Caley Jim

Notable in that latter photo are a couple of far travelled vans in the background. The NB one is clear, but the partially obscured one to the left of the MR van would seem to be a CR Dia3 6T van with the later (post 1897) style of body with horizontal planking. Jim

I've just finished another of my CR 7T mineral 'bogie' kits and am about to give it a spray with CIF and a scrub to clean it up. It will then get its wheels put back in temporarily and join a spindle buffered Dia 22 mineral in the queue for the paint shop. Jim

Don't blame me!! Linny asked where it came from, so I obliged! Jim

The map is the 1931/32 revision, published 1933. If you look at the page showing the map of the UK and zoom in on the area, you get this! You'll have to close the 'help' box whixh comes up over the map to view it. The NLS maps website is a site you could spend hours on looking at how places have developed over time. BTW, that first map also has Dalry Road shed on it, top left hand corner. Jim

A useful tool to make the slight adjustments to quartering is a small watchmakers screwdriver. Hold the wheel on one side, insert the screwdriver between the spokes of the other wheel near the centre and gently twist the screwdriver. You can make much finer adjustments this way than by trying to turn the wheels between your fingers. Also, one you have set the driven axle, DO NOT touch it again, but use it as the datum against which to set the other axle(s). Jim

I've never used the quartering jig, so can't comment. My method is to set the driven axle to roughly 90° and then adjust the others to match. I outlined it in an article in the Magazine on quartering, December 2006 p115. Jim

This part of Morningside Road in Edinburgh (the road with the tram lines on it) is known as 'Holy Corner', for obvious reasons! Jim

If it's Gilbert Scott you want, there's not much to beat this Jim (BDS Glas 1969)

A 25% hike overnight! That's extortionate! Even worse than train fares! Just as well this is not France, or they'd be out on the streets in protest! Jim

And pre-Raphaelits! Jim

But there are 4.456 litres in a gallon, so near enough 1p a litre. I can remember when it was 4/6 a gallon! Jim

You could always buy a sheet, frame it and put it on the wall as a piece of art! Jim

Couldn't seem to add a photo using my phone and the family were here yesterday, so only now able to respond properly. The bonfire gets lit just before 21:30. Thanks to the recent dry weather it caught light very easily (usually copious amounts of diesel are poured on it to get it going) and this was it by 21:45. As you can see, the windows of the adjacent Corn Exchange (now an arts venue) are boarded up for their protection and also the head of the nearby pedestrian traffic lights is temporarily removed. Jim

On the subject of fencing (and thus getting dangerously close to being on topic) around here most fencing has wooden posts with sheep netting and a strand of barbed wire at the top, but just recently I've noticed a few being renewed with galvanised metal posts. as far as railway fences go, a common type up here was made from old sleepers set on end with the bottom 3 feet or so buried. A horizontal strap running along about a foot from the top tied the tops together. The tops could either be plain, pointed, Or chamfered, this being either on one side or both. Another arrangement was 'castellated' where the tops of alternate sleepers were about 6" lower. Where they ran down the slope of an embankment or cutting, the tops were stepped I have modelled such a fence on Kirkallanmuir (third photo down the post) as they were so typical of the area. Jim

Yes, back to our own house for 'the bells'. Jim

Did you all see Mons Meg on the Hogmanay show on BBC? The original art Edinburgh Castle I mean. Jim

I trust that's with an 's' and not the dreaded American 'z'! Slainte mhaith Jim

May I wish all the members of CA Parish Council a Guid New Year full of productive modelling. We will be leaving shortly to go up to the Corn Exchange in the High Street for the lighting of the bonfire. Jim

No progress to report, but I just wanted to thank all of you who have taken the trouble to follow my, sometimes insane, efforts and leave positive comments during 2018. I wish you all a Guid New Year full of productive modelling. Just about to leave to go up the town to see the bonfire lit. Jim

It's a six coupled loco of some description. Probably a tank, judging by the guard irons for and aft. :-) Jim

lick on the 'Reply with attachments' button below the bottom right of the text box. Jim

Once again one 'Craftsmanship/clever' is not enough!!! That's a beautiful monastery model. Just the thing to divert the eye as trains disappear through the tunnel to 'the rest of the world'. Jim

Given the season, does it turn back into a pumpkin at midnight?? Jim

These lower hinges are one of what I would describe as 'significant details', details which are obvious if they are missing. They break up the smooth lower surface, so you notice of they are missing. My take on these things. Jim

We had to cut off the top half of the bottom door of the stable to let our Shetland see out, whereupon he promptly jumped over it! Jim