Caley Jim

Many happy returns, Linny. I'm in Austria at the moment and it's hot here too, 29° and we're at an alm at 1040m at the moment. Jim

Well, the scenery around there is pretty grand! Jim

Maybe the new tanks were an etch with the sides half etched and the rivets unetched. It would have needed a h**l of a soldering iron to put it together, though! Jim

The pillars were turned for me by one of the group building the layout. The jig was drawn up as part of the etch. Jim

There is a plate on the other side with a tick list for maintainance checks. I'll try and get a shout of that next time. I'll be having ein grosse bier with my dinner tonight! Jim

Think that's to let you disconnect the con-rod to check the quartering! Jim

At least this one seen today is in black, but it's a pity they didn't manage to get it to sit level or hide that gear wheel in the centre! Built Vienna 1889,so definitely Pre-grouping. Jim

That was because, the directors being Glasgow industrialists and merchants, they were driving a hard bargain over the share price! Jim

Being comprised mainly of Edinburgh lawyers and accountants the NB board were probably rarely prepared to commit to expenditure in a hurry! (Caley) Jim

I think the two being referred to were Jerry and I. I can see the merit in trying to create a product to, for example, simplify making uj's, but I think there are times when things tend to get too sophisticated. I'm a great believer in the KISS principle. Jim

A wire loop in a slot is far simpler than faffing about with drilling bits of plastic and supergluing them on! Jim

Somebody has been out with the tartan paint again. Jim

Not all t that rare. There's a blue a***d species too! Jim

Moderators! When are we going to get that 'groan' button?? Jim

As the marks are on their shoulders I would assume they indicate ownership where sheep are grazing on common ground. Nowadays they appear on their rumps in the autumn and are for a completely different purpose! Jim

Are you sure that the rods are dead straight and haven't got accidentally bent? That's one of the reasons, apart from my compensated system, that I use jointed rods. Another thing is that I've found that if you turn it back and forth between the right spots they sometimes work their way out. Jim

At least they're not sitting on the window ledges with their legs hanging out like they do on Puffing Billy!! Jim

In between working on the 2nd footbridge and other things I've started a bit of 'proper' scenic work on Kirkallanmuir (as opposed to railway infrastructure). The fields in front of and at the end of the exchange sidings have been grassed with static grass and some bushes have appeared along the walls. The main work has been a start on the trees on the hill behind the sidings. Most of this follows the techniques used on Fencehouses and described in MRJ. The bushes and smaller trees are lichen sprayed with cheap hairspray and then dipped in a variety of scenic foams, flock etc., the excess being shaken off and then another spray to help fix them. The large trees - they scale c60ft - are dried sedum flower heads with the seeds removed and a variety of Woodlands Scenics foliage mats, cut into random, irregular pieces, glued on with PVA. Further hairspray then applied. I find that it's a slow process and so far I've only got as far as the end of the lye siding with the trees, although the whole banking has been grassed. There will eventually be a backscene behind this, once I work out how I'm going to mount it. I have a few ideas. Jim

I think that if I tried fishing I would be thinking all the time of the modelling I could be doing instead of sitting doing nothing! Jim

With the 25t you're only going to have 0.25mm clearance over a closure rail on a turnout. A bit risky if the closure rail happens to be a fraction high. Much safer with the 22T and the loss in gear reduction is not significant IMHO. Jim

Don't forget to use the duster, Angus! Mustn't let the sweat on your hands cause rust on the polished handles! Jim

Hi Marilyn. The fencing was designed specifically for the location at Dunblane, but there is no reason why I couldn't do some more. What length do you need and I'll put it on the list for the next etch sheet, though I can't promise when that will be. I'll check what height it was when I'm home tonight (grandparenting duties at the moment) and PM you. Jim

I have an 0-4-4T with a chassis around 40 years old where the coupling rods are sloppy on the crankpins and two of the latter are actually loose on the wheels. (They are countersunk on the back, so can't come out.) It still runs perfectly! Jim

I suspect that the problem is caused by the relative lack of cohesion within the Oasis. While the plaster (and any other adhesive) will stick to the outer layers, they will be coming away from the body of the foam. Perhaps you could seal it with some dilute PVA or other thin adhesive which will soak into the surface. Wallpaper paste? Jim

I bought an ESRA RH80 unit with similar functions some years ago, ordering it from the USA, thinking I was getting it at a better price. Then found myself stung for customs duty which made it dearer than if I'd ordered from the EU! I have to say that it has proved an excellent purchase. I mostly use a 2mm chisel bit running at 300°C for ordinary soldering as I like to get plenty heat in there as quickly as possible. Jim