CloggyDog

Yup, a number of 13t sand tipplers visible in the photographic evidence and duly reproduced via a Red Panda and 2 Bachmanns. I'll edit this post later with some pics from yesterday, once the phone has charged

Indeed, I also had 97804 for haulage that day - 2 x 5 plank opens and Toad, there are a number of photos around the 'net. The layout seemed very well received for it's debut outing at Maidenhead club's summer show in Knowl Hill. In between moves I finished the concrete paving, constructed the remaining structures and added a couple more items of stock. Better still, a couple of retired Reading railwaymen were kind enough to share their recollections of the Works and also pointed me in the direction of the Reading General Station facebook group where a number of useful photos can be found.

Another interesting photo which I rediscovered on the office pc - I think I'd been emailed it to use on the cover of a DEMU TVAG showguide (which used to be held at Knowl Hill Village Hall, where the layout will be tomorrow!) some time around 2009. So clearly the idea must have been percolating through the neurons since then. 97804 shunts a shiny new-looking OCA loaded with cable drums. Another wagon type to add to the list. To the left is GW inspection saloon DW80970 (which now resides on the NNR) Hidden away between 12t vans but just visible above the nose of 97804 is the 88DS 97020, probably withdrawn by this date. And there's the Coles crane again. The 'paving' on the 4mm layout is about 75% done, using 2mm EVA play foam sheet and layers of card to give a 'road' surface about 0.5mm below the railhead. Much fun and games getting the 4' inlaid surface in around point blades, check rails, etc. May get the rest done tonight, otherwise it'll be done at the show tomorrow and as I am billed as a work in progress, I'd better work!

A fellow Maidenhead club member has used something very similar (possibly bought, rather than DIY) to that on his O Gauge corridor coaches to negate the need to fish out and hook-up screw couplings under a gangway and they do work very nicely in that regard. My only caveat is the force required to pull them apart - certainly on my friend's coaches, it requires a firm tug to separate them, which might be an issue if trying to shunt wagons.

The Coles road crane also appears in the background of this fascinating photo of 97020: 97020 by Paul Corrie, on Flickr And that looks suspiciously like a re-bodied 21t mineral behind the 2 opens. Luckily, I have one or two in the kit stash Edit - any thoughts as to the load on the wagon (likely a Winkle) in front of the 12t van in the centre - poles with a baseplate by the look of it?? They don't look like signal posts... maybe some kind of handrail stanchions?? Other recent photo finds show stacks of tube of a size suitable for signal posts, the plethora of cable drums, both loaded and empty, steel cabinets and components thereof and semi-completed signal posts and gantries - regarding the movement of signal posts, when new signal constructed in the Works were sent to site on Prawns presumably they were less arms and other sticky-out bits like balance arms, cranks and lamps?? If 'raw' posts, how long was the buried section?? Say for a 'standard ' 20ft tall signal post, what was the actual post length? Was the same true of removed signals coming back to the Works for component salvage, or were these complete signals chained onto Prawns?? I picked up a few Ratio GW signal kits recently (round post for new and 'square' post for old) to use as loads on my Prawns.

The mention is most likely to tie in with the article on doing just such a conversion (24 to 25/1) in the latest MRJ (#263, I believe). Whilst there are differences - cab roof, cab front windows, lower cab/side valancing, small side grilles, exhaust port, filler recesses, roof panels, underside tanks, etc - the SLW 24 is certainly worth consideration as a good starting point - probably more for a 25/0 than a 25/1 though. For the latter, the good old Hornby 25 body has the right basic shape (even if some of the detail needs fettling). From a business point of view, the late body 25/3 would (imho) be the bigger seller, so maybe Phil is guiding modellers to the conversion potential of the 24 as the SLW 25/1 might be at the back of the queue? And in case anyone missed it. Shawplan/Extreme Etchings now include a Laserglaze set of glazing for the SLW 24 - I retro-fitted mine as part of a modelling demo at expoEM a Sunday or two back and they do make a noticeable difference/improvement over the factory glazing.

