Tullygrainey

A footplate crew has now arrived from ModelU to take charge of the Countess. They needed a bit of help to orientate themselves but hit the ground running...

Reading through this thread, I'm amazed any of us can find our own way home unaccompanied. Should we not have carers?

Yes! Wish I had more lorries.

Not quite so dramatic but I once arrived at my car in a carpark, pressed the remote and heard the central locking click open. However the doors wouldn't open. Locked it again and tried a second time. And a third. Same result each time. Finally realised that my car, an identical grey VW Golf, was the next one along in the row which was why I could hear the locks clicking.

A couple of uses for a Tunnock's chocolate wafer wrapper...

The 7th Marquess of Londonderry is largely remembered, and not fondly, for his sympathies toward Nazi Germany (not uncommon among members of his class at the time who regarded it as a defence against the spread of communism) but it's generally forgotten that as Northern Ireland's first Minister of Education, he attempted to establish secular non-denominational education across the Province. He was thwarted by opposition from the established churches and lack of support from the Prime Minister James Craig and so he resigned to concentrate on running his collieries. How might things have been different if he'd succeeded.

What size of rivet did you use Paul? The Railtec 4mm range includes 12 different sizes of rivet head diameter from scale 1/4inch to 2inches. Might a smaller size improve things?

Great to see these developmental stages. Methodical, neat, tidy and well thought through. Great work. All my layouts usually look like the dog's dinner at this stage.

Intrigued to know more about this new supplier of 7mm wheels seeking Slater's share of the market

Adjusting the sleeper spacing makes a real difference, visually. Tedious work I'd say but well worth it. Looks so much better.

Thanks John, that's very useful to know. The one and only time I tried shorting a wheel with a bit of brass wire, I cut right through the wheel boss with the piercing saw in my heavy-handed enthusiasm!

I like the look of this John. I've been contemplating trying the 'live axle' approach if only to avoid p/bronze wire pickups which can be such a pain to make and maintain. I wasn't sure how best to go about shorting out wheels. Are your spiders designed to be just an interference fit on the axle and is that enough to ensure electrical contact or do you solder them to the axle? I got some spiders not unlike yours from Scale Link but haven't tried them yet. They've got square holes and are designed for their own Markit-like wheels but I reckon the hole could be reamed out to fit a standard 1/8in axle so they could be used with Gibson wheels. How will you mount the bogie on your 4-4-0? Alan

Neat idea. Is there a piano somewhere without a lid?

Love that last shot through the doors

Very nice work. You've made a great job of blending the landscaping into the back scene. It's difficult to spot the join. Alan

Eh?

I do wonder sometimes why we do it but then... when it works, I remember why.

I started this trio of BCDR vans ages ago then lost interest in them for a while. Bar couplings, they're just about finished now. Resin bodies. Chassis made using bits from Alan Gibson kits giving one fixed and one rocking axle. Gibson wheels. W-irons fabricated from MJT etches. Springs and axle boxes are white metal castings, also from MJT.

A lot of modelling challenges arrived together on that 4-6-2T chassis David - bogies, pony trucks, six-coupled wheels, outside frames and cranks! Plenty of variables to keep the problem-solving gene exercised. I hope you've nailed them all now.

In a previous post you mentioned looking for seats for your 6 wheel coaches Paul. I got these from Slater's 4mm range recently. Enough in one packet for 12 bench seats.

I think solder before paint might be the better option. In my experience, the edge to edge nature of the joins makes it difficult to do neatly, so needing an element of fibreglass brush work to tidy up afterwards. Trying to avoid damaging an already applied paint job would make that job even harder. But.... from the evidence above, your soldering is very tidy so maybe it's not a problem. Good luck with it, whatever order you decide on.

That is frankly astonishing progress for a couple of days of work. Looking good Paul. There seems to be no end of ways to arrange the underpinnings of 6 wheel coach kits to make them get round curves without falling off. I think I've just about worked out from your photos how this one works but it seems quite complicated. I'll watch this with interest. I have 3 Bill Bedford BCDR 6 wheeler kits calling to me from the drawer.

KiIlmore's official photographer @Patrick Davey came by the other day and tried out his new wide angle lens. It was a cold day and the stationmaster has just lit fires in all the grates. In other news, a grounded van has appeared in the goods yard.

Subtle weathering but convincingly grubby. Those are perfect Patrick.

That is really delicate work Paul and as far as I can see, you're making a great job of it, modifications included. The soldering looks fine to me! Good luck with the rest of the build. I'll watch this one with interest.