On30runner

13.9mm across the tread

This is really cool

Make it 4

I would very much like to see what you'll make of it. You are rather cleverer than I. I have it in mind to copy your Dock Authority conversion.

you flatter me 😝 I strongly suggest looking at what Nile did (that's what I did!). nellie runs on one of these https://fromemodelcentre.com/electrotren-oo-gauge-barclay-0-6-0t-ajax-in-lined-black-livery.html

Corbs said I should share this so here you go. This was very much inspired by Nile's Nellie/Polly bash, following the trend of putting these on Electrotren chassis. I deviated a little in places, most notably, I added false frames front and rear, to give the impression of a solid continuous chassis, you can see the marked difference this makes between the first two pics. The usual scraping of handrails etc was done to be replaced by Markits replacements, and I fitted a westinghouse pump to work inbound boat trains into the docks, should they be of that persuasion. Rear sandboxes are ex Dapol B4 and the tank front oil boxes are ex Dapol terrier courtesy of DCC supplies who had a load of Dapol spares for some reason. The rather nice Ramsbottom safety valve came from the scrapbox of James Nolton of United Mills fame (cheers mate). I would say the hardest bit was making the cab windows round, they were treated to Wizard Models spectacle rims (barred on the cab back). I followed the impression left by the original hot stamp lining and Narrow Planet supplied the plates, which retain it's original identity (the worksplate is Dübs & Co by the way, the fiction being it is an enlarged MNR Caledonia). I normally go a bit further with weathering but limited it to the underside and the smokebox. That's basically it, its full of lead and runs superbly. In fact, it runs better than quite a lot of my more expensive RTR locos, not bad for a budget chassis! Final picture was taken by Rob Bough on Mark Pretious' layout "Merstone". It has subsequently received coupling bars for my preferred S&W couplings. Even though it was intended to be a bit of a joke model, I think it is now one of my favourites. I do kind of wish I'd changed the buffers and chimney but it is done now, time to move on. I have a Polly on the shelf... And a spare black shell...Connie anyone?

Who's your son Stationmaster? I look after the track there

Harold Elliot's railway is mentioned in some detail in Jack Ray's book "a lifetime with O gauge" as he often visited him. In his own words: "Later on, when lunching with Roland Fuller of Bassett-Lowke, Roland told me that Harold was the bane of their life, for he would delay sending in engines for repair until the flanges had worn so thin that they sheared off" The perils of constant motion!

Many thanks Is that list number TS-80?

Corbs I'm trying to find a decent replacement for Dullcote, what are you using now? I tend to mix acrylics and enamels so need something that is ok on both.

it might be as simple as a body swap if its all chassis mounted

you forgot the Titfiel.... oh hold on a minute never mind

speaking as a train driver, yeah I wouldn't be happy

they could easily do Train of Events too with what they already have.

Studio Canals coffers will be quite a bit deeper

Rapido have made a statement which can be seen here. They and the IP aren't happy. https://youtu.be/ii0TaKq3mqg

I started with a Dublo N2, 8F and Sir Nigel Gresley, three rail of course, running around the sitting room floor. Somewhat paradoxically I'm only 32. The N2 and 8F were dads, the A4 was the beginning of a collection that could stock Little Bytham with change if Mr Wright fitted a stabiliser rail.

I've looked into that as you raise a very good point. I personally think the answer to that is no, as they had to paint out the BR numbers, and based on the fact we actually see BR carmine coaches in the film, sometimes in the same scene, the red looks a different shade. I'm thinking in the station shots and the opening sequence.

you are right Chris, thats exactly the picture I was referring to! If Peter was actually there and saw it first hand, then I am happy to accept that! Many thanks

ahoy hoy all. I wonder if someone can help me put a pin in a question I am trying to answer. What colour did the W&U bogie coaches finish up in when they were running on the Tollesbury Branch? Peter Payes book on the subject says catagorically that they were painted brown. There is however a picture that looks, if it was in colour that is, like crimson. Is the BR crimson often seen just a model makers fantasy or did it happen? Certain details suggest at least one coach was brown to the end. The other question of course, is what shade of brown was it? I am inclined to think it was just a continuation of LNER stock brown but I don't want to assume. help is greatly appreciated, as despite having done quite a bit of digging on this, I can't *definitively* answer it.

I look after the carriage and wagon dept on this rather large LT layout! http://www.actonminiaturerailway.co.uk/

oh dear it has to be said, I did want this model, but I really cannot be bothered to have to modify it to make it work!

I decided I wanted to try DCC, and having helped film the BRM DVD for the Select I knew what I was in for if I bought that. I got one and wired it up and having got over the initial problems I suffered (compatability issues with Bachmann decoders) it worked reasonably well though it sometimes crashes if you get it too confused! One thing I had been wondering about was what to do around my loco spur. Its quite an expanse of board space to fill up and I couldn't decide what to do with it. Now I like gadgets and the Select DVD had given me an idea. In it Simon Kohler explains how to use DCC to make the Hornby turntable work......bingo! Problem solved, I would get a turntable. Now the obvious choice for me was the Peco On30 turntable kit, its basically the OO/HO one with a wider deck and enlarged planking detail. I could have used the Hornby one as its grossly overscale so more suited to On30 but as it looks horrendous I decided not to. I got the kit together in one evening with Plastic Weld so that helped speed construction along a bit. The next day I was off work and got the table motorised and set into the board. The drive is one of those cheap multistage gearboxes you can buy, it simply mounts onto some 2x1 I glued to the base of the table well. A Hornby decoder later and the turntable was working. It gave some minor trouble initially but it now spins a loco round no problems. Its a little juddery but this is from the drive and I can't really do much to stop it short of starting again. What made me laugh was the price of things. My turntable cost the same as a Hornby one without a decoder, and it looks better! Come on Hornby, you can do so much better than that!

the climax was an ebay job. 70 quid if I remember right from America with postage. The MB kits are really good. The instructions take a little bit of figuring out in places but generally go together really well. I glued it together with Evo Stick waterproof wood adhesive as it goes off really quick but gives a strong joint. I recommend them

I have obviously now got quite a lot of stock for what is really not a very large layout. I also got a bit irratated by the fact I could only have two complete trains on the layout at one time. So I knocked up a small fiddle yard that sits on the end of the layout. It has no legs (mainly so I can pile junk under it!) and is supported by a strut that comes out from the main layout legs. Add this to the bolts holding it in position and it becomes very solid. I mean you wouldn't want to lean on it but as it holds stock you wouldn't need to! Once the board was all aligned etc I ran a point off the mainline and via a Peco three way point ran three sidings onto the deck. These hold the average length of train the layout can deal with and keeps it all out the way in a nice compact corner. I added a combing round the edge to prevent any near misses! As you can see to the left, it JUST clears my door, which was a very important thing to consider! So there you go, for the price of a three way point I had a fiddle yard meaning I can now store complete trains (three on fiddle yard, one on layout). Another new addition was a tool shed which was built from a Mount Blue Models kit. This is made of wood and took about a week to make as its quite well detailed and the painting took up some time too. It turned out beautifully though.