Michael Edge

Doesn't look as if there's much left to do!

It certainly isn't possible in 00, Carlisle is EM.

The switch blades should flex easily enough, we have some shorter ones than this in Carlisle's switch diamonds - but they did need much thicker wire in the Tortoise point motors to drive them.

I would agree with that last comment, start by building one rigid before trying anything more complicated - walk before you run.

Sprockets and chain readily available from a number of sources, I usually get them from Branchlines. The system is well known in the 7mm world but rarely used in 4mm, the chain is quite wide and does require a narrow gearbox for the driven axle - the 1-Co-Co-1 bogies above are for EM but it is possible to use them in 00.

It's Slater's corrugated plastikard, the brass angle is to keep the bottom edge straight and provides a handle to lift the door. There's no mechanism, it's just hand operated - on the layout it's the backyard of the loco depot with CISL's last steam loco parked out of use (but kept as a pet).

The peg (it's not a hook) isn't vertical, it has to be angled back slightly to let the loop ride up over it. I had to guess this angle on the etch but it seems to work perfectly - the peg is parallel by the way, anything else is an illusion. No reason why not, the drawing is all done, just not for etching. It would be later in the autumn now though at the earliest.

There's one on my Cwmafon layout at the back of the steelworks loco shed. It's just a sheet of corrugated plastikard with a length of brass angle glued on the bottom. It runs in brass guides on the inside of the building which curve over into the roof - just visible at the top here with the door partly open. It works very well and as one of our operators discovered it springs off without any damage if accidentally driven into from the inside - "what door?" was the reaction to "did you open the door before you parked that loco there?"

You might want to wait for this to go into production later this year. First test etch shown here, I have a second one to do, then it will be in production.. Since the first build I've worked out a way of simulating the upper arm which keeps the head horizontal. More in Judith Edge kits thread.

You should always check that the loco can still spin its wheels - this is an essential safety valve, prevents burning out stalled motors.

They are all the same wheelbase so yes.

The wheels are old Romfords, machined down to 20mm. They may well have been 21mm ones but they came out of my 3mm spares box, already turned down a bit. This needs doing with care as the heat from machining can get the tyre to come off the insulated ones if you go too quick or take too deep a cut. Romford did make 3mm wheels at one time but I've not used many of them. Depending on the wheel you want Gibson wheels are OK for TT but there are sometimes problems with excessive crankthrow or not enough spokes. I've only built two locos (14.2mm gauge) with the society wheels and I didn't like them at all.

Obviously I've answered the wrong question there! 10201 and 10203 have the same bogies as the EE type 4 - easy enough to etch what I've already done. I probably would have done but I thought I didn't have time - turns out I had months to spare....

The etch will fit those anyway since couplers are on the bogies. I've sent a pair to Andrew for him to have a look at, one or other of us may put this into production. I'm thinking of modifying the latch to be a fold over the peg, this will look more like a Dingham latch.

It's cheaper and easier to source, I haven't tried them yet so I don't know how well thye will work.

Markits wheels are fine although they are overscale width in EM gauge - not too much of a problem with this loco, especially if you leave the cylinders in the standard DJH pushed out position. Gibson look much better, they are now just about 100% reliable but some modellers have great difficulty fitting them. The Gibson crankpin system may cause clearance problems behind the crossheads.

The old style Romford wheels are no longer available, all replaced by Markits wheels which are not the same. EM axles (and even P4 now) are readily available.

Yes it's a Barclay 0-6-0DH - AB615?

He can stand wherever he likes - to see the signals clearly, contrary to most modellers' impressions you don't drive a steam loco with your hands on any of the controls all the time.

The specification for the Eurotunnel shuttle loco bodies, built at Qualter Hall in Barnsley, was that the sides had to be completely flat. This was done by hydraulically stretching the sides before welding them up, it was certainly a new technique to Qualts at the time.

Mine are in regular use for all those three gauges, they have also been used for small 7mm locos on 1/8th axles and 1:48 scale 3'6" gauge. Works perfectly well for anything, I can't see why there should be a distinction there, straight frames and corresponding axle centres and coupling rod centres are necessary in any gauge.

Have you seen what it does to steel?

I use phosphoric acid as flux and never need to clean any etched brass or n/s before soldering - but I've only been doing this for a living for the last 43 years or so......

Not much goods traffic at Liverpool Central, Brunswick Goods included the original Cheshire Lines passenger terminus - the branch off was really the later line into Central station. The Liverpool portions of trains from St Pancras had reversed at Manchester Central - as did the GC trains right into the 1960s.

There's no real need to clean them if you use an acid flux (preferably phosphoric acid) but if you really want to try "Bar Keeper's Friend" and scrub them with an old toothbrush.