Craigw

Colo Vale... I live in Campbelltown! I will contact you about the zoom meeting. Regards, Craig

Jerry, I have been a member for a few years now but am really feeling the urge to have a go. I have a Farish 64XX, Sonic 56XX and now the EFE Austerity stashed away and started a few wagons but I think something is going to happen soon. Thanks for your recent posts in here, they really are very inspiring. Regards, Craig W PS, I am in Oz, I know there are a few people scattered around.

Rails have a number of versions of the J94 at 50% off and I indulged in one with a view of converting it to 2mm scale. I was trying to resist, but not at that price. Craig W

While I model German WW2 subjects and have a large collection of books on both army and Waffen SS units, I am also painfully aware of what those same units were ultimately fighting for and that is something that never leaves me. The thing with modelling German railway subjects in WW2 and after that troubles me is not the flat wagons loaded with the material of war. It is the cattle wagons and vans that I know were being used for something else and travelling across other countries too. Most of the wartime layouts I have seen have tanks and things everywhere and seem to have no understanding of the organisation of units and the composition of them, in particular they display little knowledge of the timeline of AFV construction. There is quite a selection of 1:35 locos and rolling stock kits available, and they are seriously large.

While I admire the scenic work on the layout, as one who is also a military modeller , the actual military stuff does not gell for me.

The Balkenkreuz used today is the WW1 period version Craig W

I did not mean railway modelling, rather military modelling. German WW2 subjects have a massive following across most countries. it is quite unlike any other areas of interest that I can think of Railway modellers are (by and large) far more parochial. In Australia this even extends to not being the least bit interested in layouts from other states! Regards, Craig w

It probably comes as no surprise to find out that most people are parochial and prefer their local prototype. The same thing happens here (Australia) and from what I have heard, most other countries. The only thing I can think of in modelling disciplines that appears to transcend borders is German WW2 subjects. Regards, Craig W

It was not all down to rivalry. The Reich needed labour to support the war effort so the brutal reality is that those who could work were used as slave labour. Those not considered capable were murdered.

I had quite a collection of NSW railways HO scale brass at one point and the quality of it varied enormously. A number of them were very indifferent runners (Ajin!) while the later Samhongsa models as well as the Ajin models varied a great deal in quality. I had one loco tender that had a huge bow in it when unpacked. They also had varying quality of castings and soldering too. Brass has its own issues too. The people who work in the factories are model builders but few of them do that as a hobby.

You can play with toys if you wish, more power to you. But I build models and my family and friends all appreciate the effort that goes in to what I do. None of them are disparaging or negative at all. It is funny that people complain about being portrayed in a negative manner when you and several others in this thread are the worst offenders. Craig W

The GWR put in a fairly concerted effort to apply the 1922-1923 livery. I am fairly sure that an article has made mention of them allocating extra funding for it. I don't recall seeing much in the way of crimson lake livery stock from the mid 1920s. Thankfully, I am modelling the early 1920s so crimson lake it is. Just to keep on topic, my card was hit over last weekend but my order is still showing as a preorder. I am kind of used to a world where you get charged for something when it is dispatched. Craig W

I hate to mention this again, but those 1925 vintage tender springs really do jar - at least to me. I saw photos of a Masterpiece Models Saint for sale on the weekend and they had these springs fitted as well (on a loco in original condition with no top feed. I would be more than a little annoyed if I had stumped up for one of them!

You can have your very own game of Aussie rules in the UK. Throw a handful of hot chips in the middle of a group of sea gulls. Some states in Australia follow Rugby League :) Craig W

I still have my original Triang Jinty that was a present on my 5th Birthday plus my Peco jubilee I received on my 10th Birthday in 1974. A few years ago I was helping a friend sort through a huge collection of stuff. All 1960s and 1970s Triang stuff plus some Mainline and Airfix. I sold it in one lot because I just could not be bothered sorting it out. I kept a Rocket boxed set and another one of a Dean Single and a coach. That was it, they are just curiosities really. No deep seated nostalgia for any of it really

If I decide to buy one, it will be a loco and tender body only as I will be building to P4 standards. I have two of the etched chassis produced by Chuffer Davies before they escaped to Brassmasters. My concern is more about the cab roof profile than the paint as I will be repainting anyway. My impression is that with Panzer grey black ones and dark yellow (Dunkel Gelb) ROD ones, Dapol are trying to convert you lot to armour modelling.

Rails sent an email a few days ago of the Dapol new arrivals for March and April. The Toplights were not in the list.

Well, as an Australian who models the Great Western in the 1920s, I should say that I do not mind models based on foreign prototypes. Out of the box leaves me cold, but I do enjoy any good modelling.

They are the taller one that was phased out in the mid-late 1920s (mostly)

I just had a look at the cab front etches on my Mitchell 43XX kit. They measure at a little over 5mm for the early cab and a little over 4mm for the later version of the cab. This follows with the 3" difference that I think was noted earlier. The earlier Dapol body measure around 5mm which suggests it has a roof profile that is similar to the early locos (not the later it is meant to be ) and thus that would mean the early Dapol loco possibly measure close to 6mm at the cab centreline which would make it too tall. If anybody else feels like looking at this or can check via a GA this might be the reason the roofline does not look quite right. Regards, Craig W

Nile, Does the tender still have the C1925 heavy springs or have they retooled to include the earlier (correct) spring? Regards, Craig W

She did the same when I was looking at "The combat History of Schwere Panzerjager Abteilung654" too. I think she wants my attention! Regards, Craig

Earlier in the GWR rolling stock sub forum there was an enquiry about Saints running with 4000 Gallon tenders. I pulled out a book to have a bit of a look. Not long after, the "help" arrived. Regards, Craig W

Building the Pro Scale Saint was the catalyst for Martin Finney producing kits according to an MRJ interview he did. I guess we have something to thank them for. I have a Westward kits straight frame Lady but even that is a bit agricultural too! Craig W

I take my lunch to work with me every single day. I either make some sandwiches or eat leftovers plus plenty of fruit, nuts and the like. The prices of food in our local cafes near work make me gag and the times I have had it I have found it to be pretty ordinary. When we go on road trips we take snacks with us. If we stop for food it is somewhere decent to have a nice meal. I earn a good salary and could afford to buy lunch every day but frankly, I do not like wasting money. Everyone has a different priority or perspective. I do spend a bit on my hobby but that is on parts and kits. RTR mostly passes me by. I cannot say I feel any sense of doom or gloom but I have always tended to do my own thing anyway. Craig w