ArthurK

A common misunderstanding on models of NER tenders is the rear handrail. I won't call this an error. These did not normally use handrail knobs but was simply a bar bend to size (usually two feet) and bolted on the inside of the tender. There are examples on RMWEB of others making this same mistake. No doubt your B16/1 instructions were incorrect in the respect. ArthurK

Soldering is done from the inside wherever possible. That includes handrail knobs. Mine are always done from the inside before body and footplate are united. No need to clean up afterwards! ArthurK

With tab and slot construction it is essential to push the tabs fully home on all edges of box structures such as tenders. It is also essential that the box is square and the the two components sit together properly. The footplate should rest squarely on a flat surface and held in that position whilst tack soldering the two units at each corner and checked before proceeding further. Unless this is done it is extremely easy to build in a twist in the body shell (I speak from the experience of having done just that). I suspect that this is what has happened. Removing a twist after being fully soldered is nigh on impossible without unsoldering the lot which is itself an onerous task. I still think the the coal rails are still a tad too far back. The upward sweep of the should start immediate after the front curve reaches the horizontal. I hope that these comments are useful they are not intended as criticism. ArthurK

John A small point, the left-hand top slidebar appears to be offset to the right. It could be just the photo but I thought it worth a mention. Looks fine otherwise. ArthurK

I have discussed the form of suspension with others (including Mike). Whereas I have to agree that theoretically twist is required on one of the pairs of beams, we considered that P4 modellers would take more care with their trackwork than those modelling in OO. The wheel standards of the latter (and EM) should ensure that, with this twin beam suspension, they stay on the track better than a rigid 0-8-0. Another kit manufacturer uses a similar system but without independent beams. Of course if the builder is so worried about the lack of three point suspension he can resort to springing. ArthurK

NORTHEASTERN KITS The D20s are coming The packing of the first batch of D20s will be complete within a couple of days. Those of you at the top of my list will receive an Email asking if you are still interested in these. I hope to get most of this first batch dispatched before Xmas but things are getting a little tight. If you in any doubt as to whether you name is on the list drop me an Email or PM. There are about 20 names on my list. I intend to release this kit in batches of 12. The next batch will be in the New Year. The current price list is in the PDF below. NORTHEASTERN KITS Price List.pdf ArthurK

This is a North Eastern version. North Blyth mid sixties. ArthurK

Yes, North Road July 1976. ArthurK

I agree! ArthurK

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and tastes do change with time. The NER 1001 class whilst not the most handsome of the NER designs can surely not be described as ugly! ArthutK

The provision for a CSB is still there but I have added the twin rear beams for those that prefer compensation. The front axle can be made to rock on a 1mm wire wire soldered on the centre of the well tank. This will require a little adjustment the get the tender to ride level. Of course the rigid option is still there. The Q7, for which this tender was designed, did not have pick up gear. The GA that I have, dated 1915, does not have pick-up gear shown and is specifically labelled "Goods & Mineral". ArthurK

Here is another of 1621 in colour. Not as good at showing that hole as the B&W one. Let's call it a suppliment. ArthurK

I have no knowledge of the shape of the cut-out for the Westinghouse pump but it must have been possible to withdraw the pump but whether this was upwards or downwards is uncertain. I am afraid that I took the easy way out and pegged the top portion into the splasher top.. Just remembered this photo from the old Queen Street museum at York. It appears to have a gaping hole in the splasher top. However we must remember the this was a cosmetic restoration so whether it ran like this is unclear. Also the pump itself lacks the governor on its left. Another point to note that the vertical location of the pump is in the original position which was lower than that in the LNER/BR period which is why the exhaust from the pump emerges from a second hole in the splasher top. Is any one wants to go the whole and make a large hole I can supply a complete pump.. ArthurK

My cousin & I spent many happy hours sitting atop of the wall in the background of the first photo, right behind the turntable in the second. Happy that is until a disgruntled platelayer took offence at us being there and threatened us with a rather nasty oil brush! Needless to say we were soon back again - after he'd gone. ArthurK

