ArthurK

Agree with most of that it is essential to remove every last vestige of the tag on the window beading otherwise they doesn't fit properly into the half etch of the cab sides. These days I remove the tag with a sharp (Swan Morton) craft blade.They don't last long but I buy them by the boxful. I often lightly tin these whilst they are still in the fret! The rear cab beading has no tags on its front edge so it doesn't have to have the tags on the rear edge fettled until it is firmly soldered to the cab sides. Another suggestion is to add the window rails top and bottom whilst still in the flat. It is much easier then. A new departure for me is to add a half etch rivet strip to represent that on the real thing which connects the top and bottom sheets sheets of the cab side. Etched lines on the inside of the cab indicate where these go. (All?) NER cab side sheets were split horizontally below the handrails. ArthurK

I always use a very fine file on half-etched 12thou brass, filing along the edge rather than across it. For my half-etched footplate overlays I leave the tags until it is properly secured to the lower layer. It is much less liable to damage then. ArthurK

NORTHEASTERN KITS Tennant 2-4-0 Just one of of these left now. It is unlikely that these will be reordered so if you want one this is probably your last chance. ArthurK Mike Meggison has started his test build of the J25 and is posting the progress on his thread.

NER J25 Hopefully there won't be too many problems with this one but I have to be realistic. It will need new films. They only take days but the etching takes longer (usually 4-5 weeks). All being well we are looking at November for release. As Mike has pointed out there are no new casting masters to make for this one. I will keep my fingers crossed. ArthurK

NORTHEASTERN KITS Tennant 2-4-0 I have a new batch of four of these kits. These were by request of a customer. His has gone but that leaves three others. This kit is unlikely to be repeated so i anyone wants one of these please contact me via Email or PM. Price is £110 including P&P. I also have a new batch of D20s. and A6s. Those at the top of the lists will receive an Email shortly. ArthurK

Not really if it is an etched brass kit. The North Eastern normally set their frames at 4' 1 1/2" apart (the J21 was an exception theirs were 4' 0"). Add to this the frame thickness of 2 times 1" then we have 4' 3 1/2". The firebox cladding was usually outside that. The total width available for the motor of a 4mm scale model is a little more than 17mm. More than enough to get a flat-can motor in there. If, as is normal, the motor forms an integral part of the chassis there is no problem inserting or removing the chassis provided that the motor is in a near vertical position. In my kits there is normally a false frame to support the firebox cladding leaving 16mm for the motor access. This is enough for the flat-can motors normally used in 4mm models. ArthurK

This was my solution for the J24. Mashima 1024 with Compact plus on the rear fixed axle. Front axles on beams of spring wire. ArthurK

The 4125 GA that I have dated 1 September 1915 and labelled "Goods & Mineral" shows neither scoop nor dome. It is, of course also missing the scoop handle on the left front. ArthurK

No mention of the unfortunate "Black Prince" in that list. Sunk after becoming separated from the main squadron. My father's elder brother was on board. A shipmate of his missed the sailing because of illness. He later married dad's sister so I lost a would have been uncle to gain another! ArthurK

Some of the fittings seem to have been chosen at random, especially the buffers. Taper on late BR! Some appear to lack guard irons at the rear and where are the sandboxes on the late BR version? Riveted smokebox in NER days!!! Must do better! ArthurK

These globe lubricators were fitted to locos with saturated boilers, one to each cylinder. On locos with inside cylinders they were normally fitted to each side of the smoke box with a right angled pipe. Less commonly they were on the smokebox front. On outside cylinder locos they were vertically mounted on the footplate above each cylinder. Not all of these were globe shaped. Some were tubular and may have had a rounded top resembling a fat bell whistle. Note that when locos were superheated they normally lost these embellishments and were usually fitted with mechanical lubrication. ArthurK

Once upon a time when we still had a merchant navy and still built ships on the Tyne and Wear I was privileged to visit the "African Palm" newly built on the Wear. It left under the command of my brother-in-law Robert Vinton who had risen to rank of Commodore in Palm Line. I believe that this was the last merchant ship built on the Wear so ending very many years ship building at Sunderland. I don't have a photo of the ship in total but I can offer this photo of my two daughters posed against the funnel. The year was 1975. Back to railways! ArthurK

