30368

Spot on Phil. The very thought of anything coming close to a Bulleid Pacific is just silly.. How is that brilliant layout going or is it just too hot in Northern Nottinghamshire to do anything? Even the High Peak is too hot. Kind regards, Richard

Many thanks John, much appreciated. Here it is again all connected up (except for reverser lifting link) and running very smoothly. Connected using brass pins (Mike Edge's suggestion) and 16BA, where appropriate. How am I going to explain the presence of a V4 on 70D to the shedmaster? Locomotive exchanges? Possible replacement for those tricky Light Pacifics? I don't think so...... Kind regards, Richard B

They have and it will. What a great race - sorry I have been posting on F1 didn't realise that this thread had been set up. As Ian above will know, I am a great fan of Sports Car/Prototype racing and have been since 1965. I can't think of a better outcome for the Centenary Le Mans. And such a truly brillient race - I watched in on the WEC Streamed TV Web Site - about £38 for the whole season. Kind regards, Richard B

Well as you know by now Ian, Ferrari won their first outright win at Le Mans since 1965 and what a race to win! Races at Le Mans are often described as a "Titanic" struggle. This race really was, fantastic racing between Ferrari and Toyota and Ferrari and Porsche. So refreshing and so very sporting compared to current F1. Kind regards, Richard

Not done too much today - glued to the screen watching the Le Mans 24 Hours - fabulously wonderful race. Did manage to do some work to the valve gear though. Kind regards, Richard B

No apologies, not F1. I have been watching one of the greatest races ever. A glorious Le Mans 24 hour race. Brilliant racing between Ferrari and Porsche and Ferrari and Toyota. Magnificent spectacle and after 19 hours of racing three cars on the same lap. So much to see and enjoy. I'll calm down later, after 15.00 finish. Kind regards, Richard B

Must go back to Bar Italia a Roma. Many thanks Kind regards, Richard B

Lovely work Kelvin. So many fond memories of holidays on the North Norfolk Coast in the early 1960s. I shall pass details of your work on to one of my son-in-laws, who is a Norfolk man, and keen to model a typical East Anglian branch Line. It should inspire him further. Kind regards, Richard B

Whilst awaiting parts on order, I have worked on the front end of the loco, the oil boxes and those parts of the cylinder monoblock that are visable. I know that Peter Coster (The Book of the V2s includes the V4s) suggests that the V4's did not have a monoblock cylinder casting I am fairly certain that they did. The steam pipe arrangements around the smokebox saddle are very much the same as the V2 arrangement on those loco's that retained the monoblock casting. The three oil pots fitted to the front end. The V4s, in common with the monblock V2s, have an asymetric steam pipe arrangement to the cylinders. The firemans side has a smaller monoblock casting visable and the cover over the steam pipe is smaller. Drivers side has more of the monoblock visable and the cover over the steam pipe is also larger than the firemans side. Odd bits of white metal filed down. The steam pipe covers made from 5 thou brass sheet bent and cut to profile. I had to make three due to the bane of my workbench, or correctly me - ping!! never to be seen again until you are looking for something else that has gone flying. I guess I am loosing a bit of sensitivity at the ends of my fingers. Kind regards, Richard B

Hi Mike, What a lovely tale of your nativity! 30368 is my moniker on this site. I watched the old girl cut up at Eastleigh scrap line and bought the front number plate and shed plate. She was shedded at 70D from 1948 until the end. I have built a version of 30368 you may have noticed it at: Likewise my layout based on 70D: I would really welcome any more pictures you may have of 70D, very grateful. So how did the apprenticeship at Swindon go? Were you a Craft apprentice or Engineering? I trained to be a fitter and spent a year at Eastleigh Works and then four years at various SR Depots and Workshops. I stayed in the industry until 2006 and retirement. All the best and stay in touch. Kind regards, Richard B

Many thanks Van. I have a couple of V2s so I can replicate (almost) your great image. Thanks for taking the trouble. My brother and I stood on the same bank by the spear fencing, most school morning, to see what was on shed. That would have been 1961-62. What department was your Dad in ? I was an SR CM&EE apprentice. I started my railway apprenticeship at Eastleigh Works on Monday 2nd September 1963 and living at Old Basing - caught the train at Basingstoke. I only worked on 70D once, retrieving a failed Crompton in 1964. Kind regards, Richard B

I have ordered various Duches pins in brass and steel for the valve gear. Meanwhile I have continue with the body adding the splashers and boiler bands. The cast smokebox door has been modified with brass rivet strip to replicate the original. I couldn't resist fitting the boiler mountings and the model starts to look like the prototype, this helps focus. I am going to model 61701 in later years after the frame mounted rail guards had been removed and pony wheel splashers/shields (?) fitted. The A1 Loco company Highlander is some way away! I should add that the loco runs so very smoothly and is very silent - those Highlevel gearboxes are good. Some work to do with pony wheel to cylinder front clearance! Kind regards, Richard B

