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This is my most difficult loco conversion so far - a Hornby Barclay class 06 diesel. The coupler is a no. 141 'whisker' coupler which is a long underset shank, the gear box is seated into a slot I cut into the plastic chassis. The coupler is fixed with an M2 screw through the existing hole in the chassis opened out a bit. This is the cab end. The bonnet end is less tidy so I won't offer it as a suggested solution! One day I could cut off the buffers and dummy coupling hooks and fit some plain plastic sheet over the buffer beams, this would cover up most of the cut out put there for the original tension lock coupler. - Richard.

Pedestrian crossing at Manston airport, Kent ... photo by a colleague John Hanson deserves a wider audience. - Richard.

Kadees will uncouple with permanent magnets. Kadee also do a splined plastic stick which separates the knuckles when inserted from above and twiddled. This is convenient for operation, and the coupler is neater to look at than a tension lock. I like Kadees and prefer them over tension locks, but I also loathe operation using three-link couplers ... the choice is for the individual modeller.

The Sergent coupler is a 1:87 scale model of a US pattern coupler and it sounds to me as though it is intended for the US equivalent of our 'P4' market. It doesn't couple to the Kadee. Standard Kadees are useful as couplers on UK stock because you can pick a model up off the track or uncouple it more easily than a tension lock, and the thing is visually neater. They are widely sold too. The 4mm scale of 1:76 makes the Kadee knuckle a bit closer to a 'prototypical size' too but major other factors like the preferred height above the rails, and the fact we put them on stock which always used three-link or screw couplers in real life, means there is no real need for a 'scale' coupler. Perhaps the Sergent coupler would be useful within some sets of British multiple unit stock? Someone here will have the knowledge of a suitable prototype ... Richard.

Retains the slack space inside the box intended by Kadee, but reduces the contact area between gear box and underframe. Hmmm. Having seen how easily one of my glued boxes fell off a wagon (and disregarding how easily I glued it back on) I would like to add a screw to hold it in place. Looking at your third photo (888 mm radius) I wonder if there is scope for a sprung Kadee mount? Best of all worlds, if you accept restricting coupling to straights. - Richard.

Well, the platform is at the back of the layout. A train hides the platform, so you can't see passengers not getting on to the train (Peter Denny). When there isn't a train there, any missing half millimeter does not show. It is better to be slightly underscale than overscale (Cyril Freezer). A lower platform helps the model look deeper. If you ever choose to run different stock, a low platform may help. Consider half a millimeter to represent settlement of ballast ... live with it, paint the background a suitable sky blue and look again, it will be fine. - Richard.

I never saw a 309 or travelled on one - I arrived in Essex in 1995. But I stumbled upon the details of the Electric Railway Museum in Coventry who say they have two: http://www.electricrailwaymuseum.co.uk/index.php/our-collection They also have parts of a 307, 308 and (my own favourite) the 312. Somewhat annoyed to find when I drove round the A45 Coventry bypass last Monday I was within 1/4 mile of their premises ... - Richard.

There are some splits, but not as they used to be! Weekdays, the 0746 from Liverpool St splits at Chelmsford, to go to Braintree and Walton. The 1644 splits at Colchester to go to Clacton and Manningtree (Manningtree?). The 1708 splits at Colchester to Clacton/Colchester Town. 1832 splits at Colchester for Walton and Colchester Town. I guess the privatised railway splits trains only as a last resort. The first split I mention seems very odd, I only guess there are spare staff at Chelmsford and not at Witham. - Richard.

I know Dapol can make a good Western, I have one. I suspect some of the wheel/bogie tolerances have less leeway than some other rtr because it derails consistently on one point on one club layout, but it runs fine on another club layout (which has 3mm gaps at rail joints in places!) and at home. I have a D1062 on order and I am looking forward to it.

I saw Western Fusilier at York in July and the door handles are polished metal. Hopefully if someone knows of a loco with body- or other-coloured handles these pics will stimulate a suitable response ;-) - Richard.

I am enjoying this thread. Two 90s with clean windscreens at Norwich, 13th June 2005. Buffer variations intriguing. - Richard.

Thank you! Never noticed but have got to agree ... funny lighting I guess. Somehow suggests an idea for a new thread - "photos of prototypes that look like models" would be nice. Here is a 66954 rearranging one of the three TTAs at Ipswich stabling point this afternoon, the viewpoint is intended to make it look as much like a model as I could manage. Even the track looks 00 :-). Taken from the new foot bridge. - Richard. (Edited to add the picture)

Here is a different take on the same subject, near the viaduct south of Hatfield Peverel in the evening of 4 September 2005. - Richard.

Here is a DBSO for you, emerging from the tunnel at Ipswich on 10 July 2005. - Richard.

