ian@stenochs

I’ve just noticed your post Jim. Not my favourite Caley engine, I much prefer the Dunalistair 1, but a superb model nonetheless. Hard to believe it’s only 2 mm scale! Ian.

Massive locomotives compared to what went before on the Sou’West. Unfortunately the ‘Pumpers’, 279 class, were not very successful in their original condition. Once the pumps were removed and replaced with injectors they were a bit better. This is my effort to reproduce one in the condition it was in just before the grouping. Still waiting the works plate to be delivered and given a bit of weathering. There is progress on the Austrian Goods kit and there should be an announcement soon. Unfortunately a we bit late for my scratch built job which is currently going through the paint shop! Ian.

It's only paint! Doesn't improve, or reduce, eficiency or make locomotives faster or more powerful. Unfortunately it is what we see and it diverts us from the the real engineering beauty underneath.

Better to scale down from full size and then make compromises for the model gauge rather than the other way round! Ian,

Really bugs me the number of folk who move into a community and then complain about what was there before them. If you don't like train noises, church bells or anything else that makes a noise then move somewhere else!

Is that a 2" or 3" brush you use Jim 😀 Ian.

Just remember that a short swing link will pull the bogie further forward than a long one.

I used a similar set up on a Duchess I built in S7. The beam pulled the rear bogie wheel forward away from the brake hanger on curves. As it was 7mm scale, with a bit more mass, I added a light tension spring which pulled the bar straight and gave a self centering effect which helped steer the engine into curves. Sorry I don't have a photo. Ian.

Lauries funeral will be held this Thursday, 7th March at 1.15 in Masonhill Crematorium Ayr and afterwards at Western House hotel.

Very unusual to see 3 one legged girls in the same picture!

Viakal cleaner, from almost any supermarket, works for me and it is quite cheap. I use it for cleaning up after soldering too,

God Save the King is the United Kingdom’s national anthem. Does England not have its own like all the other nations in the Union?

The Pumpers as built with only a ‘steam drier’ in the smokebox, feed water pumps and big end bearings which wouldn’t run cold the pumpers were pretty poor. They could however haul, 50 wagons College to Carlisle with no assistance, but slow. After the Great War they were improved, feed water heating removed and injectors replaced the pumps. A few got painted in an economy black livery as depicted in my almost completed example in 7mm scale. Needs coal and the shine taken off.

Guiness made now is mass produced from the cheapest ingrediants in the shortest possible time then given 'life' by injecting gasses which are not part of the brewing process. If it wasn't for the millions they spend on slick advertising sales would be a fraction of what they are.

David L Smith recorded his findings in a series of notebooks and record cards. He wrote in pencil in a very fine hand. His hand written cards on every locomotive the G&SWR had record minute details including known workings, incidents and crew and are now preserved in the Scottish Records Office along with his other papers. David father was a school teacher but his mother was a Larmer who were heavily involved in Iron and coal and railways in the Dalmellington area. His book, ‘ the Dalmellington Iron Co, it’s engines and men’ is a classic and gives a lot of detail of his early influences. He was a sickly child, pernicious anemia, and not expected to live long but survived into his 80’s

Is that. Annan G&SWR or Annan (Shawhill) CR?

Those house building companies use the same generic plans just tweaked for the particular development so could be anywhere. Ian.

Very nice model but just how long would the cab roof stay white on the real thing? Ian.

Fireless engines were very quiet in operation too. Hence most had bells fitted to warn of their approach, and save steam by not wasting it on a whistle! The exhaust also was just a whisper as the used steam, or water vapour by then, just excited to the atmosphere at very low pressure. The absence of back pressure on the cylinders makes them very free running so care is needed less they run away especially if running light. Ian.

I have been where very few people will have the opportunity to go! Namely the inside of a fireless locomotive receiver. This is AB1952 of 1928 which spent its working life at Shell Ardrossan refinery. On the of the facility the engine went to the Ayrshire Railway Preservation group, now operators of the Scottish Industrial Railway Centre at Dunaskin. We we’re gifted the engine, in steam, so driven straight onto the low loader, and then off and into the shed on arrival at the preservation site. The above photo is of me inside the receiver while we were preparing her for her last overhaul. After shovelling out a few buckets of scale we did a full inspection and found two rivets needed to be replaced, otherwise everything else in first class condition. Mechanically she required some attention to axleboxes and this picture shows her jacked up to roll out the rear wheelset. All back together and the view below was her last steaming in August 23, the only working fireless in the UK.

So that’s Mr Manson’s big engine for the Diner!

Many years ago I was in the company of legendary authors David L Smith and John Thomas along with others. John was giving a talk on the the NB Atlantics, his book on them had just been published. Someone in the audience asked what colour would they have been painted when new? With a straight face John explained that to get the exact shade of NB green one needed to wait until June then go to a field where cows had been grazing. Search the field for a cowpat about two days old with a nice hard crust on it. Scrape the crust off and what is revealed is North British green! Ian.

Thanks for the complement, I try my best. I am almost finished building an Austrian Goods which will be the same colours so I might just make the effort to correct 735 when I have the paint brushes out.

Yes I did build a model of the Ayr harbour pug using the Agenoria kit as a basis. Since finishing the model I have learned that the footplate edge and step backplate should be in crimson lake. I have not yet built up the enthusiasm to change the model! I have researched and modelled the G&SWR for 50+ years and in all that time I have NEVER come across an official company document which omits the ampersand in the shortened version of the company title. Why do enthusiasts think it’s ok to do so? Please guys give the Sou West a bit of respect and use the ampersand. Ian.

My late friend Jim always brought a decent bottle of malt when we took the layout to shows. He opened it on the Saturday night on our return to the digs after eating out. The cork was discarded with the words ' We won't need that again' and we never did! Ian.