LNER4479

Nah! Tis but only a scratch But you've lost your entire left hand side valve gear! No, I haven't! Yes you have - its mangled to pieces!! Well ... I've got two more sets. Fight on! (etc, etc) Nothing any self respecting works shouldn't be able to sort out. Be back up and running for Nottingham

Layout returned safely to base earlier this afternoon so just coming round and fully catching up on recent postings, etc... Many thanks, Craig. You chose the better day to attend (at least as far as Grantham was concerned) so I'm pleased you saw it when the trains were running as we intend; the feedback is appreciated at this stage of the layout's development. Good to have the chance to talk (not always possible, much though I'd like to); thanks for your kind comments. And that is a lovely photo! And so, as another show becomes part of the story of the layout, I'm pleased to be able to advise of the first show we'll be attending in 2017: The East Anglian Model Railway Show (St Neots Model Railway Club) at Huntingdon, 11th/12th March 2017. We're honoured to feature on the 'flyer' for this show, courtesy of the lovely photo Tony took at the Grantham show. Jackie Younger (show manager) was at Stafford with a supply of flyers and they will be being handed out at this year's show (which happens to be the same weekend as we're at Nottingham). There are further provisional / proposed / intended / expressions-of-interest (Etc) dates in the diary stretching as far as 2019; I'll keep adding them to the signature line as they become firm bookings. St Neots Show A5 flyer 2017 ORANGE-1.pdf

Aw, shucks! Glad you like the brackets! I did ask Tony to take that shot especially to see how the new canopy had turned out. Just need a few people on the platform now (not too many though - there is a depression on!)

Thanks for your comments, Jonathan. Yes, the fault was traced to a bogie shorting on one of the coaches in the train. Most unusual, as your namesake Mr Wealleans tests all his stock thoroughly and it was all run during our 'dress rehearsal' without problems. Just goes to show that, however well-prepared you are, the gremlins can still strike when you least want them to. I have offered an apology on the layout thread to those who were watching on the Saturday when the performance of the layout was not what it should have been. Yesterday (Sunday) was much better. 4771 performed fine Tony (or at least it did whenever I was watching her). Thanks ever so much for making her available for use on the layout.

Thanks very much Tony for another superb selection of photos. I took my camera with me but it never came out of my bag I'm afraid. Show was a story of complete contrasts. Yesterday we had a 'mare. The gremlins moved in mid-morning and never left us. My apologies to anyone who was watching us scratching our heads and pushing recalcitrant locos about. Today, without actually 'fixing' anything, the layout ran much more like it did at Grantham. If you were watching this morning then you would have seen it much more like I would like to see it presented. During this 'purple patch', I reckon we achieved our first sub three hours cycle round the schedule. I cannot sign off a post like this without thanking my fellow co-conspirators (they know who they are!) who gave of their time freely and did their very best to keep things running throughout thick n thin. A special thanks for hanging back and getting the layout stripped down in super quick time. And in a little less than 5 weeks time we do it all again!

Layout arrived safely, basic circuit set up and first trains run. Quick tea break then the rest can get set out

That's a tantalising glimpse of 4771, Tony - looks like a stunning finish! Slightly in pedant mode, I wasn't 'suggesting' use of Peco track pins, merely stating that was what I used - I did say I was a bit strange!

It's the final countdown... Just outshopped in time for the show is the D3. So far as I can make out, No.4317 was a long time Nottingham resident so appropriate for the Grantham services. A better set of bogie wheels will be fitted when I get the chance and I've held off with the valance lining as I've realised that I need to reposition the steps, but otherwise I'm quite pleased by how she's turned out. A mild coat of grime will be applied in due course to dull things down a bit. Meanwhile, this is how the layout looks all stripped down. The hire van has been successfully picked up this afternoon so everything's under control at the present time! See you there if you're going to the show; otherwise, I'll do my best to take some pics and post next week. Hopefully one or two pics might appear on the Stafford show thread; always nice to see what others make of the layout.

Well, we have show bookings into 2018 and some expressions of interest for 2019 so I think we should be around!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhWE0we4FaQ Oh - sorry - Bahnorama. My mind wandered to THAT exclamation in Men Behaving Badly. I bet he wasn't thinking about OBB 310.23 at that precise moment...

