mountaingoat

Hi Rich Yes it arrived in South Wales on Tuesday. I took some photos and have posted them onto the News section of our website, but it is now winging its way to deepest Hampshire for Chris K to take some better shots and post them here. My first impressions are excellent, with so many small details included, but we are in the process of a full evaluation before we go for decorated samples. (I've done my bit, Chris K has a very discerning eye, and spots things that I miss!!!) Hope this helps Chris

Check to see if it is from the kit range purchased a few years ago from the Sanspareil range. If it is, then it comes with a cast firebox/boiler/smokebox, and as far as I know is accurate to prototype. The only issue I know about is that the footplate is assembled to the chassis, and the cast boiler is removable for access to the motor, which some don't like, but is not an issue for me. Chris

We have just received the first shots from the main tools for Victory, and now I have finished being very impressed, will have the part finished model at the ALSRM show at Reading this Saturday. Chris K will then have them for his studio shoot, and, all being well, we should have the first photographs to post early next week. Hopefully see you at Reading Chris

The revised Minerva website is now up and running, and you can download order forms for the Victory from it. We are nearly there for on-line ordering, which will be quicker and save you a lot of hassle, so hopefully in a couple of days, all the i's will be dotted and the t's crossed. Just a reminder that the £20 discount and free postage offer is open until the 5th September for Victory, and we will have plenty of forms at the following shows, if you are planning to visit. 16th April Newport 0 Gauge at the Lysaght's building 7th May Larger Scale ALSRM show at Rivermead, Reading 28th/29th May Railex, Aylesbury 4th June Gauge 0 Guild, Doncaster 13th/14th Aug Railwells, Wells Town Hall 3rd/4th Sept Gauge 0 Guild, Telford Then after the discount has finished 8th October West Wales 0 gauge, Carmarthen 3rd December, Guildford Trade Show, Rivermead, Reading

For comparison, the Peckett is 11'9" from rail to chimney top. The same average British dimension is 12'10", excluding Scotland, where it is an extra 8", taking it to 13'6". With thanks to Google!!!!

On behalf of kit manufacturers everywhere, can I appeal to Chris K NOT to publish a list of kits he has either built or in stock..........this information could spell disaster for sales for the next 10 years........

We will be very grateful for any refreshment that you bring..........

Just been asked if the £30 billion trade deals with China being announced during the visit of the Chinese president to the UK involve Minerva. I can safely say that at this time, we have no projects in mind that even come close to this figure................ Chris

Hmmmmmm.......now how the heck did it run all day so well.......... I think Chris means that the wheels have square spokes. ;-)))))

Simon You have made my day!!! Until now, I had thought that it was my heavy handiness that caused all the Allen keys I have to go round after a few twists!!!!!!!!!! Now I can just relax knowing that it is Derbyshire steel that is the problem!!! Chris

If The Icon is ever wrong.....the world will cease to have meaning................................

We have been in touch with the factory, and the cutouts in the tyre will disappear on production models. And we are not sure why they did that either!!!!! Re the wheels. Attached is a poor photo of a Peckett 'Sandal' showing that not all wheels were square in section and so it appears that the spoke shape varied for some reason. We also agonised for some time about the number of spokes, this varying both on photographs and in published drawings. In the end we went for 11, but wheels of the same size also existed with 10 and 12 spokes. . Chris

Well spotted!!! The missing brake shoes/hangers are in the little bag that I waved at folk last weekend. It will also have pull rods which did not make the trip over from China for some reason and a crank underneath the cab linking all this to the brake column. And the sandpipes will align with the wheels!! Probably better than they did on the prototypes!!! Chris

Hi Giles Yes, already done and underway!!!!!

I belive that the missing GWR above the number was a result of the renumbering occuring in 1948/49 after nationalisation, when, of course, the Great Western would have ceased to exist.

Of course this could be a reflection on your ability.......... The late Geoff Holt described scratch building as far better than the construction of a kit, because the assembly of a kit required the builder to set aside their own preferences, and follow the ideas of the designer, rather than your own. I have seen many well built examples of this kit, and the fact remains that if you want a model of that prototype, there is only one option. Sadly very few kits are perfect, and the advice to start with a simple one is very very sound. Do this, follow the instructions and contact the retailer/designer if you do not understand anything. Nearly all are modellers themselves, but everyone has started with a low skill set which has been steadily improved as experience and ability have grown. Also when buying your first kit, talk to the retailer, check that the instructions contain contact details and don't be worried about making lots of calls, as a short conversation can give better results than 10 pages of instructions. Chris

Hi Don What about the 42xx/52xx locos? Chris

Hi Graham North is to the right of the photo, we are looking westwards from the top of the hill. The double line moving off to the north (right) is the route to the Western Valleys, Ebbw Vale, the old Brecon & Merthyr and the like, whereas the quadruple lines are the South Wales main line towards Cardiff. The reason for the apparent duplication of the junctions is routed in history. Basically Newport High Street station had its main down line platform on the south side, whereas east of Newport, the quadruple track was laid out as Down relief, Down Main, Up Main and Up relief until the remodelling of the whole area in the early 1960s. This enabled passenger trains to easily access the down main platform. However west of the tunnels, the lines were Down Relief, Up relief, Down main and Up main, requiring Gaer signal box to move down main line passenger trains from the line furthest to the left across to the third from the left. To use the junction immediately west of the tunnels would have slowed this passenger traffic to 15 mph, so an extra higher speed junction (40mph?) was laid in to the west of the box. This also applied to up passenger trains, but there was very little need for freight to move from the southern relief lines over to the north side, and this double connection was taken out sometime in the 1950s. If I have any of the above wrong, please shout. As for the single slips, I have no idea, but can only assume it was for operational flexibility, in case it was ever necessary to cross engines or trains from an up to a down line or visa versa. I have often thought that it would make a brilliant model (in 7mm scale it would put Dainton Bank to shame) but the amount of stock needed would put me in the billionaire category, with a large warehouse to keep it all in!!! But if Steve is starting a club, I'm in!!!!! Now that's a thought, the first UK wide operating club with a layout that goes all over the UK! Chris

Or go to the other side of the tunnels and ....hey presto...... Well it looks small from up there!!!!! Chris

As the proud owner of one of the Manning H class (via Dragon Models of course!!) I recently put the little beauty through the paintshops via Conrad Cooper who has done a brilliant job of the livery of Cambrian Railways No.22. All that remains is to fit the vacuum and ejector pipes, add a very large toolbox to the front offside buffer beam and find an appropriate train. So if anyone is still thinking that the loco is purely industrial, the Cambrian had one, I believe the North Eastern had a couple or three, as did the Midland. I don't know how many expressions of interest that Ixion have yet received for a re-run of this loco, but I hope that the attached photos will inspire. Chris

Just a quick reminder to anyone interested that the West Wales 0 gauge Group have their annual Open Day tomorrow, Saturday 26th October. Details are West Wales '0' Gauge Group Open Day at Community Education Centre, Furnace Road, CARMARTHEN. 10.30 TO 16.30. At least 7 layouts (maybe more), 6 traders, Demonstrators, Test Track, Bring and Buy, Refreshments, good disabled access. St. Peters Public Car Park (SA31 1LN) adjacent to the Centre. I can vouch for the excellence of the refreashment....cream sponge to die for!!!!! Chris