brian daniels

That valve rod annoys me a bit but I just can't see why it's sloping like that. The hanging bits it's attached to are hanging the same amount both sides. I will change the top feed pipes as these are a bit thin now I look it more. All the wheel inlays are on now, that was my little job this afternoon to dismantle all the valve gear to fit these

Bit more done, pipe work, handrails, electric generator etc.Got a set of etches from Finney7 to build the wheel centres up as the Slaters ones are bit too recessed.

Is that a factory weathered one?

Looks fantastic Jeff. I have had mine running round my clubs layout with the front bogie wheels in the standard place but I will run it on a couple of other layouts to see what happens. I am concerned with the little splashers over the rear bogie wheels shorting. I have had to remove a bit of the rear frames to clear the rear pony wheel and still think it might need a bit of extra fettling back there especially when I get some pipework on back there.

Also finished the tender over the last couple of days. It was fun doing those lights and steps on the back! One thing of note with Sidmnouth is that the handrail on the top of the end steps is opposite to most other West Country tenders for some reason, these being inboard whereas most others they are outboard. I moved the filler to the rear as per pictures I have of 34053 as I believe it was in the forward position, as per the etched locating hole, only when they had the extra filler for water softening. Found this picture of Sidmouth on the net showing the odd handrails.

Well I have got one side sorted I think. Basically I bushed out the valve gear to force it outwards over the crosshead pin. I also filed a bit off the pin and it now clears. Will give it a run on my club layout in a couple of weeks by which time I should have done the other side and tidied up the solder joints. Added a few bits to the body as well now, that was until my Proxon drill made a loud pop as I turned it on and no revolutions after that.

Remember a couple of test trains ran with a view to using pairs on stone trains.

Looking at this picture Martyn the vertical link is straight with no kink in it.

Running is better, whilst taking wheels off I found a small pip on the back of one that the plungers where catching on so after rubbing it down it is a lot better. Haven't run it since I added this valve gear as it won't do a revolution until I decide what to do with that crosshead pin.

Done a bit more over the festive period. Got the castings on the tender but still have to do the lights on the rear. Now I have started on the valve gear it throws up one problem in that the pin that holds the con rod in the crosshead is in the way of the vertical arm stopping it from passing over it. I have put the water filler in the hole in the etch where it's supposed to go but I think that unless there is a water filter filler then this main tank filler should be towards the rear of the tank top as in the picture of one on preserved 34053.

Here is 20029 on Immingham with most of the token catcher in place.

Yes it's one that EWS cocked up with that remote rubbish.

Since November I have had a cold and a cough that just will not clear up. The cough finally went Monday so have just got the sniffles to get rid of sooner rather than later I hope. Feeling like this meant I was not in the mood to do much, if any, modelling. But I have fired up the iron this last week and got on with a bit on my Dave Andrews West Country. One problem to overcome still is the running as it's running as though it has a binding rod but I can't find any tight spots. I have run it on a rolling road for 40 minutes to see if it would run in but to no avail. I am loathed to open the rods a bit as I can't see any binding when the rods go over the horizontal at the 9 and 3 o'clock positions, but I take it there must be! Deflectors are only placed for effect at the moment. These tenders take as long as the loco to build! I have noticed that the top of the tender is a bit lower than the cab and as you can see the wheels are a bit high through the axlebox holes. Looks like a bit of packing is required between the chassis and body. I had to remove a bit of the loco chassis under the cab so it would clear a bracket under the cab floor, the bit with the nut for securing the rear of the chassis too, bit of an oversight in the kit design.

Here is a picture you are after of the cab light. I do have one or two more 08 detail pictures if you need them here https://www.flickr.com/photos/brianews/albums/72157626890681895

It was bought to my attention at Reading yesterday that a couple of you are missing my updates. Well I am keeping busy doing this and that and building my Dave Andrews Re-Built West Country. Got as far as the chassis nearly done, just the valve gear to do once I am satisfied it runs ok as an 0-6-0. I am trying it with a cheap motor I got from China on ebay some months ago with a 26:1 gearbox on it. I have some Finney 7 etched wheel inserts to go on the wheel faces to bring them up to the tyre level as the details on the Slaters ones are a bit deep.

47 looks good Rob. I must do a normal one sometime. I am sure these Modelu figures are little voodoo dolls as I can feel every cut that people make. I got myself scanned again at Reading yesterday stood up with bag and can in hand ready to get on a train and one just stood drinking a cup of tea which is what drivers are good at. 47 looks good Rob. I must do a normal one sometime. I am sure these Modelu figures are little voodoo dolls as I can feel every cut that people make. I got myself scanned again at Reading yesterday stood up with bag and can in hand ready to get on a train and one just stood drinking a cup of tea which is what drivers are good at.

I did do an MMP bogie conversion but can't remember what I did with the sideframes unfortunately.

Mike this is a unique paint shade mixed up by the fitters in Didcot shed. They did a major exam on this loco and it was a bit tatty but they didn't have a good supply of paint so they mixed Executive Dark Grey and White so I was told and a nice shade of grey was the result. I tried to do the same but could not get it to look like my pictures I have of the real loco so I ended up using a grey with a hint of blue in it that to my eyes looks ok.

Not been visiting any parts of the world recently Pete but did go to the NEC, like being abroad because they do talk funny up there As you said the etched window rubbers are in the DJH pack. 37425 I did in L/L a while back used Pete's. Buffers on 37692 are JLTRT as the white metal ones in the DJH conversion kit are solid and need drilling through so I thought why bother as I had these spare. Deltic17, your getting worried about the lack of BR Blue, so am I as I have now started on a re-built West Country! I know a steam loco, well you have to keep your hand in don't you.

Remember that pink Heljan 37? Well this is it now. Big thanks to Precision Labels for the Didcot Depot "plate". I know it's correct as I got a vinyl made up and named the real 37692 on Didcot shed one afternoon! The rest of the decals are from Fox. I had to mix the grey as the fitters mixed this up themselves with what they had to hand. I used a Humbrol grey with a light blue mixed in.

I have just found some slides I took of details around some Inspection Saloons DB 999508, DB 999509 and DM 45020 and I have now put them on my Flickr site to assist anyone building one of these. https://www.flickr.com/photos/brianews/albums/72157662513253228

Had to do that a couple of times when you find out your keys are in another coat to the one your wearing

No as I don't want to show Pete's up

Nearly there with 47004. Now painted and glazed and cab interiors put in. But the interiors now make the chassis slightly lower by about 1mm so the ploughs are sitting a bit low now. I have removed them and cut 1mm off the extra support I had to make so they are again sitting snug up against the bottom of the bufferbeam. Precision Labels did a cracking job on the lettering under the secondman's side.

I hang my head in shame as I still have not finished the seats inside it.