Poor Old Bruce

Me too!. The Parkside Midland/early LMS Brake Van needs lots of wire handrails. It is probably to ease production of the masters but I do wonder why their positions are marked with pimples rather than dimples.

As far as I am aware, it was only those 0-4-4Ts (and 3F 0-6-0Ts) which were intended to work the London suburban services which were fitted with condensing aparatus. Those which worked in the open air would not need it so the S&DJR locos would not be condensers.

Lots of folks have used the 00 Graham Farish Suburban Brake as a basis for conversion. Plenty about at swapmeets in various liveries but all the same moulding underneath. It may not be the finest coach ever made but it does the job.

I did make a start on some Ratio conversions by cutting and shutting some sides but the job ground to a stand for some (probably domestic) reason - must fish them out again and carry on.

Don't you mean Captain Mainwaring ? Or were you waiting for someone to spot that as well??????????

....... and no microwave on the train either? Tut-Tut

Thanks Hayfield, you had be worried then that I had missed something (else).

Three variants? Educate me please, I thought there were only two: As built with round-top firebox and Superheated with Belpaire firebox. AFAIK SEF produce two separate kits because the boiler castings are very different but they did supply me with the necessary parts to backdate mine to as-built. Edit - If that sounds a bit stroppy I apologise but it isn't intended to be

Sorry folks. Pressed to 'Add Reply' button too soon.

Blue Peter did not carry the 'RA9' marking in 1966.

AFAIK the chains were used to tip the wagon body. The wagon was stopped (and presumably scotched or spragged) and the loco pulled the chain, thus tiping the body.

Keep up Jon, it's 2011 now

I would assume that once the juice was switched on that there would be little requirement for steam haulage on the route. I don't think there was an actual ban on steam over Woodhead but I don't think it was appreciated on its own there either. In about 1964 I was on a special train which had the B1 and train hauled from Wombwell to Guide Bridge by TOMMY, I assume the B1 crew were required to keep smoke to a minimum through the tunnel.

OK Rammers, as no-one else has asked, what is your particular "minor fault"?

I can confirm that I saw BP in Derby en route from somewhere to Tyseley and it was travelling light engine under its own steam without any assistance.

Inkerman Street was a very nicely built diorama. I would hesitate to call it a layout as such because it just consisted of a two-platform terminus station and a scissors crossover before the line disappeared into the fiddle yard. Despite it's hyped 'operating potential' all I saw was: Train enters station. Train sets back almost into fiddle yard to clear crossover. Loco disappears into fiddle yard to 'run round'. Train propelled into platform. Train departs. This sequence was repeated with different locos and trains. For a bit of added interest there wasa siding which meandered across the front of the layout (diorama) and there was some audience particpation in wagon coupling but that was about it. I repeat that the modelling of the stock and the scenery were to a very high standard but the operating potential was very limited. I would be interested to know what the track alterations will be. I also echo what others have said about the MRJ show that the organisers totally underestimated the number of people who would visit and that I, too, forsook the queue for Hursley.

The Works are flogging an artists' stand with a turntable for 5.99 at present. It's only plastic but should be adaptable for most purposes.

I thought Clay Mills didn't sound right

Doubt it's pre-prod given that 525 and 60537 are in the shops. The colour could be due to lighting and taking piccies into a display cabinet.

A couple of shots of BLUE PETER taken at the NEC yesterday:

Sorry SM, you usually talk a lot of good sense but I think you have your sums wrong here. I assume your 10ft 8.5in is made up of 4ft 8.5in track gauge (ignoring the fact that some bright spark change it to 4ft 8.375in at some stage for CWR and totally cocked up vehicle riding) plus the 'six foot' between the tracks. We all know that the track gauge is measured between the inside edges for the rails for the 4ft 8.5in but the 'six foot' is measured between the OUTSIDE edges of the rails, so for normal minimum track centres you need to add two rail head widths of 2.75in each making the centres 11ft 2in.

Looking at the picture of the A1 and A2 side-by-side, two questions arise: Why do the locos look to be much the same length when the A1 should be 1ft 11.375in (almost 8mm in 4mm scale) longer than the A2? and why does the A1 boiler look a lot shoprter than the A2's when they should be the same length as, according to the RCTS Green Books, both classes were fitted with Diagram 118 boilers? Please tell me its a trick of the camera.

I thought they used similar boilers but the A1 needed a longer smokebox.

Well done guys, especially considering it was still only an idea 18 months ago.

Farkham is going to Gateshead in a couple of weeks (they are at Hazel Grove this weekend btw). Get the boys to put in a word for you.