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Larry will be disappointed in the fact that I haven't done the lining with yellow edges! They should be ok then, the next MR coach should be ready for painting around feb! Somewhere I have a pair of MR 6 wheelers too, a scratchbuild (body on Branchlines chassis) of a full brake, and a Slaters all 3rd. I suppose they could come for a trip too? Would a Crab be ok to pull it all? Or would a 2P be better (Belper Fireboxed one)? Andy G

Ok, some time back (probably about 15 pages the way we prattle on here!) I mentioned about what was on the workbench (or the table in the box) well I thought I'd better show you lot two of them. They are S&C related being MR celerestories: The closest being a standard Ratio kit. This one is a Branchlines etched brass kit (my first Etched brass kit!). The painting didn't go too well, but this will get weathered down at some point. Jeff, your not having any Peco medium radius or smaller points / curves now are you? If you do this pair will buffer lock! So two out of the rake I'll be taking to the open day are finished (apart from the lettering, and that will be LMS) (the track is plonked on top of my locker in the box) Andy G

Chaz D, you are the winner, with a completely correct answer! You win..... wait for it................................... .......A lifetimes subscription to Luney Kirkside!!!! Do you want another? Andy G

So either no-one knows the answer to my teaser, or more likely no-one cares! Does anyone want to know the answer? Andy G

I don't think we could let you stall Jeff, where would WE be then?? ;-} No guesses at my teaser yet, I am disappointed! Answer tomorrow morning, where I'll set another one (if you want?!) Andy G

So Jeff what are you doing after lunch? Andy G

Just opening my latest Ebay purchases :-Prevention is better than cure 1924 LMS. very interesting photos of what could happen, showing lots of wagons in pre-grouping liveries. BR extracts from rule book 1950, fairly boring reading! BTC Standard codes for telegrams 1958. Quite interesting, I can now talk in code to you all! The Most interesting mind is a BR Naming, lettering & telegraph coding of Freight rolling stock, including containers, wagon sheets and ropes! 1958. The last four pages tells you what all the symbols on the side of freight stock mean. Do you know what the blue spot means on a blue spot fish van? (I didn't!) Andy G

Not starting on the platforms then? Andy G

Well, I go home for the afternoon, and come back and you lot have put up two pages of stuff! The loco collections are nice, but being the exccentric that I am, it's all too modern! Pre-Grouping and early LMS is the way forward you hear! I would love to put up photos, but as I haven't built them yet theres not much to see. I must say that i do like the Bullied airsmoothed locos, and I'll have to get one at some point as one turned up on the Highland Main line during the BR loco exchanges. It was even fitted with tablet catcher. Right Jeff, what's on the menu today? Andy G

Blimey Squire, you must have a lot of cases! I have my stock either in my locker in work, at my parents (under a bed) or under the bed, with wagons in a bedside cabinet! I have one item in an ex PBX (private Branch eXchange (telephones again!)) case that is now a bookshelf in the living room. What is that one item?? A rebuilt triang Caley Grampian 12wheeler! I have no idea where I could put even a diorama! I have thought long and hard about it too, as I'd like to build (all in plastikard) the Tay or Tummel viaduct on the Aberfieldy branch. Would be handy to bridge two bookshelves, but I don't have any that would be suitable! http://www.forgottenrelics.co.uk/bridges/gallery/logierait.html Andy G

Rob, It's good to see that not all of us are blessed with the space that Jeff has, but yet we can still produce something. I'm very much stuck with not having anywhere to run any of my stock, but I take the opportunity that at the minute I can build stuff in work (so therefore get paid to do so!), but that isn't going to last forever (we're due to close in about 5-10 years time), and then I will have to do whatever I can, whenever I can. Jeff, Is it platform day today then? As I guess the postie hasn't been yet, and you will have been up for about 2 hours already.... Andy g

There not at the minute, but they will do soon. I may well get a chance sometime this week to paint the blinds, and then I can fit them and then the nude (I think I'll only put one in, but that leaves some for other sleepers!) in too. ETA for completion? Sometime in January I think. Now Jeff, why haven't you been building things like platforms? ;-) Andy G

Big bags of thanks heading towards North Wales. My original intention was to paint on the inside of the glazing, and now I certainly am going to do so. The semi-open third class (with nude behind) will be fun to paint! Hows the cross-over coming along? Andy (Will I ever stop thread Hi-jacking?)

