Mike 84C

Yeh!,that's the stove I remember the loco cabin one had a piece 6"+ deep between the two chambers with some holes in it but not very many maybe 4? and a sliding chimney damper. Its a lot of stove for £400, not sure the memsahib would go for it in the front room and it would double or treble my winter fuel bill! Funnily enough I was mooching around the village of Clun earlier this year, our third visit in about 10yrs so we must like it and the area very much. For the caravanners on here theres a lovely little site just outside the village. PM me if you want details. No more hijacking, promise! Mick

AS a total aside, Clun was the last Castle of not very many! that I fired during my BR service. From Shrewsbury back to 84C on a TRPS special, I believe Pat Whitehouse gave my driver and I a bottle of beer and 10/- each. I know I b----y well earned mine, still think that engine is the dog's!.

The Flat Top Romesse, now that is a name from the past which conjured up a vision and a tale. When I was a teenager I foolishly went to work at 84C, always wanted to be an engine driver, the engine man's cabin which had been part of the pump and valve house for the oil burning scheme. So was quite a big building and had one of those stoves as its sole means of heating. Stove, cast iron flue, about 15ft long through the flat concrete roof. This stove was big enough to hold 11/2-2 wheel barrows of coal. On night shift some fireman would be told to stoke up the stove which would glow a nice warm red from bottom to top. All in the know would disperse to tables and benches around the walls of the cabin to play cards, dominoes, read or sleep. This left the benches and tables right by the stove vacant for visiting crews. Who were soon in their shirt sleeves and often could not stand the heat so vacated the cabin, which caused much laughter. The participation was much funnier than the telling. Keep posting it all reminds me of Bloxham, our house backed up to the playing field by the station, on the Kingham branch.

My word thats a beet train and a half! and a really nice photo shot with the train receding into the distance. To much experience of real containers to get excited about them but yours are really good models, the side door is a little" Vieve la differance" !

An attractive prototype and model Tony but could you please hang that injector feed pipe up under the footplate? It looks odd just hanging there! Regards Mick

I have a vision of a 7mm Harry Reynolds, who was a fitter at 84c back in the days of snowy winters and hot summers, doing 7mm brake block changes! The 29 looks rather good, showing rather a lot of her long legs but you did choose a mini-skirted version! Incidentally 84c was pretty much a N-S orientation which made it a b---y cold place to work in a wet pit, don't ask!! Mic

Ref; Black 5 tenders, I seem to to remember disc or spoked wheels on the std LMS 4000 gall tenders. I also have a friend who claims never to have fired a Black 5 but he was at Kings +!

That is looking rather good. I'm looking forward to the completed build which so far is very neat as is your workbench! Whose chimney did you use?

From the footplate, if the lubricator stopped working (not unknown for a clevis pin to wear and drop out or bend the drive rod) then that small bar with the bent ends told you straight away. If it was rotating all was well as it was atatched to the plunger drive shaft.

Have a look at Corbs "of this parish" Railway Mania 3D printed Kits, he is also on facebook. He and Adam FW sell a very nice printed kit for an Avonside 0-6-0t to fit the Hornby 0-6-0 Pecket chassis. Ruston has done the build of one on his thread.

I had a look at a photo of 4154 at Banbury in the twilight of its life. The photo is on Flickr. The Hornby model looks like 4154 so it does it for me ; I'll also add its one of that class I fired a number of times. Mick

Hello John, Albion Alloys are good for bar and sheet stock in brass/ aluminium. Useful books; The Compact Lathe by Stan Bray. pub; Special Interest Model Books. ISBN 978 185486 227 3. Unimat III Lathe Accessories by Bob Loader. W.shop practise Series No32 pub; Nexus Special Interests. ISBN 1 85486 213 8. The Book of the Unimat by D.J.Laidlaw- Dickson pub; MAP technical publication . ISBN 0 85242 591 0 Looks like you have the full set of kit there! with quite a new machine, mine is much older and I have fewer accesories. All three books have been useful in parts and there is overlap in what is covered but there are hints and tips in all three. Two of mine I bought s/h the Book of the Unimat cost £3! I cannot give you guidance as I am just a novice with such a small machine and my turning is limited to 2ft gauge wheels!. I have had fun with mine and you will with yours. Mick

A lovely build of a very distinctive vehicle. Cracking!!

A J19? it looks like a bitza this and that. I'm sure someone will tell me all about them 'cos it's a new one to me.

My name is Mick Whittle and I posted the photo so pass on details if you wish. Ron had given me the photo a long time ago and I found it looking for other "stuff". Sadly Ron passed away about 5 Sept this year nearly making his 95 birthday.

I do admire your progress Andy and putting a layout in one of those modern truss roofed houses must be a real pitb! Still you could always get a second income stream by being a contorsionist!!!!! I do hope you have some sort of insulation in the roof? and dont forget the airflow around the insulation. I did and the remedial work was another pitb! Enjoy, be safe please keep posting. MIck

Irish Metro-Vick Diesels by Barry Carse Published by Colourpoint. ISBN1-898392-15-3. It was £4.99. mine has proved very useful . The guys on IRM.net may prove helpful. I find they always are. Locomotives of the GSR by Clements & McMahon is a very interesting book about the steam side of things but its final chapters does point to reasons why Milne's recommendations were not taken up. Mick

Not like those finger pinching doors fitted on LMS engines. With a damn great spring to keep them shut. Yes I did and yes it hurt!

Oxford 1952, for me it illustrates the simplicity of WR/GW signaling with the post to the left of the line it refered to. The carriage sidings to the far right and the loco yard behind them and continuing to the river bridge. Brought back mainly happy memories.

Saltley seagulls, turned up everywhere. Even back in the '60's some things never change!

I also just spotted this post. Tragic news and I shall miss your posts. For me your modelling created a picture of Ireland which your trains brought to life and sometimes made me think "that's a good idea I can do that" I know not what I believe but thank you and God bless you. Mick

I volunteered on a well known narrow gauge railway in Wales for 15 yrs. Worked on the full time staff for 10 yrs. I did'nt do any modelling during that time, although I made some base boards which I gave away! I suppose I had 12" to the foot to play with! When I left Wales I started making models again. Wonder what Freud would have to say about it?

Thank you Paul, very entertaining videos and the offer of help is much appreciated. Mike

Dave thank you for the swift reply. Of the sounds Paul posted I like the Dorman best. Paul, thanks for those sample sounds I think its the Dorman with the gear changing that does it for me. Of sounds, its a pity non were fitted with a Commer TS3. Although I know Foden 2 strokes were fitted in Planets. Need bloody good ear defenders in that cab!

I'm building an 11t Planet what sound would be good for this loco please? Its the Nonneminstre Models kit. I am thinking Gardner, Perkins or Ford 4cyl diesels is this wide of the mark?