Neal Ball

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.

A variation on the theme of the SRM - at least you can see the passengers insode.

Of course yes. But at the engine end there is no lamp in the cringing, engine end of the SRM, switchable or otherwise.

There are only crew and passengers at one end at the moment. The driving end (unlit - I wonder why), will also have a driver. That looks good - but I only need one SRM 😎 Very nice

As promised the "night time" photo of SRM no 97 ready to depart for Reading. You can just see the passengers inside!

Thankfully, the doors are now back on - although we have obviously gone to DOO 100+ years early! - There is no guard 🤣

Thankfully by not having any toilets, we don't need to fit retention tanks :-) Shall I apply for an extension to the central door locking issue? After all West Coast got away with it for ages 🤣

Thanks Andy. I left the SD card downstairs yesterday as I had taken some "night-time" photos with the DSLR - I will focus merge them later and post. Bear in mind that these are Modelu figures are HO scale. Thanks very much for that Pete. The filler lid is from the Comet range of roof ventilators..... The tank itself.... is simply a section of plasticard. Nothing fancy.... glued down with superglue! I would have liked to say it was something fancy, but it isn't.

My carriages and loco were also given a coat of Matt varnish. Here is the 70ft e112 carriage after the transfers have dried and varnish is drying. It will probably need a further coat. Then it’s onto door furniture and glazing. I haven’t added carriage numbers to any of the carriages yet. I need to place an order with Steve at Railtec.

I was waiting for paint to dry! More on that later….. So decided to take the SRM apart…. In doing so, I wonder if I could add a resister into the feed circuit - it turns out - Yes, thanks to @Andy Keane and @Harlequin to confirm. Anyway, it’s here - cut into the blue wire A few passengers and one member of crew have been fitted. Tbc….

Did you consider adding a resister into this Blue / White / Yellow feed? If you did and it was rejected - why wouldn’t that have worked? Apologies if it’s an obvious non-starter.

This is a fascinating topic, thats for all the details.

"Different times" 😎 That weedkiller solution is obviously lethal, its killed all the weeds straight away. 😎 I cant understand why the "big railway" allows all that Budleia to grow beside the line so profusely. Lovely scenes Kevin.

Excellent work @Mikkel thanks as ever for sharing. A Pantechnican sounds like a good idea for Henley-on-Thames, but I fear I have enough projects on the go at the moment 😎 Thanks as ever.

I reckon I will do the roof when I add the passengers and crew.

Thanks Phil, Yes I fitted them and they were sufficient to get into Platform 2.

Yesterday the Steam Railmotor was stretching it's legs during its running in turns - it merrily ran round the (continuous circuit section) at Henley-on-Thames in both directions for a couple of hours. The SRM was able to run into Platform 1 and 3 with no issues, but the motion guards caught on platform 2. Although that is really the mainline arrivals platform, I decided to change the guards for the slightly smaller ones. Here she is seen in Platform 3: At the same time, I was adjusting the County tank (I am having trouble getting the tension right on the front bogie) and that was in Platform 1 with the SRM in platform 2. Of course, its possible that these two locos would have been seen together - possibly not at Henley, maybe at Reading. Who will be the first to weather their SRM? I will continue running it round the railway for a few more hours before I add the passengers and crew. In the meantime, I am hoping to be able to finish off the County tank next week.

Keep chasing the agent and solicitor. A good agent should be “checking the chain” every week.* I am always amazed when I hear of purchasers / sellers who don’t chase! *Checking the chain means that the agent phones every agent in the sale chain every week to check on any issues further up the chain - a good agent will know of any potential issues along the way. Data protection doesn’t come into it - they should all be talking. Good luck Graham.

That looks very nice Mike. When you return to Aus, you must have a suitcase just if kits to build 😎

I agree Robin - but I am determined to wait for the shirtbutton livery.... it's still tempting though :-)