Writing instructions for my kits can be very frustrating. Trying to describe exactly what you intend without any possibility of being misunderstood isn't easy. The writer (me) knows very well the way everything goes together. But being so familiar with the bits it is very easy to overlook the fact that this may be someone's very first attempt at an etched brass kit. The simple instruction fold these bits (referring to a detailed sketch) should be easy- shouldn't it? Well yes is provided you know that most folds are with the half etched line on the inside of the bend. But then we all knew that - didn't we? Well to the raw beginner it is not obvious so I now put a statement to that effect at the beginning of all the instructions that I now write, Brass castings do sometimes.have a bit of investment (the compound in which is cast) left in blind holes preventing the insertion of a mating part. Experienced modellers know what this is and removes it with a pointed tool. Another addition the the instructions. No we cannot assume the the modeller knows what to do, as with the quartering discussion above everyone has to learn from somewhere. Newcomers to the hobby must be taught. ArthurK

Why all the fuss about balancing 4-4-0s. Copy the real thing. set the bogie at the correct running height. Allow the bogie to rock. Compensate both pairs of driving wheels and the bogie. Result all wheels in contact with the track at all times. Cram as much weight into the body and ashpanas you possibly can but not too much ahead of the leading drivers. the results in about 25% of the loco weight resting on the bogie. What better way is there for achieving good road holding. You can also transfer some of the tender weight to the back of the loco. 0-4-4s are similar but in reverse. My first scratchbuild (indeed my very first build) was a G5 with an X04 pointing backwards into the cab. The balance problems of that arrangerment can be imagined. After failing to get enough lead into the boiler I upended it and poured molten lead into it with a damp cloth around it to prevent all the solder melting. It worked! Don't try that at home with 'elf n safety' looking on. Now about 55 years on it still runs although it has been 'shopped' a couple of times. Below Is a Chivers D20 built to P4 gauge and below that my very first - the G5 mentioned above. ArthurK

The brakes on the front coupled axle of the A7 were originally behind the wheels with a reversal linkage to the wheels behind. The Isinglass drawing states that this was changed after 1943. Thereafter they were all in front of the wheels. I suspect that the 1935 date given by Yeadon is the correct one. Edited to correct the bits in red! A further comment re the X 4-8-0 by Drmditch that these did not have brakes on the front axle overlooks the fact that the none of the NER 0-8-0s had brakes on the leading axle. ArthurK

One word - YES Oh and I forgot the workspace shrinks until there is only just the very minimum space in which it is possible to do anything at all! ArthurK

The last three BTPs to be rebuilt had shallow frames at the front and these three received underslung frames and integral splasher-sandbox above the front wheel. One engine was rebuilt at Gateshead (138) and the other two at York (290 & 305). I believe that 138 retained the Fletcher cab profile making that engine unique. The other two received an arc profile cab roof similar to the Worsdell cab. Both retained the rectangular cab windows. 138 was withdrawn in 1944 without being renumbered. 305 became 8441 but was withdrawn in 1948 without receiving the '6' prefix. 290 become 68440 in June 1946 and lasted until 1954. Interestingly although being one on the last to be rebuilt 290 carried the class name before becoming J77 under the LNER ArthurK

Yes, thinking about that as well! ArthurK

The kit still awaits some brass castings. It will be announced or my NORTHEASTERN KITS thread when it becomes available. The J71 will be ready first. ArthurK

He has enough to play with - I sold him mine which had been in its box since I bought it, and later a second, from George Norton himself. But I did build my the first one. ArthurK

After the unsuccessful attempts of Yesterday I have actually got the tender view of Silurian to upload. Lots of detail there! I have just done a clean-up on the photo to bring out the detail ArthurK

Definitely spoked. I took one of the tender at the same time. Unfortunately It refuses to upload it or even the one of the loco already posted!!! I will try again tomorrow ArthurK

Here is he actual 'Siilurian' photographed at Low Fell 1960s. Both photos are taken in almost the same spot. One is outward bound to Tyne Yard. The other is homeward bound to Gateshead shed. ArthurK

The production kits have al the details contained in the "Green books" reproduced by the kind permission of The Railway Correspondence and Travel Society. No need to search for your copy when you buy the kit! ArthurK

Andy Cutting the windows was the easy bit. The tumbleholme (spelling?) was formed by shaping several layers of plasticard then applying a final layer over the top. The glazing was slid in from roof level between the aforementioned layers after painting of the sides was complete. The roof was formed by heating plasticard, over a carved former, under the oven grill then quickly pressing a block of form down on it completing the shaping while it cools. Each roof takes about thirty seconds but setting it up takes a bit longer. I used 20thou material. The hardest part is carving off the excess to achieve a nice fit. I made a Sentinel railcar (sides, ends and roof) using the same technique. Note: don't use a gas grill. It's too severe and I achieved a very wrinkled result!!! Arthur