Brassey

What I failed to remember recently was that the GW wheel press will not accept full size new Alan Gibson crankpins (or other makes!); these have to be cut down first to fit in. I pushed on some outside cranks without realising and I think the wheel press bent the crankpins and/or pushed the quartering out to compensate for the long crankpins. When the axle hole is tight it is hard to push the wheel fully onto the jig and its easy to forget that it might be the overlong crankpin that's stopping the wheel being pushed all the way home.

Could be many things but most likely the quartering is out. Which wheels do you have? might be worth opening up the rods a bit with a tapered broach. Suggest you slacken the drive gear too so you can rotate the wheels and use the grub screw when sorted.

I see no gap in the teeth. Did you open out the 2mm shaft hole so its a tight fit? You are also missing the washer on the 2mm shaft which should help centre the worm and the 1st drive gear. Its visible in the photo

A brake third did not have a luggage compartment whereas a van third did.

Initially brake composites were built as through carriages.

Received wisdom is that the Ratio roof profile is wrong. I have replaced the roofs with the MRD etched versions having punched all the half-etched rivets.

I note the OP has not responded with the motivation for making the brake gear removable after I speculated that it was to make the wheelsets removable too. I have often contemplated making wheelsets that could drop out but usually there are springs in the way and the wipers that would both need to be removable too via some form of keeper plate. Nevertheless, having got a couple of chassis to a stage that need brake gear, I thought I would have a go at trying to make them removable myself. The motivation for these, as both sets of wheels are now fixed, is to make the brake gear easier to paint. After a trial fit, I calculated that I would need spacers of 1.6mm. So now then the challenge; to cut 1.6mm spacer slithers from 0.9 o/d and 0.5mm i/d tube. After various attempts, trying not to crush the tube, the one I managed to get right was promptly sacrificed to the carpet god! So now a break with a cuppa and I think that I have come to the conclusion that the pfaff of painting brake gear in situ is less than the hassle of making it removable. Unless there is some trick in cutting 1.6mm spacers down from micro tube that someone can show me.

Yes. And this demonstrates that you cannot use a tube right through the frames to secure the brakes, as advocated in the diagram above, because the valve gear and motor/gearbox would be in the way. Also it's a prerequisite to have some form of hornblock system to allow the wheelsets out. And another means to hold them in. All quite a lot of extra work. I am of the school of painting the chassis before fitting the wheels.

it said “train” stood at the platform not coaches so I assumed the loco would still be attached.

The usual reason for removable brake gear is to be able to drop the wheelsets out. Is this the case?

The pull rods usually connect to the chassis somewhere below the cab.

Presumably if the train was stood at a platform the brakes would already be on?

This will depend on how far the wheels are from the frames and the thickness of the wheels. Presumably the wire will go through the holes that would be there for fixed brake gear, so the accuracy here is less critical

Thanks Ian, What ratio do you mix the tan with the yellow? I have found the 69 yellow too thin and runny for lining. And, one more question please, what colour have you used for the GWR cream above? Cheers Peter

That looks like a third in which case the seats would all be the same colour. But in a composite the first would be different to the third class.

My first Slaters all third was from the sides and ends etc. during the period when Mr Coopercraft used to sell these separately at shows. I did not acquire the partitions so had to scratch build these. In the absence of instructions and some parts, I glued the sides to the floor. So I need a removable roof in order to paint the compartments and seating and fit the glazing etc. once I've lined it. I am hoping that an interference fit will hold it on but if not will have to devise something else. If I glue it on, then I won't be able to get inside again. For my next one, I've made the floor removable using the etched bracket in the complete kit. This one is in Lake.

This technique, in Mikkel's video, is handy if you intend to leave the beading brown. However, it is somewhat long-winded if you want to be true to the lining as illustrated by the photos in the OP. The gold lining is actually on the quadrant, not the panel nor the beading. So if the cream creeps onto the beading, it doesn't matter as you are going to line over this anyway. So you might as well paint the whole top side cream. Ian Rathbone in his video demonstrates how to line the quadrant with a ruling pen. However he does this on a flat unassembled side which must be easier than a completed coach. In MRJ 52, Jol Wilkinson uses a rotring pen for the black on the beading on LNWR coaches. This should be plum but the line is so thin it is an optical illusion that achieves the desired effect. I have found recently that to achieve a thin gold line the consistency of paint through a ruling pen is crucial. I originally used Humbrol 69 yellow gloss, as some do, but have found this too thin. Although you can achieve a thin line, the paint spreads. I have thus been experimenting with Humbrol 7 gloss which is also less bright too. The Crimson Lake lining is even more unforgiving as there is no black on the beading in which to help straighten up the gold line. Must keep practicing as mine is far from perfect.

I have two of these 4mm Slaters kits in the paintshop at the moment. One in this livery, and the other in Crimson Lake. I have started the lining on one. (pics to follow) On the first I followed the same construction as here but the Slaters instructions are to fix the roof first before the floor. As I have one in the same state as yours, how do (did) you plan to fit the clerestory roof?

Very good and an almost finished coach too. Are you leaving the gold line off? IMHO this is the most difficult line to apply as it's on the beading. And how did you apply the black?

Craig, It is described as "C30 - Panelled third" on the website with an illustration showing panelling. The lack of the panelling suggests there could be an error with the etch which is not unheard of. But on the other hand, in the "gallery" section of the website, there are pictures of toplights devoid of panelling. Did you buy it recently? Peter

As I previously stated, it reads C30 (just below the large bolections)

Is the paneling achieved by an overlay that's missing? The fret appears to be labelled correctly as C30.

According to a message on Facebook, this is cancelled

The copyright rests with the photographer. Ownership of the original images or any other material does not transfer copyright to the owner unless the photographer has specifically agreed to this.

That’s because it’s EM.