DLT

Fabulous!

I'm really sorry I couldn't make it today. I can't remember exactly when I first met Howard, it was either Small and Delightful, or on the 7mmNGA Committee, whichever was the earliest. He was on that committee for many years, FAR longer than I was. Howard was a big presence in our lives, I only missed one S&D Show over the 25 years, and I exhibited there six times I think. I'm confident you all gave him a great send-off today. Best wishes, Dave.

Progress on the shed entrance, with "threshold" and steps down to the concrete floor. All done with stripwood, one I found some the right size. Now need to subtly build up the ground/ash level around the entrance to hide that step up. And try not to make it look too contrived. The doors haven't fitted perfectly, as the shed has acquired a somewhat prototypical lean over time, and the entrance isn't square.

Tools for adding hinge/metalwork details. 60x10thou (1.5x.25mm) Evergreen strip is embossed using screw dividers set to your desired bolt spacing. The resulting curved strip is straightened by drawing it though your fingertips, and then fixed to the door with Mekpak. Whilst holding it with fingers, use a MINUTE amount of solvent, just enough to hold it in place without gluing your fingers and leaving a massive melted fingerprint in the door.... Then add more solvent and align it with a straight edge or set-square. I have already done a bit of texturing, adding graining with some light scribing, and/or coarse sandpaper. Also a bit of distressing along the bottom of the doors where damage might occur, or the planks would rot. How far you take this depends on how old and decrepit you want it too look.

Hi James, Yes I start with the caliper, and then continue with the Olfa. If you are careful the Olfa will follow the scribed line. Of course, this method only works with plasticard. When I use cardboard for fixed door on buildings I scribe them with a knife.

Thanks for that Mr.Wolf. I have used an Oddlegs before, but I don't have one now. The can get into spaces where the caliper can't. Also, my caliper is one like this: on Amazon and certainly not a top-quality Mitutoyo product. Just as well too, as I spilled Mekpak over it a while back...

With the doors cut to width, but left over-length at the bottom, hinge pins were added. These are just right-angled bits of brass rod, a push-fit into a hole drilled horizontally into the door from the edge. Measuring from the top, the new doors match the old, so should fit the shed without any adjustment. The other part of the hinge consists of a vertical short length of brass tube, with two horizontal bits of rod soldered to it. These are then a push fit into horizontal holes in the doorframe. The hinge-pins on the door then just drop into them. Finally the bottom of the doors are carefully trimmed, a little bit at a time, until they are just clear of the railhead. And structurally, that's about it. Its all detailing now, hinges and other metalwork on the doors, a bit of graining and distressing, and building up the threshold and shed floor. Cheers, Dave.

Having a bit of a Camel binge at the moment, with their first four albums: Camel, Mirage, Music Inspired by The Snow Goose and the magnificent Moonmadness. Not familiar with their later stuff, but were they ever that good again? Here they are performinjg Lunar Sea in 1977. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TakazuzJVPc

First things first, when scribing plasticard I never use a knife. As has been said, it cuts in and forms ridge on each side. Great for cutting-out, but not for scribing. I start by ensuring that the edge of the sheet is straight and square, and then the first scribe is done using the jaws of my digital caliper gauge held against the edge, and pulled left to right. Advancing the gauge by your desired plank width each time (3.5mm in this instance) ensures consistent planks. (This is WAY quicker and easier than measuring, marking, and cutting against a straight edge) This actually cuts away the surface, rather than forcing it aside as a knife does. This will throw up burrs and swarf, so then I push some form of scraper over the surface (6-inch rule in this case) which clears off some burrs and/or pushes the rest back into the groove. Then its time for the Olfa cutter/scrawker (as mentioned by Rodney and Tim) to be drawn GENTLY along the groove (we are not trying to cut through) This will clear out the remaining burrs and cut slightly deeper. If you've still got some burrs, it can be used at an angle to clean off the edge of the groove. Finally some form of sanding/emery-board etc, for a final clean up and to get rid of the shiny surface. A coarser one could give you a bit of grain effect as well. Whatever you do, you want a groove without a raised ridge on each side. Here's a comparison between finished grooves and freshly scribed with the caliper. That all sounds a bit long-winded, but I assure you it isn't, you get pretty quick at it. Also you don't HAVE to go through all these stages, its whatever works for you. I really recommend the digital caliper to start with, SO much easier than measuring, marking, and cutting against a straight edge. Hope this helps! Cheers, Dave.

