dave75

I've gone down this route for a trial shunting plank layout, found it very good , If you can drive a computer and wire a point motor, it's quite easy , jmri has a few odd features but that's just a learning curve, like where you save your layout diagram and assigning points motors to the layout. I've gone mainly for new locos and midrange decoders so not quite budget.

You say that but how similar is the windscreen arrangement to the 23/37/40 or is that just me?

"to the metal hospital" where all the locos with with Mazak Rot could get treatment?

Good dedication John. It's a great photo. I can't decide if the white cabs bring anything to the party . Maybe Western Sand livery next ? Or Electric Blue with the white cabs ?

It's an impressive looking beast , really looking forward to mine landing,

Fabulous layout. There's a chap who produced a set of GC timetables based on an additional fleet of deltics , it's a interesting read I think I picked a copy up on eBay.

Corbs and all When you have 5 mins , can you suggest the sweetspot where the pressure should be applied? I've got the wheels removed, can the clippy bit be prised from below? Success! a poke on the tabs from below seemed to help , it's the back corners init!

Go Jim , you can do this, you've done it before. I'm sure the lighter nights and warmer weather will help as well.

So does anyone need a Toad RU Worcester still in wrap unopened Happy to swop for another Rapido wagon?

My haul 😃

That's a great load out (to use the youth talk) mine is due from RM today!

I'm with you johnster, but couldn't resist the lure of a mystery box! I was thinking about a split on regional basis as I didn't want anything from too far west ;-) but appreciate both put rapido in a spot. Perhaps the best solution is a small scale return of Noel Edmunds Swap Shop, where I could offer Western mysteries in a fair exchange for your out of era goods.

Inspired by Darius and his amazing MTK 506 build. I decided to try my hand at a mousa models brass 506 I had in the cupboard. This is a rookie build on the dining room table so expect a fair share of errors I started with the centre car , cut the pieces out and took a file to the areas where I had snipped it from the sheet. The centre unit consists of 3 pieces of bodyside which are joined with the two door units. The units have a noticable curve to the side especially at the bottom so I tried to find a method of bending them to the profile of the end of the unit. Pliers initially but I found more success with clamping the edge between two pieces of balsa and gently applying pressure. I then clipped pieces together with foldback clips and took the soldering iron to them, expecting a pool of molten brass , I was pleasantly surprised when they joined. It's not the neatest but it holds and its straightish.

An aspect of the station I had not really concerned myself with, it looks like a bay platform for local services from the east. However looking a diagram of the station the other day shows it had a facing connection to platform 2 which I would imagine is for engine release and r/r? Does anyone know when Platform 1 was taken out of operation and any info on how it was operated?

Must have been a ghost in the machine! No sign of it running

Sorry I quoted you but put my comments. V confusing.

Realtraintimes has the path showing as active for today. I'm guessing it's a mistake as the light loco move that enables it is still runs as required. Shame it's so filthy out else I might have gone to have a look.

Alan Whitehouse describes the maneuver in one of his books, I have it in my head , that fulls were pulled by the bankers on to the down main (ie up the bank) and then the train engines attached to the rear that became the front on the down main. But could easily be wrong. Will check the book. I posted a picture of the cement tanks and asked for tops code in the woodhead thread as they look very much like the castle ones (Accurascale are producing at the moment?) , but they predated the castle ones . The shot I posted shows them with 76003 VO so must also have a guards van on the back.

Maybe a hidden return loop under the station linking those dead end sidings in the top right, which would use your dead space and move trains from the up to the down side of the fiddle yard.

Captures the prototype well , and I like the operational interest youve created ie, a service from Piccadilly can 'overtake' a service that on any thorough platform. Stick some light engine moves and a freightliner in the mix and it should keep you busy.

Useful info all the same , Belgian Ferry vans will need to do some research on those as I might need a couple.

Cheers Paul, that's the return working the previous day isn't it?

So true, if only Sir Nigel had left the Robinson/Beyer design alone.

Great work, I've been watching both DC emus with interest as I have a mousa models 506 in the cupboard,. Would it be possible for you to give us a detailed overview of the chassis construction as I would like to learn that technique.

That idea crossed my mind but let's get from Midland to platform 9 & 3/4 first ;-)