BR traction instructor

Rivets everywhere is the order of play with these hoppers with any added as decals needing to be similar to the moulded ones already on the body. The remaining Archer resin ones are being quickly consumed by the prototype hopper and a couple of Railtec rivet variants now on order to provide for the four production hoppers to follow. The lines of rivets added are sealed with matte varnish to keep them in place and each session of riveting allowed to completely dry before the next is contemplated. The Railtec rivet detail strips arrived the day after ordering and look to be a good match with both the moulded rivet detail on the body and the Archer resin type already in use... BeRTIe

...bending the leaf springs uniformly upward (in this instance) a little would help to accurately replicate an empty wagon. The W irons have stated dimensions and altering those would produce a less rather than more accurate result. Thankyou...we have various otherwise unavailable diagram variants in the pipeline for Mostyn. BeRTIe

...the gap that you refer to must vary according to the weight carried by the wagon on the prototype and the style of axlebox fitted. The leaf springs will become more flattened out/deflected under heavy load and that gap consequently greater. This hopper is modelled fully loaded. The gap being smallest when the prototype wagon is empty/leaf springs hardly deflected. The Tipplers retained the Rumney plate style W irons of their prototype whereas the W irons fitted to the hoppers are Bill Bedford open ones. The alignment of buffer centre height relative to that of a SLW type 2 diesel is what might be expected for a fully loaded hopper... BeRTIe

Construction is complete on the prototype diagram 1/161 hopper and it is now in red oxide primer/getting the Archer rivet detail added prior to finish painting, lettering & weathering. The ladders are a nod to a respected fellow modeller, the late David 'Nobber' Goodwin from Barrowmore club, who passed away some 6 years ago. He made the first attempt to construct one of these for Mostyn but unfortunately got the wheelbase wrong and the model never made it on to the layout. Building his ladders onto the first of five such hoppers ensures that at least some of his effort isn't wasted and provides a nice memory of him. His now modified hopper body will also end up on one of Justin's underframes to come. The use of the incorrectly dimensioned hopper body and consequent scratchbuilt underframe with incorrect wheelbase is shown here simply to highlight the advantage of adapting Justin's Tippler underframe combined with using the David Monk Steel dimensioned drawing for the type. The yellow powder was meant to show that the hopper was in sulphur traffic... BeRTIe

In the meantime construction is complete on the prototype diagram 1/161 hopper, it is in red oxide primer/getting the Archer rivet detail added... BeRTIe

Living on The Solway plain amongst a fascinating history that stretches back hundreds of years, this title is providing considerable insight into some of the troubled times that have beset it...ideal reading matter for a squally, windblown Saturday whilst waiting for the weather to clear and a cycling opportunity to present itself. Around 4pm the wind dropped and the sun came out for a lovely 15 mile circuit of the local back lanes. This vivid rainbow added to an otherwise routine composition... BeRTIe

Mauch Chunk, 1950s American steam & diesel is now a Barrowmore club layout, the O gauge Johnstown road Cambrian layout now stored pending an outcome. We have spent the last week progressing various issues on MC and its stock prior to the layout being dismantled to allow Mostyn to be erected in the clubroom for its May Railex Aylesbury exhibition prep. Building two 40ft box cars plus a 40ft stock car from HO kits, fettling various tank car running issues as well as fettling 7 vintage 2&3 axle bogied Central New Jersey/Santa Fe coaches/baggage & mail cars to get them running on the layout for the first time has been my contribution. Converting the 3 axle bogied ones to body mounted Kadees, making & adding gangway end bellows amongst the work done. On the loco side the main issue dealt with was a Camelback that wouldn't run in reverse and shorted in one direction. Stripping the gearbox tower revealed a missing stepped washer that needed a replacement fabricating from the spares box, whilst painting the rear of one wheel cured the intermittent short that was ailing the beast. Testing each area of the chassis with a multimeter whilst trying to replicate the conditions for the short proved somewhat more time consuming than the remedy. This is the HO kit stock car, which needed a roof repaint in red oxide primer this morning to repair some wayward glue damage... BeRTIe

