Robert Shrives

A Dutch would be good fun but if the GSV does not fly perhaps not much hope for any Dutch version - I will keep on with mine to ensure an rtr is soon announced ! Mind you if the MK2 packs sell out then you never know ! - at least the B5 bogies are made as a starting point. Robert

As you have found super elevation introduces twist and unsprung vehicles can go 3 wheelled only very easily if transitions too great - the real railway is very wary of twist. Theoretical amounts of elevation are hard to apply and often a less than optimum is used to allow for varying speeds of traffic - cant deficiency. Certainly in the model form less is definitely more !! and across pointwork very hard with overscale gaps especially the crossovers between running lines - they need to be flat this introduces twist on approach and exit roads and into trouble you go ! I suspect this made worse by the track layout with pointwork distributed as it as to be for the loops to work. I wish you well and I am sure a compromise will be made to work for you. Keeping curve and no twist through joints will be "fun" as well in the video one joint on the inner curves shows perhaps an other problem with cant the flexible road bed is compressed - track pinned ? and the high ( outer ) rail dips into the joint, the bogie stock can be seen to get over with the bogies dancing happily, the 4 wheel ballasts go over but the brakes do wobble. You might well need to shim the upper rail having eased the track pins/ whatever is holding the track. When you glue ballast then the advantage of the flexible road bed could be reduced and might mean vertical alignment will be fixed and any twist a permanent feature. Regardless it is a great looking layout and I am sure you will get it to run successfully, the rail wheel interface is a dark art and success is to be enjoyed. It will I am sure showcase your great modelling and the great stock now in and close to the market place. Happy modelling and thanks for showing. Robert

Hi, Well late to the table and broke! Thanks to all concerned and with the UK overlap range hopefully a little cash overlaps and pays for tooling for 547 and our NIR special gen brakes. - Can see a right Royal crossover there. I really hope the omission of first livery is part of the greater plan to produce a class 20 for UK market that gives material for the Hunslets, but as note totally Uber niche market , with the 80 class with augmentation trailers to follow by 2026... With 754/ 811 all it needs is a power car to make everyones friend with two brakes and bugger all seating... I can happily work on decals on my Lima models now knowing that it will be a futile race , but just as much fun. Agree if lighting can be worked out as a package deal for adding to MM models and I guess UK models as well then some happy to model will be pleased. As with the A class you get my money for these coaches. Have to say smiled at comment on 80class with a C/ MV class in the bits bag - good value.. Thanks again troops! Robert

Hi True, at the Derby model show in the assembly rooms I saw a TT layout have its fiddle yard wrecked - big picture windows and hot sun - the rails ripped out of the plastic sleepers and bent every which way- heart breaking I expect stock suffered as well. No idea what they did for Sunday other than nurse hangovers ! On the Ffestiniog railway where clearances are minimal fishplate mnt is key but the last heat wave saw track getting excited and several 5mph restrictions imposed and some late in the day ballast drops to increase shoulders. Best left to sort itself out , but have in past pulled rails uphill in autumn to open up gaps nearby, this and rail anchors help in hot weather. I think the practice of having almost real rail lengths with gaps in 2mmfs is not a bad one - I wonder what the lads did on Fencehouses with it long straight sections. happy modelling Robert

Reminds me I ought to get on with my 2mmfs Scottish terminal micro mini affair. I have more rail and sleepers ex ebay to hand to help while away a few hours . I have a selection of unused points I was offered a while back - a big cheat but never look a gift horse etc ! Great work and flowing curves do look good. I have a packet of the brass cast sleeper units for base board and connections - hopefully solder rails to these and add a dropper soldered through a hole in outside of sleeper, have to saw in two of course but a neat casting. Robert

Obtained a copy yesterday and enjoyed the read so far and the pictures of the line interesting look at a time long ago. Robert

https://www.mortonsbooks.co.uk/product/view/productCode/15544/5997-pre-order-irish-diesel-hauled-trains Found this yesterday, hopefully an additional book to add to the library. Robert

Sharp work as noted, you must be pleased - I wish mine was that good. take care and hope postman good to you soon. Robert

I am glad to see you perfecting handrails, packaging and then the handling/ kicking about the whitevan are somethings that fill me with dread. I might consider getting etched and chemically blackend stainless steel or nickle silver . Certainly I would hope you could get a couple of handrails in the accessory pack if not too late. Robert

That is coming long very nicely , getting a good fix and blending what is a "mixed media" kit is a skill. The roof details for access of the gen sets looks very good. Thanks for showing Robert

Have to say the sprayer is really effective with so few weeds on the layout ! If only the real world was so easy !!

