mattingleycustom

Every now and then I get a question from potential buyers on Ebay, some make perfect sense others are a bit more vague ... can anyone decipher this? (I'm selling a Hornby DCC Ready A4 Chassis): "Hi my boyfriend has few doc trains and wants no if you can do dcc chassis thanks" Glenn

Sadly 21C159 is not a donor for any of the West Country Class members based at Exmouth Junction in 1947, as it sports the wedge shaped cab front. With a stretch of the imagination you could opt for one of a pair of Battle of Britain class locos that were allocated to Salisbury at the time: 21C151 Winston Churchill, or 21C152 Lord Dowding. It's damp 'darn saaf'.

Your 'Arthur' is filthy Sir! ... and someone appears to have BR-Standardised that former Spam Can, no, no, I don't like it. Look a County! Glenn

Obviously a mobile bike rack wagon; a 'Treader A' perhaps?, the GWR was way ahead when it came to sustainable transport. I'll get my coat ...

Oh yes, it is far better that you have enlivened Brent with some SR colour and flair than have a Bulleid languishing in the cupboard ... there's nothing worse than being bullied in the cupboard. I'll get my coat ...

Look!, Look!, a Bulleid!, definitely a Bulleid ... now where's that drink? 21C159 on loan?, that's a shame I love detailing a Bulleid pacific; shiny buffers, 'the pipe' is missing, accessories not fitted, number missing from the front end; just as well rename it really, how about 'Spitfire', or 'Hurricane'? Drink!, Glenn

Look!, Look!, I can see a Bulle... bottle of Cider. DRINK! (a la Father Jack) Still rainin' darn saaf in soggy Pompey

Oh, you are too kind Sir! ... but you only get to see the ones I'm proud of, you should see some of the c*ck ups I've made! Sorry, sorry, I am a dedicated professional and every thing I do is fully researched and turns out brilliantly (yeah, right). Glenn - muck spreader extraordinaire

In amongst the serious(ish) modelling entries and sound advice, it's the sheer lunacy of some of the posts on this thread that keep me coming back for more. The Duck is spot on. Keep it light! Glenn from 'darn saaf'

Ah, the Great Western bible on tinterweb, I should have looked there first myself. Anyway must dash, I have to ruin some GWR County 4-6-0s for another customer/victim! ... you're sure you don't want me to adjust that weathering? Glenn

Send it to me, I'll weather it properly for you. Did many 43XXs have side window cabs? Non-GWR expert from 'daan saaf'

Churchward is pronounced: 'GOD', blimey! No, not even Stephen Fry could convince of that definition even if it did appear on QI, but I'll go with Church (place of worship) -ward (where hospital patients are kept). 45XX, damn cute little engines, I have a weakness for the things, myself ... okay, okay, I've got one!, I've confessed, I feel better. Thanking you, your GWR-ness

Thank God for that, someone else who can read!, all I hear is: 'Mornsell' (frequently) and 'Bully-id' (now and again). Now you GWR-types, is it 'Churchwood' (that's how I says it), or 'Church-ward' (like what Fred Dibnah said)? Unedumacated of Portsmuff

I painted the red edges of the bufferbeam matt black which helps the appearance. Since the photos were taken, I took a look at 2750 from the front end and just couldn't deal with the skewed bufferbeam that resulted from the bent left hand running plate. I'm very pleased to report that your 'bending' method (albeit fraught with the danger of actually breaking the thing) has resulted in Papyrus having almost straight running plates and a straight bufferbeam. The 'black sandwich plates' between the steam pipes and the running plate are in reality covers over the valve rodding. On the model they're solid blocks of plastic, whereas on the real things they were hollow allowing for the greater movement of the valve gear consequent on the fitting of long travel valves. Glenn

HMRS transfers were used on this occasion

I use wet and dry to remove numbers in most cases but these resisted, so I resorted to white spirit. I purchased two 'Book Laws', this one: Papyrus for a commission and the other (Manna is the chosen victim) for myself. Both arrived missing the reversing rod and damper door piece, both in the boxes. Papyrus was in marginally better condition, 'Manna' has the white lining missing from the front bogie wheels after contact with the misplaced front footsteps. I might have a go at improving Manna's loco body, but it can wait a while as I have other work that must take priority:- SR types come first! (usually). Glenn

Here's one I renamed as 2750 Papyrus. Note the distortion of the running plate over the LH cylinder that is quite severe. I put the new number a little higher than that on the original, but this still fails to line up with the 'LNER' on the tender. I suspect either the loco cab is too low; I think the loco slopes downwards from the front and note that the running plates on loco and tender fail to line up, or the tender rides too high, or most likely a bit of both. RTR manufacturers can get away with it, a kitbuilder most definitely wouldn't. Anyway, No.2596 Manna is next. Glenn

Whatever the various faults with the model; most of which I admit I failed to spot. I note that the major retailers appear to have sold out of Book Law already, perhaps it was a short run or a small initial batch ... hopefully the next example will be better researched and put together properly. Glenn

Extracts from RCTS Locomotives of the LNER Part 2A Classes A1 to A10: Following complaints from the enginemen in 1934, Bucket seats were first fitted to 4476 in June 1935, followed by 4474 in July, from August Gresley instructed that all the pacifics be so fitted ... at the same time the rear cut-out was reduced by raising the cab sheets by 11 inches. Therefore, the Bucket seats were fitted the same time as smaller cut outs from 1935. Glenn

No, they're not. On the prototypes the fitting of the bucket seats was coincident with a reduction in the size of the cut out at the rear of the cab. However Hornby's model has both the bucket seats and the large cab cut outs. On my model the reversing rod was missing but was found among the packaging - most likely succumbing to the rigours of the delivery journey. Anyway, errors apart, at last I have an A3 to go with my small fleet of LNER A1s and A4s !!! Glenn

Garter blue for the loo, would that make it an A4 Poo-cific (!) ... ... I'll get my coat.

Your method is about the same as how I do it. I use a sharp craft knife and cut slightly away from the bottom of the nameplate itself to remove the distance piece, I then use a half round needle file to take away the excess brass up to the lower nameplate moulding. If the nameplate has a class tag as well I resort to a triangular needle file to get as close as I dare to the moulding. To minimise the chance of bending the nameplate (and you are not alone I've bent a few, don't worry!). Do hold the nameplate in a clamp of some description at all times and only file in the area adjacent to where you are holding the plate in the clamp, I inherited a hand-held steel clamp contraption some years ago and this has proved invaluable for these jobs. I hope this helps, Glenn

... tell me about it, at one stage Robin's 5077 nearly didn't make it through the renaming process. I was all for giving up, but gave it a rest and then carried on cutting and filing. Black paint hides a lot of sins and I was aided by the class tag on Fairey Battle for something to attach to Hornby's painted brass original. I don't like renaming Hornby Patriots or Royals Scots for the same reason. Glenn