Barry Ten

This is a good illustration of what I mean, Mike:

http://www.fotocommunity.com/photo/gwr-clerestory-third-coach-james-kerr/5465375

These raised window bolections (I've just checked it means what I think it means!) should be the same colour as the droplights, but on the Hornby moulding there is no such representation around the edges of the window, just a continuation of the base chocolate brown colour. On the Mallard coach these bolections are present and correctly picked out in dark red/indian red whatever.

You are right about the printed mouldings, I added black lining where necessary using a bow-pen. However as you say it's not immediately noticeable.

Thanks Job, Mikkel!

Another problem with that shop was, because it was meant to go hard up against the backscene, I never modelled the rear elevation, which is just a blank wall with no windows. The kit even includes parts for an extension. I'd need to have done quite a bit of surgery to keep it where it was. Better to put it somewhere else ... and there's already a germ of an idea.

Yes it was! Luckily the wires are stretchy enough to take a bit of abuse, as well as the poles being repositioned. What they don't like (as I discovered elsewhere) is any solvent or PVA dropping on them, even just a tiny bit.

Crooked Hillary sent those sheets from a private email server. The failing MRJ won't look into it! Unfair!

(seriously, brilliant work - very observant and convincing as ever).

Hi Mikkel - it is indeed a big beast, the complete model will be around 35 inches long. But it is well designed with a sizeable display stand.

My plan might be to mount it in a wall-hung cabinet, a bit like a micro-layout setup with a fascia etc, so I can display it against a dark background.

Having a very good Christmas, the same to you and all my regular blog friends.

There's Klingons on the starboard bow, starboard bow, starboard bow...

see what you've started?

Yes, careful brushwork. But if I remember rightly there are fine guide lines etched into the doors so it isn't too tricky. However, after I'd painted the crosses I got a decal sheet which had then on anyway.

Since you like goods trains, Mikkel - have another one!

Video added above - stay for the exciting bit near the end!

I'll tell you in the spring, Mike.

That bit about the scrap etch confused the hell out of me for days. Did they want me to solder it to something? I couldn't work it out at all, until I dismantled another Comet coach and figured out the assembly logic. If they'd just said "you need to space this bit up a bit so rest it on a bit of scrap for the time being" all would have been clear! The second one I built, I just eye-balled the offset.

One thing I would say about the solebar is that it will look better once the footboards are in place.

Doing the hinges is a real pain. I only bother with the upper and lower ones, and glue small bits of plastic in place, just before adding primer.

I have got one of these to do, so looking forward to seeing this one come on. I'm glad you managed to sort out the error with the end plates, or whatever they're called. I don't think the instructions are as clear as they could be in this area.

Hi Ken

As far as I can tell the brass overlays were made/sold by Betta Bitz/Bettabitz and/or 247 Developments, but it's hard to find much information about them. 

247 Developments have recently changed hands so perhaps they may know what the status of these parts is.

Adrian from this forum did some work with the sides:

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/28388-adrians-coach-works/

I decided to solder on the overlays as well as I thought it would be a good test of my soldering skills (or lack of them). I added the spring castings last of all, which was a fiddle but as you say, also avoided any possibility of a soldering melt-down.

I've found soldering overlays to be difficult in the past, in fact I think it was one of the first questions I ever asked on Rmweb. If I succeed now, it's out of a combination of hot iron, clean metal, lots of flux and not too high a temperature melting point for the solder. I also like to have lots of wooden clothes pegs and skewers handy to keep the metal in alignment, and that seems to do the trick - just about.

Thanks for the info on the bunkers and handrails, very useful. And thanks also for the kind offer of the scan, but I think I'll treat myself to the Tanat valley book as it's one of the WS offerings I don't have, and I always find their books very enjoyable even if I don't plan on modelling that particular line.

I still have one of those coach underframes on back order from MT - that said, I have another two to build (after the one I did in the summer) so I can do a 3 coach rake if nothing else.

I ought to get the Wild Swan book really. Just out of interest, did you find any photos of the rear bunker? I haven't added handrails as they weren't indicated on the kit, but all the photos I have are side-on or front three quarters.

Great, I must get some more in stock, I never have enough!

It's the sort of thing you'd think would be straightforward to scratchbuild but I've never come up with a convincing equivalent.

