Jol Wilkinson

Pete, so do I, but dropped bits "skid" across the floor and dissappear under desks, cabinets, etc. Perhaps a dimpled rubber floor is a possible answer? If it had magnetic strip under it the AG nuts would also stay where they drop. Otherwise, a saucer shaped laminate floor (with the bench in the centre) so all the bits end up in the middle. Jol

People who don't, but think that they do (a.k.a collectors). People that moan about an aspect of a kit/model and tell you how you should have designed it but who don't understand the design/production process and constraints. The total failure of anyone to invent a sticky high visibility flooring to catch the bit that you've just dropped and can't see (but doesn't trap the dirt).

Unfortunately that is less likey to happen when you make a more "historical" model, as fewer people will be aware of it's accuracy/realism (or otherwise). Even those things that we remember from our younger days are often distorted, especially with colours. How often have we returned to a place after many years to find that it isn't quite how we remembered it? Jol

Beautiful brass castings but sadly that close up shows that the whitemetal kit doesn't live up to the same standard.

But is that a model that you made or that you own?

I suggest you use a "slow" solvent for assembling the plastic parts, especially the body. Something like Limonene from Wizard Models works well. The more aggressive solvents such as Butanone can create distortion as they dry, pulling the ends/sides into a concave curve.

John, put them on ebay, someone will go for it, especially if you describe them as "rare"! Jol

Ivan, to save you the trouble of putting it on ebay, I'll give you a tenner for it. Jol

I wonder how many of the bidders on ebay pay inflated prices out of ignorance of what is available elsewhere. For example an "untested" Pentroller has just sold for £94.00 plus p&p. A new Pictroller - an updated version of the Pentroller - can be bought for £75.00 A set of Trevor Charlton 4mm etched zinc sides and ends only for a LNWR 42' picnic saloon has just sold for £42.35. A complete etched brass kit from London Road Models, including underframe, roof, etc. will set you back £38.00.

You'll find the C&L pricing here http://www.finescale.org.uk/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=51 and one example of a Peco suppliers online cataogue is here http://www.gaugemaster.com/search_results.asp?searchstring=brand~~577~~brand%20scale~~¬oo¬~~scale%20¬pieces¬&style=&andor=&method=kws&strType= Do you have to build what yourself, do you mean the track or the sleeper spacing tool?

Most of the patterns for the white metal wagon kits went to ABS Models. I spoke to Adrian Swain at expoEM over the weekend about the LNWR kits in particular. He intends to produce new patterns for some of the kit components, but I didn't get the impression that they were a high priority.

London Road Models do the square tank version of the GNR C12 4-4-2T, as as well as the NER G5 0-4-4-T. www.londonroadmodels.co.uk I think that the Craftsman C12 is also still available.

The disadvantage with Dexion is its lack of rigidity unless well stiffened with triangulation. The bolts also tend to undo when subjected to movement/vibration. So it would need careful design and the use of nylock nuts. You could reduce the cost of welded trolleys by designing and making a kit of parts, which would then only need professional welding/brazing. Powder coating is very nice, but rather a luxury. For most exhibition/portable layouts a coat of etch primer and gloss paint would probably do.

quote name='92220' timestamp='1336066375' post='680974'] Hi Iain, I last visited Vincent's layout about 18 months ago when he had just converted the wiring to DCC, a fairly major task as the layout is in his attic and working on it isn't always too easy. I hope to get another visit in later this year. I thought the layout was pretty well advanced and it's delightful to see a long rake of carriages behind a large loco in such evocative surroundings. It would be even better if he had modelled it in the LNWR period. Nice work on the bridge, in LNWR days it would probably have been dark grey (and smoke blackened underneath). I would think it would only be repainted very occasionally, so would go for the filthy look. I don't know about the ballast, the only colour photos I have are in A History of the London and BirminghamRailway Vol. 1 which don't show a lot of track detail, although there is a fair amount of red/brown in a couple of pictures, probably from brake dust. I expect that the lines into a large terminus in the late steam hauled period would be pretty much the same, so a colour photo of any one of them would give some idea. Jol

Vincent Worthingtons Camden Bank appears in MRJs 154 and 172. Another layout featuring part of the LNWRs mainline out of London

The proper reply to that statement is "Thank you very much, of course you could have one like this if you weren't such an ignorant moron!"