Andrew Young

So, the distractions... In August, the kids are on holiday, so some time was spent scaring the children. Then we scared the sheep, Smokebox Slow Roast Lamb with Manifold Leeks. Plus it was cricket season, T20 finals day at Edgbaston. Then one of my friends turned 30 and insisted we join him for some culture at Stratford. The journey wasn't bad mind. Couldn't resist a bout of playing away from home with an attractive red head Jennie Wren. Meanwhile, back home, we had some inquisitive neighbours for the summer to make friends with. And of course, we had to do our bit for the local economy, especially the Micropub. And that was just August! Cheers, Andrew

After another lengthy interlude, my modelling mojo has returned. The lack of mojo being caused partly by there being lots of fun things to do during the summer months (more on that later) and this time by the trials and tribulations of building the Luggage Van kit. I appear to have won the battle of making it straight and square-ish, this was followed by realising that I'd made a right balls up of the body assembly, which thankfully no one has spotted yet, so there's either no SER experts reading this, or anyone with eagle eyes resulting in the kit languishing on my desk with no great desire to sit down and finish it off. Thankfully, came back from a third week driver antique kettles in Wales with a determination to finish the van and crack on with it. My OCD belong a believer in lists, I wrote a list of the jobs needed doing on the van and I've steadily crossed off them all. Adding detail to the van as I felt fit. The result is a van that now is ready for cleaning down and priming along with the other two carriages I built earlier in the year. Then my carriage fleet can be detailed and finished off as the painting progresses. So here is my very badly modelled SER luggage van, which by chance, according to available sources, is an extremely accurate and highly detailed model of Melyn Valley Railway's van 7. The trials and tribulations have been worth it, as there's definitely a sense of achievement to have got this far rather than having given up. Cheers, Andrew

Good to see you back modelling Neil. The Railcar looks very suitable, definitely compact and bijou! For inspiration, it's worth looking out the Baguley-Drewry railcars, will see what I can find in my book cases. Also intrigued, because I have two of those chassis' and hadn't thought about converting them to standard gauge... Cheers, Andrew

The class 120 doesn't fit in with my light railway scheme in any way, but one of my earliest railway memories is of Class 120s running through Burton Joyce where I grew up on the Crewe to Lincoln services. Cheers, Andrew

When we came back from holiday last month, something that my partner had ordered which was supposed to have been signed for had been left in one of our wheelie bins without any signature. Thankfully, we'd not arranged for our bins to be put out whilst we were away... Back to 25's, the model does look much better, especially when weathered, than the pre-production shots suggested it would be. Cheers, Andrew

Think the crux of the matter is that if you want a Victory, you can easily justify having one by writing a story to suit! Maybe the W&C Quarry Co. Ordered one from Kerr Stuart, or their successor Hunslet after 1930 for their operation. There are precedents for Hunslet building examples of both Avonside and KS designs after they took them over. The last steam loco that the old Hunslet company built was after all a KS Brazil design. As for colour, the majority of Ironstone quarry locos were green. Hope that helps, Andrew

Be tempted not to bother putting any stamps on it either... Cheers, Andrew

No drawings sadly, just lots of cracking photos and some nice reading! Cheers, Andrew

That's the one, I know Ian Drummond, aka Mr Holne Publishing well through the Talyllyn. Have his DVLR book and the two on the IOW which are both good for distractions! Cheers, Andrew

Agree about the vans! I firmly blame the book on the Derwent Valley Light Railway for opening my eyes to extending the scope of operation for the layout, aided by some of the rtr offerings that are around. Cheers, Andrew

Agreed, they're nice and unusual prototypes which is what attracted me to them. The saloon is a nice kit, with some very sharp resin mouldings, the van on the other hand is more akin to scratch-aiding rather than a kit and has been quite a challenge for me and certainly not for the faint hearted. There have been a few occasions where I've wished I'd instead been building a Slaters ubiquitous MR or GW luggage van, but then it wouldn't be as unusual as this one. Whilst it might look nice with the carriages, I rather intend being able to run the intended layout in two periods, one with mixed passenger and freight c1930 and the other later when just a goods only line. The van is intended for the latter, fairly weather beaten with a couple of milk tankers or a coal wagon and a van of fertiliser for the valley's farmers so will be receiving a well weathered finish. The rest can wait until the winter to be formulated. Cheers, Andrew

My modelling mojo is slowly returning, helped by making progress with the van. Think having stalled with the van wasn't helping. Whilst the van isn't as straight and square as I'd like, though the camera makes the van look worse than it is, I'm reasonably happy with it. Particularly as by the time this van made it to the MVR, it would've definitely been rather long in the tooth... Plus, the compensation fitted in the kit helps hide this. I'm also reassured when looking at photos of the Ashbury bogie carriages of the Ffestiniog which had a pronounced sag to them! Recent progress has seen the chassis members made and fitted, the duckets fabricated, fitted and the door joins all scribed. Next step will be a start on the running gear followed by the detailing parts before a coat of primer. Have decided that the roof and birdcage will be permanently fitted and will go on after painting and glazing. Cheers, Andrew

