Jon Fitness

D&S models are still very much in business. Just spoke to him a couple of days ago to order loads of his rather excellent 7mm scale 40ft ladders! The contact details are... 46 The Street, Wallington, nr Baldock, Hertfordshire , SG7 6SW 01763 288353 Jon F

I'm a fan of Dinghams in 7mm scale, but they don't suit every situation. Although they are "handed" we use them on about half the stock on our layout, which has a continuous run and 2 terminii. Fixed rakes of coaches have a hook/latch on each end and the locos that run into/out of the terminus stations have a hook/loop on each end. Uncoupling is done with permanent magnets an engine length from the buffers. Freight wagons are still fitted with 3 link couplings but a Dingham fitted brake van is marshalled at each end for easy coupling/uncoupling at each yard. We also have about 20 or so wagons fitted with full Dinghams for shunting in the goods yards. The pro's are easy coupling coupling/uncoupling and its easy to remove a wagon from a rake by hand should it need taking out "on the road" The cons are tight curves require the couplings setting out a little further from the headstocks and bogie vehicles really need to have the couplings attached to the bogie on a bar. Also, watch those buffer stops at the terminus stations (oops there's another bent one....!) Jon F Theres a bit in my blog about them. May be of interest.

Yard lamps. Not exactly signals, but I find this particular type seems to have a certain look about it that interests me in the same way as a nice signal does. These lamps seem to be in almost every picture of a major LM steam shed, especially in my old stamping ground of Bolton/Bury/Burnley etc, and bring back childhood memories of approaching steam shed entrances. Over the fence you saw the coaling tower and the lamps first! They are basically constructed from scrap rail with a lampshade supported from a hoop. As there doesn't seem to be a commercially available lamp of this type in 7mm scale I thought I'd build a few myself. At first I thought they were constructed like SR rail built signal posts with the rails drilled through and long bolts passed through the webs. This would have entailed lots of accurate drilling to ensure correct alignment and accuracy is not one of my strong points! On closer inspection of photographs in various books (which I wish I could show but for the usual reasons can't) the construction is quite different and much simpler so I thought I'd give it a go. The 2 rails which form the main stanchion are held apart on one side by plates spaced about 4ft apart and on the other side by (H&S fans look away now!) substantial rungs forming a vertical ladder. At the top of the ladder is a wider horizontal foot step and a ladder hoop about 4ft above that. Without any scale drawings to work from, I gathered a few pictures together and took a rough guestimate of the total height to be about twice the height of a loco. From base to the top of the lamp support hoop I reckon about 26ft. Feel free to correct me on this of course! A basic drawing was sketched out, scanned and copied a few times to use as a template for soldering. The basic guide is the width of the etched ladder you are using. Feel free to use these drawings if you think they are any use! Fortunately I was given quite a bit of scrap Peco gauge 0 rail from an old garden railway, and as I tend to hoard all sorts of brass fret offcuts and I always have signal ladder in stock, it looked like I had the raw materials to build a few lamps. The raw materials for a basic stanchion. Give all the bits a good clean with a fibreglass brush before attempting any soldering and check that the rail pieces are straight. Sellotape 2 bits of strip on the template and solder the 2 rails at each end. Throughout all the construction I have used a 15w Antex iron, Carrs 188 solder and Carrs green label flux. Be aware that Peco nickel silver rail is quite a heavy material and will suck the heat out of a small iron and conduct it along it's length so burnty finger warnings apply here! Once you are happy with the alignment, solder smaller bits of the strip at 4ft intervals as marked on your drawing. The ladder can then be placed on the stanchion on the other side, noting that the ladder starts at the base and finishes about 4 ft from the top. Tack solder the ladder top and bottom making sure it still lays flat against the stanchion. The assembly can then be removed from the template for ease of handling. When you are happy with the alignment carefully solder the entire length of the ladder on both sides. Make sure you keep the ladder in contact with the stanchion as it will naturally try to pull away as the heat expands it slightly. A small piece of wood is helpful here. I use bits of old firework rocket stick (quite useful for signal posts as well!!). You should now have a strong basic stanchion assembly. Carefully trim the excess strip from each side with a file remembering to file towards the stanchion to avoid pinging the strips off, and have a general cleanup of the assembly. More soon JF

Love the model of Entwistle box! I only remember it with the LMS style windows, any idea what year it was changed? Jon F

Cheers Mick, Here's Skytrex's attempt at an L&Y/RSCo box. I used the generic "GWR" type lever frame and added and my clumsy attempt at an ex L&Y blockshelf/instruments . The coffin bell is on 4 little legs. Couldn't get a "ding" out of the bell tho..... JF

Trying to find some pics of the model signalboxes I have built within my chaotic file system and so far only this one has surfaced. Alphagraphics LNW box with the windows cut out and modified and a BR era exLNW interior fitted. Reminds me of many of the boxes I have worked. JF

Oooh that Clayton's looking well Brian. JF

Looks "bob-on". Nice work David! Jon F.

Yes I know…. It’s been a while. I seem too busy building stuff to be writing about it, although not as busy as Steve’s been… There’s a popular myth that the only water troughs in a Tunnel were at Standedge on the ex LNW transpennine route…not quite; Some have been discovered in a tunnel near Saltney…. Made from plastic channel and constructed “in situ”, the many support brackets were glued down as the channel was laid. The planking (provided to stop the water from washing the ballast away) is from coffee stirrers and the troughs have several layers of varnish poured in. This was all topped off with a spray of gloss varnish over the area to give a wet sheen to everything. The associated water tank and treatment tanks were made up from various bits of styrene and odd fittings to complete the scene. Another recent addition is a cattle dock to replace the fuel depot which never seemed to look right. Heavy use/testing of the Dingham couplings has shown that anything fitted with a bogie must have the couplings fitted to that bogie! Other than that, as long as buffer stops are avoided, and they are set to provide a reasonable gap between vehicles they seem reliable and useful. Heres one attached to a bar soldered to the bogie on a Southern "Queen Mary" brake van

Cheers Brian. Oh dear..I just gotta get me one of those Claytons.....trouble is, if I get one my missus will probably JF

Ok, I'm at work at the moment and although I've managed to upload a few pics to the gallery, I can't attach one to this post. Try clicking on Cobo Pic and see if it brings the pic up. I've done lots to it and there's still lots to do but I think the basic "look" seems ok.

Er, I think I'll see how it turns out first before showing off all the embarrasing mistakes and omissions I've made! To be fair it's not that bad a kit except for the resin bits..which are a bit pants to put it mildly. JF

Heljan had better not do that with the Co-Bo! I'm 3/4 of the way through a Steve Beattie horror kit. er ...and very nice it is too (harrumph)... Jon F.