Hal Nail

Total guess given i havent got a printer but is it it perhaps that as you add more detail, the printer does more 'passes' or takes longer and that causes it to be less smooth?

Is there an obvious external visual difference between an HA and HB boiler (if it makes any difference to the answer, c1957)? Or was the type of superheater and related covers etc totally separate to the boiler diagram? Also was there a normal time loco buffers were swapped from taper to parallel? I suspect at heavy general but that's just a hunch from the timings of a few I have conveniently dated photos. I was surprised at how many west country locos retained taper buffers in late logo livery as I'd always thought they were changed much earlier than that. I had asked for taper but was supplied with parallel attached, which is annoying but I'm wary of trying to swap them. edit: re my earlier chimney question, I found the answer in the pen and sword book. Although 5044 was the first to appear from new with the short type, they were then built with either until short became standard from 5058 onwards.

Obviously Steve is biased but there are any number of impartial recommendations for Railtec over the forum!

Yeah could be. Interestingly the Alton end of the Midhants, which you would think was a significant feature, doesnt get that much everyday traffic but probably pays for itself in visitors for the evening beer trains. So similar to what you are saying - they need a link but not for every day travel.

I suspect they decided it was so expensive to run, it wasn't ever going to be viable regardless of how they spun the resulting high ticket price.

Back in the day, someone stood up with a board telling the audience how to react.

Fiddling with things?! If you have bent a part you will have changed its length so it is probably now binding. Perhaps it was bent in the first place to avoid that, or it had bent because something wasn't quite aligned

I find it very satisfying merging models get something different. The hitch is often an idea would end up with something you can't use which can make it expensive. The more stuff you have, the more options open up! I just managed to sell a wagon body for what I'd paid for the wagon, allowing me to use the free chassis to trigger a whole series of swaps which will give me a few variations.

Number of viewings is pretty irrelevant. Number of watchers is more useful but the only stat that matters is what you sell it for. I'm convinced he's just using ebay listings to support a massively inflated stock value on his balance sheet.

Popped down to St Blazey today and 5356 is in but missing a safety valve cover! At one point I was kicking myself for not buying a green one but I think I made the right choice now. You wouldn't believe how many I took to get a couple without wheels in the air etc- breeze didn't help! Really must make a photo plank!

Similarly I've always kept below 135 so had nothing added. I noticed the recent hike and fearing they've finally discovered brexit, and possibly our VAT laws, queried it and received this reply: "unfortunately, yes. The short answer is Brexit. The slightly longer answer is that due to a increase in prices due to the new customs regulations and shipping conditions, our prices had to be increased too. In essence the UK is, from a pure customs perstecive (sic), no longer within the limits of continental Europa. And that's why we had to adjust our prices to the current standards." Presumably customs sort any duties, so nothing should change in that regard and if they haven't charged VAT when you order, its their lookout anyway as its the vendors responsibility to pay it over, not the buyer? ie apart from more postage, shouldn't be any different?

Tracked 48 for a small parcel is only something like 50p more than 2nd class and has £150 insurance so I always use that for everything now (unless it's worth more than 150 obviously). It's cheap so avoids putting off buyers but only takes 2 days so if I get things out the next day, its plenty quick enough. As an added benefit I subsequently discovered it takes seconds to buy through eBay but I was doing it manually for ages. Doesn't support the post office which is a downside but unfortunately you can't be a capitalist and a socialist all the time :)

In my experience the more I get to know them, the more true that is!

...and on that note, in the late 50s, early 60s, era, I was under the impression SKs were more common than SO usually?

Are those your own wheels as well?

The bottom of the cab lining is very high up in that smugmug one? Seem to have reverted to unlined later: https://www.thetransportlibrary.co.uk/m/media/afc63e09-d7d8-457c-881e-d5f3f0166087?hit_num=9&hits=14&next=485355bb-c5fd-4549-b319-53ed08cae4e3&page=1&per_page=25&search=2238

Could it be as simple as they had mislaid/broken the glass or beading? Did they just weld up the hole? When prairies had their portholes removed, which admittedly is slightly different as permanent, with a few exceptions which were proud (eg 4559) they inserted a snug fitting blank and flush welded it. Almost impossible to see but I have one close up photo of 4565 and you can just make out the outline. So I'd always assumed the same applied with wartime windowless cabs but there isn't any hint in that top photo. Would they have replaced the whole side sheet and then just reused the old handrail? I've seen one or two green moguls with black tenders.

It is not unknown for us to be working in the extended headshunt where locos run round. I've always got well clear which others think is a bit over the top. I've shared these clips now!

A day trip to London from Southampton with my Dad in the late 70s allowed us to feast on exotic treats. King's Cross for Deltics, St Pancras for Peaks and Paddington for a good Italian restaurant!

Worth getting in touch with these guys? https://www.keymodelworld.com/article/bournemouth-west

I removed the early crest on a 14xx and actually it wasn't that easy. Repainting plain black is about as straight foward as it gets though.

I've been thinking about buying a late cab pannier but holding off given the risk they get discounted shortly after I got a voucher off Rails today when I suggested I was within my rights to return 2 vanwides I bought the other week only to see they discounted them another 25%. Excellent on their part and we are both better now off!

I never managed to establish if the later batch is an improved BR green, or just dark photos. Even Dapol don't seem to know. If it was tweaked I would buy another and paint my original black, if not I wouldn't bother obviously I guess you win some you lose some, but I bought two vanwides in mid April from Rails and they've just reduced them by 25% (and a variant I would have preferred in the first place). I've emailed asking what their returns policy is and whether they might be able to do something!

Not on AL6's either - they were rail blue.

I know we've discussed this before but that photo really shows what a huge difference your flush glazing makes to the cab. I'll probably give it a go on my 7mm one.