D.Platt

Hi Tony , When did Grantham change from 35B to 34F ? Just wondered with the late crest tthe 1959 ABC has it as 34F. Dennis

Hi David,                                                                                                                                                                                                        As someone who only found this site a few weeks back, I like many before me wish to thank you for all the time and trouble that you have gone to for all for us ,loved your dads old black and white photos and on your collection we just don't know which era you will post.              I stayed at a certain line side hotel last week just north of York an area from where you have plenty of photos ,like others there I was thinking of all the verity that is now missing,  all freight class 66 hauled,  three car Trans- Pennine units on what were yesterdays main line services ,and that's where I admire you in the fact you point your camera and record everything ,common sights today but tomorrows history !       Some of my favorite photos are Man Victoria ,Crewe and the Woodhead line ,did you ever get to Guide Bridge?                                      Thanks again      Dennis

Thanks Andy, My luck , suppose I could get onto the shop but it was Christmas 2014 and I didn't get round to using it till late last year,can only think it's a reaction to cleaning my airbrush out with the thinners ,beware ! Dennis

Hi Andy , Just looking through your blog,lots of goodies to take in,what I noticed is the extractor fan you use ,my son brought me the same one as a Christmas present I've only used it a few times and all the folding plastic has gone brittle and cracked !! I presume it's the thinners I used ,yours looks like new is it just me or have you had any problems. Dennis

 Morning Tony,                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Thank you for your reply,we have met on a few occasions mainly at Wigan and had a few chats about kit building,I have always built my locos more or less the same as yourself especially regarding pickups ,I tend to replace all RRT wagons/coach wheels with Romford (maybe just out of habit) but leave the locos alone.                                                                                                                                     Thirty years or so I had a off license shop and had part off it as a model rail shop stocking loco kits and all the bits and bobs required to build them,the kits I usually acquired direct, but a lot of stock came from Kings Cross models,when my model shop came to a demise I went back into engineering but I had a good collection of loco kits with  romford wheels,which I have  built over the following years, since then  I have used mainly trains they stocked all I needed,sadly no more as they run  down their stock.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                I have just started my retirement and looking at my projects I need wheels,the last few exhibitions I have attended the stands you could go to have disappeared hence my problem,but after last nights kind responses first thing on Monday I'll be calling Markits and hopefully ordering a set of B16 wheels and bogie wheels for my Hornby A4s /A3 (I have two DJH A3 to build )                                          Thank you all      Dennsi 

Thanks Brian I have visited Markits web site, didn't think of Googling them direct !! Stuck in my old ways , looks like the bank balance is in for a big hit !!! Thanks again Dennis

I have looked at Wizard/51L, 247,Roxey,DMR, plus my old favourites Mainly Trains and Holts ,when I go to exhibitions these days it's difficult to find traders who stock wheels and detailing bits like you use to find,hence my plea for help . Dennis

Hi Tony , Hope you don't mind me bothering you again,but is it me or is it getting harder to find shops/traders stocking wheels.I've always used Romford wheels in the past but I believe these are on longer produced,looking on line at the various shops that I have dealt with in the past they don't have much left in stock and don't have any Markits wheels so can youself or anyone recommend the best place to go to ? (Especially A3 bogie wheels). Dennis

Hi Tony , Thanks I Had a 12mm in my bits box so I have to buy a few 14mm for the honbyA3/4 that I need to change,I did wonder if I needed to alter the housing so thanks for your help. Dennis

Hi Tony . Can I ask you with the Hornby A3's I presume that the trailing flangeless bogie wheel was changed,my question is what size wheel did you use?and did you have to modify the housing. I ask because I replaced mine with a Romford 12mm bogie wheel and it doesn't sit on the rail. Dennis

Thanks Tony, I choose Gladiateur as it ran with the same style of tender , I haven't been able to find a good photo with her in the final form with the German smoke deflectors fitted ,I noticed how the Doncaster built engines seem to have had there builders plates moved from boiler to cab side but on the N B locos I can't see them ! Like I said gets one thinking and it add pleasure in trying to produce an accurate model. Dennis