Yes Ian - David Franks was Depot Engineer at Reading in the 1980/90s when I met him. Lost touch now though. Kind regards, Richard B

Good luck and a very happy retirement John Say. As a regular users of Salisbury Station (One of my favourites) Janet and I thank John for helping to make every journey safe. We lived out at Fovant for 12 years, moving there following my retirement after fifty odd years on the railway. Kind regards, and thanks, Richard B

Many thanks Keith, still building the shed yard so these images will help a great deal. Kind regards, Richard B

Sorry that it is not F1 but this year sees the Centenary of the Flying Scotsman and the running of the Le Mans 24 Hours (Saturday 4pm). The World Endurance Championship is really shaping up well with a good number of manufacturers entering in the Hypercar class. I shall be watching all (well probably not all....) the coverage on: https://fiawec.tv/page/63bd6de3ee32537e4169d9a5 The cost is about £40 for coverage of the whole championship. Somehow it seems more about racing than the increasingly "Celebrity" direction of F1. I have followed and enjoyed both for many years but just getting a bit bored with F1 at present. Kind regards, Richard B

Thanks Mike. Not a criticism on my part - the etches are very accurate to prototype, I have just had to adapt to a finer level of construction. I have used 16BA for con rod small end but too large elsewhere. I shall get hold of some Duchess pins asap. Kind regards, Richard B

Been busy on the garden etc.. The valve gear frets are very fine, in many cases too fine to open out to accept 16BA set screws so I have used 0.6mm brass wire in places but have now found a stock of very fine soft iron rivets so will give them a try. Valve gear all cut out and prepared just needs assembly. I have now moved on to setting the worm gear clearances which always seem to need more effort than expected. Anyway now ok and chassis undergoing running in. Kind regards, Richard B

The Lancia B19(?) looks lovely but I am much taken by the 128 - always thought that they were a well balanced design and this one in a now and then trendy green. If I recall, the 128 was a contemporary of the Allegro? Kind regards, Richard B

Indeed, some real wondercars. Watched the Lancia Stratos at the RAC Rally back in the day - think we were at the Sutton Park Special Stage and watched one of these fab cars go by without its rear engine cover which was fine we had a brief glimps of the Dino derived V6 engine covered in mud. Lovely looking Abarth Coupe. As always, many thanks, Richard B

Absolutely Ian. Named after Crompton Parkinson who supplied the Traction Motors and the main electrical power and control equipment cubicle. Only application on BR, as far as I know, of the Sulzer 8LDA engine. Kind regards, Richard B

Before completing the valve and brake gear and pickups and then assembly, the frames need to be painted. However before that I need to fit the trailing pony wheel axlebox/spring assembly to the frame extensions. Cartazzi spring/axlebox casting fitted. Must do some more fine emery work! View to illustrate how much firebox etc will protrude below the running plate so more firebox sections to make up. And some detail added. Using 5 thou brass sheet, the hornblock retaining bracket and spring safety straps fitted. Kind regards, Richard B

I have now discoverd that when I produced the template for the firebox I referenced the bottom of the firebox to the wrong section of the running plate, in actual fact the footstep instead of the cab level! As a result: a) The firebox was around 5mm too short and b) The four a side boiler washout plugs were too high on the firebox side by about 4-5mm. All very embarrassing but retrievable without starting again. I had already extended the legnth of the firebox and now bit the bullet and removed the washout plugs, plugged the holes and re-drilled in the correct position and re-fitted the washout plugs. I am now satisfied with the basic body form and will now complete the chassis. Perhaps I should not have mentioned my errors just pressed on and said nothing. I don't think that is right somehow, I am an amateur loco builder and like any of us, prone to make mistakes during, what is for me, a learning process. The lesson for me is slow down a bit and check and double check and don't get carried away with the novelty and detail of, in this case, a major sub-component. Secondly, don't dispair, most cock-up can be rectified. I thought it might be interesting to compare my Crownline V2, built in 2021, with the V4. Little and Large? That is much better! Kind regards, Richard B

Totally agree Tony. Even ex works loco's had (at least) grubby footprints on the running plate and water stains on the smokebox etc.. Hope you don't mind Tony, my DJH economy build B16/1 (£50 for the kit and seconhand wheels + £70 for motor/gearbox) look was improved no end after weathering. Covers up all my errors... Kind regards, Richard B

Thanks, all rather special cars too. Especially the Lancia 037 - was it the real thing? Kind regards, Richard B