Haddocksrock

Very happy with that choice. If it wasn't going to be an N2 then the J50 suits me fine. Cross London freight to the SR South Eastern Region; the only problem is do I now proceed with building the Beaver J52 kit that I purchased a short while ago for just this purpose? Mind you could have been worse! I pondered a 3D J50 last year so I probably would have just completed it now LOL

TBH I am not sure I will upgrade to the new model. The M7 I have (with my OAP failing eyesight!) looks pretty good, doesn't get much use and, surprisingly, performs probably the best out of all my Dapol locos. Slow running is excellent, manages 4 coaches and didn't need to be sent to DCC for repairs!! I am hoping that the release of the new version might see an original BR Malachite model come onto the SH market cheap as people upgrade. Be a handy station pilot as at Waterloo.

If anybody has any use for them I have a packet of 10 Bachmann 36-009 couplings unused. Drop me a pm and I'll pop them in the post to you.

I second this. Yes there was a guy on FB proposing an N2 in N gauge with hopefully a Quadart set to go with it. I think the pandemic put paid to it.

Found in Grandad's loft after he bought it yesterday from the Pound shop!! Lol

As an aside there used to be years ago a local model shop that had a big sign at eye level on the door "To Browse: definition - the movement of cattle across a field". The proprietor apparently only had one answer to any question "No" It was a joy to shop there lol

Update. In fairness to Osborn's Models I have just received a delivery which consisted of one item from the original order and both items that I added later. The other item from the original order was shown on the advice note as 'not yet available'. I think they were hanging on to see if that item was delivered to them. So I assume it is now on back order? So not too bad and I would order from them again. But their communication could be (much?) better.

Good point! I must admit being able to walk straight into a room is nice and convenient. Although it doesn't makeup for having to give up my 'boyhood dream' 20' X 15' Hornby Dublo 3R layout for an L shaped 8' X 3' N gauge one. Such is life lol

Access via a loft ladder thro a loft hatch seems to be the defining factor. Install a staircase and it would then become part of the domestic occupied home with all of the regulations that are rightly required. Also if you were to use it as a domestic room with all the likely weight that comes with that i.e. bed, wardrobe, chairs etc plus more than one or two people then the structural implications become far more important and expensive. In my case structural work, insulation, rooflight, power, radiator, modifications to the roof for ventilation, flooring, plasterboarding, decent loftladder came to about £4000 (1999) and gave me a 20' X 15' space. Heat wasn't a problem winter or summer. Worked for me is all I am saying. BTW when we moved my empire shrank to a boxroom 8' X 8' lol

Intermittent use not permanent domestic use i.e. bedroom Regs are there to rightly stop that sort of use on the cheap. If not you would not be allowed to access your own loft.

Thank for the observations. We checked with the local council regarding our plans and had it accepted. Their take on it was that it was basically up grading the loft area with power, insulation and flooring. With a model railway in there the use would be intermittent akin to taking items into and out of a normal loft space and not permanently in domestic use. Their only query was the rooflight had to be on the rear roof slope so as not to overlook other properties. Being in the roofing industry and using a loft conversion specialist we were aware of how and where to strengthen the roof structure and ceilings to take additional loads plus venting the remaining roof space. If it had been intended as an occupied space a staircase and firedoors would have to be provided. When we sold the property the estate agent would not list it as an additional room (not that we wanted them too) instead listing it as roof storage area. The buyers had the property surveyed and their surveyor was happy that it was not intended as an additional room. I believe the new owners were going to use it as an art studio workspace. Totally agree that specialist advice is needed before considering use of the roof space.

Late to this topic but just a thought. How about considering the loft rather than an outside building. Had our 1980's semi with a trussed roof made into a railway room with loft ladder access which voided the occupied room questions. Handy being in the house for security, heating included in the existing system, no walk to the end of the garden on wet windy winter nights and the wife found it handy to be able to moan at me without leaving the house!! Leave the existing garage for storage if required until it actually expires?

Talking of slot cars I had one of these back in those days. The novelty soon wore off unlike the Hornby Dublo

As a child in the 50's/60's H/D was regarded as the dearer 'Rolls Royce' product and I had a two rail layout with the R1, Castle, A4, 8F and EMU. All were smooth classy performers, a Triang 'Connie' 0-4-0 was acquired at one stage and it turned out to be a coarse rough runner in comparison. Of course the incompatible couplings didn't help lol. My friend's Triang 'Princess' seemed to be a crude product and they never seemed to progress beyond the circle of track train set stage. I always wonder how badly HD were affected by their decision to go 2 rail. Did that release a tide of secondhand 3 rail onto the market for those just looking for a cheap trainset for little Johnny? At that time in the 60's HD was assailed on all sides by not only Triang but also the Scaletrix slot car craze so their own second hand products was probably the final straw?

Thanks for that. I hadn't seen that thread. However I have used them in the recent past and their delivery and subsequent customer service/communication regarding a couple of minor problems was excellent. Which is why I asked regarding this order. Seems it's hit and miss as to whether you get great or not so great service.

Has anybody had any contact or received any orders from them recently? I have tried to ring them and emailed but without success. Obviously times are difficult at the moment so they could be busy just keeping up with business.

Just to finish this topic off and possibly help others, I have tracked down the fault. The front coupling was slightly loose in its mounting allowing it to hang very very slightly below horizontal. This meant the vertical pin under the coupling could catch on frogs, check rails etc. It was a random fault as if coupled to a train this would pull it back to the correct height for a while until vibration made it drop back down and, presumably, move slightly side to side making it contact different points at different times. Amazing how the simplest things can be the most difficult to spot!

Thanks for the reply. It is definitely the loco not the tender that gets caught as the tender is free to move when it is happening. It happens at random spots around the layout on different points and seems to be as the loco moves around; adopting different angles for light engine and hauling a train, forward/reverse etc. I will lower the foot crossings and see if that makes a difference. I am tempted to take a file to the covering lump under the cab to see if that makes a difference. It drives me mad as it is so random!

Has anybody else had their C class 0-6-0 seeming to get caught on different parts of track causing it to stop running but with wheels spinning? I thought it might be the sand pipes as it seemed to snag at different places at different times. Now as I have started to detail the track i.e putting in foot crossings it seems to be the spring mouldings or the large lump under the cab (covering a gear?) that is the problem and the part being snagged? Anybody else experienced this? And any suggestions of a cure? None of my other locos suffer from this.

Just to tie this topic up I have managed to narrow it down to 43964 a long term resident of Kentish Town in the 50's. A photo in Steam Around London; The Postwar Years (Brian Morrison) shows it on shed complete with the required Johnson tender. So thanks again for helping to point me in the right direction

Thanks so much for your reply. I had no idea the BRdatabase existed! It will be very useful and not just for this exercise. I will make a list of likely locos from places like Kentish Town, Cricklewood etc and try to check photos for the tender type. Somebody else has suggested doing a tender top swap for a Fowler type which may be the way to go if nothing definate turns up.

I have a Graham Farish 4F in MR livery that I want to renumber into BR livery. I model the Southern region and would like to know if anybody could suggest a likely 4F with a Johnson tender that may have been used on cross London transfer freights or was shedded at a London area depot? I have lots of detail on SR locos but MR/LMS is a bit of a grey area for me! Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated.