Bill

Do not tempt fate... (It's the eleventh commandment, the one Moses left behind...)

Having discovered how to load images to the blog here is a picture of the rolling stock so far acquired for this new 'O' gauge adventure. Now the serious modelling must begin - (1) A layout plan would be useful and much research is currently going on as to what exactly can be done in 7mm scale on a 12 x 2 foot board... It will probably evolve rather like my adventures in 4mm scale, piecemeal - but it needs some overall idea as space is at such a premium. (It would be more than eassy to wind up with some totally unworkable sidings etc.,) (2) I have some Peco kits of lineside features to make up such as signals, level crossings etc., and will get cracking on these with photos to follow, providing 'Hagar the Hamfisted', does not make too much of a mess of them - if these work out OK then I might get a kit for a wagon to try out - probably Parkside... (3) Design, develop a style and paint a backscene that works, first get hold of some bendy MDF to paint on - I am thinking that 2 foot high should be ample... (4) Do a whole lot more research into finding out about such little things as the spacing between telegraph poles - what would a 1950's layout be without these? It all promises to be quite enjoyable, but I intend not to rush at it but let it evolve at its own pace... For now Bill

Thanks Bill 66C for the suggestion - It is the only solution other than the helpful advice from Boris

Somewhere in the west of England during the early 1950's there is a small branchline station with a coal siding, and possible freight depot serving the local industries which mainly consists of agriculture and light manufacturing... Now to get all that plus something a bit more stimulating into a 12 x 2 foot space at 7mm scale! So far there is no name for it... But I thought to record its progress. So far the stock includes a small Tower Models steam shunter 1364 (made for them by San - Cheng) some Lionheart coal wagons and a Skytrex brakevan - which unfortunately has plastic wheels and no windows - where the windows are supposed to be it has been painted silver. As it develops it promises to hold hours of interest and modeling fun. The current puzzle is, "How on earth does one assemble a Peco buffer stop without either cutting the Peco BH track or the buffer?" - the designers of the buffers appear to be living in a totally different dimension to the people who designed the track! One would imagine that both would work together - Maybe this is a feature of the 'O' Gauge universe - Welcome to the Twilight Zone...

And the the international postage comes up at 55 quid!

Veroooom, Veroooom!

Well you lives and you learns - so thanks - but of one thing I am certain - traction tyres should be banned...

Well then, perhaps Hornby should get a factory? With all due respect I do not think that is the problem - since other models such as the Bulleids etc are quite weighty. IMHO They have in their possession an el cheapo ex-lima motor solution which it seems that they can endlessly adapt to fit a mulitplicity of modelling situations. It makes them a ton of money by saving on production costs - and thus they are addicted to using it. And as the majority of their punters don't seem to mind or even complain and even seem to quite like the idea of trains with rubber tyres, they have no reason to develop new solutions - "If its broke and nobody notices then why for Petes sake fix it?"

Thank you - it looks to be a lovely model of a B1

True - But there is something about rubber on train wheels that simply turns me off - Then again I am probably nuts

Traction tyres are inherently fishy - in real life mr Maunsell did not build steam Engines with rubber tyres - they had steel tyres... Did they ever build BR EMU's with rubber tyres? So to my mind there is something intrinsically not right about them and wish they were never used. They, for me, somehow spoil the overall aesthetics and feeling about the model. We have to put up with compromised track gauge etc and can do so - sort of! - but for me traction tyres are the final straw in any purchasing decsions, so no Hornby 63s. I had to get a Schools and a T9 but intead of having 6 or so of each I only have one of each for decorative purposes - bad business decision Mr Hornby! My Dapol 14xx was bought second hand off of Ebay before I knew the d###mn things existed... (and would love to find a way to fix it.) I did not buy a VEP in the first instance because of the tyres - and having read about all the other deficiencies, every day feel better and better about the decison. And if the Brighton Belle has them I will probably definitely get an O gauge shunter instead and disappear into the darkside of railway modelling .

As long as the parcel is not intercepted by customs and they put the Vat back on On another note the Gresley Suburbans look terrific behind a Kernow/Dapol BWT.. They make a great substitute for all that missing, never produced (as yet) eartly SR coaching stock...

Some O gauge people don't seem to think so... But who knows - they got quite a lot of paint changes over the years...

Equally stunned and amazed of Canada

It will not be I - As Canada is a long, long way for the wee things to travel - and the overseas parcel post has recently ground to super slow running It will be 3 weeks, at least, before they get here...