Dave John

A fine rake of wagons Mikkel. All the slight differences really add to the character and period feel.

Hmm, If I need a plain axle I just pull the wheels off and rebuild with a 2mm silver steel axle. I accept there might be a bit more drag with an inside bearing compensated unit .

Aye, all the best for your retirement.

If you do make a kit I would be very interested.

Excellent workmanship, it certainly looks of its time.

I have made a start on parts for the canopy and building that sits on the long island platform. Basically the original was a narrow set of waiting rooms covered by an overall roof and cantilevered canopy. So, how to build it? Well, styrene would be my obvious choice since I have a silhouette cutter. Might be stiffer in brass, but that would probably mean a lot of custom etching or lots of soldering of brass strip. Like a lot of things in modelling you don’t know until you have tried, here is a first attempt at some cut out parts. Since those trusses define the profile I used the silhouette to create the parts for an assembly jig as well. Happy new year to everyone.

Its always the same compound. Have a good tidy up so that everything is in its place, afterwards you can't find a thing ......

I have always had good results from Gibson wheels. ( And, it must be said, from all their other parts) I appreciate that an order to them requires a letter and a clear accurate list with an enclosed cheque, but really when you send it off the stuff comes back quite promptly. Call me old fashioned, but I find the process rather satisfying.

Just adding my support, I would agree with all the other posters. I hope it all comes off without too much damage to the livery.

Thanks Chis and Mikkel, Hope you have a good christmas with a bit of modelling time.

Hmm, all of The Johnsters advice is good, but the wheel has turned full circle. The early model railways had power on board; the energy to run them was stored in a wound up spring. Then along came various forms of electric power and control with finally DCC. But quite a few folk are experimenting with power on board systems which use rechargeable batteries and radio control. Have a read at Corbs thread, you can see that it does work and has enormous potential. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/82465-corbs-cobbling-something-fishy/page-10 If you search online you will see that not only individuals but some companies are working on this, but it is in its early stages. So I would hesitate to give advice, but if I was starting out from new I would ask myself whether the investment in DCC with the potential for power on board to replace both DC and DCC in the coming years was a good idea, or whether to stay with DC in the meantime and see how things develop.

I have been asked why I model the CR in urban Glasgow. Simple really, its on my doorstep. Of course large amounts of it have gone, but if you walk the pathways you can still find traces of what used to be there. Its also interesting to see how nature reclaims these areas, and although perhaps not strictly about model railways it is a blog about the study of the prototype. Anyway, first of all, a bit of a map. Dawsholm sheds, and all the associated industrial lines in the locality. Plenty of good pictures of how it used to be , both online and in “LMS engine sheds , Vol 5” by Hawkins and Reeve. It was a substantial site, home to about 50 engines back in the day. The majority of these worked the low level lines and the freight traffic on the north bank of the Clyde. Indeed, most of the engines I model would have been shedded here. So here we are, looking from A at the viaduct over the road and the Kelvin. Typical CR stonework, built to last. From B, a view over the turntable to where the sheds stood. That part is now occupied by a religious establishment. Nature has provided many mature trees since the railways were lifted in the 1960s. The turntable would be where that circular stand of trees on the right now is. This is looking along the line forming the loop for the Paper works. All long gone now, the factory is now residential housing. Taken from C. Pups where once there were pugs. Looking back down the Kelvin towards the paperworks site from D. All very tranquil , with just the piers for the paperworks branch visible. Not uncommon to see herons perched on top of them. The most recognisable landmark is the weir, originally connected to the paperworks. I have seen salmon heading upriver leaping over it. The Kelvin was long considered to be a dead river, but after the demise of industry it has made a remarkable recovery, with a decent trout population and runs of salmon and sea trout to the headwaters. Taken from E, it would be the view from a loco footplate. The piers for the gasworks branch are not stone, but concrete coloured to look like stone. Very mossy, they stand like cliffs across the river. A couple of pictures here, taken from F. Now they are not terribly good pictures, but yes, those are a colony of urban cormorants. They clearly think the piers will substitute for cliffs. I have tried to count them, I think there about a dozen in total. Nature finding a use for industrial dereliction. Finally a view from G. The Caledonian pup, now almost in full CR freight livery on the trackbed of the line to the chemical works. In the background is the aqueduct which carries the Forth and Clyde canal over the river and what was two railway lines. Dawsholm station was to the right. Anyway, I hope that wasn’t too verbose and off topic. Just my feeling that nothing beats getting out and seeing the prototype first hand, walking it all gives a feel for the scale of things. My compliments of the season to everyone.

