Jub45565

For anyone wanting more info on the prototype variations, the best place to start is the Wild Swan, Midland Engines no 1: No.1 -'1833' and '2228' Class Bogie Passenger Tanks By Fred James, David Hunt & Bob Essery ISBN-10 187410350X I can't personally answer any questions from it right now, as I have leant my copy out, but it is available for £10 and definitely worthwhile...

London Road models do an LNWR M58 driving trailer, which was pictured at Keighley but it is not known whether it worked on the KWVR (let alone with a 1P - though they were in use intermittently there til 1958). Source: Midland Record no. 35

I'd like a Midland D1246 driving trailer, & an LNWR M49. Edit - or an LMS D1771 P1 54' driving trailer... The LMS built coaches, & those converted, are available and able to be converted - but I'm not aware of the above 2 available in any form. I'm sure Hornby have plenty of time to announce & produce the minimal changes required to their none gangwayed period 3 LMS stock prior to the arrival of the 1P, which would be a starter for 10 in RTR terms I suppose.

But the Snailbeach didnt have passengers, & they had 2 of them...

According to my sources, and backed up by the BR Loco Database website it was basically at Royston from 1945 until withdrawal. It may have actually been to Hellifield for a time in 1953, and was a paper transfer to Skipton in 1954, but then back to Royston. When the NE Region came into being, it was borrowed by Keighley (/Manningham) when they were short of push pull fitted locos as by then Royston was the 'nearest' shed with push pull fitted locos which Manningham could ask for help if they were short of locos for the Worth Valley branch. Prior to the NE region then Manningham would have asked Skipton (and prior to the Keighley was under Skipton) but these requests rarely went between the regions other than in times of dire need. (main source is the Midland Record no 34 on Locos used on the Worth Valley branch).

Pleased to see the 1P & maroon Portholes. Do you know any timescales Andy? Not wishing to moan, just curious as to what timeframe Bachmann currently see as realistic. Nice to see the Stanier 2-6-0 & Thompsons in the shipping department :-)

Hi Tom, and all, Happy New Year to you all too - sorry for the delay, it has been a pretty busy start to the year (not helped by playing full size (well, 2' gauge) trains over the Christmas/New Year period! I did assemble, and blacken, a set of window frames before Christmas though - which looks good but has twisted a bit as I cut the support frame out. I like the two skin arrangement in terms of looking right from both the inside and outside of the shed, but it does mean that looking at it from the wrong angle you can see through what should be the full thickness frame of each pane:

Thanks Steve, I was playing around with my etched options last night and am pretty sold on them myself - but thanks for sharing your solution, and offer. It does also look the part. Is the frame already on the Dapol body, or have you added that? The cable tie solution doesnt look as effective to my eyes, and took a fair bit of fettling which I would not want to do umpteen times per coach - so the full etch it is. I have compared it at several angles to the prototype and it looks convincing to me. The half etch isnt as obvious in the photo when coloured black, but the colouring helped to show how it would actually look while doing the comparison.

My etches have returned, and the options are these: On the left is with vertical bars to represent the lines/gaps/joins between the sections. This will be easy to fit, and to my eye looks pretty convincing and would probably paint those bars black. On the right is just a frame - this would need to work either with laser cut glazing, or potentially going back to the cable tie concept. When I was looking at those before, I was looking from the basis of using the edges of the tie as the border of the glasing unit. This mean it was fixed from the outside of the coach, so would need an awful lot of thinning down - very time consuming for a one off coach, let alone a rake or two. However with this frame fixed to the outside, the cable tie could be used mounted on the inside of the coach, which would remove the need for this thinning down. I think the latter concept needs an actual test so I'll aim to get this done in the next day or two - but does anyone have any thoughts on either route in the interim?

