Red Devil

In what respect? I've not built a layout based on the G&I yet but probably will at some point.

For a 'big' LNER engine would love to see a W1in original form, but surely a shoo in has to be the Bugatti nosed P2? Wasn't the original P2 done with a view to being produced in that form?

Best one of the lot missed, 26000 Tommy.

Erm 26020, possibly as important as any of the other 'black locos', at least that was from a fleet rather than a one off prototype, add in the EM2s and there's some more.

Well, Rail Model box arrived, really enjoying the build on this one.... Progress so far, long way to go but fit of parts has been spot on so far. Roof is removable and I think it's begging for a detailed interior....the kit includes planked interior wall sections so it'd be daft not to.

One item I really did want for Grime Lane was an ex GC signal box, I initially thought it was going to be a scratch build job however I spotted this 7mm laser cut version from Rail Model and Andy there very kindly and promptly did a resize and test build.... A 4mm version is winging its way to me soon.... 7mm version pic.... So anyone wanting a 4mm GC box...... https://railmodel.co.uk/collections/00-gauge-4mm/products/gc-killamarsh

Circuits now up and running....

H Don't know on that one but Huddersfield had coal drops that fed the corporation tram system, they looked like wooden bodied trucks with a controller at each end. Scroll down here http://jsh1949.co.uk/HUDDERSFIELD FLEET A.htm

Amazing how three sections of brass and one loco can shout a particular geographic area Or just starting to think about the catenary.......

Baby Deltic at Penistone... I've seen pics of Hymeks there too

Some progress, embankments have started to be formed, a bit of greenery has sprouted, as has a bit of brickwork..... The 'duck under' roadbridge is beginning to take shape and a single deck Crossley poses there......

A very quick test of the Scammell Scarab on the layout, seems to run ok!

Yep, that's sorta where I'm basing it, very much ficticious but trying to get the 'idea of'. Anyway a few of the FCS fleet, there's quite a few more too....

A what? Well I suppose the other heading could be when does a test track become a layout? I do have an ongoing build of something a bit more involved, but one of my main interests at the moment is producing Faller Car system vehicles, I tend to do this my own way using some Faller parts rather than converted chassis so wanted a test track to test them on, the other project involves 'Woodhead Electrics' too, so half way through building the baseboard for the twin circuit FCS test track I decided to add some scenery and a bit of railway to test build the 1500v style overhead.... So what started as a basic test track has somewhat changed to a small funtioning layout, or will be when I get my finger out with it and stop building Faller vehicles of which there are about 25 plus in various stages of completeness.... Anyway a pic to give an idea, the twin circuits of FCS will feature automatic holding sidings to the rear of low relief factories, hopefully with automatic operation (reed switch/magnets breaking FCS stop magnets) The railway section is very simple a double track line on embankment to two train tables off stage....

Can't say I've ever really seen it, and I'm a landscape contractor, mind you where I live and work the amount of rainfall we get means that your lawn would pretty soon resemble the Somme if you used it regularly for parking on. Only once in over twenty years have I ever been asked about grass blocks for a grassed hard standing area, and that got changed to something else when done.

Don't think they do tubes, but small cans are always readily available at Screwfix.... Always thought the price was reasonable too. https://www.screwfix.com/p/evo-stik-impact-adhesive-off-white-to-amber-250ml/38770

I've been very close, so I think, yeah I can speak from near experience, I had a company 'up the food chain' go bust on me and take me for a tidy sum that crippled me short term and taught me a lesson....always make sure you know who you're working for and are they going to pay you! I'll be honest and say I've always been sceptical about DJM, doing commissions for retailers was pretty much what's known locally to me as ''brass plating'' (within the building trades), that is to say using your knowledge and contacts to provide a selling on service taking a small cut on sales etc, this works ok if you're good at it, you supply the customer with what they want, personal service and no cock ups. Generally speaking it's short termism as something will go wrong or the customer will find your preferential supplier and go direct as witnessed by Kernow, Hattons etc, why pay a premium on something you can do 'in house' better/cheaper, most DJM releases for both seemed to have issues, you're not going to rush back are you? Basically DJM opened the door for easier direct retail commissions, adding more competition to the target markets. I do feel sorry for those caught up in this who are out of pocket but for me it all seemed heading only one way for an awfully long time. Have the reasons for Mr Jones departure from Dapol ever been made public, when DJM set up it all seemed quite ad hoc and on the hoof, the departure thread seems it was a very quick start up etc?

Chernobyl, I don't think it needs much explaining what it's about, however how it happened and the ins and outs of what went on within a totalitarian state is certainly an eye opener on many levels. Highly recommended.

The track with the simulated/fabricated girder rail I'm doing is in the Grimeside thread on here... Grime St was the Leeds tram layout now departed to pastures new. This is done with code 75 bullhead, 0.8 mm n/s square bar and 1.91x0.25 mm n/s strip, 4mm EM. Road surface is Knauf Easy plaster from Wickes allowed to dry then scribed. It also has a Faller car system magnetic strip in it, I build the gaps between the sleepers up with 1.5mm ply which fits nicely between the 1.6 mm pcb sleepers, then the self adhesive magnetic strip has a nice evenish road base. Hope that helps anyone interested!

I've had some 7mm tram trucks printed in steel....it doesn't look like steel! It has a distinct yellow brown tinge to it obviously the bronze in it. I can't say I noticed much shrinkage, it is however exceptionally tough stuff, I tried drilling one out as an experiment, several blunted not cheap bits later I gave up. It also has quite a rough surface, a bit like a sand cast, it definitely does not look like polished steel and I reckon given the hardness would be almost impossible to polish etc.

Couple of points on splitting the chain for an exhibition layout....my advice would be don't....... It's a bit of a pig of a job to re assemble the chain, you may find you end up reassembling the lot, I took mine apart for cleaning a couple of times and basically you end up with a lot of links....it'd be a pain doing this every time. Secondly if you're planning on using over joints you'll need something to smooth the sliders over this and it'll not be easy to disguise on a scenic section, I had an inspection hatch on mine and ended up using Tamiya tape to smooth the joints between road and hatch, find off stage but not easy to sort elsewhere, add in the fact that card is really the recommended road surface applying an adhesive tape could end causing more problems. Like anything else it's not impossible but it's another thing to sort out when you've bounced your layout 100 plus miles in the back of a van. I think I can comment on it seeing as I've used it and bounced a layout many miles!

Biggest problem I can see with the row of shops, Hebden really does suggest 'Calder Valley' as such pretty much everything was built in local stone, obviously the later you go the more exceptions there are, but the vast majority of late 19th century buildings wouldn't be brick.

I'm on Sheffield now.....! Leeds is taking a back seat, but the 4ft stuff is Bradford, I have a trolleybus/tram layout idea......

I've a bit of 4mm 4ft gauge track that I have project for, again a tramway but whilst I've built a prototype I'm not sure that I can do it to P4 stds as the tram wheel profile is quite a bit different to a railway one, I think the flange gap is down to 0.45mm. My EM stuff uses a 0.8mm flangeway and that works ok, if I continue with the 4ft idea it's most likely to be EMn16! I think that sorta represents the standards. This is std gauge/EM built up from rail bar and strip.