NeilHB

As a starter for ten, here’s the Waterford terminus, featuring loco no.1: Taken from here - http://irishrailways.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/yet-another-railway-backwater-waterford.html I’ll stop spamming now :-)

Edwardian, On the subject of train sheds (a favourite of mine!) - had you considered the ones that adorned the terminii of the Waterford and Tramore railway in Ireland? A rather delightful railway operated (initially) by a couple of regauged London & Birmingham Bury 2-2-2WTs, and later on a fair few oddities - all lovely stuff! Very nice train sheds at either end, used for stock storage, and fed from a turntable at one end. Ideally suited to CA in my view.

Spotted on the Dapol stand at Warley yesterday - announcement of a Sentinel Y1/Y3 in 7mm scale! The CADs look rather good, and plenty of liveries to choose from: At £175 for plain DC I think this has to be one of the cheapest 0 gauge locos produced RTR? Looking forward to them arriving (expected end Q3/early Q4 2018) - will certainly be getting one.

Ruston, this really is a superb little layout that oozes character! The Black Hawthorn is a lovely addition to the roster too - job very well done.

Very glad to see you're posting about Gainford Spa again Andy - your homage to Hopetown Carriage Works is looking great!

Sorry Sleeper Agent, missed your post above. Couple of photos below showing the underframe which I hope are useful.

Progress on the Hunslet Atlantic over the last few days: Really pleased with how this looks now - it has a nice chunky feel to it, and actually looks somewhat like the concept and the drawing...I think that counts as a success?! Still more work to do, but am waiting for a few parts to arrive before I do any more work on it. Whilst waiting for the parts to arrive, I made a start on the Gas Mechanical. As you can see, new cab from plasticard, and a new radiator surround (wasn't keen on the way the radiator stood proud of the bonnet front). Plus I've shortened one of the bonnet doors and added a small box at the base - maybe it's a tool box? Just got to sort out a cab interior and exhaust for it, then it can have a visit to the paint shop! Must sort out some nameplates too.

And the state of play this evening: Sidetanks built and fitted, and spectacle plate mocked up. Getting somewhere at last with it!

Oops, nearly 8 months on from starting this project, and I'd barely made any progress on this project until the last couple of days. Now it's starting to look much more like a locomotive, and a nice chunky one too! Boiler, smokebox and boiler fittings are from the Slimrails Russell kit, many thanks to Simon at Slimrails for selling me the parts :-) The parts have had various modifications to them. Smokebox has been shortened by approx 5mm, and the dome has been moved forward so that it's roughly half way between its original locating hole, and the hole for the boiler mounted sandpot. The smokebox has then had two wrappers of 10thou plastic added to beef it up slightly, and to cover up the gab between the front plate and the smokebox itself. Cab, sidetanks and bunker and just loosely in place at the moment whilst I sort out the rear of the bodywork. All cut from 30thou plastic sheet, the side tanks have spacers cut from rectangular evergreen tube at the rear - just the right width to make the tanks when two layers of 30thou are added! The Atlantic tank has also gained a new shedmate, in the shape of a Bachmann Davenport shunter, thank you eBay for a nice little bargain! This will gain a new, taller cab, and a couple of other modifications to make it look more British in outline. Cheers, Neil

A very big thanks to Knuckles - the first parts for my 7mm Furness Railway J1 arrived today. The chassis plus associated parts, the rods are brass and are very nice! The firebox backhead has to be my favourite part though - come out very nicely! Just got to save the pennies now so I can buy the body :-D

Looking forward to seeing the TR 3-bar slate wagons Marc - I have rather a lot of the Wrightlines 2-bar ones, so a couple of 3-bar ones will do nicely to add a bit of variety!

Good to see some progress Andy. The Nosbert really does make a great Sir Jasper! Can we borrow your neighbours please - there's plenty of garden here for them to come and assist with!

The whole layout rotates - there are four different scenes each representing a different era/season - from early Great Eastern right through to BR.

There are some very, very nice photos of Elmwell Village Depot on Flickr here from this photo onwards: https://www.flickr.com/photos/fwc439h/14762941907/ Simply delightful! Like Edwardian I really must make a trip to the HMRS building to view this lovely layout.

Don - do you mean Elmwell Village Depot? W&U layout that was in the April and May 2000 issues of British Railway Modelling? Believe it now lives in the HMRS building at Swanick at the Midland Railway Centre. Cracking little layout which inspired me greatly as a youngster!

I have two different drawings of this loco - neither of which has a scale attached. The RM one from May 79 though purporting to be to 7mm is in fact somewhere nearer 6mm by the look of it, and the official works drawing in the excellent Ratty Album Vol 1 looks to be somewhere around 8mm... My question therefore - does anyone know the wheel diameter please? Should hopefully be able to scale the drawings that way then. Ideally I'd like to build a model of her in Ratty condition, as I have fond memories of seeing her whilst on holiday in the Lakes with my late dad, probably getting on for nearly 20 years ago now... Saying that this photo I've found of her in later life is rather appealing too! https://farm1.staticflickr.com/433/19300551860_c02283faad_k_d.jpg

As a devout follower of the Railway Series I assume that you are referring to the first 26 books when you say 'original' - I.e. written by the good Reverend himself? If you are then I am sorry but you are sorely mistaken! Post book 7 we know that Toby is repainted into North Western blue and chocolate - as evidenced by artwork in the following books: No.16 Branch Line Engines No.18 Stepney the Bluebell Engine No.26 Tramway Engines Certainly the last one should be clear as Toby features in most of the stories... In fact having just checked my copy of No.7 Toby the Tram Engine there is a rather nice illustration of Toby, in blue and chocolate doubleheading a train with a well known blue tank engine!

Marc, Not sure if you've used the online OS maps site before - it has the R&ER featured quite nicely on the 1900 plan - including Eskdale Green: http://maps.nls.uk/geo/find/#zoom=18&lat=54.3865&lon=-3.3183&layers=39&b=7&point=54.3866,-3.3179 Hopefully this is of some use to you - shall be watching with interest :-) Cheers, Neil

Thanks Knuckles, will send you a PM now

Looking good Knuckles! Have you given any further consideration to releasing these in 7mm please? Certainly be interested in an E1 and a J1.

That is another option to consider Knuckles. I have the dimensions for the lettering, would just need to work out the correct font etc.

Yes that is a good point Marc, hadn't thought about the CRA. As they are likely to have access to the relevant source materials too they are probably the best ones to ask.

Perhaps it's time to produce a dedicated set of Furness transfers? I know that they had a standard size of lettering for all wagons, except where the wagon body was too small to fit it on, so that could mean a you'd only really need to produce a couple of different sizes? I know that Kirtley Models does a printed card set of FR wagon plates, but again these are included with a set of other railway companies plates, and you only get half a dozen or so. Again something else to consider including alongside the wagon lettering etc. maybe? Is it worth getting in touch with Fox Transfers and asking if they would be willing to produce some?

The Furness 4-plank open is now complete! Just painting to do and then locate some suitable transfers! I know of the HMRS ones but can't justify buying a sheet of which I'm probably only going to use 1/4 of! Shame that Dragon Models stopped selling theirs as they did a set of pure Furness wagon lettering - don't suppose anyone has a sheet or two going spare please?

Glad to hear that you enjoyed the show Eltel - makes the work that goes into organising it all the more worthwhile! If the next layout is going to be 0-16.5 perhaps you'd like to exhibit it one year at Burton?