Thanks very much guys, I will describe my method later. Off to the beach with the dog now.

Whilst everything was dismantled to access the control panel, I decided to sort out something else that had been bugging me for a long time. Having raised the height of the loco shed & works to allow taller locos in, I hadn't done anything about the doors. Consequently they were clear of the ground by about a scale foot. Now fabricating replacements from plasticard, I scribed a piece of 1mm on both sides (long enough to make four doors) to represent 6-inch planks. Now building up the internal framing with Evergreen strip, 1mm x 3.2mm (1/8 inch)

At Warley we had an electrical problem appear, with the big toggle switches starting to fail. I was pleased to find you could still get the same item, but when the "new" ones displayed the same problem, realised the quality must have dropped off in the intervening years. Going over to miniature toggle switches would have meant a whole new panel, as the holes were too big. So (no I haven't gone DCC) I've replaced them all with slide-switches. They are going to need a spot of bright paint on them to assist seeing their position.

Seems a long time ago now, but really enjoyed the Weston Show. Busy all day, hot inside, freezing outside. Many thanks to everyone for helping out of just saying nice things! Took some more photos that I think show the changes well.

Just had a catchup, all looking great!

Both Z kits I built were from the DMR batches. There had clearly been some issues with the crosshead, as the supplied ones had been partially assembled before being packed. I guess this practice has not been continued with by the new owners? Sorry, this isn't much help, and not having seen it firsthand, I don't know what the issues were. You seem to be making a fine job of it though. there definitely shouldn't be an actual bend in the bunker, it may taper in a bit, but its not visible in any photos. The footplate definitely does taper. There are many photos of these locos especially during their time at Exeter. With a lot of kits, the original drawings that were used probably weren't as accurate as assumed at the time. Taken as a whole though, the kit is a beauty!

Hi Tim, There's a drop-down menu underneath your name, top right of the page. Select "Account Settings", and you get a page with another menu on the left. Select "Signature" and you get this: Then you can paste anything into the signature box, and it will appear on all your messages, even previous ones. Cheers, Dave. PS Apologies if you've already been doing this and it hasn't worked, I don't want to be "Teaching my Grandmother". PPS Not that I think of you as my Grandmother...... PPPS I'll shut up now.

Shall we just leave Andy and the Team to get on with it? I'm sure that when there are things to tell us, we will be "the first to know".

As I said earlier, for as long as I can remeber some doom-merchant or other has been claiming that model railways are "finished". In the 1960s is was slot-car racing, 1980s video games etc, etc. This is great news from "Andy Towers" Still, I'm glad i went in 2023, I nearly said "Can I leave it till next year?"

Just been having a catchup, lovely stuff! Thanks for sharing, Dave.

Just been going through this topic, an excellent project. Many thanks, Dave.

I saw one of these "in the flecs" the other day, absolutely superb!

Lovely stuff Bob. Is there any chance that Kirtley Bridge might be travelling "Down South" anytime soon? Or have I missed it? All the best, Dave.

There were a few magazines that came and went during the 1980s, I remember Practical Model Railways and Scale Trains, but I think there have been more?

The flyover arrangement existed for all the reasons already explained, plus the fact the branch was climbing steeply out of the valley. It was 1in80 from the platform to the bridge, and shortly after steepened to 1in40 for a mile. Axminster station is in the valley floor, not much above river level, so whatever route it took, the branch had a long climb to the south.

That was the site of Abbey Foregate station, Shrewsbury terminus of the Shropshire & Montgomeryshire Light Railway. After closure of the S&M, the oil depot remained, reached by a convoluted series of reversals from the mainline. The site is now a carpark, but the station building has survived: See here