Galtee More

Hi Mark, I'm now really looking forward to seeing Portchullin at our show (Nottingham) next weekend. It seems an age since we first saw it and started 'negotiations' with you. It's been a long wait - well, a lot longer than either of us initially envisaged, but I'm sure it'll be well worth it. You'll be in good company in your part of the hall: several RM Webbers with Scottish layouts ! Hopefully, I'll get time for several excursions from the office to come up for some barrier leaning sessions. See you in a few days. Ian

Derby was always an important mail hub. Certainly in steam days, however, the Lincoln - Derby train was known as the 'Tamworth Mail' and, I believe, ran through to Tamworth. This was, presumably, for transfer of mails, from High Level to Low Level, to a WCML service. I believe this train also had passenger accommodation. I recall it running through the outer suburbs of Nottingham (towards that city), travelling rather fast, hauled by an ex-LMS 2-6-4T. Ian.

Not only are the bogies of the wrong type, being BR1s, if I remember correctly, but the bogie centres are incorrect too. I detailed a Lima Siphon G many years ago now (It's somewhere up in the loft at present.). At the time, someone, possibly ABS, did a kit which included two cast whitemetal plates with a locating spigot on the top side at one end and a new bogie mounting boss on the other side at the other end. You hacked off the Lima's big plastic boss, then located the plate with the spigot in the resulting hole, bonded it to the plastic and fitted your new bogies to the boss. Bob's your uncle: bogies at the correct centres and it makes a world of difference. I'm not sure now, but parts for replacement GWR bogies may have been included in the kit. I know it was my very first effort at soldering whitemetal and it was ..... well, a disaster. So I fitted a pair of GEM Equispring bogies in the end. They're not quite right, due to the lack of footsteps in the correct places. Is this kit still available from ABS, or whoever, I wonder ? Ian

Also available from Book Law Publications with 15% discount. Book Law Publications 382 Carlton Hill CARLTON Nottingham NG4 1JA Tel: 0115 961 1066 Email: enquiries@booklaw.co.uk Web: http://www.booklaw.co.uk

My father built a live steam, three and a half inch gauge, GN Atlantic in LNER livery, during the late 1940s/early 1950s. He did his research at the time and found that the LNER Green was supplied by Manders and the shade was called Suffield Green No 2. He was able to obtain some from Manders and he obtained a further supply in the 1970s. Ian

Perversely, your photograph seems to be one of the better illustrations of these three tenders ! I've not yet found any 'from above' shots, but the following may be of use to you: a. RCTS (the 'Green Books') Locomotives of the LNER Part 2A, Fig 156 (60033). b. Irwell Press, The Book of the A4 Pacifics, by Peter J Coster, p 215 (60029); p 226 (60033). There may also be something ib the various supplements to this volume, but I can't lay my hand on mine at present. c. Yeadon's Register of LNER Locomotives, Vol 2, p 77 (60022). I hope that helps. If anything else comes to life, I;ll post it here. Regards, Ian

PDH Drawing Services have just advised that they have now completed the drawings of the AEI/GEC cross-arm pan. I understand that there is one drawing of the Class 87, with cross-arm pan, and a larger scale drawing of the pan itself. Both drawings cost £10.00 inc p&p and are available from: PDH Drawing Services 67 Coombe Rise OADBY Leicester LE2 5TU Usual disclaimers apply ! Ian

Book Law Publications of Nottingham still have remaindered copies available for about a fiver ! Their website has an enquiry form, plus full contact details, including e-mail, telephone and postal address. For some time I'd thought I should have one or two cross-arm pans, but I'd never done anything.about it - Another of those 'Roundtuit' things. The OP's original enquiry, however, prodded me into action. I looked at PDH Drawing Services' website and saw that they did a drawing for the Class 87, Drawing No LE-014, Class 87 Bo-Bo. I enquired of David Hulls of PDH if his drawing features the cross-arm papantograph. In his very prompt reply, David said that he would amend the drawing top include the cross-arm pan and would also priduce an additional, larger scale, drawimg of just the pantograph, proably by sometime next week - such service ! I cannot yet vouch for PDH's drawings, but they certainly sound promising ..... and any information is better that none. I've also heard from a third party, that Brian of Shawplan has mentioned that he might consider doing a kit for them, probably using brass laminations etched to size. Whether there's any truth in this, I don't know, but it would certainly help the case if all those interested made their requirements known to Brian and, similarly to PDH. Ian

You need to file a small flat at the spot you are going to drill. Don't forget to centre punch before drilling. A piece of tape, to stop th drill bit wondering off, has also worked in some cases. Ian

Yes, he does !

A couple of years ago, our Chairman, a dyed in the wool D & E modeller, decided to build a Gauge 0 Britannia kit (... don't ask !). I don't know where he got the idea from, but he went to Wilkos (Wilkinson's) and bought a tin of Hammerite's 'Special Metal Primer'. It is intended for priming aluminium, brass, copper, galvanised & stainless steels and chrome, before applying any of the standard Hammerite finishing coats. I'm told that it is, in effect, a self-etch primer, is thin enough not to obscure detail and can be thinned, if necessary, with water ! The best thing is the price £3.53 for 250ml (also available in 500ml and 2.5l). I've seen the Brittania and it looks superb. Which ever way you go, though, preparation and cleanliness of the equipment and the model is most important.

It may be of use and interest to know that there will be special Demonstration on modelling the 1500V dc Woodhead system at this year's NOTTINGHAM East Midlands EXHIBITION. This will cover building EM1s (Class 76s) and the OHLE. This will be a taster for one of the themes at next year's show, where there will be Woodhead layouts in 0 Gauge, 00 Gauge and N Gauge ! For anyone with even just a passing interest in the Woodhead line, this will be the place to be. Come along to see us ! In addition, there will be at least two Trade Exhibitors selling LEDs