Well unfortunately I'm not at home over Christmas this year - I have plenty to crack on with! I have a way forward for the pits, and last night I received my etched window frames - I drew them up, as posted earlier in the topic, and passed them to Justin (of Rumney Models) who is a fellow member of the Bristol Scalefour society group, who had some test etches he also needed manufacturing so it made sense to split the tooling costs. The concept is for a window to have an inner and an outer, and the U shaped bit sits between them at the bottom. Another U shaped bit but with the half etched lines cut will sit at the top (ie just the top corners) so that glazing can slide in from the top. If this isnt satisfactory then a full U could be used at the top too, but then it would all have to be glued rather than soldered. The bars across the middle are to support the opening window section which is easiest to add in the closed position. Once fixed in place the support bars will be removed. I have an idea of how to make them open, and have etched a couple of spares. I aim to assemble one tonight or tomorrow so watch this space!

I have now finished the main deck planking, and one end of the fill in next to the locking lever. The wheel carriers have been reassembled in position, and placed in the well. This shows that (with code 55 flat bottom rail on the turntable) the height difference is 1.3mm, with the turntable lower - which is a nice little shimming job, in the right direction. The well is currently the London Road former, which is vac formed. This is a good shape, and allows the (in my case) stone cladding to be added, but it is flimsy. The options are either to build a support structure to support this, or go for a full wooden replacement. There are members in the BS4 group who know more about wood turning than I do, so these will be discussed in more depth on Tuesday. So other than rails, handrails, and other deck details (built but not yet fitted) that is the turntable itself complete - but I won't be adding those bits until I've finalised my well. Next job today is making a start on an ash pit - pretty much as Robin did the ones for Barrow Road. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/116/entry-5141-bristol-barrow-road-ash-disposal-pits-update/ I just need to work out the difference in width between the top of the channel and the bottom, and can then crack on. Unfortunately the drawings in the LMS Journal preview edition are inspection pits not ash pits - but I'm sure I've seen a drawing somewhere so will go to hunt it down!

The tender chassis sideframe thickness is a common problem - and aside from the running qualities of a sprung chassis is the big selling point of the Brassmasters easi-chas conversions for the Bachmann 3F and 4F. Comet do the Tender underframe as a separate item, which could be a quick way forward - just a shame it isnt designed to be sprung in which case it would be a no brainer! Lovely work though!

Cheers Tom - keep the photos coming too! I have made some turntable progress! The instructions are rather vague in places, and specific in others. This is theoretically because of the wide variety of configurations depending on the prototype location - however some of the specific bits in the instructions are wrong for mine, and some of the vague bits make it difficult to understand what it intended. However, with the instructions and the prototype photos to hand (both those of Ilkley, and a few of the Garsdale one now at Keighley) I have pieced together what the intentions are, and what my deviations needed to be. The instructions suggest the locking bar mechanisms should be on the outside of the deck, while Ilkleys went through it, so I needed to put in a slot. The standard build is also aimed at having 6 handrail uprights, while Ilkley had 7. I also had to create a guide for the locking mechanism which will sit on top of the deck. I have so far left the locking bar handles so they are free to move. I don't think it will be feasible to mechanise these, but I'll keep the concept in mind... The plan is to complete the planking on the deck today, so it can fully cure in time for some more work tomorrow if time allows. I havent yet made any progress with how to drive the turntable, though my aim is to get it rolling nicely before Christmas, and I should be able to find time to play with the stepper motor when I'm not at home for a few days over the festivities. Anything to avoid the final of baking on ice or whatever is on this year...

Other than the chassis', when they are deemed financially viable. I agree that castings-wise they will be the same, but in the case of the Pannier they have released with a new chassis - the chassis etch does include a couple of body detailing upgrades.

Not having seen the advert, I am intrigued by the use of future tense for the Nucast Partners. Several items have already been re-released! http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/105342-nucast-partners/

Hi Ron, I can't see any of the ammonia tankers available on the trackshack website currently. The right ones are from Hornby. R6360 is in WD black as an example, and this livery did work through Ilkley. They also did them in silver but I think those are labelled Methanol, though I expect CCT (Cambridge Custom Transfers) do a sheet suitable for them. I think these tankers were previously in the Mainline range as these - though I'm not sure when they were painted blue. I think WD Black or ICI white would be right for the late 50s. http://picclick.co.uk/Mainline-00-gauge-ICI-Ammonia-Liquor-tankers-x-201704859705.html My modelling of late has been sorting out a ex-LMS D1807 TO (I'll get some photos up later in the week) but should soon be back onto the turntable... Cheers, Pete

