thegreenhowards

Hi Ellis, Mine arrived yesterday and I’ve been playing with it today. What a fantastic model! The most expensive model I’ve ever bought but well worth it. Once I’ve got the transfers and my garden railway is set up for the summer I will feature 5407 with a rake of your green and cream Mk1s. A questions if I may: How do I move the working lamps? I want an express passenger configuration for the West Highland Line (I.e. bottom left and right). Is it as simple as just picking them off? If so fine, but I don’t want to damage anything! I got the 18 page glossy but didn’t get the leaflet mentioned above on DCC installation which I would like as that will be a job for the medium term. I will email Hannah for that. Andy

Thanks for that Ian. A Class 29 is on my list. Steve Beattie is bringing out a 3D printed kit of one which I’m hoping to pick up fairly soon. I noticed Backtrack had a WHL feature, so it was on my list to check out - sounds like I will need to buy a copy. the postman brought a new goodie today - an Ellis Clark black 5. This will become 5407 to head my green and cream Mk1s on the Jacobite. More once I’ve unboxed it. Andy

And some coal when I remember to bring it! looking great - even better in the flesh. Andy

I’ve changed my mind. I want Rob to 3D print the retaining ropes so that I can enjoy seeing him paint in the coloured threads!

Have you tried precision ‘roof dirt’? I find it excellent, either on its own (generally on roofs) or mixed with black and 62/ leather.

Thank goodness for that! Much better off with some cotton or thicker thread.

Thanks Keith, I think they got Ross pops from late ‘20s/ early 30s when the boilers were replaced. There is a comment in Yeadon but I can’t find it this morning. Anyway, I’m modelling mid ‘20s so I think I’m safe with the Ramsbottom type. I’ve based my model on 4608 on P92 of Yeadon. I chose 4612 because I didn’t have enough ‘0’s and ‘8’s on my transfer sheet, but I think they should be the same. The picture seems to show the safety valve slightly above the cab roof, so I think I’m ok there. Andy

I’ve dug out the shipment from my unbuilt Slaters/ Rising Star N2 kit, and @mannais right. This shows the white metal chimney placed in position next to mine. Hats off to you, because I’d never have spotted that difference! The question is whether I will see it when running, but now I know, I suppose I’d better change it! I’m not sure what the chimney I have is supposed to be as it’s too short for a Scottish version. It may just be another random LNER chimney which the builder sourced when building this loco. I think the loco may be scratchbuilt, so that is perfectly possible. Andy

North Eastern was the second A1 produced by Bachmann and Ithink the dodgy motors were in all the Aberdonians and some of the North Easterns. I avoid both on eBay. Although many of them will have benefitted from the recall and motor upgrade, one never knows whether the example being sold is OK or not. Andy

I thought you’d commissioned a new layout control panel. Looks great overseeing the whole operation.

Well they’ve mainly got some bids but I started them at £25 each, so I would hope so! I won’t know until Friday whether I’ve got my money back. I’ll give an update on here if people are interested. I can’t remove the items from eBay (they get stroppy!), but I’ll send you a PM about the other two DJH A1s. Regards Andy

All this talk about stashes of unbuilt kits made me go and take a look at my OO stash. I found three unbuilt and one built but not working DJH A1 all acquired second hand. Along with three V2s, two B16s, one O 2 and quite a few other built kits in poor condition which I bought to renovate and never got round to it - often because I bought RTR instead - I hang my head in shame on this forum but I can’t see the point of building a kit when there’s a good RTR alternative. I used to think that it was necessary for haulage capability, but all my recent RTR pulls my longest trains with some added weight. As I’m largely kit building in O gauge now, I decided to have a clear out of my stash and put several of them on eBay last Friday. I hope there’s still a market for kits! Andy

Really?! I know the Scottish ones had taller chimneys but this looks more like a southern section one than a Scottish one to me. What do others think? Andy

Is that the J65? Looking good. I thought you couldn’t print when it’s cold!

Back to O gauge today. I’m working on an N2 which I bought for the club layout Smithfield before we decided it would be set in the 1920s. So I now need to back date it. It’s also a Scottish one and I hadn’t realised how many detail differences there were. I’d already added the condensing pipes, but on looking through Yeadon, I also need to add another coal rail round the bunker and change to GNR buffers. There are also probably a lot of other changes required. If anyone spots some obvious ones, do let me know. The BR paint job was actually quite good, so I’m trying to keep it and only change the bits I need to change. This basically means the bunker and water tank sides which had BR numbers/emblems and the wrong lining. The lining on the boiler bands and front wheel arch is good (better than I could do) and I intend to keep it. I sanded back and repainted the sides and have lined and applied numbers/ LNER to one side. I’d be grateful if someone could confirm that I’ve got these right as I always seem to get the wrong colour or font size! The works plate needs to move to the wheel arch - hence the brass on the front sandbox. Any comments welcome. Andy

It’s almost worth putting up with the DMU for that!

I agree that social media has been fantastic for the hobby and I have made many good friends through meeting them first online. But I don’t think online alone can replace physical interaction and I think clubs still have an important role to play. As well as being chair of my local small club, I have just started a role as SE area rep for the Gauge O Guild. One of my jobs is to ring up each new member in the South East and welcome them to the Guild. Generally people have welcomed that interaction and one of the main things I do is encourage them to visit their local club with an O gauge presence. One or two have taken me up on that suggestion and I think it’s been a positive experience for them. Andy

Not from me I’m afraid. Give me an EE type 4 or Deltic any time and I’ll bite your hand off, but bog carts are just glorified buses!

Thanks Tony, Your 10” examples look about right compared with my prototype photos. I think it was mainly St Rollox which used the smaller numbers but online sources are a bit mixed so I thought I’d ask! Andy

Can I pose a question to the experts on here? I’m trying to renumber my O gauge K1. I want to renumber it as a West Highland example, 62011 as in the second photo on this page. https://www.keymodelworld.com/article/lner-peppercorn-k1-2-6-0-class-history My question is, what size should the cabside numbers be? I’ve been given a choice of 8,9,or 10” by Railtec. My understanding is that ER locos tended to be 10” while some SCR locos were smaller. The loco seems to have 10” (6mm in scale) numbers at the moment (it’s numbered 62005, a NE or preserved example) and by scaling it off the photo I get about 9.5”, so I’m tempted to go with 10”. But I’d welcome any expert opinion. Andy

Serves me right for reading your words but only glancing at the photo!

Could the 7 door Gresley be an ex GE shortie? As for the 40, I love them. But yours could do with the folded over lamp covers on the end which is attached to the coaches. Andy

I love your last Pickering photo. It almost has a Cuneo feel to it! On paints, have you tried Ford Rosso Red for BR crimson? I find it very good. Andy

Looks great. Will she be making an appearance in the flesh on Monday?

I can confirm that Ed was still in business a year ago. He built me Glenfinnan station and signal box in O gauge. He produces beautiful buildings and is very reasonably priced given the work which must go into them, but he works at his own pace and has an order backlog. So you need to be patient.