John Isherwood

Really - not having such a model, I had assumed that the discs would be plastic, retained by press-fit pegs / pins. I am therefore surprised that the metal tags have broken off - this must have required some force. CJI.

Call it OCD - which is definitely applicable to me! Equally, whilst the ex-works liveries are relatively easy to determine and were pretty consistent, no two repainted / lettered wagons were the same. Trying to be authentic with the latter would require very extensive and time-consuming research - if sufficient photos exist to fill a sheet. I do not have sufficient spare time to devote to such work for what is, at the end of the day, simply a spin-off from my own modelling. There are plenty of 'generic' transfer sheets available for those who have the time to compose authentic repaint / reletter liveries. Sorry, CJI.

Having recently watched, and listened to, the UP turbo locos on YouTube, I was reminded of the sound of a jet aircraft when taxiing. John Isherwood.

Measure diameter of pin; take drill bit of appropriate diameter; drill out pin stubs. No problem! CJI.

Mike, There is no doubt that the photo shows a vehicle with ENG lettering - but I suspect that this is at least a relettering, if not a repaint. I don't recall ever having come across another photo of a departmental vehicle in original livery with ENG lettering - it was always EE / ENE / EM / ES / EW / ESC ; I suppose that the easy solution is to provide both. I am mystified by the demand for white Gill Sans lettering for departmental wagons. Ex-works, the livery was straw yellow on black, or white on Gulf Red; (I provide white lettering where the latter is known to be the ex-works livery). When wagons were repainted and white lettering applied, the marking style should have been Rail Alphabet in the 'boxed' layout. Clearly this did not always happen, but I try to produce only authentic lettering and the myriad of permutations of styles used for repaints means that I stick to ex-works liveries, and let others provide 'generic' lettering for later variations. John Isherwood, https://www.cctrans.org.uk/products.htm

My interpretation of the first photo is that the original markings would have been (straw yellow on black) : - PILCHARD 20T ENE (not ENG) DB 990096 YORK DISTRICT DISTRICT ENGINEER'S STOREYARD LEEMAN RD. YORK With a tare weight of 13-3 Any dissention on this surmise? John Isherwood.

If I can make up an A6 sized sheet with these, or combine them with some other departmental subject, I certainly will. CJI, https://www.cctrans.org.uk/products.htm

In which case, the exterior planking should match the interior planking - though this is a somewhat 'freshly-sawn' rendition of unpainted wood. John Isherwood.

Much weathered black with renewed centre doors. Surely they have someone on the staff that can interpret such images? CJI.

I'd like to see that too - where DO they get their liveries from?!? It'll be out with the Halfords black primer as soon as mine arrives. Ah well - at least the price is OK; it's a pity that they don't just sell them undecorated and let us get it right ourselves. CJI.

Exactly - and don't forget Precision Labels. I've made hundreds of such referrals. CJI.

I have previously posted here the background to the name 'Cambridge Custom Transfers' but, since you appeared to have missed this, I will do so again. In 1999, I discovered that it was possible to print one-off transfers using Alps printer technology; so I bought an Alps printer. Perhaps unwisely, I extolled the virtues of this printer in a letter to the editor of the MRJ. At the self-same time that the letter was published, Alps stopped selling the printer in the UK! I was thus inundated with requests for one-off transfers - so I decided to set up CCT. It rapidly became evident that I was also expected to research the requested transfers - something quite impossible when I had a full-time career in local government. Hence the demise of a short-lived bespoke transfer service. Nonetheless, I decided to offer the transfers that I produced for my own use to other modellers - something that I still do in my retirement. The 'Custom' adjective is still relevant - my transfers are custom-designed for specific vehicles; not 'generic' sheets. There are other bespoke transfer producers who make a full-time career of it, and I refer enquiries for bespoke work to them. I make no apology for my current business model - I do what is manageable at my age, and no more! John Isherwood.

On the off-chance that I am referred to - I'm afraid that I do not cover the pre-Nationalisation period. CJI.

I have just ordered five of the 381 RPM items for mixed traffic locos, and a couple of the 136 RPM ones for trip locos. I cannot see that reaming / boring them out from 3.0 to 3.175 mm. bore should be too difficult. CJI.

These motor gearboxes come with a choice of four reduction ratios. My calculations indicate that a loco with 5'-0'' driving wheels would have a maximum speed of 60 mph. with the 95 - 381 RPM ratio gearbox, and a maximum speed of 25 mph. with the 34 - 136 RPM ratio gearbox. The lower speed quoted is that for 3 volts - all motors have a minimum speed of 0 RPM at 0 volts. John Isherwood.

Very, very interesting! Presumably this could take a Markits axle? What is the width over the gearbox - would it fit between OO frames? CJI.

This strikes me as a storm in a teacup! The owner of a layout, no matter the size or prestige, has the right to adopt their own standards and policy. Roy had, during his tenure, his own, 'distinctive' ideas as to what should and should not be done and was 'acceptable'. Not all would agree with his ideas - I would not have found his frequent use of the f*ck word acceptable. As time moves on, and we of advanced years gradually pass into history, standards and practices will change - often for the better. A derailment occurred which was no-one's fault - so what; on which layout has this not occurred? Sandra seems to wish Retford to become more accessible and less 'exclusive'; this is bound to rankle with some who have yet to come to terms with Roy's passing. Nonetheless, change is, in this case, a good thing. CJI.

Proper title - launching nose. CJI.

I suspect that they are rollers, used to support the connecting arms which pull the bridge into a vertical position. The arms can be seen in the photo of the Renfrew Bridge. CJI.

I am not suggesting that the errors are directly of Dapol's making - but I do suggest that Dapol has a track record of bringing models with defective liveries to market. If their factory feels that it can produce 'near enough' liveries on a regular basis and get away with it, is it not time that Dapol got a new factory? CJI.

It has been stated up-thread that the livery samples had the correct typeface. CJI.

Thanks for that - exactly what I needed to know. The plan is to paint the cork trackbed, and the track once laid, with 173 / RAL 8019 as a base colour, prior to weathering. 173 / RAL 8019 will be a good 'soil' base colour for scenic areas, as well. I'll get several large 'Halfords primer sized' aerosol cans filled, I think. Regards, CJI.

Having tried (unsuccessfully) to obtain Humbrol 173 Track Colour from local stockists, I would like to have some aerosol paint spray cans filled in a matching colour; (I have a large layout of track to paint). Does anyone have a paint matching code / specification for Humbrol 173 Track Colour ? Many thanks in anticipation. John Isherwood.

Errors of the type that I refer to are avoidable errors; due diligence would ensure that they did not occur. I will not apologise for pointing out such things - in the (forlorn?) hope that it will encourage manufacturers to up their game. CJI.

It is stated up-thread that the errors are being discussed with Dapol. It is a reasonable supposition, therefore, that Dapol are the commissioning agents. John Isherwood.