jrg1

Could we have a description of the work involved, please?

Splendidly public spirited! Many Thanks for this.

Putting together a brass or W/M kit for the first time with little or no guidance can be very off-putting for a novice. I found Iain Rice's articles in the MR and Guy William's MRC book both godsends. My initial attempts were not helped by the quality of some products available at the time. A K's J72 with parts that did not fit at all, and a keyhole chassis that squeezed the bearings tight was a poor start. Q Kits and Falcon Brass also come to mind as bad news. However, many mistakes and dead ends later, being able to make a reasonable representation in miniature is very satisfying. Mixing and matching to produce the rebuilt Raven A2 is my latest project-DJH kit, Nick Easton Etches, modified SE Finecast Boiler and scratch components for this P4 model.

You could pinch bits of Lincolnshire stations, and then run an LMS Garratt pulling Consett ore hoppers and banked by a class 15 hydraulic-and explain that you pinched bits of Lincolnshire trains, with L&Y signalling

I thought that South Willingham on the same line would be an interesting subject for a "Plank" layout.

Many thanks for this. I will use the Comet underframe, and have been looking for a substitute for David Geen-my emails have been ignored.

Perhaps a dental burr at slow speed?

I forgot to mention that you need to take off the connecting rods and pull out the crossheads. I wish I had bought the Jin 97xx panniers instead.

Tony, the Far Eastern 45xx is a nice model, made by Jin at the end of the seventies. I had two, and the chassis is something of a novelty. Pickup is through the two pony trucks, which are live, so the trucks are insulated from the body. The trucks need to come off to access the body/chassis fixing screws. Also, there was a great deal of sideplay on the leading driving wheelset, leading to binding with the slidebars-or knocking them off. There was also too much slop in the connecting rods. It took quite some work to make the chassis reliable, but I think was worth it, as the body was quite good, in my opinion. After you re-assemble, don't forget the pony truck insulation pieces!

So interesting to see the comments on lining. I always thought that BR got the liveries just right, and how much the lining mattered. This was highlighted when some of the Princess Coronations were turned out in LMS red with BR orange lining-awful.

A great model and a reminder of trips to and from Paris Nord-these were like a low flying jet, with incredible acceleration.

26600 really did deserve to be preserved as a reminder of the NER's electrification policy-in fact on every consideration, technical, historical, and uniqueness, it should have been with us today. At least we have 26500.

Mechanism photos and build description, please!

Mayflower had a reputation for running hotboxes.

For some reason I could not attach a description to the Falcon GWR Cordon on the previous page. Bought S/H, the entire topsides were junked, as it really was unbuildable. Added detail completed the underframe, and it now runs on a friend's GW layout. I subsequently realised that the tank ends should have been concave. Damn. At least it is not noticeable. And whoever buys the Falcon LNER Fruit Van, the very best of luck.

The class 21s and 22s were built when North British were going downhill. I was told that they were sent to Swindon for a general overhaul before entering service.

There were a number of K3s that ran with GNR tenders in BR days

Many Thanks for that, Robert. Hope there are no copyright issues with the photograph. Any information on the NCC would be most welcome.

Can anyone advise on the NCC train formation through the years? I used to see the evening train to Harwich passing through Lincoln Central on my way home from school. I know that the buffet car was ex-GER, and that for a short time the buffet was a Bulleid tavern car. I also recollect reading that Hawksworth coaches were once seen in the formation. Anyone out there who can expand on this?

Where do you start with something like this? It is as though everything has conspired to be wrong-eye wateringly wrong. The cab is ridiculous, and the tender has been shrunk. No way could an accurate model be produced from this.

I think that this is because BR is so bland and uninteresting compared to the past-every modernisation, rationalisation, updating and renewing has made the railways increasingly colourless-think Spalding today compared to the fifties.

The H15, N15 and S15 family were ahead of their time-massively built, simple and economical.

I am basing my views on the BRB criteria for preservation-engineering interest and individual locomotive fame. So, to expand the list, L&Y Highflyer LNWR Precursor Sirocco 5005 Manorbier Castle Highland Railway River Class Caledonian Railway Cardean APT train Metro Vick Blue Pullman Train Class 22 Diesel Hydraulic Class 41 D6xx Hydraulic If the public are as indifferent as you say, the essential crowd-funding of so many replicas would need some explanation. Perhaps it is like the punters I saw looking round Lincoln Cathedral, and only interested in the gift shop. Fortunately, the majority of visitors appreciated being there, and wanted to know more.

Why shouldn't it? They are all representative of examples of our railway engineering heritage that have been lost. Get off your high horse-let's hear what you would consider.