Jol Wilkinson

Successive governments have been assett stripping the nation for years, so this shouldn't come as a surprise. If it is beyond the NRM's capability/budget to maintain and restore any artifact of historical importance, then perhaps it is proper to put it in the hands of an organisation that can. However, the NRM should exercise due diligence to ensure that the recipient will be willing and able to do the job that they can't.

Interesting to see that the teenager has a better grasp of spelling/grammar than his/her parent.

True for Hertz, etc. vans with livery, but if the van/truck carries the operating company livery/ID, then it would still send out a message about that company and their employees.

People who drive liveried and identifiable company vehicles should be shown a film titled "Who killed the Sale" (you can find a clip on YouTube) Anyone representing their company should be aware of the impact their behavior has on existing or potential customers.

Dave, I admit I didn't notice. Perhaps I don't react to Designer labels as I am supposed to.

From conversations with those having contacts within the Trade, I believe that the arrangement between Coopercraft and Slaters was about retailing the 4mm and 7mm ranges and that production of the 4mm Slaters kits was still done by Slaters. I would assume that, as possibly the biggest purchaser of 4mm and 7mm Slaters wagon kits, POWSides might have a separate contract for purchasing the kits direct. Of course, this is conjecture, as are many of the other posts in this thread.

I think that the difference between - as I have always understood it - friends and acquaintances is increasingly not recognised nowadays. I have many acquaintances but far fewer friends. There is - in my view - a very distinct difference. Should there be a different word to describe those with whom you communicate "invisibly"and haven't ever met or seen. Perhaps an "Ethereal" would be more appropriate.

Having spent nearly all my career in the motor industry, I would agree entirely. With the exception of the writers working for the major magazines, most "reviews", especially in newspapers are based on manufacturers PR. I wonder to what extent the "reviews" published in the mainstream railway model magazines aren't the sam? Even with the professional motoring writers you are very much at the mercy of their belief in their own godlike views, Top Gear being the prize example. Increasingly in today's society many people want to be seen as successful. Many believe they can show that by owning/being seen using and wearing more expensive, branded, products. BMWs, Audi's, etc. are just one example for these attention seekers, Apple iPhones, Nike trainers, La Coste polo shirts, Louis Vitton bags, Rolex watches are just a few others.

Bernard, I think that the internet, or more properly those that use it, has devalued the meaning of the word friend, especially for young people. To me it's someone whose company you know you will enjoy and you know you can rely on in times of difficulties. Now it seems to be someone with whom you can create an electronic link. It's probably not just the Authorities that want to track you. It's any organisation that wants to sell you something, gather data about peoples "lifestyle", etc. The daughter of a friend (a proper one who I've known for over forty years) works for IBM in "Big Data" and get's paid what seems to be a great deal of money for doing it.

I purchased some tender wheels at the S4 AGM yesterday to fit a particular model where space between the tender axleguards is very tight. Phil had brought his trade stand and had put in the two boxes of Exactoscale wheels, bearings, etc. that he had. Apart form my shock at the price (Pete L had apparently recently increased the prices and as I have used Exactoscale coach and wagon wheels, I know they are not inexpensive) I noted that there didn't appear to be much stock of many items. Presumably Pete ran down the stock, so I expect it would take some time for Phil to identify what's needed and to restock. I have to admit that the cost of the wheels I bought rather took me aback. While these are excellent products, they do add considerably to the cost of a kit build, in this case three sets of wheels costing more than the tender kit itself. I suspect that would put some people off using them.

Paul Craig has just emailed me to say that the Stirling D tender was the work of Malcolm Crawley, while the J3 loco was designed by Steve Barnfield. All that is news to me so I'll ask John Redrup at the S4 AGM tomorrow..

In our village, the "yummy mummies" delivering their offspring to the popular primary school (about 85% of the children attending live outside the village) are recognised by driving a large 4X4, can't park it, park in the road if they can, don't keep an eye on their children as they walk the few yards along the road to the lane leading to the school ignore the speed limit through the village, etc. Bare flesh isn't on show, they are too upper class for that. They used to be allowed to use the pub car park until one of them told the publican to f**k of when he asked if they would move their car so he could get into his store. The chains across the entrance during school arrival and departure time went up that that day.

