Giles

I 've now made up four, and got one painted!

Well done! It is a delightful model, not easy, and one I would be proud of!

As a slight deviation, printed on the Mars 2 Pro in 'Engineering like Resin' from Eono, I have a working wooden type side tipper in 0-14. It has added lead between the chassis beams, and also a strip under the non-door side of the body.

I have to decorate the hall and landing, and then I may be able to make a start proper. Also yet another loco in the offing - minus wheels as yet!

The other benefit of a coach is that there is naturally room for water tanks and auxiliary batteries under floor and gas cylinders in the boot or side lockers, all of which is more problematic with a 'decker. In fact storage ceases to be a problem.

In the '80s, I had a Duple Viscount (45 seater Bedford chassis) fully converted to a mobile home. I used to get about 17 to the gallon out of it if I recall. Fitted out with a kitchen, bathroom (shower only) and nominally 6 berth (a double at the back, bunks next, and a double bed/settee up front I used it to live in for a couple of years working in Earls Court, parking in an NCP car park during the week, and driving it back up to the Midlands for the weekend. It was absolutely brilliant, and even better for taking on Holiday (I used to tow a sailing dinghy behind it then...). Early '80s parking wasn't a problem, but by the end of the decade that life-style wouldn't have been possible. The coach had a Ford engine and no power steering which was rough. I quickly learned how to steer 'on the roll'.

There are two separate elements. One is the drawing package, and one is the printer. My own preference is Design Spark Mechanical, which is a free download from RS Components, and importantly, there are plenty of tutorial videos to be found on YouTube to help you along. Although I had done a lot of 2D Autocad, I had never done any 3D work, and initially found it a bit difficult to draw anything sensible. However, I quite quickly got the hang of how different 3D is, and am much more fluent. I like Design Spark as it is a free program that doesn't "phone home" or limit its use. I have an FDM printer which I used for making point motors, levers, mechanical elements that are not aesthetic and require strength, and a Mars 2 Pro for actual model work, which can produce exquisite detail. I think if one is using a printer for making models and components, one would get frustrated with filament printing quite quickly, now near injection moulding quality is possible with resin printing. Peckett drawing underway in Design Spark As printed on the Mars 2 Pro in 7mm scale

Harrogate Gas works Peckett

The chassis of mine has now had it's basic painting, and the little lubricators fitting, and they look ok. I'm waiting on the wheels......, and a bit stuck on mine till they arrive. I will worry about the lubricator drive when I have wheels and they go round!

Cylinder cover oil pots are small at about 2mm plus spigot.

Fireboxes for both Pecketts are complete. These are prints of backhead, with additional prints of manifold, regulator, door linkage, reverser and gauge-glasses. Pipework is in wire.

Progress so far, now with reach rod, blower etc. All the backhead detail is drawn up, but having slight problems with my computer which seems to have corrupted a driver somewhere !!!!!!!

I feel like a right vandal here......... this is a conversion of a Fowler ploughing engine. I remember seeing half a dozen of these extraordinary machines in Bomfords Yard at Binton Bridge on the River Avon, I think it was, in around 1977. A straight diesel conversion from steam. None of the charm associated with steam, but very compelling. Rather zombie - like.

I have made the spectacle glasses for both locos, but just fitted the ones for mine . The are milled out of 1mm perspex on the Stepcraft, and fit into recesses in the print, so they are flush on the inside.

Lubricators are a problem, in so far as bought ones tend to be rather coarse and I can't find the type I want anyway. Don't get me started on the lubricator piping! Anyway I have a good printer so I thought i might play.

Both shells painted and rubbed down, and injectors added.

Thank you! And fitted to a partially painted boiler unit

The clacks and shut-off valves, which indeed were a pain......

009 Ashanti Bagnall drawn in Design Spark. And working 009 tippers designed in Design Spark Mechanical.

Both locos have cylinder and slide bar assemblies fitted, And injectors are on their way. (I couldn't find any of the right type to buy - otherwise I would have!) I have yet to make valves, which is a pain........

I use Design Spark Mechanical, free from RS. I do find it good.....

Cylinder assemblies fitted to one loco......

....... events past? Yes, but also occasional incidents (some serious) in the recent past. Where it not for the tight rein kept on these matters, there would be regular serious fires, particularly in fly towers. As it is, they are much rarer than they used to be, though potential ignition sources are all too common. The rules and regs are just as important as they ever were, it is just they work........ Nowadays though, there is a loophole of 'Fire-engineering' solutions so as to relieve the Client of the burden of things like Safety Curtains etc. Which are expensive and a pain to design in. This is something of a retrograde step in my view, as it places the burden of prevention and safety lower down the chain.... Suffice to say, if you have a plug and socket on the floor with a bad connection, it's better if any material around it is fire proof.