Caley Jim

That's revolting! Especially when you take my name in vain! Jim (W) (Windae picked)

You are too hard on yourself, Airnimal. That is a brilliant representation of worn wood. I only wish I could achieve the same!! Jim

Alternatively, if they took a correspondance course in English they address everyone as 'Dear Sir or Madam' or 'To Whom it may concern'. Jim

Many years ago I was in a club which had signs on the layout 'Nicht gerfingerpoken'. The control panel was designated 'Ein Automatichklagerramenmit knopfen' (Automatic route setting panel with knobs on). Jim

From the diagram of the box I take it that the frame is on the side nearest the track, i.e. the signalman is facing the track when operating. That being the case the levers for the route from Nether Madder will be at his left hand end of the frame and therefore starting at 1and 2 for the down home, then 3 for the FPL for the turnout for the main line loop, then the turnout as 4, followed by the FPL and turnout for the branch and then the FPL and crossover over the slip and then the Main Down starter. These would then be followed by the FPL and crossover on the branch platform followed by the branch platform starters. Those for the up direction will be at the other end in a similar, but reversed, order i.e. the home signals at the end of the frame. This groups the levers for the most common moves together and in a logical order, from left to right for down trains and right to left for up. I am open to correction on this. Jim Edited to correct that the levers for the turnout at the down end (3 & 4) and those for the crossover through the slip should be the oposite way round.

I'll be on the 2MM SA Roadshow stand, building one of my etched wagons kits as usual. Jim

That's a bummer, Linny. On a brighter note, will I see you at Perth this weekend? Jim

I would say that switch definitely needs to be pivoted. You could make it a loose heel one by forming a 'fishplate' from copper or brass shim as I did with all my switches on Kirkallanmuir (in order to be prototypical for the period). I wouldn't trust the soldered joint to survive long given the amount of twist it is going to get from such a short switch. With the toes of the two switches being in different sleeper gaps, how do you propose to get them operating in tandem? Jim

A CR pug, if I'm not mistaken! I must protest m'lud. All the best locos wore Westinghouse pumps!! Jim

A number of years ago we stayed in the station house at Farnel Road which was then a B&B. There were still traces of the platforms and the bridge abutments. Can't recall if the signal box was still extant. BTW, the rooms had a railway theme, being named after Thomas the Tank Characters! i think we were in Clarabel. I was hopeful that the ghost of 17 on the 'racer' might make an appearance,but nae luck! Jim

I beg to differ! You can't have a ceilidh without at least one accordion player! (and a fiddle player !) Jim

Let's not start the argument about exactly which shade 'Prussian Blue' is!! Jim

If our learned friend will permit, may I point out that the loco in question has 4 pairs of joined up wheels pushing one pair in front, thus being a heavy freight loco of the 8F classification. Unfortunately it's not the one from the SVR which was Clyde built (NBL). Jim (wearing his pedant's hat)

Could be either of two! Jim

Blue is, of course, the only proper colour for a continuous brake fitted steam locomotive! Jim

Vehicles could drive on and off them as the high level part was ramped up from the rest. Often the lower level part was at the level of the road outwith the yard. Jim

Anyone for AJ's? Jim (exiting smartly)

Not wishing to be critical of your excellent work, but should the inside not be pretty much white, especially the lower parts, from the lime wash? Jim

Could I suggest you do away with both the sleeper that links the two tracks at the top of the picture and the long sleeper next to it and replace them with two ordinary sleepers, one on each track, slewed slightly to even up the gaps between chairs. tandem turnouts on interlaced sleepers had some quite long gaps between some sleepers and this wasn't an issue where both axle loads and speeds were low. Jim

i used double sided tape on Connerburn nearly 45 years ago and was given dire warnings that it wouldn't last. As far as I can see (the layout has been in storage for the last 10 years or so) it's still holding fine! Jim

I have no experience of these particular etches, but I have built several coaches and locos from etches which were produced from artwork designed (pre- CAD and so hand-drawn to 10mm scale) originally for 7MM. They had already been successfully reduced to 4mm scale. It is important that the thickness of metal used is reduced proportionately to the reduction in scale. For example the ones I have were etched in 15thou brass for 4mm scale and 8thou for 2MM. Apart from some items being too small and fiddly (droplight leathers and ash trays for example!), they worked very well, with all the detail of the original there. Jim

I hope there is not going to be any suggestion of some sort of hierarchy in this debate. Surely what is important is the satisfaction and pleasure the builder gained from the exercise? For the record I've done 1-7 of the above, but have neither the skills nor facilities to make motors, gears, wheels etc. Jim

I recall building one of these back in my teens, but I never attempted motorising it. With both this and Kitmaster loco kits I never found plastic-plastic moving parts very great for free running. Jim

That is looking superb Angus!! Jim

The 'tenders' which the CR and NBR attached to their 0-4-0st's were simple wooden affairs. In the case of the Cr they were built on the underframes of 7T Mineral 'bogies'. Jim