Michael Edge

Problems with the DJH crosshead arrangement start with the wrong configuration of three bars, it should be a wide top bar with two narrow bars below and a T section crosshead. The L shape of the DJH one easily flips out sideways. Having the valve spindle as part of the valve rod (the Comet arrangement) isn't exactly prototypical but in mid gear it doesn't move much and it does make the gear much more stable, the DJH link bracket arrangement isn't very good either.

Looks quite accurate with the narrow frames, like most Hunslets the axleboxes are on the outside for standard gauge in these locos.

It doesn’t look as though it lines up with axle centre in that photo - check it with a long rod through the cylinder end and motion bracket.

I set all the components in place on the loco with a length of rod or tube through the cylinders and in line with the driving axle centre. Essential with the B7 and B3 but I do it with all outside cylinder locos to ensure centres line up vertically and horizontally.

I made the pattern for Charlie's Clayton, it's essentially the same as our etched kit. I built quite a few of the DMU and EMU kits but no digital photos of them - one day I'll get round to scanning my negatives of arlier work.

Caley kits are very obscure, this is the only one I've seen but it went together very well. 00 gauge with Romford wheels on this one.

Perseverance kits were mentioned some time back in the obscure category, I've only built a few of them but this LNW 2-4-2T wasn't bad. Built to P4 gauge with Gibson wheels.

Yes, I remember the slippers (and the jumper with more holes than wool), probably was S&S, it wasn't always easy fitting this layout in the oval Corn Exchange. This is my Q kits Falcon. The original Peak is buried in a cupboard somewhere and I don't have a photo on here but it has suffered a bit over the years. All the early ones had slabs of steel buried in the resin along the sides to keep them straight, this worked well until the loco was left in rather damp conditions and the steel started to rust. The result was similar to faulty reinforced concrete as the outside surface started to crack off with the expansion of the rusting steel. These two are powered on one bogie with a big can motor driving the outer axles, I always had trouble assembling these but when Mike did it (as he did with my two) they always worked perfectly.

Q kits were produced by Mike Cole, originally resin moulded diesel locos at a time when very few were available from anywhere. He later became allergic to the resin and switched to white metal. I have some his earlier ones (including what I believe is the very first one, a Peak) but I only ever built one white metal kit, a USA tank. I think the first diesel bodies were simply moulded from Mike’s own scratch built locos which ran on Sundown and Sprawling - dead straight end to end layout 64ft long if anyone remembers it.

Beatrice was built from scratch although I have built one from the Omega kit, no digital photos of that one.

I think that's as far as they got.

I've just finished this 7mm 01. This is finished as one of the Holyhead breakwater locos with the strange combination of ancient BR black livery, wasp stripes and Tops number. The overhead warning flashes were a bit superfluous as well - hard to know where to put these as they moved around the loco from photo to photo, even ended up both on the RH side as the casing doors were swapped about. I had intended to do a blow by blow description of this job but didn't get past the first photo. Here it is anyway, it does show some useful details. This is the frame plates completed with axle bearings and swinging arms for the trailing axle. The arms pass around the bearing for the jackshaft axles and a strap of scrap etch is soldered near the trailing axle to keep the arms against the frame plates. The wheels are Slater's with the etched overlays added, these incorporate the balance weights and look very effective when painted.

That's a bit less likely, i think they did try running 506 sets on the main line beyond Hadfield once although i don't think as far as Sheffield. As far as I know there were problems with overheating traction motors and the project was abandoned - running on the branch would have been even more unlikely and anyway I haven't got one....

That's an interesting idea for combined pickups and springs, let us know if it works.

Of course - and why not? I might run one of the EF1s as well, they were kept in store to use here and did get BR numbers. 26504 even kept its original North Eastern livery under the muck and pigeon droppings.