djparkins

They were never slipped in service - but there was a plan to do so at the point of building. On that subject - it looks as if you have forgotten to drill through the small 'spyhole' marked on the inside for this purpose. All the BS vehicles originally allocated to the WR had them, I believe. The hole is marked out on the inside of the outer brake end, and so you can still do it at this stage of the assembly. I think I've mentioned this to you once or twice before! Regards DJP/MMP

Thanks. Yeah, gotta get back on it. We've still got patterns for lots of kits we haven't ever produced as well. Just having too much fun doing other stuff at present. I will do though, I promise! Death notwithstanding! Meanwhile, you've all got RTR! DJP/MMP

brossard wrote - <<I've seen a kit listed on the MMP site but you have to be very OCD to do those. https://www.djparkins.com/product.php?productid=18282&cat=321&page=1>> Courtesy of your informed diagnosis, I'm sure that my customers will be very pleased to learn of the complaint from which they must all be suffering! DJP/MMP

Mike - I fear that it is more likely that people are prepared to put more effort into a steamer, than a diesel or a coach or 2-3 wagons - as if somehow it is a more deserving subject. DJP

Usually within two days!

Thank you for your words of encouragement - much appreciated! DJP/MMP

Fortunately there are still a few modellers who disagree with you! Whether you can see the bogie detail or the inside of the guard's compartment depends respectively on the height at which you view the coach and whether you add lighting or not. If you want ten coaches whizzing around the garden, you would not choose our kits - but if you want 2-3 coaches only and the journey of building them is as important as the arrival, then they are probably the ones to choose. I cannot see for the life of me how our coach or wagon kits [or our diesel kits - which will return, when I can get around to it] are any more difficult than the high end steam loco kits out there - but we just get singled out. David Parkins Modern Motive Power www.djparkins.com

Steve - That it has to be easier to build is a subjective opinion. I would challenge this an automatic assumption. I know several modellers who are more at home soldering that relying on glue. Regards, David Parkins

And in Reply - We have a supply issue at present with the brass pins of that size. We do say on our web site that our kits are only for experienced modellers. They assume soldering competence and experience with etched brass construction + some knowledge of the prototype. The leaf springs 'work' as we intend [explained elsewhere on this form] but not as you intended for us! I'm not sure sure this would ever be possible using scale thickness material for the l individual leaf springs. You have already said they are in the best material - phospor bronze. Short of weighting them down so much you'd need a double-headed 9F set up to shift 10 wagons, I'd say you are 'shooting at the moon'. We think/hope that our entire range of wagon & coach kits represent exceptional value for money and even if you leave off a percentage of the finer details you will still have a more detailed model than is possible with most other kits. David Parkins Modern Motive Power www.djparkins.com

Fully Understand, Thank You

Congratulations Richard, I'm thoroughly enjoying your Duchess build on WT. I know it is really way too early to ask - but I will anyway! - Will there be any chance of a Rebuilt Bulleid Light Pacific kit??? I'm sure many others would love to see this as well. Kind Regards, David Parkins

or crafty persons!!!

Thank you for your kind words Mr Grumpy. Whilst the Oleo buffers are ours, we cannot take credit for these SC buffers, as they were purchased in a batch from Adrian Swain at ABS Models - also a caster of some renown!!! Unfortunately, this forum does not currently benefit from Adrian's encyclopedic knowledge of wagons - banished as he is for being off-message about some of the RTR efforts available in our scale. Let us hope he returns to full health after his recent surgery [and can be allowed back on RMWeb]. David Parkins Modern Motive Power www.djparkins.com

