LNER4479

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...

Jasper Carrott IIRC (about 25 years ago) Valerie Singleton never looked better!

I make that more or less exactly one day. Ah well, it was nice while it lasted... (opportunity for possible actress - bishop quip there methinks?)

I just knew 'ol CK would be along to put us back on the straight and narrow...

GWR as in 'Gresley Was Right' perchance?

I can't bare to hear that sort of criticism - she can join my photographic party any day of the week...

Watched the opening 90 seconds ... before realising that the full thing runs for 4 hours 56 minutes. Yikes! I do actually need to stay awake during the course of today... It is of course excellent stuff; one to watch in several sittings methinks.......

On a recent visit to Little Bytham, I plonked my camfone on the south end bridge and switched the video on. It starts with a sports report and weather forecast but bear with it - some trains do eventually appear!

Tres amusant Yep! sock (stocking actually) over the end of the tube. It got sucked up itself once in a momentary lack of concentration. Took more fishing out of the bag than I was expecting!

I have done some of it myself (before Barry wrenched the diluted PVA from me!) I found it manageable in bite-sized chunks, say about 2-3 feet per session. After that, I had to go and do something else and return to it the next day. But Barry seems to be able to keep going all day - wot a trooper! It is worth it though when you end up with a picture like that at the top of this page (#2876).

One has to be a Bulleid specific! Do you have No.20 or No.34? Coming the other way? Why - No.22 on that railtour, of course!

'Enry the 'Oover was brought into play last night as a result of which half a jar of the cinders-earth witches brew was recovered. What was left was top hole ballasting all round and the errant pink stretch* duly eliminated - you've got the job (*bet that provokes a few fnarr-fnarrs)

I think she once made a fleeting appearance earlier in this thread - I distinctly remember you telling us that your optivisor had steamed up.