NeilHB

A bit more progress yesterday afternoon on some coaching stock for EW - a small tramway style 4-wheel coach, and a 2 compartment brake third that is assumed to be a cast off from a more 'main-line' company... Back at the 7mmNGA association exhibition in June I purchased 4 tramway style coach bodies for the princely sum of £2.50...this is the best of the four bodies so it's been mounted on a scratch built chassis and some Slaters lowmac wheels - is sitting a little high for my liking at the moment so the w-irons will be going in for some surgery later today - I'm aiming for a squat little vehicle that reflects the lines origins as a horse drawn tramway. I also need to find some suitable balcony railings for the ends - though maybe a solid waist high end would be more appropriate? I've made a start on the interior for it as well: Plus a couple of inhabitants - say hello to George and Mildred - George has had surgery on his arms to make him look a little more relaxed, less brace for impact! The seating is cut down from Slaters seating as included in their Midland Railway coach kits. The 2nd coach built is a bit more of lash up of various parts and is actually built from the remains of a much abused Peco GWR Toad brake van - least it's going to live a useful life now rather than being confined to find bottom of the stock box! The body has been removed and replaced with a set of Peco coach side parts - I had to shorted the chassis slightly at one end plus the addition of an extra window in the guards/luggage compartment to make it fit but I quite like the look of it. It's gained an interior that is again canabalised from Slaters MR coach parts, this time making use of the compartment dividers as well - they don't quite reach the very top of the sides but once the roof is on no one will be any the wiser (I hope). Still to add are the ends and buffer beams - I need to find some suitable buffers for this and the tramway coach - suggestions please? The pair of coaches will become the standard passenger set for Elsbridge Wharf I think - I may add one of the other tramway coaches later on if I can find the other set of lowmac wheels that I have... Finally here they are posed on the layout: WSR No.4 Brendam waits to depart with the daily mixed train for Knapford. It really should be one of the coffee pot locos that operated the branch...

Andy - many thanks re the instructions - very much appreciated. Mike - it was - but as they finished the kitchen early I wasn't going to complain...just got the tiling to do now which is this afternoons job...unless you want to do that for me?!

Productive afternoon today - built myself a layout! Well more of a shunting plank really but the trains move so that makes it a layout in my book! Couple of nice baseboards courtesy of the new kitchen that we've had fitted this week - seemed a shame to let the spare bits go to waste...the track plan is a mirror image of what I want to do for Elsbridge Wharf, minus the dairy siding off the loop at the front - track is only temporary at the moment as I want to try and build some points with a much tighter radius that take up a lot less space than the Peco ones currently being used. WSR No.4 'Brendam' sits in the loop waiting for its next train Whilst WSR No.3 'Crosby' waits to depart with its brakevan Nice size comparison between Nos.3&4... ...which really shows how small No.2 'Suddery' actually is - almost makes the Terrier look like a normal size engine! Having painted No.3 in red, I will admit I'm somewhat tempted to repainted No.4 to match, No.2 will certainly be red when I've decided on what to do with the cab (and wiring her up so she goes). Anyways, enough of my ramblings - I'm off to play trains!

Thanks Rhys! I like the sound of your plan - I always thought that the Great Centrals bogie fish vans would have been ideal for the Flying Kipper - not sure about the date of the Kildane accident though as I always thought it was sometime in the 1930s (ties in with the arrival of No.6 and Stanier still being at Crewe then) - what are you thinking of using for the kipper vans? Thanks Martin - I will try the spray paint into a jar method and so how that goes.

Decided that a red colour scheme was the way forward: It's not strictly Indian Red but actually I rather like it - range of Acrylic spray paints from Homebase called Rust-oleum - paint is 'Balmoral' - bit of touching up here and there needed and then I need to decide what colour to paint the wheels, I thought about black but now I'm not sure. Will have to see if there is a paintable version of the paint as I don't fancy spraying the wheels. I couldn't resist temporarily adding the name and number plates to give the loco her identity - I'm thinking that painted shaded lettering LBSC style may be the way forward... Obviously still a way to go yet, various bits of painting still to do and a decision about lining needs to be made: orange/black/orange - or just a simple black line?

