Horsetan

*waits*

I think they are volute springs, which are quite long travel.

That would be Guinness Export. Same grade as the stuff they sell in Jamaica, where Guinness is known as the Jamaican First Aid kit The really unfortunate thing is that much of the standard Guinness sold / served on "the Mainland" tastes watery. Not like the full-bodied stuff I used to drink in Clare.

This evening, the instruction sheet order was skipped somewhat, and the backhead (part P48) was removed from the etch, and inserted into the cab floor that I'd formed earlier: When dealing with something like this, hold it in a small vice and always try to solder it in from the rear, so that you don't risk obliterating the etched detail: The first attempt left a bit of a gap under the backhead, as will be apparent from the photo, so some fiddling with the iron was needed before it was properly seated. The backhead must sit at a perfect 90-degree right-angle to the cab floor, otherwise there is a risk that adjacent parts may not fit correctly. Next part to come off the fret is P51, described in the sheet as a "platform upright": This is a simple plate with small wings to be bent 90 degrees: You have to mount it underneath and at the very rear of the cab floor, and only hairgrips will make it stay there whilst you get your soldering iron in: Use your tack-soldering method to keep it in position: ...before flowing and finishing the joint. I think I used a bit too much solder in this one: Test fitting the cab floor/backhead module between the cab sides now gives us this: The instruction diagram suggests that there should be no gaps between the vertical sides of the trailing splashers and the horizontal plates which now form their tops. In reality, there are noticeable gaps as can be seen, so these flaws will need some correction. Whilst I was thinking about how to deal with that, I couldn't resist sliding the firebox (which comes ready-rolled) into the cab front (there will be an overlay to be added later), just to see how it looked...... I'm just after realising that this topic has magically become a "sticky"! Deadly!

Thanks for this. E-mail sent. Fingers crossed......

Father Jack: "They lie in wait like wolves, the smell of blood in their nostrils. Waiting, interminably waiting, and then..."

Slightly OT, but when I saw 461 appear in a film (it may have been Michael Collins), there was something quite weird about the way it moved. It may have been the quality of the track, or possibly the camera itself but as it came towards the camera, it actually appeared to bounce on its springs with every revolution of the driving wheels. I've never seen anything quite like that before or since!

Careful now.

Looks like SSM or Worsley, then. Can't wait to see the look on Des's face when you approach him with "a proposition".....!