Jim49

17A, one alternative might be to go for an ebay 4F as Stoker suggested and keep your original as an un-powered dummy. Simply remove the armature face plate, armature, gears and pick-ups and the loco will happily be pushed along by any suitable loco which will do all the work. This assumes that the remains of your 45523 are all in good condition but by the length of your shopping list for spares this may not be the case. Good luck Jim

Enjoyed my visit to Bonnybridge yesterday as expected. Pleased to see Blair Atholl again, always amazed and impressed with the work that has gone into the town buildings plus the variety of stock running on the railway side. Also enjoyed viewing Kinnaird, Eaglesham and Glasshouse Loan. The show seemed to be well attended yesterday so hope that today will do just as well and can't leave without praising the catering, especially the rolls on sausage! Jim

Thanks for the details Bruce. Date has been added to my calendar so I don't forget. Jim

Glad to hear that I'm not the only dinosaur on RMWeb Jim

Which side of the backscene will these attractions be displayed? Jim

The same image is on the cover of "On West Highland Lines" by Robert Robotham with the photo credited to Michael Mensing. 76001 is in absolutely filthy condition but with safety valves blowing ready for the climb out of Oban. Jim

You never said a truer word!

Tickets are valid for one day only and you will need the full day to go round the exhibition to be sure of seeing everything properly. Jim

Thanks Richard for posting this delightful piece of film, not least because at 13:26 there is a very brief shot of Wick's Stranraer type coal tower showing it in all it's neglected glory in colour. I am just in the middle of building the Ratio kit based on this structure and I now have no excuse for wondering what colour to paint it - grotty black and filthy grey!. Thanks again Jim

And for those exhibiting layouts with 8 weeks work still to be done, doors open 7 weeks tomorrow. Jim

That's it! And I forgot to mention the old coach body on the platform which confirms the location. Thanks eastwestdivide for your help Jim

Just watched this film last night. Apart from the indifferent plot and script, part was filmed using a preserved line as a typical English railway station of 2013. The stock used was a blue 101 2 car set but visible in some scenes were maroon Mk1s. The station building was red brick, 2 platforms linked by a steel panelled footbridge with a cover but open between the top of the panels and the roof. There was a wooden waiting shelter with green lower half on the secondary platform, a level crossing at one end and a road overbridge where 2 tracks became 1. Does anyone recognise where this was filmed please? Jim

Hi folks, A few weeks ago I submitted a few photos from our 2015 Rocky Mountaineer trip from Jasper to Vancouver via Kamloops. Those only involved Jasper station so for anyone interested here are some more to complete the journey to Vancouver. Hope you enjoy them. As I still don't know how to link captions to photos captions first with hopefully the photos in correct order:- Seating on RM is airline style - all facing forward so the whole train has to be turned after each trip. This normally involves a turning triangle or "Wye" and the first picture shows the arrangement at Jasper station which is immediately behind the viewer. The rear track is the first leg and continues out of sight on a curve to the right. The seemingly very tight curve is the return leg with the lines in the foreground forming the final side. I have seen the reversal take place and it is carried out remarkably quickly and without any obvious sense of drama. This little Trackmobile was spotted in a depot complex just outside Kamloops. An Airfix girder bridge over the North Thompson river on the approach to Kamloops station. The track into the station turns East and away from Vancouver so another reversal would be required before we could depart the next morning. This is the Thompson River and most of our train. Our original 2 locos and 9 coaches had joined up overnight with the Banff - Vancouver train plus additional stock at Kamloops and now comprised 4 locos and 29 coaches. Not sure what this is. It looks like a burnt out space capsule sitting in a field. Any ideas? Crossing over the Thompson River with the front of our train on the bridge and our end still to go into the tunnel. Some PW wagons. Canada's answer to Wickham trolleys. Avalanche shelters and a tunnel in the area known as Avalanche Alley. Coming onto Cisco Crossing. We are on the original CP route with the other bridge just visible on the much later CN lines. The CN bridge at Cisco X 2 Selection of bridges at Vancouver. Jim

