John Isherwood

The bottom line is that, if you believe that flywheels improve the running of your locos, fit 'em where you can. If you're sceptical; build two identical locos and fit only one of them with a flywheel - then you'll KNOW if they work for you. It's what suits you that matters - not what anyone else believes. Regards, John Isherwood.

"exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally". Regards, John Isherwood.

No - you were hugely overstating the case. Setting aside the Playcraft example, "The Bachmann Derby type 2s looked like a poor toy from the 60s...." is over-the-top. A good toy from the 1960s might be a Hornby Dublo EE Type 1, and the Bachmann Derby Type 2 looks way better than that. Regards, John Isherwood.

Your loss - it's a superb model. Regards, John Isherwood.

That has got to be the most wildly overstated sentence ever posted on this group - and that really is saying something !!! I know that a certain section of the membership regard SLW products as the Holy Grail, but please ....... Regards, John Isherwood.

Ooops ! Well spotted - I don't think that any of the reviews - printed or digital - have spotted that. Regards, John Isherwood.

See #16 above. Regards, John Isherwood.

IMHO, https://www.phoenix-paints.co.uk/products/precisionrailway/nationalised/14p303 , which originated as a Cherry Paints product, gives the best rendition of BR Crimson as seen in traffic. Be aware, though, that the finished shade of crimson is dependant upon the undercoat used; try using it over cream, grey and red oxide undercoats to see this effect. In passing, I am convinced that this effect is what leads many modellers to believe that the crimson used on corridor coaches was lighter than that used on suburban stock. Regards, John Isherwood.

I hadn't appreciated that the wheel in question is plastic - your method is therefore better. I would, however, redrill the hole in-situ to avoid any chance of distorting the plastic wheel by forcing in the pin. Another method that I have used is to drill at 45 degrees into the wheel, between spokes, and then carry on into the axle. A pin can then be inserted to lock the wheel and axle together - but it is a permanent fixture. Regards, John Isherwood.

The packs are not diagram-specific, they contain all known authentic TOAD diagrams / numbers / allocations for the alphabetic ranges indicated. AA15 numbers / allocations can be found on Sheets :- BL166B - BANBURY, BASINGSTOKE BL166C - CARDIFF, CHELTENHAM HIGH ST BL166D-G - EAST USK JUNCTION BL166H-L - HONEYBOURNE, LLANDILO JUNC, LLANELLY, LLANELLY DOCK, LLANTRISANT BL166M-O - NEWPORT DOCK STREET BL166S - SWANSEA DOCKS Regards, John Isherwood.

Finally, a loco failure. One of my Tom Foster A1s and the rear driver is out of quarter. It's actually become mobile on the axle, so although it can be forced back to the correct position it slips again as soon as it's under load. Oddly enough the same thing happened to one of Mr. King's A1s as well. I'm going to have a go at it with epoxy resin first, but I've ordered another wheelset from Peter's Spares in case that doesn't hold it. Try requartering the wheel, then drill, say, a 0.3mm. hole, half in the axle and half in the wheel. Press a short piece of 0.3mm. wire into the hole and secure with a spot of cyanoacrylate glue. This should prevent the wheel slipping out of quarter; it's simply a scale version of a keyway and key, as used on prototype shafts. Regards, John Isherwood.

What it shows me is that the Bachmann cab DOES taper in - perhaps not as much as the SWL version, but it tapers none-the-less. (Lights blue touch paper and retires to a safe(?) distance). Regards, John Isherwood.

No - sorry - I can't offer that service ! However, see #274 above for details of AA3 numbers and allocations. Regards, John Isherwood.

Go to https://www.cctrans.org.uk/products.htm - Sheets BL166 etc, For ex-GWR AA3 in the BR period :- BL166B - BALA BL166C - CHESTER, CREWE, CIRENCESTER BL166D-G - EXETER, FRESHFORD BL166H-L - HIGH WYCOMBE, KIDDERMINSTER, KINGSBRIDGE, KINGTON BRANCH, LYDBROOK BL166M-O - MARLBOROUGH, MORETON-IN-MARSH BL166P-R - PEMBREY, PLYMOUTH BL166S - SEVERN TUNNEL JUNCTION, STOKE GIFFORD TO SWINDON LOCAL, SWANSEA, SWINDON, SWINDON TO STOKE GIFFORD LOCAL BL166T-Y - THINGLEY, WOLVERHAMPTON, WORCESTER Regards, John Isherwood, Cambridge Custom Transfers.

