Mrkirtley800

Hi Jeff, not been around for a while. I have been scratch building a Midland 0-6-0 (1F) open cab tank loco in "0" gauge for my son. When I get involved with building locos everything else goes to the wall, so a bit of catching up is required. Like your rock face/ stub wall and bridge arrangement, but would a wing wall be required with a rock face? Sorry to be a drag about that but I have been looking at some piccies of similar situations, and they all show the tunnel/bridge etc seemingly growing out of the rock. Like your wall, did the same thing on my own Midland layout, with the low wall running between two over bridges. Bit crude now but it was installed about 1992. My rock strata was made by breaking 'soft board' in pieces, sticking them together and coating with plaster. Looking at them now makes me think they look like softboard broke up and stuck together. Derek

Thanks Eric, I will give it a try. Have to re-line a Midland Railway Johnson Compound, with all the twiddly bits, so we will see. Derek

Very nice looking loco, Eric. How did you persuade the lining around the splashers. I have tried to line out my Midland locos with a lining pen but am really not happy with the result. Using transfer lining would, perhaps, be the answer. Derek

Thanks for the nice comments folks. I started modelling in EM back in the mid 1950's, why - I have no idea. Seemed like a good idea at the time, although I have never regretted it. I joined the EM Gauge Society in, I think, about 1961-ish but for some reason didn't renew my membership. Rejoined in 1966 and have been a member since then. Well worth the membership subscription and I found really nice and helful people running it. I would probably have modelled in 18.83 gauge had it been a viable proposition in the early 60's but to change now would be a massive undertaking and anyway EM gauge satisfies me, although during the last few years I have been building '0' gauge locos for my yougest son and my grandson. Sorry to get off topic. Derek

Hello dajt, I posted a few pics of my layout on the old RMWeb. Look at RMWeb 2006 to 2009, 'Kit building and scratchbuilding' and then 'Modelling the pre-group scene' There are some nice examples of Coachman Larry's handiwork. Derek

Thank you for your nice comments Simon. I have posted one or two pics of my layout on RM Web to illustrate what I am trying to say, but normally I am a bit loth to push it. Since most folks contributing to the web seem to model diesel or late BR steam I fear that a layout set in 1908 may not be of much interest, especially one covered in dust as mine is. With my troublesome knees I can't keep the thing clean. However I do have other K's kit built stock and here are some more piccies. The Kirtley goods kit was bought for me by my wife as a birthday present in 1965. It still uses the original mainframes (chassis) but with Gibson wheels, a Mashima motor and Branchlines 80/1 gearbox. If I was building it now, I would fit it with a Johson smokebox door and chimney with continuous handrail. The Johnson goods (on the double header) was a kit given to a friend. He took the wheels and gave me the body kit, so everything under the footplate is built from scratch. The first wagon in the train, a three plank open, is also a K's. The 0-6-0T I bought as a bodyline kit in about 1959 and built it as it was intended to fit a Hornby chassis. I rebuilt it during the 1980's with gearbox and big Mashima motor and sratch built chassis and use it extensively on shunting duties. Most of my engines are getting on in years, the oldest is a scratch built Midland 3P with bogie tender, now 54 years old, and it still runs pulling a heavy train of corridor clerestory stock.

I built many of the K's kits during the 60's and 70's, the first being a LNWR 0-6-2 coal tank. It was assembled using Pafra glue, as recommeded by Mat Ascough, the owner of the model shop in Leeds. The Johnson single was built about 1971 - ish. The large driving wheels as suppllied were of cast white metal and were pretty awful. The wheels on this loco were taken from the Triang GWR 'Lord of the Isles' and turned down to fine standards. The tender drive is very good, it is quiet, powerful and very contollable. The pic attached is of my single, built to EM gauge and painted by Coachman Larry. It was all very tight to get EM wheels to fit as the engine is very narrow but it is still running after 40 odd years. The K's motors - marks 1 and 2, were useful, especially the mark 2 which would fit all my scratch built Midland locos. If you got a good one it was very good, but a bad one was terrible. Derek

Hi Jeff, The discussion about an alternative exit-to-fiddle yard has been interesting and the several ways suggested would work very well. Here's how I did it with two road bridges The tracks in view are my son's '00' but in the background are my EM. The first pic shows the first bridge along the line. You can just see the second bridge in the bottom right corner, linked by a cutting. The bit of dry stone walling was built with individual stones by my wife. Nearly drove her mad, as there is quite a lot of it elsewhere on the layout. Derek

Nice to see you back, Gordon. I have missed my fix of reading about your modelling. I can sympathise with you. Over 3 years ago I had a total knee replacement . Unfortunately it didn't work, it had become infected. For 18 months the consultant dilly dallied and eventually discharged me even despite the raging infection. I sought a second opinion at another hospital and they were horrified. The result was I spent the whole of the summer of 2011 in hospital while my knee joint was taken out and replaced by a temporary joint. So I was on a heavy dose of antibiotis, walking with crutches for 10 months and only last May was my knee finally fitted with a proper joint. All that time my interest in doing anything on the model railway was non existant and my layout with it's scratch built locos and stock were left gathering dust. I did tune in to RMWeb occasionally, but otherwise watched endless repeats of Midsommer Murders. So my advice to anyone contemplating total knee replacement, think very carefully. Derek

I found there were such things as model railway magazines in 1951, when I saw a Model Railway News on a newsagents counter while at school in Leeds. That edition featured a layout called "Lutton" by Frank Roomes. It was an EM gauge pre grouping layout that looked a complete jumble in the photos, but the thing that stood out was a scratch built model of a Kirtley outside framed 0-4-4 well tank in full Midland livery. I lusted after that loco until I built one for muyself many years later. But, it did start me on the path of striving to build better models, and I bought every model mag Railway Modeller, Constructor and News for years.to come. Derek

Hi Fellas, going on from what Poliy Bo Peep was saying about having sheep of the correct appearance for the Dales reminded me of the times when I had an exhibition layout which I used to hawk arround. On one occasion when everything was going well, the locos were running reliably, de-railments were non existant, the automatic couplings were 100% and the signals worked as they should. One chap stood watching the layout for a long time and when he eventually spoke to me it wasn't about the scratch built locos beautifully painted by Coachman Larry, the hand built EM track or the scratchbuilt buildings, oh no!, it was to tell me the cows in the cattle dock were the wrong colour!!. Derek - a very sad old (no I'm only a lad) Lunester.

