Mike 84C

Looking at those exploded diagrams, they should be stamped with some sort of warning, " interfere with this model at your peril".

Very nice work Mol, I like the idea of the springy wire disguised to look like a brake pull rod.

Hmm, maybe not! I remember looking at Fire Queen many years ago and thinking very strange looking loco. Two thoughts spring to mind, with that long rigid wheelbase how did it go around curves and how often did the side rods get bent?

It's off the workbench, runs well and is as far as I want to go with it. Bit of weathering, make cab roof sit better and some wires and tube for the sander operating mech, do we know Double M models? Nice little loco and a favourite of mine, narrow gauge and runs on 16.5 mm track. Sorry about the poor photos but camera phones are not my thing, must try harder!

Hi David, at risk of sounding like a smarty pants you have answered your problem. Feedback controllers and coreless motors are not a happy marriage. All I have read says do not use that combination. As you know Bantry was 4mm scale and the locos came from very varied sources, Hornby, Bachmann, 00 Works & Kitbuilt. All DCC fitted, some sound some not. Never had any problems fitting decoders in the body's just insulate them well. As an aside, i was in our local DCC specialist today to price up having Dcc and sound fitted fitted in a very small tank engine, it was deffo a HOW MUCH!! moment.Price had near doubled since I last had one done. So it will be diy and silent running in future! One more thing to consider is being able to switch point frog polarity and if you need to modify the points. If I sound like an expert I'm not, just info from experience. Regards Mick

Heres mine, it now has windows and decals. Cutting the windows to fit was the most tedious job on the planet! But it does sound rather good with a 1250hp Sulzer sound file. Chopped Hornby Deltic chassis, detail filed off the bogies and whitemetal sideframes from the kit glued on. I'm not as brave as Darius with the close up shots!

That lovely picture of the W class reminds me I did'nt buy a set of parts from Worsley Works. hey ho!

I very much appreciate the time and computer skills going into this thread, wayway above my pay grade! My only observation and thats from building a couple of loco bodies. Its not a very friendly material to use. It seems to always work out that modification is needed to fit the chassis of choice and that is where the problems start. Or mine seem to! the only way to alter a part seems to be by sanding/filing. An Exacto saw is fraught with danger and heaven forbid if you drop the body being worked on. So I love the detail and the precision of the fit of parts also the aparant ease with which obscure prototypes can be made of almost anything. I hope that a more user friendly medium can be found, not that it will stop me buying something that takes my eye.

Would that be a friend that I know? I always rather liked the Thumpers, not that I rode them often, they had a bit of character.

Fabulous postcard Mol, could see a very nice layout based just on that p.c.

I have always bought resin casting kits from Alex Tiranti in the UK. I do not do so much casting but found their silicone rubber lasts for years before use. Maybe it's because I keep the kit in a cool garage!

I find it astonishing that none of those engines carried 500 gall's of water. But I suppose they never worked very hard or passed a water column when going somewhere!

Lovely work, be a little beauty when complete.

I love shots with loco crew, so often neglected the crews that ran the machine.

Very well done! you have concealed your starting point admirably. May I suggest new bogie wheels would help the looks or maybe that's in the plan! Next efisode please.