Hi Rhys, sorry completely missed your post! At the moment to be honest I'm not entirely sure - I'm vaguely working on the idea of one engine in steam principle so probably little to no signalling...if there is signalling I'm inclined to agree with you on adopting Furness Railway practice. Also still need to settle on a track plan first before I decide on signalling or not...! Last weekend I had my first ever visit to the Guildex show at Telford - needless to say I loved it and am now considerably poorer! Nice little haul of goodies! Petite Properties 'Cemetery Lodge' building kit - very nice set of laser cut parts for a good sized building - just the basic framework but for a penny shy of twenty quid how could I say no! A second dumb buffered open courtesy of Duncan Models, and a very nice part-built etched brass 4-wheel chassis -not sure what it will be yet but current thinking is a dumpy little brakevan... Next up is a very very nice Hurn Models LSWR goods guards van of 1875 vintage - set of beautifully cast resin parts with a lovely etched brass birdcage - lovely stuff! Set of 3 Wrightlines Talyllyn Railway wagons to add to my ever increasing collection (plus some spare buffers). Bit of an impulse purchase next which was the last Zero Zephyrs WWI standard gauge simplex...very nice but no instructions! Lastly but no means least - copper clad sleepers so that I can actually start building (read fail miserably) to build some suitably light weight track. Oh dear - it exploded! It all seriousness I am rather impressed with the new Dapol Terrier! I've had mine a week now, having pre-ordered it many months ago with a view to it becoming Wellsworth & Suddery Railway No.3 'Crosby' - when it arrived I ummed and aahed about re painting it as it's very nicely finished - finally bit the bullet last night and decided to dismantle it to make a start on repainting - surprised just how many bits are separately applied. Still undecided on colour scheme - I was thinking a similar green to my Ixion Hudswell Clarke (WSR No.4 'Brendam') but am also thinking about a nice Indian Red livery not too dissimilar to the Furness Railway...decisions decisions - suggestions welcome please!

The workshop looks good Dave! I particularly like the view looking out from under the road bridge - very evocative.

Ta muchly Mike! I shall have a look at Paul's stand when we're at the Burton show. (null)

Oh look...another engine...oops! Managed to snag a bargain on eBay over the weekend - a part built Slaters Manning Wardle F class - destined to become Wellsworth & Suddery Railway No.1. Now comes the dilemma - a while back I had some nameplates etched by the excellent guys at Narrowplanet - the plan was for No.1 to be 'Wellsworth' however a quick placing of the nameplate on the tank made it seem, well, a bit big... So I tried out the nameplate for No.2 'Suddery'... Much better I think and much more in keeping with the size of the loco - nameplate nearly being bigger than the loco...! Lastly I've managed to finish off another 3 wagons - these are Knapford & Elsbridge Railway wagons hence the different livery - still need to find a suitable source of transfers though - suggestions welcome please RMWebbers! Left to right we have: scratchbuilt freelance dumb buffered open (the first of many - worked out I need at least 9 more in various sizes...), Duncan Models 6Ton dumb buffered open, Midland Railway 8Ton van.

Lovely stuff Chris - can't wait to get my hands on one!

Not much progress to report for the last few weeks...that is until the last couple of days when I realised it was the Derby show (http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/95551-derby-the-roundhouse-9-10-may-2015/page-3 come and say hello - will be on the 7mmNGA stand on Saturday) this weekend and that I'm down to help out and show off some bits...bit of a kick up the rear! So nothing like a deadline to spur you into action. First up is the now completed Peco/7mmNGA bogie coach kit: Followed by a selection of W&SR stock for running on Elsbridge Wharf in its later period: 4 completed opens - 3 Slaters kits and 1 resin open from Hobby Holidays. All need transfers but as I haven't got any that will do that can wait for another day! W&S brakevan from a Meteor models kit - I think the prototype is ex Glasgow and South Western Railway. W&S 4-wheel brake coach built from Slaters MR coach parts - just needs buffers and running boards to complete (oh and glazing too - might be a bit breezy otherwise!) NWR No.7 has had a repaint of the sideskirts - I quite like the black skirts so these will stay. Just need to paint the bufferbeams tonight then all is good. Oh look another loco...oops! So my cunning plan to create a Manning Wardle from an Ixion HC is starting to take shape...it's about as cunning as a fox who's just been appointed Professor of Cunning at Oxford University So far I've cut down the cab to level with the bottom of the sidesheet cut outs and removed the safety valves. The smokebox will be a bit more tricky as there is a gert big lump of metal in the way...some severe hacking of the S&D models Manning Wardle smokebox may be required (that or a plasticard replacement). Chimney and safety valve bonnet are from S&D models and the spectacle plate is a leftover from an ancient project that never got going. There's a little box of MW bits from S&D models intended for this project which are rather nice! I need to find a way to reshape the saddle tank to give it more of a MW look but that can wait for another day. If you're at the Derby show tomorrow come and say hi!

