Portchullin Tatty

Andrew,

The one failing that I have found with the Comet chassis technique is that the cut out to take the spring goes up quite high on the frames and makes them a bit prone to bending at this point.  For this reason, I felt it was necessary to sweat a thin sheet stiffener across the top of where the springs sit.

The springs are also prone to dissapearing - I eventually soldered them to the top of the hornblock!

I would think that the double slip at the platform end is most unlikely.  I also doubt that the overall roof would go over two sidings (because you have not included a run around loop on the main platform road) as they are expensive to build!

Metalsmiths do a series of turntables and so to do London Road Models.  A 60 foot turntable will do all of the locos you have mentioned, you might get away with a 55 footer for most of them (but measure the wheelbase please).  I doubt that the NER would really have put in anything bigger than 50 foot as they would have generally have used 4-4-0's but try Alnwick as it famously had a lot of big engines at the end of its life.

Sorry, should have added. Replace the buffers - they are far too delicate.

The recesses would have long since been plated over as the gas lighting will have been removed prewar.  Don't use plastic based filler as the depth of this means that the solvent will not evaporate and over several months/years it will turn the plastic in close proximity to mush!

You will want the LMS period III livery (applied from post 1934, so presumably by "post war" you would assume that it had been repainted?).  Coach ends were crimson up until 1936, so again I presume you will assume that the coach was repainted after this time?

The good news is that it is simple lining, unless you are saying that the pre 1934 paint finish was still apparent.

Jenkinson's LMS coaches is pretty cheap to buy second hand -

Very fine indeed Morgan!  A bit lost for Barrow Road?

Looks smart Robin.

Something to look out for is that the timber will be fairly moist given that it sat outside for a while and is bound to have got wet.  For the first 12 months, I would keep some heat in the engineshed by way of a couple of greenhouse heaters.  This will help drying the wood out a bit.

I had a problem in my first year and since I have put these on in the winter (you can get thermostatically controlled heaters) I have not had any further problems - well I did when I left one of the skylights open but that is my fault!

Looks good.

Sorry I did not get down to see it today; but I will certainly catch you at Uckfield.

The Bill Bedford sprung bogies are much better than compensation (in my view anyway).  The coach moves so much more realistically and smoothly.

Nestor,

There are a number of 21mm gauge modellers in the S4 Society and a couple of topics running on their forum; so there is support and experience for you. 

There used to be an area group based in Plumpton but they are only semi-official now.  It was based on Barry Luck's house and he still accomodates visitors.  Announce yourself on the S4 forum and I am sure he will offer with a slight prompt.  The support you will get from visiting and talking to active finescale modellers will be invaluable.

Mark

Its amazing how much you can do with a  deadline looming isn't it Andrew?  See you on Friday, I suspect (if you don't you are unlikely to have power for Wheal Elizabeth!).

Mark

Looking forward to seeing the T9 in particular.

Thanks for stepping in at short notice.

I would be a little careful with such a substantial direct link from the servo to the signal.  Servos are quite powerful and will think nothing of yanking the operating wire right out of the signal! 

There is a risk that this will occur when you set the signal up and also if it does any twitches or other oddities (the servo boards do from time to time).

Introduce an omega loop?

It is defective matting agent as you have suggested.  Not a lot you can do about it although a bit of weathering will cover most of it.

I doubt that the track would have been perfect in 1905 or indeed until much later when machine assembled track panels started to come to the fore.  However hard it is tried, humans don't manage to get to this level which is one of the reasons handbuilt track looks so much better on my eye.

Whilst the GWR were I am sure much grander than my interests, the sleepers on the Highland even at the end of their existence often had palpable memories that they were once trees, they included rounded sections and bark!

In addition, the plastic chairs will allow the rail to slide a little, so you can still form the curves with fully preassembled track if you wish.

Looks good though.

Cheers Mark. For the location I intend to (eventually) model they were clearly there and part of the scenery, so whilst it doesn't really sit with my "depot" plans specifically, the model was nice and I thought well why not; I'm sure I'll find an excuse ... and I did. As for yours.... it's your railway isn't it.. so rule number 1 applies. Don't think we'll see one on Brighton road this weekend though ;-)

I gave in.............

Did you have any issues with differences in buffer heights?

A fair amount of carving is requited to get a sound speaker in there too..............I'm still cutting!

Some neat stuff there and I would imagine that the jigs for the turnouts will assist.

You may find that with the doors/windows putting a larger margin around them to allow them to be secured to the overal body of the building would assist?

Looks grand; sir!

Looks good Mark.

.................see you at Missenden!

Shall I bring a few spare motor/gearboxes.................

Arguably, you only need a driver and one passenger - they were not that well patronised!!  It looks a bit grey inside too, some painting will be required as you do see straight inside. 

I do fancy one of these for myself - it is not really right but what the hell!

Mark

Would I be right in guessing that these must be the only P4 versions of Thomas, Annie and Clarabel?

Sorry but no.  They quite regularly get out on Clutton.

Mind you, Clutton is exGWR so there is no accounting for went on in that part of the world!

Looks good Robin

Grand that, beats kitchen extensions...............

Brilliant work there............

The operators behaved themselves too?  Gosh; that was a successful weekend............

Fine work Wenlock.

It is difficult to argue that the late victorian and edwardian loco's were not the pinnicle of "prettyness"!!!

Just think of all those lovely slates you now have to do.............