Mike 84C

Worth replacing the steel weights in commercial wagons with lead or car wheel weights. Maybe even steel wagon axles, not that I have! Some of my model railway friends put a piece of foam under the wagon floor that gently rubs the axle. This I have done and it works.

I see every day here in rural Lincolnshire good farming land taken out of food production to be covered with solar farms or grow maize for digesters to power small generation plants. These farmers get grants to do this. Meanwhile few new houses or warehouse complexes produced by the building boom have photovoltaic roofs from new and the feed in tariffs for producing electricity by domestic owners gets smaller. Food security, joined up thinking its all a joke. I know of a very large poultry company, lots of very shallow roofs on large chicken sheds, not a photovoltaic panel in sight, but when grants were being handed out for biomass boilers to heat the sheds; gas out; biomass = wood pellets in! All transported in huge walking floor trailers from at least north of Newcastle/Tyne or maybe the Borders. I expect the trucks went back empty. Please tell me how green is that? While I'm ranting! Lots of grain grown here = lots of straw, used to be used as deep litter in chicken sheds, now its burnt in a local power station, thousands of bales p.a. The chicken litter is now sawdust from guess where?! and the used litter is burnt in a power station, not locally but in Suffolk! at least 70/80 miles away. I feel rather strongly about these sort of things and this is from a man who made his living from trucks. GSR 800, I rather like your comments about poorer nations whose leaders are prepared to sell out their poorer populations who will gain nothing except poverty. I used to think it was just China that was pillaging Africa but the EU is at it as well.

Very good Westcorkrailway, now looking at those and thinking way outside the box. How about cutting off the clerestory filling the hole and putting a new thin plastic roof on, would that give us a MGWR elliptical roofed coach?

Yes David, I have been looking at how others do it and I think servos is the route I shall try. Got till March to get it all working! easy ha ha! But another two to make so a couple of little jigs for better accuracy is the plan. But it does go up and down on the bob weight.

My first ever scratch built signal. Must do better with the next two ,cos I blew it up x10 and must do better!! Looks fine at the two foot rule.

I wonder when the Crossley sound file will be available? I know getting in and out of Oz is difficult. When it happens it happens!

Northroader that is a fantastic picture of Westport Quay. I wonder if that is a flour mill and who owned it? because that looks like a vacuum evacuator, used for unloading ships, up the side of the building. Was the quay rail connected ?

Thanks to the lads at IRM A 46 arrived yesterday. What a model! I think its the most detailed model diesel I have ever seen, let alone owned, museum quality is the phrase I would use. And we get to operate them. I also liked the booklet, a nice touch a little extra! Packaging that holds the model safely and it looks like first class QC. A high standard to set yourselves IRM! Only downside I can see is will I want to run my Silver Fox A & C at the same time as my IRM A? I'll just grit my teeth and man up!

Thanks for posting Jim, the year I started work, on the railway! I shall never forget cycling 6 miles to work in the snow, 6 days a week. Engine cleaners got £3 15/- for a 48hr week. The Midland Red bus cost 42p per week! which is why I biked. The amount of snow around Banbury was staggering.All we did was keep braziers alight 24/7 around the locos to try and stop them freezing up.

I now know more about Chaldron's than I did ten minutes ago! Wow! what a choice of wagon, brilliant. I can see lots of Ian Rice type diarama type layouts .

West Cork I spoke with him and he was OK to help you, maybe try again?

Hey, West Cork you have a builder with great skill hardly 30 miles from you. Also willing to pass on his skills so you can do it yourself! Did I not give you his contact points?

Brilliant! thanks to you all for pointing me in the right direction. A cornucopia of different signals, I don't think that's a question I need ask again.

Before I make a complete faux pas and paint my signal, are the light parts in B&W photos from the 1950's/60's white or silver? Would like to get it right first time!

My old employer in GB, Moy Park, is I am told moving its diesel powered hgv fleet to gas power. Thats about 70 tractor units.

Just recieved a W.Wks Park Royal open saloon kit. Any one out there built one? Any hints or tips so I can get it right first time! Many thanks in advance. Mick

It fits like a hand in a glove! I wish my soldering was as clean as yours, lots of clean up time saved! Thanks for posting because the principles apply to any etched kit. very good stuff Eoin.

Its sad to see the T&D so neglected and run down but it has an atmosphere about it. Also shows the amount of neglect a railway will stand and keep operating. I have seen worse on BR in the 1960's

Thank's for showing the Clayton railcar Ken and your comments on the difficulty getting a decent finish. You used similar technique to a guy on RMweb Nial who has posted quite a lot of info; and it just seems to be a great deal of filing rubbing down and probable loss of detail. I did think of contacting the vendor to discuss alternative print material but came to the conclusion that many Shapeways vendors have never printed their own models. Still an interesting model though! Mick

I very much like that first picture of 385, it has place and feeling. Just needs the driver leaning from the cab wiping his hands!

I fancied the Clayton railcar but if they are as bad as you guys intimate I'll save my money. I expect they are printed with old tech printers, one of our club guys has got some very good results with a new printer and low statification lines and is going to try printing using resin.

Perhaps we are so far under the radar our existence is not recognised ? Our club chairman is still determined to take Bantry to Bantry but he is much younger than me!

The guys at IRM have created more exceptional models in these coaches The bar has been raised even higher! for others to follow. My only concern is, when steam/ transition era stock is introduced will my wallet be able to afford it!? Will my swimbo let me pay 200 notes for three Park Royals! Very well done the lads at IRM!

Got my copy Jonathon! maybe next time in in Ireland I'll get you to sign it. You and Oakwood have done a fantastic job of the information and presentation, only wish I could be at Maam Cross but I have no desire to be on the menu as sweet course! How did those "flyaway" cabs keep the crew dry? If it looks right it is right and they don't!

Shock horror! butcher a GC A5to get a Bandon tank shame on you!! Buy the SSM kit it goes together very well, happy with mine.