Looking good now Andy - the backscene really gives it a sense of place.

Happy Birthday Dave!

Looks good Dave! Guessing some thorough 'testing' is needed now the wiring is done...!

raymw and Dave - thanks for the tips - much appreciated. It's just a plasticard body so I may attempt to heat the pins for the other side if I feel confident enough. Failing that I'll try the 1mm drill bit and see if that works...hopefully I won't break that one too...!

This is looking rather good Andrew! Track plan has a nice flow to it and gives the impression of lots of space. I particularly like the view from the overbridge looking towards the station - will be a nice viewpoint when the layout is sceniced.

Thanks Dave and Martin - definitely one to avoid then! Bit of a shame really but never mind. I managed to make a start on detailing my scratchbuilt dumb buffered wagon - I've made a start on adding rivets - first time I've ever attempted to do something like this - I've used entomological pins (0.4mm diameter) with most of the tail removed and inserted into holes drilled in the bodywork and chassis...I only broke 2 drill bits and drilled my finger once - a good day! One side is completed with holes drilled and pins inserted - I got part way through one end before breaking the second drill bit - decided to call it a day as I now need to buy some more tiny drills! I'm quite pleased with how it's turned out - will admit its a bit fiddly to do though...

Thanks Dave, I've got the North Sunderland Railway book so will check that one and may have the Wantage one too (danger of having far too many books...!). Will have to have a look for a copy of the MW book. Is that the F class? I've been thinking about getting one for a while now so any opinion/info about the kit would be gladly welcomed.

Thanks to all who have replied so far - very much appreciated. David I think you may well be right - I guess I was just hoping that it would have been part of a nice magazine article with an easy here's how to assemble guide...I know wishful thinking on my part! So my next question is...suitable plans for an 0-4-0 Manning Wardle of an appropriate 1870s-ish vintage - anybody know of any suitable please?

Maron is a good choice - you've got a bit more operational-ness with bankers returning to Wellsworth and goods trains stopping to pin down brakes; plus the village itself is built on the hillside and only accessible by foot or horse (according to Awdry) so a good excuse for a busy goods yard with lots of interchange traffic between rail and road etc. if you're going for the bit near Tidmouth I'd suggest the section between Cronk station and where the line turns north to go through the tunnel to Knapford - would be a nice stretch to model with sweeping curves and the line running at the foot of the cliffs (you could even add a couple of goods loops for operational interest). Thanks - so am I! It's been so long in the planning that's its good it finally get moving with this project!

Rhys - I like your thinking re the numbering system - it seems quite plausible to me and I think that if Sodor did exist (whaddya mean it's not real?!) then it's probably a route that STH would have gone down. Good thinking re the transfer of BR standard steam locos - would make good sense as many of them were pretty much brand new so they'd have plenty of life left in them for service on Sodor. Crovans Gate would make a fantastic layout - agree re space though you need loads of it to do it justice (I've always imagined it to be a huge sprawling complex with lots of buildings and sidings full of rolling stock that is awaiting its fate...) - I think a barn would be about the right size to fit it all in... I do - one of my most treasured possessions - it's a bit well thumbed but I love it as it's such a mine of information. No - I think the Manning Wardle conversion will use parts from S&D models and this one will be built as is (0-4-0ST) if I can summon up the courage to tackle it!

Hi all, I have a plea for info from the collective power of RMWeb! A couple of heads ago from eBay I purchased the below set of what appear to be parts for a Manning Wardle 0-4-0ST - the question I have is were they part of a part work series in a magazine - if so which one was it? All of the parts as they came - looks like its designed around split axles (gulp!) albeit the axles are way over length (am assuming they are designed to be trimmed to length) - I think the block of Perspex is designed to assist with assembling the split axles? The wheels are quite small in diameter (am guessing somewhere in the 2'9" region as the black wheels included for size are standard 3'1" wagon wheels. Lastly all the lovely castings that came with it - some very nice brass and whitemetal castings including some lovely turned brass crankpins that screw into the wheels. So, does anyone know any more about the collection of parts please?

Very very nice - an excellent choice Owen and Dave...now I don't need one but as Wilbert was always my favourite Railway Series character I think I'm going to have to order one...any chance of an 0 gauge version...pretty please?!

Thanks Dave - will have to give that a go - I've used no more nails before to make the boards for my previous layout but will have to give the PVA wood/card glue option a go. Thanks. Yes we did - didn't we send my Midland 1F for a spin on Coney Hill?

Looks good Dave! I like the nice simple baseboard - what have you used to join the foamboard sheets together?