BritishGypsum4

One factor to consider is couplings. As I model in 7mm scale I love the use of 3 link couplings and screw links as I like that detail. However as the only track in my attic that will be a circle is the 16.5mm gauge I am not too restrictive anymore. I can use 3 links with them. The 32mm gauge track (standard gauge in 7mm) is just an end to end piece. I do like to see how others have overcome these problems of tight curves though

A hint of the Ratty. I have been trying to tidy the attic during lockdown. Not too successfully in all honesty but at least the main of the empty cardboard boxes have been recycled and are out of the way. I did manage to assemble an Avalon kit of a 09 bogie coach and I put it with a little unknown diesel on some 009 track. It now just requires painting and glazing before the roof can be added. I had to adjust the bogies on the kit. If I did it as instructions the flooring was scraping the rails!! I had to use some thick washers between the bogie and floor to lift the coach a little so that there was clearance. First picture is with the diesel which runs on a Kato chassis and runs sweetly indeed. Second one is a Ratty influenced shot with 15" gauge diesel and a Standard Gauge 5 plank. Those who know their Ratty history will know that the 15" gauge line ran between the standard gauge rails up to Murthwaite crushing plant. I have been trying to get my modelling mojo back and subsequently it is trying to get things to fit in my space. I have come up with a unique idea but I don't know of any real life prototypes. Is there a station anywhere in the British Isles that was shaped like a T where a track ran past (top of the T bar) and had two tracks either side of the vertical bar of the T? The T is the basic shape of the platform Doesn't matter if not but it has given me, design wise, more space for both 32mm track and I also have the 16.5mm now running continuously around that attic.

Yeah. I feel that I may have put weight on though!!!

I must apologise PatB. I was meant to reply all that time ago to this. I don't intend to remain in the attic but I am wanting to build something that is acceptable, tests my skills and is somewhere that I can run a few items. My knee has settled down as has my hip so I put it down to twisting funny at the gym. Given that we are now on lockdown everything is behaving itself. I don't want to remain in the attic as my ultimate goal is the garage but that is rather messy at the moment. Long story short but my main project is currently in a number of bits and the smaller items are in there being cleaned, measured and painted up. Until the day arrives when that goes together (which will be offsite) then I can make plenty of space in the garage and start to build in there. At 20 + feet long and 10' 6" wide I should have enough to do something that will keep me and any visitors entertained. Like anything though it all takes a bit of time and a little bit of money to get things going.

Maybe I should have been more specific but I meant for the Talyllyn Railway. I know Wrightlines was bought out but at that time I wasn't thinking of modelling narrow gauge and so it never crossed my mind that I would go down that route. As for Peco kits I have a selection of them so I know about them. Worsley Works I believe are scratch building aids and not much help for me. I prefer full kits.

Tis great to see the updates and how they are coming along. Such a shame that there is little available in 7mm. Maybe one day...

Hats off to you Tom for doing kits in that fiddly 009! In fact hats off to everyone who scratchbuilds/kit builds/alters in 009!! There was a reason why I moved into 7mm. Fat fingers and I wear glasses a lot more than I used to! Really looking forward to future updates as and when. Your modelling is inspiring stuff

That coffeepot is the dog's danglies!! Really enjoy seeing the progress that you are making and way it is all coming together. That last photo of the coffeepot and the rolling stock just looks "right", which is obviously what you were going for look wise. Are the coffeepot parts 3D printed then?

So I started to have a look at what was in the attic, and as I mentioned before it really is cramped in there at times. I seem to be hoarding boxes for no real reason and decided that if I cleared a corner of the boards from boxes and general clutter then I could start getting some polystyrene down to build up the hillside. So, with a bit of twisting and turning I managed to make space and glued bits of polystyrene down where I wanted them. I am going off two hand drawings of the attic that I did. Neither are ideal however they give me an idea of what I want and I'll worry later about the station area! Second and third pictures are just to give a hint of track placement and size of hill behind. Kits are the Peco 0/16.5 ones and are nice and simple to build. Still need to letter them (transfers came today) and finish them off.

Funny you should say that about the angle grinder.... I was removing old paint off some loco parts at home with the angle grinder and the sanding discs when I just happened to catch my finger on the disc.... The scars are there but it bleed like a stabbed pig!!! And I remember it stinging when I did it too!

Managed to get the motor fitted and then the simple pickups added and gave it a test run. Growls a bit but a bit of running in would help. Am putting it all down to newness. Then I looked at the body work and decided I really need to carefully have a tidy up before I continue. My work space is being encroached all the time and it is starting to annoy me now. Anyone else start to do more than one project at any one time? Or is it just me?! Have ordered some transfers for the narrow gauge Peco wagons that I have built. I need to get another coat of paint over them and the transfers with some little bits of weathering. I also have bought a few more period road vehicles. Big shout out at this point to @TomF (Tom Foster Weathering) https://tomfosterweathering.wordpress.com/ as he will be weathering the vehicles for me, as well as teaching me some basics too. All good fun this modelling lark.....Then you slice open your middle finger changing the blades on the Swann and Morton knife and realise surgery would be extremely painful without anaesthetic!

Cora looks amazing in that blue Tom. Really does. A smart little kit indeed.

