Western Star

Very nice model. lovely livery.

Now this is very nice... the livery is superb. Bet Buckjumper does not keep his as clean as yours!

So how was the job done before preservation? What was the damage to the component and what was the cause of that damage? regards, Graham

We are watching you.... regards, Graham

Referring to the points made by Mikkel.... look at the photos in Hornby and BRM for April.... the photos of model GW and BR(LMR) engines.... the lining. Several of the photos "appear" to show just plain red lining whereas the models have orange/black/orange (GW) or BR mixed traffic lining. Ugh.

Well, on another thread you asked if anyone knew the name of the layout in the heading shots....I shall be testing you at some point this weekend.

Just how many of these "things" are needed for Artillery Lane? Your thoughts suggest that I need to re-read the GWR Paint BIble and then start searching for clues.

As regards the reason for fitting AA3 with vacuum brakes - I shall have to re-visit that discussion with John Lewis. Yhe photo of Acton Yard... I think that you might be referring to the photograph which is featured in Edwardian Enterprise and which can be found at "Steam" as a 6'0" x 4'0" image on one of the walls of the museum. I shall have to take a glass and peer deeply to see what you have noticed - if "vacuum standard" means a pipe and gauge on the face of the cabin wall (adjacent to the door) then that could be just a brake setter for a vehicle with a through pipe (rather than for a complete vacuum brake arrangement).

Fitted toads, now that is an interesting comment! In digging through some GWR drawings which were held in a store near to the middle of the Midlands I came across a couple of official drawings for the addition of vacuum brakes to some AA3 Toads. In discussion with John Lewis we came to a conclusion that the converted Toads might have been for use on services from West Wales. So now you have no excuse for not fitting Vacuum Brakes to your AA7 'cos I have some info as to how it might have been done. Guess I had better see just what is written in the relevant GWR Wagon Register.

Surely if the footplate is not straight then the engine can go round tighter curves???? Well, at least in one direction!

Brian, I have had a rummage through the thread and so far I have not found anything about an aspect of the current build.... headlight and marker lights in the nose of a cl 37 or similar JLTRT kit. What have you done to provide such lighting? The Great British Railway World website has some photos of the interior of diesel cabs - looking at those for the class 37 there is an extinguisher stand / fitting mounted on the floor adjacent to the front bulkhead on the 2nd man's side of the cab. When were these extinguishers fitted? regards, Graham

No prob Rob, the work looks good and I like the notes on the underframe trussing. Thank you.

It says much that I have to check "over there" to find out what you are doing "over here"..... Black Rod rules ko?

What is the prototype?

I just thought of a cup of tea.... two lumps sir?

Robin, I shall look for some photos. Long and short feeders are oilers for motion work, about 2" in diameter with a brass button on the side - press the button and oil flow from the tip at one end. Long oil feeders are long.... short oil feeders are short. About 12" and about 24" from memory. Drviers would need both for sometimes moition oil cups could be in the most awkward of spaces (eg. think inside slidebars of a GWR Castle or a LMS Duchess etc..

Oil cans such as the one in your picture often have a reinforcing flange around the joint between the spout and the body, with possibly a strap between the top of the body and the middle of the spout. Now you need a long feeder and a short feeder... and an oil can to warm by the firebox (cylinder lub oil is like treacle until warmed up).

Yes please Paul, regards, Graham

Got a bit of whitemetal sprue? File the end to a diameter that fits the hole and then drill a similar hole in the mounting plate. Solder the sprue into the mounting plate and Babs-Ur-Aunt.

I think that the ladder looks really good, just so. What is the reason for the hole in the end sheeting, on the centre line and about an inch up? regards, Graham

Still think that you need a stink-decoder, especially given the humungus number of references to fish in radio comedies. Wagon sheets, about ten years back Bernard Weller introduced printed wagon sheets and the key feature of that product was that the sheet was applied wet to the model (or a wagon-kin) and then stretched / folded as required. The sheet retained the resulting shape upon drying. Now what was important about this technique was that the ink had to be waterproof. If you are interested I can ask Len if he knows anything about Bernard's production of the sheets. Graham

Adrian is a certified master in restraint... whenever the model comes out for a run the tank is in danger of drowning under a torrent of drool - this model is one of the finest expositions of weathering that I have ever seen and demonstrates Adrian's skills admirably. Not mentioned by Adrian although visible in the photos, the transfers have been bedded down onto a slightly textured surface so that the appearance is of a wagon which has been written, that is the lettering does not have the flat, smooth, appearance of transfers. Please do not ask David White of Slater's about suitable transfers... when Adrian told me about the need to adjust the kerning of the letters I talked to David about that fun and games... David's reply is just about printable and was something along the lines of "Why do you ask the difficult questions?". The moulds for thekit were done more than 20 years ago and before the relevant details of the Chas. Rbts. orders became available (Oil on the Rails, Coppin, HMRS); as a consequence the kit represents a prototype tank (no.9) which is slightly longer than required for a model of prototype no.2. As of now, no photograph of wagon no.2 has surfaced and Slater's used a photograph of wagon no.9 for the transfer. The result is as described by Adrian. And please do not ask Adrian about the transfers for the owner's plate on the solebar - you could not wish that escapade on anyone.... however, fortune smiles etc.. and hence this wagon has a natty set of etched plates courtesy of John Birch (as has the Adrian's tar tub in waiting... for the East End Alley Cleansing Company possibly). Thank you Adrian for a superb model and an informative lesson in weathering.

Deja Vu? Baahh, Christmas Humbug. Dare I suggest, adding a flavour of the GER lines and their backdrop might emphasise the cramped feeling of the yard? The noisy, dark, filthy, isolated nature of the housing sitting on the edge of the yard is enough to make any Angel Weep.

I wonder if Adrian has a cunning plan for "stink-decoders"?