Anglian

Lady Madonna – Beatles

Spikey, An interesting thought and an aspect I'd not considered. I'll check the jumper to see if it's pure wool or a blend.

Thanks all for your advice – it's really appreciated. I've tried painting in the bathroom as I'm told that is generally the least dusty atmosphere. The thing is there is no visible dust on any surface in the room – it's just tiny airborne particles. Point taken about jumpers etc. I have given another room a really deep clean and hoovered it to a silly level of 'detail'! I painted thinned matt white – no dust at all. But in this room I'm sitting at a desk – I think this may help – it's easy to perfectly dust a desk surface. I wonder if it has been my arms in a jumper stirring up or generating fluff into the air.

Jol, I really don't know what the solution is. My next attempt, after serious hoovering and dusting, more hoovering and then having the hoover running whilst painting was a disaster. Worse than before. I think the solution might be to use a spray booth. Normally I would use acrylics which touch dry very rapidly. The paint is a new tin of Humbrol enamel that I'd thinned with Humbrol's enamel thinner. It was stirred for ages and seemed to be of a very even consistency. Perhaps if I go back to only spraying outside on hot days a super thin coat of paint thinned with lighter fuel and wafted on with the airbrush might do the trick. Another answer may be to use matt for the undercoats, to enjoy the more forgiving nature that you describe, reserving the satin for the final coat.

This tweak has made a real difference. I'm sure it's going to look beautiful wearing its LNER livery. Of course it looks fabulous as it is in the bare metal colours. Will you be painting it yourself, if so would you care to share your prep, primer and painting secrets - I understand if not!

There are some fabulous models shown on this thread.

Depending on the content of the collection Tony Wright sales models on behalf of bereaved families. If the collection is of quality and especially if it includes kit built items, then I'd get in touch with him first.

In Percy Pedant mode should it not correctly be written per cent and not percent, or is it just lawyers who prefer the more precise derivation? Right back to trains. I would dearly love to have a system of on board batteries and wireless control, if wireless charging can be resolved. A layout operated thus and combined with a proper mechanically interlocked signal box would be nigh on perfect enjoyment to me.

The P2 is an amazing model judged by any standard. Until Tony mentioned it I had no idea that the cab windows might not be exact. Having viewed a few images I agree – the side openings should be a little bit larger. The images I've seen also suggest that the spectacles' lower edge falls in line with the centre line of the cab side windows.

Thanks – the issue I'm getting is dust as I'm painting. Will try another hoover session then keep it running while I paint. Oddly I'm not getting dust settling having painted it's always a case of it getting attracted while I'm painting.

Yes definitely when it comes to materials and paints. I buy RTR pre-group locos – one day I may be able to build a layout for them to run on.

I've been attempting to brush paint with thinned enamel. The paint is fine and is drying but the problem I'm having is with dust. I've hoovered and cleaned as much as I can but I'm still getting dust on the paint. I'm using satin black. I've never ever had this problem before when using matt enamels and don't understand how to avoid it. Do I need to buy a spray booth so the dust is drawn away from the painted surface or does satin paint just attract dust? It's now driving me mad – please could you tell me how you set up to paint with enamels either by brush or airbrush. Thanks in advance.

Oh I don't think it came across at all as one-upmanship, more, as you write, a personal journey and after all I did ask to see the list. If the newer builds weren't better than the older ones that might be disheartening but since the opposite is true then you know how refined your work has become over time. I'd think that would and should be very satisfying. I might have to look up the names to correspond with your numbers. I've always thought the numbers were how railwaymen referred to locomotives but being a sucker for marketing I like their names as well. Of all the companies the LNER probably had the best of all. As much as I like those of say the Jubilees, I don't think you can beat the evocative nomenclature of the LNER. Almost the entire A3 class are gems with very few 'duds' amongst them.

It does look fantastic. One tiny Percy Pedant Point I noticed was that the uprights of the fencing leading up to the cattle pen aren't vertical. I notice this a lot on layouts – it tends to be an effect of using ready made fencing and it's one of those tiny things that when right makes a scene totally believable. The uprights on fencing are at least upright or not far off it maintained or new. In the prototype picture you show the uprights are indeed vertical or very close to it. I shall return to my burrow now. As I think I may have noted before your backscene is very, very well done.

What a great list and interesting reading – quite a few kits that I've not previously heard of.

Yes please!

I guess one of the issues with plastic bodied RTR is that the lamp brackets may be fragile and prone to damage. With through trains running non stop displaying the correct lamps and head code discs (if appropriate) is easy enough to organise. What happens in an exhibition setting where lamps need to be changed by the 'hand of god method?' Is it worse to have the wrong lamps /positions or suffer the intrusion of the method of changing them to the correct arrangement? LMS lamps – yes black – although the Princess Coronations in streamlined form had a unique pattern in the locomotive colour. GWR is a minefield as the regulations kept changing from what I'm aware of.

She'll be able to pluck herself silly.

Thank you again. Bracknell in May is a real possibility, I've family in Ascot.

Frank, Thank you. I think to be honest I need to come and talk to the EMGS at a show and join to obtain the handbook to see what I may be letting myself in for. On another note I think I was incredibly blessed with the RTR locomotives I had as a teenager 35 or so years ago. My Mainline J72 looked great for the day and was a super sweet and reliable slow runner. When I returned to the hobby it was a bit of a shock to discover that they were considered dreadful. My Hornby Black Five and Mainline 4MT were also very good at slow speeds but I did keep track and wheels very clean. However, the Airfix 6100xx was dreadful. Thanks for others for answering the EasiChas question.

Tony, Thank you for showing your B1 fleet and the chassis separated from body. Are the Comet chassis considered a perennial or do I need to consider buying whilst available as they may fold (pun unintended) anytime soon? Have you ever used the EasiChas system and do you have any views on the concept and the product?

I was rather pleased with myself this weekend – having watched Tony working at his repair clinic I was able to get an old Triang Flying Scotsman running smoothly for a little lad. I was actually amazed how quickly it sprang to life after some cleaning and tinkering, in a logical order that I'd picked up from watching the master at work. I was also surprised how smoothly the motor soon began to run. I presume this was the X04. Since I have little time for modelling at the moment (the curse of being self-employed and having other hobbies as well) I'm occasionally buying RTR locomotives to acquire the often beautifully painted body shells. Since I've not yet decided if I shall model OO or EM what I do with these locomotives, or body shells, is uncertain but I know that I'm unable to build paint and line to the same degree of perfection. Conversely I am conscious that the RTR product may have a limited working life span. Is anybody using RTR shells on chassis they have built?

Although the posts showing lever frames and interlocking and explaining the principles have been fascinating and fabulous to see. I think the replication of the mechanical signal box is the part of model railway operation that can most closely simulate the real thing.

Yes that's what I was thinking. Keep both mainline approaches as they are to feed the main circuit. Remove Clifford station to make room for a fiddle yard MPD and turntable. This gives two mainline through stations, one branch line terminus and one branch (that which served Clifford) with no station but that runs into the main fiddle yard.

It certainly does count. I have some sort of OCD fascination with interlocking. I understand why, and parts of 'how' but I'd love to be able to fully understand signalling and interlocking – how did you learn?