Adam

That's some transformation. Wow. Adam

As might I, PM on its way Brian... Adam

If you can form the roof (and with a rolling pin and a phone book this is very easy), you can form a ducket. If you were to anneal the wrapper first (heat to cherry red on the hob briefly, allow to cool naturally), Nickel should form to shape with a bit of gentle persuasion around something like a wagon axle using a pair of pliers for the top bend and, having soldered that in place (there's probably no alternative) the bottom bend will robaly go using no more than finger pressure. If that proves too hard then making one from laminated plastic sheet would be the easy. I'd probably try three layers of 40 thou' leaving a suitable aperture in the bottom two layers for the glazing. That done and allowed to set you could then file it to shape. You could even paint and glaze it seperately and assemble to the body after painting. This is probably much easier than glazing the etched ducket. HTH Adam

Thanks Eric - I ask because I have a Hornby/Dapol body for 'Brighton Works' in its BR guise and this, of course, has the wrong splashers. The easiest wasy to correct this would be to slice them off and start again, the more so because the smokebox needs work too and if a transfer could be had this might push the loco' to the head of the works queue... Adam

Idle curiosity department: who does the Stroudley lining? That's a new one on me. Is it a commercial product or available through, say, the Brighton Circle? Still impressive nonetheless. Adam

That's wonderful Eric. I know that we all dwell on the deficiencies of what we produce, but the - almost - end result is really something, especially in Stroudley's typically Victorian livery. Adam

Hi Justin I'm pleased to see that these have broken cover, they'll be an email shortly(ish). Adam

Going on photos dad took at Swindon in the '70s I don't think that they used transfers at all on wagons even then - these were very clearly signwritten. Coaching stock and loco's were probably different. Adam

It's a long thread, but I don't think these have appeared - apologies if I'm wrong - but these might be interesting. An Austin K2, possibly: http://www.stilltimecollection.co.uk/detail/25067-tpt-transport-truck-lorry-wagon-austin-k3-coy-british-railways-rail-train-station-street-scene-birmingham-midlands.html And something very different by Shelvoke and Drewry: http://www.stilltimecollection.co.uk/detail/33134-fork-lifts-mhe-at-british-railways-rail-train-station-yard-oxford.html http://www.stilltimecollection.co.uk/detail/33137-fork-lifts-mhe-at-british-railways-rail-train-station-yard-oxford.html And the more familiar Ramsomes crane: http://www.stilltimecollection.co.uk/detail/33138-fork-lifts-mhe-at-british-railways-rail-train-station-yard-oxford.html Adam

Ok, so I have now dug the book out and, on page 20, as described, the crane is certainly not the larger 36 ton type - indeed, the style is entirely consistent with Cowans Sheldon and the worksplates are just about visible - while the loco is D6336 and the date is September 1963. Since the author of the book was also the photographer, the date can probably be trusted. It may not be no. 8 of course... Adam

No, the picture definitely shows something bigger than that with the cab that the GW Cowans Sheldon cranes had. When I get home tonight, I'll dig out the book and find the page number. Adam

I'm fairly certain that a Cowans Sheldon 15 ton crane was at Newton Abbot longer than that - whether it was no. 8 or not - since there's a photo of it behind either a Hymek or a D63xx with a small yellow panel in David Cable's Hydraulics in the West replete with match truck and riding van based on a 4w composite (which went to the Dart Valley and thence to Didcot I think). I think the instructions for the Brassmasters kit for the match truck (or possibly the D&S instructions for the crane) quote 1967 as the withdrawal date. Whatever, when the Brassmasters add on kit for the crane eventually appears, this will be the one I build. Adam

Thanks, so slightly bigger than it first appears... Adam

An impressive little model, though Hull is not a place I know. Purely out of idle curiosity, what are the overall dimensions of the layout? Apologies if I've missed them somewhere ion the thread. Adam

Er, yes Osgood.

