NCB

Romford at one time did a few genuine TT driving wheels, i.e. correct number of spokes, or there abouts. Think these stopped some time ago, but the 3mm Society and 3SMR hold stocks of a 16.5mm TT driving wheel (5'6") which they jointly commisioned from Romford. 3SMR lists some Romford-type square centred wheels, which I know nothing about. The 3mm Society now produces their own square centred driving wheels to replace the Romford ones; these are normally glued in place, rather than screw-fixed, although for testing purposes just friction-fitted is good enough.

Think the problem is that there are different acrylics which behave in different ways. I've always understood never to use enamels over acrylics. However, for the other way around, for locomotives (GWR) what I used to do was spray using Railmatch GWR green enamel, then paint the black bits using Polyscale Steam Power Black acrylic, which gives an excellent finish even when brush painted. I still do sometimes, only thing is the Polyscale stuff I find goes off after a bit, so sometimes I use enamel instead if I've run out. But generally American acrylics such as Polyscale are excellent, cover well and finish well; think they're more sensitive over there about using enamels in a home environment, so acrylics are quite widely used, and of a quality to match. Nigel

Are these 4mm scale Fox transfers? They look fine.

Nice work. Keep it up.

Thanks. I have a spare suburban kicking around; think I'll use it to practice on.

So it can be done! It's possible the gear wheel had a screw fixing. Like the repaints. Having the proper lining improves them no end. Can you remember if these were transfers? Nigel

The HMRS LNWR Liveries book states that goods stock was painted light or medium grey from around 1850 to the grouping, with white roofs and black running gear and heads. From around 1900 the outside framing of vans was often either very dark grey or black. From 1908 roofs were often painted grey on ordinary stock (some special vans, eg fruit, refrigerator, retained white roofs).

Just bought the latest Back Track, thinking that part 2 of the article on Cambrian locos would be in it. Nope! Suppose it will appear sometime.

I can vouch for Eileen's stuff. I use mainly the straight nickel sliver wire and have packs up to 1mm in diameter stashed away. Very useful. Can remember the horrors of trying to uncurl the coils which the trade tried to get you to buy.

Class 150 leaving Towyn (Tywyn) in March 1987, very soon after being introduced to the line.

Come on, the Kingswear line was never a branch! And unlike the GCR (who never completed its underused London terminus), it was popular.

One problem with the Rhymney 0-6-2s is that they mostly had Belpaire fireboxes. However 1 or 2 classes started life with round-topped fireboxes, although acquired Belpaire ones before the GWR inherited them. Some of the other South Wales railways also had 0-6-2s.

The N2 may not look like a GWR 56XX, but it bears a close resemblance to the parallel boiler Rhymney Railway 0-6-2s that the GWR inherited in 1922. Some of these lasted into BR days. See http://www.railuk.info/gallery/notes/getimage.php?id=2482 for an R Class in BR days, with GWR fittings; pre GWR it looked more like the N2, i.e. without the GWR style safety-valve casing.

George Mellor, who was closely associated with the introduction of Hornby Dublo, included an article in his catalogue which explained the thoughts behind the adoption of OO. Essentially, for toy train usage, where tracks might be layed on carpets and the like, they reckoned you needed wheels with broad treads and deep flanges. Given the restricted clearances of British prototypes (of things like splashers and valve gear), it made sense to enlargen the body. Hence OO bodies on HO track. The length thing was common to most producers; model coaches were normally under length. One of the problems of OO today is that scale length BR Mk 1 coaches (and later) take up quite a lot of room!

So that's why Spillers sold off all their vans! I've often wondered why. Wonder who profited/lost most out of the affair.

Good article in Back Track. Gives the overall history and details such as withdrawal dates for each engine. This is just part one, covering engines ordered up to 1863.

Pack M8131 is the one you want. Will contain virtually everything you need. However, I believe Old Time Workshop now produce this pack. You can obtain it either through the Old Time Workshop transfers section of Parkside's site, at: http://www.parksidedundas.co.uk/acatalog/Minipacks.html or Old Time Workshop themselves, at: http://www.oldtimeworkshop.co.uk/

Unexpectedly caught an Inverness-bound train at Balsporran Cottages near Drumochter summit, 2/7/2016 Same train heading north from Balsporran. Creagan Mor is the hill in the background. 2/7/2016

Number 8 at the buffers, Devil's Bridge. 12/8/2015

I moved to the Aberystwyth area in 1971, and for 10 years rented a bungalow on the edge of Borth Bog. Summer Saturdays were enlivened by excursions headed by double-headed Class 25s (I think, I wasn't in to diesels), thundering along the edge of the Dovey estuary a mile or so away. Even into the 1980s Dovey junction on a Saturday could be quite an experience; I can remember 5 trains at once trying to negotiate the somewhat limited facilities.

The GWR 54/64/74XX and the 16XX classes had a minimum radius of 230', which scales to a bit over 5', not bad. With a bit of licence I'm sure one could get it lower. Even though it had a short life, I think the 16XX would be popular; ideal for lightly laid branches and industrial sidings, which is what they were designed for, and a couple landed in the north of Scotland. I've just been building a Dukedog 4-4-0 chassis to my own design in 3mm/ft, and am pleased with the result and the curves it will go around. After a fair amount of experimention, the secret was to let the bogie as a whole slide sideways by a small amount, and also let the wheels in the bogie slide sideways by a small amount, also taper the frames a bit at that end. Think the same principle would work well with an O2.

Like the lining on the locomotive. The sort of thing which gives me the nervies! Was the lettering of "Cambrian Railways" supposed to be shaded? Think I assumed it was plain white.

No. 8 at Devil's Bridge, 20/03/2016:

Heading east from Capel Bangor station, Vale of Rheidol, on a very damp 18/6/2008:

Marc Would definitely be interested in some Welsh wagon kits in 3mm. My main interest is 1930s GWR but I'm now also working on a long-held interest in the Cambrian, and in addition some Welsh wagons in general. I've recently completed a couple of Rhymney wagons, easy adaptions from existing kits: Nigel