Argos

Hi airnimal, From memory (I'm away from home at present). The best detail of LNWR track is in the livery book. I did worry about the chair detail when I started building track in 7mm but decided it wasn't that noticeable and life was too short. My standards are lower though! 3d printed chairs are available for more modern track so it does work, albeit it is an expensive solution.

William Aytoun's Spoof article on the Glenmutchkin Railway really summed up the times. http://www.dtc.umn.edu/~odlyzko/rrsources/glen6.pdf It was felt to be so true to life that it was blamed for the difficulty in raising finances for several schemes proposed through the Highlands.

Thanks Ian, So the axle extension is on the front rather then it being a longer stub axle on the back. That makes more sense now!

The Association shop 3 lists some extend axle 9mm dia spoked driving wheels. Does anyone know the purpose of these and how long the extension is? Thanks

Thanks Andy, I do need to finish the layout first though!

Thanks Chris, It is a childhood ambition to get something I built into print. I was thinking then of the mainstream modelling press rather than a society magazine, but I'm still chuffed to bits.

An enjoyable day was spent at the Wigan Exhibition yesterday, including picking Airnimal's brains about plastic wagon builds for Dromahair. That left today for some modelling. I didn't really feel in the mood though (some days I is, some days I isn't....) so didn't do any. Glencruitten has appeared in print thanks to Anthony Yeates, the 2mm Association's magazine editor, who took some pictures at the Tutbury supermeet and knocked some words I provided into shape:- Seeing the article does provide some fresh impetus to get the remaining elements of the layout finished. Which is just as well as Glencruitten will be appearing at the Macclesfield MRG exhibition on the 14th & 15th March. There is quite a bit I want to get done prior to the this so I need to get my finger out!

Hi airnimal I 've liked this rather than offer sympathy as you clearly know what you want to achieve, don't want to compromise and are willing to accept the consequences of this. We are all driven by different motivations. Once you understand your own then you can focus on what you derive satisfaction from. Probably getting too deep now, your modelling is always inspiring.

Hi Nigel, Is all lost? The transfers look fine (on the whole) to my eyes, but then maybe my standards are lower! There is nothing there that a bit of touching up with some paint and maybe a fine black or coloured marker wouldn't sort. Once the weathering is on along with the final varnish coats I think all would look good. Just my opinion of course.

A DG coupling auto- fabricator......

I've just noticed I also need to fit the window bar for the drop window over the tablet catcher. Something else to sort when I fit the catchers. One side of the Caley brake van is lettered, although I've run out of "I"s so had to place an order for some more lettering form Railtec. Also a bit annoying because I've managed to damage one of the "I"s so will have overlay it when I get the new sheet. A 20p piece is included for scale I've also just realised that I haven't painted the ends vermilion in line with standard Caley practise so another visit to the paint shop is required.

Progress has been steady, if un-photogenic. I tried to take pictures of the intermediate stages but they didn't really do the subject justice, hence the lack of posts. The Class 24 is now nearly finished. I still need to add the tablet catches, the first pair I managed to ping into the realm of the carpet monster (I know, one is unfortunate two is...... ) and they have yet to reappear despite a concerted search. I also decided I couldn't live with the moulded on Farish windscreen wipers, so these have been removed. I'll replace them with some etched one that I'll hopefully pick up at the Wigan show in couple of weeks. The second view shows a bit more touching up is needed around the roof line, this is less noticeable in reality but I'll attend to it when I fit the wipers and tablet catchers. The gloss finish to the sides is deliberate, picture of the class form the 1962 period show them to be very shiny. Matt tones don't reflect reality. Just to show the pre-grouping period isn't forgotten, I've also finished the dumb buffered Caley open wagon. The Brake van should be decaled today (given the weather I'm unlikely to venture far outside!) I couldn't resist playing around with some filters though....

Original cab for me please Nigel.

Thanks Knuckles, Basic is fine, I'm not looking for out of the box perfection (not to say that your work isn't), rather something to build form and save some scratch building time.

Hi Knuckles, Very interested in the 812 but 2mm scale (there is always one!). Would you be interested in providing prints of the back head separately? I've a couple of etched kits of earlier Caley Jumbos on the go that it would suit. Thanks Angus

And another one here. I've no need of a Fowler tank but just like them!