Tickets are now on sale for the International N Gauge Show on the 11th & 12th September. To book tickets follow this link. https://www.meridienneexhibitions.co.uk/events/the-international-n-gauge-show/visit Hi a link to N gaugers to show shows on the come back . I will be stewarding and hope to make new friends and greet friends from around the globe - government guidance and Cov 19 controls. Robert

Hi Recutting on lazer - I have left it to Dave but he can cut up to 0.5 . I have several packs of the non air con window frames somewhere and IIRC I did not use them as the Lima window was underscale - but this was a few years ago and I could well be wrong - but certainly look the part - I planned to fit ferro rocher clear plastic into the hole and the use varnish to fix the stainless frame on last once body painted and glazed . Depending on vehicle they could be sprayed black and then varnished on to the clear plastic. - Looks like I will have to go digging in the gloat mine/ spoil tips and revisit. Robert

Plenty of fun with the knitting ! neat work and hopefully stutter free. Robert

I like the thinning of the bars - but life two short with perhaps a dozen in the fleet. Yesterday I passed a coach to my friend who runs pixel shack - he does lots of railway themed mugs and stuff but now has a lazer cutter in his workshop I asked after getting the large window cut and would use liquid glaze for the three smaller.

I think you should be very pleased with these. I tried south eastern flush glaze on one but gave up as they had got old and brittle plus would not sit in the holes well - it looked a mess as you do not get a flat window- all the reflections were wrong. I asked along time ago about getting a Shawplan lazer glaze replacement - work in progress but nothing yet, so I have several coaches at the same stage as yours. I rewheeled the bogies with Peters spares, cut off the TLC and fitted kaydees . I do like the Mk2c conversion idea makes for a neat job but IIRC the sides beteen airfix 2D and lima differ - I tried this mod on an early 80 class effort!. Looking forward to seeing final works Robert

Trailer looks to be a trial for air con as well ... missing a complete window ..

https://www.britishfinescale.com/product-p/finetrax-em-b7.htm Worth checking out Robert

I think it is a "given" that a 22K will be RTR . Thinking back Triang got the 101 dmu to market at a time when it was seen as a "devil incarnate" doing the deed on branch steam and it sold well . Also APT sets were out before the real one met its demise. Yes the one livery might seem an issue but again the 101 was at that point only in green. Dapol in N have shown with its 220 221 voyager fleet that sales buoyant with some 15 220 sets at market with the then only Virgin livery - albeit namers, arrival of Crosscountry and now Advanti liveries to add colour. Perhaps / inevitably the 22K will get livery make overs if say Hybrid or Enterprise versions appear. Just a case of putting money under the mattress ( other saving options are available) and waiting I would hope / think / expect ( delete as you feel) that IRM will be the lead on this project, unless another new kid appears on the block. Robert

And To make matters even muddier as windows were broken? older ones reinstated. I have asked Allen to look at etching a hopper window version but have been unable to confirm depth of the hopper. Drawings have gone to ground in the archives and these inaccessible due to covid and a big dose of inertia/ work overload at PRONI !! You have to choose the week you want to model it.

Hi , It is always interesting to see plans germinate ! I have to agree with comments about point work. 1. A facing crossover making use of the curves to avoid a reverse curve on the right hand approach gives the modern facers to access the bay . 2. delete or make in to a trailing crossover the central crossover. 3. Make the container /pw siding a loop with a curved turnout at left hand end - or perhaps run back into fiddle - it would allow longer trains perhaps. 4. Move engine road to allow access to bay as well - perhaps to allow engine changes on terminating locals if PP and 121 out of traffic. 5. If 4 then a trap would be needed off oil siding - could be a little shunting lever frame released by CTC with colour lights elsewhere/ As a thought given era then having a hint of lifted track to suggest a previous larger layout. Certainly lots of operational fun to be had. Robert

Should an era of non authentic models have its own class sub section ? Would it help the historical side of collecting.? The JHB codes work well and perhaps should be enshrined by IRM on the end of future boxes and enclosed on fact sheets . eg NIR 80 class 080 - 001 (era E) would be in maroon /blue and NIR 80 Class 080 - 20SS (Era F) would be a sound and smoke fitted post intercity NIR stripe livery . The yellow sandite and facelifted ones would be era G. All models would be factory fitted with intelligent DCC chips to run limited functions on DC for lighting and smoke and sound. - just saying how the coding could work ... but you know it makes sense!

The PC is well observed of its day. Internal details add a lot even if it is only known to one ! But now we all know ... brilliant work and thanks for showing. Robert

Noel, please just message him and I think you will strike lucky - I admit not yet fitted mine as other work on the bench. Robert