Hi Jason, Saltersbrook is correct, the rows of setts should run across the street. I well remember as a young lad living in west Leeds in the 40's and early 50's riding my bile along Tong Road, one of the major roads in the area. The setts there were shiny and very slippery and many a time I came off. I hated them, especially when I had to cross over, the road also had tram tracks which were pretty lethal if you got the bike wheels stuck and I often went flying over the handlebars. Derek

Well fellas, if we are talking about ages. I will be 78 next birthday but that is only a number. Really I'm only a lad. My oldest mate was 78 when he passed away after fighting the dreaded C for years. He was given 3 months to live years ago but he was such a kean modeller he refused to give up, and kept modelling almost to the end, building some lovely '0' gauge NER/LNER models. Even the day before he died he was critically examining a A3 scratch built tender by one of his visitors. Such is this hobby of ours. Derek

Hi Jeff, I would love to go to the members day, and just may get there but there is a possibility that I may be laid up following a pretty awful operation, but we will see. Stangely enough I used to live in Stafford. I worked in the County Analysts labs and my wife is a Staffordian, although I am a fully paid up Yorlshireman. The ballast used on Embsay is Woodland Scenics fine limestone mixed with a fine stone (which is brown) giving a mottled effect. I lay the ballast when I lay the track - all in one operation and for this bit of the layout used either PVA or Cascamite. It was built in 1985-ish so can't quite remember the exact details. Derek

Pity you hadn't laid your track to EM gauge, Jeff. I have over 20 Midland locos, about half scratch built, the remainder modified kits plus 3 NER goods locos and live within spitting distance of you in Whitby. Could have had a real running session. Here's one of them Derek

Without going on too much about it, here are a few piccies of other tunnels on the S&C. They all have the date over the arch and it just might be carved out of the stone. All were taken in 1966 when I had a track pass between Settle Junction and Kirkby Stephen. Quality is not so good mainly because I am a poor photographer, but also I had a cheapo camera. Derek Helm tunnel7.pdf

Nice to see a bit of international modelling. I have a German son in law, and the first time he came to meet us, my daughter stressed that I must not mention the war. I was very good and didn't, but he is a TV addict and so I turned the tele on for him. When I next looked he was watching the film 'Battle of Britain' - doh! Derek

Success thinl I've got it. Hope it is of some use. Derek

You are correct. The plate above the keystone is the date of completion, 1875 Pics taken about 1966 when I can get them on. Derek

Hi Jeff, Here is a piccie of the souyh portal of Helm tunnel taken in 1971. Shows the side walls with a bit of batter but they are also have a slight curve. Derek Helm tunnel7.pdf

I used Cascamite for years, and like Coachman, layed track and ballast together. It did the job admirably. Casco glue preceeded Cascamite and I thought it was better. It had a pleasant smell but you had to mix the glue powder with the measured amount of water, mix, and wait for 20 minutes before use. Still dried like concrete but was a very good glue especially for wood. My father, who was an expert woodworker used Casco exclusively and this was in the 1940's.

There seems to be as many ways of fixing track as there are modellers. So this is the way I do it. My track is built from basic components - wooden sleepers, brass rivets , all from the EM Society and lengths of rail. I made a track jig some years ago, so the sleepers, are fitted with the rivets and loaded into the jig, one length of rail is soldered on, making half track. This is then laid 'dry' and it's final position determined by dressmakers pins. Track lifted and the base covered in PVA glue' Track replaced into position and ballasted. Pins removed and rail checked for kinks etc by eye. The ballast holds the half track in position and when all OK put lengths of 3*1 on it weighted down and waite until glue has set when the other rail can be fixed and everything cleaned up. Makes for a very strong track but unfortunately can't be lifted easily.although can be adjusted slightly if kinks do appear. Sleepers are obtained ready punched with holes to take the rivets.. Making your own track means that you can use the proper length of sleepers. With mine it is for the pre group scene with 9' lengths. It is a bit soul destroying building plain track but I have a stock of rivets and sleepers etc and do it while watching TV. Hope you find the method that suits you Jeff Derek.

Oh yes there are. We are biding our time for a take over, when by the law of the Meads and Persians all engines will be painted crimson lake

Hello. I built a flatiron using some of the Will's kit. I wanted one in original condition, without an extended smokebox, since my layout is set circa 1908 when the engines were pretty new. I got one of the kits in the 1970's I think, but used brass tube for the boiler, and built a new set of main frames (don't like the use of chassis with respect to steam locos) to EM gauge with beam compensation. Powered by one of the best kept secrets of the model railway world, an Ultrascale motor/gearbox unit. Consists of a large Buhler motor with a nicely produced machined all brass gearbox. A real beauty of a power unit but sadly no longer available. The loco runs and pulls very well. Here it is running light through Canal Road Station