Captain Kernow

In the event, I didn't take my chassis block out. When the keeper plate was off, I managed to get a small screwdriver in to remove one of the screws, and as for the other NEM pocket, well let's just say that Xuron helped me!

Superb! Thanks for the link. Do you know if these publications are available from other booksellers, or only directly from the publishers?

Commenting on this and the pavillions thread, this project just gets better and better. An elegant mix of hi-tech and traditional methods.

Bit more information now - the chassis retaining plate (which is plastic) is retained by a plastic clip at either end, and it's a simple matter to prise one end open slightly with a small screwdriver, which then allows the whole thing to be removed, exposing the axles and gears. Before you do this, however, you need to remove the brake gear assembly (one piece, which when removed can stand on it's 4 'legs', looking a bit like an odd stick insect!): I have now re-fitted my brake gear, and all that was needed to get it to fit nice and snugly against the wheels was to pare off some of the plastic on the inside faces. This narrows the width just sufficiently to re-fit it, with no detrimental effects on running or brake gear touching the wheels. Fortunately the width of the original OO wheels allows this without any further cutting and widening of the cross members.

It begins with a 'C'.... I'd have to get it specially etched....

Presumably you are aware of how Simon Castens did this many years ago in his student digs - a continuous run, and that is how I would do it. You can't do Midford justice and just be limited to the kinds of trains that the S&D saw in it's dying days (3 coach locals and hardly any freight). You need length to run the Pines and Summer Saturday trains, plus some decent length freight trains - how about the 2.40 Mails at night?

It's certainly going to be one of the chocolate factory locos, not sure yet what livery to adopt, don't want anything too garish or specific to the chocolate factory, though, so that I can use it in other scenarios in future... The other chocolate factory loco is that little Ruston 48DS that I obtained from a fellow club member a few years ago. That's currently in black livery, which I plan to change to a 'Ruston green'...

Here are some photos taken on Callow Lane today: Brake gear needs to be modified to cater for wider gauge and re-attached. The YouTube footage can be found .

The plan was that Brian and I would tackle the conversion together, using his lathe (mine is still not set up), but unfortunately this didn't prove possible for domestic-type reasons, so Brian very kindly pressed on with the conversion on his own. The original wheels apparently refused to budge off the 2mm axles (although they are seperate components, and indeed a different kind of metal to the steel of the axles). The arrangement uses split chassis techniques, with an insulated central section/muff where the gears are, so Brian has turned down/reprofiled some spare wheels that he had and fitted new stub axles. The brake shoes were removed, because they don't currenly line-up with the wheels, but I'll be doing a bit of cutting and re-fitting later. I've tested the Sentinel on Callow Lane this morning and it runs beautifully, no trouble through any of the pointwork etc., so Brian has done an excellent job and I've very grateful for his assistance and trouble. I'm sure he'll provide further commentary in due course on the mechanics of the conversion, if anyone wants further information. I've removed the tension lock couplers and now need to work out how to remove the NEM pockets themselves. My Sentinel will have the GW number plate removed and will be weathered up as an industrial loco, possibly with a nameplate. I'll take some footage of it on the layout later and put it up on YouTube, plus some close-up photos of the chassis.

Would any of these fit, Stu?

Was the shoe polish difficult to remove, then, Chris?

Well, it's a case of providing some practical experience in Public Relations for Mr Harrap, isn't it?!

Oh, I clocked him, don't worry....! I think it was one of the few occasions that I swanned off for a wander....

No photos yet, sorry, but I’ve started to fit the windows to the structure of the signal box. Having established that the windows wouldn’t hamper the final fitting of the operating floor and internal detail, it was also clear that it would be much easier to install them without the internal detail getting in the way. The windows are etched products by Modelex (formerly Churchward Models), but have had to be filed to fit, as the window apertures of the Ratio components don’t quite match the etched windows. This wasn’t too much of a surprise, as the Modelex M.R. windows are not advertised as a replacement for the Ratio kit, unlike their other product for the Ratio McKenzie & Holland box. The small window to the locking room was particularly awkward, as there is only just enough room at the top and bottom of the window frame to avoid having a gap showing, which called for a bit of gentle juggling of position of the frame, with a tiny dab of epoxy holding the window in place until I was happy with it’s position with regard to the rest of the structure. Once the epoxy had gone off, it was enough to hold the window frame in place whilst I secured the rest of it. I’ve also polished the matt finish of the lino floor as best I can, with a cotton bud, to avoid damage to the levers. An old-fashioned radio is waiting a dab of paint before being fixed inside the box as well (the District Inspector is obviously not about!...)

Interesting, just didn't see 'em! My previous encounter with 3-D printing was with some rather crude-looking loco bodies at another show, a couple of years ago... However, I felt at the time that the potential of this technology had only just begun to be tapped...

Whilst both corbels are great, I hadn't realised how far 3-D printing had come - the crispness is amazing.

Sounds very interesting Rob - what scale/gauge are you working in?

Yes! I miss Chris Evans on the radio when I drive to work!

It's by your feet, old chap! (by the way, are you still sporting those shorts?! )

In the next few days I'm planning to take mine apart, in order to remove the wheels and axles for turning down to P4 profiles, this with the assistance of Brian Harrap and his lathe. The driving wheels are 10mm diameter, and seems to be on the split axle/split chassis system, in that the pick ups work off the ends of the pin point bearings. I was considering using some Gibson Lowmac wheels, but these are 11mm, so it may just be easier to reprofile the Dapol wheels.

Somewhere, somewhere, I've got some (non digital) photos of the remains of the engine shed up above Ivybridge....