N15class

Thomas has now had pickups fitted and runs well in both directions. Not sure why it sounds like an electric tin opener in the videos. It is actually much quieter in real life. Just the brakes to put back on, the blackhead to fit. The face to make and a stencil for the number. I think little man will like it. Just need to get the base boards and track down. Oh of course Annie and Claribel.

I would not keep your plastics on the bench, unless you use them quickly. They are susceptible to UV light so discolour, and go brittle. I keep mine in a drawer. Metals are fine I store mine in a rack. Thought some are tarnished through being stored in the open for years.

Now we have the F1 running under its own power. This went smoothly from the off. Pleased with new Hobby Holidays jig and a little mor time spent gear setting.

The 1262 is now running under its own electricity. The body is resting on for weight. I will now fit the brakes and then it's down to fixing the bits onto the body. Time to get on it looks like this should be ready for boxing sometime next week.

They are not rubber pads, it's that dodgy etched perforation you get for the bottom fold on some kits.

Hope all goes well. To be honest if you print a former of the correct diameter it will not form the brass at that as the brass will spring back. A couple of easy ways to do the turn under is tape the bottom edge of the coach side to a broom handle (masking tape), then roll the handle over the bottom of the side. Easier to do than describe. Or on a flat surface put the bottom edge face down on the edge of a 12" rule laid flat. The with the back of a Stanley knife or similar run it along the side close to the rule. In 4mm I always used the former.

You must be well pleased with this looks like poetry in motion.

Whichever you use you need free machining. Anything with higher copper content will snag and snap tools. There is a special oil used in taping brass, which is also good for small machining jobs. (Sorry can't remember it's name). It's very much like coloured water but does evaporate off leaving it dry. Cranking work. Wish I had the computer skill to do this.

Only trouble is they don't like going around corners. Which to me for a loco meant for a line without many straight bits, is very poor.

Thanks Mikkel. I seemed to of got big down a little with so much on the go. Will be cutting down now. Hopefully won't get so bored as painting is the part I find really hard to do. Thanks Ken I feel that is high praise indeed.

Heres an update to the last three builds on here. All are now ready for reassembly. Let's start with the 1262 this apart from the wheels are ready. I needed to add balance weights, so they are a little behind schedule. Next up the jubilee. This needs the backhead doing, the rest is painted so just needs putting back together. If like usual some fettling too. Finally the F1 is the closest to completion. Mainly due to it being plain black. Hoping for some more like this one. I see I've got some red seepage on the rear of the tender to sort. This also needs the backhead making. Hopefully at this post hasn't bored you to much. Something finished soon!!!

Are these of any help? I will look in my notes later and see what I've got, mostly conjuncture I think.

My Fiat would fit inside that!!

You will also find the hand dug coal was generally in larger lumps than machine dug. Placed like gas works and power stations wanted consistent sizes. Power station would also take dust. As that is what was used to fire their boilers it was injected in like you would oil. It will be around somewhere when the change to machine digging took affect.

Looks excellent Nick. I'd love one but might look out of place on the 1930's LSWR's withered arm

As a matter of interest do the splashers match the right wheelbase or the wrong frame spacings? If the the former it will look odd against the wrong wheel spacings.

But no doubt charge you a monthly fee for the privilege, as they always used to. You bung something on for a few quid on a no fee weekend, doesn't sell, couple of months later you have paid more than it was worth.

Just a query, surely a steel bodied wagon would have a steel underframe?

I don't understand the need to change the bit that's right, and try and match the part the wrong. If the rods are to thin beef them up. At the end of the day to get a reliably running set of frames the rods and the frame bushes need to match. This needs to be done whether you make new rods or use the old ones. I know that the etched parts on M&L kits is hand drawn, I would not guarantee the bush holes in either side of the frames match. There was good advice posted above about using stub axles to achieve this.

Yes they can be made I've made numerous. But you still need to set the bearings to the rods. If the rods are the right wheelbase why make more. Then there's only then you only need to set the bushes. As Dave said no need for hinged rods on a fixed set of frames.

Making a pair of coupling rods identical with hand tools is very hard. Change your crank pins to suit. Adjust the frames. It will work far better.

That's the same as when you have problems with getting online. The ISP call number, say for further information look at our website.

If the rods are right why change them? The best and easiest way to get over the problem is to elongated the front and rear axle holes until they match the coupling rods. Use the rods and dummy axles to make sure they are both the same.

How do you get the fine modellers back. As I've said before. It seems to becoming more about Warner's bottom line than modelling.

Will you be able to post more pictures?