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Thanks Jenny for posting this picture and your review. Much appreciated and a positive perspective to the thread at last. Look forwards to the future videos. Cheers, Mark

Did anyone take any photographs of the Fell at Model Rail Scotland? It would be great to see them. I'm looking forwards to this model from KR Models. Cheers, Mark

Someone mention Burly Chassis..

Got any R.O.D's, Robin?

Is there a winter scheme?

Not 'Dick Mabutt`?!!! Cracking work as ever James and thanks for another wonderful and inspiring update... Have you done any of the BZ 37's at all? These are the ones I remember the most in my Devon/Cornwall days. Going back to Class 60's again another favourite was 60035 'Florence Nightingale' in Transrail livery.. Thanks once again. Mark

And rather good it looks too...

GWR in the East Riding of Yorkshire. I've had a lovely visit to see the snowdrops at 6998 today... Cheers, Mark

Another Derails convert. Purchased an Hornby 72004 Clan MacDonald minus front top lamp bracket for £158. Excellent service all round from the Derails team. The loco arrived safely today. Well packaged and tested. Currently Hornby Clan's are selling for £178.00 from Derails. Worth looking at if your after one. Will certainly be ordering from them again. Cheers, Mark

Picked up a 72004 Clan MacDonald from Derails minus front top lamp bracket for £159. It arrived safely today nicely packaged and tested prior to dispatch. Excellent service all round. Worth giving them a call. Currently Clan's from Derails are £179.00. Cheers, Mark

Lovely snaps Robin. I bet your glad you kept No:22.. Toboldygo has done a cracking job... Look forwards to seeing more No:22 action on the Kingsbridge branch. Perhaps a NPCS vehicle in tow would be a nice... Cheers, Mark

Thanks to you all for your replies. Most helpful indeed. I've acquired a new packet of Alan Gibson 0.45 brass wire so now set for the task. Cheers, Mark

Currently I am building a kit for an GER/BR J69 and I am trying to make the curved handrail which surrounds the front and sides of the smokebox. I have pre-curved the front bend with Alan Gibson 0.45 wire and the handrail knobs are insitu. I am struggling to get the 'L' shaped bend and gentle curve on this bend insitu. Would anyone have any top tips for this process? Thanks in advance. Mark

Coming together nicely... I'd agree with your sentiments on the Vitrains Class 37 and a sad loss they are no longer made. Look forwards to further updates. Cheers, Mark

Thanks Pete... As for the Shakatak CD Branson weathering report shortly...

Talking of GWR railcars I saw the lovely Streamlined No: 4 in the NRM recently next to Lode Star... A bit obscured sadly in my shot..

That looks superb Robin... Glad I was of assistance in my powers of persuasion... Must say toboldlygo has done a champion job...

The venerable Hornby 9F has quite a provenance as we all know. Obviously the announcement of a new model brings the story up to date. A couple of years ago I purchased a loco drive Hornby Railroad 9F. Looking through my well thumbed copy of Steam Railways In Colour Around Northamptonshire by Coleman & Rajczonek I found a photograph of 92231 hard at work at Desborough in 1965. At this time the locomotive was allocated to York. The Hornby model captures the shape of the prototype nicely so I decided to bring it up to a more contemporary standard forgiving the punn. At the smoke box end I lowered the top lamp iron to the left side of the door using the Branson Staple Method. Stays for the smoke deflectors were made from brass strip from Eileen's Emporium. The door dart is from Alan Gibson. Sourced from the excellent Bachmann Spares Department a detailing pack prodded the front steps and drain cocks. The Hornby cast steps having been removed. I inked in the valve gear with a silver Sharpie pen to tone things down. The driving wheels and pony truck tyre walls were treated with a black Sharpie. Moving towards the cab I remodelled the cab spectacle windows with gentle cutting and filling. Slater's Microstrip helped form the window beading. Micro Kristal Kleer formed the spectal windows. The cab windows were flush fit made from a CD case. I added the cabside washout access doors from foil adhesive tape. Around the draw bar area I added the extra plating along with strengthening plates. Progressing to the tender I scratch built the cab doors from Plasticard and flush glazed the windows with CD casing. The Hornby BR1G tender as supplied comes with a generous moulded coal load to accommodate the previous tender driven Ringfield motor incarnation. I took it upon myself to improve this feature by chain drilling the coal load and making good. Making a false Plasticard bunker floor I was then able to add additional detail including then fire iron tunnel using the same medium. Real coal was then added for the load. Crew are the usual Dapol/Airfix subjects painted with Vallejo acrylics. Fox transfers were used for numbers and shed code plate. Pacific Models provided the smoke box number plate. A light weathering awaits. Cheers, Mark

Very sad news indeed. I never met Keith in person but did converse with him over emails. He built me some turnouts in fine scale N Gauge for my future excursion into 2mm scale modelling. In this instance the point work for Attadale Station on the Kyle Line. Keith was most helpful and provided an excellent service. The turnouts themselves are like jewellery and I will certainly look forward to using them. A very sad loss and my condolences to Keith's family. RIP Keith.

If anyone is after one of these Monk Bar Models in York had one left this afternoon. I think it was £314 and they do mail order. Hope that helps. Cheers, Mark

It is a real shame this project has faltered. Unfortunately the lack of updates and positivity towards the project did not bode well. The 73/9's are part of the current motive power scene from the South of England to Scotland and in between. They certainly deserve a state of the art model which I feel Accurascale would have provided for KMS Railtec and still can as part of the Accurascale range I believe. Having seen the Caley Sleeper 73/9's in the Highlands I was looking forwards to this model appearing to run with the Accurascale Mk5 Sleeper coaches. Here's hoping we will see this distinctive and charactermastic class of locomotives available in 4mm scale eventually. Thanks to Accurascale for the long awaited and not too surprising update. Cheers, Mark

Thankyou Mikkel It was a lovely project and the Modelu figures like you say helped to lift a fairly mundane model. I must say these newer Modelu figures really are crisply printed and well defined. The Vallejo acrylics are always good to work with as well as you well know. Thanks again. Mark

Thanks Pete.. Can't beat a Tunnocks Wafer I say and a free tarpaulin to boot. My preference is the Dark Chocolate version. 2mm coming together and will appear eventually. May be a bit of 009 before though...

Those Craster Kippers do have a lovely aroma emanating from the Craster Kippery... A good northerly wind certainly adds to the effect...

Received my J69 bodyshell today. Very prompt service and well packaged. I must say I am really impressed with this print and if you went for the additional numbering service it would literally be a 'shake and bake' form of modelling with two screws required to fix on the donor Terrier chassis. In this instance I am going to add additional detail including metal lamp irons as well as new buffers and coupling hooks. It will be finished as Cambridge's 68555 as per Barry Norman's MRJ 284 article of his 7mm model. Being a Scottish exile it will inherit shunting footsteps and bunker handrails. Watch this space for an update eventually. Excellent service and product all round. The D40 looks superb by the way. Cheers, Mark