jamie92208

I have been following the discussions about old kits with interest. The first loco kit I made was a Wills King complete with WM chassis. I could never get it to run. I also tried to make a GEM compund and an L&Y 2-4-2T, neither of which ran well. I had more success with a K's Garratt that could only haul about two wagons. I then out an MW5 under the rear rotary bunker and after that, with both motors it would haul anything I put behind it. It still has the K's wheels. I did make one Jidenco kit, a 6 wheel Midland brake that I stuck together with superglue as I didn't have a reliable soldering iron. I suppose that all this shows how my skills needed to increase. Now to the real poi t of my post. I have decided to dabble in 3D printed models and have ordered a print of a Heysham to Lancaster Electric trailer car. I'm not happy with my plasticard ones for various reasons and discovered that both the power cars and trailer cars are available from Rue d'Etropal via Shapeways. Can anyone give me any tips about how to go about painting such things. Any advice would be appreciated. Jamie

I was sort of aware of that Phil. However if the DaFT are involved in the contract, nothing would surprise me. Jamie

Probaby heading to Eastleigh works. They've been doing some work there on the LNER ones. Jamie

I'll be heading that way to pick up family at the airport, mid October so will be able to give another report then. Jamie

Good morning all from another cloudless part of the Charente. It is due to be up around 30 again today so whilst it's cool I will continue waging wR on the Ivy on the Mairie wall. Then, hopefully I will get some work done in the shed. On a brighter note, I have been in contact with SimonG and he is well and hopes to be back among us fairly soon. Very glad that John and Sandy had such a good weekend. Regards to all. Jamie

I have had two similar experiences recently. In May we used the word 'knackered' in conversation with a waitress in Truckee, California. She asked what it meant and enjoyed the explanation. She then wandered off repeating it with a smile on her face. The 2nd is in the restaurant we will be going to tomorrow night. We have a deal with the lady that she teaches us a new French word each time we go and we give her one in English. The last one we gave her was 'pogged' a good Yorkshire word. She loved it. Jamie

Round hear the French use the word Robinet for a tap. Jamie

Good morning from The Charente. It's sunny already and due to get up to 34 this afternoon. The market and a coffee with friends will fill much of the morning. We might end up inspecting the pool interior this afternoon. Regards to all. Jamie

The history of Leeds Station is interesting and complex. A couple of points though. Flat irons were 0-6-4 Tanks, very different from the 0-4-4T's that ran the services into Wellington. The engine changes for the Thames Clyde and the Waverley were fascinating to watch. Usually the new loco would be waiting on the Triangle, coming up from Holbeck Shed as the express pulled in, displayi g the corre t headcode of either 0M68 or OS86 depending on whether it was going to head north or south. The changes were very slick. The southbound Thames Clyde would then do a 2nd reversal at Nottingham after the direct line via Melton had shut. I once got into bad trouble with my then girlfriend at Nottingham by paying more attention to the loco change than her, when I was getting a train back north after spendi g the weekend down there. Also the arches under Leeds Station are well worth visiting, a fascinating place with the river Aire under two arches and a disused lock that used to get barges up to serve a soap factory and a power station. There are some good restaurants down there now. Jamie

I once drove past a turn off for Telegraph Road somewhere in LA but Wikipedia tells me that it's a road goi g west out of Detroit. However i think it' the better album as well. Jamie

I was thinking along those lines but couldn't make it scan. Jamie

Bonjour, the trailer convoy sort of took place. We did indeed roll along with a trailer full of garden esentials. The main one was the ride on mower. The various goods that included 4 strimmers, 3 chainsaws, 2 barrows and of course the tractor, was covered with an old gazebo cover strapped down with ratchet straps. The help was much appreciated and 3 bottles of bubbly and a good garden swing came home. It's now over 32 degrees but the cricket is still going well. Jamie

Morning all from the Charente. It got up to 32 yesterday and promises to do the same today. I'm off shortly, with the trailer in tow, to help one or quiz team to move. Some other friends are bring their trailer so the plan us to get all the outdoor stuff mived to the new house in one convoy of three trailers. Hopefully we will be finished before it gets too warm. Thoughts with all those trying to deal with dark canines and that John and Sandy gave a good day out. Regards to all. Jamie

First of all thanks for all the good wishes for Beth. We have had a good day. There seems to be a theme to thenprsents that the good lady has received, gin and chocolate. 4 bottles of the former so far. This evening we had a very pkeasant hour and a half sitting outside and wztchi g the sunset. 3 cars went past in that time then a bit later a combine. Whilst we were out we disposed of one of the bottles of bubbly that we got for our ruby wedding earlier this year. Not a bad day all told. I even went out to look round a museum thus afternoon. No They did not try to put me on shiw as an exhibit but there was a very nice 7.25" gauge model of a Crampton loco. Apparently M. Cail, who came from the town, was the licensee of Cramptons patents in France. Jamie

Good morning, it's sunny here and due to reach at least 29 this afternoon. Yesterday was a very good day playing with gauge 1 trains in a sunny garden. Then fish and chips in our local market square. Today Beth has completed another orbit of the sun. Various cards and presents have been opened. Even though we don't buy each other big presents any more, the diary with Monet paintings in it and white chocolate seem to have gone down well. We are shortly off out on a bike ride before it gets too warm. After that Beth is off out to a Ladies lunch so I will be a free man. Hope that Andyram is OK and warm thoughts to the other ER's in need. Jamie

