roythebus1

The first train I secondmanned on BR was a parcels from Rugby to Crewe. A class 81 with a SR 4-wheel parcels van! Guard rode in the back cab. December 1974.

I don't recall seeing b/g stock on the Kings Cross suburban trains in my time at KX. For a start the Widened Lines couldn't take 63' coaches round the corners under York Way and Hotel Curve. But that wouldn't prevent their use on outer suburban sets. On the South Western there's a few pics of corridor and non-corridor sets working stopping trains to Basingstoke, with n/c stock in the middle and corridor stock at the outer ends due to limited platform lengths. S100S was a "regular" on the Kenny Belle set along with a Bullied brake along with 2 other n/g coaches. there was also a set of short maroon suburban coaches renumbered with S prefix on the Southern for a while. That too appeared on the Kenny Belle. The 6TC appeared on the Kenny Belle a few times as well.

All this reminds me of my German layout I built in the 1990s which lasted until the mid 200's. It was a BLT with a helix at one end, the inner radius was R1, outer was R2. this went down 3 turns to hidden loops under the station with a return loop at the other end. It was possible to store 4 trains on the loops, 3 on the upwards helix, ad another 2 on the long straight from the return loop to the helix. Using German stock it all ran remarkably well with even Lima silver coaches (70' long) negotiating the R1 curves. My layout was about 12' long by 2'6 wide except on the helix end.

How much space do you actually have for your layout? What scale are you intending to use? Once we know, we may be able to offer useful suggestions.

Not forgetting the famous 33/1 and TC set that arrived at New Street. The driver was told to run round and refused. He simply changed ends and returned from whence he came, having ceremoniously removing the oil tail lamp from the loco first. It seems the LM had forgotten about push-pull working.

There was indeed traffic from the south, with services from Ludgate Hill via Latchmere, the WLL and the Grove Road line to Richmond and Hounslow, but these avoided the Met/GW station. but there were double junctions both ways between Goldhawk Road and Hammersmith, never say never.

Remember Hammersmith was built dual-gauge and operated by the GWR from opening day as the Met didn't have any stock at the time! There was also the "bypass" station of Grove Road across the road which branched off the West London Line just north of Olympia , done a U turn diving under shepherds Bush Road, under the Met on the site of the bus garage at Wells Road, and up hill alongside the Met before curving west onto the disused viaduct you see west of Hammersmith District/Picc station, then on to Gunnersbury and Richmond! That line closed in about 1913, but may make an interesting model brought up to date or in the steam era.

I've got lots of ptfe tape, what thread does it go round? I've tried using cellulose thinner in the past, while it really cleans the airbrush I find it clogs again as soon as I use paint! Meanwhile I've ordered som washers from Badger.

Who makes the Chesham set?

My son is a rolling stock engineer and I had this sort of chat with him a while ago. There's a number of different profiles and standards these days and I would suggest the same applied in bygone days. It depends on the vehicle, maximum speeds, weight of said vehicle etc.

I believe they did until someone seriously amended the layout of Moorgate station!

They didn't. what I am saying from personal experience is that varnish-fix transfers, which these typically were, vary in shade between different ink and print batches. I suggest you look at the various discussions on here about paint colours! I used to have quite a collection of London Transport varnish-fix transfers in connection with my bus preservation business. The gold leaf transfers all varied slightly in colour as did yellows, white and cream colours.

That was my intention! It may encourage me to use the airbrush more often. I've never been able to get it working properly, had it about 40 years now!

Looks good. I've got a CCW Pullman kit too, unbuilt, just inherited for disposal from a late friend's collection. there's also a Triang SR electric 2-car set in boxes, good runner, I serviced it!

I've not had much luck with rattle cans either, my can of Humbrol etch primer came out much too thick, hence the Badger came out of hiding! I did try a very small O ring, I've got loads of those, but that sealed everthing too well and wouldn't even pass air through. Is there anywhere that sells these washers cheaper than Badger @ £4.39 each plus postage?

I used to drive electric cars in the 1960s, the funfair was a great place in those days. :)

I've got a few Mainline Bulleid coaches that roll away where nothing else will! My Trix whisky wagons roll around as well as the old Trix coaches. Pity the Joueff Mk3s don't roll as well as the Trix coaches.

Yes, that's my cunning plan, and maybe attach one with. spot of superglue!

Oh dear, I've recently acquired 2 brand new Duettes. Brand, not in boxes, cases riveted so I doubt anybody has disturbed the resistance mats. My old Duette which I bought in 1966 still works fine. It is a health hazard because many years ago a corner of the front panel got damaged and I may cut myself on it. Why throw away something that still works nearly 60 years on? How long will all this throwaway transistorised stuff last? About 5 years I reckon. The H&Ms will control all the motors I run including some Kean Portescaps and some of the latest Chinese technology as well as the traditional Triang and Trix motors. Oh, and I've just found a loose H&M resistance mat in a box of bits. Should I panic now or later? :)

Revelstoke Road on the East Putney-Wimbledon line had the big timbers under the back of the box.

The colouring of the real transfers varies from one prit run to another, also the age of the transfer so it wouldn't be unusual to see different shades on the same coach number. Some may also have been hand painted on the real thing.

Thanks, I know I got a couple of these washers about 4 years ago and have lost one during cleaning and the other is probably in a safe place! At about £4 a time they're bloody expensive for what they are. Meanwhile I'll adapt the airbrush to work off my portable worksop compressor, turn that down to about 20psi. that's all I use for painting big buses.

I've got an elderly Badger 150 (I think) and am fed up with it blocking. Despite giving it several thorough cleans with Badger cleaner and a iso-something cleaner, it refuses to pick up paint from the jar. It's currently missing the very expensive neoprene washer that should go in between the nozzle and brush body, would that make much difference? Or am I not thinning the paint enough? I'm trying to use a grey etch primer undercoat I bought at a show last year. I've never had much success with air brushing over the years. To add insult to injury, my rather elderly compressor bought back in 1969 broke its motor shaft so will have to be replaced. It's a Campbell Mausfeld unit that only has a small hole in the outlet adaptor to regulate the pressure. It'll probably be cheaper to replace the compressor. I've got a 12 volt unit out of my Range Rover tht still works remarkably well but won't work in the Range Rover!

It should be compressor, tank, pressure cut-out switch, safety valve, isolating tap, reducer valve, water trap, air brush.