thegreenhowards

Love the Gresley conversions Gilbert. Do you happen to know the origin of the sides? I'm midway through an MJT CK and a Mousa BSK(5). I'm struggling to work out which I prefer. MJT's window drop lights with inbuilt hinges are very convenient, but the Mousa sides have drop lights ready installed and less soldering to do on the sides. I have to say the Hornby coach looks good as well from the side. I recognise the lack of turnunder, but this is not very visible in a rake of coaches. For me, I won't be replacing Hornby sides for the diagrams they make, just to increase the range. So I have a lot of Hornby side door SKs etc. running around with which I'm happy enough. Andy

Hi Tony, They're lovely coaches. I'm tempted by the MJT kitchen car, but I'm not sure what they worked by the late fifties. There are very few kitchen cars in the carriage workings, and I assumed those that are shown were Thompson's. What do you intend to use yours on? Regards Andy

Thanks. The paint finish is none too good, but I'm quite pleased overall. Yes, by railroad shorties I mean the old Hornby too short Gresleys. I guess they used to be main range and poor, and are now railroad. Andy

Phil, I did mine using Mousa sides on Hornby Railroad shorties. It was quite straightforward if rather time consuming. The shorties are just the right length once you've cut off the domed end. The most difficult bit was dealing with the inset brake end, and filing down the chassis to match. I've now got two more sets of sides in the roundtuit pile to make up a full full car set. Good luck! Andy

Phil, That sounds interesting...but what is SOSJ?! Excuse my ignorance! Andy

Some of you may remember my problems with car aerosols on my Graeme King W1 conversion way back in February (post 9114). Well thanks for all your advice and I'm pleased to report that I managed to sort it out with just a partial strip back and repaint. The finished article is now up and running. Thanks to Tony for the curly 6 for the front numberplate...and to Graeme of course for the excellent resin bits.

Slightly earlier than your period, but in the early 50s I think you would have seen all three at Finsbury Park. The c12 on the Ally Pally shuttle and D16s and B17s were fairly regular on the Cambridge Kings Cross services then. That's my excuse for having all three anyway! Andy

I know what you mean...I bought two sets from MJT last weekend. I wonder when they'll get built!

The Hornby Sleeper underframe would explain it. These (and some BGs) have different bogies with two lines of rivets above the axle box. I think this is Hornby's attempt at a heavy duty bogie, but as far as I can see there are no other differences...so not very heavy duty! I used the sleeper underframe for my restaurant car, and I'm trying to get away with the Hornby bogie! Andy

Lovely coaches Gilbert, could you tell us how you sourced them? I am intrigued by what looks like a heavy duty bogie on the front BSK. Is that prototypical or just what happened to be in the spares box?! Andy

While we're talking about whited out windows, can anyone give me a definitive answer on when windows were white, and when they were frosted?

I actually looked at that picture on Tony's forum and decided that the drop light was down! Thanks for the correction - easily fixed. Phil, the first class sausages are from Modelmaster (ref 4430). I find them easy to fit and pretty robust. Andy

Outside fitted - Inside is far too fidlly for me!

Phil/ Gilbert, I've now had time to get the big camera out and take some decent fots. Unfortunately this shows up my slightly dodgy workmanship (3ft rule applies!), but I hope it gives you a clear view of (my interpretation of) the roof layout. I borrowed heavily on a discussion on LNER Forum as below: http://www.lner.info/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=7030&p=63787&hilit=further+d10c+restaurant+car+question#p63787 This has some useful roof diagrams posted by Mike Trice, but there is still some interpretation especially as it seems to have changed post war. Let me know if you conclude something different to me. Cheers Andy

Will do Phil, I've been at Expo EM today buying rather too many Bill Bedford sides, and I've got family round tomorrow, so will probably be tomorrow evening before I can get some decent photos. I'll also try and dig out the links on LNER Forum which I used to put the roof detail together - there was some excellent stuff from Mike Trice. Cheers Andy

