John Isherwood

Porcy, You raised the matter, so I trust that you will allow me a final response. It is no secret that, when few photos of a particular subject are available at the time of research, interpolation is the only resort if a full sheet of numbering is to be provided. If purchasers subsquently have information that some numbers have been incorrectly interpolated - AND DULY INFORM ME OF THE FACT - I will ALWAYS correct the numbers in question. The choice is, very often with PO subjects; either use reasonable supposition to provide a full sheet of transfers, or refuse to comply with a request for specific transfers. BR subjects are easier - there are good records of numbering - but PO numbering often seems to defy logic, or is totally random. If I don't know that there is better infornation out there, I can't use it to produce even more accurate transfers - it's as simple as that! Regards, John Isherwood.

Please do - I have to say that I prefer comment first hand, rather than via a third party with no apparent interest in my products other than to cast unsupported aspersions. Regards, John Isherwood.

I'm afraid that I have no record of when the sheet was amended. Likewise, I do not have records of the sources of my research into any of my transfer sheets - if you have a specific problem of accuracy with any transfer sheet that you have purchased from me, please let me know and I will look into the matter. If you would care to give me your real name and address - by PM of course - I will be able to check what purchases you have made. Regards, John Isherwood.

In short - no. Research for my transfer sheets is painstaking, and always utilises the best historic sources available to me. Back at the end of the Twentieth Century, when I was compiling the Roadrailer transfer sheet, no colour photos of Roadrailers were available to me. Since black lettering was used on white insulated perishables wagons, it seemed logical that such would have been used on unpainted aluminium-bodied Roadrailers; available B&W photos did not contradict this assumption. Subsequently, the odd colour photo has surfaced, indicating that the majority of the markings on Roadrailers were red; my transfer sheet has been amended accordingly. I always encourage customers to advise me of any perceived errors on my transfer sheets; very, very few have had cause to do so and, where necessary, the appropriate amendments are always made. Regards, John Isherwood.

.... which is also included with the Cambridge Custom Transfers sheet BL20. Regards, John Isherwood.

Great minds think alike !! This is exactly my interpretation, as provided on my Roadrailer transfer sheet BL20; see https://www.cctrans.org.uk/products.htm . Regards, John Isherwood.

Gibbo, You thought correctly - but there may be those who wish to model the FORD liveried set. Regards, John Isherwood.

No sure that I'm following your calculations; (there are 12 inches to the foot - not 10). 3'-9.5" at 4mm. scale equates to 15.166mm. diameter; 4'-0'' at 4mm. scale equates to 16.000mm. diameter. The error in scale diameter would therefore be 16.000 - 15.166 = 0.834mm.; (2.5'' at full size). I would say that such an error would be noticeable. Regards, John Isherwood.

The first successful takeover of Doctor Who has finally been achieved, not by alien invaders, evil robots or formless entities, but by the home-grown rampant PC brigade !! If we can't have an occasionally series of harmless weekly SF, without an incorporated history lesson on the perceived birth of the black rights movement, then I for one will forego what has been regular enjoyment since childhood. Many things in history were bad - we need to understand that - but ramming it home in a wholely unrelated bit of escapism is inappropriate, and likely to alienate the core audience. (No - not the 'change you into little green men' sort of alienate)! Regards, John Isherwood.

You may be interested in :- Sheet BL61 - BR Diagram 2/294 & 2/295 prototype Cartic-4 in 1965 Ford livery; numbering is in the correct 'boxed' style. Transfers for one four wagon articulated rake, (with generous spares). 2mm., 3mm., 3.5mm. & 4mm. scale price is £7.50 S scale price is £15.00 7mm. scale price is £22.50 Gauge 1 price is £30.00 See https://www.cctrans.org.uk/products.htm . Regards, John Isherwood, Cambridge Custom Transfers.

Given that Kernow have the tooling for the end door version, and that many prospective purchasers will, like me, be stretching a point to justify running the Bulleid diesels at the end of their existence, I would have thought that it would be wise to produce the end door version next. Regards, John Isherwood.

It would appear that the Dapol B011 is, in fact, a representation of a GWR Y10 fruit van conversion of a W10 cattle wagon. Knowing Dapol's form in these areas, I'm guessing that this is a mould adaptation of the old Hornby Dublo cattle wagon. Now what the pedigree / accuracy is of the HD cattle wagon, or for that matter, the Dapol fruit van, I cannot say - not having an example to hand. If it is accurate, the body 'should' fit an 11' WB chassis - but I'm not holding my breath! Regards, John Isherwood.

