Gordon A

Delivered by a red delivery vehicle just before Christmas. Two test etches for the Bagnall kit. The nickel silver etch consists of components for the chassis assembly and the brass etch for the running plate, body details, buffer beams, cab and bunker. I have yet to receive the rest of the body and details which will be 3D printed. There are a small number of bits that have been omitted, which will be corrected. I have a 12" to the foot kit to complete as well. My old Land Rover in the process of having a new bulkhead fitted. Happy Christmas and New Year to all. Gordon A

If my memory serves me correctly they were absorbed into the GWR from one of the Welsh railways. I think the diamond frame bogies may be incorrect. Wasn't there something about their history on the Ratio instructions? Gordon A

My personal experience with copydex is that it is not as good as pva or other impact glues. I will not use it again. Gordon A

I believe St Phillips Marsh, Bristol has a wheel lathe.

If the set up in your picture works for you then continue using it. I tend to drive off one end of the stretcher bar with some flexibility between the stretcher bar and the remote operating unit. This allows me to have the operating unit to be adjusted to give a bit more travel than required which ensures the blade is held firmly against either stock rail.

This on now used by a sailing club who are adjacent to the station approach road on your right.

It would be nice if the full cooked breakfasts continued until 11:00 for those who travelled a distance. Otherwise an enjoyable show. Four of us arrived at 10:15 and left about 14:15.

Inside valve gear will restrict any side play on that axle. When converting locos or building chassis you need to ensure that there is sufficient side play and clearances in the splashers. Are you talking about the minimum radius on plain track or in points as well. Building a section of test track including a point to 3 foot radius may answer your question. On plain track consider following the prototype approach by fitting a continuous check rail. Gordon A

How did you split the payment details please?

Look at Clutton. Tim Venton devised a system for automatically moving trains up in a storage yard loop. All the locos in one loop were programmed with the same number, which in Clutton's case was the number of the loop. Realistic top speeds were programmed in the locomotive's chip. This meant that when operating storage loops with more than one train, the departing train was driven at full speed out, which gave enough power for the remaining trains to shuffle up. I think Tim used JMRI for the route selection.

Where and how is the stone supposed to travel from the stone drop? How does the finished product leave the site? Gordon A

"So the latest is that the siding has been laid and ballasted but rails and chairs not painted. Start made to main line (yes I know main line is pushing it a bit). Initial template and sleepers laid. Rails are temporarily in place to check clearance. Also a bit of cheque book modelling in the form of a Dapol Rectangular Tank wagon. Well I was in town and just happened to pop into Antics and there it was. Anyway NEM pockets and coupling removed, OO wheels replaced, three links and new coupling hook, bit of additional weight and just a very slight scrape of the brake shoes with a scalpel blade. Job done (well perhaps a bit of further weathering to the weathered factory finish) and for £17 quid I’m quite happy. You probably weren’t aware that Ruyton just up the line had a small Gas works!" Gordon A (Press agent)

Don't get too depressed. You have the basics of a good chassis kit and gearbox as a starter. You can try the motor you have and if it does not perform as good as you wish it can be changed later on. Markit wheels are self quartering and set the correct back to back. Remember to order EM axles. The GW jig aids the consistent quartering of the Gibson wheels on the axle, which are not self quartering. If you posses a pillar drill you could make a simple jig by drilling three 1/8" holes in straight line spaced exactly to match the wheelbase of the loco in a flat piece of plywood. Carefully push the jig axles with the tapered ends into the holes. This can be used to set up the horn blocks for the compensated axles. I would not cut out the back axle holes as they can be used as reference point. A small engineers square would be useful in ensuring that assemble the chassis so that it is square. The other tools would be useful if you are looking to build more than one EM loco compensated or sprung. My understanding about building in EM is that you can build the chassis without any compensation or springing. Gordon A

Yes, Chris used to stock Mashima motors.

Do you have the two securing screws for the motor? Do the screw holes line up with the screw holes in the gearbox?

More progress on Ruyton Road. The points have been glued in position. Also in the pictures is some pictures of the kit built stock that will be running on this layout when the conversion is completed. Also the brick built hut has been replaced as it would have been out of period.

The haulage cable was attached to the runner wagon, which was the bottom wagon of any train of wagons going up or down the Clee Hill incline.

Putting down a layer of cork under the track helps in creating an illusion of the bed of ballast on which the track sits.

Why code 100 track?

A picture might have been helpful?

An interesting sequence. I was caught out for a while as to where the second diesel suddenly appeared from. After watching the whole clip through I got an answer. Was there just one loco crew with the second engine being towed dead, or did it have a separate crew?

Have you tried checking Modelu out?

Sorry Paul, I think I may be wrong in what I said. Looking at other pictures of other 57xx / 8750 Panniers which show the steam heat pipe runs down the LHS, the fireman's side. The steam heat pipe is often a smaller diameter pipe than the vacuum pipe. Gordon A

Vacuum pipe or are you looking at the steam heat pipe in the above photo?