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Time for another of my sporadic updates, the van is now three-dimensional (shock, horror) and braced with two solid internal partitions. The three sections are held together by two 8ba screws, into captive nuts soldered to slabs of PCB. These spread the load of the screws, effectively "clamping" the floor of the van down. A false-roof fits inside the body sections, resting on the internal bracing. Several roof-profiles are secured to the false-roof, and the pre-curved plasticard roof attached to it. The actual roof is deliberately left overlarge and will be cut to size afterwards. Looks seriously odd like this....

Once I had finally concluded that there was no more soldering to do, it was a time for a clean with solvent and stiff brush to get the flux etc out of the crevices, then a really good scrub with scouring powder and an old toothbrush. After cleaning off (gave it an ultrasonic bath as well) it was blackened, followed by another rinse and dry and then a waft of grey primer. The boiler and cab roof are still not fixed in position. Time to check if I've got enough matt black in stock, or need another trip to Halfords. Dave.

Some interesting points there John, My main thought on this loco stems from the "you can stick anything under there" statement earlier. The Branchlines chasssis is correctly an 0-4-2, but that seems a needless complication to me. Putting trailing wheels/pony truck or whatever under those skirts is asking for trouble, there's no advantage to it, quite the opposite. I would put an 0-6-0 chassis under it everytime. Easier to build, easier to rail-up, easier to balance, better traction, better pickup, less to derail. Whatever chassis you use, I would suggest Romford wheels, driven by a Mashima can motor via a Highlevel Kits gearbox, or a Branchlines Multibox I did much the same thing with my own tram loco, it was assumed to be a 2-4-2, but I went with an invisible 0-6-0. Its all illustrated on my Narrow Gauge workbench (link below). I also have some thoughts on the Branchlines 0-4-0 chassis kit for the Peco Hunslet, if you are interested? All the best, Dave.

Hi Frank, Paul Martin at EDM Models stocks the Blue Point turnout switch, illustrated on their website here: http://www.ngtrains..../track.htm#Blue For anybody not familiar with the Blue Point, it works like a Tortoise Point Motor, (under baseboard mounting, adjustable throw, auxiliary switching) but its considerably smaller and not motorised. You need to apply a linear push-pull motion to drive it. Hope this helps, Dave.

Err, I need notice of that question Tim! I will need to have a good look back to check, but off the top of my head: The boiler barrel was a bit on the short and skinny side, but that could have been the variations in different castings. When I assembled it the short boiler made the front end look too long. I had fitted a rivited brass overlay to the front bufferbeam, but I don't think I filed the cast bufferbeam back far enough, thus compounding the effect. I didnt realise any of this until it was built, and of course it could all be the result of the kit originally being designed to fit on a Hornby Dublo(?) chassis. I will have a further think. Cheers, Dave.

It'll be a few weeks yet then.

Missing from the previous photos was the pipework at the front end. The vacuum and steam-heat pipes come across the front of the bufferbeam, presumably because there's no room for them behind due to the middle cylinder. I've made these quite simply from 0.9mm brass wire with the end turned down to fit the flexible pipes from the kit on the ends. It all looks a bit basic in the photo, but on the model it looks fine. The blown-up photo also shows other problems like the buffer not on square, but this isnt apparent at normal size. Honest! Cheers, Dave.

Thanks Peter; a friend has built the 7mm version and its superb, it has a huge brute-power presence to it. Dave.

Hi Stu, Hinges are made from Evergreen Styrene Strip, 10thou x 40thou (.25mm x 1mm) riveted on GWmodels Riviter. I marked the approximate spacing with a pencil and then hand-held the strip under the riviter. Any lever-operated riviter would do it, as you can gently lower the punch and line up the strip by eye. You couldnt do that with a hammer-operated version! Cheers, Dave.

A little more stuttering progress with this "Groundsman's Hut on wheels" that I call a brakevan. A completed side and end at last, so it should be achieving a three-dimensional appearance shortly. Cheers, Dave.

Looking gorgeous Richard, especially the area around the level-crossing. There can't be much more left to do is there? I will watch out for that, never had much success with trees myself. Is the layout booked for any shows yet? Cheers, Dave.

