cut about to take a Triang X04 magnet in front of the armature and another behind, with pole pieces of 16th" x 3/8th" strip bent to suit. Alas! it was unsuccessful, the motor ran fast with little power. This chassis has since been fitted with a 3/4" neo ringfield magnet. With the 3-pole armature it had bags of power but slow running was almost impossible. I obtained a Wrenn 5-pole armature and fitted it in place of the 3-pole and slow running ability was transformed!. It won't challenge 'Mallard' for the speed record so it awaits a loco more suitable. Jim

Didn't get given Virol so no idea what it was like. Brother and me got given cod liver oil, not the most pleasant tasting of substances!.

This is based on the cattle wagon conversions the GWR carried out in the 30s. The Dapol model utilises the former Hornby Dublo cattle wagon and indeed has an 11' wheelbase which Dapol produce. The model is basically accurate but not up to current detail standards.

Not to my knowledge. Jim

Hi Clive, I have the single volume LMS coaches so considered the 3 volume set a bit extravagant so never bought it. LMS coaching stock was generally very standardised so I thought the original was enough. I need my own copies as my progress can be spasmodic.Those EMUs you mention and the similar LNER designs were I believe the result of joint thinking. The Southern didn't seem to get beyond joined up stagecoaches in their designs! A new announcement is always a risk nowadays, it happened with the LMS suburban coaches both of us done from Airfix lavatory stock. I have some GWR non corridors started years ago and ready for painting that I should finish off. Posting photos? that will be something new for me. I'll give it a go sometime soon but don't hold your breath! Keith's blue Pullman did have decoder issues on DCC and DC and it seemed complicated to couple up. His A3, a K1 and a Q1 I don't think have progressed any further. Jim

Hi Clive, I think you're right, he also has a blue Pullman set which I don't think has ever run complete!. Taking your thread title in parts: 'Toy Trains'; the basic subject of RM Web (though there seem to be many non railway threads). 'Music'; your and others' choices on here are from a time when my fairly limited musical interest waned even further! 'and fun'; we'll call it 'interest and fun'. A slightly tenuous example in the 'interest and fun' part was at Scaleforum recently. I bought a number of Comet coach sides for LMS catering stock and a few others plus various other parts. On Bill Hudson's book stand was a 3 volume set 'LMS Standard Coaching Stock' in good condition - a rare find and certainly of interest. It wasn't cheap but a bit of bargaining helped ease the cost. Its the most I've spent at a show for a fair time certainly without a loco purchase but no fun for the finances! Jim.

Hi Clive, At club tonight; Mark, Richard, John W, Fred, Keith and me. Keith and Colin G returned from NYMR gala yesterday so no Colin and no broken locos!. Colin P is on holiday, John R is on 'working' holiday and Dave was absent. we've not seen Andy for about three weeks. On track tonight; Brighton atlantic, Keith's latest purchase. Peckett 0-4-0ST, John's latest, hauling keith's TMC and kitbuilt plate wagons. A rake of my parcels stock double headed by a B1 and K1. Mark didn't have anything to run tonight.

Yes, it is very good, but you need to have an interest in the subject (wagons!). There are no pictures of A4s or other top link locos

Yes it is still too low and the roof is too shallow. The ex Airfix now Dapol LMS van body is much better. Use it with the current Bachmann chassis, this suits LMS unfitted or with tiebar linking axleguards as BR fitted. For the wishlist: Plywood version of the Dapol van and corrugated end hyfit open on LMS 8-shoe vac braked chassis. Plus BR 8-shoe vac braked chassis. The Parkside versions are ok but very fragile. Regarding GWR non gangwayed stock I cut and shut some Collet flat ended stock from Farish and Airfix coaches. As mentioned above three different coaches and three different lengths! Jim

Whiskers and me won't be at the show this year due to staff shortage at Mangapps. Keith and Colin will be there. I believe Keith is helping on a layout.

Ah the start of the Miliputian population. Are they dressed for winter or have they acquired a few extra pounds like many of us! I'm enjoying your 'box openings', takes me back to fifties/early sixties mags with articles on cut and shuts of Hornby Dublo, Triang and occasional overseas models. Jim.

Hi Clive, your plasticard skills are well known be it diesel loco or human bodies. You've learnt and adapted to suit the requirements. I guess my 'skill' must have come from having Meccano from a very early age, I believe before I started primary school. I think many of us will have found 'finescale' articles and publications somewhat daunting in our early modelling days. Indeed, many beginners still do. As many of us have become more established in our modelling we can look at the likes of 'Model Railway Journal' and draw inspiration even if it's something we would never wish to build. Jim.

Hi Clive, Seems as though your fleet has survived the move and storage fairly well. The RTRs are running about as expected whilst the kit builds were probably never a lot of good, running wise, to start with. You've got to finish the job now and do the shunter box, with a terminus you need station pilot and ECS duties. How about some freight workings? or the bus on the bridge will have to be followed by a convoy of lorries, maybe from 'Halls Transport'. They'll need a depot, you know, where the goods yard used to be. Jim

I should have checked, realising the numbering don't follow the boiler sizes. The Bachmann mogul was on my mind as I typed so its reference should have appeared at the start of my post rather than mid way. As you say we have only 3/4 complete no2 boilers via Dapol large prarie kits. I had looked for a complete one to form the basis for a BR std 3 mogul from the class 4.

Isn't the mogul a no 2 boiler?, also the Mainline/Bachmann loco has the 3500gal Churchward tender.

I believe Precision only took over what Alistair had developed of the Modern Trash Kits range. Barry Scrapbin may have had the rest.

Clive, you've cleared the weedy drive where the cars go, so now its just some of your locos with weedy drives!. Clearing them may be less straight forward. Mention of which, I've just replaced a split gear in a Hornby 'Tornado', Hornby steam locos do occasionally suffer from this. Knowing you have purchased 'kettles' in recent times if one seems to develop a 'slipping clutch' effect or 'clonk' every wheel revolution then check the spur gears. Jim

Is it not with Phoenix Precision Paints Ltd?

Hi Clive, One thing your input is showing us is how much better the RTR diesel mechs are now. That True Scale bogie looks almost 'Heath Robinson'! with DS10 motor and big brass worms its not going to be quiet and powerful. Like you say, years ago if it was an etched kit it was reckoned top class yet many were poor and expensive as well. Jim

Clive, Richard H had a Modern Outline '40' or did you have it off him?. Remember it running quite well if somewhat slow and noisy. The mechanism looked complicated for what is I believe one bogie drive. I think the MTK motor bogie is similar but based on a plastic frame. The 'True Scale' loco seems like its been designed in the belief that only the models had pony trucks. It must be uncommon, I don't recall the name before. Peters Spares list Mainline brushes and springs. Sometimes the brush gear gets hot and the springs lose their temper(!) and go weak. Glad to see you're getting stock out and running it, its what we buy it for isn't it? I still take stock on Mondays and sometimes get to run it at home. Jim

The Ivatt 2-6-2T I fitted a decoder and sound in for someone else appeared to have the standard Bachmann motor in an otherwise retooled chassis.