John Isherwood

I have, somewhere, Rollbock - and the wheels are miniscule. I am sure that there will be a diagram or drawing somewhere on one of the Continental NG websites. CJI.

Tiny wheels on the Continent. CJI.

Spot-on - come on, Chas - forget this idea that wagons were loaded to more than one destination; it was wholly impracticable! CJI.

You clearly haven't looked at enough photos - there are plenty of single wagon plus brakevan trains. CJI.

I don't understand why you seem to think that all wagons ran fully loaded - they certainly didn't. Dropping off part-loads from wagons, that then continued on their journey still part-loaded was just impracticable. Except for items carried in a van for station delivery, it just didn't happen, to the best of my knowledge. CJI.

The critical factor would be the time taken to offload a part load - the train would have to stand idle whilst this was done, and there might well not be anyone available to do so immediately. Bear in mind that the consignor or recipient often handled the loading / unloading. Partly loaded wagons were not ideal from the railway's perspective, but were by no means unknown. CJI.

I'm open to correction, but I don't think that the scenario to which you refer happened very often - if at all. As I understand it, pick-up freights picked up or dropped off wagons, not part-loads - though the wagons may not have been fully loaded. Smaller items would be loaded in a van, from which they could be dropped off at the appropriate station. This van may well have been a NPCCS van, attached to a local passenger train. CJI.

Does this amount of heat energy not compromise the plastic sleeper bases? CJI.

Ruston's post of 27th makes it clear that it is a kit, and subsequent posts point to the fact that it is a Judith Edge kit. CJI.

To avoid silvering with waterslide transfers, apply them into wet Klear (or whatever Johnsons are currently calling it). Immediately apply a little more Klear over the transfer, so that the transfer is entirely coated in Klear on both sides. This excludes any and all air-pockets, which are the cause of silvering. John Isherwood, Cambridge Custom Transfers.

Sounds likely - my impression is that it only became commonplace at the end of steam. CJI.

Indeed - but getting several the exactly same length can be difficult. CJI.

A very common 'mistake', if photos of the period are anything to go by! CJI.

Works for me, too - with 0.3mm. brass, nickel silver or steel wire. I know what you mean about the holes being too large - but a quick trial with the wire of choice reveals the actual length of the handrail produced, as opposed to the nominal length shown on the jig. It is then easy to compensate for the difference. CJI.

Quite - WE understand that, but it is not what Cambrian said to the OP. CJI.

That was the OP's point - how do you interpret 'flush'? Cambrian's response seems to indicate that 'flush' for a plain bearings means the face of the bearing is flush with the face of the axleguard, but 'flush' for a flanged bearing means with the flange proud of the axleguard face. CJI.

A splay of 0.1mm. per axleguard would scarcely be detectable, surely? CJI.

Not easy to reproduce in model form, with over-thick wagon sides and overscale container detail! CJI.

I very much doubt it! CJI.

One for those of us who are scared of brass kits? IMHO, absolute genius, and with a fair load capacity as-built; add a little lead - there's room - and who knows what it would be capable of?!? Sorely tempted! CJI.

The 'dumb buffers' on the coaches are a little more sophisticated than you might think. I believe that they were made from leather and horsehair, in order to give them an element of cushioning / springing, before the more widespread use of mechanical springing. CJI.

EPs? Not digital renders? CJI.

That area is not on our forthcoming itinerary, thankfully. It does rather beggar belief that these highly toxic items were apparently being transported in the same way as so many nuggets of coal!?! Surely such sensitive and dangerous goods should have individual containment, designed to withstand major impact, let alone a loose bolt falling out of a container? Someone will have a great many searching questions to answer!! (After the physical searching is over / abandoned). CJI.

Johnsons change their product names withy frustrating frequency; not only that, but they use different names in different regions of their worldmarket! (At your own risk), try https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pledge-Multi-Surface-Polish-Liquid-Protector/dp/B073VPRMZH/ref=sr_1_6?adgrpid=69208170125&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2Izo4aPl_AIVD5ftCh1VQg3tEAAYAiAAEgJhd_D_BwE&hvadid=351634720946&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=1006537&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=16118414285743817155&hvtargid=kwd-504971272924&hydadcr=28148_1724781&keywords=pledge%2Brevive&qid=1674737642&sr=8-6&th=1 The intended usage; the transparent bottle and colourless contents appear to be identical to the old Johnson's Klear. CJI.

I prefer to set the bearings further into the axleguards if necessary; packing out the solebars destroys the correct relationship between solebar and body. CJI.