I'm down to my final smokebox dart now, Mikkel - I must find out who does them, after Mainly Trains ceased trading, as I always used to rely on theirs.

Good thinking, Batman. Why don't I ever have ideas like that?

Fine work as ever, Mikkel - and makes me hanker after a similar saddle tank.

Coincidentally I've been fitting some Narrow Planet plates myself tonight. As you say, we really do have it easy.

One of these days, Dave - but I'll have to clear the current stock of white metal kits first! Besides, who else is going to keep model filler manufacturers in business?

I've yet to build a fully-etched loco but I have to admit I'm happy enough with white metal provided the castings are of good quality and accurate.

Thanks for the kind words, Andy. 

The eye-level setting does work well for watching the trains but it can be a pain at times as well. It was determined by the height of the American layout so not really a choice, as such, more a necessity. It does make some of the work tricky, but on the other hand, getting to the wiring isn't so back-breaking.

Hi Andy

The layout's been around for about seven years, and runs around the walls of a 12 x 11 foot spare room, with the track set at eye-level. Other than having to stoop slightly, I

can walk in without ducking. The same room also houses an American layout in N, occupying a similar footprint.

The original concept was a station based closely on Shillingstone on the S&D. Even Shillingstone proved too complex for the available space, though, and the track layout

was considerably simplified, while still intending to be representative of an S&D station. Here's the rough concept:

And the current station layout doesn't deviate too far from this arrangement. However, when I began laying out the platforms, I temporarily test-fitted an old model of a GWR station on the layout and decided that I'd go on and build the whole thing as a fictitious GWR country route but with the option to switch back to the S&D in the future.

That's still the plan - all the "infrastructure" - buildings, platforms, lower quadrant signals - is removable, and the signals, lamps etc have simple electrical connections. To be honest I've not been in any rush to move beyond the GWR concept as I was waiting for Dapol to release their LSWR-style signals. I think some of them have come out now but again, I'm not in a huge rush.

is it DC or DCC? Both - there's a switch (or pair of switches, now) on the control panel to allow instant swapping between modes. For boring reasons, i operate in DCC for BR-era stock, and DC for pre-nationalisation.

The concept of the modules came about by accident. I had to separate the "spring" and "summer" sections as shown above, as there's a connecting piece which I didn't want to scenic and which is the bit I duck under. It seemed natural to enclose the two modules and treat them slightly differently, and then I ended up doing something similar for the winter module.

The modules aren't portable and they can't be operated independently. They rely for structural strength on the metal wall brackets, and would be hopelessly flimsy on their own, not being constructed using conventional baseboard methods. However, they have proven to be great for what they need to do.

The track is C+L for the plain track, and Peco for the points. I'd tried building a C+L point on my workbench, but didn't fancy laying one in-situ while standing on a kitchen stool.

The layout hasn't been in any of the magazines, although the American one was in Model Railroader a year or two back.

This year I have begun the process of partially double-tracking the whole thing, starting with the Spring module, which you may notice has double track in some of the recent photos.

Any other questions, don't hesitate!

Al (Barry Ten)

I also attended Newcastle upon Tyne university, in my case starting in the mid 80s. Regular journeys from Wales would often involve a change at Bristol Parkway then either a direct service to Newcastle or a change, sometimes in York. When I went to university I'd not been following developments on the railways and I remember being surprised when the HST turned up in Executive livery, which I'd never seen nor heard of before. After years of blue/grey it was quite a shock to see something different. I also started my university days with an Olympus Trip, although sadly it was stolen about a decade later during a trip to the States.

I imagine the railways were a lot more interesting in 1985 than they are now, but my abiding memory of those journeys is just how interminably long they seemed - even Chesterfield seemed "down south" compared to Newcastle - and I don't remember paying much attention to the locomotives and rolling stock seen on the way. If the train was locomotive hauled, I don't think I even paid much heed to what the class was. Oddly enough I tend to think of those years as when I lost my interest in trains and models completely, but my magazine collection shows that, while I didn't buy any magazines regularly, I did still make the odd purchase, perhaps keeping that flame alive.

Thanks for that picture, Mikkel - my own Googling didn't turn it up, so very nice to see it. I wondered about having a go at the roof luggage rails. Do you think there'd be a ladder at the rear? Hard to tell from the other shot I've got, in "GWR road vehicles" or whatever that volume is called.