Adam

Are you sure though? It's pretty murky down there but that's definitely a J hanger and I can't think of an example of a Morton-fitted wagon with J hanger springs. My thinking is that it's so dark, you simply can't see the brakeshoes. Adam

Seems likely - there's another one a post or two below: DM143374 - note the chalk board, presumably a retro-fit. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/61890-a-wagon-miscellany-at-aberdeen-ferryhill-in-1975/?p=792248 Adam

Hello Dave, The Sentinel conversion of one of these was at Sandford Quarry, Somerset - https://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/49/Notes.htm#Note%203 (something I've always fancied modelling being one of these Sentinel conversions of other locos) Rebuilt from Manning Wardle 1954 of 1916 in 1926-7, ex-Vobster Quarries - the scheme for modelling it has been stymied up until now for lack of dimensions beyond wheelbase (6') and wheel diameter (3'). Adam

Hahahahahaha. No. There were so many different types of iron ore hopper that the odd one off doesn't hurt which, since building this one was so - relatively - little fun means this will be a singleton, probably running in the midst of a rake of tipplers for which some excellent kits exist. I have quite a lot of these already and a couple more in prospect. The hopper is now painted though: Railmatch rattlecan for the livery colour (BR Bauxite) with some more of the same sprayed into a jam jar lid to fill the gaps where the nozzle won't reach. There's currently quite a queue for finish painting/lettering/weathering, mostly for things that have been in gestation for years. This is really pleasing. Adam

Howdo, The biggest issue, thus far, is that I'd put the lever guides in the wrong place (now resolved). I'm merely copying the photos and am kind of intrigued to find out what I've made! There's this: http://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/lmsvan/e2c1514d1 Note the rust marks showing where the bolts are, both sides of the door and vertically, presumably indicating internal strapping which must have been present in some shape or form. It's much more visible on this example with horizontal planks: http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/lmsvan/h2C7041F9#h2f844784 Why the LMS did this when the body and framing of the inherited Midland design seems to have worked perfectly well is currently beyond me! Adam

The new project has been glimpsed already. It's an early LMS fitted van to (I think) dia.1828 - if anyone happens to have the Essery LMS wagon books to hand, perhaps they could confirm for me? This features a clasp braked, vac' fitted chassis with vertical planked sides and early pattern corrugated ends, per this grounded example from Paul Bartlett's collections: http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/lmsvan/h2C7041F9#h2c7041f9 The body is from Cambrian (ref: C101 for the dia. 1832A) with the side strapping removed and boltheads added from cubes of 10 thou': The chassis from Rumney Models and is very similar to the Derby type I built to go under the shock open featured in the pages of MRJ (nos 246-7). This example was a little under-etched but that didn't get in the way of what I was trying to do or my enjoyment of the process. Per my usual practise for short wheelbase 4 wheel wagons, I've built the thing rigid which speeds things up a bit and makes the process somewhat less fiddly. Note the four holes intended for location of the various elements have been opened out to be used as fixing points (for small self-tapping screws). It's just about ready for the two bits to be fixed, permanently, together. First, however, metal black. Adam

Well. After nearly five years - I bought the kit when I started my current job - the dratted thing is near complete, barring buffers which will have to wait until I've opened up the holes in the buffer beams (and, perhaps, some new buffers - there's some nice sprung OLEOs supplied but I've no way of accessing the rear of the buffers at the brake cylinder end). As you may have gathered, I haven't especially enjoyed the process, but now it's all but done, some pictures. The ladder, if anything, is the best designed element of the kit: the stiles fold up with sacrificial spacers which you can trim away once you've soldered the rungs in. Neat! As you can see, these also require twisting through 90 degrees to enable the things to be fixed per the real thing - superglue at the top, solder at the bottom. The end struts were also glued and soft-soldered. The end result isn't at all bad but some of the materials choices - the (replaced) whitemetal headstocks were unusable, as was much of the brake gear. Quite why the hopper is provided without positive location is beyond me since the accuracy of the moulding was excellent. The non-fitted version, with push rod, 4 shoe brakes is probably a decent enough kit: I might built one, some day... Adam

Wish I knew - like the real railway, you can always have one more... I think I probably have sufficient by now; there's no more in the boxfile at any rate! Adam

Just passing through the paintshop, one pair of LMS brakes, early and late. The grey one has a coat of Precision early BR wagon grey on it; it will get another to make the most of the slight greenish tinge which is quite characteristic. The Bauxite van has been lurking at the bottom of a boxfile for years (erm, perhaps 10 years). It's Hornby with a Bill Bedford chassis - the new roof is out of the picture. Dad has modelled a very similar LMS van in like condition so to differentiate, I've left the solebars and headstocks bauxite which seems to have been reasonably common from photographic evidence. The hopper peeks in the right of shot - I've driven myself half-mad adding the vac' pipe from three bits of 0.7mm wire. Details later... Adam

Well I've thought about it - briefly (the big barrier being lettering once you've finished) - but I'd be inclined to start from scratch altogether. The solebars are simple channel rather than the fabricated girder sections you find with both monobloc tanks and the AB vans. The brake fittings don't look much like what was fitted to either, not that this matters overmuch. The vanwide doors would be the only difficult bit and Parkside make those nice and simple. Ditto the brake levers, as you say, from Stenson. The suspension is pretty chunky, more so even that the monobloc tanks. Does anyone do the like? Adam

So it does. How about now? Adam

While we're on a roll, last sighted a bit over a year ago, one composite iron ore hopper. It's got a bit busier under there since this shot was taken: And now, it looks a bit more like this: And from the side: It's getting there - the worst of the soldering is done barring a few fiddly bits that are part of the door gear. This is not a great kit. Adam