Yes, we decided that it was probably acquired by the cricket club as a new Scorers Hut, and extension to the Pavilion. And that after many years service it was downgraded to being the Groundsman's Shed. We hadn't considered the wasps though. Eventually it was "rescued" by a member who was also a railway enthusiast and restored as a summerhouse in his garden. Not a bad fictional history for one obscure brakevan! Cheers, Dave.

On the NGonline Forum, its been likened to a mobile Cricket Pavilion......

Thanks very much Graham, and I shall look forward to seeing it. How far is yours from the top of the "To Do" list? Cheers, Dave.

Now fully assembled and test run, looks great and runs beautifully, although it needs a bit more weight. There's room for bits of lead in the sidetanks, in the boiler, and under the cab floor. There's also space between the frames in various places if needed. Still various detail bits to be added, but most of these won't be done until after painting. In case you're wondering about the gap around the smokebox door; its held on with Blue-Tac for the photos. Cheers, Dave. The brass boiler fittings are superb Valvegear is a masterpiece of etching. Spacing of the motion brackets still isn't quite correct.

Yes, thats the one I'm thinking of Michael, thanks very much. I saw it in the flesh a couple of times, it was exquisite. Cheers, Dave.

I think I remember that, was it a terminus with an overall roof? Thanks, Dave.T

Brakegear all went together very nicely, if a tad on the fiddly side. The instructions recomend soldering the supporting wires into the etched holes in the chassis and then hanging the brakegear from them. That sounds a bit hit & miss tome, I prefer to make the whole of the brakegear up as an assembly , and then mount it by sliding the supporting wires right through the chassis and the brake blocks. The brake-rods in this kit come as a very fine piece of etching, with just enough metal to open up the holes slightly to take .7mm wire for the cross-shafts. I find .5mm too flimsy for this job. Photo shows the complete assembly, and the wires for threading through the chassis to mount it. The rearmost brakeblocks have to float in space, they don't have a wire to thread through, as the gearbox is in the way. That pretty much completes the construction; theres a little more work needed on the valvegear (I managed to solder two 16ba nuts to the crossheads today, without gumming everything up solid!) Then I need to assemble it all for testing and photographing. After that its dismantling for blackening and painting. Cheers, Dave.

Yes, I see what you mean. Given the supposed location of the railway I guess thats quite appropriate! Cheer, Dave.

The rebuilt Cavan & Leitrim vans were clad in steel sheet and looked very plain, too plain to my mind. I wanted a van that looked as though it had received a cheap rebuild in timber, and matchboarding was chosen, similar to much Irish coaching stock in later years. After much sketching the appearance was finalised, with more than a hint of "garden shed" about it. I clumsily charged ahead with fabricating the sides from Slaters Microstrip on a sheet of 40thou plasticard, and made a right mess! Eventually two usable sides were rescued from the sheet. I'll take a bit more time over the rest. Cheers, Dave.

Hi Mudders, You've done a huge amount since I last tuned in, its looking terrific. All the best, Dave.

Very pleased to report that the valve gear went together beautifully, and runs like a dream. Nothing fouling or jamming. I think the motion bracket needs to move back a fraction, as the angle of the expansion link looks wrong to me, but I'm splitting hairs. Dave.

Time to resume work on the second Irish style brakevan. Kitbashed from a Branchlines Clogher Valley coach kit, there was only part of the floor and the end balcony and steps left over from the first van. The photo shows these bits with the floor extended using a surplus piece of brass etch. Hefty strips of brass angle hold everything together. Chassis details are from the Branchlines Clogher Valley wagon chassis etch. Wheels brakegear etc are built on a separate circuit-board plate which attaches to the wagon floor Time to dig out the plasticard for the bodywork. This one will represent a rebuilt vehicle, with far more basic panelling and matchboarding. Dave.

After a brief hiatus, work has continued on the chassis. Cylinders, coupling rods etc have gone together exactly as intended, and running smoothly first time. Valvegear assembly is next job, the etchings making up the motion bracket are superb. Dave.

Very nice Tim, Dave.