Andrew Young

Thanks Dave, now that is tempting.... Had been deliberating over what second carriage would go with this one. Will message you fit details. Cheers, Andrew

Looks like Mushy Pea Green to me! Cheers, Andrew

Martin, with all that, would it not be easier to start with a kit for a Terrier? Cheers, Andrew

Anything to put off doing some modelling Mike....!! Cheers, Andrew

Neil, Just caught up with your thread, so,e excellent progress there. I like the Terrier in red, was thinking of using the same colour scheme sometime as its one of the least popular Terrier liveries. I have one of the Simplex kits too in the 'to build one day' drawer, mine has the instructions so will run them over the copier at some point for you. Cheers, Andrew

Plastic based DMU kits you say! Like these? http://www.easybuildcoaches.co.uk Cheers, Andrew

Thanks for the offer, but a piece of planked styrene is already in place! The kit came with a resin floor, but that was considerably over sized, only took a few minutes to knock a styrene one up. Cheers, Andrew

Thanks to those who suggested using a hairdryer, with my better half was safely at work, I've used the hair dryer and managed to straighten the sides back to an acceptable (if not perfect) straightness. The only damage is that the styrene floor didn't like it, but a sanding down and a fresh piece of planked styrene should solve that and then a quick coat of primer before anything else happens! Cheers, Andrew

You're not the only one! Not known it happen before!

Thanks, will give the hair dryer a go. No extreme temperatures, been out of direct sunlight as the blind's been down in the study since I built it and we've not had the heating on yet. The body sides do feel quite brittle too so not wanting to try too much force on it. Cheers, Andrew

After a couple of days without doing any modelling, got home from work, pulled up the blind and thought about doing some. Sadly, in the few days since I bult it, my Cambrian wagon has altered shape somewhat and is now a banana wagon... The one piece body casting was straight and square when I bought it, was straight and square when I built it and has been sat on a shelf alongside a Slaters plastic wagon since then and the latter hasn't been affected. It's also not been in any direct sunlight (not that there's been much of it this week!). Any suggestions on what might have caused this and any suggested solutions are welcome. Cheers, Andrew

Don, I discounted the JLTRT one as it shows having a steel chassis, whereas all those I've seen photos of have wooden frames. So not quite just like the real thing.... I've come to the conclusion that the only really accurate ones are the Dragon ones! Have one of theirs which I ought to bite the bullet and build. Unless I just say f*** it and only build Slaters wagons from now on... Cheers, Andrew

Correct, wondered when someone would notice! After glueing it in place, I realised that the casting was back to front. Waiting to be 'in the mood' to correct as the casting is already in two halves thanks to the work needed to make it fit...

For those wondering what the sounds will be like on the production run DCC fitted Terriers, this video has appeared on YouTube: Cheers, Andrew

An hour or so last night and another this morning and the wagon awaits weight adding, painting and buffers / coupling blackening. So, how did I get on... The instructions are on a cd, fired up the laptop and had a read. A couple of glaring things stood out: 1) the photos on the instructions are not of the Cambrian wagon. 2) the part numbers in the text don't all tally with those shown on the annotated photo (part 2 for example, on the photo it's the sea shook springs, in the text, they're body end stiffeners). However, it did give me an idea of how to put the thing together and shut the laptop down to start modelling. One thing immediately apparent is that the body casting has two indentations in it each side for there to be an opening middle section. Little is written about Cambrian Wagons, but in all the books I've got on the Cambrian, I can't find any mention of any wagons like this, in text or photos, just wagons with complete drop down sides. There's no mention of numbers or this variant in the instructions. Thankfully I was modelling from a photo and I was able to put the stiffeners over the grooves (although not quite in the right place) and it looked ok. I was able to make up what ironwork I wanted from the etched fret supplied so I was happy. The resin floor was over sized by a long way. Making a new floor out of three laminations of plain & planked plastikard proved easier than cutting the floor to size. Body complete, it was left over night for the glue to harden off. Working this evening, an hour of fiddling and cursing got the wagon running. One look at the brake gear and axle boxes showed that they're generic one's and not specifically for this kit. I wouldn't mind, but I shouldn't have to cut large chunks out of them to make them fit!!! First up, I tried the brake gear, this needed approx 4mm taking off each end to fit between the cross beams cast in the body. This took away a lot of the strength, but thankfully, glueing to the resin body / chassis has restored the strength. If I was building another, I'd also glue in packing pieces to enable the brakes to get a firm fix to the resin casting, but lining up with the wheels better. The axle boxes fitted ok, though care needs to be taken to ensure the bearings sit parallel. With care, a nice model can result and satisfies my 'looks good at arms length' criteria. Just needs better design work to ensure things like brakes and floors fit better! Cheers, Andrew

