RLWP

Suddenly, I have my own modelling room - well apart from a double bed for guests The walls need painting, I'm looking for ideas. I'm thinking of white (which might be a bit stark) or magnolia (which is inoffensive) Anything else I might consider? Richard Not 'Thomas' wallpaper

I think you'll give up pretty quickly The thin nickel silver will cut with a reasonable pair of domestic scissors and is more resistant to accidental bends and dents. It doesn't tarnish quite so quickly too, so cleaning for soldering is easier. Sawing 0.5mm will become a chore pretty quickly, and is going to make bends tricky - not to mention the consumption of sawblades. Most of the available brass seems to be pretty soft and grabs blades, if you must use brass search out half hard sheet You won't get massive heat distortion with solder, welding is a much more intrusive process! And thinner materials don't need so much heat I'd suggest you have a rethink Richard

I'm not discounting struts both sides...

Sounds like some of my modelling

I wonder - are there any with the struts on the inside of the cab?

Additional fun to be had by checking the photos for lamp brackets and high level electrical thingies fed with conduit. Plus rear lamp colours Hey, there's a book in this - 'Cabs of the 08' vol 1 Richard MORE - where the diagonal stripe intersects with the top of the cab windows will fill vol.2

Curioser and curioser

How about a correlation with where they were allocated then? Some sort of shed modification They look like they may be fitted to stop the cab back vibrating Richard

Is there any correlation with where they were built? Richard

Another tiny detail for the obsessive modeller to recreate...

There are some strong familial resemblances in the chassis of those two<snip> Richard

That map is the OS 25 inch one covering 1892-1914. If the tank farm was built after 1914 it won't be on the map When was it built? Richard

I think it is just different dates for the maps. One dates from before the building of the tank farm Richard

Photographers and models in the same sentence gives me all kinds of thoughts. Must be time for a cold shower

It is much the same when they are modelling...

What locos are you planning to build? TBH, the way a whitemetal kit goes together is very different to how you would build the same thing in Plasticard Richard

They are: https://www.google.com/maps/search/Ipswich+docks/@52.0468034,1.1628843,71a,35y,302.06h,56.76t/data=!3m1!1e3 Richard

Judging by how much it is blocked up, it's sort of semi-mobile! Richard

There is still a crane working at Ellesmere Port on the MSC. It's probably this one: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ellesmere+Port/@53.2937072,-2.8984345,59a,35y,200.81h,59.3t/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x487ad9533edc276d:0xffd9ac3c5a1329d1!8m2!3d53.279812!4d-2.897404 Richard

I used to know some of the facilities guys at Longbridge car plant. As most of the pipework in the roof had been installed by contractors over the decades, and no-one kept proper records, they didn't know what most of it did either Richard

That is such a brilliant photograph, that loco has it's history written all over it The lamp sockets are interesting, higher on the right than on the left (?) Richard

I notice it has been £36 for nearly nine years

Same here.

Looks like it could have come out of Boulton's Siding. Many oddly proportioned locos came from there Richard

Cranes at Garston Docks: http://guttedarcades.blogspot.com/2012/05/garston-docks.html Also the fabulous coal wagon mechanisms Richard