Caley Jim

Apart from fine files, another useful tool is a fine India sharpening stone. This is useful for removing the last traces of tags from delicate edges without distorting them. Jim

I always use 12BA bolts (or offcuts) as bogie mounts. Never had any problems. Jim

Perhaps not human waste as such, but Glasgow Corporation had 'sewage disposal wagons', lettered as such, which took the sludge from the sewage works out to farms in Ayrshire and Lanarkshire. Also the Glasgow Police Commissioners (who were responsible for cleaning the streets at the time) had manure wagons for similarly disposing of the horse manure they collected. The four on the right are manure wagons. Jim

Dunallander at the 2023 Aberdeen show. Still very much a WIP. An up oil train runs through the station while a local for Callander departs on the Oban Line. Some of Mike Rasmussen's Superb Buildings. The layout is set in the 1960's, so this Caley Jumbo must have been waiting on the road for over 40 years! Finally, the Aberdeen sleeper runs through on its way north.

40F is around 4.5C. That's T-shirt and shorts weather! We had -16C one night last winter and back around 2010 it was going down to -23C overnight and never went above 0 for days! Jim

This was common. As I've posted before the 'Load x tons' marking only indicated the maximum load the bearings should be subjected to (taking into account the weight of the wagon), not the physical capacity. Coal was lighter than other minerals such as iron ore and stone. Jim

Mars? Don't think it's any younger, or more vibrant, but there are fewer people! 😁 Jim

Isn't that implied by the size of the hammer? Jim

Absolutely stunning as always, Mike. Glad I don't work in S7 or I'd be totally disillusioned as I could never achieve that standard. Jim

Well, I suppose I count as 'elderly' (would certainly be disenfranchised if Miss T had her way), but I can cope reasonably well with a smart phone, internet shopping, etc.. I refuse, however, to go anywhere near internet banking, no matter how hard the banks try to force us into that! Jim

Engineering is 90% knowing which hammer to use and 10% knowing where to hit it. Tim will have had plenty practice removing impacted teeth with a bone chisel and mallet! 😃 Jim

I've built 11 locos so far without any machine tools, other than an old Black and Decker drill and a minidrill. These include total scratch-builds, white metal and etched kits and from my own etches. As @VRBroadgauge as said, it's a matter of having a go and learning from your mistakes. Jim

Highland Cathedral bring a lump to my throat. I walked my youngest daughter down the aisle to that! Couldn't sing the first hymn. Jim

Well, if that doesn't restore your mojo and spur you on, nothing will! Jim

NBR wagon seems to have lost the hoop off one of the end door hinges. Jim

Commiserations to you both from me too, Jerry. Pets become part of the family and it's never easy losing one, whether it's your own or is part of one of your family's family. Still miss the Beagles my daughter had, though the last one passed away several years ago. Jim

My friends (wooden) cabin now has metal sheeting about 3ft up the walls and also round the uprights supporting the roof over the veranda after the cockies attacked them (the walls and uprights, not the people!) one year. At a neighbouring cabin they actually got through the walls and made a mess of the interior! Jim

Was there not a Kookie around to do the 'benevolent policeman' bit and keep them all in order as we used to see at my friend's cabin in Halls Gap? Jim

Derbyshire? The North? That's almost the Deep South from where I'm sitting! Jim

Aye, that'll be shining bright! Jim

And why not, might I ask? CR 0-4-4T's always had the guard irons on the bogies, same with 4-4-0's. Surely that kept them directly over the rails? Moderators, can we please, please have a 'thumbs down' rating? What you want is a full pipes and drums, WITH SOUND! I could stand in front of that layout all day! 😁👍 Jim

Somewhere I have a copy of similar drawings for the Caledonian Railway, who referred to these as 'swivel wagons'. Their 'General Instructions relating to Goods Mineral and Live Stock Traffic' state in Rule 97: Long timber and iron, requiring more than two wagons, must be loaded so as not to bind the whole of the wagons too tightly together. Swivel or Bolster trucks must be used when possible. Guard trucks, or under-runners, may be used when necessary, to ensure safe transit. and within Rule 98: ....Rails, Bars, Plates &c., on Bolster or Swivel truck, must have the chains wrapped round, and not merely tightened over them, and the trucks must be coupled together as tightly as possible to prevent the loads shifting in transit. There is also an instruction for guards to examine such loads at every stop. Jim

I never have and never will support independence, but if the SNP can't manage their own finance, what chance would an independent Scotland have in their hands? We'd be back to the reason for the union in the first place! Jim

On a phone-in program on BBC Radio Scotland yesterday a caller said that all 5 year olds should be taught the 4 'R's. Reading, writing, arithmetic and realism. They should also be taught what an oxymoron is and that the biggest oxymoron is an 'honest politician'. There is no such thing in the entire world! Jim

I've done little on my Kirkallanmuir layout itself over the past two years, other than playing trains a bit of maintenance work, however I have added two locos to the fleet along with a set of three 65ft carriages (see link in signature). I've also been doing some work for our area group layout http://2mmfcag.blogspot.com/ so have not been idle, but doing rather as @Andy_C has said. Currently almost finished drawing up the artwork for an appropriate loco for the Glasgow and Edinburgh Direct set. Jim