richard i

Yes but we will not be doing modern image on this layout.

That is good to know. I will look again, but feel I might have to. I am having carriages in all three livery so having them might give flexibility. I have been ummming ans ahhhhring over the chimney and have finally settled that it is 2mm too short. Now I have decided this I will have to address it though I hope the cut and shut will not be noticeable as a cut and shut. I am intending to make another 2-4-2 with round top firebox for variety sake which will cover the earlier period more. Anther reason to fit the lumps on the boiler sides of this one. richard

Starting to get to the end of the jobs list. have made the frame extender for the rear. It is three levels made separately and each of a different shape then brought together to make the complex shape. the firebox has been smoothed off so the bands can be put on in the correct place. Farme extension just visible behind rear guard irons. seems firebox lumps and pipes below the cab are the only things left. ( I know such technical terms.) richard

A bit of tweeking! Lots of it. kit built things need lots of final fettling to get them to run smoothly. I am so grateful to have access to the layout in Keith’s garage. He has seen the light and realized that the GC allows you to run so much variety of stock legitimately. It also has simple station layouts to watch the trains go by thought a little scenery. one carriage did not make the cut. I have played around with the bogie so hopefully it can make its cinamagraphic debut. I hope it is resolved as it is my favorite of all of them. will bring the book of station plans down too. thank you for use of the track. richard

Thank you for the kind comments. I must get around to fixing the knocks from the sea voyage. It is about prioritizing as there are also the other 30 carriages and 10 ish locos which need building to give a good representation of the era. Build more or go back and repair. I do have details as I slowly build, ( yes slowly as I have kids, a job and need to research each Item). The locos have a lot of filing and extra detail added. A huge amount of time on transfers and lining. Tony is right as to their origin. The carriages are worsley works. They lasted into the 1950s but started as front line on the GCML when it opened. The kit comes with sides and ends plus a floor. Roof fittings come as spares from d&s kits kindly from the gcrs. Bogies are spares from d&s kits but one had to be scratch built as there was one too few. The insides are plasticard and southern pride/ ratio seats plus pictures from internet of gcr carriage prints. So many helped with advice on building and painting or research to get a hopefully fair representation of the carriages. it is the journey which is fun. thank you Tony for such great hospitality. All had fun with the train set . richard

Perhaps quicker than covering each rail head in masking tape though. looking good richard

The little pieces made. hand brake, fire iron supports, lamp brackets, and screw reverser. That has the tread wound in and needs its body made. It won’t be 100% accurate but it will be tucked inside the cab. I might fit some cab doors, then it feels like the chassis needs looking at. I might just use the one from my own L&Y tank and then play around with this one when I look to convert that one. The motor does not fit easily into this one and it is too far down the track for serious butchery. richard

Thanks this gives much food for thought. I might go the other way and press a mounding onto another firebox then cast off that. Let’s see how that goes. I have been watching your D7 build with interest. If you ever do castings off it there would certainly be one interested person here. Richard

Really starting to come together. hand rail, safety valves and bunker rails fitted. evert time I look and say, “ I am going to need X” I look in the little bag of parts and find it had kindly been left in there when the project was handed over to me. i know for the next stage I will need to build bits: hand brake ( one or two?) fireirons holders x2, a screw reverser and water tank filer lids (oval) - any one got ideas on how to make a good oval 6mm by 3mm by 1mm, I am all ears. how about how to make the blisters on the top edge of the firebox, I need 4 two per side - ideas? richard

Bunker rails made Not that the originals, ( in front) were bad, far from it, they were excellent. However they were an LNER fitting and so had to be replaced by the coal rails. they are just placed for the photo. I will need to drill holes to seat them properly. richard

If you want an early short bunker version you could get away without adjusting the running plate length. That will be what I might try for my other one. Then the conversion may be much simpler. I must look into it when I have finished all the modifications on this one. not me who thought of the n5 connection, that was green Howard’s inspired connection. richard

Much trial and error. trying to work from drawings and then apply to a model being converted. finally got to this. the bunker is too wide by 1 mm which throws the back of the cab out by the same amount. So have added side pieces to the correct width one made. This means the cab sides angle out by half a mm each side from front to back. This looks like it can be hidden by the overhang of the roof. Otherwise a new roof will need to be made. I have painted the cab floor with humbrol 110 and washes to get the wood effect. etched overlays applied with three types of glue. Gorilla, super and two part epoxy in different parts to see which holds up the best. Like I said, trail and error. When I build the next I will have found every pitfall. richard

Certainly more restrained than some offerings on here.

Cab rear made N5 sides cleaned up and side tank fronts fitted. Small Hand rails fitted. steps next, then to solder all the brass together before nailing it on to the plastic body. that order is important otherwise we end up with a puddle of black plastic. must make sure all soldering is done before marrying it all up together. richard

The carriages look great. I am not knowledgeable enough on LNER stock to say if there is an error. on other fronts. I have got this far. I think I can see how it will all go together. The cab is going to get enclosed as that seems the only way I can get enough support to the cab rear. Though I may play around with an inner cage and have the roof as an insert. We will see how that goes. am enjoying the challenge. thanks richard

At last something I can relate to. The music just goes straight over my head. These look great and look very neat even in unpainted state…………..maybe because they are all one colour? richard

I have had a 15 year sentence, the parole board says it is a long time until I get a review. I do get to model as my leisure activity so being in the chain gang can work for some.

Sorry to hear about Gordon. the top layer should stay as a snow scene. richard

Yes it is. I am going to see how much scratch building is going to be needed. Perhaps not much will be left of the original. We shall see. It should be fun trying though. richard

It is done. Transfers and weathering complete. Hopefully it looks in a workaday condition. Next up. Turning this…. into a gcr 2-4-2 thanks, the green Howard’s. let’s see how it goes. richard

And so it begins. from this…. to a gcr 2-4-2. I will see if I can do it justice. thank you for giving me the chance to do so. richard

It is great to see the build but your health is far more important. richard

That is coming along very well. I am doing a side project in n scale and I am finding it too small for my eyes. It makes this all the more impressive. Richard

More pregrouping . GCR Parker London extension stock finally finished. About 7 months work to get them built. have shown on my thread but I know it is not as well visited as here. only 6 more sets of carriages to build to complete the layout passenger stock. richard

This won as a really quick project. Put transfers on a Southern Pacific AC12 it is N scale the transfers are tiny, however, the most difficult task is reading the white transfers on the sky blue background. how do people read these to make sure that the right one is being cut out? richard