Horsetan

I was pleasantly relieved to find that the eccentric rods from the Finney GW 1854/2721 motion kit are virtually spot-on when it comes to the measurement between centres: the S-class 4'6" equates to 18mm in 4mm scale: ....so I can definitely use all four of these rods and the brass eccentric sheaves, as well as the cast inside cranks from the same motion kit which we already know to be the right shape. I also discovered that the measurement between pivot and crankpin centres for the Finney LSWR T9 connecting rods corresponds exactly to the 6'6" distance of the S-class connecting rod: Half the fun is finding out just what is possible with other people's etched parts; they've done all the hard work, so why not use them?

Thar's gold in them thar hills!!

Are they nearly there yet?

Thanks. I've been reviewing the chassis frames this evening, and working out where I can squeeze in the mounting points for CSB suspension. The rear end of the cylinder block is what I'm dreading.

I saw this running on the test tracks at Scaleforum. Grand little model (think it belongs to Leslie) which looks the part - the paint looks spot-on. Didn't get to see the underside, but I wonder if it has allowances for a 21mm gauge conversion....?

I had a spare moment this afternoon, so finally managed to erect the upper frames into their proper place on the footplate. These consist of two etch layers each, sweated together (parts P16 and P17 on the body etch fret), and are the strengthened frames that 171 and her sisters were given when rebuilt in 1938: The back edge of the frames stop at the exact point where the footplate opening for the driving wheel begins, and care is needed to ensure that they are perfectly vertical and spaced just enough to allow the smokebox to slide in between: I think we can afford to plug the boiler and firebox into the cab front to have a look, so.... ...the rear splasher tops can be formed. I curved them around a bottle screw cap of roughly the same radius as the splasher sides, and ended up with this: She's looking a bit more together, but I don't think it would be the time to solder the splasher sides to the footplate, as I still want to be able to remove sub-assemblies to check clearances. Just realised that the little etch for the reversing crank / lever stub has detached from the footplate, but this might not matter too much until I can get the inside motion scheme going. When Terry MacDermott originally designed the kit, he came up with a fairly complex bogie pivoting system consisting of a rubbing plate which itself was pivoted from further back in the chassis. Although it clearly works, it isn't a system I can use because it potentially gets in the way of the connecting and eccentric rods, so I'm looking at a more self-contained idea such as that used by Brassmasters in its LMS loco kits, which allows the bogie to pivot and slide laterally, but which does not allow the bogie structure to rise and fall - instead, only the bogie wheels do that, just as on the real thing.

That's interesting. Is that because 124 is "too far gone" / not economically viable to run, or because the ITG doesn't have the resources?

How does one actually go about ordering something from you? Is there a website? Online ordering and payment?

Wait, hang on there.... If they "never ran", how can they be "fully tested"?

Yes and no. Yes, because the hornways are the right size. No, because the frame outline isn't quite as good as on the nickel silver frames.

I want to use Continuous Spring Beam suspension, which is meant to allow all axles to float, and is the same system that I'm using on the "S" class. The J26 frames have to be modified for this. Here are some examples

I've elected to use the nickel silver frames, but they're not exactly friendly for what I have in mind...

I do hope so. Online ordering from an overseas enterprise makes things easier.

Sorry, could yis run that again, as Gaelige?

If there are any left over, I think I'd like to buy one. Fancy changing the destination display to "Ennis", though.

I'd be calling it muscular rather than elegant.

The detached front bogie on the Flying Scotsman is literally just a matter of a shouldered brass screw (8BA, I think), and it should be possible to buy one from a spares specialist like Peter's Spares. For avoidance of doubt, this is the tender-drive Scotsman in its original right-hand-drive A1 form, produced in the old Margate factory. The Ringfield motor is shared with the A4 of the same generation. The Gresley coaches weren't bad for their day - certainly the first time a "teak" finish had been tried on a mass-produced plastic coach. There's a mad fella - Graeme King - on the LNER Forum who stumbled across the idea of converting them into the earlier Howlden-design clerestories, and did a grand job of them. The Lima HO diesel shunter is a freelance design - I remember having one as a kid. For a shunter, it wasn't very good at crawling speed. Although made in Italy, it bears the emblem of the French SNCF (as does the coach), just one of a number of different badges they turned the poor thing out in over the years.

Just look at the power contained in that front end. He's really got it right.

I read recently that the RPSI have abandoned any hope of bringing 171 back into steam this year (something to do with the implications of having all three surviving GNRI engines running all at once, and the consequences that will have on the budget when they all fall due for their next overhauls), and apparently it may be a few years before she returns to the rails of Ireland. Shame, really, as the whole prospect seemed to be going really well. What would it cost to build a new full-size "VS", engine only? 171 being laid aside gives me a bit of a breather, and a sporting chance of going on with my own build. The next stage I anticipate doing is the overlay for the cab front, plus the front frame sections above the footplate. The smokebox overlay and firebox will also need tidying up, now that I look at them. In respect of the mainframes, I'd like to thank "Kirley" of this diocese for letting me have the leftover 21mm gauge spacers from his SG2 build. The nickel silver set are for the engine, whilst the brass ones are for the tender; initial checks show that these are exactly 16mm wide, matching the Maplin plastic hex spacers that I've been using to help the basic erection. Another spot of luck.