Evening all. Can anyone answer a couple of queries regarding the LNER A3s in there later BR days ,this follows on from my post 8694 this left me with two Spearmints so one needed re-numbering ,I have decided on 60070 after looking at a good number of photographs. First. question ,the North British built locos where were there builders plates positioned? The other point that got me thinking (dangerous I know) Gladiateur was a 56B Ardsley loco think they had six or so A3s in 1962 what sort of diagrams did they find work on ? Dennis

Checkout "NORTHEASTERN KITS"

 

ArthurK

Thanks Arthur, I have been on your web page your kits look really good ,the tender I require is for a B16/2 have you one available to purchase I don't mind if I have to wait has you can see I have amount of work to do on the body !!                                                                                         Dennis

Thank you both for your replies on the tenders,my preference would be a lightweight free running tender think that would count the Dave Alexander kit out , is the Dave Bradwell a brass or whitemetal kit ? Arthur K that's a new one for me I'll check up on . Many thanks Dennis

Hello All , A few pages back on the subject of kits that beat us I mentioned that it was a Jidenco Crab that defeated me and that I was currently building a K's 15xx I thought I would show you the finished loco. I enjoyed building this kit although when I melted one of the cross head casting that was an unwanted headache!! Valve gear rivets I used the brass lace pins that have been mentioned in the last few pages I have used these for quite a while now my older brother put me onto them ,one tip that I haven't seen on here is to countersink the part that your soldering the pin to (weld prep) makes for a stronger joint , the reason for building this western loco was as you have mentioned before Tony was a little bartering with a friend of mine to bring back a kit I had built 20 years ago. Hope all this is working.This is all a bit new to me posting photos, 60100 Spearmint always a favourite of mine since the day I saw it departing Doncaster ex-works .After seeing lots of B16s on here I want to restart another kit that I couldn't quite get right ! Now where do I start? Need a tender any ideas please. Sorry if photos are in wronge order. Dennis

During the summer of 1975, my mate and I worked as fence erectors for Fencelines in Trafford Park putting up chain link and barbed wire fencing around commercial sites.

One job we did was at Partington Gasworks. The entire plant had a perimeter fence but several bits of plant within the works were individually fenced off and it was job like this that we were doing. Quite what I don't recall.

The gasworks contact we had showed us around one lunchtime and I remember being shown these horizontal high pressure storage tanks which each of which, we were told, essentially held as much gas as a conventional gasometer at some incredible pressure.

I read recently that these things went out of favour when local authorities realised the potential for disaster should one of them rupture. Don't know how true that is. Brings back happy memories in the summer of 1974 as a nervous 22 year old fitter I set up the new extruded line at frencelines in Trafford Park,and I spent many happy hours at the bridge on the East lancs over the WCML Dennis

Tony.

 

I'd forgotten about the Jidenco Claughton. I was asked to build two, one small-boiler, the other large. I built neither. The only kit(s) which have defeated me entirely! 

 

I also had a McGowan GCR Atlantic, with white metal chassis and white metal motion. I scratch-built a complete chassis and, like you, became an extreme erosive sculptor!

Hi Picking up on worse kit the only one that had me beat was a Jidenco Crab, built chassis which was a good runner and was used with a Wills top , I just couldn't get the Jidenco body together the tender made up nicely,I'm just finishing a K's 15xx which I have enjoyed building and after catching up on this blog I want to dig out another old kit that had me struggling a DJH B16

Seems to be a common fault with Hornby chassis block and motor housing, my problem was with there Royal Scot not only the motor holding block but also the chassis block itself underneath the gear ,on examination theres no meat to the block and after contacting Hornby no spares and non planned  !!! frustrating after spending hours renumbering and weathering ,guess i will have to make a comet chassis when i have the time to spare