Very nice. I wish I had the room for 7 mm, getting 4 mm to sound like that is beyond me. Very clear videos too, May I ask what you are using to film that ?

I sympathise BoD, I too decided that using 3 link on a day to day basis was becoming impractical. I ended up using 3 link within coaching stock or short 4 wagon rakes and Alex Jackson couplings modified for use with moving magnets under the board as a working alternative. I now find I can do the majority of coupling /uncoupling without the hand going anywhere near. I don't want to hijack your thread with my stuff; I have documented my experiences on my blog, together with some rough video.

Ok, its a singular beast. Later on 141 was a Dunalastair IV, but the original 141 became No. 516. With thanks to the CRA forum ( really thats the place to ask for all things Caley, they keep sorting me out ) : http://www.crassoc.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=801&p=4781&hilit=141+class#p4781 I have no idea if anyone has ever modelled it. That said, if anyone made an etch, even a vague scratch aid, I might have a go despite the valve gear. Please leave your eyebrows in a neat pile at the top of the page...........

One day we will read of a modeller who started off with a plan carved in stone, built all the correct rolling stock in order, ended up with a perfect working railway and didn't even have so much as a spare rivet at the end of it all. Mind you thats going top be a very boring read, I much prefer following builds that develop as stuff becomes available and the mood takes the modeller. Seems a much more fun way of doing things to me. I'll potter off and examine the unbuilt kits box......

Heh, a good point Regularity. My excuse is that having just worked west through the low level lines the tanks are full of hot water and will need emptied and refilled. Partick Central had 2 water cranes on the platform , one east and one west. As to the hot water, dumped straight into the Kelvin I suspect. Cheers Mikkel. The loads are on a planked styrene base so they can be swapped about. An accumulation of bits over the years.

Some progress has been made, a few more wagons are now in rakes with magnetic ajs and I have been generally fixing some of the minor details. Of course all this photography is like going over the layout with a magnifying glass, you see all sorts wrong that you thought were ok. However none of that is really interesting to the observer. Far more fun to have a session of playing trains and take a few pics of that. So here we are , just a few snaps of the faithful pug doing a bit of shunting. It also keeps my mind focussed, it is after all the whole point of it all. A dray from a langley kit. Sepia just for a change. Off heading East

I do like the stark lines of the Ivatt 4. Is it a kitbuild? Point rodding I have done, but that photo reminds me I must tackle signal wires.

I wish you all the best with the project. As the other posters suggest help from a local model railway club would get the whole thing going. thinking sideways , simple and reliable would be the key. Hope it works out.

Heh, cheers John. I have just spent a nostalgic hour pottering about the net looking at pictures of clockwork toys. You know, you are right, when we were young toyboxes were full of clockwork toys. Indeed, the first "model railway" I had was clockwork, I guess that goes for quite a few folk on here. Now they seem to be a complete rarity. There are a few meccano clockwork motors out there but they are a bit bigger than you are looking for. Anyway, I had a sideways thought and googled "music box mechanisms pics" . I was surprised to find there are quite a few still being made worldwide and some are available fairly cheaply. Not only that , it reminded me that I have a couple, one day I'll find a use for them. I don't know whether that is of any use to you, but it jolted my memory and made me think about how much of toymaking is now history.

I think the smoke you see is from gas fired limekilns used to reduce Limestone to quicklime for industrial or construction use. The fixed site machinery will be powered from a grid connection, but I expect a sizeable site would also have some diesel generation as a backup, perhaps even mixed CHP these days.

Impressive. Just a wild thought, given the tiny size of early locos would any N gauge chassis be of use ?

Hmm, looks like that Iron mink will be heavy enough to batter the wonkiness out of the track..... Mind you the track looks rather neat to start with.

It is indeed a very atmospheric Photo. I note that the steel bodied mineral wagon in the foreground has the axlebox cover hanging loose. I will now just say its based on a prototype pic if any axleboxes fall off my stock......