RodneyS

Graham, since posting that I've had the chance to measure one of the HP2M shafts. It is 1/16'' so the memory is not too bad. However I had forgotten that, if you bought a motor separately , it came with a brass sleeve 3/32'' in diameter to suit Romford gears. I remember reading an article about the motor in an EM Gauge Society newsletter which recommended using a piece of the brass sleeve to replace the plastic front bearing. Evidently this improved it considerably. Rodney

I'm fairly certain the HP2M had a 1/16'' dia shaft. I remember enlarging the hole in a 1.5mm worm once (many years ago I hasten to add) so it would fit the K's shaft. Rodney

W4 'Wroxall' was the last survivor on the Island and they don't seem to be doing that one. Hopefully they will do that one in the future as it was the only one I saw. Rodney

I've got an old Stephen Poole kit for one of those. Now I know where the coal goes ! On the subject of kits, is 1197 ( in the realistic modelling thread ) the old Gem kit ? Has it joined the Sheep Dip roster ? Rodney

"I have to leave the controller there because I forgot the buffer stop".

This is all very interesting. I remember visiting my grandfather on his allotment, probably about 1960. He pointed out a small building and asked if I could see anything inside. All I can now remember is that it had some overlapping glass, whitewashed on the inside. Looking through gaps I could see a car which my grandfather told me was an Austin Ruby. All very hazy now and, of course, long since gone in the march of progress. I've often wondered why the glass overlapped and now I know. So thanks for that and the trip down memory lane. Rodney

I've had a few Superquick building kits in the past but not the signal box. There is one assembled on eBay at the moment and the photos show all four sides The window bars look to be evenly spaced so it should be fairly easy to draw those out. Rodney https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313832185849?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=7101533165274578&mkcid=2&itemid=313832185849&targetid=4584826055637461&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=&poi=&campaignid=412354546&mkgroupid=1299623041023876&rlsatarget=pla-4584826055637461&abcId=9300541&merchantid=87779&msclkid=da69a01c30421bed516bc2b01f2b77f5

My rather old and unassembled kit looks the same as yours and contains just the two sprues. The instructions state 'use with kit No. UQ70' so I assume that provides the posts and the arms. Rodney

The SECR N Class locos were also right hand drive. According to Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SECR_N_class this was because Holcroft had worked on the GWR. The later batch built by the Southern Railway were left hand drive. It must have been confusing for the crew. Rodney

I received issue 288 a few weeks ago. Rodney

Oh dear, that's very sad. I suppose they've given up trying to find good ones in their stock. Rodney

Hi Rob Apologies for repeating myself and for interrupting the work on Ewe but did you ever get your remaining Dapol/Rails Terrier ? I was reminded of this as I ran my two K&ESR Terriers (one Hornby and one Dapol) on my friend's layout last night. Rodney

Stick to 12mm. 14mm diameter wheels are generally for coaches and could cause clearance problems with wagons as well as making them ride too high. Rodney

Hi Rob. Did you ever receive the replacement for the replacement of the last Dapol Terrier? Have I missed a 'replacement' out? I've rather lost track. Rodney

Excellent job on the cab of No 3. You are making good progress. Rodney

It seems I did a bit better than you with my Rails/Dapol Terriers. The first one went back as it could hardly move. The replacement runs reasonably well despite a vertical kink in one coupling rod but has a bent footplate. The next two ran alright but one has a bent footplate and the other had detached fittings and a crooked cab. So I make that three out of four that run tolerably well but the quality of the body matches your description of the design of the internals. Not so much 'pedigree' as what the pedigrees might leave behind. I would like a GWR version but I am waiting for the Hornby one, even though it comes with some coaches. At least the Hornby one has the correct height chimney, a cap that is not smaller than the barrel, coal rails that extend to the back of the bunker and a representation of the rather obvious drivers brake valve in the cab. I appreciate your problems with the slow running and the Rails/Dapol ones are certainly better in this respect - when they work. It's a pity we can't roll the two together and make one good one. Rodney

You said that you were not looking forward to the wiring so perhaps you will feel happier when that is done. Once the scenery is started and you lose all the white I'm sure it will begin to look as you have imagined it. Rodney

I'm after a K's Mark 1 motor for a friend. He was given a 009 loco from the Craig and Mertonford Railway by the builder, P D Hancock many years ago. The original K's motor has expired, probably due to the brushes wearing out, and he would like to replace it with a similar motor in keeping with the model. He's quite happy to pay a reasonable price to get the loco going. Rodney

True. That's also why things get heavier. Rodney

The Terriers were very low locos and, as built, the buffer bases stood up above the footplate by 3". Even then the buffers were lower than later locos. When Terriers were converted for motor train (push pull) working the buffers were raised using large brackets above and below the footplate. The old Dapol/Hornby Terrier body sat too high on the chassis. This would not have been so bad but they made the situation worse by modelling the raised buffers. This meant that the buffers tower over other stock. The new Hornby model is correct and they have modelled locos with and without the raised buffers. The brackets for the raised buffers would have made fitting the extended Isle of Wight bunker impossible so, on the locos sent to the Island by the Southern Railway, the brackets were removed and the buffers lowered again. Rodney

Do Ikea do big enough tables ?

Thanks for the thought. I do have that book and it is very good. The history of the Terriers gets rather complicated and my copy is well thumbed. Rodney

Thanks Jayne, that's good news. It didn't come up under 'new for 2022' but did when I put in the number you quoted. Thinking about it I suppose it would be new for last year, not this one ! Terriers have always been a favourite of mine so I shall be following this with interest. Rodney

I don't think the GWR Terrier and coach pack is out yet. It was due early this year. However I've just checked the Hornby website and it seems to have disappeared completely. A pity as I was interested in one. Rodney

I hope your replacements are better Rob. I had to take my 32650 apart to straighten the bent footplate and that was 'fun'. However, once it was apart I was able to file a bit off the bottom of the cab back to get the gutter to line up with the sides. I also filed the lugs which locate the cab in the footplate so the cab sat vertically. It sometimes derailed on plain straight track and I eventually found that the board for the DCC gubbins was rubbing on the centre wheel. It proved difficult to move so I resorted to cutting a bit away just above the wheel with various sharp implements and some cursing. Rodney