I've purchased several of his books over time and used his images to inform my modelling. RIP Maurice

What a glorious, good to be alive day today. Pleasant back lane walk in the bright Spring sunshine from Silloth to Abbeytown to catch the Wigton bus, then another back lane walk from Cockermouth to Bassenthwaite (with impressive views of Skiddaw) lake to reach a nice pint of cool cider at the Castle Inn hotel and the third bus of the day, back to Wigton. BeRTIe

...wonder whether lamp oil for the semaphores arrived as this or whether heaters in the various buildings made use of this? BeRTIe

...in the mid 80s the Ashburys to Dowlow trip (via Chinley) conveyed any loaded tanks for the TMD as far as Buxton URS, ready for a shunt across onto the TMD, empties returning similarly. From the late 1980s this working became the Warrington Arpley to Dowlow via a similar route and continued to convey loaded tanks to/empty tanks away from Buxton. Gas Oil and some white diesel arrived this way, as well as some Lube Oil. I have no knowledge re kerosene. BeRTIe

...I've had no mither re hobbies with any of the last three ladies in my life (around 24 years total) cos I manage the time, space required and cost expenditure involved at sensible levels. My current girlfriend still works and enjoys watching the various soaps that she records during the week, giving me a nice amount of time to get some modelling done, as well as have a decent social life with her. BeRTIe

Here is a screenshot of buffer BP03. BeRTIe

This little chap has climbed a long way up and might have to walk a long way down one of our fence uprights... BeRTIe

Good to be alive cycling circuit around The Solway Plain just now...some great views across The Solway towards Dalbeattie and of the northern fells of The Lake District... BeRTIe

Bulk fertiser being unloaded in Silloth port this morning... BeRTIe

Bulk fertiliser being unloaded in Silloth port this morning. The lengthy dismal wet & overcast spell that we've endured is showing some sign of lifting... BeRTIe

Plenty of cleaning up to do yet but the bottom door release handles, mechanisms, shielding and body side supports are going onto the prototype. Poorly milled/off centre T section brass caused some work to be redone/sections thinned on the nearer body support. The ladders have been rescued from an earlier attempt at one of these hoppers by the late David Goodwin. Spring stops, buffer steps and smaller body supports fitted, just two leaf spring/axleboxes to fit, a couple of solebar details & two more main body supports to fabricate and fit then it is a few end rivet strips before priming and then just the rivet detail to complete construction... BeRTIe

Plenty of cleaning up to do but the bottom door release handles/shielding and hopper body supports are going on the prototype. Poorly milled/off centre brass section caused some work to be redone/sections thinned on the nearer body support. The ladders have been rescued from an earlier attempt at one of these hoppers by the late David Goodwin. Spring stops, buffer steps and the smaller body supports fitted. Two leaf spring/axleboxes to fit, two main body supports to fabricate/fit, a couple of solebar details req and a couple of rivet strips to add at each end then it is priming time before adding some rivet detail completes construction... BeRTIe

The Barrowmore Model Railway Group site will have it in their drawings section. I have seen a rake of these transformed with scratchbuilt underframes, etched ladders/walkways etc, the transition from 1970s RTR to an accurate model was impressive but obviously time consuming. BeRTIe

Good recommendation Mike. I ordered a 3 pack to see what could be done to gain a better likeness of the Howard type. There will be quite a bit of detail change required but I'm confident of a worthwhile outcome... BeRTIe

I felt that their style of presentation did much to encourage guys into the kitchen/get involved with food preparation etc. The general feel good factor about the programmes meant that I often watched them. Thankyou for your inspiration...R.I.P. BeRTIe

Current state of play with the production batch of four diagram 1/161, 1/162 hoppers. Bill Bedford BWF006 BR open W irons are fitted to three of these... BeRTIe

Current state of play with the production batch of four diagram 1/161, 1/162 hoppers. Bill Bedford BWF006 BR open W irons are fitted to three of these four... BeRTIe

Whilst waiting for some unequal brass L section from Cambrian, for the prototype, a start has been made on the sole diagram 1/162 with plate W irons... BeRTIe