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Ah there it is - from one of Robert Robotham's books: Photo originally taken by Tom Bousted. Regards Tony

Talking of grubby Gresleys... I can't believe this photo of 7mm scale E 82235 E was taken in 2009! I'm trying to remember how I weathered it, usually by painting the whole thing with a matt 62/black mix using a half inch brush and then wiped off, maybe before I put the windows in.. Kirk body, Newbold underframe and JLTRT bogies. After spending 10 years in a box, it is now with the others on my layout.. At least it turns a wheel once a month or so now.. Oh yes - I remember seeing a pic of those LMS artics on the GC line - with that distinctive sag in the middle! Regards Tony

Hard water areas and general neglect often give good subjects for weathering. One of my 7mm scale DJH 9Fs 92013 of Annesley shed on Heyside. Although I found later version of Humbrol 62 seemed to have a green tinge to it after production moved away from Hull... The Crostie was interesting to do, they had a reputation for being filthy in original condition, I was reasonably restrained:-

Work has resumed on the railway, Geoff has started laying the basic ground covering, whilst I sort out sub structure, walls and platforms etc. There is a long way to go, but between the pair of us we should make some progress... I've been carving up Kingspan to make up some raised ground areas ( outside as it makes a hell of a mess ) .

Yes - the story of the Proscale V2s, it's nice to see them in your possession Tony. Alan Hammett built three of them at once ( he grumbled about that! ) for Pete Lund, Roy Palmer and myself. Pete might still have his, when Roy went to O gauge I bought his one. The tenders were the early type with the longer cut out at the front, so only suitable for a limited number of locos. I'm trying to remember here - I must have obtained a couple of Bachmann ones somehow and repainted them to match the locos. Which I managed quite successfully . They then went to Gilbert and were renumbered - which I was a bit dismayed at - but it was none of my business! At some stage I must arrange to come over and see them romping around Bytham. Regards Tony

We all have our own standards to what we will or not accept. My desire was to get my models looking as real as possible and that certainly excluded an unsightly nut in the middle of the wheel, which just shouts Romford in a photo. It could be argued of course, that they won't be noticed when the wheels are going round - that goes for the right or wrong number of spokes too! I never had a problem digging nuts out, the nut could either be reversed and re-slotted, or I just replace the whole axle - what were they, a quid back in the day? Regards Tony

Romford wheel securing nuts - I used to fill them with some car body filler putty. Smoothed off and painted with the rest of the wheel it vastly improved the appearance and in the unlikely event of having to take a wheel off, it can be dug out to allow the Romford screwdriver to do its job... Regards Tony

Hopefully these will help Ray: Regards Tony

Thank you - it will look better painted.. No, there is not a thread for Bala Junction. I believe it will be appearing in one of the magazines at some stage... Regards Tony

You capture the atmosphere of the Derby line perfectly Clem! Thank you for posting the pictures! Regards Tony

Nice to see you back here Clem with your atmospheric pictures of the Derby line. The Canon 90D is an excellent camera and I find it is very forgiving for my lack of photographic skill! Tony mentioned the late Paul Bromige earlier. I met Paul a few times and I remember him as a good model maker and a splendid chap. Sorry to hear of his passing. The B16/1 I think was the last 4mm scale loco I built. I remember it was nearly complete and there was something not right about the position of the coupled wheelbase. I hacked it apart and had to move all the splashers. A case of a rebuilt unrebuilt B16.... I'm working on 4mm GWR signals for Bala Junction at the moment, they are small and driving me nuts! This is a cruel enlargement! I'm glad to see RMweb back up and running, ah the days of large IT migrations, I'm glad I'm no longer in that world! Regards Tony

I was interested in responses to the Jidenco kit build - yes, sometimes it's the only route to achieve a model of a certain prototype, unless you scratch build. I wonder how many people do that now? I've never scratchbuilt, I don't consider I have the skills. So, I guess if you know what is coming and you are prepared for it, then it will work out ok. Unfortunately, it is the unprepared builder that can get caught out and put off model making.. Anyway, as we have seen, some excellent models have been produced from that range of kits! Anyway, it came out alright in the end and was painted for me by Warren Heywood.

I still shudder at the word 'Jidenco', I only had the misfortune to build one kit. Some were enlarged to 7mm scale and went under a different name. I ended up scratch building half of this coal tank. Never again! So hats off to anyone attempting a 4mm kit... Regards Tony

9Fs - I built three at once, two for me and one for a client ( when I was doing commissions ). There is a big time saving to be had by batch building. I do enjoy other aspects of model making, but loco construction is my favourite pastime. Three 7mm 9Fs in dismantled form take up a lot of space on the workbench! I must get a picture of my two 9Fs together.. I recall now that the brake hangers were part of the etched overlay for the frames - what a cheat! I also think what the 2mm guys do is utterly remarkable. Amazing work. Regards Tony

