jrg1

Excellent-a masterclass in taking a kit and upgrading it! More please!

Sean Bean-is he pronounced Seen Been or Shaun Born?

Very impressed with the model. Can you describe how you clean it ultrasonically, and what you use for the bath, please?

On a slightly different note, can anyone supply a side view drawing of a Riddles MOS 2-10-0? I am building an etched kit, and I need to model the lower wide firebox correctly. I have a copy of the works drawing in "The British Steam Railway Locomotive 1925-1965", but this is a sectioned view, and I need to strike off the dimensions from a drawing. Thanks in anticipation.

My new pension plan.

Somewhere around page 700+ Tony. I feel that the supplier/customer interface should be professional-after all, their products are in demand. It really can be a disincentive when queries go unanswered, or sites are not updated, or there is a general lack of communication. I too do wonder what the future holds for the hobby-perhaps there will be more suppliers such as Wizard buying up other concerns and thereby ensuring products remain on the market. Alternatively, excellent products such as etched kits could be lost to the hobby when the owner retires, sending the skilled end of the hobby into a probable decline.

Many pages ago I opined exactly the same as you-and was pilloried for it. Sourcing components from small suppliers can be difficult enough, but leaving a site active when the proprietor has retired is also unprofessional-as well as ignoring subsequent enquiries regarding the site.

A major mistake assembling gearboxes is to enlarge holes by drilling them-almost guaranteed to stuff up the alignment. This is usually the reason for grinding/noise/stiffness in a gearbox. Holes should be broached or reamed to ensure all components line up correctly.

Sad to learn of Iain Rice's passing. I first read his articles in Model Railways during the seventies, and then collected his modelling books. His drawings and descriptions were inspirational, and encouraged me to have a go. As I type this, I am converting a Hornby J52 to P4 with a Mainly Trains chassis and detailing kit-all designed and complete with instructions and exploded drawings by Iain.

Perhaps an area that would be ideal for a resistance soldering unit.

Regarding RTR. it seems to me that the manufacturers are just interested in making and flogging product. Unlike some time ago, spares are difficult to source. For finescale modellers, loco and diesel bodies are increasingly difficult to obtain.

Please help me find the assortment of carbon motor brushes that disappeared into the 4th dimension in my last workshop.

Steve Banks has an image of a Barnum at Hull Paragon in 1949 with the decorative handrails, plus there is an image of E5712 at Gorton in 1949 with the same. Also, there are images of newly-built Barnums with simple handrail arrangements. I also have a picture of a crimson and cream Barnum TO on the ECML c1956.

I wonder if you would like to comment on Thompson's rebuilds of class B3, K3, D49 and B17-all pointless in my opinion, apart from being old designs.

How true. I see that the chassis for the P2 and also the B17 will have Cannon axleboxes fitted-miles ahead of the original arrangement.

For Edward Thompson to produce the B1 class with a standard boiler, V2 wheelsets, D49 bogie, K2 cylinders and standard tender, all in a time of austerity, was an extraordinary engineering achievement.

I used to see the Harwich boat train with a Britannia at the head in the early evening at Lincoln. Your images brought back many pleasant memories. Can you advise what the coach formation is? I read somewhere that western region coaches were once seen in the formation. I know that a Bulleid tavern set was briefly used in the late forties-that would have been interesting to see.

I have posted photos on here previously-at the moment we are still unpacking from our house move, but I hope to have the model completed later in the year.

If you wish, I can send the cab, boiler etch and other topsides, as I have modified the DJH kit to produce the Gresley rebuild.

Look on the bright side-it will cure you of Jidenco kits.

Talking of the B17 build, I see that there is a major departure from the original design, in that the driving axles will have roller bearings and the middle and trailing driving axles will have cannon bearing assemblies. I assume this is to mitigate problems with the original design-a weak chassis.

I think you have captured the Nottingham area very well-the layout certainly brings back memories for me. Where are the L1's? Can you post a layout plan? I am very impressed with the air of spaciousness that the layout suggests.

Bringing back memories of when we changed chemical suppliers and found that the product for cleaning our water generator (Rainmaker) was useless. We had by that stage returned the previous chemicals ashore.

This is arranged for P4-clearances are very tight.