Edwardian

Perhaps Rob's had a makeover ....

What is all this "cakey tea" nonsense. The cream tea, that signal contribution to civilisation, should boast a ratio of 3 to 1 clotted cream to jam; an ideal to be realised by the copious application of cream to the scone first. Honestly, you'll be telling me next that the milk goes into the tea cup first! Wars have started for less. At least according to Dean Swift.

I might actually have to buy a copy

I was surprised to learn, upon visiting Tees Cottage pumping station, Darlington, in June, that sewerage systems came late to some places. We learn at school of the cholera epidemics in London of the 1850s, the big stink and Parliament finally doing something about it: Bazalgette (what a name), sewers, the Embankment etc. What I had not realised is how long it took the rest of the country to take proper measures to avoid such epidemics. In the late Nineteenth Century, in addition to unregulated industrial waste poured into the Tees at Barnard Castle, the river was already carrying appreciable amounts of livestock ordure from up the dale, to which the townsfolk merrily added their own excreta. The result, a very nasty cholera outbreak in 1896, but not just in the town; it caused an epidemic downstream in Darlington. No real excuse for this situation best part of half a century after the cause and prevention of cholera had been understood and applied. This is a prosperous market town and a major industrial/railway town. Obviously the will and cohesion had not existed to secure a safe water supply until after disaster struck with such force. Sometimes the Victorians took their time to show their greatness.

Once again I lament the lack of a 'groan' button Hardly your fault and I take my share of the blame; never under estimate this lot's penchant for scatological humour. His vegetables seem to be doing well on it at any rate. Lovely modelling.

It is possible to take prototype research too far.

The layout needs proper lighting in order to show that grass off to best effect!

And here was me expecting you to post a picture of coprolite. Thanks, I think that privy is going to have to feature several times over on CA. Or this one:

Bet Anthony Hopkins still has nightmares

I feel there is an opportunity here for a topic on the Wheeltappers board? "Show us your stool"?

There are few skills of which I can boast, but I was trained to iron by the best; the British Army. There was certainly no sitting involved. Of course, combat ironing, conducted in the prone position, was a different matter entirely .....

People do ironing sitting down? I stand amazed.

Great idea. You should. My compliments to Mrs Lightening

Or the day after, when it gets separately applied cab-side hand rails? Just the one wheel?

Yes, I am sure I was psychologically scarred by that scene, the sort of school summer holidays, afternoon on BBC2 flick. Can't remember the fillum either!

There is something sinister about 'him'! "This way to Brighton.... , no, a single fare is all you will need. Mwahahahahahahah!"

Welcome, TheQ, and thank you for those kind words. It is always good to have someone join us from the county with which I am taking so many liberties, if not a little worrying ... Had our situation been a little different a few years ago, we might have moved to Norfolk. As it is, I have come to love the county and its railway history as a visitor; it is one of the strangely relatively neglected but wonderful parts of England. But, then, Betjeman esteemed it, which is all the commendation anywhere needs. What a wonderful edifice. Wymondham Abbey! Oh, I do love the diversions and digressions we have. There is always something interesting that you did not know that someone will write about here. Which is fortunate as I'm sort of stuck in a too much work/over faced by multiple Inkscape false starts rut, but I must find a way of moving the project forward. All aspects of it seem just beyond my grasp at present. I have found a box of Triang clerestory bodies, a hangover from my adolescent attempts to produce more prototypical rolling stock for that inevitable Great Western childhood layout. I did not get beyond attaching Slater's C10 (All Third) sides to a Triang body. Armed only with an Exacto knife and a tube of poly cement in those days, I am surprised that it went off OK. In contrast, my ham-fisted attempts to attach the clerestory sides to the Triang roof have had to be dismantled with care! Thank goodness that I purchased Slater's sides for the Third and Composite all those years ago, because you try prising any Slater's stuff out of the cold, dead, grasp of Coopercraft these days! Wish I'd purchased some replacement bogies at the time, too! Not West Norfolk or Great Eastern, but perhaps something to keep my hand in until I can produce coach sides for myself?

Good to see some greenery; it brings the scene alive. Keep up the good work!

Kevin has been spotted out and about:

Of course, I should have thought of that. I believe that it could also be the basis of a "Steamroller", a LSW 4-4-0 with solid bogie wheels! Thanks James

I agree. I took your point about the height of the motor with regard to the Claud and the T19; I did not make myself clear. I was simply pondering on what might be used as a chassis for a T26. I don't know of anything on the market with anything even close to that wheel diameter and spacing. I am content with a good old No.1 Class for GE through services on Castle Aching. If I progress to a GE layout, I would want to add a T19, T26 and Claud (and a brace of Y14s, which, I assume, can be jacked out of the Hornby J15). Of these, I really only see the T26 as a major problem for an RTR conversion. How touchingly naïve of me!

Indeed, there may be no better match. Seven foot is large for a 4-coupled engine driving wheel. Thinking of what is available, I think GC Directors, SR Schools, LNER Hunts/Shires, and 4-4-0s of the Midland Compound ilk all have drivers under 7'. The larger wheeled GW 4-4-0s tend to standardise at 6'8 1/2" and at 8'6" centres, so the County won't do either. I suspect that, with the correct driving wheel dimension and only 1mm out in the w/b, the Claud chassis is as close as anyone will get with an RTR chassis to a T19. What about a T26 - same 8'9" centres, but 5'8" diameter coupled wheels?

I apologise, I'm afraid I did not read Pint of Adnams' list. As to my post, I'm afraid I don't speak "LNER", as I have no interest in modelling the ex-GER. Next time perhaps I should include a translation for those who don't know these classes by their "old money" terms! But then again, no, because I said what I meant and it was evidently understood! Pint of Adnams, please raise your hand once you've worked out the point of your comment.

Or an M15

I agree. I think 3D print could be great for hard to make/obtain stuff like pre-Grouping company coach and wagon fittings. Coaches would benefit from printed roof fittings, buffer shanks, bogies and axle-box-spring assemblies. Smooth sides of coaches that require rubbing down at the risk of fine detail are not the best uses of this material, IMHO. One glaring market gap is an available range of pre-Grouping roof profiles, particularly trickier ones like semi-elliptical. A number of companies had distinctive roof profiles. Could this be a great use of 3D print?