David Holman

They were 4-4-2 tank engines built by the London and South Western Railway for commuter trains in the 1880s. They soon became overtaken by the need for heavier trains, but three survived beyond WW2, two on the Lyme Regis branch, where their flexible wheelbase proved ideal for its tortuous curves and one on the East Kent Light Railway. The latter eventually joined its two sisters, working until the early 1960s. Their elegant lines gave them celebrity status in latter years until they were replaced by modern 2-6-2Ts and then DMUs, before the branch closed in the mid 1960s. Fortunately, one is preserved on the Bluebell Railway, though is no longer in working order and last I heard, not likely to be now, which is a real shame.

Great fun, as ever and a splendid model too.

Couldn't agree more about the first two sentences, but not the third. It was Henry Ford who said ' If you think you can, or you think you can't, you are right'. Of course nobody gets to be a loco scratchbuilder overnight, but start with small, simple projects like a building or a wagon and you might just surprise yourself. It doesn't have to be perfect, but making something that is yours alone is immensely satisfying.

Mine arrived yesterday, though after the briefest check it was whisked away by the missus until Christmas day. As far as price is concerned, the book is probably at the upper end, but compared to mainland Europe still very reasonable. Specialist tomes there can often be double what we pay here.

Absolute gems! A lot of care and skill needed on tiny models like these. Origins?

Definitely want one of each! Those early deliveries are just glorious.

Indeed, I have an electric jigsaw, but find it near impossible to cut straight lines and right angle edges with it. Hence all the ply was cut with with an ordinary rip saw on my 40+ year old Workmate.

A sharp reminder this weekend about how much timber prices have increased since I last bought any. Couldn't source any 6mm birch ply, so decided to compromise with 9mm hardwood ply, which at least has five layers unlike the rubbish you get in 5mm, three ply. However the real shock was a 2.4m length of 25 x 15mm softwood, which cost more than a sheet of ply. Oh well... Anyway, much work with saw, drill and screwdriver has got the two basic baseboard shells complete, though they still need more bracing. One thing I am happy with at the moment is the two boards join nice and snugly, both at the baseboard surface and the vertical back scene. Bought some 'bullet type' baseboard joiners from Station Road Baseboards, which are simpler to fit that proper pattern makers dowels and seem just as effective.

Fab.

If fine tolerances are causing problems, is there any way of introducing simple springing or compensation to the bogies? Have no knowledge of MM diesels, but if it is an unpowered axle causing the problem, then maybe introducing some vertical movement by gently opening out the axles boxes or bearings, along with a piece of wire bearing down lightly on the centre line of the axle, should be enough to keeps things on the track. Probably only talking about one millimetre of movement in total, but if possible, it is surprising what a difference that makes.

As dens go, that really is splendid.

The magnets I use are for Dingham couplings, Tony and as a 'hook and latch' type (basic solenoid), should be fine for Dapols, though have no experience of them myself.

Just realised I'd got a draft I did over the weekend, so here you are. Hopefully self explanatory. F = Feed Sw = switch PL = plug SKT = socket M = Magnet P = point

I have always used tag strips and computer lead 'D' plug and sockets. Wires go to the tag strips from point motors, 12v feeds, track etch and where anything goes across a baseboard joint, you run wires from the tag strips to the plug/socket connector. A wiring diagram means you don't need to worry about different coloured wires, just which tag goes to which feed, plug etc. Have been working on one for Northport Quay, so will post over the weekend.

The latest edition of Railway Modeller sees an article on Ardglass, by Colm Flanaghan, along with one by Paul Greene, who also posts here. Paul's is Blakey Rigg (NER) in S scale, though many will remember his Kilbrandon in the same scale. Two fine articles.

Way back in the day, I built a K's Adams Radial for my first EM layout. Crude beyond belief by today's standards, at my first ever show, a visitor commented that one of my locos appeared to be on fire!! Not quite, but it was certainly smoking from a major short circuit. Never a great runner, this didn't improve matters and am fairly sure it never turned a wheel again.

