MarkC

My Little Engines A8, here waiting for its call to the paint shop As I mentioned earlier, the kit came with a swinging link, pivoting adjacent to the leading driving wheels. I wanted better control, in an effort to avoid shorting via the cylinders. I don't have all the photos with me, but basically the bogie is controlled via a curved slot; here the guides are waiting to be soldered to the bogie casting then the slot was opened out I turned up a bush, which goes onto a bolt coming down from the body at the middle of the bogie itself, with the arc pointing forward. (The bush collar goes underneath, so the orientation is as per the photo). It's secured underneath with a washer & nut. The bogie itself is heavy enough to not require a light control spring, but I would have fitted one, had it been necessary. The loco now handles 3' radius curves with ease. Mark

Post duplicated as the ship system lost the internet connection whilst my post was transmitting... 🤔 Mark

Picked up a couple of bargains last week - a part built 4MT chassis with Romford wheels for less than what the wheels & axles themselves are going for on eBay, (I only wanted the wheels & axles anyway) & then a rather nice kit built Ivatt 64xxx for under GBP50, including postage. Mark

Thank you very much, Tony - as the saying goes, there are many ways to skin a cat*. You've got several solutions there, and yes, the issue of bogie wheel size has been a problem for years - thank goodness for the likes of Gibson. I'll see if I've got a photo of the arrangement on my LE A8 with me, & if so, I'll post it. Many thanks Mark *for the removal of doubt, no cats were harmed in the making of this post...

I would have thought that after the tragedy on the NYMR a few years ago, nobody would now ever risk being in the 4-foot when a moving train on the same line is nearby. Mark

Hi Tony How did you arrange the bogie & cylinders on your DJH B16s please? It's an ongoing topic amongst us NER modellers, as a common problem for folk is the bogie swing & clearance on the DJH B16, A8, H1 & at least one of the Atlantics. I've just completed a Little Engines A8; I modified the bogie pivot to allow the bogie to move in a curved slot rather than on the supplied arm; it is a well known modification & seems to work well, as the loco is happy on 3' radius curves, but I'm sure that I'm not the only one curious as to how you did the job. Cheers Mark

Hi Clive I completely agree - they are just stunning. Pity they're usually so expensive, but there you go. (I was doubly lucky with my 3-car 108. I got it as a cheeky eBay bid price-wise - I love auctions that finish at daft o'clock! Then I realised that not only was it numbered as a NE Region unit, but it had Scarborough at one end & Middlesbrough at the other. Result!) I acquired a Bachmann Derby Lightweight 2-car unit in green earlier this year, another lovely model, so I'll be building a couple of DC Kits cars to be centre cars, to give me a 4-car set. Mark

You have a rare talent, Darius - chapeau, sir. Chapeau. Somewhere in the roundtuit pile I have a MTK Cravens DMU - its time may be approaching, following your inspirational posts 😎 Mark

Dinting was slightly different, wasn't it? The landlord wouldn't renew the lease, because he wanted to build houses on the land. He came a cropper though, because of a combination of ground contamination and access issues, the site, of course, being inside the triangle of a working electrified railway. As a result, the site remains derelict and overgrown as nature reclaims it. As for Southport, yes, easy redevelopment for the reasons you give, but it's actually a shopping centre, not residential, so perhaps not so essential to clear the ground as much, as it was going to be concreted over. As an aside, I suspect that many Morrisons stores will have used the same argument - near me, Darlington (on the site of North Road works) and Bishop Auckland (The old station site) spring to mind. Mark

AFAIK the primary issue was/is the poor quality steel used for the rebar, which as it corrodes away is expanding & bursting the structure from within the concrete itself. I don't think that there's any practical solution to that, tbh, other than replacing the sections of concrete piece by piece. Horrendously expensive and a very long term project - if indeed someone would find the funds for it. I count myself privileged to have seen the coaling tower in action, including sending a coal wagon up on the hoist, many, many years ago - early 1970s. Mark

Agreed - but the site of a Works is not likely to be as heavily contaminated as the site of an old MPD. I guess it would be up to the developers to see if the costs can be covered. Case in point - backing onto my house is an old industrial site. No nasties there, as far as I know, but a foot or so of concrete. It was offered for sale with planning permission for 36 houses, but 10+ years down the line it's still undeveloped - and from my point of view, long may that continue... Mark

I did say "in theory" 😎 Mark

"Someone else's problem in years to come" - but at least its location will be known about & its contents sealed up - in theory anyway... Mark

It's all very well talking about redevelopment of the 10A site for housing, but I suspect that there would have to be a massive clearup operation, and given that there is likely to be asbestos & other nasties in the ground, excavation to a metre down or more might be required. I live near the site of an old asbestos works (as does another member of this parish), and before housing could be built on it, it had to be dug down over 2 metres, if not 3, if memory serves, and the material removed in sealed lorries to a processing site, cleaned of nasties & returned to site. Very expensive, and probably only about a third of the area that 10A covers. Mark

True enough 2 grand for a Coronation rake - will anyone pony up that much? I suppose eventually someone might...

Not terribly healthy for the doggo, mind...

Dave (RIP) certainly did produce a K4 kit - indeed I have the very last one that he sold (he mentioned that as he handed it over in exchange for a fistful of beer vouchers at his last Newcastle show) in my roundtuit pile - and it's getting close to the top... No doubt a RTR version will appear just after I complete it; it wouldn't be the first time that's happened to me 🤔 As I've said before, I'll use (suitably weathered) RTR until I build or obtain a kit or scratchbuilt replacement, but when I look at the gorgeous Bachmann Class 108 DMU that trundles through Scalby, you do have to ask yourself how to top it. Some RTR is just stunning... Mark

Loaded test run today Out https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C11388/2024-05-02/detailed#allox_id=0 Return https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C11389/2024-05-02/detailed Reported as load 5 plus a Class 37 Mark

It's a dirty & dangerous job, but someone's got to do it... 🙃

Might be a loaded test run on Thursday, if the wibble elsewhere is correct. Excellent news - and well done to all concerned. Mark

Hope not. In any case, RTT is reporting that the Kidderminster - Crewe working is being operated by "60532 Blue Peter", and it's now on its way. Mark

Filey Holiday Camp Disregard - this was a double track approach. Still an interesting prototype though...

Um, the J26 & J27 (NER P2 & P3) weren't fitted with continuous brakes - for a genuine mixed traffic 0-6-0 you should look at the J21 (NER Class C). For a bigger mixed traffic loco then the B16 (NER Class S3) would be on the wish list, but getting one of those to run RTR, with the restricted clearances behind the cylinders for the bogie, is quite problematic, I think. Mark

Jol, You're correct - put it down as a senior moment... Lovely kit, mind, and what a variety of parts to allow construction of any of the 4 variants of BTP, IIRC Mark

Hi Nick. A few parts have been badly soldered up, and others are twisted. Nothing I've not seen before. It just adds to the build time. Mind you, I once bought a part-built Bradwell Barnfield BTP - the cab & rear tank/bunker had been nicely soldered up, but inside out! Now THAT took some sorting out, plus the need for a new profanisaurus! My wife, aka "the long-haired Admiral", was both shocked and impressed... Mark