Dave John

Very impressive. The brake rack is a lovely bit of work, I have never seen one modelled that precisely before.

That is coming together nicely.

Fine metalwork given the size of the parts.

That looks very smooth in operation Mikkel. Fun video too. If the taper blocks in the upper position do wear then you could drill a hole in them and glue in a magnet so that it is always pulling a bit towards the steel angle bracket.

Heh, no but I might have a look at some, thanks for the tip.

Git yer thievin' huans aff ma carry oot, ye bass..... ( sorry,but meh .... )

I have a sneaking feeling I have seen a pair of points like that laid with interleaved sleepers, somewhere Scottish pre grouping. Someone will remind me, probably.

Confidence is a bit of a myth. We all just take it bit by bit, and there is always something to trip us up. Have a go, see how you get on. Actually perhaps confidence is the will to correct errors. Just a thought.

That would be an ideal solution Snitzl, though I'm not sure my little old lathe would be happy with something as big as a whole boiler.

I have a couple ready Regularity, but they will need a slot to clear the motor. I also made one up to suit the firebox , but its position will depend on how the motor sits and whether I can squeeze a flywheel in. Weight is going to be an issue with this one, so I don't want to block off possible voids that could be filled yet.

Aye, thats the type I would probably go for Pete. One of these days ....

I have made a decent start on the body. The boiler is in two parts, I would have preferred the boiler etch to go all the way to the smokebox front and have the firebox wrapper go round that. Way round it was to find a bit of tube the right diameter and make a ring to support the smokebox wrapper and solder that to the smokebox front. The boiler and its spacer band can then be formed to the diameter of the tube and just slide into the wrapper. Someone will tell me I ought to buy a rolling machine. They would be right but, well one day. So the boiler is hand rolled. Key to that is really taking your time, it is a half etch and very delicate. Annealed first then rolled bit by bit until its the right diameter. Sags a little where its cut out for the motor, but I have an idea about that once I am really sure of the exact motor cut out size. The cab was fun. You can just see the brass fingers on the spectacle plate which are curved round to meet the roof. Solder generously and then file it back to a profile. I’m rather pleased with the way that came out. I have also drilled holes. Lost of them. Pipes all over on this one. Anyway, a rough progress pic. The boiler and cab are just sitting on the footplate, but all the tabs line up. Base of the chimney casting looks a bit plump too. A badly photographed westinghouse pump assembly. Gearbox assembly and chassis next.

Good to see another convert. I too got led in by the track, though that was the late 80s before the EMGS/peco rtr. I was struck by how unlike pre grouping Scottish track anything commercial looks, so it was a case of make your own. Logically if you are going to make both the track and the stock and it's for your own use then EM seems a good compromise. I did have a look at p4, but didn't have the confidence. Now I have the confidence I don't have the eyesight. Oh well....

Very nice modelling, I love all the wood and brass.

If all else fails I think wizard do replacement grub screws . Might fit https://www.wizardmodels.ltd/shop/locomotive/grubscrew/

I had one of those egg slicer things. They are crap for slicing up balsa for making bases for rodding stools. The voice of inexperience .....

All the best, have a good quiet week. In the meantime here is a cardboard gearbox in a cardboard loco. Perhaps not as daft as it looks, shows how useful the printable gearbox planning sheet is.

Hm Wagonman, that wagon is quite early and the wheelsets look a bit on the skinny side to me. Not much left on the brakeblocks either. Nice pic though. With regard to similar wagons being different weights you could loose a fair amount each time the wheelsets got tires turned. Just looked through some Caley wagons. Most of that table looks ok, but D3 Wood underframe covered vans with doors both sides are coming in a bit heavier , 6.10.3 with a single brake. Earlier single door vans are about the mid 6 level, so not far off your suggestion.

Oh, it was just a case of annealing the brass first then working the curves in bit by bit Compound. Very fine tweezers to pull the parts together, dab of solder, next bit, go back adjust etc .

Sometimes you have to treat yourself. All the better if it supports the hobby as a whole. So I think a bit of loco building is in order. One of these from a caley coaches kit. Many thanks to Jim of Caley Coaches for getting it to me so efficiently, and to AGW and High Level for wheels and gearbox. The 670s were built in two lots and had a varied history with several rebuilds and swapping of tenders. Numbering is the usual Caley nightmare, indeed No. 719 carried 8 different Caley numbers and an LMS one through its 47 year life. For a full history the book to read is “Caldedonian Railway Locomotives , The Formative years“ by David Hamiliton” . A very interesting and lavishly illustrated book, I recommend it. I am therefore going for No. 252 which for my period would I think have the larger sandboxes, 6 wheel tender, westinghouse brake and be in lined blue livery. The kit contains two large etches, brass and n/s, nice brass castings and sundry bits, all well packaged with decent instructions. With time on my hands I have made a bit of a start. Some coupling rods. A foot plate in progress, interesting curves. The kit has a fold up former to aid with the valences , but some wood helps too. Splashers, a bit fiddly. Hope everyone is well.

Yep , I can see that would help. Extending the embankment beyond the bridge would lose the big white space seen through the rh arch. But of course you will end up making it scenic, then you will need another scenic break, and er, another scenic section.....

What we ( er.... I ) really would like is a silhouette that cuts 10 thou brass. I like brass. It is just so brassy. Anyway, off to build a loco.

The seagulls have gone to sea. I live in the urban west end of Glasgow and over the years the seagulls have become a real pest. I could look out of the window and see dozens at times. They view the big tenements as cliffs, and the streets have been a sea of detritus, carry out food waste dropped by late night revellers and lunching schoolchildren. However with all the pubs and clubs closed and the carry out shops cut back for lunchtime trade the amount of food litter has dropped enormously. Result, no seagull food so they have all gone away. I suppose that it's a silver lining if like me you think that seagulls are a good thing in their place, by the sea. If not , well it is an odd effect of the lockdown thing and worth noting.

I have added a bit of scenic detail to that corner. Much improved in taking the eye round at the end of the viaduct. I am going to have a go a tree making to disguise the rather abrupt end of that big retaining wall, but for now thats the layout back together and some trains running again. A couple of rough snapshots. Hope everyone is managing in these strange times.

Those bolt heads really do look the part. The extended corner plate looks right to me, I can't think of any other reason for the bolt being there. If it was an iron band all the way round I'd expect more bolts through the top plank over the door which would be a natural weak spot ? Just a guess.