Neal Ball

There was talk over at Helston with @Andy Keane who has just placed an order for a Dapol 28xx, whilst at the same time Phil @Harlequin has cancelled his order. I have two Hornby locos, only one is DCC enabled, the other is in my "Sell to Hattons" pile.... It was my fathers when he had a layout, but given I also have a 72xx; Dean Goods and a Collet Goods, I don't think I need 2 x 28xx. Seen here with a mineral train arriving into Henley-on-Thames: At 10 wagons plus a Toad it was well within the limits of the loco. Obviously I doubt the real Henley would have seen such a loco on the branch.

I don’t think the Dapol windows pop out Bill. However, the windows do pop out on the Rapido B set.

Have you tried the Dart castings brass fittings? I’ve started to use them on my carriage bogies to good effect. You then fit the Kadee NEM couplers in and so far they have been very good. https://www.dartcastings.co.uk/mjt/2580.php Hopefully that will work for a loco - might need some adapting. Good luck, Neal.

i wont be painting bolections where the carriage is already glazed....

I think if someone has the first batch in stock when we are next in the UK I will be tempted to do the same. My preference will still be shirtbutton livery - but if they are delayed, I might have to change my mind.

My understanding is that decorated samples were due at Dapol after Chinese new year - maybe in the last couple of weeks and production of the next batch will start shortly after. I am guessing that we are probably looking at a summer delivery.

There must be quite a bit of stock at Pendon that is of that sort of age and still regularly running. Guy Williams built them to last! I assume the SRM was built by Guy.

Not bad seeing as its only my 2nd time of using the bow pen - I need to go back to the Slaters Toplights and finish them off.

As I thought, my older Castles are better with my heavier trains! Windsor castle brought 5 kit-built carriages into platform 2 at Henley-on-Thames, reversed it into Mill Lane sidings and then took the stock into Platform 1 ready for departure. Having achieved that, I started painting the bolection mouldings and droplights on any Clerestory C23 carriage. It will need a lot of work to tidy it up!

This will help: https://99percentinvisible.org/article/slip-coaches-back-when-british-express-trains-detached-passenger-cars-at-speed/ Dont worry about it being a slip carriage, the principle is the same.

New video from Pendon museum: Im hoping to have time to get over to Pendon on our trip back to the UK this summer.

I also like the idea that a window can simply be popped out and a half open droplight added in its place. Amazing.

Which is all well and good - but do you have any suggestions about how to make it louder?

Im not a speaker expert…. But our Hifi speakers at home have a piece of hardboard over the back. The front of the speaker of course has a piece of mesh. I think Phil’s development is very interesting - anything that can make the sound louder is to be applauded.

I have a 3D printed yard crane courtesy of @Harlequin and the detail is amazing. The fact that there can also be 3D loco, just blows my mind. The rate of change is amazing and of course if you were to say Kodak / Polaroid to the woke generation, they probably wouldn’t know what you are talking about. Change at this level is good and to be encouraged.

They both look good. If one side is better, simply place the wagons that way round and no one will know. I have a viewing side and an “other side” to a lot of stock and it works really well. (Don’t tell anyone 🤣)

That loco is looking very good Andy.

Thanks Tony, I’ve been very pleased with how the loco and also the Clerestory carriage have come together. It was the harder option to build and then adapt the SE Finecast underframe, but I think it’s a better result. Thanks again. Neal.

That looks to be a good project Mikkel. Ive seen these 3D prints on Facebook and also on Rich's thread, they all look very interesting. There is another fitting in the photo, on the smokebox side, just above the saddle, that is not on the 3D print. Is it the lubricator pipework? Is it then the same on the other side? Good luck with the conversion, its going to look very good. Neal.

There is an excellent blog post this weekend on the GWS pages, celebrating last weekends 100 celebration of 4-6-0 4079 Pendennis Castle: https://didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk/product.php/78/going-loco/5421cc4213cc24263c943eda4c34417a Drew, aka @Castle has put together a good article about the weekend, it was a shame we couldn't fly in. There was also a video from one of the YouTubers from the weekend:

Thanks Mikkel. I am very pleased with the County tank (pleased with all my kit bit items, but particularly the 4-4-2T). It needs quite a bit of weight to be added yet before it will be able to haul anything. Given it is only my second kit-built loco, I am thrilled. I know I have a lot of projects on the go / in the queue, but I do fancy having a go at the County 4-4-0 as a complete kit build.

Thanks dave, I am very pleased how it has all come along.

A short video of progress on the railway: Hope you enjoy it.

The same train seen from the other direction: 4073 4-6-0 Caerphilly Castle has just brought the train into Platform 2 at Henley-on-Thames. Btw: It was quite a heavy train for the light Castle, it might need to be hauled by one of the older Castles, or perhaps the Grange.

New stock month: The County tank 4-4-2T is coming along nicely. Its now had two coats of matt varnish. I need to squeeze more weight in, without it it's very light. Or maybe in black and white: Here then is the other 70ft composite carriage - this is the e111 - both carriages have had one coat of matt varnish, they will get another coat hopefully tomorrow. In the final train a 70ft H24 restaurant carriage will sit between the two carriages. The scene in platform 2 shows a train having arrived at Henley-on-Thames with a H25 restaurant carriage included. The carriage at the end of the formation is a C23 all third strengthening carriage: This carriage will have the pre-moulded droplights and window bolections painted. Then it will be glazed and door fittings added etc.