One of my compatriots on Green Ayre, John Patrick, built a very good model of the railmotor and trailer from Home of 0 Gauge kits. Here is the motor when we were at Warley on 2016. I would love to see it properly cared for. Jamie

After all the exquisite 2mm scale stuff that's been on show here I thought that perhaps readers might like something completely different, as a certain TV show used to say. Today I was invited over to a friends about 25 miles away. Over the past two years Richard has designed and built a large Gauge 1 layout in his garden. A double track main line with a station with platform loops and bays along with sidings and loco and good facilities. He has designed and built it himself. He has been an avid Gauge 1 collector for many years and has a range of live steam, battery electric and clockwork locos. Many of the steam locos are his own scratchbuilds and the Midland stock in particular is exquisite . We didn't run any steam today as the main propose was to put a lot of the old tinplate stock out and photograph it for forthcoming magazine articles. First up were three trains of LNWR stock. Here are a few of the locos in the station area. The Claughton had 7 tinplate bogie coaches behind it mainly Marklin and Carette. Various GNR locos appeared. Mainly clockwork but one was a steamer. The Saddle tank was a vintage Bing that had been stripped and repainted. This single was on a rake of vintage GNR tinplate stock. You can see the Claughton and it's train in the background. This beautiful 800 class Belpaire is one of Richards scratchbuilds. Here's a close up of the saddle tank Even the Great Western made an appearance with two train sets. Finally Richard wanted to pose these three 0-4-4 tanks together. The Midland one is another of his creations and the other two are vintage. All in all a great day was had by the three of us. Richard has promised that next time we will play trains and he will get his scale Midland and LMS stock out and we can run his Aster Duchess with 12 on and the Belpaire with a good rake of clerestories. I must add that Richard has just celebrated his 80th birthday and spent last Thursday trying to teach me how to use a lining pen to line my own locos. Jamie

Isn't it a pity, that just when the layout is nearly ready, Network Rail publish plans to re odel the junction with a nes pair of fast lines in a new cutting........... Plus overhead. Hat and coat on and on my way. Jamie

The sky is also blue here in The Charente, GDB. Morning offices have been completed and coffee has been consumed. I had another successful attack on the ivy yesterday, The jemmy and a lump hammer were used a lot and much wall is now exposed to the sun. I even got some time in the shed doing various things connected with painted pieces of soldered brass. A good day is in prospect as I will be off to play with steamy Gauge 1 things in half an hour. It should be a good day. Dom, glad that the move has gone well. Bob, hope you get some answers about the knee. Perhaps those of us who have been offering to help Dave with his Toe should offer the same help with potentially removing the troublesome joint. I have a couple of chain saws and a log splitter available. Thoughts are with John and Sandy and hope that the scan is sorted pdq. Missing ER's have been mentioned, has anyone heard anything of SimonG lately. I thought of him yesterday as my Ratty newsletter came this week. Regards to all. Jamie

Quite a lot has happened today. I had a go with the lining pen this after with some success. I now need to make myself some plasticard guides for various curves such as splashers, cabs and tender frames. The other thing was a rather amazing find on the rue-d-etropal site. Simon does 3D prints for the LMH electrics, Midland version. After consultation with the boss, a trailer car body, which is complete with roof, has been ordered to arrive in time for my birthday. I'm not happy with my plasticard trailers so will see how it turns out. Jamie

I've just been browsing the BBC website and saw a list of which Parliamentary bills have been carried over to the next session of Parliament. Only three out of 13 have been carried forward and all the others have now been lost. Rather significantly one of the three is the bill for stage 2a of HS2 from the West Midlands to Crewe. If in all the political turmoil of this last week the HS2 bill has been saved I would suggest that the project is relatively safe. Jamie

That's a Midland milepost and the distance is from St Pancras. Midland dustances were originally based from Derby. The whole line was re surveyed, I think round about 1900 to the St Pancras datum. Jamie

As far as I know the underpasses were built at the same time as the Leeds New Line. They definitely consist of two parallel single track tunnels and are quite tight. When I lived in Huddersfield in 1972/3 both tracks were in use. However the Huddersfield bound trains now go via the direct route to Colne Bridge. The underpass bores do appear to be tight. I referred to 6 big problems. These were outlined a few years ago at a presentation that I went to. A team from York had been over the route and identifued 6 major difficulties to electrification. The Sewer that crosses the entrance to Huddersfield tunnel was one. The underpass was another. The only other one that I can now remember was the ring Road bridge at Cross Gates where there isn't enough clearance under the sides of the arch for wires. Jamie

I've had chance to look at that pdf. It looks as if they might be goi g for an underbridge. This would allow the main works to be done with only limited traffic disruption. The Heaton Lodge ju ction map is interesting. The single track underpasses were another of the 6 big problems. It looks as if they will be building a new single track underpass with the necessary clearances. The othe slow line will occupy the existing Huddersfield bound line location. The new fast lines should allow a good increase in speed limits. I will be very interested when the plans for the Leeds Dewsbury stretch are published to see if any of the tight curves on that stretch are going to be eased. Jamie

I think that there are some bi mode 800's testi g at the moment. Jamie