Daddyman

I haven't bought one of these yet - waiting for Scotrail swoosh. Might be tempted by the Strathclyde maroon/cream as there's evidence of one on the West Highland line.

But then you risk fluff in the paint!

I bought something from ebay describing itself as "1pc Mini spoon spices sugar salt kitchen silver colour tiny size beautiful detail" which has considerably cut down on the mess around the rim of paint tins. The exact item isn't there any more, but there are lots of similar spoons on ebay.

Often me making it though Mick, to be fair! I think a lot of the character of a loco comes from the smokebox door and the cabside windows.

Yes, but that's not my fault! 😉 Wrong shape, like all the Norton kits, and beading too thick. But yours looks very good, Mick.

Would be nice if a new cabside went on that further etch, to correct the window shape error and the beading thickness.

That sounds like a very clever approach. The problem I always had was getting a good true round hole in the cab front once it has been filled. I couldn't find any filler that wouldn't turn to powder round the edges of the hole, even slightly, when drilling. I ended up doing what you did and putting a new plasticard plate across much of the front - that way, drilling was guaranteed to produce a round hole. My solution to the new 47 model is not to look at it. I think you get a fixed amount of a patience in a life for how many class 47 front ends you can modify to represent accident repairs and I've passed my tolerance. For what remains of my time here, I'll content myself with 37s.

Two tubes, one slightly larger inserted into the hole in the cab front, the other slightly smaller (2mm?) inserted telescope-style into the first tube. The bigger one is set back slightly from the cab front to represent the recess or void around the marker light, and the second, which represents the surround to the marker light, is flush with the cab front.

Heroic!

Yes, but I suppose the person was unaware, like me, that Danny was still supplying (or supplying again) 4mm kits. I haven't seen a D.18 on ebay for ages and I suppose the buyer needed a signature carriage. And after all, Bachmann sell a carriage for around £160 I think... Still, I hope the buyer isn't as fussy as me, cos he'll be throwing a lot of the kit away for his £169... https://www.scalefour.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=7210&start=25

So he still supplies 4mm kits? How much did it cost, if I may ask? This happened during the week:

Yes, I've experienced the annoyance of this piece of plastic, but only when trying to remove it, when it won't keep still in order to be wrenched out. I usually have to remove the steps. Re your problem though, can you not just use the "back end" of my solution - twizzle of wire interference fit into a hole drilled ahead of the step?

So I gather!

I understand. But it's odd - I've never had the levers split, and when I want to get the fixing point on the bogie out so that I can replace it with a wire loop, it's the devil's own job to get out.

That shouldn't be a problem - they unclip at the actuating lever end. I've never re-clipped them as I've always been unclipping them to replace them, but I can't see it being a problem. Where are they coming detached for you - bogie end or lever end?

My solution reported here:

I don't suppose anyone has a wrecked one of these they'd like to part with, do they? I only need the body "sides" to be intact, nothing else matters. So if you have a conversion/detailing project that's gone wrong I'd be happy to hear from you.

Thanks to all. So they did work in the large logo 37/4 period in both liveries. Probably worth having one, especially as it will be a better model than the long-in-the-tooth Bachmann OBA. Thanks again.

Thanks for that, Ian. After I posted I went through all Ernie's WHL albums and can't definitely say there are any - one or two in bauxite possibly. Can't remember now where I saw photos, and what date they were. Do you happen to know how long they lasted on the WHL? I'm feeling it might be better investing in OBAs for 1985-7. Sorry, Paul, I should have said: was talking about mid- to late 1980s WHL.

What versions of the models are we thinking for WHL trains? I think I've seen a few on Ernie's Flickr pages in RF red/grey. Any thoughts?

Brilliant, Chas - and thank you!

You just need D&S-style cross members in the body, bolted to the underframe, and similar cross pieces at the top of the sides and across the roof at the gutter level. You could use thread lock, but they should just hold of their own accord. Well, they hold if you use springing as there's no vibration to undo the bolts! 😉

Yes, a very interesting railway - with those Metropolitan 4-4-0Ts too. First layout I build next life around (unless I come back as a cat again like last time).

I see no sensibly priced ones...

The other argument in favour of steel is that when you get down to 14BA, brass threads are pretty unreliable. As you know, Chas, I bolt all my locos' superstructures and footplates together with 14BA bolts, as per Judith Edge kits, and I wouldn't fancy my chances with brass. I don't think Mike Edge would fancy my chances either, which is why he supplies steel bolts. I must say switching years ago to steel bolts for soldering really was a revelation and a liberation. Come on in - the water's lovely!