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Nice chair! - all you need are some castors on the bottom of it now. I have had a thought about the controller - I will contact you over the weekend as I have found a 0.5W 10k Pot, which is twice the rating of the 0.25W pots that you can get these days - I think that is the problem. I have been quite busy yesterday and today, but will be free from tomorrow. Best Wishes Kevin.

Mickleover will be appearing in the May edition of BRM, photos by Andy York. Kev

The layout will be appearing at the Whitby Model Railway Club Show, at Goathland Village Hall, over the weekend of 23/24th July 2016, along with several other guest layouts and a couple of the Whitby Club layouts. It will be a good weekend.

Thanks for that Simon - excellent information.

Hi David (South-Tyne), the sector plate is 24" long and designed to hold a 0-4-0t tank or diesel and 3 wagons. David (IBK) - as regards to the gears - they are made of an Nickel/Molybdenum alloy used by Rolls Royce called Nimonic - very hard and very light! Kevin.

I can recommend the flapjack! - and an enjoyable afternoon driving trains.

Hi Chris - it was an equal mix of Vallejo Model Color acrylic 70.984 flat brown and 70.992 neutral grey thinned down with water and brushed on, allowing each thin layer to soak in and dry - a few minutes at a time until it looked right. The banding was then drawn on using a thin permanent marker. I am a learner where it comes to using acrylics. Kevin.

I have now painted the Ten Commandments plaster loads and placed them in wagons and around the layout to gauge the effect. I have also printed some signage on the computer, stuck it in place and varnished it. Again, once complete there will be much weathering added. The downpipes have been added from aluminium wire and paper joints .

I collected a few of Ten Commandments' wagon loads whilst at York on Saturday. These are cast in plaster, and take thinned water colour or acrylic paint well. The entrance to the sector plate is now shielded either side with a black paper concertina, rather like a corridor connection, so you can only see the line through the sector plate from under the bridge.

Guess where we were on Fri before going to the show on Sat............ Sorry about the flash - it was too dark in the corner where they had it parked. Also, the left hand return crank on 60103 still has 60038 stamped in it - Firdaussi - cut up Darlington Dec 1963. All the other rods have had any previous numbers polished out and neatly engraved 4472 60103. But they missed that one!

Hi Simon - once I have the layout of figures and accessories sorted, it will be getting well dirtied using the airbrush! There are many more pipes, bottles, jars etc to be added yet. It is quiet good fun moving things around and then looking through the camera lens to see what it REALLY looks like. I would recommend everyone tries this approach using a camera and then studying the photos. Kevin.

The J50 now has a nice new chimney from N Brass. It makes a world of difference to the appearance. Just needs painting and heavily weathering now.

I have been spreading packing cases and loads around the layout and adding a few figures and the odd dog to see how it looks. The manager and foreman discussing the next shipment. "This box next guv?" I am now making more removable loads for the open wagons. I have some interesting gear wheels out of an old printer which will be mounted in a rocket-stick cradle.

Hi Peter, it is a slight misalignment at the board joint which does not affect the running, and it is exaggerated by the low angle of the photography. Many private yards had track which one would not like to walk along, let alone shunt a wagon along!

Yep Chris - They will have the logo of the company on them, and possibly an upside down "This Way Up" on one or two!

I have been making packing cases out of my favourite materials - cereal packet and lolly sticks. The card is scribed to represent planking, then scored and folded up into a box. The baulks under the case are made of split lolly stick, and the strapping around the case made from more card. The whole lot was then given a thin wash of cream/grey/brown paint which soaks into the card. I think I have a scene reminiscent of the final shots in "Raiders of the lost ark" ! Total cost less than a £1 for 13 packing cases. And I still have a lot of glue and paint left, (and a LOT of card).

I am glad you like it and you are re-inspired to progress your own layout. Kevin.

Well, yesterday was warm enough to get the airbrush out and filth-up the ballast. It is beginning to look properly industrial now. I now need to start making the signage on the computer and add these to the buildings before I weather them. The oil tank needs pipes and ladders, and the workshop roof needs a few simple metal chimney stacks poking through it. I also need to make a selection of wooden crates to sit on the loading docks, and maybe a yard crane on the far loading dock.

Hi Derek - if you want me to help with any soldering in difficult-to-reach places next week, I am quiet happy to assist if it saves your cranky knees from further pain! Kev.

I took the layout to our Whitby Model Railway Club meeting this week to gauge reaction to it. It was very well received and gained some useful comments for a few more scenic ideas. It is now set up on trestles in the garage so the process of weathering can begin. My wonderful wife Maggie has made a black curtain to go around the base, attached with sewn-on velcro. I also have to attach the lighting rig I used on Mickleover, so there is much activity going on over the next week or so.

Sorry to hear that Derek, I hope you and Olga recover soon. I will give you a ring later in the week. I took the O gauge shunting layout along to the Club last week to gauge reaction - it was well received. Best Wishes Kevin.

Looking good Derek - I will give you a ring and get round to seeing you next week sometime - weather permitting of course! Kevin.

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The A5 now has a coat of black paint, Fox lining and decals applied, and a coat of satin varnish. It needs weathering down yet, so it looks a bit "ex-works" at the present! I must remove the dust before I weather it.

Here it is running on my 2' square test track with a few BR vans in tow.