LNWR lives on

So after what seems like forever away from modelling railways to be able to have time to work on wedding based projects (one of which is railway based!!) I finally managed to do a little on a kit for someone else on a rare free evening So, Peco Wonderful Wagon kit to celebrate the marriage of Charles and Diana, building to join Mum's royalty collection with mods so that it can be run on a layout in future if she desires. Built basically as per instructions except changing for standard couplings and metal wheels is required. So from the components as laid out above it quickly became as below Changes made included the fitting of Hornby couplings using the conversion bar as supplied. One thing I don't like about the kit is the plastic bearings and wheels supplied, the bearing holes are to big to readily accept a brass bearing to allow for changing to metal wheel running. The soldering over of the plastic slugs to the metal body requires some care as leaving them a little high fouls the insertion of the cardboard interior. Final pictures to come once the sides have been fitted.......

Hi Really starting to look outstandingly good I have been wondering about trying one of the 247 development coaches for a time now and you have inspired me to make a purchase and have a go David

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Abandoned-00-GAUGE-heavy-load-transporter-heavily-rusted-and-weathered-/290967909995?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item43bf09f66b#ht_1476wt_3126 Is there a prototype for this? cant see someone spending a shed load of money to move a super load and then letting it rust.....

Anthony Ashley, In that case I would say minimum 18inches, 24 may be preferable but again depends on the helix drop and the further expense of a longer drop down, and of course coming back up You have said alot about coaching stock, what about freight traffic along the coast? I am not sure when the goods yard at Menai Bridge closed but that was where alof of freight was moved up to along the coast for Caernarvon and Anglesey, as well as there was through freight for Holyhead (when did the container traffic start??) Keep it going, its starting to look like the real thing David

Anthony, If I read this right then if you have an issue on the turntable (basically a wooden table capable of holding 18(?) trains on it), you are going to have the ability to pull it right out and fix the derailed train or whatever. In that case I would say the gap you need is the height of the tallest bit of rolling stock you own, add 5 mil for track height and a nominal 50mm for clearance should be ample, where the 50mm could be increased to whatever higher figure for where the helix comes in (I have no idea on helix drop heights for N gauge). This option would reduce the helix height down to the bare minimum. I would however consider leaving an 18 inch gap so that you could reach some of the turntable insitu to deal with a minor derailment or issue as far back as you could safely reach without having to drag the whole thing out. That said If i understand right the turntables will be pulled out at least once per running session to swing the trains around from their morning direction to the afternoon timetableing. The above is if I understand what you are doing correctly with the turntables, and if I have understood wrong I have probably just typed a load of rubbish Progress is good, the Bedford OB really gives it some perspective, the trains will be like in real life, lost in a huge landscape David

Hi Iain Absoloutly loving your thread, the bridge is a work or art Can I ask which brick sheet have you used for the LNWR Signal box base and the goods shed as well please? I love how realistic the brick layering looks from your technique. David

Anthony, Its a majorly ambitious project but from what you have shown so far I believe you have the ability to pull it off no problem, the backscene is looking utterly superb and convincing, really reminding me of home I think you should post the overall plan for people to realise the true scale of your project, I am looking forward to your building of Conway Castle and I think it will look stunning in front of that background David

Well todays progress has included starting on two LNWR Ratio coaches (Brake 3rd and composite) which are going together pretty much as per instructions in full LNWR livery as the period being aimed for is late LNWR into LMS period Underframes are complete and sides have duckits etc all glued on ready for under coating and painting before construction onto the underframe. Having built the bogies using replacement wheels and also bearings inserted I am looking at them feeling that they are a bit weak and probably not the best for the long term so my thoughts are turning to something a bit better. I also dont like the fixing to the underframe by method of a small screw so I am considering an alternative method, maybe a small bolt glued to the floor would be best and an etched bogie replacement Sadly the pictures came out blury so no pictures of progress tonight, and no more modeling until at least Sunday now

Finally I have a workbench!!!!! As such I have started on the small pile of kits which I own, with a Slaters Cattle Van and 8T box van having already been built and sent to the newly formed paint queue, while another cattle van is on the way and the 10T Fruit van as pictured below which has me in a slight puzzle. The intention is to model the van in the early LMS period which form the notes states that the van would have entered traffic with the brake leaver on one side only, but later recieved brake gear on both sides. So from the picture is the brake gear as supplied the wrong gear as it brakes the wheels seperatley, or should i use a spare unit from the 8T box van which applies the brakes to the wheels on the inside for it to be correct for the period? Mainly its the transfer drawings on the notes which have confused me as the early LMS shows the differing brake gear from the supplied and no vac pipes fitted. Can the van run as vacumn fitted and non vacumn fitted in this period? Apologies for what seem basic questions but I have no Midland wagon books to reference too David

Fair point made, I suggested it as the obvious one missing from the list to me LNWR Wise taking the G1/2 variants aside there is nothing else LNWR ready to run on the market which is a big problem when your building stock for an ex LNWR into early LMS Bangor Layout.... P.s. I managed to pick up a K's Coal Tank and it runs lovely with the original K'S Mk II at slow speeds over pointwork, so were they all bad?

