Ben Alder

Here is the chassis. I have resisted the temptation to look any closer inside it.....

I preordered one when they were announced and, like everyone else, waited. During this time my card had been updated so at the beginning of the year I phoned them with the current details, and said O2 arrived last week.Its now a bit late to say this in this case but it might be an idea to check and refresh payment methods shortly before a new model is released.

Holts Models have the range now and produce a limited selection from them. HTH.

Some shunting going on, with the fireman keeping an eye on the stock ahead.

Also a new range of ground cover- ash and cinders in three sizes and some limestone as well,with the promise of an expansion of this. No sign of track - they must be digesting the various opinions offered here before deciding what to go ahead with

100 degree solder flows a lot easier then the 90 - I get mine from C&L- and wouldn't go back to the 90 again.

That's a possible solution to my continual steps problem as well- to be filed away and pondered.

Doing both varieties is indeed the plan. When it is done is another matter- I have twelve kits- sheep and cattle were big business at seasonal times in the Far North, and I will have to allow a decent amount of time for this one especially if I am going to be doing mods. I'd like to do another CR 812 while its fresh in my memory and there is a build up of ex-HR coach sides from uax 6's Silhouette cutter that deserve attention, along with the likelihood of some more to come. A refurbishment of some of the LMS coaching stock is half done as well, so I'll clear the decks on some of these before tackling the Parksides, but I'll keep looking for any further info on them. I've got another couple of leads to follow up, so it won't be wasted time for them. Hopefully it will mean that my venerable Airfix fleet can be retired at last- several of these date back to 1970 and have been on every layout I made, the first"adult" one being an interpretation of Thurso, so it shows you how far I've got in the last forty five years ...

Thanks all- lots of gen now gathered. A link to a link led me to Geoff Kent's The 4mm wagon Pt II -sitting on my shelf, and an inspiration to wagon nuts everywhere, but overlooked in my searches. It has a couple of pages with reference material and photos on these wagons and has made things a good bit clearer.

Thanks for that- very useful. That's something I hadn't picked up on before, probably because I've never had much dealings with this type of vehicle, so it seems that I won't have to do a train of weathered grey after all- wasn't looking forward to that task at all...

They suggest a strip of plasticard - supplied- but I will probably use a bit of brass strip. Thanks- had passed this one by somehow. If I had known about it wouldn't have bothered with mine, but it has thrown up some useful links - many thanks. I'll post up the build once I get round to it.

Yes, I've read the LMS wagons entry on them, and it raises as many questions as answers! There are shots, usually in the background,of these types carrying BR bauxite livery so some at least must have been so fitted. The last build type would perhaps been a more suitable one for the BR era but it's a bit harsh to quibble when Parkside are still showing enthusiasm for the 4mm market. It must be discouraging for them to see the Big Two working their way through their range...

A quick thumbs up here for the recently released LMS cattle wagon- a decent kit of this has been long overdue IMO. It is of the earliest LMS build but can be tweaked into a later version fairly easily. From what I can glean, some were fitted with vacuum brakes along the way, and if anyone can expand on this I would be grateful- finding info, or indeed images, of these wagons has been proving elusive. A batch build will be started once I have some idea of what I can do with them.

Some shunting going on with a Caley 0-6-0 sometime towards the end of steam in the Far North. This is the latest off my bench, and is an amalgam of the Hornby SR 700 and parts from a whitemetal kit for the 812 class.

I actually used a C chassis for my previous kit build of this type- a very flawed DJH one- and it fits reasonably well, but I paid no attention to the body as a potential donor. Had a good look at it last night, and the basic boiler shape and proportions are fairly close. The problem with the 812 class is that the boiler is set at a higher pitch than most of the various CR varieties, and would need raised somewhat, along with alterations to cab and splashers. Not much more than the 700 needed I suppose, but the 700 is a better starting point than the C. Mind you, it is probably feasible to use the C for some of the earlier Jumbos, but they are not relevant to my era or setting, so my knowledge of them is scant. I'll give the C some further thought though- its lying unused in a cupboard, and I might retire the kit version, freeing up its chassis.......

Don't put ideas in my head please! TBH, it isn't an option I've thought about- must have a look see at it.....

The result of my attack on a 700- a not totally accurate but passable hack into a CR 812 class. Not completely finished, still some small details to be added.

Think I remember a note in one of their newsletters about a year ago that work on it had been suspended.

Might be a struggle with the HR Barney- they were noticeably smaller than their CR cousins, with the boiler pitch somewhat lower. Due to Hornby's use of the under boiler as a motor mount lowering the existing boiler might be problematic. Pic here of a Barney and 700 side by side...

Here is a shot of the two types side by side. The boiler on the 700 looks a bit smaller in diameter, although actual variation was only an inch or two. The loco is currently on my bench being examined for suitability.....

London tram is the man to ask about this- he is fully aware of the differences between the various"Jumbos", and gave me a lot of useful info on these locos. Having said that, the 812 is the closest to a 700 , the only quibble being that the boiler is a slightly bigger diameter, but might be passable. I am waiting for one to arrive with the intention of doing a conversion, but until I see it in the flesh I am not sure how the boiler pitch will work out. The boiler bottom is cast and is also the motor cradle, which may make alterations a bit problematic, or perhaps just a modelling challenge! It does look very much like a Caley engine though.........

They are restricted access/space signs- still in use today in places.

Don't thank me- I came across the video on Facebook and merely did the link. The real gratitude must go to the guy who had the prescience to record the scene before it passed- just wish more had had the nous to capture every day activities well in colour. I noticed the, for that date supposedly obsolescent, wagons- very intriguing....guess we'll never know now.

Still coal fired here, albeit with a closed front- most of the benefits of the old open fires went up the chimney....these videos brought back memories to me. My uncle was a coal merchant, albeit on a smaller scale than this, and watching the men at work was like being back in the late fifties- I was now and again allowed to play in the coalyard and went up to the station to"help" unload wagons- remember crawling under and over them and generally having a great time- can you see it happening today.... now I marvel I never ended up as a shunting accident.... As an aside, I still have some of his ledgers from the mid/late fifties detailing sales, and generally speaking, even in winter, the vast majority bought one cwt bag a week, which makes for pretty mean heating of a house. Then, of course it was usually only the one room that was heated, with not a thought of central heating, and if you were lucky the fire was smoored/banked down overnight- I remember potato peelings being used as a part of this- so there might be a modicum of heat when you came downstairs in the morning... Not at all sure I'd want to go back there, but if I did I'd make sure I paid far more attention to the railway....

Here is a real gem of a movie- a paean to a lost age... And a related one showing the coal yard.