Dava

Scarborough-Whitby is a great cycle ride on the trackbed trail, I did it over 2 days based at Ravenscar. Alan Gray built an 0 gauge layout of Robin Hood's Bay. In 10' x 12.6'. See GoG Small Layouts vol 2. Dava

Andrew, Good to see your light railway project progressing & will be interested to see developments. Dava

The Hornby chassis looks worryingly like the 'Evening Star' from 1974 or whenever! Evolution or recycling?

Interesting layout idea - secret enriched uranium factory. A few years ago I met a 7mm NGA member who machined loco flywheels out of depleted uranium 'he got from work' - the locos ran well!

The Cadburys were good Quakers so Bournville was brewery-free!

Enjoyed viewing the Bristol photos from the 1978 period when I was a student in Bristol. What you can't see in the Bath Rd depot shots is the last Metro-Vick Co-Bo which was in a siding visible only from the river side. The city docks & Wapping area were also fascinating with the timberyards, Hill's shipyard & trains to the coal depot, all long gone. Dava

Final appearance and farewell to the 'Plymouth Planet', here posed with two other green diesels which have replaced it, before being packed for export to a 'mystery buyer' in Australia - bon voyage! Dava

Mine is dismantled for painting & weathering but it is clear from this that the chassis could be a very good basis for other diesel jackshaft drive (eg Hudswell Clarke) & even small steam locos. Dava

If anyone is interested, the 'Planet' loco conversion I built is available for sale, at a modest cost, as Coney Hill is now well supplied with small diesels. I've been working on the 02 and Fowler today. PM me if interested. Dava

Answer to d600: The length of the completed loco is 128mm over buffer beams The 30mm plastic footplate to be cut off was measured from the front buffer beam Hope this helps! Good luck. Dava

Let me get back to you on that, the loco is boxed up in the workshop at present!

Ruston is right, oily red rods suit this loco, mine will be similar. Lots of admirers at the Weston show last Saturday. Dava

Look forward to seeing (& hearing) it running...

Look forward to seeing it pushing the improvised Mk 1 control trailer back from Rushcliffe...does it run yet? What happened to the other one? Dava

The wonderful 'Netherwood Sidings' layout in 7mm by Graham Clark is at the Wakefield show on 29-31 November, always worth seeing http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/calendar/event/955-52nd-wakefield-annual-model-railway-show-2013/ Dava

Very interesting project & use of 3D design & imaging tools to achieve authentic-looking mockups so quickly.Will follow with interest - good to see a railway works being model led Dava

Good to see main line steam without a diesel pushing it, as for most of the summer. In the first photo, is that the curving bay platform where the Tetbury branch train left? As in the Heljan AC railbus out soon?

I think Judith Edge do them in 4mm & 7mm...

Does the Derwent Valley Light Railway count as industrial? I'm not sure - it did use industrial as well as main line stock and was the quintessential rural, freight-only light railway for most of its working life. Today the long-awaited 'Rails along the Derwent Valley' (Holne publishing) arrived and it does not disappoint - lots of colour pictures, archive photos, hand-coloured building elevations, track plans and a detailed history. Just what you need to model the DVLR (or a line inspired by it, like Coney Hill) and I wish I'd had it two years ago! Recommended. I'll do a proper review for the Gauge 0 gazette when I've read it fully. http://www.holnepublishing.co.uk/page12.html Dava

Thank you, good to get the back end of the 01 which was bleached out in my shot. That 09 was very smart!

Diesel shunters are too often the Cinderellas of preserved railways, being used for a few years for stock and PW shunting but being cast aside when they need major repairs. But the sheer variety of types ordered by BR in the 1950’s-60’s, most of which are long gone with many classes completely extinct, makes them interesting and they are very useful for models. Seeing the range of locos preserved at the Heritage Shunters Trust at Rowsley, Peak Rail, meant this was an essential visit and their gala weekend on 20-21 Sept was an ideal opportunity. They were running a brake van shuttle service from the cattle dock at Rowsley up to their depot, using two locos which were alternated. The cost of £5/person (that’s two then) plus £3 for a nicely illustrated stocklist might seem steep, but with this group you can see exactly where the money is going – into high quality restoration and depot accommodation for their unique fleet of locos. Plus they are all very friendly and I don’t know any where else you can ride in a choice of brake vans with an 02 on one end and an 03 on the other (or 09 if you prefer). They have 25 ex-BR diesel shunters, including very rare survivors from classes 01, 05, 06 (the very last) and fine collections of 6 x 03, 6 x 04, and 07, 08, 09, 2 x 14 and 97 (PWM ). There are also various ex-industrial and a class 12 and repatriated Dutch 350hp loco around. The restored locos are excellent, with 10 or 11 being operational so far and most of the rest on display. Having multiple examples of 04 and 03 lined up means you can see the detail differences between the versions, for example the early 04s such as D2205 had smaller wheels, a longer wheelbase and different cab from the later versions. You just can’t see this anywhere else. So if you are modelling a heritage shunter and need detail shots, or just want to admire this unique collection, its highly recommended. I’ll be going back – will they roster an 04 please? http://www.heritageshunters.co.uk/ 02 D2854 on the brake vans 03 113 on the other end 05 D2857 heads a line of stored locos 06003 - last survivor, why did we miss all the others? D2205, a first series Drewry/Vulcan 04 D2337, a restored RSH 04 D2953, a rare Barclay class 01 Another Barclay, a WD 0-4-0DM 07001 gleams in the sunshine!

The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway from Duffield to Wirksworth has really developed since it opened a couple of years ago. As well as a super collection of heritage DMUs it often has visiting locos and in my experience is the friendliest and most enjoyable of the three SG preserved lines in Derbyshire. Wirksworth is always good for a stroll around. This month the preserved L&YR Aspinall 2F 0-6-0 is visiting, running in early BR livery as 52332. So yesterday I was off up there with some boxes of railway mags to donate to the shop and an excuse for a mid-week run on the line, as this weekend is DMU only. The steep climb up to the old quarry loading bay at Stoneacre in a single railcar unit is a good way of seeing the rolling stock collection, with a 33 & 31 among others. Then on the Mark 1 set behind 52332 down to Duffield and back.There is a very tasty LMS inspection saloon on the back of the train, but no takers today. A very pleasant ride, with lots of activity taking place to improve the line. Later on I called in on the 18 inch gauge Steeple Grange Light Railway who were having a working day. Their Ruston & Hornsby loco (by coincidence the last-ever Horwich works loco, so also L&YR heritage) was posed outside the shed. A really enjoyable day Dava