Hi Graham, Brian Dickson's album "Diesel Days - Scotland" shows D5713 leaving Stirling on 8th August 1959 with a passenger train for Glasgow. The train comprises at least 7 ex-LMS coaches and may well be the one you refer to in your post as the loco is the same way round (4 wheel bogie leading) and the coach immediately behind the loco looks to be identical to the one shown in your photo. The loco discs display the code for Express Passenger and the working number seems to be 81. HTH Jim

Hi John, the Standard 3 tanks were used on the branch to Highbridge to Templecombe services but perhaps not very often. I have a photo of 82039 near Bason Bridge on a train comprising one cattle wagon and at least four coaches although I'm not sure of the date or even if the coaches were in service or empty stock. HTH Jim

Only just over a week to go until Falkirk's show. As Legend said, it's always a good, friendly show and with plenty of parking and excellent catering, should not be missed. It brightens up a bleak, dreary November. Jim

That's bad planning Legend, the Committee will discuss your actions later. We were supposed to be going to my Mother-in-law's that weekend but I put my foot down with a heavy hand and got out of it as the wife said she would go herself. Double victory!!!!! Jim

Hi Jason and thanks for your comments about the accuracy (or not) of Roche drawings. I have read previously that they should be treated with caution by anyone wanting 100% accuracy but that's not what I am after. All I am looking for is something to compare the 2 engines and highlight the major differences. Near enough will be good enough for me. Thanks again, Jim

Hi again and thanks for all the comments. To date I have managed to get hold of photocopies of the Roche series of loco drawings for both the 4F and Q and their tenders. There are obviously some differences between locos and tenders but not enough to put me off having a go at a basic conversion. David has summarised these differences in his post above but I will still have a try. I intend to model the result as 30541, not because it is preserved but because it seems to be the only one of the class which is recorded as running on the S&D, I think on a goods train to Blandford Forum. There may have been others but no-one bothered about them, possibly thinking that they were 4Fs. Unfortunately nothing will be happening soon as we are going on holiday tomorrow so work will be put on hold until we get back but I will try to keep anyone who is still interested informed of progress. Thanks again Jim

Thanks to everyone for the replies and suggestions. "Looks like" is always good enough for me, especially if I can try out any changes in advance without damaging the body. Thanks again Jim

Hi all, following to a recent visit to the Bluebell Railway I was struck by the resemblance between their Southern Q Class and the LMS 4F. Does anyone know if there is detailing kit to convert the ex Airfix/Hornby 4F to a Q Class locomotive? Jim49

Hi Peter and others. Just a few photos from our holiday in Canada in May 2015. Hope these might be of interest. Now, if the photos come out in the sequence I have planned they are:- CP Snow plough 400840 in Banff station yard CP Spreader 4002870 in Banff station yard Banff station. A beautifully restored and maintained building then given over to a small coffee shop, offices and depot for Brewsters Transportation coach business. 5718 and 2627 leaving Jasper with a train of packaged timber products, tankers and hoppers(?) Via Rail 6419 with the empty stock for the service to Prince George /Prince Rupert. The Skeena service. Rocky Mountaineer in Jasper station quadruple headed with the stock which would form our train to Vancouver the following day. Canadian National 4-8-2 6014 on a plinth beside Jasper station. Jasper Station building well restored and in similar use as Banff. Jim

Hi Cypherman, the buffer faces are just dirty as is the normally red painted bufferbeam. The boiler, smokebox and steampipes are also carrying a covering of dirt but the side tanks seem to have been cleaned on both engines, probably because the train they are on is a special working for the LCGB - Loco Club of Great Britain. The cleaning would have been carried out (unofficially) by enthusiasts the night before the event, not BR shed staff. Jim

I can vaguely remember a layout that used to do rounds in Scottish circuit that had a bandstand so they did piped band music .....extremely annoying ! I really don't see why people need to put music to everything. Hi Legend, the layout you remember was "Monksbarn" from Renfrewshire MRC. The music normally did not cause too much offence until one Sunday at Greenock show we were playing German military marches and someone remembered that this wasn't just any Sunday, it was Remembrance Sunday. It was a lot quieter after that. Jim