Not a layout, but a rather nice model of a Crewe single on display at the Gauge O Guild's exhibition at Telford this weekend. Superb modelling, then you read the blurb and realise it's also a live steam model. Fantastic stuff!

I've not posted for a little while, partly due to a new addition to the family taking up time. We lost our 15 year old Shiba Inu recently which had left us with a doggy shaped hole in our lives, a hole now filled by this wee fella:- I've otherwise been slowly plodding on with the Class 24. I'm determined to finish it before I get distracted by other projects. The final pieces were added to the body in the form of the supports for the tablet catcher made up from plastic strip. Which left the body ready for painting. At this point the fun began. I should know better, but having almost finished giving the body a blast of Halford's primer the can ran out. Rather then go indoors and fetch the new tin I had in store, I shook up the empty tin an effort to squeeze the last dregs out. These came out in a thick splurge which ensure a manic few minutes cleaning the excess off with white spirit before leaving everything the dry, sanding down and cleaning off before starting again. Roof and body are now done, I think the grey I've chosen for the roof is a little light, hopefully some weathering will help darken it a bit. In the year modelled 1962, the loco had only been in service for a year or so and probably still relatively factor fresh. I need to touch up the green body paint a bit then mask off and spray the light green line at the bottom of the body. I've also taken a saw to the fuel tanks to shorten as per the prototype. The body was first well wrapped in masking tape to keep any debris out of the motor and gears. So some progress, even it has been one step backwards for every shuffle forwards.

I read this post on the journey home home from work and thought "I must track down a copy of that", closely followed by "I don't remember the LNWR Society advertising that book". On arriving home I found a book shaped box awaiting me. On opening this book fell out. "I don't remember ordering that thinks I, must be getting old......never mind" Only after spending half an hour flicking though did I check the rest of the package to find it was provided free to all member of the LNWR Society with the quarterly journal. Worth the membership fee on it's own! A really interesting book with lots of early LNWR photos, some of which I've not seen published. I'm looking forward to a good read! Definitely recommended!

Hi WM183, I did wonder if you realised the "scratch aid" nature of the Worsley Works kits when you posted earlier about your purchase. There are plenty of built examples in a variety of scales to show the Worsley Works etches can be used to produce a good model but they are far away from being kits. I use the chassis sides and cut out the connecting centre brass, then either double sided PCB (the association shop sells some) or brass strip using the thin (0.25mm) double sided PCB from the likes of Eileen's Emporium can form the frame spacers. I also recommend checking the etches thoroughly, sometimes Allen does not represent everything (valve covers on the front and rod splashers being a couple of examples I've come across). Better to plan these into the build now. I'm not meaning to sound critical of the Worsley Works product and the etches give a good head start on having to cut everything out from scratch, I have a couple of their coaches and locos at various stages of completion and I am happily contemplating more. Good luck with the build, there is plenty of experience on the forum to help if you need it.

If he wasn't satisfied with your level of service Steve, I doubt I could offer anything better..... No........

Hi Pete, The track plan for my lad's abortive layout is below:- The dotted lines run off to a couple of loops below the station. The track is all laid and powered and a Hornby Percy had no issues with the curved points forming the crossover, albeit scale speed and Percy is somewhat of an oxymoron!

Hi Pete, I do like this, I sometimes think in our quest for scale fidelity we lose the fun element, and this layout looks fun. Setrack does not have to equate to un-railway like in appearance and operation. I've something similar lurking in the garage half built that was intend for my lad but he lost interest when he discovered computer games. I've contemplating dusting it off an finishing it, this time for me!

Hi Dave, Within the True Line archive CD from the Caledonian Railway Society there is a series of articles by Mike Williams on research into the freight traffic through the Callander and Oban junction onto the line from the main line in the summer of 1920 (the C&O being an independent railway operated and part owned by the Caley freight was logged for payment purpose). Within the records are "4 repatriated GWR empties" Saturday 4th September 1920 Also recorded was an LBSCR wagon. I would guess these would work up the West Coast Mainline and then through Glasgow to Stirling. Hope this helps. Angus

Hi Ian, They were on my initial list of improvements when I did a comparison of the prototype against the Farish model. When I then sat down and looked more closely at the model these grills are present on the Farish model albeit not very defined by the moulding. My plan is to highlight the texture of these grills with washes and weathering during the finishing process to make them more visible. Angus