Phil Traxson

I was not suggesting that you went for 7mm, just saying that, with a couple of fiddle sticks to clip on the ends, it would be useable out of the case as it is a handy track design for occupying a few minutes shunting if it was made removeable. I think you have about the same vehicle capacity in 4mm as I have in 7mm.

Just looked in Russells GWR Absorbed Engines and it has a list in the back purporting to be a list of all absorbed engines in 1925 and there is no mention of any Severn & Wye railway loco's at all.

Ffestiniog railway full size dimensions, by personal measurement, are :- Sleepers 4ft 6ins long x 9ins wide x 6ins deep (7mm scale = 31.5 x 5.25 x 3.5 mm's) Sleeper spacing 2ft 9ins centres (7mm scale = 19.25 mm) At rail joints this reduces 2ft 9ins > 2ft 6ins then > 2ft 0ins under actual join,< 2ft 6ins <2ft 9ins. Rail length approx 40ft but in earlier years has been 20 or 30 feet. Hopefully, if I've got it right, there should be a pdf attached with other useful dimensions I took to build some accurate trackwork at some point! img010.pdf

By coincidence this is being discussed in a thread on "Foreign" wagons under the pre-grouping section in Special Interests at the moment. A little early for Big Four era but the proportions would remain about the same, plus that the wagon lettering didn't change overnight of course. May or may not be useful. Phil T.

What scale? I have some in 7mm.

I used Bearing fit rather than threadlock, can't help with code number because it was a long while ago (25+years). I fitted bush to gear and then both to the axle to put Romford axles, using original Hornby nylon gear, into a Hornby jinty chassis for a 7mm narrow gauge loco. I used bearing fit that I had in my toolbox as a maintenance fitter, it is designed to expand slightly as it goes off and centralises the axle. The loco is still in use and its never come loose. I filed a small flat on the axle and a slight "V" in the hole in the bush and when it had set did likewise with the outside of the bush and the inside of the gear, the thread lock then forms a key as well , a bit of a belt and braces method, the thread lock would probably have worked without the filing.

I've got the same general track layout as the bottom one here but in "0" gauge, bought ready made and almost completed. (some where on the forum as "Black Drake Wharf II" and about 5 ft. x 19 ins.) Ignore the track at the back behind the wall, it is dummy and doesn't connect to the fiddle stick although it is powered.. With a short fiddle stick on each end I've had some fun with it, a quick 5 minute play to relax often takes an hour or so. With that in mind is it possible to make the shelf removeable by tilting it? Just an idea and perhaps not possible. IMG_0387 by Phil Traxson, on Flickr IMG_0382 by Phil Traxson, on Flickr IMG_0384 by Phil Traxson, on Flickr

Interesting that nearly 120 years later the road transport businesses operate a very similar "hub" system and yet the complaint with the railway system was that it was not direct door to door because of the multi handling and transfers!

Got to say I agree about the 1.0ltr Sunbeam, the wife went from an Imp to a Sunbeam thinking the slightly bigger engine would be better. Unfortunately it was detuned , different cam I found out on reading the book on the history of the Imp. I could have fixed it to a degree if I had known as I had a spare cam in garage from putting a sports cam on the Bond 875( ish, it was bored a little) that I ran at the time. The Sunbeam had b------- all weight on the rear driving axle so slid any where and spun the wheels if you looked at the throttle so it was a good job it had no power. I cured all its ills, the wife had some cheap tyres fitted on the front and one wet dark night I had a coming together with the back of a parked, unlit, dark coloured van due to the brakes working but the tyres not. Beyond economic repair. I was OK, but might not have been if the van had had a working handbrake. Then she tells me she'd had a couple of "moments" with stopping in the wet since she had the tyres fitted!

The Imp has coil sprung trailing arms at the back.

Seem to remember Pride & Clarke having lots of these advertised ex-police in their 'bike paper ads. in the early 60's, along with Model 14 AJS and Panthers with sidecars (supplied with a spare wheel which fitted both 'bike and chair).

Misinformed, thanks for the correction.

And, for long lasting, no one has yet mentioned the old BMC inline 6, the basics of which which lasted from the old long nosed RWD Police Wolseleys through to the FWD Princess 2200. I had one of the Princesses, twin carbs, heavy engine, not particularly quick off the mark, but soooo smooth.

I'm the first to acknowledge that I am so very lucky to have been able to move to, and live in, such a glorious spot.

I took some photo's earlier this evening which may(or may not) help whilst taking evening views from my lounge window. IMG_0365 by Phil Traxson, on Flickr There are others on my Flickr site under the album "useful scenic info" which you can probably access by clicking on this picture. There is even a railway station, the glass canopy just above the large grey roof is over Porthmadog station platform on the Cambrian Coast line to Pwllheli.

Glad you enjoyed the build. Nice to see one of my standard gauge kits built up, apart from the test builds before I release them. Must admit I bottle out of trying to supply wheels with my kits, mainly due to the number of different standards used by the modelling fraternity. Phil T. Port Wynnstay Models

A prat in a pavement car!

Further delving into the above mentioned book reveals what is known (or unknown) about the liveries on page 85. Put simply probably blue at first, then green (probable delivery colour on the two later "Large" England loco's and "Little Wonder) followed by red on repaints after about 1880.

It didn't have chopper couplings as built, the loop under the buffer on the model is just part of the builders model coupling. As a point of interest the Double Fairlies did not get fitted with chopper couplings until the preservation era, I'm not sure about the other loco's without getting out my reference books but I'm pretty sure it was also the case with them too. Couplings were a hook and shackle from a cast loop on the underside of the buffer housing. FR couplings and what could couple to what and why could fill a small book even in the preservation era, compounded by imported wagons with "RAF" couplings and some dual coupling vehicles that acted as conversion vehicles. As a volunteer fireman for some years I was supposed to know chapter and verse of this as coupling up was part of the fireman's job, but if I got stuck I would refer to my copy of the rulebook. For "England Engine" history the monumental tome "Little Giants" by Chris Jones and Peter Dennis has just about all that is known about them between its covers and glancing at the cover of my copy I see that the coupling is clearly illustrated in the cover photo.

True , but Palmerston is heavy enough to pull the smallest of the service trains.

That was the original goods shed, and they didn't have JCB's etc to help them or for the the 2 storey building on the far left of the picture.

The new one is being built by an independent group and will not be part of FR stock, or be used as a service engine on the FR. It is unlikely to reside at Boston Lodge either, space is already at a premium there. This is what it may look like. Don't know what colour it is likely to be though. One of the replica team has recently ordered the last available kit I have. The kit is now withdrawn for possible updating for production using more recent methods and materials and will not be released under the Port Wynnstay Models banner.(time scale unknown so don't ask )

The new one is being built by an independent group and will not be part of FR stock, or be used as a service engine on the FR. It is unlikely to reside at Boston Lodge either, space is already at a premium there.

I believe the slats could have their angle altered from fully open to closed according to the cooling needed for the engine.