Not at all unusual - there are plenty of photos around which illustrate the allocated workings of ex-GWR TOAD brakevans. Some of the wording was extremely complex; indicating the full operating diagram, including light engine / brakevan movements. Regards, John Isherwood.

This surprises me, given the impending Bachmann RTR version. I'd have expected the market to be flooded with these kits, going for bargain prices. Regards, John Isherwood.

When purchased from me, Mitsumi motors come with a diagram showing how to mark out and drill the additional mounting holes in an etched gearbox. I also provide two M2 screws to fit the tapped holes in the motor. Mitsumi motors are significantly slower than Mashima motors; a lower gearbox ratio should be selected when using these motors. Regards, John Isherwood. https://www.cctrans.org.uk/products.htm

IMHO, it's a great pity that whoever thought that this would be a 'good idea' hadn't something better to do. Imposing the inevitable ingredients of time constraint, jeopardy, competition, goodies and baddies onto what is essentially a considered and meticulous hobby was a recipe for cartoon and catastrophe from the outset. It does not surprise me that a certain sector of those who call themselves railway modellers should have got involved, but there were those present who should have known better. I'm afraid that this programme has done the hobby no favours whatsoever. Regards, John Isherwood.

Well - no. My answer was to use a little ingenuity and modelling to achieve the spacing that I required. The model is 99.9% excellent - so it was no major imposition to provide the other 0.1% myself. Just my POV, John Isherwood.

Thank you Tony - you managed to post (and be read) what I, and I suspect many others, would like to have posted - but were dissuaded by the very strong discouragement against 'negative' postings issued by Andy, following the deletion of a number of such 'unhelpful' postings. Despite the sensibilities of those of the membership who were involved in this project, it is always a mistake to attempt to stifle the genuine views of a sector of the membership. Whenever one participates in a broadcast programme, one accepts that there will be negative as well as positive reaction. In this instance, I read that 'discouragement' as meaning "We know it will be panned - but don't do it here". Hardly a ringing endorsement of the subject programme, and at least as damaging as allowing the 'negative' views to be posted to balance the 'positive' ones. Just my view - if it is accorded the chance to be read. Regards, John Isherwood.

I saw the 29 mph signs myself, before we moved to Cornwall and whilst I was still a practicing highway engineer. I am sure that these 'non-compliant' signs were used before the roads in question were adopted by Cambs. C.C. as public highways - hence the change to 30 mph when the roads were adopted. That being the case, the '29' signs would not have been enforceableby the police. Regards, John Isherwood.

To the best of my knowledge, if the restriction is not signed in accordance with the regulations - and that would include conflicting signs and road markings - the restriction(s) is (are) invalid, and any prosecution can be challenged. Of course, if you had been exceeding the higher of the two limits, it might be deemed that you had committed an offence anyway! Regards, John Isherwood.

Go prototypical - a ball on a stem, fitting into a keyhole socket. Pretty much what Scalecraft did - but they used a truncated pyramid rather than a ball. Regards, John Isherwood.

Probably because none of the usual suspects has done an proper 4mm. scale RTR CARTIC-4. Both Hornby and Keyser did a CARTIC-2 (!); the latter as a plastic kit, primarily for a promotional model of a Channel Tunnel concept WAY before there was any realistic chance of such a project succeeding. Modellers, including me, regularly try and cut-and-shut the former, and occasionally the latter, into passable representations of a true CARTIC-4 - but it's not as straightforward as it looks! (Ask me how I know - I still have both projects started but unfinished). There has also been at least one etched kit - but they are rare as hen's teeth nowadays. SOMEONE will pick up the gauntlet - perhaps 3D printing is the way forward ?!? Regards, John Isherwood.

Not the best photos, but here are the Unit Models and Bachmann A-type containers repainted and relettered in early and later BR liveries respectively. Regards, John Isherwood.

http://www.ukmodelshops.co.uk/catalogue/judithedge About 2/3 of the way down the page. Regards, John Isherwood.

Here in Bodmin, Cornwall, we go down to Hayle and buy them in bulk and freeze them - no problems with freezing the standard pastry from our perspective. Regards, John Isherwood.