S.A.C Martin

Seem to have mixed up my classes somewhere - my apologies.

Tony - smashing work on the K3. My pair of K3s have always been a bit suspect, I wonder if there is an alternative in using the 5'8" drivers of the Hornby L1, set into an etched replacement chassis? These are readily available on eBay at the minute. I have been reading a volume by Peter Townend this week, which I am certain you must be aware of - LNER Pacifics Remembered. A very interesting book with driver's memoirs. What is your opinion of the book? I myself have found it an enthralling read. Certainly the photographs not published before are worth their weight in gold.

One of the hazards of modelling the LNER I'm afraid. Two Gresley Pacific types, four Thompson Pacific types, two Peppercorn Pacific types and between them a number of different diagrams of boilers, with variations of washout plug arrangements, dome types and boiler barrel length/shape and firebox length. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be accurate, and washout plugs are one of those many factors in getting it right.

Problem is Stefan, I'm no GWR man myself but I can see straight away that the boiler and its cone for the taper are - plain and simply - wrong and thus see the dimensional inaccuracy as a right pain for anyone who does want it to look right. MREmag had an interesting email in yesterday about the A4s - there's a missing washout plug on the left hand side. Once seen, it can't be unseen, and now is thoroughly annoying me. I think I may have to have a rethink about the body shells - do I really want to go to the effort of slicing and sanding down 20 body shells to fit replacement washout plugs…? …actually, at £3.99 a pop, it may still just about edge it but it is still annoying to find out.

Now done - thanks Graeme. I had the model in a loco cradle recently so it may have happened then.

Graeme King produced that conversion first as far as I know, and it was published in BRM first I think. I myself own one of Graeme's excellent conversions, expertly converted by Graeme around six years ago from a Railroad 60022 Mallard model. It is a stunning model and still turns heads when it gets run, though it gets out rarely at the minute as it's the wrong livery and period to the rest of my stock. Not for long I suspect...

More pictures here on the blog. Valances not finished yet, need filing and a bit more cutting away at the front, however the overall effect is getting there. Incidentally the valve gear is going to be changed for a super detail Hornby A4 set, I've decided. Very prompt decision when I remembered the bracket for the eccentric gear is moulded onto the body shell of the Railroad A4 and not part of the stamped metal components assembled into the finished valve gear.

For the Midlanders among us…correct type wheels, fixed cartazzi, tender body on Hornby tender frames (unbelievably they have identical attachment points so it's literally unscrew the crimson top and screw in to the tender frames). New valve gear, front wheel set. All the wheels will be painted black, the loco body stripped, the tender cut down and then the whole model primed before gloss black, transfers, johnson's Klear and some judicious weathering to be applied. May overtake my A4 conversion at this rate…!

Well, as a Charlton fan…starting to believe we can survive again. Superb 1-0 win against manager less Forest. Just have to keep the momentum going. A real shame Chrissy Powell isn't around to see it but that's football sadly. Come on you Addicks.

No, because I swapped out the A1/A3 type cylinders for the super detailed A4 type. Therefore it all fits rather well

Prototype 1, Bachmann chassis, Hornby tender frames, GBL loco and GBL 4472 tender bodyshell. Prototype 2, Hornby Railroad 4472 chassis (with flywheel), GBL loco and tender bodyshell. Bodyshell has been de-frocked and awaiting painting.

A comparison in shades... …and a GBL 4472 tender being prepared for final detailing and the paint shop thereafter.

To turn it apple green…

Of course they can Ivan - but we're talked about 4472 to death here and elsewhere. It's very in vogue to make it the butt of all jokes and frankly it's past being funny and more about making a pot shot for the sake of it. Perhaps though you could offer up your own view rather than simply decrying mine - no? would make a nice change.

What would you have the NRM do? There is no single chimney or blast pipe in their spares - long gone, replaced pre-Waterman days. They have to fit the double chimney and kylchap exhaust - it's all they have. This has a softer exhaust than the single chimney, so the deflectors have to go on. It's best known in LNER apple green livery so that has to go on too, though they are dedicated to painting it BR dark green in this period of operation. Scotsman is at its "most authentic" it has been for years under NRM ownership, at least physically. I've said it a dozen times previously but any form 4472 takes is always going to be a compromise - no LNER livery is authentic for her anyway as she is right hand drive now not left hand drive. Pegler didn't get this criticism with his "restoration" - why should the NRM? More back seat, arm chair "enthusiasm" which has little regard for the circumstances or facts of scotsmans ownership.

You know, it's jibes like that at the real 4472 and the NRM that really irritate. It's on it's way to completion and when finished will be the most sorted preserved locomotive in preservation by my reckoning. They've come a long way from the mostly inherited mess in 2004. Give them a break. And give Ian Riley and the staff, volunteers or not, who've worked on her tirelessly, credit for a job that will be well done. Regarding the model, I'm going to buy a few more for cabs and tender I think. Definitely useful.

More pics on my blog here for anyone so interested. Lots to ponder. In brief: the boiler and running plate are solid lumps and require a lot of material being removed to make a motorised model. The cab and tender, including the tender frames, and very nice and usable and I will probably end up getting a few more for just that purpose. The tender body shell is better than the Railroad one in terms of modelling potential by a long way. A simple repaint will do wonders as I hope to demonstrate later this weekend.

Nope - I was wrong. Not worth much to us I'm afraid. Pics to follow shortly.

Really impressed with the 4472 for a number of reasons, which I will go into full detail later this evening with some photographs. Suffice to say, it has made me do a complete rethink on the whole class A3 I had planned to build and how I intend to do it now. The tender, separate cab, its glazing and the running plate is worth the price (but let's see if we can get them cheaper…)

Absolutely Graeme, it was your excellent range I had in mind.

You see, it's times like this I wish that Airfix had more of an interest and more of a crossover with Hornby for a range of plastic model kits that could fit some of Hornby's chassis. Can you imagine the delight at having some basic plastic kits to fit Hornby Railroad 0-6-0 chassis - industrial tank and diesel locomotives spring to mind, or for the larger engines, imagine plastic kits for the original form W1 to fit onto the Railroad A4 chassis with minor modifications... The GBL locomotives have for the most part given us a lot to ponder in terms of modelling. I think the A4 models have been the best thus far in terms of presenting us with raw materials to make better models. The tenders in particular are very nice. The 4472 model may have potential. I am literally champing at the bit to get a hold of one - tried all the usual suspects at lunch today in Canary Wharf but nope, only a solitary Coronation (the A4s have long since sold out!)

A very nice effort. Do I spy the tender drive A4 chassis and tender in use? If so, how did you fit the motor under the GBL tender (it not being as wide as the old tender drive moulding). By comparison, I have used a Bachmann A4 chassis (the latest one) and a Hornby Railroad Scotsman chassis (again, the latest one with 3-pole motor and flywheel).

The website for GBL shows a picture of the next loco, the 28xx model. Looks rather smart.

A few other bits and pieces too. I'm very impressed with the ease with which this conversion has happened. The A4s have been a little more difficult but they have been very good fun in their own right. Looking out for a 4472 model - this is the "make or break" one for me as I would like to standardise my A3 fleet as well and I need a good number of them…!

Needs finishing off (some black paint, red paint, wheels top be painted and a few other bits and bobs). Comparison with an RTR tender: Meanwhile, the duchess gets some coupling rods and the tender starts getting rubbed down. If anyone could confirm that the LMS used - well - black as opposed a dark grey on the streamliners it would be much appreciated. There's plenty of contemporary artwork showing the locomotives in a light grey but I had always put that down to soot and general service grime...