murrayec

Try starting this with your finger Noel;- I kept all the engines I bought from the time of about 9 years old, I still have some of the tools from back then- used to work on trains now, sadly never kept some of the earlier planes, still have a few Spitfires, a Tucan and a Bobcat, which this engine is from. The plane has hung from the ceiling of the workshop for the last 20 years!! Eoin

Looks great Ken I actually bought an rtr one of these in Marks recently, unfortunately it's black but that will be sorted- sometime? Eoin

Hi Noel Not sure if doing hinges! Handles will be bent up NS wire guards and filed down dress pin heads for handles- these will go on last after painting is complete. Eoin

Thanks all for the great comments Next up, the body.... Body mounting brackets being soldered onto the ends with a spare bits of fret from the kit, underneath as spacers Sides being soldered onto the ends- because I soldered the roof access steps on the ends first! I had to do this mad jigging arrangement! Each side has an end soldered on like a 'L' and then the two are soldered together. All together with the internal divisions soldered in- toilets and break/store compartments. These bits don't come with the kit, their home spun. Test fit of body and roof. Some small adjustments required- I forgot to put fret spacers under the dividers when soldering them in! their low and hold the body up off the chassis, got to do that again. Looking good though Eoin

Hi fl I'll include a set of sides for you the next time I go casting them..... Eoin

Break shoes! no point in doing the break cylinders and gear and not have shoes! Modified Dart Castings 2952 wagon shoes, trimmed down and stuck to a styrene bar for moulding for plastic casting. Moulding and casting done the shoes are being fitted to the bogie frames with epoxy. Little shoes. The chassis now sports 4 under-frame boxes- the existing boxes were de-soldered and both soldered on one side, 2 new boxes were made up and soldered to the other side. Break Cylinder, break shaft brackets and dynamo are 180deg soldered on. The new boxes. Chassis is more or less done, a few small fittings to go on and side angle folded up- ready for clean up and painting. Eoin

Hi jhb I'm not to sure, you would need to give them a call! I used to use Copy Graphics in Clonskea to do colour A1 prints in the architectural days- they charged €26 for the first print and then a lower cost for each copy- so at a guess if you set-up the artwork yourself possible a charge around €20.00??

Hi Noel Any print shop with large format printer or banner printer will do it for you- 'One to One' in Dun Laoghaire, Hackets, or Grants. If you set-up the artwork for A1 sheet or banner printing you'll save a bit on the cost Eoin

Hi Noel It's from Expo Tools - 95281 Hills & Dales, we bought 2 of them, it comes in 2 sheets each and we used 3 sheets for the length of the layout, one of the bridges & trees masks the join.... Eoin

Hi jhb The gate is from Studio Scale models- brass etch kit, you get a number of period gates to work with, the posts I made from styrene cut with hot wire cutter, all mounted on a brass sheet base yet to be stuck down and gravelled...... Eoin

With the delivery of the final batch of trees before Christmas, the landscapers were on site today and installed 50% of the delivery, then the weather turned bad and the chaps did a runner- being Friday n all! We are assured they will be back next week to finalise the landscaping.... Eoin & CM

Excellent Glover All looks great. Love the yellow button detail on the pink cushions- now that's rivet counting😀 Eoin

Hi fl Thanks for that, I remember seeing them on the tracks! so thats were the belts came from...... I must build that in- every so often it will throw a belt! Eoin

Thanks josefstadt Yes the extra storage tanks are out and the extra battery boxes are currently been cut out for installing..... Great photos again, thats the first one of a break coach I've seen. In your previous issue of photos, on the second photo the generator seems to be driven by a belt from the axle on the bogie! Is the generator mounted off the bogie frame or the coach floor? I would have thought with the bogie swivelling there would be problems with a belt if the generator is hung from the floor!! any views on this guys? Eoin

Thanks jhb I'll make it four, as you say makes perfect sense, it was in my mind at the start of this but somehow went out of the head!, and we've gone to the trouble to get the boiges right I'd like to get it right overall Eoin