Colonel

Splendid research again - don't think anybody will mind a bit of modeller's licence being applied, plus you could always back date the layout a little further!

Enjoyable seeing the big stuff - everything has real presence, particularly in close up.

Looks like I need to renew my subscription... Many thanks for all your efforts - at least the links will still be on the thread!

Many thanks for the Flickr links, Paul but I can't access them, even though I have an account. Comes up as being private. Any idea what I need to do, please?

Many thanks everyone. Interesting question - was Fairy's caqn lower, or Sprite's coach taller? Fairy had 5'2 drivers, whereas Sprites were 5'. Great to see lamp tops and vents on the coach; likewise the end detail of it. Can't see any lining on loco or coach, apart from that very early picture above and wonder what that curious box affair was behind the driving wheel? Am guessing that might be a toilet compartment at the front end of the coach? Given it carried a lot of cash, wonder what security arrangements there were?

At some point this year, I want to build one of the above. Both were 0-4-2Ts, each with a four wheel coach semi permanently attached. The two Green Bibles both give some information, though far from definitive. For example, the GSWR version has an outline drawing, supposedly of Sprite, but photos in both books suggest it is Fairy because of the shape of the cab cut out and height of the coach. My own outline interpretations are shown below. So, there are a fair few gaps to fill, such as: Livery - presumably the loco would have been in lined GSWR black in the early 1900s, so would the coach have similarly been the dark purple lake of the time? The coach interior - the locos and pay coach were on the road six days a week, with Sprite covering over 1.2 million miles from 1873 to 1927 and presumably the inner half of the coach was partitioned from the more open rear? Am guessing much has been lost, not least because both units were withdrawn in 1927, but the Forum has an enviable reputation for digging up all sorts of gems, so I live in hope. Any information greatly appreciated. The models will certainly need to be scratchbuilt and will be in 7mm scale and 36.75mm gauge. The working timetable of 1901 suggests one of them would have called in at Northport Quay every other Wednesday or Thursday, which would make a nice feature, so here's hoping!I David Holman

Indeed! One of those annoying things about what we are happy to live with. Given the likely viewing angles on the layout - presumably mainly side on - will the buffer spacings be that apparent? The layout as a whole already more than makes up for any minor discrepancy like loco buffers.

Is it worth considering assembling them yourself? Looks like three different diameter bits of tube, a square base on the buffer beam, with a rivet in each corner, plus the oval head. The latter perhaps the hardest to get right. Alternatively, stick a suitable piece of brass rod in the drill chuck and file the shanks. Back in the day, they'd use brass from round pin plugs. In 7mm scale,, not unusual to find drawing pins for the heads in buffer packs and to be fair, they can work well for round ones.

Every new Ernie post is like opening Christmas presents!

Looks way nicer that the prototype, which must have been a horrible place to work, especially in winter. Handsome 2-4-0 lurking in the background.

Swillybegs will be at Southampton next month and know Andy will be there too, so maybe see you there as well. David

Ballyrina, Killyconcarne, or Ballyshawbhaegan!?

More epalettes and braid, please!

Unusual, to say the least, but all the more interesting! Fair bet that nobody is going to do an rtr version any time soon as well - though these days, who knows? Either way, another fine model. As for time off over Christmas, having hosted the family diaspora last week, it tends to be fairly quiet and having just seen the dismal range of stuff that the media has to offer am hoping Santa fulfils my usual wishlist of things to read, things to drink and things to make. Have a good one everybody.

The layout continues to live up to its promises, with everything well thought out and really well made. Seriously good trees too - well worth the investment. Like the angled LED lighting, which certainly lifts the sky and another step on from the Rice idea of one in the pelmet and another down the spine, though I'm sure there's some cream available for that!

Still me, but as explained in my Workbench thread, have had to re-register - hopefully only temporarily. The left hand end of the layout is gradually being filled in & I've been enjoyed getting to grips with a bit a scenic work for a change. The yard-cum-crossing gate is formerly the one on Arigna Town, while the inside of the loco shed is slowly getting detailed. Meanwhile, the station house is pretty much complete and awaiting bedding in. The pigsty cum outside privy is another Arigna refugee, though it will need the walls converting to brick The railbus is scratch built. On the other side of the track from the pigsty will be a small cabin for the ground frame controlling the entrance to the private sidings. Below are a few more pictures: on the back scene, I've been working on the typical Suffolk barn, with some farm cottages next door, while Shannon/Jane is starting to look quite at home in its new shed. David Holman

Ok folks, it's still me, but [for now at least] I have a new user name. It all began a couple of weeks ago, when I found I needed a new laptop, because my aging Macbook's Catalina operating system was no longer being supported & hence, no longer secure. Had it at least 12 years, so can't complain. However, while everything seemed to transfer seamlessly to the new model, I somehow completely Horlicksed logging back on here. Forgot the password [of course] and in the course of trying to get a new one, somehow messed up my email too, so the only way I could think of to contact Admin, was to register again with a new user name - hence 'Colonel', with the obvious connection to Holman F. Stephens of the Light Railway empire he ran from a small office in Tonbridge. Am hoping, I may yet get my old details back, but in the meantime - you are never alone with a clone, as the saying goes. Or is it a case of I used to be schizophrenic, but where am I now when I need me most? Anyway... nobody seems to have posted in the Workshop for ages, though this contribution is hardly exciting. Have some buildings to do for my 0 gauge project and found myself drawn to the old Howard Scenics embossed brick paper. Still had some left over from at least 15 years ago, but was surprised to find Squires still do it and ordered some more, only to find I had two packs tucked away in a folder already. So now I have four. Nevertheless, 'tis good stuff and is easily stuck to card or foam board with PVA. Colouring is simple: a wash of mortar colour [I use acrylics] and then when dry, water colour pencils are used to shade over the embossing - a bit like brass rubbing. Another nice thing is that the sheets are available in English bond too. David Holman