Buhar

I did some sums with the 3mph rate and got 45 secs or so for 180 degrees turn by hand. A little longer to allow for getting going and slowing down. Alan

A couple of generations back, our local Laird in Dumfriesshire whose castle had a private siding off the Caley main line was a big fan of hunting with hounds. Maybe more popular in the lowlands. His descendant claimed they had a private carriage kept there, but I'm not convinced. Alan

Hi @Andy Vincent Not wishing to clutter or divert the D299 thread with specifics about your kits I thought resurrecting this thread might be more appropriate. Is there anywhere where the build dates of the various Gloucester wagons you feature can be found? Also, POWSides don't give dimensions for their transfers, so I suspect they're one size only and so not going to be suitable for all three of the lengths you do via Brassmasters. Thanks Alan

I think it's double. There appears to be a peg off for the opposite line in the background. Alan

You'll struggle to find either Avonside or Hobby Holidays versions, although Phil was considering a run of his (HH) if there was sufficient interest. That was a good while ago, so I suspect interest hasn't materialised. I'm not convinced the Poppy's Woodtech Locobox holds things reliably in their correct positions and it seems possible to erect frames out of square if there's any error between the pairs of coupling rods. Alan

In an Edinburgh establishment Jobby Catchers (loose trousers with elasticated ankles) are banned.

When a tyre is changed they rip off the existing weights and dump them, so no need to beg for new. Double sided tape will attach reliably. Alan

No I think @Hal Nail was referencing Magnahesion with tongue firmly planted in cheek. Alan

One definition promoted on Off The Ball was the need to change footwear to participate. Works for most, though not archery and target shooting. Alan

IPA (or almost any alcohol based chemical) is pretty much unobtainable in Turkey, I don't know how the few 3D resin printer folk manage. Alan

The buffers were quite good, as was the whistle, but anything between or below was awful. Alan

RMweb has now been banned in Florida schools. Alan

Ian, you created a lovely, evocative layout and I've missed it during your hiatus last year. Good luck with your next venture. Alan

Hi Bernard With the right smokebox and a renewed tender (both existing, unless the smokebox tooling is unavailable) it would have passed muster as an "improved" model and the existing price would have been reasonable. I would love Hornby to make the new tender available separately for their older models. Admittedly, if they did it properly, there would be six liveries needed without the welded, rivetted and part rivetted variations. Would the underpinning alone be enough to update? Alan

I can't see the brake pipes on those models noted as dual braked. Is that just the nature of these early images? Alan

To add to our woes (moans) it looks like the newly tooled Black 5 tender has not been fitted to this model so we still have a ledge. Alan

FWIW the Hornby image for R30281 on their website clearly shows a separate smokebox dart and the front handrail doesn't look moulded. I'm not sure of the veracity of that image (artist's impression, old photo or what) but that's what Hornby are advertising. Alan

So nothing to do with a change of gauge then? Alan

Hi Graham, Would the down siding never be used as a refuge by a freight that had unexpectedly struggled up the bank and so was being too closely pursued by a passenger? Alan

Wildebeest were clearly the preserve of the Great Western Alan

The problem for Hornby is that the standard LMS Composite was 60' long as opposed to the 57' of the single class coaches so requiring a new underframe. It's a shame as a Brake Composite would be a very useful vehicle as it provided the through coaches all over the system. The later, very good Staniers were all 57' and, as you note, featured an all first, which was not a common design. I think R4130 is a 60' design compressed onto a 57' underframe with origins in Airfix. Dapol's CKD kits (also Airfix) have (or is that now had?) a compo on the correct underframe which was a D1898. Your wish will not be granted even if the Coronation coaches are released in lake, no composites there. Bachmann's porthole stock did feature a 60' brake compo, but that may be too late for you, it's essentially a British Railways product. Alan

I think you might need to anneal it. Do you cook with gas? Do be careful, as once softened it's easy to distort with even finger pressure. My experience is limited (and with mixed results) so I don't know if you can slightly anneal brass or whether it's all or nothing. Alan

I think you need to add something to your location note:- "..........or eat my house."

Glass fibre roofs are an option and they've usually got a 20 year guarantee. For my railway house (some way off yet, regrettably) I'm planning on using Insulated Steel Panels, basically Kingspan PIR sandwiched between shaped, coated steel sheets. They're about 1m wide and can span 3.5m unsupported, interlocking with each other. You can get a whole building made from them. Alan