Many thanks to Clive of this parish for the mutually agreeable trade at DEMU Showcase this weekend - I acquired his scratchbuilt 4mm R&H 88DS and Barclay 06 models in exchange for the cost of his Saturday night curry!. Repaints into BR Blue beckon and I'll need to add the solebar weights to the 88DS, along with retro-fitting oval buffers. Can't promise all that'll be done for Saturday (Knowl Hill), but I will have the locos with me at the show, might even do the changes as part of the demo.

Jouef, like Lima and other continental manufacturers, use a shoter axle length than the uk 'standard' 26mm over pin-points. It one time, Alan Gibson produced shorter axles length for such stock, with a small selection of wheel types (12mm 3-hole disc, 12mm plain disc, 14mm plain disc) but I'm not sure if they are still in the AG range. Alternately, most of the continental manufacturers sell their wheelsets as spares, I've certainly had them from Roco and Piko. Suggest you drop a wheelset out and measure as accurately as possible the axle length and wheel diameter (over tread, NOT the flange, then a simple google search or search of the Roco/Piko/etc websites should provide some options.) I think there might even be some currently-produced UK-outline stock that has short axles, so spare closer to home might be available. For a 4mm:ft model, you want 12mm disc wheels (either plain disc or, if available, air-braked disc) and the closest axle length.

Saving/downloading is possible if you 'print to pdf', albeit a rather slow process as you can print a maximum of 2 pages at a time (so an 8 page article will need 4 prints). The loss of access if a subcription is closed hasn't changed. Against that, the digital sub allows payment to be spread quarterly (just under tenner per quarter for my CM sub), the mags take up no* space on my shelves and I get it a day or so before the shelf date every month with no worries about it getting mangled/wet in transit. *I do save and print the occasional article to file in my filleted articles library, so they take up a little shelf space, but that's my call.

not sure about currently, but c18-24 months ago coming back from a curry in Wokingham one evening, we ended up on Reading's P15 at around 23:00. Checked with the driver who confirmed we came in via the underpass. Unit was then ECS to the (new) depot. Looking at RTT, this evening the 1V68 2100 Gatwick to Reading is booked into p15, then ECS to depot. And this morning saw 1O53 0532 Reading to Gatwick start from P15. The 1O56 0632 Reading to Gatwick likewise, but using p14.

While not hugely important (as my plan, and the layout's track is now fixed down!) does the relevant issue (Vol 23: Berkshire) of R A Cooke's series of Track Diagram booklets on the GWR/WR show the Signal Works in detail, please?

Marlow, Maidenhead and District Model Railway Club's summer exhibition will take place at Knowl Hill Village Hall on Saturday 9th June 2017, 10am - 4:30pm. This is the 7th year our summer exhibition has been held at this venue and as in previous years we'll be concentrating on displaying club and club members' projects, including modelling demonstrations, plus a local trader. 2018 Entry Prices: Adults £4.00, Children 5-14 £2.00, Under 5's free, Family (2 Adults + 2 or more children) £10. Knowl Hill Village Hall, The Terrace, Knowl Hill, Reading. RG10 9XB

The OO version will be at the Maidenhead Club's summer show at the Knowl Hill Village Hall on Sat 9th June, displayed as a 'work in progress' - I'll be working on the scenics in between shunting moves!

Thanks, copy duly ordered.

Thanks Paul, I'm slowly working my way through the more obvious pages of your site identifying suitable wagons, mostly in the KDBxxxxxx and similar ranges - aside from the obvious candidates (Prawns, Whitings, etc) there are a couple more ZGV 13t Shock opens and a couple of ZDV 1/208 12t vans.