Returned from Guildex with a few goodies... The latest MRJ for inspiration, despite being 4mm, Coldfair Lane is very nice, plus a few more good articles to boot. The latest issue of Archive has a large article on Traction Engine Locos, a fount of silly ideas and have long liked the idea of making one. Have the Oakwood & Middleton books on the CM&DPLR and find the line fascinating, hadn't realised that OPC had also published a line history until seeing this copy on one of the second hand bookstalls. At £10 it was an easy buy! My final purchase was down to the salesmanship of Marc Dobson on the Furness Wagons stand. I only went to see what was new and came away with a Cambrian 2 plank wagon kit. Yesterday late afternoon, felt like doing some modelling but didn't fabcy painting as the light was fading (I find painting easier in daylight) so unpacked the kit and found I had a pair of suitable wheels in stock. The book is 'Cambrian Railways' by C.C. Green, there's photos of two Cambrian 2 plank wagons in use for ballast traffic in GW livery. One still with the drop sides intact (GW 31879) and the other (GW 30993) converted into a fixed sided wagon, but with some of the hinge straps remaining as stiffeners. Both would be ideal for running to and from the quarry on the MVR, I have a Dragon Models etched kit for one stashed away waiting for me to attempt to solder it up which I intend modelling as 31879, thought that this would make a good 30993. This is also the state of the display model on the stand at Telford. Cheers, Andrew

Indeed, though still a fairly rare sound over here with vacuum being adopted as the standard from grouping until relatively recent times. Cheers, Andrew

The sound file for the Ixion Hudswell Clarke that Paul (EDM Models) put on my loco is intended as an industrial loco sound. With mine being a light railway loco I've added a Westinghouse Air Pump on it. One of the noticeable sounds if you drive air brake fitted steam locos like I do is that of the pump kicking in every now and again and was one sound that I wished was on it. Just before Guildex, Paul posted a video of a Dapol Terrier which he'd fitted sound to, complete with air pump. A couple of emails later and the result was that my Hudswell accompanied me to Wales and whilst I cooked dinner the Sunday night after Guildex, Paul got the computer and the rolling road out and re-programmed my Hudswell to include the pump sound. It might seem trivial to some, but for me it's one of those small things that makes the difference! Cheers, Andrew

Only recently found your blog and have been working my way through it drooling over your exquisite modelling. Regarding your comments about double arched bridges. The Cambrian Railways album by C.C. Green published by Ian Allan contains a wonderfully evocative photo of a twin arch bridge at Fronfaith on the Kerry branch taken c1905 which might be suitable. If you don't have access to a copy, message me and I'll see what I can do. Thanks, Andrew

The Fowler's a cracking loco, you won't be disappointed. Though you could get the plain green one and pretend it isn't a GWR loco... Expect your loco will be sent once Paul recovers from his exertions in Wales. Cheers, Andrew

All quiet on the modelling front this last week. Being off work the week following Guildex, which is also on the route to Wales, makes it an ideal stop off point for a week playing steam locos. Having spent most of Sunday drooling over Pecketts and Terriers, see http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/102702-telford-layouts-this-year/page-2&do=findComment&comment=2018865 I headed west to the coast for the week. I've known Paul Martin of EDM Models for many years and those who receive his newsletter will know that he also attended Guildex before heading to Wales for a week driving. Earlier in the year, when we realised this would be the case, Paul suggested we organise a Cultural Exchange and I was quick to say yes. So Paul headed west to Tywyn following Guildex and spent the Monday driving 'Douglas' for me. Paul appeared to enjoy himself, plenty of time on he Talyllyn for drinking tea, suggesting that EDM should produce a kit for the Barclay E Class and here posing for a photo with Fireman Becky. All too soon, it was time to put the loco to bed, get cleaned up and head out for a curry and a couple of beers. Wednesday morning saw me head north up the coast for Portmadoc for a day with Paul and Merddin Emrys. The smile on my face says it all! The two railways are suitably different, to make driving on each other's train sets a challenge for each of us to 'get the knack' for driving the other one. For me, being very much a Westinghouse boy, the Vacuum brakes on the Ffes makes for a challenge. All too soon we were back at Boston Lodge wiping Merddin down and putting back in its box. Finally, there was time to raise a glass to our next Cultural Exchange at Spooners before heading back to Tywyn. Home now after an excellent week. Whilst away, things have moved on very quickly in the whole house issue which means that there'll be little time for modelling as my time will be spent packing boxes... Cheers, Andrew

The only thing I find annoying about your product/range/company is your salesmanship skills is that I called by your stand at Guildex just to be nosey about the new products and came away with a wagon kit. You're a danger to my wallet! Personally, I'm happy that I know who you are, what you sell and how to find it. I usually find out about new products through the G0G Gazette. Just remember, you can't make anything completely idiot proof... Cheers, Andrew

The rattle cans have made short work of the base colours, reddish/brown for the body, weathered black for the chassis and roof dirt for the roof. Still plenty of work with brushes and other bits and pieces before the coach is finished, but that can wait a few days for the paint to harden. Having posed the coach in the sunshine, I'd best finish my cuppa and head for Guildex... Cheers, Andrew

Been busy with the rattle cans to add some colour to the carriage. I didn't fancy brush painting the thing and the only rattle cabs I had were Crimson lake, weathered black and roof dirt. I wanted a colour that was more of an Indian Red, with a tinge of brown in it. A trip to Halfords and I came away with a can of VW Gambian Red that just happens to be the colour of my first car! Not the best lighting so the exact shade isn't shown to its best. Will take some more photos when I get chance. But work beckons now... Cheers, Andrew

I know Paul quite well and think I was one of the first to order one from him, so don't worry, I'll be continuing my collection of Ixion / Minerva products! Shame our paths won't cross, but will be sure to swing by the Dragon stand to have a look at the Pecketts. Cheers, Andrew