Oh dear - I didn't mean to spark anything off! The reason I moved to 7mm scale is that I enjoy the detail and realism that can be achieved in that scale with the individual models. My models are no better than Tony's, they are just different. They are expected to perform properly of course and a spell running on any sizable layout will soon expose any weaknesses... What Bytham achieves, is a convincing recreation of the ECML and I never tire of seeing pictures of it. I can immerse myself in to the atmosphere of it and it reminds me of Charwelton and Stoke Summit. It is unlikely that I'll ever be able to achieve that with my own layout. I do recall the 4mm DJH 9Fs being a bit empty under the cab, I think I used Chaplin injectors and feed valves . On the 7mm ones I ditched the DJH castings and used lost wax Ragstone ones in their place. Those 4mm models look right in their environment, no one ever called out my DJH 9Fs for having the wrong wheel base! When the trains are running by, as long as they look convincing, you don't want to get too hung up on the details. Photographs will pick stuff ( or the lack of it ) out, so work to the level of detail you are comfortable with. Conversely when my 7mm scale models are on a display stand I know they will be highly scrutinised! It's nice to share our model making and I'm always interested in what others are up to. Anything creative is good.... Tony

It's a bit easier in 7mm scale with a 9F, on this one I used Ragstone brake castings instead of the DJH ones as they were better. The brake hangers are tucked neatly against the frames. I hadn't realised that the 4mm scale ones were wrong, although it is a good few years now since they left my possession.. You can see the sand filler pipe leading from the running plate to the sand box between the frames. Regards Tony

Thanks Chaps... In the meantime I've been working on the poster boards for the Vernon road bridge, it's easier to do them now than when they are in situ. As the wing walls lean back from vertical, there were some wooden frames to mount the hoardings. I found some images of the net and resized them in Photoshop. I wanted them to look slightly faded, so they are printed on plain paper and glued to the plastic board with MekPak. It's likely that some of these posters were never seen together, but there is something about that era that appeals to me...

Thanks chaps - I've gone with the lower coal plate, from the few photos I've seen of the rear of J11s, it is more typical ( bearing in mind the tender is inherited as it were ) . Thanks again for your help. Tony

Ah thank you for looking Andrew - that's most appreciated. Thats my excuse for buying another GC engine kit gone! I shall have to come up with another one.... Regards Tony

Sorry for the delay in replying Tony - I was out of action with food poisoning for 24 hours - the thread always moves on a lot in that time! The engine will be 64397, which was at Colwick late in it's life. I suspect it had a 3250 gallon tender (RCTS part 5 - mine says 45/- net on the inside cover! ) . I'm not averse to ripping stuff apart to correct it, sadly this one is a little too far progressed. So that's an excuse to by a another GC loco kit in the future and swap tenders! How do you tell 4000 and 3250 gallon tenders apart? The 4000 is 5' 3' &1/4 from the platform to the top of the flare, the 3250 is lower at 5' 0' & 1/4 according to the CA Reddy drawings in an ancient MRC article. It think Simon is right - the rear coal plate is too high, I can fix that... Thanks for that most useful information. Regards Tony

I'm back on the minefield of Great Central tenders I'm afraid - I hope I might tap on the extensive knowledge of WW readers. I'm just making up this tender for a J11 in 1960 - I know the water pick up gear had been removed by then, so the ships wheel and housing would not be there. Would the offset 'tool box' ( if that's what it is ) on the tender top be removed as well? Late photos often show this missing. Did the division plate stay where it was - nothing in the green bible or Yeadons to confirm whether it moved or not.. Also the front sand pipes would have been taken off, so would that include those curved front sand boxes at the foot of the tender front plate? Scouring Yeadons pictures seems to indicate that they were removed. Thanks! Tony

I've been experimenting with the backscene by using printed photos of the council house that was made for me by Peter Leyland. I'm going to need to refresh my Photoshop skills...:- I'm making up the platforms with 2mm MDF, there will be a certain amount of trimming and I am waiting for a vising Princess to check the clearances...

Perhaps they are made of nickel silver rather than brass.......

Happy new Year too to you and Mo! and to all the other Wright-writes readers and contributers! I use a citrus ( I think ) based flux which I got from Building O gauge online ( www.7mmlocotives.co.uk ) . I'm not sure if it is still available. It's less noxious than phosphoric and leaves less residue, although I do find it is not as good on white metal assemblies. So I will on occasion resort to phosphoric. I tend to clean my builds two or three times a session, just with an old toothbrush in water in the bathroom sink. Otherwise the residue gets everywhere - tools, hands, clothes and to the ire of the domestic authorities - the bathroom towel... I also clean up any excess solder and residue before continuing. As to the paint adhering to brass or nickle-silver debate - -in my experience - I've found brass better, but the reality is that they probably isn't much difference. The crucial point is preparation and cleanliness as well as doing something about those lovely shiny finishes to some brass etches ( the J11 is case in point ) . I use a mini rotary steel wire brush and emery sticks to lightly abrade my models before they go off to the painter. Regards Tony

Wagon rarities - In O gauge, the Parkside wooden framed, wooden ended van was really the only LNE example available in recent years. I spotted ( from a distance ) this rare 2nd hand Freightman example of a Diag. 102 corrugated end van. The colour is a bit brown rather than bauxite, but it adds to the variety in colours.... At some stage I'll give it a revamp as there are no rollers for the door!