Bucoops

Congratulations

I spotted it was the beading. If you hadn't said it took hours I would have said definitely worth it...

It does indeed mean re-doing joints (QC, repair work, etc.)

It does rather look GE inspired. The cab doorways are similar to N7s. The front splashers are totally different though (as is the dome shape etc.)

Shenfield area (probably) of the Liverpool St line

Looks interesting - possibly a bit early for my interest period though (1935-39).

How about this for oversized boiler bands - 4mm Stelfox N7. Oh to own a lathe... Smokebox is also oversize which I've made a start on.

Not sure I'm much inspiration - certainly on speed of construction

Much larger market in the US so less of a gamble?

Or maybe that's the Beeching handle?

Ugh, hope this isn't a sign of issues with more of the castings - The smokebox front is flat, the door is doing a banana impression it would seem. The castining feed is at the back in the middle so probably need to remove that and then attempt to flatten it. And then probably hit plan B. Whatever that is!

I'm disappointed you didn't make it go to 11

This is offending oversize boiler. It's also slightly long, and just for good measure, the boiler bands are painted on only - there's no perceptible raised portion. So I need to thin those down a lot as well (I'll leave a hint of them to help with painting). Ugh! I'm slowly reducing the diamter of the smokebox - still need to take about 0.6mm off I did briefly consider trying to make a new boiler from brass sheet but 1) Not got the confidence on getting something that long parallel, and 2) I like the weight of it! Although some will be lost for the motor access.

Not going to lie, was expecting this part to be a complete nightmare. Instead, fortunately it was only a partial nightmare As usual needs quite a but of cleaning up but I'm pretty happy with the "roundness" of it. I did have to re-bend one end where the change to flat ended up about 1mm too soon. By my calculations, the diameter should be 22.5mm (2'9 3/4" radius according to the drawing (I'll be honest - this is the first time I've actively used the drawing to work to a dimension - everything else has been on a "it looks right" basis). I measure it at 22.1mm so I'm a smidge under - but then it's not painted yet. Unfortunately the boiler barrel smokebox inner part is oversize - even after I've started thinning it down it's still 22.3mm. This is where I'd like a lathe! The smokebox wrapper has half etched rivet detail but I chose not to do this as the example I'm building has flush head rivets (the preserved 69621 has dome headed ones). Strangely even though 2600 has flush rivets (as built), 2612 (in a BR photo at least) has dome head. Oh my, I'm turning into a rivet observer I presume the next step is to count the damned things! I guess as boiler changes occurred the exact arrangement would change. I'm building mine at 10 years old so hopefully but not necessarily it still had its original boiler. I've not had any luck finding later photos of it so just got to hope really. I'm not going to gettoo upset if I find it's wrong. What's the phrase? Layout loco Oh - and I've reached a milestone. I've worn my first scratchbrush out.

Could be

Hi Jol, thank you - that's very useful info (I'm actually quite surprised that little tidbit of info about the provenance for the gravity isn't included in the description ). Now, what to sell to buy one (one in one out lol).

Thanks You're building in 7mm - do you think it's fine enough a point for 4mm?

I'm guessing you've already seen it, Tony, but there is a bit of info on the GERS site, albeit concentrating on the livery pre-grouping - https://www.gersociety.org.uk/index.php/locomotives/j-holden/c53 One bit that stands out is "One of the regulations for the locomotives operating on street tramways was that they should avoid the use of bright colours, " - wonder how long that was in force at it may explain why buffer beams may have been black during BR time?

I'm thinking I need a rivet press of some kind. From what I've found they range from £12 (LRM/Eileen's) up to about £100 for GW's finest, and GW also does a "lesser" one. Bearing in mind I'm not building vast quantities of kits, would the LRM/Eileen's one be good enough for 4mm rivet embossing? If not, what's the lowest priced one that is good? Thanks

If it's any consolation I first asked to order some wheels from Markits in September, and I think I finally managed to order them this week. When delivery will be I don't know but I think everything I ordered is in stock - had to leave a couple of bits off.

Best I have are from D8233's Mangapps days and I was never a good photog!

Don't mention the war!

You could give Mr O'Reilly a call? He did a bit of work there Only thing I've found is a sort of floor plan - http://www.thefawltytowersguide.co.uk/fawltytowershotel.htm

I predict a number of pre-orders that when they arrive the purchaser has zero recollection of!

Way back when I was a nipper, I would be at my Grandparents with my Brother and my Grandad had some O gauge Hornby tinplate. We'd put a double track oval with crossovers on each long straight, have two trains going opposite directions. One of us on the controller, one of us on each crossover. The idea was to see how long before we had a head-on crash. I'm sure there are some of you wincing about these trains being treated so poorly. The ones we used had been used for decades before for their original purpose - toys - playworn didn't really cover it. My Grandad also had a largeish collection of mint boxed examples, which were by rule and also respect, off limits for that kind of fun.