Very impressive - especially given the size. The pull rods on the prototype are postioned between the springs which underhang the wheels, i.e., under the chassis. Hope that helps. Adam

Have you found these? (Link plus next four shots) Pecketts and a Hudswell diesel* - I seem to remember reading somewhere that Fords weren't all that keen on allowing enthusiasts round, but these pictures do show some of the principal peculiarities of their fleet - look at all the additional windows on the steamers... http://www.flickr.com/photos/52467480@N08/6454357965/in/set-72157628278328931 Adam * I think Mike Edge has said something about doing this variety of Hudswell at a later date - I believe that both the Manchester Ship Canal and the Mersey Docks had some.

Were you posting from your phone Robert? I had to tweak the link to make it work: http://www.flickr.com/photos/21602076@N05/4932534847/ It doesn't look a terribly difficult modification if I'm honest. Once I've done another couple of Hudson tippers I might have a go myself... Adam

Ah, the D&S Cowans Sheldon crane. I have one of these to do myself, but I'm awaiting (still!), the Brassmasters etch to produce the example that was based at Newton Abbot. I have the match wagon, I know how to do the riding van (a Ratio GW 4 wheeler - dad did a little work on the real one when it ended up at Buckfastleigh; it's now at Didcot I think), just need the etches. This year, apparently... Adam

And, almost, finally, the van has now emerged from the paintshop - well, been hung out of the door and had a can of Halford's finest pointed at it - and treated to a coat of Humbrol Chocolate on the underframe and an appropriate mix of colours on the roof. Since the sun is shining this morning, there are pictures to be had, and here they are: It's quite surprising how similar it looks to a standard SR plywood van it looks from the side; you might think the flat roof planes would be more apparent. The differences in the brakegear are also very apparent and I'm pleased with this; it's always a relief to find the additional effort has been worth it! Next up for the sides are two or three coats of Klear to prepare for transfers which, after they've been applied, will be followed up with a dose of Dullcote over the top. Something less exotic next I think... Adam

Well, here it is, with brake levers fitted (Scalefour Soc. items available via the public e-shop) ready for the red oxide rattlecan once it's washed and the weather dries out again. Quite a satsfying little project this with the result of something out of the ordinary. Adam

There's actually at least three (there's a village near Norwich too; I have no idea how that's supposed to be pronounced) and it's stretching things to call the one in Dorset a town! Adam

Both extremely common medieval spellings of those place names (the former to the significant bemusement of a Francophone colleague who hadn't seen it before). A more general point is that standardised spelling of placenames are a rather recent - from the point of view of a medieval historian - and more or less arbitrary phenomenon. A place that never had a railway, Stoke-sub-Hamdon, Somerset, is referred to as Stoke under Ham on its own war memorial erected in the 1920s, yet both names, not to mention Stoke-by-Ham (and various Latinised eqivilents) have been in common use for centuries and remained so well into living memory. Since, in this case, the name is descriptive; the manor of Stoke below Ham Hill (Hamdon, sometimes referred to as Hamdon Hill), all are fair enough. Adam

Thanks Colin. I'm quite pleased; it doesn't look too crude, even at twice full size as it's displayed on my screen. If it weren't for the fact that I've run out of lever guides, it'd be finished now. Still, I've ordered some up from the Scalefour Society (via the public e-shop) so that will be resolved soon enough and I can get on and paint it. In the meantime, I'll have to move on to the next part-completed project... Adam

One last thing. The van is now finished barring the levers and lever guides - I've run out of the latter - including scratchbuilt vac' pipes. Nothing wrong with the cast variety, it's simply that I've run out of those too. I've even gone to the trouble of wrapping fine filiament wire around the 0.7mm brass wire that forms the pipe itself. This isn't necessarily something that I would normally take the trouble to do, especially for vac' pipes which hang below the headstock but since the soldering iron was out and the thing has to be fixed on somehow it takes only a minute or two longer. Once the epoxy has fully cured, it'll be in the boxfile untill the lever guides turn up... Adam