Horsetan

Well now, I've got hold of some spare Heljan gears and gone as close as I dare.... The undriven centre axle does still revolve, but I'm not sure if I'd be getting away with moving either or both of the idlers above it..... I think it will be possible to use this gear casing, so that means shortening Des's bogie sideframe castings to match.

Yes, I sold a couple of those SD70MACs. They were made by Kato. The level of detail was extraordinary.

That was a shame. Potentially useful film and commentary half-drowned by the oul diddly-diddly.

That has to be one of the quickest deflations I've yet seen in railway modelling, as the disappointment takes over. Looking back over the history of OO Works, it has to be said that, although they do produce engines that the mainstream RTR makers don't bother with, those models are robust and pretty basic in terms of detail. The only thing not basic about them is the price.

Did she get the missing reverser lifting links installed in the end?

....and may never be able to. It's not how the Chinese factories work, and to some extent the commissioning RTR companies (they're not really manufacturers anymore, and not much more than importers/wholesalers) have had to accept this.

Meanwhile, in Australia.....

Magnificent cut 'n' paste there

They used to be greengrocer's, selling tomatoe's and potatoe's....

Intriguing. Will it be convertible to 21mm gauge?

Bredin like rabbits?

This is a bit like what happened to the main line at Dawlish a few years ago - in that case, the sea undermined part of the track bed completely.....

....not that I'm in the market for a VS, but others might be......

On another Forum, someone is gradually making a GNRI "VS" using SSM's "V" kit as a starter. Looks ingenious. I wonder if Des might be tempted......

I particularly like the grab handles.

The Boyne Bridge is surely a major - possibly insurmountable - obstacle to any sort of high frequency, high average speed running.

I have a view of 103 on the weedspray train going up the WRC at Carrowmore, and the windscreen top line is definitely above that of the cabside windows. Same goes for the photos Des provides in the kit instructions. It's much more noticeable if seen from platform level instead of ground level, but try this one. The whole optical issue is driving me nuts because Des's shell is essentially right in its proportions, and it's only the windscreen apertures which I think need extra work. The perceived asymmetry at one end (one corner pillar is thicker than its opposite number, and one part of the divided buffer beam appears wider than the other) is also something that needs correcting - my problem is that once I've noticed it, it won't go away until I do something about it. Yes, they do - it looks like something to do with the method of sealing. Your photo of B108 also suggests that the outer edges of the marker light box fairings line up with the outer vertical edges of the windscreens. There doesn't seem to have been any consistency as to fitting of windscreen wipers either - some are pictured with one, others have a pair.

I can see why Star Wars fans get incredibly passionate about their films....

I spent several hours just looking at three-quarter views of Sulzer 101s. Eventually, it occurred to me through my alcoholic haze, that the upper horizontal line of the front windscreens is some way above the top line of the cabside windows. The resin shell doesn't quite render this feature, so pencil lines were marked in: This is to remind me to open up the windscreens. The bottom edges might need a lift up to correspond. I think my eyes are playing tricks on me, but it looked as though one end of the shell is asymmetrical. I'm going to give that end a bit of a going over with the digital callipers and the pencil.... Incidentally, the GA drawing available on the Resources part of the Forum is useful, but do watch for a couple of things that did not seem to make it into service life - so far I've noticed that the B101s had two-pane cabside windows, rather than the three suggested by the GA. Also a minor difference in the marker and tail light boxes, being arranged White Red, White Red, instead of the GA's Red White, White Red.

I'd no idea it was your birthday, Fran. Happy Birthday.

That culture thrives today. And even the local Councils are at it as well.....

They'd look well with the SSM Bredins.

So all these lovely models are good for is looking at? Would you rather not have the lovely models, then? Change to Kadees?