RThompson

7mm scale?

Hello everyone, Whilst not very exciting, the latest item to be added in 4mm scale standard gauge in the Albert Goodall range is lost wax brass versions of the rebuilt bulleid Pacific whistle. I've only just had the chance to add these to the website despite having them for weeks.

I always fill the crank centres with model filler and file them flush, should you need to take a wheel off the filler breaks off easily enough. I even fill the centres of Bachmann blue riband wheels, makes a huge improvement.

Just a quick note I will be attending for the first time at expoEM this weekend in Bracknell

Hello everyone, just a update on the 4mm scale, 009 gauge De Winton 0-4-0VBT locomotive kit. The latest test arrived today and I have built the model and run it in, the vertical motion even moves but not as much as I was hoping to. More patterns to finish off and slight tweaking to the drawings and it should be ready for release towards the end of the year. This loco is built with compensation but will come with the option of a rigid chassis if the builder prefers it.

Well there's all sorts of reasons politically why the bendibuses in London was withdrawn, On the red arrow routes they was the perfect bus at shifting 149 passengers in the rush hour with quick boarding and alighting compared to a double decker and being in zone 1 the likeliness of someone not having a ticket was slim. Outside of zone on other routes outside of zone 1, there was probably fare issues. Unfortunately despite its 18 metre length there was only 49 seats.

I reckon its this beast, a mid engined Volvo Citybus. This one was new to London buses, carried the registration 23 CLT then was sold to petes travel in Birmingham, then onto beaverbus in Leicester before joining me for full restoration including re-installing it's centre doors. I will point out it has never run in service with me and is currently at the back of the queue.

I havnt touched either the de winton or n class footplate. On another note, the patterns for the lost wax brass bulleid tender ladders has been sent. Just hope these new ones work, I forgot to mention also the 4mm scale old class I and class k chassis kits are now available seperately.

Hello everyone, The range of 4mm scale narrow gauge locomotive boiler fittings has now been expanded with quite a few items. Below is a shorter version of Bagnall Excelsior's spark arresting chimney

That is true although I've had the sections for at least 10 plus years I reckon as I'm sure they was purchased before I moved away from London, each piece of underlay has been cut and attached to the bottom of each piece of track with contact adhesive.

Heres photos of the chimney cut out taken by myself. First photo from the actual pre war sentinel, others from a post war sentinel.

Super stuff Dave. As to the chimney, it wasn't fitted to all locos but this one was measured from the dismantled frys sentinel at the Avon valley railway so didn't see it fitted. As to why such a large hole which is actually exposed was fitted is beyond me but remained throughout production to the end.

I used to build locos very quickly when I was 14 but at 31 now I'm very slow, think part of it is down to building more complicated kits. My first kits was from a localish model shop who stocked south eastern fine cast kits which is still a firm favourite as well as djh. Partly slow ness is also wanting things more accurate. As to laying track on the carpet, yes I still do when I get the chance but with foam underlay under each section. Don't have the room to set up a layout.

No it didn't, was in the process of altering it

Hello everyone, The etched 4mm scale conflat rungs was very popular at scalefour north. the one piece versions are fitted onto a parkside dundas model I have also added the manning wardle old class I and class K chassis etches to the chassis kits section also

Hello Everyone, This weekend will see the release of 4mm scale 00/EM/P4 GWR/BR conflat wagon etched securing loops and brackets. There is 2 versions available, one of the Loop and bracket etched in one piece or the other etched seperately and joined together with fine wire. Also possibly this week or the week after will see released in 4mm scale 009 narrow gauge various locomotive boiler fittings such as chimneys, domes and safety valves. These will not be added to the website until after Wakefield scalefour north exhibition.

Hello everyone, Just a little update on myself and the business. At the moment I unfortunately have not got a lot of time available to develop new kits and parts as I used to. This is due to a number of factors like the amount of orders coming in which sometimes can be delayed up to 3 weeks as I'm usually out driving or maintaining my small fleet of buses and coaches which takes up a lot of my time as the sole person with the odd help of friends driving when they can, an example is I was out for 15 hours, (not all driving I will add) on Thursday covering for where the railways couldn't run due to trees being blown over. I'm hoping from mid March once one bus has been mot'd and another put on the road I will have more free time to crack on all in 009 with barber, unfortunately pattern making went wrong so I put it aside. The 009 de winton and 00/em/p4 ironstone side tipping wagon. I will be attending exhibitions scalefour north Wakefield in April and expo em Bracknell in mid May.

Thank you Michael, It's good to hear positive comments from an experienced kit builder and designer. The round cover would have been mounted with 3 very small brackets, the triangular hole goes back to the pre war 100hp version.

Why not put a sprung wire onto each wagon axle? I need to do this to my brake vans as they would hold the couplings tight but no good if you wanted to fly shunt!

Well except for number plates which have been ordered, 9706 is now complete even with crew. Lamps will be made removable and held with blue tack. For something random that I built many years ago and in need of refining its running. A H0 scale 3 truck Shay built from a Roundhouse kit. It may growl and throw the odd gear but was a joy to build! Certainly different in construction methods and materials to what we use in traditional locomotive kits.

Some of you may have come across a project on the Wright Writes topic I did last week as I took time out for myself. The Loco is a GWR 97xx and is based upon 9706, the last member of 11 to survive. The loco was created using the chassis, footplate, cab, safety valve cover, chimney, tank fillers, smoke box front and door off the Bachmann RTR 57xx pannier tank. The tanks was from the old K's body kit which I purchased ready made on a Hornby dublo chassis of an internet auction site. A lot of scratch building was involved for parts including the smoke box wrapper out of 5 thou brass with rivets punched out with a needle. The weir pump was from branchlines and the sandbox pull rods was from my own etchings at RT Models. The 3 spoke handwheel i'm looking at sourcing at the minute but may otherwise be etched myself or even scratch built! Research into the locos has been interesting and the only 2 birdseye view photos of them, both do not have the top feed so was guess work from side photos of the pipework.

I have really enjoyed this topic as its much like a buffet, theres something to suit everyones taste and a mix of everything. Well as i caught up with orders earlier this week, its spurred me onto some personal modelling rather than packing kits or pattern making which the saddle tank went wrong on me forming it as I couldn't get the metal hot enough to soften due to its thickness. So I instead got hold of a stalled project, partly not having time and also missing the vital part till purchased at Warley from branhlines, the weir pump. The loco is a GWR 97xx designed to work in the London Underground tunnels to reach Smithfield market. The loco was a ready built K's loco body kit on a Hornby dublo chassis. Whilst it was ok, it was as per the kit plus a more newer chassis was required. The latest Bachmann type 57xx was the basis by utilising the decent cab, running plate, chassis, safety valve cover, chimney and smokebox front which was more convincing plus would match the rest of the standard panniers I have. This is the progress so far and not yet finished, much more plumbing to do and tool boxes. Note the centre of the wheels are filled in and filed down as the centre depressions do not look realistic. Think this looks like a 97xx to me.

You can carry on to one of mine, made a start cutting a hole in the side to put its centre doors back in!

Here's mine but won't be Huntley and palmers for long!