John Isherwood

That's because you buy your transfers from the wrong supplier - very, very few of my transfers have a black patch, and I can supply a sheet black transfer material for that purpose; (see Sheet BL7 at https://www.cctrans.org.uk/products.htm ). Regards, John Isherwood.

It has been stated in more than one authoritive publication that, where the working environment / load would be more aggressive, BR applied a more stringent painting specification to hopper wagons; eg. PRESFLO, PRESTWIN, COVHOP, etc. This apparently resulted in a deeper, more maroon shade of bauxite, and this is borne out by ex-works photos from that period. John Isherwood.

David can sometimes be a bit 'hard and fast' about wagon liveries in the 1950s and 60s - when the reality was by no means so cut and dried. Study as many dated photos as you can - you'll find that the apparent shade of grey varies immensely and, as they're mostly monochrome photos, it is very difficult to say how much of this is due to weathering and / or the performance of the film used. As to lettering on patches; there is ample evidence that this was applied largely at the whim of the painter. You can find wagons with huge black patches for minimal lettering, whilst others are almost geometrically fitted to the lettering. One or two patches at the LH end is also completely random. John Isherwood.

No - it's there - hiding under the shadow, at 20-past. Regards, John Isherwood.

Are the cylinders too steeply inclined, thereby raising their front end? The centreline of the piston rod should pass through the centre of the driven axle - the photo suggests that it passes some distance below. John Isherwood.

Our last weekly Asda delivery, value in excess of £80.00, did not have any substitutes whatsoever. Regards, John Isherwood.

They could get a lot of inspiration from the old (Ackerman?) prints - and it'd be difficult for the pedantic to criticise the detail ! Regards, John Isherwood.

I am very surprised that Hornby aren't offering a three coach pack - there must be a very significant market of buyers who would like a longer train, but can't justify the cost of two full sets. John Isherwood.

Yep - that's the biz; (where's the brown sauce)? Substitute the toast with fried bread and you have perfection! (Here in Cornwall, there might be a piece of hog's pudding, too). John Isherwood.

It builds into a very nice model. Regards, John Isherwood.

Al, I didn't actually say that the cylinders might be too high - I suggested that some work to the running plate interface might help. I could have been more explicit - I felt that the cylinders didn't fit as closely under the running plate as they should. In such circumstances, I would be looking to remove material from under the running plate and, if necessary, from those parts of the cylinders that fit under the running plate. Regards, John Isherwood.

Oh, I dont know; I've collected around 74,000 of them for reference purposes. Regards, John Isherwood.

It sounds to me that the iron is incapable of putting out enough heat for the piece of brass which you are soldering - is it quite thick or otherwise capable of absorbing heat? When discussing soldering, the heat output of the iron is just as important as cleanliness, flux and the correct solder. John Isherwood.

I hope not - but is the front end a little high? How does the buffer centre height compare with other stock? At this stage, a little work on the running plate / cylinder interface may be very productive if the buffers prove to be too high. John Isherwood.

As most of the models that I clean have been soldered, I add a few crystals of washing soda to neutralise the acid flux, and a drop of washing-up liquid to remove greasy finger marks. John Isherwood.

*Never one to notice the material inconsistencies. John Isherwood.

I think that I'd go along with that - basic, can be tricky, need some skill, rewarding if persevered with - and certainly better than nothing. John Isherwood.

Of course it is - I've no problem with that. I find it interesting, though, that the same product can produce such different reactions. John Isherwood.

I had one of the cheap Lidl jewelry cleaners for several years - it was fine for components, but too small for a full mechanism. I now have a model JPS-30A 6.5 litre tank model - these cleaners seem to be marketed under a bewildering number of brands. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Digital-Thermostat-Stainless-JPS-30A-Ultrasonic-Cleaning-Machine-6L-with-Basket-/152509156691 A 6.5 litre tank cleaner will hold a complete loco chassis - much more practicable - and it has a heater so that the fluid is kept warm / hot. A tank cleaner is more expensive than what is basically a jewelry cleaner - though you may well find a JPS-30A at a cheaper price if you search around - but, in the long run, it's money well spent. Regards, John Isherwood.

I like to live dangerously - at my age, you have to get your thrills somehow! John Isherwood.

Funny, isn't it - this range attracts completely opposite reactions. Some confirm that they have built at least one or two, and found them quite buildable. Others have built the odd one and found errors - they don't say if they completed the model(s). Others dismiss the entire range as rubbish, but don't say if they have ever built one - or attempted to do so. I think that this says more about the posters than about the kits. John Isherwood.

Not off hand - but if I had to do it again I'd use a ball-ended burr in a mini-drill, run slow. I'd support the moulding on something softish, perhaps the ball of a finger, to distribute the loading. John Isherwood.

They are indeed - but can be adapted. I fitted them to my own model by plugging the hole for the pin, and forming a hollow in the back to provide clearance for the crankpin nut. It can be done - it just takes a little modelling; not everything that comes out of a packet is ready for immediate use. Regards, John Isherwood.

I do take your point, and I can't comment on the quality or viability of the range of loco kits; (though there have been favourable comments about some that others have condemned as unbuildable). I think that it comes down to your skill level, and how much you expect the kit designer to have done to make life easy for you. There is a comment in a post above to the effect that the loco kits need to be rehashed so that as many components as possible fold up, rather than being separate items that you need to support whilst they are soldered in place. OK - this makes life easier, but is far from being essential. I have built a few Jidenco wagon kits, and there are tricky elements; folding the solebars can be one, even after heavily 'scrawking' the fold lines. If this proves to be troublesome, I will sometimes substitute milled brass angle and impress the rivets with a rivetting tool. Nonetheless, these more challenging kits can provide much enjoyment, and their unusual subjects are a major attraction. Frankly, I don't believe that the wagon kits, at least, do need overhauling before they are remarketted. John Isherwood.

I have received a BACS payment from a Mr. M. C. DUNNE, but no e-mail order for transfers or motors. If you are the Mr. M. C. DUNNE in question, or think that you may know him, please get in touch with me via PM or at cctrans@hotmail.com. Thanks, John Isherwood, https://www.cctrans.org.uk