Portchullin Tatty

The top dollar way of doing etched toilet windows is to get some laser engraved. These were done for a friend by York Modelmaking and are 4mm scale; they are Highland and it is a thistle emblem to the centre.

Hi Mike Once you have got used to the Bill Bedford springing units you will find that you automatically ditch compensation even where it is built into the kit. They do work better in most confined underframes and don't have the big cut you have to form with compensation to allow for their movement. I also find the movement of a vehicle that has springing more realistic. So definitely give them a go. And yes, the Settle to Carlise was the MR's main line and they will have used their premier stock on the principal trains. So if what you are describing are in period, they would go through Carlise. And they make truly magnificent models if done well. If you allow the photos on this link scroll through you will find Rodney Cooper has built a couple (and he is handy at coach building!) https://www.rocarmodelcarriages.co.uk/modeltraincarriages/railway-companies/london-midland-and-scottish-railway/

Yes, all the Highland's signals were lower quadrants. Many were converted to upper quadrants by the LMS or BR; some using the existing posts and others as outright replacements. There are still a few signals on the line that have portions of the highland signal still there even now (the Dunkeld up starter for example). They were mostly Mackenzie and Holland but they did go to other suppliers like Duttons from time to time. Whilst my blog covers more than just Highland signals, there are chunks about them on it and much of my other signal construction is M&H so there is some similarity. https://highlandmiscellany.com/tag/signals/

Mike With regard to radial underframes, you might want to take a look at this other forum thread, as someone has just done it in 7mm. https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/threads/genghiss-7mm-workbench.4475/page-14

Mike You might want to look at sliding axles as per those i use on 6 wheeled vehicles. I find them much more successful than either cleminson chassis or the moving W iron cradles used a lot by Microrail See here: https://highlandmiscellany.com/2018/02/20/sliding-axles/

Beware that you have used yellow on the perimeter (single line) and straw on the centre mouldings (straw/black/straw). But the Fox lining does work very well on the square panel MR stock like this. You can see my efforts by the same technique on my blog: https://highlandmiscellany.com/2020/01/04/lining-things-up/

For those of you that are interested in these NER coaches, there has been a helpful discussion on the S4 Society forum as to the details of these coaches, Go towards the end of page 13 and the start of page 14 of this thread: https://www.scalefour.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=91&t=1345&start=300

Thanks Mick, I was vaguely aware of Worsley Works roofs but unclear which ones I wanted. I deliberately made the roof of 0.25mm brass so it had some thickness both at the edges to look more prototypical but also for a bit of strength where I cut out the holes below the clerestory. However, I might give the Worsley Works ones a crack next time (fear not, I still have a few others on the shelf!) as there was a lot of work in the roof. Mark

Some time back I posted about the construction of a NER autocoach that I was building for Benfieldside and subsequently what it looked like once painted by Warren Heywood. The NER generally used these in pairs, with a loco sandwiched between, although they did go out singly and even as quads. In this case, the Benfieldside team wish to operate them as a pair, as the bay to the right of the layout is conceived to receive such a train, with a NER / LNER G6 in between. This means that there was pressure to build the second from the moment I handed the first over. They have recently given me a favour, so it was high time I repaid it. It is now completed down to the final check over stage (which has indicated that I need to put the steam heating pipes on – doh!) and then it can be delivered. So I have braved the fading light this afternoon (so sorry about some of the depth of field issues) to take a few pictures. I completed a few personal upgrades to the kit in both this and the earlier autocoach. Chief of these is around the roof where I ditched the plastic roof and replaced it with rolled brass. This was formed of 0.25mm to give it a tangible depth, which makes its rolling a fair challenge. Add to this, I elected to cut out the portion below the clerestory, so that it was a clerestory! By the time I had added the gas lines and the various gas lamps and ventilators, I reckon there is around 20 hours in making the roof alone! The prototype coaches were fairly long lived and numerous. They thus collected a good number of alterations and differences over time. I took some guidance to David Addyman and tweaked the kit in respect of gas lines, foot steps, handrails, footboards and gas cylinders. If someone thinks this is wrong, please don’t tell me!! It always amuses me that the driver had to stand and peer down the line through two tiny windows. They lived in different times – could you imagine the snow-flakes tolerating this in the 21st century? These are rather beautiful coaches, but not for the feint-hearted as there is a lot of time invested in these. I am pleased I do not have to paint it!

