EHertsGER

William Ward Burrows (the younger); his father was the first Commandant General of the USMC (no, not Samuel Nicholas; he was de facto Commandant of the Continental Marines...). USS Burrows x 3 named after him. The elder Burrows worked alongside Thomas Jefferson in drafting the US constitution and, as I understand, it is held in family apocrypha that our crest was the inspiration for the great seal of the United States.Yes, it’s the wrong way round - it’s a seal, so comes out the right way on documents.

A distant family member was in command of the USS Enterprise in action agaist HMS Boxer. The action was described in Longfellow’s ‘My Lost Youth’ Best, M

Well I suppose we could wait for the new Heljan 86 to excite the burgeoning AC fanbase (Hornby AL1, Bachmann 85, Hornby 86, 87 and so on) and design/issue our own sheet of AC electric detailing bits. Anyone know enough to design and draw it?

Does he still supply the '86 bits? I heard from him after a similar enquiry, very much in the negative.

Oh, all right, I’ll get into this, mulling over the consequences of my own laziness. In one instance I built a kit, but when I added up the parts I replaced by fabrication, as well as the rest of it that just had to be made from scratch, what did I build? To me it was just a kit, but now somebody else is going to paint it for me. Something like 70% is scratchbuilt, but I can’t, in my conscience, call it that. I’ve built another totally from scratch and yet that is to be painted by said subcontractor. Still scratchbuilt? I’ve built ‘out of the box’, painted and lined it: it’s a kit. Airfix on a grander scale, perhaps? I’ve built a body on a scratchbuilt chassis - still a kit, ‘cos most of it came out of a box. To me I’m scratchbuilding if I fabricate the parts, but then I bought another kit and threw the main parts, keeeping most of the castings I would have bought for a scratchbuilt effort. Still a kit? Oh, who cares! I enjoyed doing so and enjoy the results. Just ignore me. Best, Marcus

For now, check Ebay listings under ‘D&S’, but I will get a revised list out at the weekend. Anything specific, please PM me. My apologies - ‘life’ having got in the way a bit. Best, Marcus

Thank you for your guidance - AL6s are a long way from pre-group GER so I excuse my ignorance on those grounds! I just like them because they hauled us to school and back and would like one in my display case.

86 254 ‘William Webb Ellis’ for me (OK, a renumbering needed - unless someone from Heljan is reading this) just as soon as it hits the shops! Or would I have to keep it as E3142 or 86047? Much difference (on the outside)?

Yes, it was the 57xx - and a recent ‘start’ reveals the chassis to be a non-starter; yuk! It is of the keyhole type and woefully distorted. Bin. I imagine a set of brass slabs drilled to match the coupling rods will get me to where K’s were trying to get me, so let’s see. I have this kit and a Wills 94xx on the go as ‘recreation’, if you like (while full-blown etched kits of some complexity are taking their time. I am supposed to be building ‘proper’ models instead of having way too much fun with these!), so more as things progress. As for the ‘version’, it is definitely a boxed kit - no cardboard backing - it is packed in tissue, and the modern cab 57xx. The driver is definitely cast there (do I keep him? Hmmm. ‘Authenticity’?). I was too young for these the first time around, so perhaps I am trying to ‘connect’ with a generation of kits I missed. Regardless, I am enjoying them no end. Best, Marcus

Has anyone built the unbiquitous pannier kit from K’s (the one with the driver cast into the sides) recently, taking advantage of all the modern facilities and parts available to us now? I have an unmade boxed one and have found the castings certainly look nice (it must be a very old one - a proper box, not the flatpack type). I am in a quandary about the chassis, as I plan on staying as faithful to the kit as possible. The wheels are far gone with corrosion so they will be replaced with Romfords. With a bit of experience and some care I feel the slab sided chassis could be made to work with a decent motor and gears, pickups etc. The issue is the accuracy of the holes vs the coupling rods - I’ll check alignment and if its all too bad cut a new set - or should I cheat and use a Comet kit (The High Level kit is way too much for such ‘authenticity’, I feel)? Some guidance or experiences would be very welcome! Best, Marcus

Well, yes I know it is not a K’s kit, but as a close substitute, it was my first foray into what I call ‘authentic’ modelmaking; building an original ‘venerated’ (K’s, Wills, etc) kit manufacturer’s kit ‘out of the box’ with no mucking about (no extra details, scale chassis and so on). In this case, an original Wills Finecast Ex-LMS, now BR ‘Crab’. It seems to have turned out quite well. Best, Marcus

No, this - and the previous F4/5/6 and J15 chassis are complete replacements and not designed to suit RTR chassis but kit built bodies (Gibson in both cases) - take a look at Rumney Models web site where you will find the instructions that set out the approach to assembly, from which you will be able to understand the construction of the kit/chassis and whether it suits your purpose. The 'trailing truck' in the F4/5/6 chassis kits are just that - independent trucks that replicate the behaviour of the radial truck design. Best look at the instructions to get the idea. IF we produce a kit for the N7 it will be a total replacement of the chassis. Best, Marcus

SE Finecast already produce these for their kit. I understand they are available as spares. The ones I have are pretty good - not up to the old brass J&M ones, but who has those any more?

It will be the same format as the F4/5/6 and J15 chassis - a fold up main assembly with CSB as the prime means of suspension. Of course it can be built rigid and ‘some’ consideration will be given to EM gauge, but as it is still in the very early planning stage I cannot commit to more. Once I get my hands on an Oxford product we can get more specific. Don’t expect anything this year and probably not until the summer of ‘19. I hope to be able to ‘fit’ it to the SE Finecast and Connoisseur kits too but its prime function is intended as a P4 conversion to the Oxford model. I am also hoping Andrew Jukes will release the GER 4’ 10” wheels once again to suit this and the J15.