LNWR G1/2 That Bachmann released?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Exley-Carriage-/221193736756?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item33802c9234 Love it, £210 and u have to wait for a pic and details....

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GEM-Webb-LNWR-LMS-BR-0-6-0-Cauliflower-Loco-Well-Made-Quality-Full-Kit-/310597961577?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT&nma=true&si=9sn3DMFtW6%252FUoTMu7tvILzlEPU8%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc I know its well made and gorgeous but did i miss something? Last one as well done as tat barely hit the ton mark One of Larry's gone through as well.... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Larry-Goddard-LMS-D1747-corridor-1st-coach-in-fully-lined-livery-00-gauge-/300861489173?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT&nma=true&si=9sn3DMFtW6%252FUoTMu7tvILzlEPU8%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hornby-Derelict-Victorian-Railway-Carriage-OO-gauge-1-76-scale-/290860127110?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item43b89d5386 Comment is invited.......

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-X-Hornby-LMS-7-PLANK-LOCO-COAL-MINERAL-WAGONS-70170-BRAND-NEW-/221166245043?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item337e8914b3 £12 a wagon when new? Seriously?

Yes in short, a friend has been caught out by this trick, looked at the listing on Gallery view, saw with a few mins to go it was dirt cheap for what was in the picture, then bid without reading the whole thing through and then realised after. The seller has issued a non payment thing as the bid was binding but he has never had a ding on his record so far so can take the points on his ebay licence, wonder how many do actually pay though once they have been caught out, if indeed these people were caught out in this instance.

crude is the word, they just look completley out of proportion to the eye... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/00-VINTAGE-KIT-SCRATCH-BUILT-L-M-S-LORIOT-15T-LOW-LOADER-x2-/310570692017?_trksid=p5197.m1992&_trkparms=aid%3D111000%26algo%3DREC.CURRENT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D14%26meid%3D5131343288711628843%26pid%3D100015%26prg%3D1006%26rk%3D1%26sd%3D310570692017%26

Very much so, maybe worth a few quid to wheel and then attach a tarpaulin over and leave next to the shed as an abadoned loco until such time as proper time can be dedicated to sorting her out properly, tarpaulins hide many a woe!!

If it had been a bit cheaper I would have been letting you know, thats an awful big load of metal for £62. I think even if it had been 00 kits instead of TT he would have struggled, there is just too much there, I would venture a Madness lot in both reserve cost and not being broken down into managelable chunks for people to purchase and be able to make into running locos

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CARDEAN-LOCOMOTIVE-KIT-C-R-LMS-AND-CHASSIS-VIRGIN-/140898083001?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item20ce2e20b9 Unless virgin is being used as a term for an incomplete unbuilt kit, I have no idea what relevance it has to a Cardean, price is a bit steep too

TBF to him thats 2 he has listed reasonably of late, there was a PC LNWR coach listed at 20 odd £ which was about right, the only reason I didnt manage to nab it was because it was the wrong side of payday

As yet no response from ebay for reporting the listing, if i ever get one lol, Just feel that the stuff he is listing he thinks is far moe valuable than what it is actually worth, miles out of touch with what its worth

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181039513401?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649 Bit different as its TT, alot there yes but I like his wording, as he has not actually paid for the reserve function he states as a base price for selling, if you bid less and win and he refused to sell it to you is that a punishable offence in ebay eyes?

Similar to the over 600mm for First class postage thing, he has had over seas orders before and they have gone awol/been damaged and the hassle for sales ratio he gets is just not worth the agro to mail this overseas, hence thats the get out clause he uses Go in the shop and they are always more than happy to help as best they can, they have a superb range of traditional stuff as well as model railways and are always happy to order stuff in for you

Ah that makes alot more sense, I wasnt sure that Lima ever did 0 gauge against 00, hence why I was wondering if it was madness or not