From the materials I have to hand (mostly IRS volumes and the list featured here - http://www.industrial-loco.org.uk/works_list800.htm - but also details of preserved Barclay 0-4-0s, most (if not all) of the 16" locos had 3' 7" wheels near identical to the 3' 8" Gibson supply. That being the case, the 16" is already catered for (happily that's the version I have on order). Adam

Here you go - Brassmasters: http://www.brassmasters.co.uk/coach_couplings.htm Adam

They're presumably subject to some sort of experimental fitting, it isn't immediately clear (to me) what. These are fitted minerals - note the triangular marking showing the location of the cord to release the vacuum on the doors - and from the odd colour picture I've seen, the panels would have been yellow. On the rare occasion I've been able to read the lettering on pictures, experiments included a particular type of instanter and disc brake fittings. There were presumably plenty more. Adam

The latest project off the production line (haha) is a refurbishment of one of my earliest surviving models, built just after the kit came out (I think the kit was bought from Chris Challis at RailWells). Withdrawn from service a frighteningly long time ago with the disintegration of the plastic footboards I meant to simply replace those with metal ones and yet, and yet... handrails in 0.45mm wire, brakegear falling apart and lacking in detail? Could I live with that? No. Like many such things, as a consequence, it's just sat in the bottom of a box file for ages though I did sort out the footboards - using perhaps the second or third set of L section bought for the job - and replaced the wheels (having pinched the originals to go under something else; finished that, whatever it was!). It emerged during a sort out and I've finally sorted out the detailing that's been wanted for the better part of a decade. The lamps are from Lanarkshire Model Supplies and ModelU; the coupling was improved as part as the improvement operations. The originals had single thickness etched hooks and unsoldered links and had fallen apart. It now has an etched Instanter and double-thickness hooks from AMBIS. Side on you can see the new strapping - reinforcement retro-fitted to the prototype - and the witness mark, just visible, where I'd put the axlebox covers on upside down. New handrails, too. Much, much better, I think and once it's all set, it'll be ready for a repaint and relettering. The track panel it's sat on, by the by, was intended to go on the SR Borail; I should have thought to check they'd fit - the bolster pins get in the way. I guess I'll find a use for it at some point... The question, I suppose is whether this was worth the effort? The kit is still available, after all, it's relatively inexpensive and I could easily have started again and produced a neater, crisper result. Bachmann will sell you something very similar, of course, but I'm satisfied and the guilty conscience is salved, just a little. Adam

There's no reason yours won't; there's plenty of space for lead inside; I could add more, and probably up the maximum load, but what's the point? The motor is bigger than it really needs to be and you can only get 22 wagons in the loop on South Junction and only 6-8 fit in the headshunt. To put this in some sort of context, on most industrial systems, Austerity tanks were limited to under 20 wagons and BR rated them 4F, admittedly on better track and easier gradients. Mine, with Mashima 1220s in them will take about 35 wagons. On any layout I'm likely to build any time soon the about 8 is more than sufficient. Adam

I think the Barclay was ex-Chatham dockyard. Most of their Barclay locos were either built(?) or modified like that. Adam

Hello David, Nice job of a fine kit. I don’t remember having that problem: and after the trials of encountering the problem with an Impetus Fowler, I think I probably would. Assuming that is that you mean the ‘wheelbase’ of the jackshaft rod doesn’t match the rod? Certainly I’ve never come across a similar problem with any of Mike’s other kits and with a CAD-designed kit it really shouldn’t happen. With the Fowler, the eventual solution was to make the crankpin hole a slot which the pin just runs back and forth in. Opening out the hole should achieve the same result, I’d think. Adam

Very nice Jonathan - the LMS van is indeed by ABS; I’ve built one (though haven’t got a photo to hand). Cambrian, I think, do a plastic version. Adam

The purchase of dye for marking sheep (that's what the Latin says) on downland manors certainly occurs in a couple of 14th century documents I've looked at - I'm fairly certain the colour was specified. These sheep would have been grazed among the flocks of other owners. I wonder whether branding would be hugely effective on something like a sheep - certainly if the animal was kept for wool it would impact on the value of the animal if the brand was prominent enough to be seen through the fleece. Not sure about the intervening centuries, however. Adam

There's an online index to Bylines. I'm not certain that the article I have in mind is the one that shows up most readily via Google, but it's identified here: https://www.irwellpress.com/acatalog/RAILWAY_BYLINES_INDEX_TO_VOLUME_2_1996-1998.html Hope that helps? Adam

Yes, that's how I first came across the system, and knew about the Pecketts. One of Bylines' better articles, I always thought, and such a modellogenic outfit - small locos, short trains, internal wagons and a variety of exchange traffic. The one difficulty is the exhaust effects. Adam

One Southern brake, ready to weather, or at least, it will be once I've lettered another couple of vehicles and can have the weathering paints out for other purposes. The two tone van end paintwork shows up in a nice subtle manner, I think. Note that the Modelu and LMS lamps sit quite nicely together which is as well, because I have another couple of vans to complete. Adam

Just stumbled across this rather nice film of the end of steam working at Yates, Duxbury's paper mill in 1974. It's fair to describe the condition of the Barclay saddle tank as 'sub-optimal' (knackered), but well-polished - look at that brass work - just not clean. The Barclay survives, I think, as does one of the Pecketts it replaced, Annie. The latter can be found on the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Railway: http://www.embsayboltonabbeyrailway.org.uk/oldsite/9.html Adam