Personally, think,the term 'Revolutionise' is a bit strong. 'Applying the techniques used in JLTRT diesel kits to steam outline loco kits' would be more appropriate. Whilst I have no need for a Dukedog, I'll be interested to see how it gets on as someone still not completely confident with bashing metal. But we digress... Cheers, Andrew

Found it. Coast Lines of the Cambrian Volume 2 by C.C. Green,page 127. No 895 in September 1953. Cheers, Andrew

Very nice Chris. Have seen photos in one of the books I have of one of these looking quite presentable in BR Black recessed in the siding at Towyn on a northbound freight. When I unearth which book it's in I'll let you know! Cheers, Andrew

This is in the wrong thread, this ones about 48DS locos not the 88DS and if you look, there's already a thread about the loco for sale under the title '12 inches to the foot 88DS anyone?' Andrew

Been a couple of weeks since my last visit to Royd Hall and in not sure where to start. The delightful scenic work, the exquisite finish on the coach, the attention to detail with the Peake Patent Turntable or the realism of the Ruston outside the shed. Lovely work. Andrew

Thank you very much, most useful. Shall print out a copy providing you have no objection? Many thanks, Andrew

Prototypically, it's far easier production wise and cheaper to build one type of coupling and fit that to all wagons rather than design, build and for two types. Operationally, if your end wagon with Buck eyes on it fails or requires repairs, your operation stops whilst it gets repaired and that costs more than having a fully interchangeable fleet of wagons. Cheers, Andrew

Correct Don, no delay latch. Think they're designed to be similar to the old Bemo couplings. The one deficiency of these is the lack of a delayed uncoupling function, though that doesn't worry me as didn't have it with the old hook & bar ones. Cheers, Andrew

Also on the work bench is a narrow gauge diversion.... With the extra space available in the attic of the new house, the layout will be expanded when built. Originally designed as a compact terminous layout, there will be space for a fiddle yard to passenger terminous plus mineral extension 'U' shaped layout round three walls. The mineral extension will be fed by a narrow gauge mineral tramway, also I'm a 'U' shape sharing one wall with the standard gauge and the other two sides being in the middle of the room. The main reason for this is that I want the granite traffic to be made of 'live loads', with narrow gauge emptying into the standard gauge. For this, I intend using some wagons which I took an immediate liking to when they were releases, the Bachmann 0N30 Side Dump Cars. This is driven by the fa that Gloucester C&W built some standard gauge ones for the Ironstone Industry in 1925. Plus, there's a photo of some in Mountsorrel gypsum quarries. Like the Ratty, the quarries in the Melyn Valley received investment in the 1929s, unlike the Ratty, I don't intend having mixed gauge track... This issue of couplings has been one that has taken some thinking. Whilst I know some who use kadees very successfully, I didn't want to use them. The Hook & Bar couplings I've used before wouldn't suit nor would posh choppers. Something akin to the link and pin coupling is what's needed. A few weeks back on the NGRM online forum, news arrived that a 7mm scale version of the Greenwich coupler was in development and would anyone like to be guinea pigs? Having out my hand up, it looks like they're just the job. I've seen the 4mm scale ones used successfully on Rugga skips and TR slate wagons, but as you can see, these ones are appreciably bigger and stronger. I fitted a few wagons, some Chivers flats, a TR slate wagon and a side dump car. Think if I were modelling the smaller wagons, I'd stick with the 4mm scale ones, but these new ones are ideal for the side dump cars. Easily fitted by the screws which secure the body to the chassis, with a small fillet of the plastic chassis cut away to suit, they also have the benefit of bringing the wagons closer together. Just got to wait for them to go on general sale! I have enough to fit a rake of wagons, plus a loco, however, I ought to leave those alone until the carriages are through the paintshop.... Cheers, Andrew

Back to the modelling bench after a bit of a break, would've been longer today whilst listening to TMS, but the new issue of the NG&I Review arrived this morning to distract me. With attic insulation and lining on hold until the autumn, layout building is on hold til after then. So it's rolling stock building. Alongside the three carriages, I've also started a 4w luggage van to run alongside them. My intention being to paint and finish them all off together, hence starting a fourth piece of stock before finishing the others. Inspired by the SE&C 6w birdcage van from the Derwent Valley, I'm building an SER kits 4w birdcage van. The body is a lamination of styrene, some cut out yourself from printed sheet provided, laminated to plain sheet and laser cut panelling placed on top. I had a few issues with warping and strength of body initially. However bulking up with additional bracing and use of some thicker styrene (in tri-laminations where possible) has stabilised the body, made it a lot stronger and got it to a stage I'm happy with. Following a period where the body has been left to check that all was well, it's on with the duckets and the chassis. Cheers, Andrew

Me too! Have yet to see one of those Severn & Wye FJ kits for sale, though if I did, suspect I would feel obliged to buy and build it. As for narrow gauge FJ locos, I have one or two cunning plans as Baldrick would say, which I shall divulge when they are suitably advanced. Cheers, Andrew

That's just beautiful! The photographs almost make me feel I'm stood on the platform waiting for a train. Cheers, Andrew

Thanks Don, it was great fun! Plenty of socializing as well as working alongside your mates is the best way, shame the week flew by so quickly. Cheers, Andrew