I found Tom's approach to forming the flare most illuminating. All, bar one, of the tenders I have ( and will build) are LNWR which have a tapering flare. Over the years I have found that I can achieve this using fingers and a suitable piece of steel rod and applying pressure as required. Not as sophisticated as Tom's wooden forming jig, which looks excellent. Filling in the "fingers" at the rear corners is the nightmare I don't share the view that providing instructions viewed on a screen are the best way for building a model. Old hat perhaps, but I prefer paper copy, which I can then write on as required. Most buyers would also expect to get a hard copy or a CDRom set of instructions in the box. Putting them online would help prospective buyers get an idea of the kit's complexity or otherwise but I don't think it would give a cost saving benefit. GRK's thought that LRM's sole proprietor may not have time to update/amend instructions for older kits isn't far off the mark. The instructions for many of the early kits exist in hard copy only, some being typed before the days of word processors, so changes (other than adding an Addendum or Corrigendum) would be time consuming. It should be remembered that etched kits sell in very small numbers after the initial "rush" of buying when introduced (which may run into double figures ), so amending instructions becomes rather a low priority unless there are fundamental errors. Converting the old instructions (including some I wrote for the early LRM LNWR loco kits using a BBC Acorn computer) to a pdf would be difficult although a scanned version might be possible. I can't comment on the difficulties Tom experienced with the J3 kit. It was designed for LRM by Paul Craig, under the guidance of the late Malcolm Crawley (for those who didn't know him, Malcolm was an experienced 4mm modeller, a former Doncaster apprentice and one of the leading lights in the Tornado project). Malcolm would also have done the loco test etch builds, including the tender which was already part of the range. Most Small Suppliers are, like LRM, single headed operations. Branchlines, High Level, Roxey Mouldings, Wizard/51L/Comet, the new C&l, Hobby Holidays, Stevenson Carriages/Millolme, David Geen and others. Many have "supporters" who help out at shows, something I have also done for many years with LRM and which is why some people wrongly assume I have a more important role than I do! Living 100 miles from LRM's Watford base makes anything beyond helping at shows, a bit of design work, etc., impossible.

I agree entirely. I learned to drive when modern technology benefits meant we had no PAS, ABS, etc. Sideways around roundabouts on Dagenham's roads in a Twin Cam Escort was great fun but a little irresponsible. As a trainee engineer at the time I also understood how a car functions and am probably more aware then most recently qualified motorists of the problems posed by different driving conditions, vehicle characteristics, etc. However, in todays' motoring environment I wouldn't want to be without those modern benefits in our regular car. I remember when Peugeot introduced A/C to mainstream cars with the 405. Considered by many as a sales gimmick, how many of us would now prefer a car without. I have to adapt a somewhat more cautious approach when driving our 1973 MGB roadster, although we only use it in fine (or at least dry) weather. Without all the "benefits" of the latest technology I have become very aware of the driving style many people adopt, a reflection on their busy, high pressure lives, which leaves little consideration for others.

The Brassmasters GWR kits are from the former Martin Finney range. Generally regarded as some of the most detailed and comprehensive etched kits, they were very well designed by Martin and apparently go together well. The best kit for you would be the simplest, the 0-6-0PT Pannier Tank. You can view the etches and download the instructions on the Brassmasters site, which will give you an idea of what is involved. There are photos of most of the locos on the LRM site, especially the LNER constituent ones. Were you looking for anything in particular? There is also, I discovered today, a four page article on building the GNR/LNER N1 0-6-2T in the July edition of Railway Modeller, which will give an unbiased opinion of that kit.

Roxey Mouldings, Comet/51L, Brassmasters and various others that an internet search will turn up. Some Line Societies have a modelling section that lists what's available. The LNWR Society does but the LNER equivalent is still showing as under construction.