NORTHEASTERN KITS Just a quick update. New etches arrived Thursday. These are the Production etches for the D20 and the Fletcher cab J77. A quick check build is called for as there is a substantial change to the D20 which is why it has been so long delayed. Things are looking good so the production run should be ordered within days. I have a number of D20 kits 90% packed so that adding the new etches to the production kits should take only a short time after they arrive. Currently etch delivery is 4-5 weeks. I will add an update here when they arrive. The Fletcher cab J77 required a change the the cab floor which, in theory, should drop out of the bottom making the cab interior easily accessible. Time-scale for that one will be the same as the D20. The Pre-production etches for the J71 have also arrived. A visual inspection of these has revealed a couple of minor errors which can be corrected on the films (missing tags). As I have all the castings for this it should be ready soon after those above but I intend to add more detail between the frames which will require a couple of new castings The Q7 will be delayed until the New Year. Whereas the major part of this is already proven I have decided that because of the highly placed boiler I really must add some detail between the frames. In particular the centre piston valve rod is only just below the top of the frames with the centre slide bar and the other two valve rods below it. These additions will require quite a bit of new design but I think that the results will be worthwhile. ArthurK

Sometimes customers send me photos of their finished kits. I am always very pleased to receive these but those that I have recently received are truly exceptional. The loco below is admittedly professionally built and painted but when I see results like this it convinces that I am not wasting my time. This one is owned by David Berner. It was built by Michael Edge who has commented on the build in earlier postings on this thread. Painting is by Paul Moore and the finish is superb. It leaves my humble efforts in the shade ArthurK

The standard radius of all NER cab cut-outs was 9 inches (3mm). This radius also applied to the radius of the side sheets to cab and bunker. ArthurK

My stocks of the A6s are now exhausted. If there is still a demand for more of these I can reorder. Minimum reorder batch size is four. Please contact me if you would like one. Delivery time approx eight weeks. ArthurK

Mick That drawing raises more questions than it answers. First it is different from the GA that I used to produce my kit. 1. The tank filler is even further back than on my GA. Why was the position different from the norm? Usually the latch was hinged from the tank front. 2. The boiler/tank stay bracket is cut away to clear the filler. On mine it appears to be the same location but is a full rectangle with six rivets. 3. The six inch patch behind the filler is in the same relative position to the filler. All the tank loco drawings that I have show this in the same position. I assume that this was an access panel to reach the bolts securing the filler top. 4. The angle attaching the side to the top is under the top and therefore the angle itself would not be visible. The drawing shows a sample of the rivets and pitch but no indication of whether or not these were countersunk. ArthutK

Things tend to get delayed for a number of reasons. Sometimes there are delays in receiving the etches and sometimes it is my fault. My customers probably know that I will not release a kit until I am completely sure that it will build and that the parts are as accurate as I can make them. In the case of the J71 Both Mike Meggison and I have completed test builds. As a result of these I have made two or three changes in the design. These involve changes to the rear splashers which protrude into the cab and abandoning the fold down footplate angle which at only 1mm is not easy to do. Weakening this so that it will bend (adding slots along the bend) is successful but leads to a very flimsy result and too easily distorted. These changes will be sent off within the next week. I will then have to keep my fingers crossed that these will be the production etches. A similar happening has occurred with both the Fletcher cab version of the J77 and the D20. I am currently awaiting new etches for the bodies of both of these. If these prove OK production should follow as I have all the other etches and all of the castings. ArthurK

The NER buffers on the J77 68391 have what appear to be coach bolts between the fixing bolts (these have nuts). This practice seems to have been common practice in the later days and not just on the smaller 0-6-0Ts. Anyone like to comment? ArthurK

Porcy More likely to be countersunk which was the normal procedure for visible areas with rivets. Reply to Horsetan - Yes all castings are available separately - Brass and white metal. I don't have a proper list but if there is anything that you want just ask! ArthurK

The raised bezel on NER round cab windows is complete fiction. As far as I am aware no NER locos had these. I did make that mistake on the J24 (one of my very first kits). The photo shows the way it was done. ArthurK

The brake rigging on most J21 tenders was behind the wheels and apart from the brake shoes was not too conspicuous. The pull rods on these were not compensated. There was an adjuster between the brake-shaft and the first axle. In their later years some did get the external compensated brake rigging but this may have been due to tender swap. If you have a photo of 312 that should solve the problem. ArthurK

Whilst on the subject of J27s here are two that I scratch-built many years ago (no kit then). These were two of the four 0-6-0s that I started to build concurrently - two J27s, J24 and J25. For some reason the J25 dropped behind and was not completed until a couple of years later. The photo was taken I 1975 so that is 40 years ago and they were not brand new then. Those were the days when the X04 style of motor was the motor to fit although I believe that these had the Dh11 (or was it DH13?). The saw a lot on service on my layout "Teesdale" and on club layouts. The J24 was converted to 18.83 gauge which involved a new chassis but the others remain in OO. Today they reside in boxes and see very little running. Incidentally 2347 was one of those that saw service on GER metals so those modelling that area in the 1930s have an excuse to run one. "Teesdale" features somewhere in the depths of RMWEB. ArtnurK