Horsetan

'Tis not just the Irish market, but also the existing British market to take in. The kind of eBay prices still commanded by RG4s - solidified lubricant or not - suggests that the market still exists.

Is that the sign of another.....kit?

Yes please! In for a penny, in for a Euro!

Now here's something you don't see on eBay every day Anyone identify the class on which the thing's based?

We may be singing from the same hymn sheet. Loads of good things in there for the GNR(I) fan.

I've picked up a few more - a lot less than £70. They needed relubricating, as the original grease had congealed, hence they were going cheap. Weshty: any thoughts about replicating the gears?

Reading this has made the following song pop into my head http://youtu.be/1WhhSBgd3KI

I've sent him an e-mail now....

New signalling looks good. I wonder if Des / "Weshty" does the etched "anti-vandal" grilles that cover the hoods in some areas?

As a late addition, I think both Lenz and Zimo make suitable DCC decoders that will work with coreless motors.

I can almost taste it.

He got his fingers burnt trying to run RailModel Digest. That's what I remember him for. Another long-gone, but still useful book is Roche & Templer's "Building Model Locomotives". It was published by Ian Allan in the early 1970s. Worth getting hold of. Don't forget the late Guy Williams' three books on building 4mm scale engines (the last two being from Wild Swan), plus Stephen Williams' (no relation to Guy) books on building 4mm scale coaches.

Seconded.

I'm aware of the late 1930s rebuild, though the frames were pretty much the main visible change. I think the late Tony Miles scratchbuilt his "S" class, and that had working inside motion. Question is, whose drawings did he use? Thanks also for the e-mail address of Mr. McLachlan; I'll get in touch to see if he has managed to unearth any drawings relating to the 1938/39 rebuilding process.

A resistance soldering unit, used with solder paint / solder cream, will also work well, and you will achieve some very neat, controlled joints.

Yes please! Basically everything between 171's frames: driving cranks, eccentrics, all motion parts, cylinders, piston glands, etc. Hope I'm not asking too much!

That's what happens with careless breeding...

Incidentally, all of the earlier build photos that I put in my posts are not showing up now when I view this thread via my PC, yet they are visible on iPad or Windows Mobile. *scratches head, puzzled* Rich: The footplate/cab/splashers are up, and I was wondering whether to press ahead with the smokebox, boiler and firebox anyway, as they have no effect on the chassis. I can't properly start the chassis until I have the drawings, as I have to see what's involved with the cylinders and inside motion, as much will need to be formed from scratch. I am wondering whether I could adapt one of Martin Finney's inside motion kits - the LSWR T9 motion set looks closest in terms of the crank webs and eccentrics. David: Half the problem for me of printing a drawing from a CD image is that the resulting print may not be to a consistent scale. Also, my printer can only do A4 size. I'd prefer to have a working drawing from the start, large enough to see everything, and then scale off that.

My apologies to everyone who's been waiting patiently for things to progress on 171. I've been experiencing a frustrating year trying to track down drawings, photos and information about no.171's inside motion and leading driving cranks. I finally had a reply from the RPSI and its Locomotive Officer about a month ago, after offering a donation to 171's Overhaul Fund, but it all seems to have gone dead again. I know that the RPSI are constantly busy, and even more so with "Q" class no.131 potentially coming to life next year, but I do sometimes wonder whether they tend to leave honest enquiries hanging in the air. 'tis difficult not to feel neglected. Working inside motion was always going to be something I wanted to install in my model of no.171; it is visible between the frames and - in 21mm gauge, at least - there is plenty of room to fit it in. However, it turns out that, being originally built by Beyer Peacock & Co., "S" class drawings are held in the archives of the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry. I discovered this by pure accident when a small JPEG image popped up during a Google search. Following the link took me to MMSI, and a larger image which is clearly the "S" class engineering drawing. Praise the Lord, it is a cross-sectional view and even shows the inside motion and cranks in some detail. One thing that was also clarified was that the frame outlines of the SSM kit are very close to the original drawing - previously I had thought the kit frames were weak - so a lot of care will be needed to install the mounts for the sprung suspension. I am now going to have to invest at least fifty quid in an A0-size working copy, supplied by the Museum - assuming of course that they can scan one...... That's almost as much as I paid for the kit!!

Please remember those of us who would be wanting to build it in 21mm gauge......with inside motion if possible! Make that three, but only if I can build the chassis to 21mm.

I'd be interested if there was provision to build the loco and tender chassis in 21mm gauge, with provision for sprung suspension. Any information about 461's inside motion and cranks would be useful.

*waits*