‘Probably’ - as no design work has been done yet - we’ve only just got the etches for the J15 chassis - there is no reason why not. I’m in favour and I’m paying for it!

...and so the never ending saga of those J15s - this time with bit of productivity to show for it in the form of a complete 4mm scale chassis kit for a P4 J15. Originally designed for the Gibson kit, it may well suit the Nu-Cast kit too. As for the actual Hornby, this will replace everything under the footplate while John at Brassmaster has one of his easichas solutions for the less adventurous in his sights. Of course there is a tender chassis kit too - the two main types will be available. The kit is a straightforward fold-up and laminate solution that covers the following: Square bottom fireboxes Bevelled edge fireboxes Bevelled edge fireboxes that were once square bottomed (!) Inside and outside frame guards Short and long buffer beam/sideaframe reinforcing plates Short and long brake brackets Sharp Stewart brakes for the first batch Steam brakes Westinghouse brakes Plain or fluted coupling rods It is early days yet as I have not even started the test build but as it is another of my collusions with Justin over at Rumney models (ably assisted by one Alan Fell) I have little doubt it will all fit and work accordingly. Oh, yes, and there is inside motion too...a free kit to anyone who makes it work (it crossed our minds, but as a commercial proposition torturing our customers was found not to be a good plan)! Best, Marcus

Well if my experience is anything to go by, it is the single fundamental treatise on locomotive construction. Everything he says is based on experience and proven by many models. Yes, it may look like hard work - it took me almost twenty years to get the courage up to have a go, but go I did and have not looked back. Actually, I have, because every now and again I get ‘stuck’, so reach for this book and it gets me ‘unstuck’. The practice set out is straightforward, but it is missing one essential component that nobody, not even Guy Williams himself could teach you. That would be confidence with your tools and materials. Success in any skill depends on practice, so go ahead and fail, as they say. But first sit down and read. A glass of something might be helpful. It will be a rewarding break.

After a long period of reflection I have come to the realisation that the ‘grand scheme’ for which I have been collecting for the last few decades, is not likely to happen. Business interests, other interests, priorities and dodgy eyesight have all contributed to this. Rather than let these kits languish in a box, I am ‘releasing’ them to those who will actually find a use for them. First up will be the ‘D&S Collection’ assembled over many years, but most recently through private commissions from Danny. Thus, most of these kits - wagons, non-passenger rolling stock and coaches alike - are unopened and unstarted. Where a kit is an older kit, it may have been opened, but has not been started (I will list the half-started stuff on Ebay right at the end with all the other junk!) So, to the kits: mostly GER kits, some LNER and a few others. Anything specific (GER) you want, let me know and I’ll price it; payment by PayPal and free shipping from NY. In summary; most of the cast wagons in multiple, as are the four, six and bogie coaches, NPCS and odds and ends (W&U, one only push-pull set) and so on. This is not a profiteering exercise, but a major change in direction. The kits will be listed on eBay.com and not eBay.co.uk (as there is an issue with listing in the UK from overseas). Prices are in US$ and include free shipping from the US (regardless of what the listing says!) Andy; if this is blatant commercialism of the worst kind, please let me know and I shall remove this. However, I put it here to give RMWebbers a ‘heads-up’ before the riff-raff of Ebay got into the fight... This is likely to yield quite a bit of cash (I know the GER D&S market as I have been an active combatant for years - I am not giving this stuff away, so market prices) so I have also elected to donate a portion of it to a cause or two, preferably of the medical kind (your cat can manage, I am sure...). Any suggestions, please let me know.

Oh, this is definitely the expensive route - and yes, the more trouble I get myself into the more I keep muttering about the Finecast kit as a whole... Expensive? You forgot to add the cost of the Ultrascale wheel sets... Maybe I should have just done the Airfix kit... Best, Marcus

My mistake/unreliable powers of recall, but my thanks to those who have put me right. It was the absence from the MRJ index that had me puzzled! Best, Marcus

I wondered about the Finecast chassis - I have a vague recollection it was drawn originally for Guy Williams’ model of the class, but I cannot find the article he wrote to cover the build - MRJ I think, but I’m not going through all 250+ copies unless it is a really wet day out!

I know it's been a while but I am still plugging away at this. Often I look at the modern Hornby model and wonder why I bothered - it is pretty good. Had I been modelling in 00 it would probably have been a foregone conclusion. Similarly working with the Finecast chassis I wonder what would the whole kit given me for the ease of assembling lumps of metal rather than brass. My decision to go this route was based on the 'thin cab side sheets and tender sides' philosophy, so here we are. So far the tender has gone well, but sharp-eyed readers of may last post will notice how the axleboxes are not flush with the frames. Well, of course they had to come off! Alas, in doing so I broke one of them, so a replacement was petitioned from PDK. Now I recognise how all this works and chaps are running cottage businesses and have proper jobs and so on, so was not too surprised at a delay of several months. I have a bench full of projects, a proper life and a business to run, so I can wait... Well, not me. No, I had to fabricate a repair, which I feel has gone quite well: It has been cleaned since I took that photo! As for the rest of the project - namely the locomotive part, I will add some updates shortly. Suffice to say we have: fabricated the valve gear links - from the Finecast chassis - much nicer! added the cylinder block and wrapper as well as piston rod guides completed the drag bar socket and other bits on the tender - which is now in primer Than's about it for now - a dull post, I know, but I needed to prove I am still on this project! Best, Marcus

My grandfather’s cousin!

I once knew a chap who had the title ‘Business Unit Leader, Stoy Hayward Information Technology’. No, really.

Any progress on the white LNER transfers - I can do the lettering and numbering but the ‘return to’ sets defeat me...?