PGC

I've only just started reading this thread, and there's some excellent modelling in it. Could you tell me which screw couplings you use, please. They look lovely. Thanks Phil

You find me the kit and I'll build it for you! :-) Phil

I hadn't realised it's been so long since I last posted an entry. It's not as though I haven't been doing a lot, I have, but I just haven't recorded a lot to put on here. Apologies! In earlier posts, I have put up pictures of the BR (ex GER) E4 2-4-0 that I've been building from the Nu-cast (ex Stephen Poole) kit. It's now nearly complete - the only work left to do is put balance weights on the rear driving wheels, complete the front coupling (the hook's in place, the rest isn't!), weather the loco then coal it and it will be finished. I've put some pictures below. The greatest compliment I've received so far is someone who should know better asking me if it's an Alan Gibson kit! As well as almost finishing the E4, I've started weathering the J17 but haven't got any pictures yet. I've also nearly finished a Gresley 51ft Pigeon brake and ex GNR all third articulated set. I've also started building a PDK kit for a J19 which I will take some pictures of and add to the blogshortly. Any questions feel free to ask, and if you want to see the E4 live, it will be running on the Mid Essex MRC layout Blackwells Brewery at the St. Neots exhibition on March. Phil

It's possible, of course, that this has been posted elsewhere, so if I'm duplicating, apologies. If I'm not, however, I spotted this in the back adverts of Feb 2015 BRM. Great news - I cut my etched chassis teeth on these kits. Phil

Andy That is a nice picture of a nice loco. Thanks for posting - do you have any more from the same era? Sorry, Tony, it seems like your thread is just about to take a diversion through GER territory! :-) Phil

I can't help but wonder if that's an optical illusion caused by the 9 being between two 6's? Phil (a different one! :-) )

This really is turning in to a fantastic project, and I'm learning a lot from the work you're undertaking, Mike. Many thanks for the posts so far, please keep them coming and I look forward to seeing the finished article. Phil

Tony To answer your question, I'm not sure. I will also own up to not building this particular loco! The reason for owning it is that at a local exhibition a stand was selling a completed Kirk Quint-art that I bought and then needed a loco to pull it. At the time, for personal reasons I was unable to build stock myself so I asked John James, a friend who is a professional builder, if he could slot the build in for me and he did. I provided him with the pictures, and the particular loco modelled is one that I have a picture of somewhere running in to Hackney Downs station from Enfield at the head of a quint-art set, hence the number. I gave the picture to John and I assume that he would have copied details such as the number position from the photo, but it was some 12 years ago he built it and I can't remember which picture I gave him. I don't mind having points like this highlighted - it's quite possibly wrong, and at some point in the future I may well search out photos and if it is wrong, do something about it, but for now I'm afraid I'm not! :-) On one occasion I was at a talk where Dick Hardy was the speaker and afterwards I showed him the model. He immediately recognised the loco (it was one of his when he was at Stratford, after all!), was very complimentary about the model and didn't comment about the number position, but whether that means anything I know not. Phil

I've been looking through my photographs and have found a few better ones of the wagons above and some more work from the same builder. The transformer wagon, a better exposure but not so good viewing angle The GER crane A GER station building built for the Barking MRC layout Clatterford. The booking hall had full interior detail and I wanted to try and get a picture of that - guess what! :-( Phil

Fortunately, Graham, the gentleman who built the wagon, doesn't have a computer so won't see that! :-) I can't tell you any more about the bogie well wagon, but I have attached below a picture of two wagons that were scratch built by the same person, I can't remember exact details but the transformer on the transformer wagon contained something like 80 individual components! As you can see, they won a prize, I believe it was at an Expo EM in about 2001. Phil Edit: PS - Apologies for the quality of the photo, I'll see if I can find better! Another edit: found another one, but still not a brilliant picture.

SE Finecast certainly do a kit of an N7, and it can make up in to a very nice model, even though it's me that say's it (and own the loco!) Phil

I just love the ability to cross post this one! To me, this is touch of irony. Phil

Reported, as suggested.

DerekStuart - I don't disagree with your statements about delays etc., but you seem unable to realise that the new owners have only had the company in their possession for 21 days, so there may well be teething troubles with stock, art work for etchings etc. that we don't know about and they've not had a chance to resolve them or talk to people about them yet. If the new owners are having problems, they may well be thinking "what have we done" and if negative comments continue, it may well be those comments are what tip the decision of the new owners in the way of thinking "let's throw the towel in" in which case we may lose the Craftsman range for ever, and it could possibly be your fault. As I said earlier, I would respectfully suggest you keep you opinions to yourself until we know facts. Question 1 - Are the new owners members of RM Web? The answer can only be Yes or No, that is a fact. Question 2 - If the answer to Q1 is No, has anyone made an effort to ask CM what's happening and provide us with facts rather than supposition? Question 3 - If the answer to Q1 is Yes, do we KNOW that they are aware of this thread and our concerns? (we would like to think they are, but that's assumption, not fact) Phil

You don't know the whole story, either from the customers perspective or from the suppliers, so it is grossly wrong that you make such statements. I would politely suggest you keep your comments to yourself and let's hope that whatever the problems are can be resolved soon.