I assist the proprietor of LRM with his trade stand at a number of shows. Our advice to someone starting out with kit building is: Ideally start with a van, wagon or simple coach kit. Choose a model of a prototype you have an interest in. That way you will want to complete it and may also have some prototype information (books, photos) to help you create a well finished model. If you really want to build a loco first, start with an inside cylinder tank loco. Easier and quicker to get a result and the satisfaction you get will encourage to do more. Choose a kit which is straightforward, e.g. an 0-6-0T rather than an 0-4-4T Choose a kit which is easier for the beginner, e.g. an etched loco kit with resin cast or a ready rolled etched boiler. Do not start with a large express loco, such as a 4-6-2 outside cylinder engine. Attractive and desirable as it might seem, it's a bit like learning to drive using a F1 car. Make sure you have the right toos (a good soldering iron, etc.) and the right solder, flux, etc. Invest in a good book on the subject. I always recommend the Wild Swan loco building books by Ian Rice. Finally, having provided all that honest advice, buy a LRM kit Personally I don't like white metal kits and believe that you can get a better, "crisper" model with an etched kit. You can glue w/m but it in't so easier to solder as etched n/s or brass. Resin cast components are also better than w/m for larger in my experience. However, w/m has it's advocates who will feel that w/m kit will be easier to assemble. DJH combine both etched and cast materials well in their kits, but have tended to concentrate on the larger, more complicated and "romantic" prototypes.

True Richard, but then I would forget to turn it up again. No sound isn't a bad thing, even better would be brief bits of commentary on the layouts being shown. The photographer has gone to the lengths of producing a video to show the layouts at a show, presumably for those that weren't there, so some information as to what the video is showing would add to the enjoyment.

Excellent videos but would benefit from editing out the background noise and third party commentaries.

CK, I am perhaps fortunate that, having dallied with ideas of LMS, then earlier LMS, and then the MIdland and the LNWR, I settled on LNWR and have stayed with it. I don't feel drawn to modelling another railway or period, although I do find some rather attractive including the LSWR and the S&DJR, The common link tends to be the pre-grouping period, with it's variety of locos, stock and liveries. My recollections of BR(M) were towards the last days of steam and I didn't find the state of the locos and stock very attractive (although I do still rather fancy building a Coronation). I got sidetracked into designing etched kits and generally assisting one "Small Supplier" which effectively took over my model making activities for quite a few years. I have now reached the age where I prefer to concentrate on the railway I know. The LNWR had a wide variety of locos and stock and there are more than enough kits to keep me occupied for years to come. There does seem to be a large sector of the hobby where building a succession of layouts is the main interest. The wider range of RTR available today supports this and new, better models creates an "upgrade" philosophy which must make the RTR manufacturers happy. Jol

If you intend using AG or other "push on" wheels on several locos, it is worth getting a George Watts Wheel Press. This quarters the wheels accurately and can be easily adjusted to set the back to back consistently.

A great opportunity to present your wish lists, but who's listening?

Which depends on whether you are layout junkie with the need to build a succession of layouts or, like TW, Roy Jackson, Peter Denny and many others, where you choose to create, over a long term, just one layout that fulfills your needs and desires. I am now of the one man, one layout philosophy, having reached an age where I don't think it's likely I'll embark on another. As I like building models, that's no hardship, as I can keep making stock for the layout or even, if I feel the need, build a new and improved replacement item for the layout infrastructure. While RTR has improved dramatically, it still really only covers a small selection of UK railway prototypes, especially if you model older periods. It is also much more influential for those that model OO gauge. If you choose to go down the EM or P4 route, then you have to carry our some modifications, varying from just replacing the wheels, to more involved adaptations. You may have to replace both loco and tender chassis as well as modify the body to clear the wheels, etc. It then becomes debatable whether it is easier to start from a kit. If that is so, then the world becomes your bivalve mollusc, with a much wider range of prototypes available as kits.

I would like an Edwardian LNWR Horse drawn omnibus and a parcels van. As it is unlikely anyone else will ever do it, I will probably design my own etched kit. I would have thought that 3D printing would be the answer for all those who can't already get the vehicles they want.

I have also racked up that score, but don't feel any compunction to buy RTR items. For me the enjoyment of this hobby is making models of what I want - for which only one RTR loco and one inaccurate building are available anyway - rather than buying something for a prototype for which I have little or no interest and for which there probably isn't a fully representative selection of locos, stock, etc. available anyway. I would rather have ten kit built locos of what I want, than a hundred RTR just because they are available. RTR products are now of high quality compared to what went before, but somehow seem to lack the character of a scratch built, kit built or even modified out of the box model.