Jack P

While it may not directly help with the tender, @pete_mcfarlane built a DJH L some time back, and i've found his thread to be extremely handy as I plan for my own build. Have also sent you a PM.

@Adam, looking excellent as usual! How many couplings do you get in one 'pack'?

I've been trying to get a few long standing projects finished. @Mallard60022 will be pleased to hear that the Unclassed saloon (D.2653) sides that he sold me over two years ago are finally very very close to being done. I've gone for one that was permanently reclassified second class. Don't look too hard, the number closest to the camera (left) is a bit wonky, but I'd destroyed my eyes with the seat numbers. This was also my first Donor side replacement project so there are a multitude of sins that i'm hoping some decent weathering will hide. I'm also working through my ex-LSWR maunsell rebuild stock

I'm looking forward to seeing progress! My own lining for malachite locos has been HMRS BR coach lining. I then paint up to the edge of the outside of the black line. Interested to know where you've found the coreless motors!

Fantastic build log - any updates?

Thank you very much! I like them too. The buffers on their own (housings painted red) are SR pattern Markits ones - I got them from Roxey Mouldings. The Buffers on the front of the J are Kean Maygib SECR pattern, and the Wagon buffers are Private Owner Wagon/Midland Railway, also Kean Maygib. Both from Brian at Branchlines.

Has anyone fitted the cab available from RT Models and can give me some advice, I have a WC en-route and have ordered said cab!

I also had some sprung wagon buffers arrive. These are Kean Maygib POW/MR. I've got some Alan Gibson RCH buffers on their way. I must remember to ask about maygib RCH buffers next time I call Branchlines. This wagon was just a test, as I didn't fancy building a new kit just for the buffers. Moving forward I will fit them to wagons as they are being built. Trying to drill the holes in an already built wagon without going off centre, or damaging the solebars was a bit of a fiddle. I really like the softness of the springing action on the Maygib buffers, the Markits ones are a little stiff for my liking.

I'm not sure if this was a later development. Whenever I research a loco, I try and find pictures as close to my chosen time period as possible, this means that I have the propensity to overlook early/late version of the class. Thank you for the kind words about my soldering! It's just repetition that's helping me improve. I also think this kit in particular is very good almost a shake the box and it goes together affair. A little progress has been made on the J. I'm frustratingly close to having it done! Waiting on a re-stock of transfers and the previously mentioned replacement gear. Here's a shot of her in primer, rivets partially applied and boiler bands on. I had a horrible moment over the weekend where I realised much like the H class, it seems like most (if not all) of the J's received larger buffers on the rear. No worries, i'd only glued the buffers in place. Some gentle wiggling and they came free. I then knocked up some markits SR pattern ones. I don't know if these are strictly accurate, but unless someone can find me a photo of the rear of 1597 - they will do! Wheels and chassis painted in a generic frame dirt colour. Slowly slowly. Now that the loco is mostly complete, I plan to add as much lead sheet to the boiler and the side tanks as I can.

I'm finding that generally, Fridays are a productive day for me! I managed to get along with Archers rivet transfers long enough to get some of the smokebox looking right. I'll confess that the rivets on the front of the cylinder chest, and around the smokebox door are dabs of glue. While the latter don't look great, the chest cover rivets look ok! The boiler bands are HMRS lining transfers. The front pipework took a couple of tries to get right, it's not perfect, but I think it looks good enough. The pipe runs under the bufferbeam don't stick out as much as they look like they do. I'm also pretty happy with the lamp irons and the snifters. I plan for this loco is to eventually be numbered 1597, which is the only one that i've seen in anything close to Wartime black with the SECR plaques on the front splashers: https://www.rail-online.co.uk/p426596158/h7238a729#h7238a729

Righto - that's done it. I've just put an order in for another B4! Always enjoy reading your updates Graham.

My partner was actually quite surprised when I pulled out an unopened cheap pair I had bought at the supermarket for a reason such as this! I've spent some time doing something different the last few nights, Including giving myself second degree burns on my right hand. I refuse to let this stop me though. These have been sitting for far too long. Both locos belong to a good friend of mine. The Schools was min originally, but a spot of 'Horse Trading', (as Mr Wright would say) saw a deal worked out for this and the E4 both modified in different ways and 'finished' (repainting, numbering and weathering) I'm particularly happy with the way that the name plate came out. Still working on refining the colours I use, and getting enough variation in the weathering process for black locos. Slowly, slowly. Oh, and my Copy of Russell arrived! Genuinely don't know why I didn't get this sooner! My task for the next few days (while my hand heals) is to go through and using post-it's, index the book for quick access. Is this lazier than just reading the index? Yes, very observant.