Part of me thinks it is sacrilegious to abuse something as splendid as an Adam's Radial. The rest just says 'why not?'. There are plenty of Radial models and certainly not enough County Down ones. Go for it!

More than a hint of alchemy going on here! Very impressive.

Another fine project!

Not much time for modelling last week, or next for that matter, but have at least been able to do a bit more planning, in hope of having a shopping list for baseboard materials to get started eventually. Iain Rice's 'Cameo Layouts' is a mine of information, although some adaptation of his ideas was required, not least in having a pretty much flat baseboard surface throughout, as opposed to just having track bases as the flat surfaces. A bit more thinking has [at the moment] resulted in the addition of an extra crane, which it is hoped will mask both the square corner at the right hand end, and the exit on to the pier. I've also been pondering on hiding the baseboard join, especially in the back scene. Currently, a patch of woodland is favourite for hiding the join in the hillside, while the small piece of sky might be home to a wireless mast, perched on the horizon. The station building, which will be a mirror image of Westport Quay, will be removable, also helping to hide the join. With Fintonagh, which is the same depth but slightly shorter, I made the back scene and ends integral to the baseboard framing and the same will apply here, with a piece of MDF forming the left hand hillside as a curved section. The wings at each side will support a pelmet, with an LED lighting strip to illuminate the front edge of the scene and another along the centre to light the rest. Both of these double up with Belmullet. The revised plan [unlikely to be the last!] now shows where the point motors will go, along with the uncoupling magnets. I've found it is important to try and think through how a layout will be operated at this early stage, so such items can be planned in from the start. Likewise the wiring diagram, especially as the control panel will be inset into the front right fascia. As far as I can tell, it will be pretty simple - just two DPT switches to control the four points [which will work in pairs as crossovers], plus three push to make switches for the uncoupling magnets. Am expecting to add an on/off switch for the crane track too, with the crane controlled by a Heathcote Electronics shuttle unit. Gaugemaster do one, but it is simply stop/start and I want something more subtle - the idea being that the crane can traverse the front of the layout while a new train is being set up in the fiddle yard, thereby ensuring a bit of movement most of the time.

Very classy. Great scenic work and a beautifully balanced setting.

Certainly works for me and oozes character from every corner. The perfect companion for a Large Tank

So, back to the open cattle wagon. Finished off in my usual way, with lettering done by hand using white acrylic ink and a dipping pen, followed by a dusting of weathering powders in appropriate places - in this case some pale grey to simulate an application of lime wash. May need to beef this up a bit, as the real stuff was slopped on with considerable enthusiasm if old photos are to be believed. Am also pondering on adding a load of cattle. Did this with my Sligo wagons, using home made beasts, so guess I need to find my original posting to remind myself of what I did!

Indeed, always something interesting going on and a fine way of introducing a new loco.

Done a few Courtmacsherry clone designs John, and even got as far as calling one Port Macsherry ergo moving it further along the coast. Very tempting in 7mm scale, with so much of the stock being in the Alphagraphix catalogue. For me, it is just about the perfect branch line trackplan and remain surprised there aren't lots of versions of it, never mind Andy's being the only proper one. Regarding loop length, though short, it is close to 2'/60cm, so as total train length (loco and stock) will be no more than 33" maximum, am happy with that. More important for me is have a short lead/shunting neck either end of the loop, so that all the action takes place in the open. Have seen some designs where the engine is off scene much of the time and aim to avoid that at all costs. While trains will be limited to two six wheel coaches or three wagons and a brake van, have found with other layouts that, being short, they fit in with the overall scene and operationally there is just as much to do as if they were twice as long. So, SLNCR Railcar B will do some of the passenger work, as will my F6 and two six wheelers, but even the D16 and two mail vans look fine as does any of the other tender engines. What I am going to need to do is get the autocouplings working efficiently for exhibitions, as front operation means not standing in front of the punters... Think it is great we have a number of new projects brewing on the forum and I'm certainly looking forward to seeing them progress.