MacDuff999

Mike, re your post of 30th. March, if it's possible, it would be really helpful if I could have some idea when one of your 'Princess' etches might be available. Let me know when you have a moment please. Thanks.

Thanks for your response Tim. As I often find, life (and related things) do get in the way of modelling, and push things back; it's a case of priorities. I have been following the thread on the basis that I might have a go with one of Mike's 'Princess' etches, and am currently waiting to hear from him re having some in stock. It will be a long-term project. Sorry to hear St. Aidans didn't work out; I thought it was a creative and decidedly different idea. The image of the tank and a suburban coach in the cutting reminded me a little of the Cathcart Circle route, if you know it. Ian.

Super model. Nice trackwork, retaining wall, and a dirty 04 (forgotten the sub-class) with the distinctive Gorton dome.

albeit several years later, just a comment regarding the two smoke deflector=less Britannias 70043/44. The Westinghouse equipment either side of the smokebox on each one was not removed until a little later - 57/8 I think. as a Manchester lad, I used to see them regularly; Longsight where they were shedded, provided the motive power for passenger trains departing London Road station up to London, Midlands etc. It was a little unusual to see them when they first had their LMR version 'Brit' deflectors added.

Has anyone heard anything from Tim, who started this thread? It is some years ago now since he last made a contribution. I recently was looking at his embryo St. Aidans layout, which I thought was quite interesting and novel in format. But it seems as though that may have gone into a black hole, or will he resurrect it? Has he made progress on his Princess I wonder?

Another latecomer to your thread Andy, but very interesting. My project is one based around the shed at 64C, Edinburgh Dalry Road. I say around, as I am trying to decide whether to model part of the shed itself, or a nearby rail-connected milk bottling factory. Motive power will be ex-LMS (Crab, Black 5's) and ex-Caley (class 439 tank, 'Jumbo' and a Rails of Sheffield/Bachmann class 812 - when it arrives from China!). Shame about your commissioned baseboards. I nearly went that route when I started on my layout project, but decided I would have a go at building my own. Go some really nice birch ply from a local timber merchant (not cheap!), luckily a friend's hobby is wood-working, and he cut the board pieces for me. I did the framework and assembly in the garage. That was c.4 years ago (progress has been quite slow due to other commitments), and I am pleased to say I have had no warping of the boards at all. I really like your ex-Highland 'Clan'. Since I saw one on Ben Alder's thread, I have tried to get a kit, but they are extremely hard to find now, as it seems Falcon Brass have ceased to operate. Oh, well. Onwards and upwards - we hope.

Sorry Mike, I somehow missed your last post in creating this last message. I look forward to receiving the etch whenever it becomes available. On the basis of a May delivery, I will likely purchase/order the relevant wheels later this month. I already have a Comet bogie kit, but that is for another, somewhat more straightforward loco - a Pickersgill class 72 4-4-0 - so I will need to obtain another one for the 'Princess'.

Regardless of any other considerations, I have taken the first step towards my 'Princess' project, with the delivery from a well-known south-west book retailer, of LMS Locomotive Profiles No. 4 'Princess Royal' Pacifics. What a wealth of information, photos, drawings etc.! Even a rather nice, close-up shot of the L/H side of my planned subject - 46210 'Lady Patricia'. The reading lamp will likely be on late tonight!

I may have used the wrong term Mike. I meant the longitudinal support/former struts between the front and rear formers? of the firebox, to maintain correct distance between them and help retain the correct firebox shape at the shoulder.

Do that then Mike, if you will. Just to be sure, does the etch have with it the paper? template for the boiler and firebox, and does this version include the firebox stays you developed and showed earlier in this thread?

