Caley Jim

Many years ago I was recommended to only use one screw to fix loco bodies to chassis. That way there's no chance of causing torsion. As long as the fixing point is a little way in from the end it will sit OK. If need be, at the other end have some 'guides' either side of the chassis to centralise the body. Where you are employing split frame collection, these need to be styrene, or other non-conducting material. Jim

I can't recall off the top of my head, @St Enodoc and I'm away from home (in Anstruther) for the weekend, but I'll look it up when I get home. Jim

Diseasals for one! 😁 Jim

You also had places like the Cathcart Circle where trains left Glasgow Central as up trains and became down trains as they ran round the circle and returned to Central. Jim

I finish locos and coaches with Ronseal clear acrylic satin varnish. For wagons I use matt paints. Jim

I always like to get a loco in working order before I start adding any details. Jim

Fully agree there. In any case, the arms on your etch are too long to be GWR. There's were much shorter and stumpier. Jim

What's the driver's name? Ernie? 😁 Jim

Ah! That explains the intriguing email I received earlier this morning! Very kind of you Jerry. Jim

Well, the Caley was a very handsome line! 😁 Jim

After building a set of 65ft non-corridor coaches for the Glasgow and Edinburgh Direct service I had to build a suitable loco for them. This is a CR 900class (Dunalastair III) 4-4-0 No.902. Full build details at https://www.rmweb.co.uk/forums/topic/182910-cr-900-class-4-4-0-dunalastair-iii/?do=getNewComment Jim

Your wish is my command, Sir. Jim

Well! Painting and finishing off has taken some considerable time, between being a slow business in itself and other things getting in the way. I decided to finish it in the later light blue livery (at least my rendition of it) and the result can only be described as being on the 'very nearly' side of acceptable, but from 3 ft away with your eyes screwed up it's just about OK. Jim

Also the tall signal post is between the two fast lines, not between the fast and slow, and there's no sign of the bracketed signal. Jim

Ah! In that case you're a day after me. Mine was Monday. It's late Tuesday here at the moment (23:17h) Thanks for the good wishes all the same. Let's hope we both hae mony o' them!! Jim

Happy Birthday, Annie. If we're talking Monday past (not quite sure how the time differences work) then we share that in common. Mine, however, was not one with a big '0'. As my son-in-law put it, the bingo call would be 'Sunset Strip'!* Jim *the youngsters on here won't have a clue about that - Google it!

I'm almost finished the build of a second test etch for a NBR 'Jubilee' mineral wagon if anyone is interested. Designed to take 2FS wheels, so no guarantee it will suit N. Jim

Age before beauty! 😁 Jim

I'll have a 5 year start on you both come Monday (you can work that date out for yourselves!) and have my own seat with my name on it on that step! Jim

Cracking job, Tim! I'm afraid my renditions of 'Waashin'-hoose' ( as the CR drivers called the Westinghouse brake) pumps owe more to the 'crude impressionist' school of modelling rather than the 'accurist' one/ Turned as one piece with the area between the cylinders filed across then drilled and opened out with a No. 20 file. The pipes will need to be cut back slightly when I fit it on top of No 902's RH coupling rod splasher. Jim

I would have reacted with a 'Craftmanship/clever', but 'friendly supportive' seemed more appropriate, given your wife's situation. I'm sure she will be well looked after. Take care, Jim

I can almost hear the 'ping' of the block bells from here! takes me back to working the block bells in Greenfoot box in my teens. Jim

Yes, some occasions it goes well. other times it's just not working, so you have to put it off until another time. Jim

It will be 'pre-Whyte' then? 😉 Jim

I hope I'm not being cheeky here, Mike, but what paint do you use for your lettering and do you use it neat? I vary between enamel and acrylics, both slightly thinned to make them flow off the brush easier. I moisten the brush first with either thinner or water (depending on the paint I'm using) and blot it on a tissue so that it's just 'damp'. I then pick up just a spot of paint on the tip of the brush, how much depends on whether I'm doing the main lettering or the smaller bits. For the latter there may only be enough paint on the brush to do one vertical stroke. I clean the brush in thinners (or water) after perhaps every 2 or 3 dips in the paint so that the paint doesn't clog on the brush. Apologies if this is teaching you to suck eggs. Jim