Hal Nail

Agreed and I wouldn't be surprised if there was a range of favourites if everyone was asked! Making a sweeping generalisation, many modellers are of an age where mk1s are incredibly familiar, even without having cause to have studied them. I suspect we'd all get close to estimating the door window size fairly well for example, having leant through them 1000s of times (or is it just me?!) So we probably have a firm idea in our minds of the coaches and hitting some key characteristics would determine if a model "looked" right. I accept there are constructive observations around details but compared to what has gone before, i'm hoping for something where at least the fundamentals are right. From what I've seen, which admittedly is restricted to a few photos so far, these coaches still have potential in terms of the overall shape and feel?

The other option is to order the black 58xx (which doesn't mention a top feed) and add the auto gear!

No problem. I see you are after black without top feed which hasn't actually been advertised yet (I'd prefer that as well). Will be interesting to see if the top feed is a removeable part or if they do two different body mouldings.

There is something called "Peto" which documents all sorts of things including liveries, when top feeds were fitted etc but I've only had others refer to it and not seen it myself. By the way there is already a thread on these locos in the Dapol part of the trade section. Might be worth posting there.

The top photo with the brake end? Suggestion is the corridor would be on the near side and the toilet window on the far side, when seen with the brake end to the right, which a quick Google images search seems to support.

Also don't end an auction in the middle of the night or Sunday's when songs of praise is on. People have better things to do apparently (Good time to buy though)!

Were the likes of North British, BRC&W etc completely independent of the big 4? I'd always assumed they were tied to one of the railways but that being the case, the farming out of panniers would seem strange. For that matter I've never been clear how much actual rivalry there was between the big 4 or whether there was really sufficient demand for all of them to operate happily alongside each other (hence much duplication of routes etc).

A view I concur with! (Before I get slated, said tongue in check)

Let's hope it at least sounds like a mink then!

Flog it on e bay. Have a look at what Tower are charging for new stuff then add 10%. Someone will buy it!

I guessed 7-1 Near enough for jazz! Thanks all for replies.

Finally sorting the lettering on mine following the info in this thread. Can I ask where you got the tare from or was it an educated guess? I've not found a photo other than in departmental use. Thanks!

A bit more progress passing through the paint shops. I re-filled and rubbed down a couple of areas after the first coat and gave it a second dusting (Halfords plastic primer). I've got some replacement windscreen wipers from JLTRT and will improve the headcodes but that's about it for the body other than caking the whole thing in grime. Chassis mods will involve narrowing the fuel tanks and moving back the bogie springs.

Meanwhile, who's this photo-bombing on the left?!

Video it at home and arrange a series of screens for the next generation to interact virtually?

Is that a 'five window' GWR box you are having done? I thought your previous standard hip roofed box was super but was too large for anything I'd need!

Just out of interest, there was a picture posted this weekend on the thread "Diesel Hydraulic Era O Gauge Garden Railway" (also within 7mm modelling) of a sand wagon with one spoked axle and one disc. I've got loads of spare spoked wheels but never enough discs. Have even toyed with trying to fill the spoked ones in!

Useful pic! Interestingly (or maybe it's just me) that's got the same square replacement axle boxes as the previous example shown. Better view of the brake cylinder which does look to be hung below the framing as suggested. Is that 'x' an old condemned marking with the circle missing?

Thanks, hope so. I thought I read on a thread somewhere that Westdale weren't trading but perhaps that was temporary.

Quite a bit of rubbing down later, including much fettling of the silencer, which has been built up and filed down again numerous times and I've got it sitting evenly. Need to drill a hole and add the two side steps and that bit is done. Relieved the removal of the roof panel clips has left a clean finish. Body wise that's about it. I've got some JLTRT replacement wipers and also cab hand rails although I'm not sure the latter are any better than the Heljan attempt. Will be adding the fuel tank cut-outs and narrowing the tanks as well as moving the bogie springs inwards: mods which been done many times elsewhere.

Cracking stuff as usual. Is the Westdale GUV one you've had for a while or are they available again?

Hole lined and silencer mounted on a bit of plasticine to see what it will look like. I might actually fabricate one from scratch rather than trying to even up the original piece, especially given its depth will need building back up anyway. (cant find exact photos)

Loving this series of your locos. What consistency do you put the grime on initially and do you mean you clean off immediately or later when dried?

There is a "GWR rolling stock: model and prototype" area under "Special interests". Might be worth trying your question in there perhaps?

This thread covers my efforts to build, detail and weather stock. Many are for an intended layout set in the St Blazey era c1957/8 but I often divert to something I fancy doing. Inspired by Brian Daniel's fairly recent detailing of his Heljan 33, I've ordered some of the JLTRT spares he used and am also doing a conversion to the original silencer and exhaust arrangement. I was intending to make a bit more progress before starting a thread but having contributed a photo elsewhere earlier and immediately got useful feedback, I thought it might be worth putting a few shots up now. I found enough photos on line and in various books to estimate the size of the hole relative to the roof grills with the intention of using the piece I removed from the roof to form the silencer, mounted on a flat plasticard base. Having drilled, sawed and chiselled out the roof piece, all of which would doubtless have been easier with a cutting disc, I rubbed down all the mould lines on the roof and cab window pillars (I'm trying to avoid repainting the green at the moment although the prominent lines at each corner do grate) and carefully paired or filed off the roof clips. Having cleaned up with very fine grade wet and dry I'm hoping it is all sufficiently invisible but am holding off the temptation to prime to see how smooth it is until I'm ready to paint it properly. There should be rivets all round the edges of the roof panels, and there is far too much depth to the panels themselves and the roof grill surrounds but I can live with these issues. At present the only steer I have on the exhaust hole is from the newer 00 model and I'm wary of modelling from a model - if anyone knows of a published photo that info would be appreciated. I'm also not clear how "deep" the hole around the silencer actually was.