Mike, I realise it is a while since you replied to my last post; much of the intervening time has been spent researching various items, between needing to deal with things happening in non-modelling life. I have no idea what the position might now be concerning the Princess etches we were in touch about, but I have come to the conclusion that - despite the likely length of time I would need to complete a somewhat more complex project - acquiring a set of your etches would definitely be the better option. Please let me know, when convenient, if a set is still available, and how I can obtain it from you. Would you also clarify the situation regarding frame spacers please, as I am not sure - from the numerous posts over the course of the thread - whether they are now included, or one needs to source one's own. You can contact me independently by e-mail on i.ogden88@btinernet.com. Thanks.

That looks a bit dire Steve! We don't often get to Gt. Yarmouth when we go to see Norma, and then usually its round the shops - and maybe the odd pub. I am marking time a bit on the class 72 at the moment, although do have the drivers on order from U/scale. I also have a set of Dave Franks rods, and a tender kit from Jim Smellie at Caley Coaches now, along with the right 4-foot, 12-spoke wheels from Markits. I will wait until I speak to NuCast Dave again in about 6/7 weeks, when I hope to get some indication as to whether there is a chance of the kit re-appearing in the not-too-distant. If not, it's an e-mail to Eileen's for some N/S and brass!

Just come across this thread gents. Really useful for anyone interested in building a 'Clan' , if you can get hold of the kit. I have visited the Falcon Brass website, and the kit - and quite a few others - are marked as not currently available. I have sent them an e-mail to ask for clarification of the kit status, assuming that Falcon still in effect own the relevant production resources, and possibly intend to re-introduce it/them. Or, is the business moribund? Anyone know? Would be good if SOMEONE would/could act on Blandford1969's suggestion!

Just noticed Steve, you are in Great Yarmouth. We have a long-term friend in Reedham, who we usually visit once a year! Not seen her for 18 months now of course. Are you in the town itself, or the surrounding area? Never know, might just be in your neck of the woods before next year!

Been occupied with various things Steve, including doing a bit more work on the drawings. One thing which did strike me is the importance of both loco and tender having the same 'footplate' height above rail level. The only scaled tender drawing I have is the one sent to me by Jim Smellie of Caley Coaches, but that is of a 4,200gallon tender; the correct one for the loco, but the nearest to it in the Caley range is a 3571 gallon type, albeit it looks the right size from its outline drawing on the website, and the tender wheels are the same diameter. I am toying with the idea of acquiring one of these kits from Jim, and building it first. Then, at least, I will be able to design my chassis so that the loco footplate is at the same height, making sure that other key dimensions are correct as well. Sod's Law states that if I progress with this project without any undue delay, by the time it comes to speak to Dave again re the NuCast kit, that version may well be not too far in the future! Whichever way, I now have a set of coupling rods for the loco from Dave Franks, and have just ordered suitable drivers and crankpins from Ultrascale. I could source tender wheels of the right type from Markits, as U/scale ones would be a little over-scale, likewise bogie wheels. Gibson bogie wheels would be exactly right though, and I need to need to maximise clearance under the front wheel arches, while still giving a workable depth of frames at the front end.

Anyone know if any of the (probably) LMS/R Walschaerts valve gear locos had a return crank rod 6'9" long? May seem a daft question, but am looking for a valve gear kit which might give me a 'ready-made' lubricator link rod for a Pickersgill c;lass 72 loco. In 4mm scale it was 27mm long!

Many will know Dave isn't at SEF now. He is planning to re-introduce the NuCast range (or some of them), but no timescale yet. I am interested in a class 72, and live in hope!

Have followed this thread with interest. I did contact Dave by phone a few eeks ago, after being given his number by Ben Alder. As I understand, he was waiting for casting machine/s and indicated that little will be happening for a month or two at least. I have a particular interest in a Pickersgill class 72 4-4-0, which I believe was previously in the NuCast range, and agreed to phone him again about early May. I am guessing from the above posts, that it is unlikely there will be any stock or parts for the kit with Brian for example. At the moment, I am thinking of maybe? doing a scratch-build, in case nothing positive is on the horizon for quite some time.

