Worsdell forever

If it came off and the lorry veered left then hit the bridge parapet then tipped over that would work, the top would need to come off the stone pillar though!

Thanks for the comments, it should just about go round 3'6"! Cylinders fitted, not quite right yet but getting close, it's all very tight in there

That's how I do it, they're put on by eye then all but the rear/driven axle are adjusted a pair at a time till the run freely. What makes these a little difficult is that the rods are in one piece so they need to be put on all 4 crank pins at once, it was then a case of adjusting until they dropped on easily then final tweaking to get them smooth. They're Gibson wheels, readily available, cheap (relative to Markits and Ultrascale), the correct type for the loco and (despite what some people say) very good. As it happens the tender wheels are Sharman, picked up on a second hand stall for £1.50 an axle. Never had a problem just pushing them on and tweaking them. you've seen my locos running and I'm happy with them Progress... The basic tender and footplate are built and I've had a look at fitting the cylinders, mainly at what clearances there are between the crosshead and the leading crankpin, it's going to be tight but it shoult be workable, the kit was designed for 00.

Wheels, rods and gearbox fitted and it all runs smoothly. The chassis is rigid. The rods are in one piece, this can be a problem with quartering as it needs to be done 'as a whole', but it all worked out ok this time with only about 15 minutes if gentle tweaking.

I've recently started on my next loco, as my 2012 challenge build is now finished the next on the list is a Q6 for Greyscroft Mine. It will be finished as 63340, the first of the class. it was a Middlesbrough engine in 1955 and could well have visited GM on a regular basis, it will share the ironstone traffic with my J26. I'm building it from an Alexander Models kit but there are a few problems, the cab sides, front and cab steps are missing! a quick phone call to David should have that sorted. I've got the frames together using Comet EM spacers and last night I made a start fitting the gearbox and wheels. The painted frames.

The first thing I wanted to say was 'not another Cooper Craft Monarch!' But that is a great bit of modelling, the only comment I would like to make is that the spilled load would be a bit more '1 sided' try pushing a box of sand over and see how it falls. Otherwise, great cameo!

Looking at the colour of that water I certainly wouldn't want to end up in it...

Marley Hill shed, Tanfield Railway, yesterday.

I've got a hammer you can borrow...

Change of scale for a bit... I started this Medley Models 7mm kit for an NER diagram C2 4 plank open a few years ago (I seem to have loads of kits started years ago) and put it aside mainly because it wasn't very good! I've dug it out this week and although it hasn't got any better I wanted to at least make something out of it. The major dimensions are correct and the body is quite good, it's the details that are poor, the axleguards are a work of fiction and the spring/axlebox castings are just naff but I've got it all together and it does look at least a bit like what it should be. Brake gear attached to the floor, this lot was kind of made up as I went along! Pretty much as far as I'm going with it, there's no interior detail but I plan on having it loaded and sheeted. It is seen here next to a Parkside LNER open. It looks tiny but it measures up OK, it is after all a mid 1880's design and amazingly 13 of this type lasted into BR ownership.

And what will the students be doing?

Actually it's not any more, it's now EM, together with the other finished wagons here. They are all (approximately) wagons shown in the series of photos taken on the Rosedale branch in 1928. The brakevan and the LMS open 151031 are the only ones that I have positively identified but all but the GWR one I think are the correct type (the GWR one has a sheet rail in the photos). The LMS wagon with the smaller lettering is a guess as the lettering is very faint in the photos but it does show the L as being 2 planks high. The NER diagram C10 6 plank is still in the last NER livery. So, the kits are - LMS pair - Cambrian, GWR - Coopercraft and the NE ones are 51L. The next wagon is one of the first W/M kits I bought about 20 years ago, it is a D&S kit of a GNR 10t open with a cage extension, I started the cage then moved onto other stuff and it got put away until tonight. I've finished the cage but I probably won't use it as I believe they were pretty restricted in the routes they were used on.

What on earth has young Gringo been up to, He's filthy...

Very much of interest, yes, there are commercial/ready made retaining walls available and usually that is what they look like. Yours look like yours (if you see what I mean).

Ah yes, wasn't it among some laurels and there wasn't just badgers in there...

Amazing ain't it, I was just popped in here to say I have been listening to a Blaster Bates CD in the car and someone had beaten me to it...

It didn't used to be self adhesive, this is a more traditional type that was fixed with dabs of plaster. It's useful stuff for scenics as it's more flexible than the modern one. It's similar to the bandage that is used in ModRoc.

So, layouts that have made me want to go and do some modelling - All North Eastern... Bramblewick - Just the sheer beauty of it. Walker Marine - Grotty industrial realism, a major reason why my own Fellburn was built. Lowburn Park - Current layout that does it for me.

Thanks for the comments. Paul, it's 00. There's quite a few photos of this van as it was on the Rosedale branch when a series of photos were taken in 1928.

Arthur, there's no mention (unless I've missed it) of postage, is this included or to be calculated?