Woodcock29

Ok thanks Jonathan I've actually got another NE single bolster spare so can use that at the other end. Andrew

Andrew Please tell me more as I know little of the requirements for loading wagons. Then I can correct it after I've weathered the floor planks. Andrew

Bolster wagons - here are some of my recent efforts, please don't compare them with Headstock's work! I don't think I've posted these on here before? A Cambrian Quint I built the other year that's now been loaded with 60ft rail and therefore needs extra support from a secondhand NE single bolster. I know the Quint needs weathering, particularly the floor planks - but the load is still removable. Some loaded timber wagons for Gavin Thrum's Spirsby layout. Two NE single bolster I bought second-hand recently that have been converted from P4 to OO - I can here some cringing! I only noticed I hadn't painted the plastic card above the coupling mounts when I saw the photo! A David Geen NE double bolster A Chivers LMS double bolster. Andrew

CXW1 That is brilliant really for a first effort. The panels that are brown possibly just contrast a bit too much? I've also had that problem - its not so obvious when the coats are wet! Andrew

Graham This model of what I presume is an etched brass Dia 148 raises an interesting question. There are two gas lamps over the toilets which seems logical as there were two separate toilets but no ventilators. My model of Dia 148 shown on the previous page and now here again for comparison has only one gas lamp and two ventilators as printed on the roof by Bill. This doesn't really make sense to me as the single gas lamp flue is actually over the dividing wall between the toilets. I wonder if someone can provide any enlightenment as I've yet to find a photo of a real one? Interestingly, I discovered after I got mine from Bill, that the GNRS publications on the Howlden coaches (that I only got earlier this year) showed that all 4 of these Dia 148s were cascaded to the M&GN by 1912 so doesn't suit my layout (or Grantham for that matter) its a good thing we have Rule 1! The GNRS publications also shed some interesting light on numbering which I assume is more accurate than some of what is provided in the D&S kits I've built so I'll be needing to change some numbers on my other 6 wheelers! Andrew

I do like an English Electric and I know they were failures but a Baby Deltic, Class 23 for me. Andrew

Hi Jesse Its better than my first attempt when I was about 16 or so. The way I paint teak is using Humbrol enamels. Firstly a base coat of yellow. Once this is dry I then mix up a variety of browns - I don't think you can get the browns I use straight from a pot of paint. I'm very crude in the way I do it really. I mix up the browns using Humbrol 133, 186 and a bright orange, simply in an old kit box cardboard lid. Firstly I make a mid brown and paint the edges of the windows and doors and then with an oldish brush without too much paint, paint the panels a variety of shades - some are simply a plain colour others I try to get a bit of texture into. You can be the judge! Two recently completed Bill Bedford Howlden 3-D printed resin 6 wheelers. The finish I'm looking for is drab mid-late 30s long after any lining would have worn off. The roofs are not sitting down very well but I can't do much about that now as when I removed one after I noticed a window gazing had moved I snapped it in two and had to repair it! Andrew

Definitely the South Australian 400 Class for me. As much as I like the U1 (and my DJH model) I think garratts looks so much better with curved front and rear units. I think the 400 class was the same as the East African Railways 60 class. Here's the preserved 409 at the Australian National Railway Museum at Port Adelaide and also an old photo of the class leader No 400 at Port Pirie in 1969 taken when I was 13 . Andrew

I'm prepared to show my old Bec J17. It was built originally in the early 60s by my father before we left England. I gave it once over in the mid to late 80s. Fully stripped it down, this was the very original kit version which had an inaccurate cab roof and spectacles so I reshaped the spectacles with filler and redid the roof. Fitted Romfords, Crownline chimney and smokebox door, Wills safety valves from N7 kit and more recently (2000s I think) it got a Buhler motor and Ultrascale gearbox. Despite the inaccurate wheelbase and the 'extra large' splasher protruding out of the cab front its not too bad. It runs regularly on one of the pick-up goods in my operating sequence. The interesting thing is I managed to pick up a Crownline J17 kit at our last BRMA Convention in Canberra in 2019 for around £40 so another one on the roundtuit list. Clearly this J17 could do with brakes but I'm not sure I can be bothered - it is what it is! Time to go out to the shed - don't tell 'St Enodoc' that I'm starting to work on some scenery. Mind you I might soon get bored with that and get back to real work - locos and other rollingstock! Andrew

V2 and V1/V3

I reckon that is a brilliant shot Gilbert, despite the curves it shows the bridge off really well without the ends disappearing into space. Andrew

I've just repainted a Hornby Q6 after changing boiler fittings to suit a Dia 50 boiler, so it must be the Q6 for me. Andrew

I vote for the Stanier 2-6-4T (2 cylinder version). The Thompson L1s are a bit too chunky. The less said about the ex GC L1 the better, although I have one I was given to be rebuilt for my layout! Andrew

Well this one is difficult as there are a lot of lovely 4-6-0s and I have models of quite a number of them. But I need to stick with my main interest for this, the LNER, so for me it's the B4 because of its proportions and elegance and I've still got to build the one I've had for probably 20 years or more! Mind you I do like the Jubilee, Black 5, B17 and most of the ex GC 4-6-0s. Andrew

I've always liked the N7s and the N5s but the N1 is my choice for this competition. I'll be building one shortly - I seem to have a GN bug currently! Andrew

I like a lot of the 2-8-0s and have models of lots of different ones including from foreign railways out west even. But we need to look to home territory, whilst I love the O4, when it comes to picking my favourite it has to be an O2, but which version? At the end of the day I've chosen the O2/2. Andrew

This time it must be the C1. I also love the C2 but the powerful dominance of the C1 boiler and firebox do it for me. Andrew

Likewise

No competition here. Has to be the C12, particular with the tall chimney.

Could be on this site!

I agree with my friend from up north here in South Australia. I'm actually split between Stanier mogul and the K2 (without Westinghouse and definitely with GN cab). But if I have to pick one its the Stanier mogul. Andrew

Well that is a challenge if we're to find the most beautiful 4-4-0. Despite the fact I love the D16/3, the simplicity of a D2 and the presence of a D10 or D11 the most beautiful has to be an original ex GC LNER D9. Some of the Scottish 4-4-0s are very attractive as well but at the end of the day it comes back to the D9 for me. Andrew

J52 Andrew

Hi Doug I was using the Yeadon on NE 0-8-0s ( I've acquired most of them now other than the Scottish locos). I've always loved the Q6s despite being basically outside my area. My mistake was in ordering and then buying the first Hornby LNER version of the Q6 without realising it was not easy to make it into a pre-war version with the tender it came with. In the end I've had to change the boiler fittings and move the position of the dome to make it one with the earlier Dia 50 boiler. I've actually airbrushed it in the last two hours! Ok so changing the boiler fittings is not difficult for us modellers but I hadn't planned on having to do that. I salvaged a dome and safety valves off an old NuCast botched Q6 I was given some years ago. I cut the top off an old w/m chimney to get a curved piece of w/m that I could add to the Hornby chimney for the capuchon. At least I got to remove the strip that Hornby modelled along the top of the boiler that I believe is incorrect in the process. I'll post a photo once it's finished - problem is its distracted me from other more important modelling tasks. But I decided to finish off or undertake a range of minor modelling projects just to reduce the list! Andrew

Tony (G) Malcolm's book ranks along with Yeadon's Appendix on LNER tenders, which of course covers the GC tenders so well, as indispensable parts of my library. I'm lucky my main two interests are the ex GC and GN parts of the LNER! Recently I had need to sort tender types on a Q6, that was difficult and could only be done with photos. Andrew