Michael Edge

The couplings used might be a significant factor in this, the standard UK coupler (and the popular Sprat & Winkle) uses two offset hooks between each vehicle which produces an off centre pull. Full length, often very heavy trains are run routinely on the huge model of Carlisle which I am involved with but all couplings are either three link/screw or Kadee, all of which have a more or less central pull. The minimum radius on this layout is 54". On my own Wentworth Junction layout I can run full length "double load" trains of 60 coal wagons on a minimum radius of well under 36", this with DG couplers which also use a central pull - and one 2-8-0 can pull these (empty) up 1 in 40 and round the sharpest curve with no great difficulty. I have no doubt that 34 wagon MGR trains will run just as well - if I ever get round to acquiring enough of them.

It would look a lot better with the edge next to the cess straightened and neater.

No. I'll have to look for it, thanks. With no exhibitions I don't get to see new books very often. I've got the two photos you mention though - there's a whole series of photos of the Q4 on the colliery trip from Henry Casserley when he went to WJ to photograph the Garratt.

This was the view of Bog Junction from Currock Road bridge in 2012 on our first research trip to Carlisle.

One operator at Citadel is going to be very busy...

That one turned up a bit late, we keep finding more all the time - should be easier for you now.

This is all starting to look very familiar to me.....

Same both ends, it won't have anything else to do. I've also got photos of a 47 with 9G97 (with what looks like a spoil train off the colliery branch) and also a 47 showing 9G91 in the colliery siding - although that might be the other end of the same loco. Any movement on the down line involved at least two locos and/or some shunting.

Yes, all our pantographs are surprisingly strong - except possibly the weird thing on the ES1 which is almost impossible to make work. Many have survived being roughly handled or accidentally knocked sideways on exhibition displays. There will be some in our next etch order, probably November.

Thanks John, yes it should be 9, I don't know where I got 1 from.

The Brush 2 finished ready to go back on the layout now. This is the innards, shows how much lead has to be added, particularly at No1 end, to get it to pull a reasonable load. Flush glazing makes a big difference but I might have to redo the numbers, they don't look very good in this photo. 1T72 is the Wentworth Silkstone colliery trip - I'm not too keen on these either but they were the best I could find. This is the driven end, the dummy centre wheels are fairy visible from this angle, the other end has been fitted with the correct smaller wheels on the middle axle. The bogie detail on this venerable model is a lot better than many more recent rtr diesels in my opinion.

I've built up the second test etch of the Stone-Faiveley pantograph today. One or two minor alterations were needed and some parts added, mainly the linkage to keep the head horizontal (not actually working but at least it's there) and the yoke from the air motor. There will be a moulding for the motor itself. Price will probably be the same as the cross arm pan. This was built up as suggested on a block of wood, I don't have another 25kv loco to fit this one on. There will be a 7mm version on the next test etch, it should eb quite a bit easier to assemble in the larger scale.

Yes, number 4 is at Hadfield.

Workbench update after the Kirtley 0-4-4T was finished. Next job will be to get back on with the 7mm GW 1361 seen on the right. I've got two of these to build but they won't be done together, I hate batch building - I prefer variety. Two more 7mm test etch Hunslet diesels at left, these need some pattern making (not my favourite job) before they go into production but they have been promised for some time now. Front left is the start of the next loco for Wentworth Junction, a Q4 0-8-0 - these were common on the colliery trip before electrification, working from Barnsley shed. In the middle is a rather old fashioned frame (1/16th brass) for another O4 (can't have too many of these for either Herculaneum or WJ). I've had this for many years, I don't know who built it, possibly Peter Everton back in the 1970s, it originally had a KTM open frame motor now replaced with a 15mm square one on a High Level Roadrunner+. Still no progress on the Sentinel though, or the MR railmotor.

Stainless steel should solder OK with phosphoric acid as flux.

They did contact me after Baz pointed this out to them. As a professional model maker and kit designer I not unreasonably asked politely "what's in it for me?" - I received no reply to this. I notice the speed with which faults in the illustration of this wagon have appeared - with regard to the Fell I wouldn't know where to start, the illustration appears to be a random compilation of almost every modification which was made to 10100.

I always draw all parts with their own outline and tags, rather than the multiply connected style you are using. It makes it much easier to re-arrange the etch, to copy parts to another job and to correct errors.

P4 flanges are smaller as well so no trouble from the rather excessive compensated axlebox movement. Apart from carefully cleaning out the inside of the splashers there was no problem - George must have designed them correctly in the first place.

I finally got the Kirtlry 0-4-4T finished at the weekend. This hasn't been the easiest job - nothing wrong with the London Road (ex George Norton) kit, as long as it was the later version that was required. In the end I've had to scratch build some of it and modify other parts. Contrary to expectations building it in P4 didn't cause any real problems.

I've cut the baseboard back now for the underbridge. The position of the middle girder is shown, I'll build this before ballasting the track. This bridge deck was ballasted all over, the visible base underneath is made from concrete slabs. The up and down tracks split apart slightly round the girder. The bottom flange of the central girder is visible here. A little bit of landscaping started where the gradient changes, just these two areas to ballast now. There are two permanent magnets in the ashpit road, these are for uncoupling locos which may have returned coupled together.

I think we might have to increase the order for these....

I should have made it clear that the three "white" layers are only turned to white at the last stage - while I'm working on the drawing they are shown in three shades of yellow, otherwise i wouldn't be able to see them on the white screen.

PM sent, I don't know of any of these working at Port Talbot but I think they have been used at Llanwern.

Which C14? This is a bit confusing, if you are referring to the LNER (GC) loco we should have had two available but there was an error on the etch and we could only sell one of the three. More on order for the end of this month or thereabouts and some replacement coupling rods for the two we have.

My artwork has 6 layers - front, back, both, white front , white back and white both but all this is printed out on two films, one for the front one for the back. Where they coincide it's all etched away. The three white layers are used to cancel out something on the others - e.g. tags and corrections. Nobody at PEC or PPD sees these layers though, they are just what I work with. Colours are just what I work with on the coomputer screen, fill outlines are not required and may well confuse the process. I usually work to a minimum of .33mm in our usual .015" sheet, I wouldn't expect .25mm to disappear in .010" sheet which we use for our 2mm etches - these are simply reduced from the 4mm etches and some very thin parts occasionally disappear - but PEC do these for us, not PPD.