Hal Nail

This equally applies to almost every question asked on RMWeb, but you won't go far wrong spending some time on Google, especially images, which often unearths all sorts of ideas and inspiration. Lines with both 14xx and 45xx are actually relatively rare although most of us ignore that.

ive got a ridiculous number of cars given i haven't even built a layout yet! Ive even got a few duplicates where ive forgotten what I've already bought.

Is that a lesser black back or a greater on the tower? I know one has yellow legs but I cant see from here... :)

From Tower. You can usually estimate slippage by tracking how the ones ahead of them are doing. NEWS 14th June 2022 Heljan release schedule updates. Today Heljan have given us an update on their release schedule for the following O gauge products: Heljan Class 37/4 re-run - in transit, due July 2022 Heljan Catfish and Dogfish, in production, expected September or October 2022 Heljan Class 26, awaiting production slot, expected October 2022 Heljan Class 27 awaiting production slot, expected November 2022 Heljan CCT awaiting production slot, expected November 2022 Heljan Class 117 awaiting decorated samples, expected late 2022 Heljan Class 121 awaiting decorated samples, expected late 2022 Heljan Class 122 awaiting decorated samples, expected late 2022

The existing 121/122 thread does cover quite a few issues with the drive chain and peoples solutions.

David Parkins and J & M Hughes both do etches as well. I'm sure one of them would fit. https://www.djparkins.com/product.php?productid=18263&cat=302&page=2 My question is in 1967 or so, when blue grey first came in, were unmodified still exceptions or would they have been more common, ie were mods done as required, or had there been a mass refit earlier than this?

First thing that strikes me is how much better the glazing looks than many models - no sign of the thick prismatic edges in those pics. Would be marvelous if someone had cracked this area which I think is the case of a lot of "shape" issues, particularly with diesel cabs.

Hi John It wasnt an upgrade - the whole thing crashed and they had to completely change host. Pictures are/were gradually being reinstated up to the last back up they had but it's a real shame as so much useful info isnt there now.

Yes although adding an instanter to spare chain works out much cheaper. I should have added Dapols links dont tend to stay put in their coupling which is probably why they supply spares.

For 3 link I just use whatever comes with the kit or the spares box but most of my stock, such as the fitted palvan, would have instanters and I always seem to be short! Slaters do cast ones but they are quite pricey to buy undividually so I got one of the various etches that are available for the middle link. For screw couplings I bought Dapol spares.

I took this as a reference shot today. Anyone know what the little shelf/bracket over the near windscreen is?

Of course we ae all focussing on going up but from Wiki.... "2 April 1977 – BR Class 122 single-car diesel unit W55012 suffered a brake failure while descending the branch from Stourbridge Junction and crashed through the buffers and the wall beyond, leaving the front part of the train overhanging the road below."

The little ramp up into the bay at Greenford, which used to be handled by a 121, must be fairly pokey? Usually tackled at a crawl having come off a tight curve. Edit: Postscript to this - I've just read they are trialling battery units on the line this year although if they can get up the Stourbridge branch, I expect this little ramp wont be a problem.

Yes sorry - I was comparing it to the side on photo further up the page and thinking the wheels lined up differently with the body but on reflection its just the angle.

Is that definitely the diagram we are discussing? Hard to be sure but looks more like a 10' wheelbase version to me

Not sure - isnt that at one end? There is something smack in the middle under the battery box covers between the bogies, where the air tanks were added later on. Some sort of "tap" which i need to scratch build as I've left a gap at the moment.

I've always liked "near enough for jazz"!

In similar vein, the Mid Hants' steam crane's black match wagons havent got anything written on them. In the absence of better info I'd copy them!

https://railsofsheffield.com/blogs/news/lionheart-trains-o-gauge-standard-3mt

Was up close today so took this.

At the company I was at for years, the Chief Exec was completely clueless about the industry so instead of running it, set up a series of committees to stifle any creative ideas then spent all day promoting woke causes which got him a lot of publicity. When he left after 10 years the share price was considerably lower than when he joined but he would perhaps argue, with some justification, that he ended up that game a few million ones up on the rest of us.

Asking more in hope than expectation but does anyone have a good photo of the drain cock (?) right underneath the battery box covers in the original configuration?

Mine are very smooth albeit only tried on a length of flat track but less vibration through the body than a Dapol bolster (no springing or compensation) which was the other wagon i had to hand. I've had a reply from Ellis now and they are set up to fully compress to avoid bouncing. My other experience of springing is the guitar wire type, using the gauge recommended by others, which take a fair force to compress - but I think they are more aimed at rolling smoothly than absorbing a bad joint etc

A follow up point which equally applies to other wagon types, even if a fitted 9' wagon survived to the late 50's, would it actually have been used in normal fitted freights, or were these 10' only by then? I recall a similar chat about GWR 9' fitted vans (v21?) which are equally scarce in photos. Obviously there were 9' fitted minerals, but were they restricted to certain classes of freight?

Have you tried popping it in the freezer? This can crack superglue.