Rowsley17D

Hi Jeff Re: Office closures some time ago, yes the Stockton office closes at the end of October, but I am safe in my job and will probably move to a public office in Darlington to do my work. Now regarding this idea, do you want to work on an area, but if you do, you will have no access to the area behind? For instance, do you want to disguise the rift valley joints or work on the stream bed, but if you do you will not able able to slide the rift valley out which will prevent work behind the viaduct?

Hi Jeff, still around and looking in. It looks like you've caused a world plaster shortage - a good job the NHS went over to plastic splints. Just feeling sorry for my colleagues on Tyneside. Today is their last operational working day and next week they pack-up the office and collect their redundancy cheques.

Morning Jeff, winter hasn't released it's grip just yet, there was 3" of snow on top of my car on Monday morning, sorry about your cancelled trip. Have you got the electrics finished? I seem to remember that you might have the odd job still to do but that was many pages back and now we are immersed in scenery. Much easier on the eye now it's painted and we can see the definition. That culvert - has a stream that flowed through the station area been culverted, if so what happens at the other side of the station or is it just drainage?

I use good old brake fluid as a paint stripper and doesn't damage plastic models. As above, use in a plastic container - the smallest that the model will fit in and leave overnight. Wear gloves and wash in warm water. It's best not to pour the waste into the drains but disposed of at a local waste disposal site as you would old oil and paint. The used fluid should be allowed to settle and poured off the gunge and stored for re-use. Dispose of the gunge as above.

A lovely tour of the layout Jason. A touch of paint needed here and there, an odd pavement or two, plus some of the good folk of Bacup (who must mostly be in hiding at the moment unless the Archers are on the wireless?) also haven't noticed where said good folks post their mail, but, coming along very nicely indeed. Are you thinking about what you will do where the buildings go into the backboard? A photo or two perhaps if you can find the right sort of view to take?

I thought it was Capt Cook's Monument until I saw the sea. It could get a bit blowy up there as well.

Anyway Jeff, back to serious modelling although it's good to have a laugh from time to time. I would imagine those sheep shelters would be rough and ready affairs, built into a corner where two walls meet with some hefty sandstone roofing patched up with some rusting corrugated sheets.

Must admit Al,it does look more flowing. Have you tried pushing some stock through the altered turnouts - just in case?

Hedges a bit few and far between at S&C altitudes and trees even more so. A stone-built sheep shelter is a possibility and how about a butt for the grouse shooting season? There's no reason why you couldn't have a barn in valley bottom but it would have to be in a delapidated state because they hadn't started to convert them into holiday homes in the early 60s. Just had another thought - how about an abandoned lime kiln?

A bit late I'm afraid but I put the brakes on after fitting the wheels then at least I know the brakes and the wheels line up.

Jeff, just noticed that your post has brought up the 200th page, well done. Just wondered how many pages there would be if all the g*bsh%&e (like this post) that Sandside refers to was not there! Quiet on here again today no doubt due to the problems the site is having again.

Jeff, the 4F is due June/July, so probably early autumn when it actually arrives. It was actually a little warmer this morning than it was yesterday only -2. Don't know what it was last night, I must get my max/min thermometer from my daughter and bring it to the new house.

Morning Jeff, those joins don't look to visible in the photos but it could be the white plaster bleaching things out. Seems an interesting idea to cover the joins and only expose them when you need access. As regards loco stock, I went mad last night and pre-ordered most of the LMS steam that Bachy will produce over the coming months, 1F, 4F and a Stanier mogul, plus a couple of MR brake vans too. I just hope they don't all turn up in the same month.

Morning Jeff, No doubt you'll be glad when that door goes on. It was -6 deg C in the sticks this morning and the wind-chill made it feel double that. There were rumours that a couple of brass monkeys were looking for a welder.

That's a serious rift valley Jeff. I just hope all that fracking (am I allowed to say that on here?) in Lancashire doesn't upset those fault lines.

I love it when a cunning plan comes together. Moveable water, sounds a bit like Tracey Island. Now that dates me.

I'm glad you have Bill's book a mine of information. Stan's layout was given to PR but was broken up as they had nowhere to put it, the stock was sold off too, shame really.

Hmmm, what's Jeff up to now? I think he just tries to keep us in suspense so that that we keep coming back here for our hourly, daily, or weekly fix. Could it be that Andy is going to get some grass? No, I doubt it. I hope "they" get the rubber band replaced and wound-up some time soon, it's taking all my breaks to look at things on here today.

Al, I suspect you don't have Bill Hudson's "Through Limestone Hills"? It's a must for anybody interested in the Peak line. Out of print now although there were rumours of re-print. There was one available in Bill's section at the PR shop at Matlock station. Have you a birthday coming up?

Hi Gordon, I'm sure all Lunesters are pleased to hear from you, I was wondering when that golf was going to be out of your system. Still a change is as good as a rest they say. I'm one who is still holding my breath for progress on ET.

Al thought I would post here rather than on Jeff's KL thread. The nearest shed to the Peak Line that had Black 5s was Derby and some were used on the Derby-Manchester stoppers particularly towards the end. I am building a Brassmasters one that was a Derby engine for a number of years so that I can run one on my Peak layout. You are right in that Duchesses and Princesses did not venture into the Peak and as I want to set my period as pre WW2 the Ivatts will be out of time and the Scots did not appear until they were rebuilt. The occasional Baby Scot was used when royalty visited Chatsworth. Regarding buildings, can I recommend the Ratio Midland signal box? It's an excellent kit and will save you scratch building.

Err, mostly Edwardian craftmanship.The second viaduct was authorised in 1903 and brought into use in 1905.The old one was immediately closed for reconstruction and brought back into use in 1908, so not much of the Victorian age left.

Hi Jeff, I was not wanting to start a DCC vs DC debate, you make your choice and pays yer money to mis-quote the saying. I like the idea of not having to isolate locos while another one moves somewhere else on the layout and having all those section switches. I also like the idea of the engines going chuff-chuff without me having to do it for them. So I guess I'm sold on DCC for the new layout. As to stock I have 1 x Duchess, Princess, Scot, Jub, Fowler 4P tank, Stanier 4P tank, Ivatt 4P tank, 2P, 8f, Super D, Black 5, 4F, Ivatt 4F, Ivatt 2F, Midland 2F, Jinty, and 2 x Baby Scot, Crab, Compound, Midland 3f. So I guess I have enough to start, even though some of those listed will only run under Rule 1. Just need to chip and hopefully sound them.

I assume you use less wire for a DCC layout as you only need short lengths from track to bus wires whereas with DC you have to have lengths of wire going from the panel to the far side of the layout for each section feed? So while the number of wires may be a similar, the total length of wire used is less? (Am seriously considering DCC for new layout and trying to justify cost to future SWMBO)

Hello Jeff, It's after 12 noon and no posts so far today, what's going on? Are the Lunesters showing their handiwork at shows this weekend and are busy packing up their vans and trailers? Good to see that room clear and that with Andy's help managed to get everything in the skip. I demolished a large shed the other week but he's not been round here to salvage some of the timber, so I'll just have to get somebody to take it away.