Michael Edge

A few answers to the above: HE 1643 is a 14" OC 0-6-0ST HE 1506 does have some features in common with the 18" saddle tanks so you may well be right. At present we only do the 14" in 4mm scale, the 15" is available in 2mm, 3mm, 4mm, S 1:64 and 7mm scales. The 16" will be available in 7mm next year.

The drive unit Chris produces for our Harton No.2 has the same wheelbase as the spud you are using in this loco so it shouldn't be much of a problem.

If you mount the bevel gear a little way off the gearbox on the motor it's quite easy to slide it back to disengage the drive.

Hunslet order book has a note that Edith was at Broom pit, Middleton. The rounded roof seems to be original, it's like that in the works photograph.

I'm working on it.....

Yes but the ones which returned to the UK hd full cabs fitted.

Baseboards delivered this morning, we had a little difficulty with the down end corner and it's had to go back for modifications but the rest all fitted easily. View from the down end, looking downhill. Up end corner, joined on to the fiddle yard board. Most of the baseboards are open top, the scenery will slope down from the viewing side, the line runs along the side of the valley here. This is the site of the junction, colliery branch off to the inside. The 1 in 40 gradient starts here, the banker siding (nearest) and the remains of the line to Sovereign pit (far side) are level. The pit siding should really follow the gradient but it would be difficult to park wagons in here if I did that so I've cheated a bit.

The 14in is significantly smaller than the 15in, it has a smaller boiler as well - better looking than either the 15in or 16in in my opinion (and Don Townsley's). I can't find Brookes No1 in my copies of the HE order books, some pages may have gone missing. 2387 fits in with a delivery date in 1941 but the ones I have only go back to July of that year with 2424, perhaps Don couldn't find it either which would explain why it's not in his list. It is definitely a 14in 0-6-0ST though and presumably the last one built. Some did return from the Haifa harbour job and were sold on but didn't get new works numbers - the HE order books are all hand written and were kept up to date with additions detailing the subsequent history of the locos. The 15in locos were sometimes built for stock when the works was quiet but I think the others were all built to order. Photo of the built up test etch for our kit - now painted as MDHB No.14

3ft 4in - as it says on the drawing. That's only part of it, there are plan and end views as well.

I don't know where the half etch lines have gone, they are clearly visible on the drawing but as Gordon says they aren't on the etch! If anyone does want to build this in 00 gauge then the S4 spacers need to be cut down by 2mm on each side. We are also going to include a pair of moulded headlights (the ones fitted on the end handrails on many locos) with this etch. Price is £18 + £1.50 postage.

I didn't bother measuring Brookes No1 - this is part of the 14" GA which I found hanging on the wall in the Middleton Railway museum shed. I used this to produce the drawings for our kit.

That's how we control Carlisle, unplug the controller, go to where the train is heading - and get plenty of exercise with the 100ft walk from one end to another......

Yes, they are usually a tight fit, I'm sure Chris will get you another one.

What's the kit you started with here?

Yes but we don't have any in stock at the moment, we hope to have some more next month. Price is £45 + £3.50 postage

Looking at the first photo I posted this was taken from Rome Street looking at the side of the building. What I could do with is a view of the RH side seen here, i.e. the side facing the Canal branch. I took that photo for reference when Peter Leyland was building the bridge, didn't know then that we were adding the building as well. Bing birds eye view shows it but not in very good resolution and the model is being built in Kiev. There might be trees in the way but I would be very grateful if you could help in any way.

It would, can I please have your real name though. I'll only be able to take cash or cheque payments there.

I only need someone to poke a camera over the bridge parapet, I'd do it myself but it's a long way to Carlisle.

I'm compiling some details of the former Scotts leather works off Rome Street in Carlisle, these to be sent to Kiev for our expert modellers to recreate it for the Carlisle layout. We only have two photos of this taken in the 1960s but all the buildings (apart from the chimney) still exist, some of it can be seen on Google street view and I have this one photo I took in 2012. If there is anyone who lives in Carlisle and could have a walk along Rome Street and photograph the front of this building we would be very grateful. This is the plan of what we want to add to the layout, it will form a backdrop to the goods lines, cut off along the wall.

I will be back to doing the kit design/building demo at Warley this year (after a year off with the appearance of Chapel en le Frith last year), stand A53.

I'll bring it along, might even be finished by then! We have sold a few of these etches but I think I may do a revision to cover the ex booster locos better.

It's a good kit, no major errors but I rarely build exactly what comes in the box for myself or other customers.

Both these kits were built with the wheels that came in the kit, DJH often put the wrong wheels in even when better ones were available. The one I built deviates a lot from the kit but for this customer I stayed with the Romfords, if it had been for me it would have had Gibson wheels.

S1 assembled and parked for the moment. Meanwhile we have a slight excess of Garratts in the fiddle yard. Both built from the DJH kit, the nearer one by Andy Ross is powered with one motor in the hind unit, the other is one I built some years ago (with a DS10 motor in each end) which is back for minor repairs. Either of these will be available for use on Wentworth Junction. The double motored one is parked on the banker return siding between the running lines of the fiddle yard. No coal wagons out in the shed at the moment so all I could find as a trial train for the single motor Garratt to bank was this short parcels train with a Hornby 25 on the front. No problems round the curve into the fiddle yard.

Next job is fitting the cab, again this is easier for the original version than the S1/2 or S1/3. Etched parts for the side window cab laid out, all the window frames are fitted separately and it's easier to do this before assembly. The half etch bar across the opening in the side will be removed after it is soldered on to the tank tops. I've also fitted the back handrail and all the lamp brackets now while I can still get inside the bunker without difficulty. There's nothing on the etch to register the position of the cab top and the turn down of the tank top makes this a bit hit and miss so I've assembled the cab top first. The ends fit in half etch rebates in the sides. First assembly tacked to the tank tops and checked carefully to see that it is square across the loco, in the middle and at the correct length. The small tacks on the outside are easy to make and move if they are wrong, when the position is correct applying the iron from the inside will spread this solder along the joint to be cleaned up with a scraper. Cab back fitted and bunker coal rails in place, I haven't put any detail inside the bunker, it will be well filled with weight and coal. Handbrake column is guesswork, it doesn't show in any of the photos I have so inside the frames on the left. I don't know what the inside of the cab looks like at all, presumably the backhead is the same as an O4 but what does the control for the steam reverser look like? Roof still to be fitted, then the boiler is the next job.