Miss Prism

I like the colour of those tyres.

I'm sure the deployment of the Holden stock and their 8' wide predecessors was a lot more complicated than the brief picture I've painted, and I don't suppose we'll ever know the full detail of how they were cascaded down to other services and districts as newer stock came on stream. Non-corridor clerestories for example were numerous, and would have been increasingly used on suburban traffic as they in turn were superseded by corridor stock. Whatever way one looks at it, using Holdens in a non-London modelling environment is perfectly valid in my view, and hey, it's your model railway.

Stephen Williams mentions in one of his GW Branchline books that they worked the branch "for at least forty years", but I am not sure about their date of introduction?

The last steam-hauled GW services on the City lines were 1905. The introduction of new Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan electric stock at that time made some of the 23 sets of Holden City stock surplus to their original operating role, with most of the surplus probably re-deployed to the Birmingham district. They finally disappeared from the London scene c 1922-1925 following the introduction of the toplight bogie City stock. If the Faringdon specimens worked the branch "for at least forty years", then I guess the most logical date of their introduction to the branch would have been c 1905.

Looking very nice - I like those chunky bonnet vents in particular - so much better than the skinny etched offerings in some kits.

Not sure what to suggest on the underframe front. A couple of Bill's external units for the outer axles and keeping your inside one on the middle would improve the rollability, but would probably mean too much destruction of what you've already got in that build state. I find with internal units (although I haven't tried Bill's) that a lot of running in will improve things a bit, but they always need lubrication. At least you haven't got the 'perfect pinpoints' problem of it running away with only a puff of wind. You could pretend it's a brake compo...

Do you use solder paint for the bolections?

Looking forward to seeing this materialise.

38SWG? Where can I get some of that?

No-one's commented on the red hatched areas visible on the underlay. In case you're wondering - they mark the position of obstructions under the boards (Tortoise motor mounting plates, etc.) to be avoided when fitting droppers to the track.

We took such design aspects as granted, Dave....

Are you fishplating 'as you go' (Exacto) or later?

Waay to go, Dave, but I hope you've got the height of the flexi and that ply'n'rivet aligned...

Excellent subject - "less is more"!

A Dragon Models kit, I guess. Do you know whether these vans (one survived until 1930 I think) ever carried GW markings?

Nice to see this one back on track, particularly with the full set of pictures. Got a motor yet?

And we thought Ambis was complicated...

I think IKB may have corrected their later artwork, but the main problem with the Colin Waite original is that there shouldn't be intermediate verticals in the waist panelling. They can be taken out quite easily with a bit of work with a needle file.

Lovely.

Mmmmm - nice thin solder!

The apportioning of weight between the coupled wheels and the trailing axle will not be affected by how the trailing axle is suspended (whether on a solid central rocker or a set of springs). Trailing wheel springs will of course deflect under their portion of the weight, so should ideally be adjustable to keep the CSB, and hence the chassis, level. (The same argument, in principle, applies a solid rocker.) I agree about the desirability of stiffer springing on the trailing axle of an 0-4-2 - this provides good roll stability to the loco, and allowing softer springing on the coupled axles to optimise their equalisation.

Do you mean balance (as in weight distribution) or getting the loco level?

In my experience, an RSU is precisely the thing for applying local heat. On most settings however, it probably applies too much rapid heat, and this can tend to 'cook' solder pastes, resulting in a joint that would have been stronger with ordinary solder wire and an iron. I think to categorise most solder pastes as having corrosive fluxes is incorrect, but I agree that phophoric is sufficient for most brass and nickel work.

The firebox sequence pics are interesting (and useful), but I'm surprised you were able to form those top curves without any pre-bending. When I tried that, the brass 'flattened' a bit between the formers. Anyway, very neat work, but the mudhole covers do look rather overscale to me - not that I'm familiar with the prototype.

Have you got a picture of how you suspended the trailing axle?

Hmmmmm - you have drawings of Didcot buildings?

Like that parcels and cloak room, Mikkel. What is the height to the gutter?

Having battered this one about in my head and on here, I think I agree with you - the principle is just that. Made more complicated somewhat by the way that the swing arms operate.

If the principle is just that, then what on earth is the intended function of those swing arms? Are they not superfluous, over-complicated, and a reflection of the strange mind of a designer who is uncomfortable in this whole area?

Glad to hear that the rods can articulate. That at least is a good start.

Notwithstanding the difficulty of understanding the drawing in the instructions, I wasn't sure of the precise constitution of the single point from your description, but would you agree that the principle of the suspension intended by the kit for the wheel axles is:

http://www.clag.org.uk/pics/digest41-0/fig34a.gif

I've seen one of these Judith Edge chassis horrors on a friend's workbench, but it wasn't the same kit, so I don't know exactly what is going on from your description of your particular kit. To clarify:

1 Is the rod coupling the coupled axles and the jackshaft a single piece etch or not?

2 If it is a single piece etch, which hole in the rod allows the 'semi-vertical movement'?

3 Is the single-point ("knife edge") compensator on the front axle?

4 Is the kit intended to be driven on the rear wheel?

5 From which transverse axis on the chassis are the (I assume two) 'swinging arms' pivoted? (And why do they need large cut outs to clear the jackshaft axle?)