Larry, what humbrol number is chome yellow? Sounds easier than printing an varnishing! Andy G

http://www.e-paint.co.uk/BS_Colourchart.asp?pType=&pFinish= Is it like Maori brown / Nectarine on this chart? or any on this one? http://www.e-paint.co.uk/RAL_Colourchart.asp?pType=&pFinish= or any on here? http://www.e-paint.co.uk/BS2660_colour_chart.asp note this one has stone on it! This website has it listed, does it look right? http://www.e-paint.co.uk/BS2660_colour_chart.asp Now if I print them on the computer, how can i get them colourfast? Can I varnish the paper? Andy g

Ah, thanks for that. I need to have a think of how to reproduce it for some blinds. Lets hope that Jeff's physics study help is better than, ' it's a goldy colour, in an old style'! Andy G (had enough now, just can't get back into modelling today ;-{

Moi? I've had a couple of days off, and then back stuck here for early turns. Todays 12hrs, but I seem to have lost the modelling imptus after a couple of interruptions (Balloons on the overheads, visit by the mobile management etc). Got another 5 hours to do, so I might get round to doing a bit of glazing soon! What sort of colour is 'old gold'? Andy G

Blimey Larry, I hope you don't rip up your external running lines as much as this! The p-way had our crossing ripped up overnight, lets hope you don't leave as much mess as they did! Andy G

Watch out Larrys upto his old tricks again! Which part of Greenfields is getting ripped up this time Larry? I too have coaches on the bench (Well signalbox table), my WCJS compo sleeper (still - although it's almost done now!) a Ratio 48ft express brake third, and a Branchlines 45ft full brake. The van is just in for a bit of lining to be finished on the celerestory, and the third now needs buffers, couplings and lettering. The WCJS needs just the glazing, lettering and the curtains fitting. The nudes have turned up and will be fitted too. All after I've finished doing my rule book amendments! Andy G

Sorry Jeff If I've spouted off too much about lamps! It was only meant as a general thing to help try and show that some things you can buy are not quite correct! You are correct in that rule 1 aplies and after spending £200 I'd want to re-use them too! Anyway, back to the job in hand. I asked in work if I could get hold of any drawings of the portals, and the result was a deathly quiet! Ah well, I did try. Rob, the keys on the track can be put in either way round. They tend to be put in on the side that the rails moves away from (as the rail gets dragged with braking etc) so that they get forced into the chair more. Andy

Blimey You lot have been busy! Rob, I hope that you have found the ideas batted around useful? Jeff, I like the fact that you had a model of my van on your last layout, mind you the ladder-rack is in the wrong place, it should be mounted on the nearside.... ;-} BTW, I look out of the windows here in work and look straight at a Provender store! It's now painted black (on the uprights) and white on the panels. With regards to lighting, (Jeff you are probably going to hate me here!) is that people use Continental model Lamps, which, invariably, are of Continental design. Mikes models used to do some nice whitemetal lamps for quite a few UK companies (these are being produced again, but I can't think by whom. They also did MR yard cranes). You will probably find that the lamps should be Oil, not gas (although the MR did install its own gas works in some stations), so would be a differing design yet again. You will have to study the photos you have got for the S&C for the era that you are modelling. Even the Signalbox might only have two lamps, one near the book, and one (maybe two if it was big) somewhere over the frame. I also suggest googling british streetlamps and looking at some of the results, as the designs for UK lamps and columns are distinct, and there are plenty of collectors out there! (I'd like an ESLA for my drive one day!). Again, it's all part of the fun of researching your model! (I have a drawing for an LMS lamptop scanned if you want it?) Andy G (still no signs of nudes, although I bet they would be a bit burnt near the volanco!)

Nick said: Yes, but there is a fishplate just in front of the rear driver. Off hand, I don't know any details of LMS track, but often the gaps between sleepers at the joint, and sometimes one or two either side, are narrower than the rest of the track panel. If you compare the gaps between the other wheels, yours are so very different. The LNER did trials on the ECML with two hole fishplates which was to allow the sleepers to be placed almost at the very end of the rail section. This helps support the joint (which will naturally tends to dip at the ends as the joint is not as rigid as the rest of the rail), and making the running smoother. Andy G

Rob, There is a reason for the different sleeper spacings, and its basically one of axleloading and speed. The higher the speed and axleloading the closer the sleepers need to be. In yards and sheds the track could be very, very old, so that it would probably be made of lighter materials and with less sleepers per length (and that length would, more than likely, be less than 60'). Now thinking again, if you lay a bit of double sided (or single sided gaffer tape or some such, with thinner sleepers (how about drinks stirrers?)) the whole width of the sleeper, you would be able to stick your ballast to it as well.... Andy G

Getting back on topic here, whats the distance you have got from the viaduct to the mouth of the tunnel Jeff? Will you be able to get the banner in? Nows here's a question, are you intending to have lights in the structures, and trains, so that you can run it at night? I always like the twinkle of the semaphores lamps (paraffin round here still!) at night. Would be a challenge to recreate that wouldn't it? Andy G

Top of a Hill, Huh I should be so lucky! Yeap I live on the Fens, where the river (200 yards away) is level with the bottom of the upstairs windows! I do hope we never flood, as I'll be stuffed! Moving scale workmen? What do they sit in a van and play cards?? ;-} I'd like to see that firemans hose though.... (Oh God, I've just read that back, and it does sound a bit, well you know...) The good news is that SHMBO has just phoned complaining about my Xmas list, and 247 Developments website! She has ordered a few things for me that I highlighted on the list as being required, and she said that she ordered a few others too, I can't wait.... (I bet they are torpedo vents!!) Andy G