Gilbert, Can I ask why you want a diagram 144 rather than a 10C? Is it to avoid fitting the turnbuckle trussing (which would be reasonable and probably a more noticeable difference than the doors) or is it because the d10C's were withdrawn by 1958? I hope the former as I've just completed by MJT on Hornby donor as a 10C and I'm majoring on late 1950s! Andy

Thanks Tony, It was too hot in the loft for any further investigation yesterday! I'll report back once I've had a fiddle. Regards Andy

Tony, I'll look forward to another visit and running some of the sequence. I've run the locos at home today, the A2/1 goes really well, but the V2 seems to short out on my tighter curves. I will have to investigate further, but could be a challenge for DCC?! The Kings Cross book is one I will look forward to greatly. Does it build on their existing book on the station? When is it due out? Regards Andy

Tony, May thanks for a very enjoyable day. The layout is magnificent, and I loved seeing it in the flesh. The Master Cutler incident was quite dramatic, not just a minor derailment - I hope they weren't serving the soup! But the layout performed to Tony's high standard for the rest of the session and he kindly hasn't mentioned that my N1's rather old Hornby chassis objected to the finescale points! Your photos of my quad art highlight a slight lack of alignment between the coaches which I'd never spotted when it's running which is a bit disappointing. My bank balance is considerably lighter, but I'm delighted to be able to give a good home to some of John Houlden's stock including my namesake V2. Regards 'Greenie'(!)

Thanks. Always love to see Gresley articulated stock

Thanks Flood, that more or less agrees with my summary except for the additional Thursday- Sunday trains (third on your list). I think your list uses 3 of the 1924/8 triplets ( one each for the first, third and fifth trains on your list, as the first and fifth work round trips in one day). The second train on your list uses the 1938 triplets as Gilbert stated, and the fourth train uses the silver jubilee sets. That leaves seven 1924/8 triplets either spare or scrapped. Andy

Thanks Gilbert, ironically I bought the comet triplet from him at Ally Pally on Sunday, as I didn't know this one existed! Is 'RDEB' the Rupert Brown range - there's some interesting stuff in there. I'm already eyeing up the twin sleeper. My reading of the carriage working for the late 50s is that the 1924/8 triplets (like Comet and Kirk) did the 5.35 pm and 9.40 am Kings cross Newcastle and return , the ex silver jubilee triplet did the 2.00pm to Newcastle and return, and the 1938 triplet did the Northumbrian. Is that your understanding? Do you know what the other 1924/8 triplets worked? Andy

Fantastic triplet set Gilbert. Are Rupert Brown's etches still available. I can't find any reference on the web.

On the subject of car aerosols, can I warn people not to make the same mistake that I've just made on my Graeme King W1 conversion. I painted the resin part with Hycote car 'Brooklands Green' which worked well and turned out to be a good match for the Hornby BR Green. Then I touched in around the removed nameplate and some front bufferbeam damage on the donor with enamels. Again this seemed to work well. But then I tried to blend everything in with Hycote acrylic 'Clear Lacquer', and it has reacted with the enamels to give a horrible cracked finish. I tested the lacquer on an old rtr body shell, but not on enamels . Does anyone have a view on the best solution -. Could I rub back and touch up with enamels over the lacquer? Or is it a strip back and start again? Regards Andy

I know what you mean about the all door stock. I've just finished my d194/5 articulated twin from Bill Bedford sides, and that was a lot of work for the door furniture. For that reason I will make do with Hornby all door stock, and will concentrate my efforts on end door stock which should be less work. If you are going to do all door stock I would recommend the MJT sides, as they come with a really neat system for inserting the drop lights using the door hinges which kills two awkward birds with one rather easy stone! I'm currently working on their D10C and TO and they're a joy to work on. (No connection to Dart Castings/ MJT, just a satisfied customer). Regards Andy