I remember a glorious 12 months or so around 2004 / 2005 when we had the greatest variety of passenger trains we could wish for: ancient catering vehicles, Mk2 coaches and DBSOs and EMUs (312s), Mk3 coaches (but teamed up with DBSOs, the DVTs were yet to arrive I recall?), 86s, 87s and 90s to move this lot around - and 321s and 170s in between. It was like a living museum rolling past, everything was second-hand or older, and also a demonstration of the limitations of modern locomotive naming practice ("BBC Midlands Today" or whatever). This is a scan of another 35mm slide, this one I wrote "unidentified 90 with pot-pouri train. 1800 Norwich to Liverpool Street. 8 August 2005". This is at Hatfield Peverel, the station clock suggests punctuality, even a little ahead of schedule. I got a Police 'stop' a few minutes later for Reason Code E, with Stop and Search Object Code 1 (or I).

86 235 restarts its final passenger working after an unscheduled stop at Hatfield Peverel ... 8 years ago tomorrow, 17th September 2005 at around 18:49. Goodness was it really that long ago? - Richard.

I guess I started the present diversion by posting the picture of my plates ... but Dapol could help less experienced modellers by putting more detailed instructions, or even some double-sided tape, in the box with the Western. There is no single 'right way', but some methods are easier than others (and some are more permanent than others) and Dapol could shoulder some responsibility by offering their recommended method. - Richard.

I used Humbrol acrylic satin varnish, applied in tiny drops onto the side of the locomotive with a 000 brush. Then pick up the plate with a scalpel and a finger, and place it gently onto the model. If you wear spectacles (as I do) take them off because the frames can make something crooked look straight. Press the plate down and if any varnish squeezes out (I saw a bit maybe 1 mm long on one edge), tidy it with the brush. Check alignment with a rule. Leave overnight to dry before tackling the other side. If you are not sure you could cut off a strip of spare etching material and try fixing it onto some scrap plastic sheet as a practice exercise. The nice thing about the varnish is a tiny excess will blend into the bodywork. I got the feeling the lines of moulded dots on the Dapol Western are half a millimetre or so too high to represent the centre line of the plates, so I put my line of varnish drops on the lower edge of the line. It is worth studying photos of the actual locomotive you are doing, I think there are subtle variations in positions of plates.

I have just fitted the name and number plates and work plates to my blue 'Thunderer'. Just a thought for the manufacturers (not just Dapol) ... while the Shawplan etchings are perfection, I would be more than happy for the works plates to be merely printed on in the factory ... ... as long as they print it on straight! Funny how a photo can show up something you have accepted for months. - Richard.

I spent this afternoon at the Mangapps railway museum near Burnham-on-Crouch. Here are two photos of the coupler on their Canadian Pacific caboose, as a reminder of the inspiration of the original Kadee design. It is (of course) 87 x 25 / 64 inches above rail height, rather lower than a similar British coupler. The flange on the top of the mounting reminds me of a Kadee draw gear box, and a penny has dropped for me here; while I have sought to hide the gear box on British stock, it can be prominent on a North American vehicle. - Richard. Edited to add this third photo to show the size of the thing ...

Choosing a name and number for a blue Dapol Western with full yellow ends Here is an updated spreadsheet to collate all the relevant information we have posted here since Geoff's posting at 16:44 on 7th August. The current data shows that if you want a 'prototypical' name/number for a blue Dapol Western (full yellow ends) you must remove the red route indicator dots and then choose one of D1001, 1003, 1008-11, 1013-16, 1021-1023 only (thirteen in all) ... or modify the model. Class 52 Western details d.xls This spreadsheet replaces all previous versions I have posted in this topic. - Richard.

Yes I agree. But row 12 of the spreadsheet revison c does say, "If the model is to represent any locomotive running before the Ealing crash, modify the extended battery clips or fit the battery box moulding from a maroon locomotive". I have tried to get the spreadsheet to show the essence of what we need to watch out for, but it will get too complicated if I try to define multiple BFYE eras like 'before Ealing crash'. As you pointed out to my initial question, you cannot run any Dapol blue FYE Western without altering it in some way, if only to take off the red dots. - Richard. Edit: completely rewritten to try to make myself clearer

It has grown far more than I ever imagined when I made the first post! The springs on the Kadee 'Whisker' range seem to have the lightest action, and I am choosing the no. 146 (occasionally a 141) for new conversions to UK RTR wherever possible. - Richard.

I like the long skinny option, it looks better with the platform and it gives you more choices to obscure the track exit e.g. trees (if appropriate) both sides of the railway or an industrial gantry of some kind. - Richard.

Here is a spreadsheet based on Geoff's information above, with what I believe are valid locomotives highlighted in green ... I think most of us who want an accurate model would welcome corrections to this list or a similar table for other liveries. - Richard. Edit: Attached spreadsheet deleted ... there is a more complete version with my posting at 00:19 on 8th August.