Chris Can I add myself to the list of people that has run into this problem too. I have been charged for a pre-order which apparently went to an address which was correct when I made the pre-order but is no longer current. It has come back to you but you think I should pay a second postage cost to reissue it. I did attempt to view my pre-orders both before and over the Christmas period but couldn't do either this or change my account details. I do not think it is in the least bit reasonable to pay for an issue that flows from a failing of your system to migrate data from the old version!

That is looking very impressive. And a great prototype too! Can I suggest that it would be more realistic if this was the bridge where located where your present stone five arch bridge is than to one side of it? Bridges are expensive to make, so they only use them when they are necessary so they don't just appear. It would look rather grand with a stone arch either side and then with the truss in the middle. Google the Boat of Brig viaduct for a bit of inspiration (one side has several arches, the other only a single arch). However, your trainset and all that!

It is probably worth going over the surface of the sets with sandpaper once it has properly cured. It will take the rather rounded tops of the SE Finecast plasticard back a bit?

That looks very smart Simon!

Try humbrol no 14 (which is a gloss).

Hi Thomas, I am note sure why this post has gone unanswered! So let me offer a few pointers. Firstly, an inside valve gear 4-4-0 is not a bad place to start loco building, so well done for that. I was almost unaware of PDK kits, which is surprising given that i am rather fond of the D.40s so thanks for alerting me to them! Secondly, how well can you solder? I suggest that if you are not partly proficient, you spend a bit of time practising and also looking at other threads on soldering here. Things like cleanliness of the metal, a good amount (but not excessive) heat, a good flux and the right solder are all important things to get to grips with. My advice would be to use 145 degree solder throughout but to stick the white metal parts with araldite if this is your first etched kit. The chief difference in building steam locos in comparison to anything else is the need to get the chassis free running. To do this it is essential that the coupling rods exactly match each other and then exactly match the wheel base. To do this you will need a jig. At their simplest, these are little more than axles with turned ends - such as these available from the Scalefour Society (although there are other suppliers) at the more sophisticated end there is the Avonside Jig https://www.eileensemporium.com/materials-for-modellers/category/avonside-chassis-squared-jigs The key thing to do is make the coupling rods as a pair, ensuring that the holes are opened out with either a drill that is perfectly vertical (ideally in a pillar drill) or a broach that you check is vertical relative to the coupling rods. Making these as a pair is best achieved by tack soldering the two parts together with the etched holes lined as best you can (use a cocktail stick in each). The opening up that I have described should then get to be exactly the same. Once you have the coupling rods made, then mount these on the axle jigs once you have either the fixed bearings on them as well or the hornblocks if you are going for a flexible chassis. This picture grabbed from a thread by Wenlock shows this with hornblocks: Once you have secured the hornblock guides or bearing in place, the jigs can be released and the wheels installed - Markits are great for a beginner as they automatically quarter correctly and can be taken off and put back on a couple of times. Open out the bearings on the axles or coupling rods very slightly (this means a few turns on the broach, not so that they are sloppy. Take your time over this and be methodical about making sure that you are keeping these distances consistent. Chassis building is not easy, even for experienced modellers (I still get very tense when it comes to seeing if they work!) but if you have taken care and kept these distances consistent, the chassis should roll along with a finger and you should be pleased with yourself. There are loads of threads on here, the Scalefour Forum and a number of books. Iain Rice's remains a good one even if it was written prior to the creation of jigs which is why they do not get mentioned. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Locomotive-kit-Chassis-Construction-4mm/dp/1874103100/ref=asc_df_1874103100/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=430901814613&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7896416428407628308&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006977&hvtargid=pla-301998311411&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=97419295182&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=430901814613&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7896416428407628308&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006977&hvtargid=pla-301998311411 Good luck

There is a detailed thread on the building of a High Level 14xx chassis on the Scalefour Forum. It also shows the detailing done to the donor model. See here: https://www.scalefour.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=90&t=6987 Paul is on RMweb, his handle is Flymo on account of his ability to mow grass when he should be riding a motorbike!