Fantastic stuff! Like all talented modellers you're far too modest - those interiors look exquisite. If you need a suitable layout on which to pose the full train in an appropriate setting then you only have to ask (although I recommend Little Bytham as the ultimate 'stage' for them - the owner's reasonably handy with a camera as well!)

I must be a bit strange (quite likely!) but I've always used Peco track pins to fix valve gear. I quick whizz round with the file to remove the black coating and they accept solder just fine. I always use them from the inside outwards (ie so that the head is hidden at the back of the joint); that way, once the excess is snipped off, the joint can be filed back to give a very neat (and not over-large) finish. Alastair - I assume you're using flux? (I've never had much luck soldering brass without it)

Dare you to post that on the Pecoboo thread thingy. I bet they're the wrong type of nuts... Mind you, they could be prototypical...

Er...yes...spot on with your nasty feeling (sorry about that). Low melt soldering, to boot, as these are whitemetal parts. To cut them? Nothing more complex than a good 'ol junior hacksaw - with a spot of filing to clean up afterwards. Whilst I'm on - the bags. Those provided with the kits aren't terribly convincing IMHO. I've made my own out of nothing more fancy than toilet paper (honest!), rolled into shape then drowned with diluted PVA coloured black. I then squash it flat and let it set. Works for me!

Jeez - them Europeans had absolutely no idea when it came to loco styling did they? A loco only a mother could love. Just compare with the elegant Greyhound behind!

Now that's a habit I could get used to...

MUCH shorter arms on the prototype, GN. Stands out a mile (if I may be so bold!). The swan necks on the Mike's Model kit are, unfortunately, a little elongated (something we may both just have to live with). The northbound prototype pic (featuring No.16) is a different design of swan neck altogether. Plenty to go at there for you I think, depending how near the top of your 'to do' list it is...

I agree. In attempting a 'change of direction' are you not in fact trying to change yourself? This is usually very difficult, if not impossible, to do. Mike's suggestion may be worth considering. Otherwise some of my loudest 'Laugh out loud' moments have been through postings on this thread. I for one would miss that.

Bit late to the party, sorry - but a bit busy packing up a certain location a few miles north along the line ready for its second show this coming weekend. Anyhow... re the water cranes. I've been making some of these up for Grantham and, being of GN origin, I have been using the Mike's Models ones that it looks like you have used. What I've noticed from study of photographs was that they differed in both height and reach according to the specific location at the station/yard/depot. What I have done here is to mutilate the kit (left) compared to it as supplied (right). Some cranes only used one of the swan neck extensions or in fact none at all. And the length of the arm only appears to have been as long as it needed to be in terms of the distance away from the track(s) where the locomotives were stood. This one is actually the platform mounted one for southbound trains (fortunately well photographed - picture below from the ever-excellent return to Grantham website) You can see here only one swan neck extension piece (very probably added when the pacifics arrived as you say - previously it would have been OK for Atlantic tenders!) and the noticeably shorter arm. The octagonal base is either lost altogether or buried beneath the platform surface. Of course, without sight of pictures of the actual cranes at Peterborough, I don't know quite how relevant the info above is(!) but I hope some of it is useful.

I was just teasing... ('tease to please', that's what they say...apparently... No idea what they're going on about, mind) J R Ipley

Congrats on page 100! We'll have some trains running soon, just as sure as my name's Jenny Ripley...

Happy to spend some time on electrickery at next visit...

'Bout time for another picture. One final weekend to work at the 'to do' list, with layout part dismantled. Below are two projects which are planned to be finished in time for next weekend. This is the ceremonial 'planting' of the platform 5 canopy! Fits perfect, and nicely butts up to the adjacent - albeit mock-up (for now) - platform buildings. Posing in front is the nearly complete D3 which now has most of its lining applied to the loco. The detail brackets attached to the rear supports show up well; just need to attach the rest then paint. Ooh - and put the glass in. Must dash!

Ah but life was much less hurried in those days. And there would be another one along in a minute...