The RP&LR document, compiled from a BR official publication, does not differentiate in its use of the term Crimson Lake between Mainline Corridor Coaches and Local Steam-hauled Trains. All that this tells us, though, is that at the outset it was intended to use the same finishing paint for both. Whether this intention was changed, or whether the body preparation and / or undercoats varied between the two classes of stock, and thereby produced a different appearance, must be researched elsewhere. For what it's worth, I have seen enough photographic evidence to convince me that, where preparation and undercoat were to mainline standards - and it did happen - non-corridor stock could exactly match the crimson of corridor stock when ex-works. (Both matched the crimson used on BR road motors, too). Regards, John Isherwood.

... if that is your preferred term - crimson & cream has had, at least, just as wide a usage in my experience. I don't think that the general membership would thank us for rehearsing that particular debate yet again !! In passing, though, the 'Railway Pictorial and Locomotive Review', in a contemporary article, referred to crimson, not carmine. Regards, John Isherwood. BR STANDARD LIVERIES (RAILWAY PICTORIAL).doc

Today's mainstream market, wisely or unwisely, demands an ever-changing offering of ultra-detailed models, specific to individual prototypes at a specified dateline. At the moment, sufficient customers exist who will pay the requisite price to cover the manufacturing costs; the organisational expenses; and to provide a sufficient return for shareholders. Whether this situation will continue is anyone's guess - if we could predict future financial conditions the stock market would be redundant. The current situation definitely discriminates against those with severely limited disposable income - but when did it not do so? Brand new, off-the-shelf models have always been the privilege of the better-off - like it or not. Back in the 1950s and 60s, Hornby Dublo was the preserve of the upper middle classes; Tri-ang was the choice of the lower middle classes; and Playcraft (from Woolworths) was bought by the average workman, as a special treat for favoured offspring at Christmas. Those who were short of cash but capable with their hands bought cast-offs from market stalls or even scavenged from rubbish, and refurbished / cannibalised usable models from their spoils. Nothing has changed, really - including prices relative to incomes. Well - that's not really true! Instant communications mean that we are all aware of how the most expensive RTR looks and performs - not just those who could spare the cost of a Hornby Dublo or Tri-ang catalogue. Nowadays, we are acutely aware of the mismatch between what we can afford and what we might aspire to, given sufficient funds. The upside of modern communication technology is that we have Ebay and the like - those of limited means are not constrained by what the local junk shop or market stall has on offer; it may take a while, but bargains are to be had. If we can accept that what we desire and what we can have are two different worlds - difficult in today's society - there are a multitude of opportunities to find satisfaction in modelling. The most important lesson to learn, though, is that there is immensely more satisfaction in learning to acquire modelling skills than bemoaning our inability to buy the off-the-shelf RTR wonders that are continuously paraded before our eyes. Regards, John Isherwood.

Gresley coaches often omitted the upper crimson strip. Regards, John Isherwood.

There was a dedicated diagram of 'stretched' PRESFLOs specifically for fly ash - very common around Peterborough. Regards, John Isherwood.

I couldn't agree more - that was my point in refuting the proposition by another poster that basic body-only mouldings would sell well; (see the post to which I responded). Regards, John Isherwood.

Parkside (Peco) sell NEM mounts - PA34 Mounting Blocks for Bachmann 36-027 Mk2 Couplings, NEM Shaft (Cranked) with pocket (10). Regards, John Isherwood.

On the very odd occasions that my parents could afford for us to to eat in the dining car, we were impressed by the standard of food and service. Bear in mind that home cooking in those days was basic fare - a roast would be confined to Sundays (if you were lucky), and a salmon steak or plaice fillet was unheard of outside hotels and restaurants. The restaurant car menu was considered 'posh nosh' by all but the most well-heeled. Regards, John Isherwood. PS. Gresley bogies normally made light of serving soup, if you were a seasoned waiter.

But the basic body shells are not available, because the manufacturers know that the 'hackers' - me amongst them - will buy the same 'full fat' model that the 'non-modellers' demand. Regards, John Isherwood.

Not really, the real modellers will still buy the full spec. complete model, and will still 'hack' it - though to a lesser extent than if it had been a low spec. body shell.

The shot of New England shed in 1967 tells us where the Roadrailers were stored at that time. Regards, John Isherwood.