Barclay

I really admire your patience in the way you are getting all the groundwork out of the way before even thinking about laying track. Any chance of a panoramic shot to show the overall effect?

Somewhere or other Iain Rice gave information on how to age these old Romford motors based on their serial number, but I can't remember where! This old scratchbuilt Kitson Saddle tank I picked up some years ago has a similar motor, albeit without a number, and I, too, would love to know more about it.

These excellent shots really do show that there is simply no need to mess about with focus stacking to make an image look good. Even the f22 on my old Nikon D200 will give very good depth of field, on my admittedly rather smaller layout, which is likely to be better than anything I could have taken if I'd really been there in the 1940's. Some of the photo's in the magazines do look rather over-processed and over-coloured, and I prefer the more natural look I have to say!

That's the painting pretty much completed, and the grille glued in place. I now need to add a running number, and fix the bonnet down onto the running plate. After that it will be time for weathering and crew - getting close!

Magnificent loco. Is it me though or is the tender a different colour ?

I have the Expo tools pack that includes an airbrush and compressor, and it's been very good, for both colour coats and weathering. I clean it by blasting through with white spirit then cellulose thinner, then a final go with white spirit to wash away the cellulose. Very occasionally it has needed taking apart and cleaning properly. Only used for enamel paint. I accept in general that you get what you pay for but must admit there's nothing I need this to do that it doesn't.

Curses - time to stock up !

Hi I have found the Model Master enamel paints to be good for US use, and available over here too. The attached link, if I've made it work, is from the Microscale decal site and gives their interpretation of the best substitutes for the old and much missed Floquil range. I too use Halfords primers, they give a great finish. If you are using Microscale decals they are superb but do need a glossy finish to work at their best. https://www.microscale.com/Merchant2/Floquil Color Chart.pdf

I really should build mine - it is definitely the longest serving inhabitant of the cupboard of shame, having been bought at The Engine Shed, Leytonstone High Road, in 1988!

Nice work - I had a bash at one of these as a teenager using the Hornby model as a basis. It's now in the queue for a makeover!

This reminds me of a recent purchase of my own. I bought this ancient (somewhere between 1941-1952) Varney 'Little Joe' dockside shunter. I had to fit a motor and new worm gear, amazed to find it runs on modern track given its age. What it really needs though is valve gear, and how I hate making valve gear!

I didn't have that Feb '59 Model Railway News, which was odd because I thought I could remember seeing the feature. How the memory plays tricks on us. Luckily Connoisseur make an 'O' gauge version, and the website has quite a lot of info on it. The wagons were used for dried sand, exported out from major depots to smaller sheds and then kept as a ready supply. It will therefore spend most of its time on shed, with the occasional foray away for a refill. Painted with Halfords primer, then satin black for the benefit of the transfers, followed by weathering with Humbrol enamels and powders.

The loco is now green, my current 'standard' livery of post-1928 GWR green. A question for our resident expert - what colour would the cab interior normally be painted? Also the 'RUSTON' script on the front - I'm thinking cream or pale yellow??

I believe they are all acrylic these days, but the larger cans at least, have an excellent spray pattern and good coverage. I've only used the primers and Matt/Satin/Gloss blacks but I recommend them. No problem with weathering etc. with enamels.

The jury's out !

While I waited for the primer to harden on the Ruston project, I pulled a very old K's wagon kit from the stash. It is the second of 2 old kits rescued from the remnants of our deceased friend Dave's model railway stuff. This is a Great Eastern Railway loco. sand wagon, which seemed a good candidate for the internal user fleet, though for this to be plausible there would have to be a supply of sand available within the confines of the system presumably, otherwise supplies would come in Railway Company wagons. However some Googling has located at least one sand quarry within 10 miles of Saltport, which is good enough for me! This kit is so old that the very shiny wheels do not have pin point axles, so they have been replaced with Gibson, which are finer in any case. The white metal W-irons are to be replaced with Prickly Pear etched brass examples. On the packet I have clearly written the details of a 1959 Model Railway News, but with my Goldfish memory I have no idea where I got this information from. I will probably have the mag, so will look for it at the weekend. The basic body is now together and a brass floor has been made, tinned, and installed. It's going to be a heavy old unit - I think the Ruston might have its work cut out here!

I think it's as far as it needs to go now. The first pic shows the loco assembled and looking pretty mucky, but it cleaned up OK and the primer coat is on. The original etched grille is incorrect, as @Ruston has pointed out some time back, so I have considered my options: I have some proper mesh that is too coarse; some etched stuff from Scalelink Fretcetera that I bought for a US loco. I thought then that it was too opaque and I still do, so have gone for a very fine etch by A1 models - for a modest sum you get a random selection of etches that can be very useful indeed. Not wanting to clog it up with paint I have soaked it in Carr's Metal Black and will install it at the very end. Paint next week? Perhaps!

The EM conversion (Ultrascale) was easy, but as to its other finescale credentials...

Seconded - also a series by Chris Crofts in some very early MRJ's.

Perfect, thank you

I've rebuilt three K's kits in the last few years and they can be a proper pain to get sorted and usable. I have now also sworn off white metal for a while but I have to admit, there is a real sense of satisfaction in bringing something back from the brink.

Does anyone have a photo showing how the brakes are arranged? My Impetus kit is missing some of the instructions! Thank you

Slaters links are much finer, though I usually put a Smiths hook on locos as it makes shunting easier!

I strongly recommend Iain Rice's books on etched loco construction and etched chassis construction. The motor and gearbox bit is understandably rather out of date but otherwise they are an excellent grounding in the subject.

MJT etched parts are very good. Available from Dart Castings. They also do a variety of cast axleboxes and springs to go with them.