Thanks both, I havent fully solved it... but there are options in the pipeline. The cable tie option I had mentioned to be at Scaleforum - and in theory I really like it, the tooth edges do line up quite like slightly open vents. However they are very thick - so need a lot of sanding to get them anywhere near thin enough, or a lot opening out of the cutouts in the etched sides. I have got some etched concepts away for manufacture as I needed some other things producing, so will be seeing how well these work - and I also plan to use my S4 soc BS4 group contacts to try laser scribing some thin plastic. If it comes to it I think the cable tie route is definitely a goer, but I potentially have a few of these to do so would prefer something which doesnt need a lot of individual fettling, both from the time it would take and the chance of me doing it repeatably... I'll keep this thread posted! Thanks for the photo too, though I have also been on a fact finding mission to Peakrail where I got photos and dimensions from their twin window open coach, which looks amazing.

Looking good Alan - just to prove that we're never happy, are there plans to do Midland point rodding stools? or finials for that matter... Cheers, Pete

Hi All, Still no progress of my own to report, but keep the interesting info coming - they are keeping in mind that I need to crack on, and I did dig out the turntable last night to remind myself where I was up to with it! For the tank trains it was generally NE motive power - B16s, J39s or WDs. These were sometimes assisted by 8Fs though between Skipton and Burley if I remember (reading) correctly.

Churchward/Modelex/Precision paints do one in either 2, 4 or 7mm scale. It can be built in several sizes to suit the location. http://www.phoenix-paints.co.uk/churchward-models/churchward-building-kits/gwr-timber-built-signal-box-3.html York modelmaking do a laser cut one too but only in 4mm as far as I can see. http://www.yorkmodelmaking.co.uk/00-scale/midland-railway-signal-box Churchward/Modelex/Precision paints do one in either 2, 4 or 7mm scale. It can be built in several sizes to suit the location. http://www.phoenix-paints.co.uk/churchward-models/churchward-building-kits/gwr-timber-built-signal-box-3.html York modelmaking do a laser cut one too but only in 4mm as far as I can see. http://www.yorkmodelmaking.co.uk/00-scale/midland-railway-signal-box

I visited the Midland Railway Study Centre in August (to look at Ilkley shed drawings), and while there had a look at the layout. While not a model of any particular location, it is an excellent typical Midland Railway station, and all of the buildings do have their own prototypes somewhere. In my opinion it is well worth seeing, as is the study centre as a whole. Hopefully they'll come back bigger and better equiped after the refurb!

Tom, Sounds good, thanks for the update. Did you have time for a browse? Cheers,

Thanks, that had evidently passed me by - but I see that there is an option of R4700 SO and R4701 TSO (for the maroon liveries). Thanks for the comparison photo too, the prismatic glazing is unfortunately the big thing that jumps out at me from the Hornby one, although nicer in other respects as noted since you posted the photo. Has anyone tried the black permanent marker technique around the edges of these to see if it improves matters? Edited to note that I'm evidently not the only one who was missed it, as Hattons have both labelled as TSOs!

Useful tables Robert. Do you know why there is such a variation (over 4T) in Weights between batches? Bachmann have done an RFO which aside from the style of seats was the same as the earlier FO with no side door. The other one missing is a standard 2+1 SO. Everyone does the TSO. I'd have thought one of them could do an alternative interior. Plus an RKB, and that will be my Thames clyde sorted. I don't want that RTR though as I'm halfway through a Bachmann/Comet bash!

Maybe as much for the ebay madness thread, but ... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-5-bank-note-printed-upside-down-Extremely-rare-opportunity-/252586589212 The bidders surely cant be real. Mind you if people want an AK47 serialised one enough to pay over £64k then it shows that whatever pricing strategies Hornby and Bachmann choose will keep this a cheap hobby! Maybe as much for the ebay madness thread, but ... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-5-bank-note-printed-upside-down-Extremely-rare-opportunity-/252586589212 The bidders surely cant be real. Mind you if people want an AK47 serialised one enough to pay over £64k then it shows that whatever pricing strategies Hornby and Bachmann choose will keep this a cheap hobby!