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Hi Julia,

Beware the Roche drawings.  Not a problem for you given your attention to detail, but have plenty of photos to hand for whatever you model as the loco drawings at least have a good number of errors in them.  The Siphon chassis looks good.  Keep on flying the flag for 2mil!

Simon

I'm with Jerry on the use of coal dust to get the slight sparkle. I use coal liberated from the outlaws' coal scuttle, smashed up as fine as possible and then graded. I've tended to use a dark grey wash with some brown in it to tone down the blackness a bit as a rough nod to scale colour (I assume our loads should look more grey the further from the viewer they are placed - likewise less sparkly I suppose).

Looking at the prototype photos in Geoff Kent's books on 4mm wagons and also John Hayes's The4mm Coal Wagon it is amazing the different shapes that coal loads take depending on the size of coal and the method of loading. For example, lots of the finer coal loads are relatively flat with some curvature down into the corners, but I also have a photo from one of Bill Hudson's books showing a wagon loaded with pea slack at Grimethorpe colliery. It is heaped well above the wagon top with two just about distinct peaks which have been flattened off as the wagon left the screens (one to think about if modelling internal users at least).

Simon

Thanks Pete. I like the idea of the grommets. I'll have to try that one. I'm planning on using 2 boards for a small N gauge layout for my son so I'll definitely have to have a play and find something to fit the two boards together.

Simon

Hi Pete,

Hope the locos have survived. I'll never forget the day I sent my Dad's scratchbuilt N Gauge 76 off the end of the layout. Quiet doesn't quite describe the moments we watched the thing fly through the air as if in slow mo...

Can I ask a couple of questions about using Lack shelves for layouts? Sorry if you've answered these questions elsewhere, but how have you joined the various shelves together, and have you cut much out of the bottom of them for wiring etc and if so has it had any impact on their strength?

Thanks,

Simon

Is lead shot and epoxy resin a safer bet?

I think I came across it in Model Railway Journal (issue 180?). I seem to remember that the problem arises from the small amount of acetic acid present in the PVA reacting with the lead to form lead acetate, but someone who has the relevant MRJ can no doubt fill you in on the detail. I've seen references to people using superglue with liquid lead, and as far as I know epoxy should be ok, but I've only used it with lead sheet.

Simon

The tank engine looks excellent.

The problem with using lead shot is that the end result isn't that dense due to the way the shot packs leaving lots of spaces. Not a problem in 4mm, but in N/2mm it can be an issue. I go for the lead sheet option for my 2mm models (Eileen's do 3mm (I think) thick lead sheet if you can't access lead flashing offcuts).

If you do go for lead shot then don't use PVA to fix it as this combo may expand over time.

Simon

There are two copies (one in much better state than the other) both seem to have registration number A1966.24/MS0001/3/53371.

Simon

Alastair,

I should qualify that when I said MOSI will send you a copy I did of course mean for a fee! I don't know what the current rate is, but it used to be reasonable, but not cheap.

They have also have a GA for the J11 (Plug registration numbers A1966.24/MS0001/3/63192 and A1966.24/MS0001/3/63193 in http://emu.msim.org.uk/htmlmn/collections/online/detailedsearch.php

for the side and plan views. The tenders are separate drawings as well)

Simon

There is a J10 drawing in MOSI's Beyer-Peacock collection. I've sourced other MS&LR/GCR GAs from here in the past as they will send you a copy on CD/DVD. I think the J10 one is:

http://emu.msim.org.uk/web/pages/common/imagedisplay.php?irn=15793&reftable=ecatalogue&refirn=34778

Dave, what sort of J10 are you doing - small or large tender, large cab cutout or small cutout etc? It looks good so far.

Simon

You've done a nice job on this Bryn. The result's well worth the effort. Do you know how long these lasted? I last saw one of the slightly later ones with the deeper ballast weights in use at Manchester Victoris in 1990/1 I think.

What have you used for the buffers?

Simon

Andy,

Are you sure it's the marking out?

I've had problems with gear meshing on my J39. I couldn't work out why the gears seemed fine until I added the gear on the driving axle. It turned out that the stub axles for the intermediate gears weren't straight in the ###### causing everything to lock up when the final gear was engaged.

It's also worth checking for non-concentric axle muffs, particularly if you've used muffs without a flange.

Simon

It is a dilemma, but it comes down to whether you will be happy looking at it if you don't change it. If you are then nobody else's opinion matters really.

You've done a very neat job on this Tony. Just one thing, did the Lentz gear fitted D49s have non-standard smokebox doors? Only the standard ones had the hinge on the other side didn't they?

Simon