Michael Edge

What makes you think they would have been round top fireboxes? Derby and Horwich had produced nothing but Belpaire boxes for years when this proposal was drawn.

I thought the pedals on the floor would be for the clutch.

Depends on what sort of acid he was talking about - I've been using phosphoric acid almost exclusively now for well over 40 years and nothing has fallen apart yet.

Yes, that's the HP2M - some of them do actually work though, I still have two in running locos.

They were regular performers on Liverpool Central - Southport trains.

I would certainly like to see that, I photographed the Fowler at the Mid Hants in 1984, then later found that they had scrapped it - a common fate for "preserved" diesels.

Engine casings are definitely easier to bend in brass, I usually have to use n/s for the New Zealand kits I design and they are a lot harder to form accurately.

I don't think you would be able to see the difference between 14mm and 14.2mm gauges.

No promises yet, price should be about the same as the Fowler - depending on how the etch can be arranged but I won't know until I've built one and corrected the drawing.

Yes it must have been referring to Briegate, that had been the club 00 gauge layout for quite a long time - certainly before Nick and I joined the club in 1972. I dimly recall that there were three proposed plans for the new layout, I did one (not the one above though), Steve Roberts did one and I think the final plan was a synthesis of two of them. All followed the basic principle of a complete end to end layout with no fiddle yards.

Some photos of the test etch C14. The frames are designed to be continuous as in full size, no cut outs or pivoted rear truck. The radial axlebox at the trailing end is replaced by an internal pony truck at the correct radius. There are cut out marks around the bogie wheels but these appear not be necessary at least down to the 28" radius of my test track (in 00 gauge). As can be seen here the frames are considerably joggled and tapered inwards to allow enough side movement - all this from the GA, no modelling concessions apart from the gauge. Close up of the internal pony truck arrangement, it's also lightly sprung with a phosphor bronze wire, just visible over the driving wheel axle. Tank front, cab front and bunker front all locate in half etches on the top of the footplate. The cut out on this side of the cab front is for the reverser, the only significant error so far is that I forgot to make a slot at the other side for the tank top which is in one piece as usual. Window bars are best fitted before attaching the cab back, a fairly tedious job with .3mm wire and a piece of scrap .022" n/s used as a spacer. It doesn't look very neat on the inside but all this is easily cleaned off, finished version seen three photos up. First tank side added, these are etched in one piece with the bunker sides, the bars across the doorways will be removed later. The other side and the tank top added, temporary bars across the tanks will be removed as the boiler is fitted. Bunker front added, fits down on to the cab floor, not the footplate top The cab floor is fitted to the frames so access to the inside of the cab will be from below. The cab sides fit on the tank top and outside the ends. I have done a little more work on this since these photos but the C14 might have to take a back seat now in favour of the Stanier 2-6-2T and Stone/Faiveley pantograph.

It's not just the driving wheel diameter, lots of other dimensions changed when BR specified larger wheels for the 08 - mainly for clearance reasons on SR electrified lines but they did give a higher top speed. The more obvious difference is the cab profile, much less rounded in the standard EE design which is what your Victorian ones are. We are very slowly working on an accurate kit for the class 11. Mike and Judith Edge

It's a long time since I've seen that! I didn't know it still existed, it's the only time I've ever made a model of a proposed layout but just to throw something else in... We had a design competition before we built Victoria and this was one of the alternative suggestions - can't remember whose it was though.

With working signals on the LOR this time - I hope. There's quite a lot of work to be done in the next two months.

NMRS do have an oval head version of this buffer, easier for some but yours are more correct.

Keep the approach road at platform height, this is what most stations are like. The platforms are at outside ground level not built up above it like most model railways.

The boiler and the firebox are on the etch, whether it works or not is another matter - but that's what test etches are for. I've just done the etch for a 7mm version to be built in April/May this year.

I can put the alternative radiator arrangement in the etch if I get some dimensions.

If you think that's difficult, spare a thought for Carlisle with more than 200 locos spread around a layout that's 100ft long..... (I do have an idea to improve things though) With DC you have to know where the loco is, with DCC you have to know what it is, both can be problematical.

Tracklaying continues. First chunk of pointwork now added, under the tiebar is a 16mm diameter hole for the Tortoise operating wire, two strips of paper either side to cover most of the hole. This is a lot easier and quicker than making a slot for the wire. Why do they supply such feeble wire with these point motors? It usually needs replacing with .7mm or .8mm piano wire. This is the drilling jig for Tortoise motors, the wire fits in the hole in the centre of the tiebar. the jig is held in place and the four holes are drilled from the top.

Quite a few new developments to report on. The test etch for the Stanier 2-6-2T has arrived, I should get it built this month. I also have an order to build one in 7mm scale this year. Test etch for the GC C14 in 4mm is underway, photos later and I also have the first test of the Stone Faiveley single arm pantograph to put together. This proved to be a lot more complicated than I expected and may need some lost wax castings eventually. 7mm test etch for the Hunslet 05 (early version - not the Heljan one) is nearly complete so should be the next O gauge kit. Fowler 150hp basic drawing complete (posted in Fowler 150hp thread), I hope to have the test etch for Scalefour North. Other bits and pieces now available include Iracier axlebox covers and a separate water scoop wheel for GC tenders.

We also now have some etched Iracier axlebox covers and separate etches for the GC water scoop wheel.

Stanier 2-6-2T is already on the way from us, I've got the test etch to build this month.

I've finished the basic drawing for the wartime built (mostly ROF) locos, not all the information was on the GA as there was no plan view and not many marked dimensions. Not only that but the buffer height was either incorrectly drawn or dimensioned - I've put them at normal standard height as I can't see anything else in all my photos of these. There are a great many variations in detail with these locos but this should cover SR 600s (which I have to build for a customer) and ED7 of the LMR departmental locos. ED2-6 are very different with a shorter wheelbase and overall length. The wheels drawn above are from the GA but I can't find any photos of locos with these (presumably cast iron) wheels, most seem to have a 10 spoke steel wheel centre. The main areas of conjecture are the exact width of the casings and footplate angle and the position of the exhaust if the large gas conditioner isn't fitted. There's little or no information on the interior of the cab and the controls. I may well do the radiator as a one piece moulding, this would also allow for etching the later squared off radiator housing as an alternative. At the moment I'm aiming at getting a test etch for this version done before Scalefour North in April.

It hasn't affected the plastic in any of the locos I've poured it in but they do get a bit warm - and take a surprisingly long time to cool. It can be a bit difficult to get out if you accidentally put too much in, I've managed to dig it out with a temperature controlled soldering iron.