Thanks Stuart - I've bought some passengers to populate my carriages, when they arrive and I take the rail bus apart to fit them, I'll disconnect the lights at the same time, it makes a lot of sense. Phil

I know nothing about the happenings with Craftsman, but if the people who have spoken to you are new owners of the business, is it not possible that they mean the stock is being delivered from the previous owner? Phil

If someone has answered this elsewhere in the tread, apologies for not reading every post so far! The model has four lights, all of which light white when running forwards. How prototypical is this? I suspect not, as this is surely the head code for a royal train. If anyone can enlighten me on which lights should be lit when in normal passenger service, I would really appreciate knowing. Thanks Phil

My feelings about this, Tony, are that fellow modellers, whether amateur or professional, but all of high quality working standards, will work with somebody who has a proven track record of modelling, such as yourself. If someone such as myself, went to modellers of the same level and asked them to help me with a similar project to LB, I would expect them to be sceptical, and rightly so, as I don't have the credentials to calm fears of failure, lack of payment etc. In another life, I know that if I ask people to help me, they will because I have a proven track record and their good name will not be damaged by working with me, and this is how I see you have been able to get these people to work with you, because you have built up a reputation over the years, and they are prepared to trust their good name in your hands. That, to me, demonstrates a very high level of respect, and one that LB demonstrates quite clearly is fully deserved. Phil

Yes, I've seen your thread. A big difference is that my layout was (under Dave Tailby's ownership) set in the middle 60's and I'm taking it back in time by 10 years so no blue (or any other colour than green) diesels! I like the idea the Cley may have become an important port, but I'm afraid to say that I'm so glad in reality is hasn't! Phil

The whole layout currently measures 8ft x 2ft. Yes, it is a spacious looking layout, that's due to Dave Tailby's skill, not mine! Phil

I have, today, discovered the layout notes that Dave originally wrote for Saxlingham. The notes are basically a précis of what he wrote above, but it also has a track plan. I have scanned this in and have added it below. In time, I will create my own layout rationale, but I don't at the moment, imagine it will be vastly different from what Dave has already created. When I did a Google search for Saxlingham, I was, at first, confused by references to Saxlingham Nethergate. My partner, Sally, has relatives who used, many years ago, to own one of the big farm houses in Field Dalling, the next village from Saxlingham, and we'd been in the area several times, but I'd never heard of Saxlingham Nethergate. I did a further Google search and discovered that Saxlingham Nethergate is actually no where near Saxlingham - it's to the East of the A140 just South of Norwich. By luck, through further searching Google, I discovered the chapel of Saxlingham Nethergate. In time I will be adding a further board to the opposite end from the fiddle yard. The board will be approximately 3 to 4 feet long; it will just be a length of single track with a small GER halt like the one at White Colne or Ashdon Halt just the opposite side of the board joint. Beyond the halt, part of the scenery will be a model of the chapel. As I said in the first post, don't expect daily updates, but for the time being I am planning what to do, how to spruce up the layout and how to expand it, and this seems a good expansion that will add to the layout and make it mine rather than Dave's. Keep your fingers crossed! Phil The track plan Saxlingham Nethergate chapel Ashdon Halt (between Audley End and Saffron Walden White Colne halt

Having read the prequel in post #3 and looked at the map, I've just realised why there's so little scenic work on the section you're referring to. That would be where BtF modelled the station at GREAT SNORING!!!!!!!!! :-)

Thanks for this, Bungus, I seem to recall that you mentioned somewhere about the trains not being able to reverse at some sidings or other, but that's on the piece of paper I can't find (OK, I've lost it!) Well, if the great Bungus has looked at you oddly, woe betide me if I do different! :-) As I said, there are a few plans, and you never know what will happen with the "hidden" part of the layout (apparently, BtF called it a fiddle yard - more likely "what the h3ll do I do with that" section!) Phil Ps - Bungus - having driven through Market Harborough, I find it very difficult to believe you are the only disgusting person from that town!

I have, today, taken ownership of Dave Tailby's layout Saxlingham. For those who don't know it, Saxlingham is a hamlet in North Norfolk, on a "sort of" straight line from Fakenham to Sheringham. Dave had a write up for the layout that gave the history of it, but I don't currently have that (I forgot to ask him for it!) so I can't give any of the rationale behind the layout. However, as a member of DEMU, Dave set the layout in the early days of dieselisation, whereas I model East Anglian BR in late 50's, so I will be setting the layout a little further back in time and using locos such as J15, J17, Class 15 etc. I have plans for the layout - I hope to extend it away from the fiddle yard with a short section of scenic track passing a small halt so that I can legitimately run typical GER branch passenger trains with my E4, W&M railcar, N7 etc., but that's in the future. For now I will be sprucing up the layout and it's pencilled in for the Bishop's Stortford Railway Circle show in September, and it may (if Ken Wilkinson can have his arm twisted!) appear at the Mid Essex show, also in September. Please don't expect this to be a thread that has daily updates - annual more like! but if anything happens, I will do my best to take pictures and write up details. In the meantime, here are a couple of photos that show the layout as it was when Dave owned, exhibited it and looked a lot younger! :-) Phil