Adam

My experience of Ultrascales is limited, but the problem is familiar and - in my case - is material based rather than, necessarily, any question of lubrication. I'm reasonably confident about that because these were conversion sets (for a 66xx as it happens) and came ready assembled. The driven axle was prone to slipping out of quarter at the slightest provocation, well, until I pinned it through the axle, anyway. I recall somewhere in an MRJ piece - possibly by Guy Williams - that the author faced similar problems with Ultrascales and drilled between the spokes with a 0.5mm drill and epoxied a pin in. My 08 may have suffered from shifting cranks, too (as the real things do!) and dad may have got fed up with that and pinned the driven axle, too - the loco lives in Somerset rather than with me in Kent.

Mark Humphrys suggested something closer to prototype practise in MRJ 229: https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/mrji/issue.php?s=229 and that's worth a look.

Adam

Even allowing for the angle and the challenges of space it needs to be bigger: mottes are meant to dominate and that doesn’t clear the roof line of the goods shed by nearly enough.
 

The forced perspective would be more effective if the representation showed the whole thing. to get the height in the space you’ll have to increase the angle of the slope of the motte, but the present arrangement looks more cutting than Castle.  Modern - damaging - tree growth would make disguise a bit easier and perhaps that’s a way forward? To allow that to have happened earlier?

Adam

53 minutes ago, ullypug said:

Jack

I think it was Branchlines. Dave Holt sent me one of each from his spares box (Comet, Gibson and Branchlines) and I sent two back, but I can't remember which two!

regards

Andrew 

It's brass, so it must be Branchlines or Gibson (my money is on the former).

Adam

That's superb! So we've seen the switches; what sits under the board? 

Adam

How many types of Ivatt 2MT chimney do Branchlines do out out of interest? I'd be interested in the tall thin type myself. 247 do several including the BR Std 2MT chimney. Comet used to do the short standard version and the skinny version but I'm not sure these are available at present.

At least two including, I think, the tall fat one (dad has one of these to replace the chimney on his Bachmann/heavily-modified Comet) but don't ask me which other(s)! These were intended for an aborted chassis/detailing combo'. Like most Branchlines parts it's a nice crisp casting.

Adam

The chimney situation is quite complex (and the same applies to the moguls, too). I can't recall which is which offhand but there were 3 different types:

short fat - https://mikemorant.smugmug.com/Trains-Railways-British-Isles/LMSR-and-BRM/LMSR-tank-locomotives/i-GHLGXZt/A

tall fat - https://mikemorant.smugmug.com/Trains-Railways-British-Isles/LMSR-and-BRM/LMSR-tank-locomotives/i-3wtHTLd/A

tall thin - https://mikemorant.smugmug.com/Trains-Railways-British-Isles/SR-and-BRS/SR-Visitors-and/i-5CV2td8

As ever, check your prototype!

Adam

Branchlines also do a suitable replacement chimney (actually like the real thing, as you'll know, more than one different type!), but theirs is in brass rather than whitemetal. Definitely worth the effort though, especially given the work you've put in thus far.

Adam

It's coming along well isn't it? I look forward to seeing the finished article. All best for 2019!

Adam

... If any DJH bits make the cut?

Very nice tidy work, Dave.

Adam

That's looking excellent Andrew - I look forward to seeing it once it's done; the orchard is especially effective, I think.

Adam

Lovely work Dave - regarding Gorilla Glue (apart from the obvious allusion to gorillas' strength), if you get it on your skin, it will go a rather gorilla-ish shade of grey. Quite hard to shift...

Adam

Oops - it happens to us all Andrew (not with a wheelbase, thus far, but I do have a couple of wagons somewhere which have had to have the floors made up to the right length) but keeping quiet covers a multitude...

I do like the coach - proper hairshirt stuff!

Adam

I don't think that was the same etch at all (it was a private commission and may have been just the valve gear) but the MRJ in question is no. 59:

http://www.modelrailwayjournal.com/issue.php?s=59 (though, strangely, the article doesn't appear in the MRJ Index, it's there on the cover!).

Adam

Depends on where one finds one's excitement, Andrew!

A nice selection - the spoil/ballast opens are among my favourite wagons and those Chivers' kits are great. Palvan might be a bit unlikely down Cheddar way c.1960 (most were on circuit workings) but not impossible, I guess. It is a nice kit though.

Adam

Thanks Andrew. A purposeful beast.

Adam

The chimney doesn't look that far off, but then, I'm not over-familiar with the real thing. I'd be much more bothered by the cab handrails if it were me (though I accept it'll be a lot less obvious when painted). The injectors look pleasingly busy - it's a job I've been avoiding on the Peckett which does at least mean that the chassis is coming on!

Adam

High Level axleboxes, too, I note - I assembled a set for my Peckett tank last night - I'd forgotten how easy they were to put together!

Adam

Proper job. Have you any thoughts about adding some sort of bracing for the top edge of the frames or don't you think it will be necessary?

Adam

I'm coming to the view that 'standard' and Manning, Wardle, are concepts that don't necessarily belong together!

I think most of the apparently 'lost' length must be at the cab end which looks a mite short (assuming the tank is the correct length as drawn). How are you doing the wheels? L&Y Pug? Or something more creative?

Adam

Hi Andrew,

I'm certain you have more information to hand than I do - and photographs of drawings stretch them in all sorts of directions - but I wonder whether as drawn there isn't a bit of foreshortening of the wheelbase and thus the centre section of the loco? There are some quoted dimensions of MW L class here:

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/96588-manning-wardle-l-class-drawings/?p=2765911

It may simply be that the wheels there are a smidge big? Whatever, ugly though the thing was, I like it!

Adam

Thanks, information filed away for (possible) future use.

A

Happy to be of service: keep up the good work!

Lovely work, Andrew - especially the brakevan. Presumably, you simply haven't got round to removing the tiebar between the W irons? Not a feature of any 1923 spec' mineral I've seen (though that doesn't mean it never happened).

Adam

There's a nice flow to that. Apologies if I've missed this Andrew - whose TOUs are those? 

Glad to see that it's coming on.

Adam

Love it .

A