D.Platt

Thanks to everyone’s input regarding the K3 and to you Tony for your photos I have two loco numbers in mind these being 61800 and 61848 which I have photos of and I have underlined ! I will go down the route of ordering off Dave fingers crossed he can supply at this time ,meanwhile I’ll carry on with completing the chassis, tender and removing the cab. Dennis

Thanks for the input any idea on the best way to contact Dave Ellis in this current climate . Dennis

Thanks for that Tony interesting cleaning vehicle food for thought there. I’ve noticed with the K3 and what may have stopped me all those years back is the cab, in the instructions it mentions that they had six different cabs , the kit only comes with one which with the comment that it’s a typical cab ! compared to the Wills kit it seems two or three mm smaller with handrail holes over the top of the cab and the windows seem smaller to ! I’ll have to scratch my head as to the best way to proceed. Dennis

Afternoon Tony Thanks for the photos of your fiddle yard , somewhere here you have probably mentioned it but how do you keep all your track work clean ? Like a lot of people on here I’ve kept busy with modelling and sorting out food supplies as we self isolate, I’ve even managed to go back to milk being delivered in bottles !! I finally finished a batch of ten Cambrian Catfish and Dogfish wagons that I have had for thirty odd years not the easiest to put together I’m restarting a Anchoridge K3/2 which for a long forgotten reason I stopped working on ,I started it in April 1997 the first thing I will have to do is de-solder the cab as the spectacle plate is to high, have you built theses kits before? I’m sure you will have I’ll keep you posted on my progress. To everyone look after yourselves Dennis

Afternoon All Blink and you miss three or four pages , didn’t Doncaster works overhaul the western Britannia’s in the early sixties? Dennis

Hi Tony If you remember me telling you at Preston that I was bidding on eBay for a djh B16 well it was third time lucky for me I won the bid , cheaper than the two I lost out on ! I also was successful bidding for a Little Engines 04/3 so in the last month my stock pile has grown by three kits . Hope I can build at least two locos this coming year alongside track ,scenery,layout etc . once again thank you for this forum helping to inspire us all along. Dennis

Hi Tony I would think the answer to your question how many O2s do I need (as with any other class ) is how many different members of the class would pass though on an average day ? Dennis

I was surprised to see the last built EE Type4 (class40 ) was out-shopped without the yellow warning panel !

Afternoon Tony Nice to see the K1 , I have a nu-cast one I made years ago always liked the looks of them and had a lot of the class underlined, but I only required one for my layout and resisted Hornby clearance sales, anyway back to the question I have for you, as you mentioned you built the K1 and A1 to test the djh new gearboxes and motors so after running them now for a few months how do you compare them price and performance wise against other makes that you have used ? My wish list of things to build this year includes a djh 77xxx so thinking ahead motor/gearbox wise . And thanks to everybody who make this such an interesting forum a belated happy New Year . Dennis

Hi Tony Just to add to the above I’ve used self tapping screws , I’ve bought them off Modelfixings.co.uk MF-STO9B No2x 6.4mm lg Phillips head steel Black self tappers , you get a 100 for a very reasonable price. Dennis

See Heljan have announced a new different batch of 02s with GNR cabs and tenders, I fancy one of those to go with my existing nu-cast loco.

It was in this October’s issue that’s why my local model shop reckoned November, I was told at the GCR model exhibition August/September by their rep . Is it the same pre production sample being shown this weekend ? Any price put on them yet ?

So we have now gone from September to November and now early next year !! I did think once they had advertised it they would have kept to a November delivery.

Hi Tony, The balance weights for the B16 Markits sell them with their wheel sets . Dennis

Good evening Tony I did say not many layouts , the WMRC was always an exception and that’s why the likes of Stoke Summit was a magnet for me. All that was missing was some butties and a bottle of pop to watch all the fabulous trains go by . Like you say it’s strange reading on here how people don’t want to spoil their RTR models fine finish , if they are frightened or don’t wish to devalue the model only they know, but after hours of building then painting and lining out a loco into ex works condition I don’t consider it finished until it receives some form of weathering ! as to devaluing a model my take is I’ve played with it and had the pleasure from it and when I’ve popped mi clogs Am I bothered !!! Dennis

One of my favourite exhibitions and one I always go to, there seemed to be fewer large layouts this past year but still a very enjoyable day out. one point I didn’t understand was reverting back to just using the small cafe instead of the first hall where it’s been for the last few years ?

Morning All on the topic of the death of steam era I find the most noticeable change on most layouts now is the desire to have locos and rolling stock weathered, think back to twenty or thirty years ago you wouldn’t find many on exhibition layouts looking that way, I have a friend in his eighties who hates weathered engines he likes to remember shining locos rolling into Paddington but that’s something that for me was a rare treat to see , an odd engine that was ex works was the best chance for me to see a shining example. Dennis

Hi Josh like others have already mentioned get yourself a height gauge it’s a must have . Dennis

Morning Tony First I hope you and your good lady had a safe drive home from Wigan yesterday,( I was thinking about you at seven o'clock and didn't envy the long drive you undertook ) always a pleasure to have a chat with you , after seeing City of London in the flesh hears my DJH Duchess not up to your photographic skills i am afraid, as I said to you I did invest in the new bogie wheels and I am pleased in the end result she's a good powerful loco ( TA12 can motor driving direct axle gear ) So it's back to track building for a while then I have two DJH A3s that I must get round to building !! Dennis

Thanks for the link meil Dennis

Hi I have read this on here before and thought it’s a good idea but haven’t been able to find any A4 size self adhesive labels , can you please point me in the right direction. Dennis

Thanks Martin How refreshing from a manufacturer to deliver a product when promised, it will mean I can continue with my track work , I can make straight points using C&L parts but a double slip I think would be too much for me !

I was told at the GCR model exhibition that the double and single slips would be in the shops August/September how long can I hold my breath for

Morning Tony and all, All this talk of DMU’s the one thing that I did enjoy as a young spotter was getting in the front unit behind the driver and having his view of the line ahead , you are probably right Tony I’am 67 and missed out on any suburban steam haulage in my Manchester area. Dennis

I’ve had an order in since April for three hole disc wheels which are in their catalogue (R4 I think ) I have been wondering why the delay since they are in most of their Parkside range . Dennis