Barber's Bridge is in my possession (on very long-term loan from builder Tony Wood) and occasionally goes out to shows as part of my modelling or DCC demo. (It might well be at expoEM this coming weekend...) There are some photos available on the Marlow, Maidenhead and District MRC's site: http://www.mmdmrc.org.uk/barbers-bridge-photos.html

Interestingly, whilst progressing the 4mm version in the shed today, I found my copy of Impermanent Ways: Berkshire (Kevin Roberton) which devotes a couple of pages to Reading Signal Works. In one photo, undated but with the 06 visible, so 1982/4, there's a tall silo which looks to be a fairly recent addition to the site, while in the middle ground is a stack of new/fresh looking troughing. Perhaps concrete casting was brought 'in house' at some point? A couple of photos of the 4mm micro, baseboard is an Ikea 110cm LACK shelf which was a whole £4 in my local Ikea's Bargain Bin!

I've a spare set you can have, if you can hang on to Showcase? I have seen an EM re-gauging using the original wheels (by Tony Wood), done by pulling the whole wheel/crank assembly outwards on the stub axle both sides and then applying superglue (or possibly epoxy) into the resulting gaps and allowing to set. Does push the rods out wide though. And I've no idea how long this bodge lasted in service... Me... I use Gibbo wheels (and buy twice as many cranks as I need as the wee ###### will insist on splitting whilst 'easing' them onto the axle ends. I believe Mr Hunter went as far as to drill and pin his cranks in place. Edit - yellow rods, from memory.

Bachmann Brassworks rtr unpainted release.

Another one that springs to mind is the 4'8½" challenge - build a layout with the scenic section no longer than the standard gauge. You could take this a step further and also limit yourself to a sleepers width. As part of an informal micro challenge set within a group of friends, I'm building a small inglenook on an Ikea 'LACK' 110cm x 26cm shelf (quite literally a 'shelf layout')

There have been a couple of micro layout challenges: The Double O Gauge Assoc ran a box-file competition a few years back: http://www.doubleogauge.com/boxfile/rules.htm A 300 Sq In challenge: http://www.railwayblog.kevinappleby.co.uk/300-square-inch-layout-challenge-590/ A3 challenge (also 2 x A4 challenge): http://www.carendt.com/micro-layout-design-gallery/a3-sized-layouts/

For anyone wanting a cheap intro to Czech TT, check out this excellent and ridiculously cheap plastic kit for the ubiquitous Class 810 4-wheel railbus (which can also be finished as the trailer version). https://www.itvlaky.cz/stavebnice-osobnich-vozu/lph810/ (and also available at similar prices elsewhere including that well-known auction site) The kit is unpowered, but has very neat flush-glazing and an interior. Decals are available separately (for about 2.5 euro) and I'd suggest the plastic wheelsets are swapped for 7mm diameter metal wheels. While the various motorising kits seem out of production, it's still possible to get etched window surrounds and other detailing add-ons for the kit which won't bust the budget.

Regarding your first point... I couldn't possibly comment... As to the last bit, that was a damn fine night at the Forum, although Mr and Mrs Dagworth may well agree with me that the rendition of Vagabonds last Saturday evening in Hackney might well never be bettered, what with 1000 voices doing the violin bit

I recall exhibiting a club layout at one of the last Imrex's some 30 years back, either adjacent to or opposite us was a German-outline layout playing 'Oompah' music (or should that be 'music'? ) fairly loudly. After 5 days, it was rather tiresome, to say the least. There were mutterings among my fellow operators about wielding the side cutters one morning... I have considered modelling a music festival with lights and music in a corner of a layout, but the thought of painting 10000 figures put me off. Music is such a subjective topic and the fact that you'd need to play it fairly loudly to overcome the general hubbub of an exhibition hall... that'll be a 'NO' from me, pet.

Definitely olive green with yellow ends/duckets, 'D'-prefix to the number and other departmental branding ('ME' is visible on cabin side in the photo) Bachmann certainly did one release of their QM in olive green. Regards,