Well Ben I got an e-mail from a woman who advised me that Dave was no longer associated with SEF, but gave me his contact 'phone number. On ringing him, he explained that he was working on the NuCast range only now, with an associate, and was waiting for delivery of casting machine(s). We agreed I would maintain contact, so I said I would ring him again in 3 months. Dave seemed to think early May was a bit optimistic, but I will check with him then anyway to see how things are going. I am still pondering the possibility of scratch-building a chassis though; it would need to be with Gibson wheels, as they have the correct specification wheels (both drivers and bogie wheels) in their range. I have already done approximate designs for chassis and footplate on graph paper; my reference drawing, although from a CRA source, is to a scale of c. 6.4mm/ft! I really need to proceed with the DJH 'Jumbo' first though, so a May/June earliest date for any progress on the '72' is just as well.

Thanks for that Ben. I did send Dave an e-mail the other day, by means of a tentative enquiry as to whether he did propose doing anything with the 72 class kit. I am just waiting for a reply.

Noted Asterix, thanks.

A little late to this topic gents, only because I have recently decided I could justify such a model on my (very much WIP) layout, which is based just literally along the road from Dalry Road (64C) steam shed, where a few of these good-looking locos were shedded in the 1950's. In 2018 I went to Railex and saw Stuart Holt's P4 layout 'Kyle of Sutherland' - now unfortunately scrapped - which features two of these. He has also written an article in the latest Scalefour News about aspects of their construction - much from scratch. I have hardly any scratch-building experience, apart from the beginnings of a Caley 'Pug' superstructure to go on to a Branchlines chassis, but Jim Smellie of Caley Coaches is sending me some 20mm brass tube which would suit the class 72 boiler (5ft. diam.) I am now part way through the process of trying to design/draw out chassis mainframes and footplate on graph paper using a scale drawing, again kindly sent me by Jim. It will be a long-term project I think. Pity the NuCast kit is no longer around, which I think is the subject of this thread. I hope we will see more progress with it Rick as and when.

Thanks for your responses Mike/Mark. I am quite tempted by Mike's kit, but don't want to end up making a slightly expensive 'cat's' of the thing. Not sure where I might obtain an accurate scale drawing, unless from the 'Loco Profiles' series publication on the class by (I think) Wild Swan. I model in finer-scale 'OO', so how would that work as regards wheel and valve gear clearances Mike? I am guessing too, that I would need some thing like the 'Princess' 'Loco Profiles' edition would be essential for me to get the loco-specific detail right, as it seems there were one or two visible variations within the class, apart from the obvious examples like 46202 and 46205. Is there also a source of information on each loco's livery over time. I don't remember 46210 in a red livery, but I'm not sure.

Thanks very much for your reply Mike. I really am 'swithering' as they might say in Scotland, over this, as I am very aware of the disparity between my hope of completing what seems quite a challenging project, and my actual modelling ability at present. I am assuming the etch you have in stock is that for the loco chassis only. I would then need to source - or try and build - a loco superstructure, and the perhaps obvious solution for the tender, would be a Comet kit. The easier option, for better or worse, would be the most recent version of the class produced by Hornby. Not sure how accurate it is, or the degree of improvement on previous versions, but it does look rather better in the photos. I have a Black 5 and a 'Jubilee' which I really ought to get on with too, as well as a DJH Caley 'Jumbo', so the Princess may have to wait!

Having just discovered this thread, I must say there is some really excellent modelling there gents. The 'Princess Royal' class locos were always one of my favourites; very handsome engines. I have a (wishful, or is it wistful?) vision of a green, but somewhat work-stained 46210 'Lady Patricia' on my budding layout, returning from Edinburgh Princes Street to Glasgow Central, on the hourly (I think) stopper via Schotts. A little unlikely, I'm afraid, as she would be way above my modelling skill grade, although I did sneak a peek to see if there might still be any etches left on the Judith Edge site at UK Model Shops Directory - to no avail. The photos of those fabulous models from Mike, Mark et al do bring back some fond memories of the real thing though.