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Thanks for the help on this, everyone! I’ve now installed DCC + Sound and I’m very happy with how it turned out. You can read about it - and see video - here: “A couple more should do it…” -Trevor

Thanks again, everyone! I was able to remove the shell this morning. It took some cranking to get those screws out - and the head stripped on one of the four, so I had to do some drilling (but 3/4 screws will definitely hold the shell on when I'm done). Another question: Is it possible to open up the cabs on these, so one can add a driver? If so, how does one get into them? Thanks in advance! - Trevor

YEP - that's the one I have. I have been unable to budge them. I have a screwdriver with a good grip but of course as Philips heads the driver is prone to slipping and rounding the screw - and I'm hesitant to wreck them. How I wish the Canadian "Robertson" head had been the screw of choice! Did you apply anything to help - penetrating oil? Or just bash on?

So... where I've added the arrow? Brilliant. Thanks! - Trevor Sop.. .

Hi everyone: I have a lovely Heljan O scale Class 37 (shown on my website, here) into which I want to install a decoder. However, I can't for the life of me figure out how to get the body shell off the mechanism. I don't have an instruction sheet for this model. Can anybody help? Some photos or a diagram would be wonderful. Thanks in advance! - Trevor

I suggest “Rolling Home” by Tom Allen. He’s a Canadian Broadcasting Corp radio announcer so he’s a good story teller. Rolling Home (Wikipedia)

Hi everyone: I recently acquired a 7mm kit from Walsall Model Industries for a nine-cylinder GWR Cordon Gas Wagon (Diagram DD4). The prototype history in the instructions notes, in part... "Building of 9-tank gas containers began in 1903. This was to be the standard GWR design for all future construction until building ceased" ... and... "This particular kit is modelled on Cordon 35 (its last rebuild being in April 1932)" (You can read the full description by opening the PDF found here: https://www.walsallmodelindustries.co.uk/product.php/cordon_gas_container/?k=:::6594469) The history suggests the kit could be backdated. I'd love to build it circa 1905. Has anybody backdated one of these kits? If so, can you provide some advice on what I would have to change? Thanks (tanks?) in advance - I look forward to hearing from you! - Trevor

Hi John: I’ve generally made my own. They’re easy to make. - bend a fine wire into a grab iron shape, so that the two legs will fit to either side of the window. This forms the bottom support of the shade. (.0125” wire works. If you can get it, phosphor bronze is stronger than brass and less likely to be damaged from handling.) - drill holes in the cab side where you want the bottom support to go. (You can figure out that from prototype photos.) - CA the legs into the holes so the support stands away from the cab side the distance you want the shade to sit when finished. Brush paint the wire (black, silver, cab side colour: whatever your prototype did). - cut rectangles of printer paper to represent the canvas. I like to cut a strip the length of the shade support, then roll the paper around a small tube to introduce a curl to it, then cut to width so the finished shade spans from support to the top of the cab window with a little bit of a sag in it. - secure the paper to the diesel so it bridges between the window top and the support. When the glue is dry, brush paint it a canvas colour. Hope this helps! -Trevor

Thank you, Will and Keith. This helps!

Hi everyone: I'm building three Slaters kits for GWR Siphons (diagram 04) in 7mm scale. The historical notes in the Slaters instructions say there were a total of 263 of these built, but the instructions don't provide information about running numbers. I'm modelling 1905. Can anybody provide info on the number range I can use on these kits, in that era? Thanks in advance! - Trevor

Thanks Keith!

Yes we did! Here's my report from that show... https://themodelrailwaydotshow.wordpress.com/2018/05/01/investing-in-others-roweham/

All good points. S scale would be a grand option for those looking for something a little bigger than HO. I know this, because in the mid-2000s I started working in S (1:64) and I've massively enjoyed it. It's a beautiful scale - a perfect blend of the detail level that's possible with 1:48 (North American O) and the space for structures and scenery provided by HO (1:87). And there's a small but strong community of modellers working in S to create prototype-based models and layouts to a high degree of finish. There's a particularly strong group of modellers (plus me) who belong to the S Scale Workshop. They're mostly in Canada, although have a few American friends as members, too. It's a private, casual group of like-minded individuals building home layouts who also work together on a Free-mo style exhibition layout based on railroading in southern Ontario and Quebec in the late 1940s / early 1950s era. A number of the members are also hobby manufacturers - producing locomotives, rolling stock, and other components. But it's a small group, and we don't expect it to grow significantly. And for the most part, I think the members are so busy enjoying building models and layouts that they don't really worry about it. For my part, in addition to contributing a module to the Workshop layout, until a couple of years ago I had a decent-sized home layout in 1:64, based on a Canadian National Railways branch line to Port Rowan, Ontario. I started it in 2011, it was my first S scale layout, and it was definitely prototype-based. I like to think I demonstrated that it's possible to build a "scale" layout in S. You can find pictures of it here: https://themodelrailwaydotshow.wordpress.com/port-rowan-in-164/ Enjoy if you visit! -Trevor

Hi John: If you've been attending model railway exhibits at Exporail for the past few years, you've probably run into the S Scale Workshop, which has exhibited several times there. It's a fine example of "scale modelling that's larger than HO", which the original poster was asking about. A number of the members do fantastic work, including designing and building their own prototype-specific locomotive kits, kits for rolling stock, etc. Cheers! - Trevor (now the Western Canada member of the S Scale Workshop)

Thanks Milkel. This helps a lot! -Trevor

Thanks for the link, Stephen. Much appreciated. I'll have a read-through. Cheers! - Trevor

Thanks, Nick. Much appreciated and I obviously have a lot of reading to do. What a great answer!

Hi Mikkel: These look great and I'm really enjoying your posts (and your blog). I am interested in the sheet over one of your four-plank opens. Have you written about that somewhere? I'm building 7mm scale models of GWR equipment circa 1902-05 and am trying to figure out how loads were covered in that era, and how to model it. Thanks in advance! - Trevor

Hello: I'm really new to UK railways and modelling them. I have some GWR open wagons in 7mm scale for a model railway set in the 1902-05 era and I'm wondering about sheets to cover loads. Did the GWR use sheets at this time? If so, what did they look like? And has anybody modelled them in 7mm scale? I'd love to see photos of the real things and the models. Thanks in advance! - Trevor

Thanks for this. That’s discouraging but good to know.

It’s an option but not a great one as I’m in western Canada, and six hours behind GMT.

Hello everyone: I've been looking for a 7mm GWR director's saloon and came across this link: https://www.kemilway.com/gwr-directors-saloon.html I've tried to contact the company a couple of times but have not received a response. Does anybody know if this company is still in business and answering emails? Also: Does anybody have further information about this project? I can't tell from the website if it's still in-progress or whether it's an old project that has finished. Thanks in advance for any information you can provide!

Brilliant. Thank you! Ordered.

I'm looking for information about how goods traffic was managed on the GWR in the late 19th/early 20th centuries. For context: I have modelled a number of North American prototypes and enjoy operations using prototype-style waybills and switch lists. I understand how this paperwork provided train crews with the information they needed to determine which freight cars went where. And there's been a lot written on North American operating practices. I'm fairly new to UK prototype modelling, so I'm looking for similar information. Were waybills used? Did train crews carry these waybills with them and use them to make up switch lists? Or was another system used? In the process of building wagon kits, I've been adding ticket holders to some of them. I assume they're part of the goods wagon forwarding process - what role did they play? Any links to resources or useful books would also be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance! - Trevor (new to the GWR in 7mm scale) (Photo of Minks for visibility)

Did anything come of this? I'd love to see O scale kits based on the structures at Culkerton...