Yes - I had a look at Ian's blog last night for the first time. I don't know how to reply to his entries direct to the blog but if I may, Mr. Grumpy, I'll make some comments on here as some of them are pertinent to any of our wagons - though others only relate to wagons with the individual leaf springs. Firstly of the subject of the individual leaf springs - I think we need to define here what we mean by 'working leaf springs' in the context of 7mm and anyway you cannot scale mass! You will NEVER acheive flexing of the leaf spring that you 'crimp' around the .8mm rod on the shackles at each end of the spring, using the thickness of the material supplied. OK - we could have used a much thinner material but we were after visual realism. In pursuit of this BTW, one tip prior to fitting the springs is to run a scalpel along the upper and lower outer edges of each spring before assembling them. You will be amazed at the difference this makes visually. When you come to assemble the springs inside the 'pocket' at the top of the horn guide they should only be held in place by the brass rod passed through the pocket - there should be NO solder on any of the leaf springs themselves. Then when the upper spring is crimped around the brass rod on the shackles [again - no solder] and is then free to move a little on these - the leaf springs below this are then just going along for the ride. In this sense ONLY are they working leaf springs - they are enabling enough vertical movement of the whole horn guide/spring assembly via the shackles to keep all wheels on the track [a form of compensation if you like]. The wagons would obviously have to be impossibly heavy to get a .015" PB leaf spring to flex. It simply stands to reason. The instructions in our kit do refer you to the working leaf springs made by Eril Olsen, the Danish modeller as this article may be of interest to modellers. As regards the standardisation of W Iron spacings to accord with Slaters wheels/axles - the blog assumes a compromise we are not prepared to make. We made the chassis to prototype dimensions and do not particulary recommend any wheels [see the rider about wheels in the introduction to the instructions]. Finally, as regards the coupling hooks, you have done exactly what is intended by 'sculpting' them after thay have been laminated - see how nice you have made them look. Yes we could have put lost wax hook in but then the kit would cost more and everyone would have been bleating about that. It is a shame though to fit the hooks solid. You could have just cut the spring in half and stretched it as needed to lessen the tension and then had working couplings - lets hope you don't fix the buffers solid after all the trouble we went to to come up with an prototypical solution!!! The build times you list are interesting - but the main thing in life is just to enjoy what you are doing whilst you are doing it! Thanks for your indulgence here Mr. Grumpy. Perhaps Ian will enlighten me on how to post replies directly on his blog? I've a feeling I'm going to need to! DJP/MMP www.djparkins.com

I was thinking decals. I don't have any of the buffers so cannot check exactly but around the 9-10mm mark.

I did but I don't at present - and before Mr. Grumpy asks - I don't know when It will return!!!! There are 'blank' numberplates in the kit with everything on them but the numbers - so you can add what number you wish.

Thanks Grumps - No room here but you could live with Simon & his dog! Thank You Jeff - appreciated.

Very sad to hear that Jeff - it sounds just terrible. None of us are getting younger and I have certainly re-prioritised my life in the last two-three years. You just do not know what is around the corner and stress and commitments just add to any problems. I'm taking my wife to hospital for some tests on Wednesday. Hopefully its nothing too serious but you just never know. There are far more important things in life than model railways! Best to You, David Sorry for deviating off of your thread Mr. Grumpy!

Not in my vocabulary and you should not assume it is. I do not have a date and that is exactly what I have said. If I say that I hope it will be sometime in the next year then if they do not appear in the next year there will be someone who says 'you said it would be sometime in the next year' - whereas I only said I hoped it will be! It will actually be when I get around to it and our commitments to our main ranges of military products allow. I live in Pembrokeshire and we don't hurry for anything down here. What I can definitely say is that it will be sometime in my remaining lifetime.

You don't need a mojo any more Jeff - you must have your Heljan Falcon by now!!!?

They will all return - I just don't have a firm date yet. DJP/MMP

Well before we all 'shoot from the hip' we would need to know from the current manufacturer why the reproduction from the original brass masters is so bad. They were reproduced in resin when we had them and had a really perfect surface finish. Also it should be pointed out that because it was always intended they should be in resin in the kits - no metal casting shrinkage factor was allowed for at the pattern making stage - so in metal they would now be undersized by around 2% anyway. I don't know where your 3d printing viability threshold fits in with the 4-CIG & 4-VEP kits for which this front end was made - but in the brief period I sold them, we only cleared around 4 4-CIG & 2 4-VEP kits in terms of sales. David Parkins

ABS Models

I suppose it is a bit like the Woodhead Electrics [76 & 77]. To me these locos cry out for well-designed etched construction, not resin. Maybe a choice would be the best option for locos like these or with steam loco fireboxes etc.?

Ah - I am suitably corrected by both yourself & Jeff P. I must learn to prefer resin boilers etc. I am wrong to prefer metal obviously. BTW I have both the Duchess & WC kits so do know this.