Mark

I usually cut parts off the fret with a sharp Stanley knife but use a block of steel to cut down on. This causes no distortion to the metal. If there is any cleaning up to after I hold the part in a tool makers clamp and carefully file any tab remaining. The key is to clamp it as close as possible to the edge you are cleaning. Mark

Definitely not a castle chassis. The bogie centre line is forward of the outside cylinders for a Castle and the slide bars and cylinders are totally different. You will also find in a Castle the leading and middle driving wheels are almost touching. The usual model fudge is to make the diameter correct over the flange and reduce the tread diameter to suit the wheel standard. Mark

Is it really smaller? Looking at pictures it looks the same size as all the other big windows. The old Lima 117 first large window was too big but this was a Lima error. Mark

This is the pipe work under my 3500 gallon tenders. I made a jig to aid forming them.

Thanks. For the windows I used acetate sheet with the printed window frames stuck on after cutting them out. It took a while to cut them out but doing it over a few evenings turned out to give an acceptable result. I used varnish sprayed on the paper with the acetate sheet then laid on the glue under weight to dry. I cut each individual window set out after the glue had dried. Brassmasters so the complete set for these buildings too. Mark

I drill a hole in one of the frame spacers and solder a length of rod to the gearbox which passes through the hole. This acts as a torque reaction arm but doesn’t stop the gearbox moving with a sprung or compensated axle. Mark

Most useful tool I have bought this year is a pair of ceramic tipped tweezers. Perfect for soldering small bits together

You could try Brassmasters who do the versions Martin Finney designed. Mark

To my eye the slope on the firebox looks far too steep. The drawing in GWJ scales to about 0.5” front to rear. I am not convinced the Dapol model is correct in this respect. Mark

Here is one that I have just completed. Mark

I usually clamp it over a bar in a vice first to form the edges as these are more difficult to form. Then it is just a case of using a bar which is stiff enough not to bend along its length. Keep rolling on a flat surface that has some give like a mouse mat or sleeping bag floor mat. You can form the taper by applying more force at the small diameter end as you roll it. The pictures below should give some help with forming the edges. I don’t anneal the metal personally. I have never found the need and the one time I did try it the metal became too soft. Mark

Did anybody see the Simon Calder interview on BBC Breakfast this morning. Some free advertising for Peco! Mark

I solder fine phosphor bronze wire onto a PCB strip bolted underneath. I wind the wire into a coil to help lighten the load and let it run on the flange. Here are a couple of images. Mark

Gibson does bushes for reducing the bore of coupling rods to suit their crank pins. However the Ultrascale drop in conversion will have crank pins with an outside diameter to suit the RTR rods. Mark

If you are scratch building the chassis is the easy bit in terms of forming shapes. You might buy in wheels, coupling rods and brake hangers but beyond that you are not constrained. I scratch built a GW Hall and tender several years ago and I learnt a lot from it which I have been apply to other projects subsequently. The key is having a good source of information. I would be wary of Roche though. There are lots of mistakes in the locos I have looked at in the past. I can’t comment about the M7 but be aware. Mark

Thanks for the comments. I am not sure I have the appetite to strip and redo it and being red/green colourblind I would probably still not get it quite right. I could lay some thin orange washes over the top which might help give some better variation between panels. But it might not be too successful putting light over darker base. I bought a maroon Hornby version to practice with so I can use that as a trial to see if it works. Regards Mark

I have had a go at applying teak to the model using the methods described by Mike Trice. I used precision for the base coat and then fine detail liquin and Vandyke Brown for the top coat. Far from perfect but I am quite pleased with the results. Mark

I think I have done as much as I can on this now. I have done quite a few jobs detailing the buffer beam and the roof is now screwed in place. Next step will be painting! Mark

Thanks to everyone who helped with this. The picture below is my interpretation of the emergency coupling. Mark Humphrys

I use a set of broaches for opening under sized slots. As long as they are through etched just push the broach through and gently rotate it and it will work it’s way along the slot. This puts minimal force on the metal so you don’t risk distorting it. for soldering cleanliness is critical but if your solder clumped up it suggest you don’t have enough heat. You could tin the parts first but if the bolster is white metal and you are soldering it to brass then try Carr’s 100 degree solder which bonds to both materials. If you apply the heat to the brass and let the solder flow round the white metal. Put plenty of flux around the joint. You won’t melt the white metal as long as you can hear the flux boiling. When that stops take the heat away. Matk

I usually use a brass brush 1 inch wide and 4 inches long and lay the brass on a hard flat surface and clean the whole sheet before I remove anything. The beauty of that is you can get rid all dirt, remove any dents or other damage and don’t scratch the surface. It also works very well for removing any curvature in the brass. I always like to solder on clean brass which is a lot easier in my experience than trying to solder tarnished brass. The flux will burn through but it needs more dwell time and heat before the solder starts to flow. Mark

So maybe it is the emergency 3 link coupling stowed with a cover plate. Mark

Only from pictures in Michael Harris’s LNER coaches book which I can’t post here. There is a good view at the top of page 17. Mark

I am building an MJT Gresley Brake Composite and am wondering if anyone can explain what the large casting is between the steam pipe and the adjacent buffer. It appears to have a hook or handle on it so is it for winching? Any help gratefully received. Mark Humphrys

I would be a bit dubious about smoke. It will doubtless leave some residue on surfaces and it could ruin your structures and scenery if it ends up forming a sticky residue. Unless it leaves a convincing weathered look I will steer well clear of it. Mark