It still looks very impressive! Happy new year to you.

Here is another view of NER coaches from above that I have unearthed https://www.facebook.com/DavidTurnerrailway/photos/a.10151096062500631/10158565687860631

Sadly, Bob died last night. It will be rare for any railway modeller or historian that is even remotely serious about their hobby not to be aware of Bob and probably have a clutch of his publications in their bookshelves (maybe like me a whole shelf full!) Bob had the interest in and access too a lot of historical information at a time when this was being actively ignored and sometimes disposed of by the 12" to the ft brigade. Based on this, he and a number of other similarly interested people went about both preserving this information and then analysing/publishing it. There are a lot of historical records that are still with us due to his and his contemporary's efforts and, certainly, we would not know what we now do about the prototype without his efforts to then tell us all about them. Bob was not, however, a researcher for researcher's sake. He fundamentally did it because he wanted to create more accurate models for himself and to inspire others to do so too. Finding that no one actually knew what the right prototype answer was, he went out and discovered it. Based on this knowledge, Bob created a number of accurate in concept as well as creation models, both in 4mm and then in 7mm. He was a founding member and first Chairman of the Scalefour Society and a founding member the ScaleSevern Society. He was also a founding member of the LMS Society and (I presume, I am less certain of this) of the Midland Railway Society. We thus all owe a big debt to Bob and his passing is a big loss.

As a PS, do the RETB kits have the correct three layer panelling arrangement or are they simplified as two layers, I can't quite see in the photographs.

Hi Jonathan, With regard to the mounting point for the Bill Bedford couplings, why not simply sweat a further layer of metal from below and then drill/tap the hole? I nearly always split the roof from the body and the body from the underframe, it makes the painting of each so much easier. The exception is for Gresleys as I find that you really need the roof attached to the body at the ends otherwise you get yawning gaps where the profile sweeps down. I do, however, find it essential to secure all of the elements together firmly with bolts that keep them in tension/contact with each other. Nothing looks less real than big cracks between components. This is how I do it when I design from scratch: https://highlandmiscellany.com/2018/10/27/midland-six-wheeled-full-brakes-part-1/

Smashing! The nuked flow country is a little startling though!! Maybe model Mel Gibson as Mad Max whilst you wait for the static grass to arrive?

Beware Dave, to get the stacks to look sensible takes a lot of time to get the coal "stacked" These are my efforts on a stack a great deal smaller than those that Jerry has provided photographs for. I would think there was 6-8 hours of work in just doing the walls. It was also necessary to do this in stints to let the glue harden (I used PVA). You could only do a couple of courses each time before there was a tendency for the wall to collapse under the weight of the courses above. Working coal buckets anyone.......... https://highlandmiscellany.com/2020/05/25/fuel-for-thought/

This is my understanding too; particularly the economics of buying coal when it was cheap. Coal was a very significant cost of running the railway when the labour cost was cheap prior to labour inflation (which is really a post WWII thing, albeit I know that this comment is relative to the starting point). There was an article in the Highland Railway Society Journal that concluded that purchasing efforts of a single director who had good connections with the coal industry added 1% to the dividends of the entire railway company for the years that he had a seat on the board. At the time, dividends on the HR were 5-6%; so 1% of this was in effect adding 20% to the profitability of the company - that is a pretty significant sum to the shareholders. The Highland were extensive users of the coal stack which may well be associated with this policy although it may also have had a lot to do with security of supply given that the lines were at the extremity of the country. Basically, just what we do with natural gas today. Oh hang on, correction - the exact opposite of what we do with natural gas!!

As small point, an possibly less of an issue in 7mm in comparison to 4mm. I find that nuts sometimes break loose because the surface area soldered is not that large. If the nut is hidden away (as per the nut in the bunker in the last view), it becomes impossible to do anything about it. I thus wrap a little bit of wire around the nut and then solder this in place too.