I have replied to your PM Gordon. Will happily take photos of Courageous when next down at Ribble. Alas it might not be before the March gala. I can say it is right hand drive as is Princess at LHR as I fired that when it visited Preston. They are some differences between the two. Princess does have a door at the back of the cab. It was to remove the regulator rod without resorting to removing the cab if I remember correctly. Courageous (Birchenwood No.4) has had the cab flame cut for this and a plate attached over the gap. I believe the reg on Courageous was a customer order of being double handled. Apparently a Peckett there had the same arrangement. Not sure whether the steam brake is still the same as delivered and in service or whether it was one that was obtained. Things do get changed in preservation. I will also measure up the ladders as requested and the spark arrester too. Not sure whether it sits too high on Courageous or not....Also there is no mesh on it so it isn't really a spark arrester... more like a halo ring for the exhaust! Other than that I can say it is a brute and a lovely machine especially being the loco I had for my first driving turn.

Some cracking ideas here for weathering. Must make a note! As for the Vanguard range I really like them and have a few. Although my layout is predominately set in the 1920s-30s time period it will be generic enough that it can be brought a bit more towards the 60s! I must admit that the lack of 1930s vehicles is a bit annoying. I have seen some on eBay but the prices for them are ridiculous. It might be that they are by companies no longer in production.

Dependant also on the trackplan and your station limits for shunting too. If possible you'd want to move the least number of wagons into the siding. Main thing being visually sighting the shunter/guard during this period of work. Harder to see when moving a whole rake of wagons. Driver's would soon get an idea of siding lengths etc with experience but nothing really compares than to be able to visually see hand or lamp signals clearly

I did spot that and thought it a nice touch! My eldest asked me about it as she had spotted it. I had to tell her about the "olden days" as she calls them and that toilets were outside for many people back then! Sorry Bob, if I had been on my own I would have done but the comment between the females of my family would have been "He's talking trains again. We'll be hours!" Certainly next time I will though.

Potentially although the coal for the loco shed at Ffarquhar may well come up with the pick up goods. Different types of coal being needed for the variety of things from the brewery to the gas works means you would need some way of distinguishing the different wagons. I suppose that would be easy by sticking a van or two in between on the train up. Wouldn't matter for the empties. And wool and whatever other goods from Ulfstead to Ffarquhar for the journey onwards

Well deserved win Bob. Great to see it in the flesh and spent a good length of time watching the trains go by. Shame my two daughters had other ideas though I have been told I need chickens and a washing line on ours when I eventually get round to it!

Not being in anyway religious this is news to me so thank you for that. I had presumed Sunday on the basis that they would meet at school and then head off on their day trip. All it says in the book is; "A mob of excited children poured out of Annie and Clarabel one morning, and raced down to the beach. "They're the Vicar's Sunday School," explained Thomas. "I'm busy this evening, but the Stationmaster says I can ask you to take them home." "Of Course I will," promised Percy." The it goes on to say by tea time dark clouds loomed and then the storm starts then Percy takes them back. The other reason I always presumed Sunday was the potential for cheaper tickets with regards organising a trip out and plenty of rolling stock availability for that day too. As I say, not religious nor have I ever researched into day trips with regards to Church trips. I knew about half day trips, works outings on a Saturday. For some reason thought differently about Church. And by the time it got to Ffarquhar the train could well have been a lot shorter in length due to dropping off of wagons enroute. It is also mentioned about a brewery at Ffarquhar too so potential for barley, wheat and hops etc in and beer out!

Thank you all for the comments and it is certainly giving me something to think about with regards to the potential track layouts that I might be able to squeeze into the available space. Please keep them coming as I am learning all the time and it has been a long time since I did any serious modelling. However I have at least made a little progress with regards to getting a running chassis. I still have motor to add to finish it off but this is the extent of my what I have done so far. 7mm scale Narrow Gauge Ford Model T Railbus running (or should that be rolling?) on 16.5mm track

Think that Percy's Promise is set on a Sunday as Thomas says it's the Vicar's Sunday school on a trip to the beach. As for other duties it might be that he has an engineering train to work later on. There has been nothing definite written down anywhere that says as to what trains he would work. Wilbert did a timetable for his model layouts for the shows that he went to

I'd love a model of this one to be honest..... https://www.google.com/search?q=LNER+13&rlz=1C1DSGQ_enGB728GB728&sxsrf=ACYBGNSniUim1YFtkCroyt0kgPzIyzy3bQ:1580552911857&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjwnvC2krDnAhXhlFwKHXHqA74Q_AUoAXoECA0QAw&biw=1366&bih=663 I should have been more specific but the NER/LNER No. 13 which only ran about 2,200 miles and was stored until broken up by BR in the 1950s. Shame it never made it to preservation

Forget the fan stuff. There is nothing canon about that. Also you've forgotten the Furness Railway. Borrowed engines went back over time and it led to the 1920s loco crisis, hence why Henry was bought and then the regret kicked in on how bad he was. Again, this was caused by an illustrator error and hence why Wilbert was happy to have him wrecked and sent away to come back as a Black 5.

Certainly had worked up there and hence maybe the reason Mavis was bought to provide the quarry with a permanent shunter and the coffeepot quietly condemned and scrapped. As stated they were vertical boilered engines, the first one being built by Topham Hatt as he worked for a company on Sodor before the NWR was formed.