Thanks Barry. I'll have a look through my Mike King volumes tonight to see which I need specifically. I think you might've pushed me over the edge! These will look excellent behind the E1 when complete - had you though about unlined olive?

Hey Barry, Do Roxey make provision for the body to be removable from the chassis, or is the intention that they are fixed in place and the roof glued on and everything sealed up? I'm seriously tempted to pick up a rake of 4 now!

It's funny you mention that, he posted a list of what he is looking to re-introduce and the D3 is on that list. Exciting times!

Hi Ray, I did consider this, and may still go back and do it. I've already bent is slightly once. I tried the stocking over the end of the vacuum trick, to make sure I didn't have to sift through the vac bag. Nothing came up unfortunately!

No! It really isn't. To add insult to injury I tried to tap out the thread to take a different size grub screw. The tap snapped in the cog (not me tapping the cog). It was then that I realised I could loctite the worm gear on the motor shaft and use the grub screw for that - *%^&#%$! Never mind. I've ordered another gearbox from Wizard models. I'll crack on with getting the body finished while I wait. The pickups all work, which is amazing and i've been fettling to make sure that (until the gear is tightened on the axle) it all rolls sweetly with everything in place!

I decided to steal the wheels from the W, and will replace those when I manage to get through to Markits. After fitting the correct size wheels, I realised that the chassis was about 1.5mm too far back. I added a small strip of nickle silver to the inside of the rear of the body, and filed the front end of the chassis down. The front wheel now sits under the splasher in the middle. I also decided on a work around with the sanding gear, it's bent in odd ways, and I was worried about the ability to remove the body without it getting caught. My solution as above was to drill holes in the sandboxes, and then solder the sanding gear pipes to the chassis. I also added a bracket to stop the motor moving around This is where i'm up to tonight, the chassis given its first coat of black, and the pickup PCB araldited into place. It's not perfect, but it is the first time i've done my own pickups and it actually works!!I've also lost the grub screw for the worm gear so i'll have to wait for a replacement to arrive before I can see it actually move under its own power!

Thanks Glenn, for the longest time I thought that it was based on body colour! Is that a hard and fast rule, or was it just generally the rule? I only ask because Hornby have often made the bufferbeam numbers on black locos Green shaded.

Quick update to the last post: Using a dremel with a sanding drum I removed the half etched inserts. The arrangement on the end of the bolt is a small piece of a spring, 2mm Axle bearing, a whitemetal washer all held in placer with a bolt. The bogie has two bits of wire, the front one goes over the rear driven axle and in conjunction with the rear one, limits side and, back/forth movement. It looks overly complex, and it sort of is - but it works! The small piece of spring helps to no end.

@Oliver Rails, Someone on Facebook alleges that they received their sound fitted terrier last night. Are they starting to go out?

Looking forward to seeing this Dave, I've been meaning to order one of the DMR Z's for a while. I'd love to see some in depth info on how you sort out the back of the bunker to keep the cab/bunker sides straight. Also interested to see the new 1320.

Some more work on the J yesterday, although things are progressing slightly slower now. I'm waiting for the final decision on what motor/gearbox I use. I might just pinch the W's one and re-allocate the high level one that was meant for this. I'll probably do the same with the wheels. I ended up following what @pete_mcfarlane did to his J, and removed the half etched inserts behind the bogie cutouts. The chassis now negotiates a peco bullhead large radius turnout. (I'm not sure what 'size' this is). I'll update with some pictures of the bogie arrangement, which in my usual fashion is probably needlessly complex! When the J is done I have some more SECR flavoured items to snack on! Thanks so much for the input so far guys!

Thanks mike, super handy drawing. The 0395 is going to be a bit more involved than first thought. There's not much room between the bogie and the frame spacer, I cut up a smiths coupling spring and use a tiny bit, it's sort of acting as more of a spacer than a spring, but the springing is there! They sure did! The Southern in general really liked their big tank locos. I'd eventually like to do one of each of the big ones!

Hi guys, As the title says, I'm after a Chivers D3, open to anything that's lurking out there. PM me if you've got something and we can talk turkey!