John Isherwood

Not quite - I've seen photos of quite a few with wonky nameplates, and both of the ones on my model were sloping to the right; (which seems to be the case whenever the nameplates do slope). Regards, John Isherwood.

So - I take it that Tony's Bantam will be moving to pastures new, so no transfers required this time. Regards, John.

Because the production of injection moulded plastic kits from tool steel moulds by a large corporation is worlds away from the production of cast whitemetal kits from vulcanised rubber moulds in a small workshop. You're comparing apples with oranges - the size of the market for mass sale plastic aeroplane kits dwarfs that for niche subject British locomotive kits. To those of us that build the latter, the personal skill required to produce a first class model is what gives far more satisfaction than merely applying solvent glue to perfectly fitting plastic components. Each to their own. Regards, John Isherwood

'Fraid not - it's already been packed away. Suffice to say that itlooks as it should have when packed at the factory. Regards, John Isherwood.

Yes - no problem. A new scalpel blade to gently 'pop' them off, and a tiny dab of thicker superglue to refix them. Regards, John Isherwood.

Thanks for that - yes, I have the book in question. Regards, John Isherwood.

I have seen photos of a section of sleeper, normally laying lengthwise within the 4ft., but which could be turned through 90 degrees and locked in place across one railhead. This had the effect of a stop-block, and could prevent runaways leaving a siding. Regards, John Isherwood.

..... or "catalogue" in the UK. Regards, John Isherwood.

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I, for one, would be a keen customer for an OPC-style 'An Illustrated History of British Railways' Road Vehicles"; - the trouble is, no-one's written it yet !! Regards, John Isherwood.

Well - that's what I thought; but my researches via the internet have turned up nothing so far. Perhaps someone nearer the (N)RM could look into this, when they have time; I'd certainly like to re-allocate my road haulage fleet :- The Bedford OX and Scammell artics. will probably end up as wagon loads, being inappropriate for a rural station, but I'd like them to have, say, Bournemouth area allocations / registrations. The BATH SERVICES Bristol LS is correct for Evercreech Junction, I think, but I have been unsuccessful in finding out the route number and destination blind lettering for the service that served Evercreech Junction. Regards, John Isherwood.

Tony, If Clive can provide correct ER fleet numbers (and registration number?), I will provide the transfers !! On the other hand, you may say "Look at my face - do I care" ?; (...no, probably not) ! Regards, John Isherwood.

Tony, Are the wheels that you use from stock that you've had for some time? I have to say that recent production seem to need much more removal of casting flash / machining burrs than was ever required in the past. Nevertheless, I still use Markits' wheels exclusively. Regards, John Isherwood.

I'm afraid that I have to agree - not providing such fiddly items with any means of support is a bad oversight. After all, each marker light will need either an open or closed disc. I may have to devise my own fixings, along the lines of drilling the discs; fitting plastic rod pegs; and drilling locating holes in the loco. Regards, John Isherwood.

I used the rounded end of a steel 6" ruler - nice and thin and no sharp corners. The sticking points are not the locating lugs, but rather the bufferbeam valances at the corners, which slightly 'underhang' the corners of the chassis. Careful work is needed to ensure that extracting and replacing the chassis does not damage these vulnerable points. My reading of the instructions conveys that, under analogue control, one marker will be lit at the leading end; with my D601, all four are lit. Regards, John Isherwood.

If you've ever seen the pamphlet "Rails to Cambridge", published by The Cambridge Collection, you will know that many attractive sites near to the River Cam and the Colleges were proposed for railway stations in Cambridge. As I suspect was the case in Oxford, the Colleges were having none of that - nor trains on the Sabbath - and the railways ended up with a six-days-a-week service to the outskirts of Cambridge. Cambridge now has Sunday trains, but the station is still a longish walk, or a shorter taxi ride, from the city centre. Way back in the early years of the 20th Century, you could have taken a (horse) tram to the station, but the tramay closed when the Colleges vetoed unsightly overhead wires for electic trams. The power of the Establishment was, and still is, everywhere! Regards, John Isherwood.

Ah - but if RTR models ran forever, or were easily repairable, you wouldn't need to buy a replacement, would you? It's called built-in obsolescence and future-proofing sales !! What me? Cynical? How dare you? Regards, John Isherwood.

I read threads out of general interest - not necessarily, as in this case, because I have any interest in buying the model. So, as impartially as possible, I have to say your recent postings on the subject have unconsciously brought to mind the words 'partisan' and 'obsessive'. It is perfectly possible to discuss the relative merits of two competing products without conveying these impressions. Just my two penn'orth. Regards, John Isherwood.

Another point to bear in mind. When first placed on the track, I tested D601 using an H&M Walkabout controller; I was very disappointed that it ran with a loud cogging growl in either direction. So, I changed the controller to a home-made one, based on a variable voltage regulator circuit - and the noise totally disappeared; the model then ran with just the wheel / rail noise and a barely perceptible purr. So, it would seem that the coreless motor in this model does not care for whatever electronic shenanigans takes place in the H&M Walkabout controller. I have noted this effect with several recent and not-so-recent purchases - especially Bachmann mechanisms. Regards, John Isherwood.

One small point - all the photos that I have seen of the Kernow D601, and my own model, have the nameplates leaning slightly but noticeably to the right. Be reassured, though; they can be prised off with a new scalpel blade and reattached horizontally with a tiny touch of thick superglue. Regards, John Isherwood.

No, it's meant to be about me having a product which I produce for my own needs, and being willing to share it with other modellers ON MY OWN TERMS. It's not only about the money, (though some people seem to think otherwise); I like to model in my spare time; IF I HAVE ANY. My trading terms impose a brake on my willingness to help other modellers, so as to maintain a work / life balance in what is supposed to be my retirement. Like it or lump it ! Regards, John Isherwood.

My order is dated 09/06/10. Regards, John Isherwood.

No - you've failed to listen! I have a product you want. You want it more than I need to sell it. I dictate the means by which you can acquire it. Get over it !! Regards, John Isherwood.

The original Dapol version came with two underframes - with and without cut-outs. Regards, John Isherwood.

Wah-hey !! I have had the 'Packed and ready for despatch' e-mail from Kernow !!! There were times when I wondered if this day would ever arrive. Regards, John Isherwood.