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A great video, many thanks. I particularly liked the piece featuring the A3 (with double chimney and German smoke deflectors) at the head of a train with snow on the platform and the light fading so very atmospheric. The section at the end with 60502 in hybrid LNER/BR livery was a real treat - the variety of stock on the train was also interesting. I not too bothered about the date issue but I guess the video covers the period from about 1948/9 up to the mid 1960s? Kind regards, Richard B PS Can anyone confirm the shed in the film? St Margaret's? or with all those late period A4s it could be Dundee Tay Bridge? or both ?

Update primarily for Bentley Model Railway Group. Chassis being run in - seems to run fairly sweetly. Making good progress. Fabricated cylinder cover fitted. Pick ups next and then its a detailing dash to complete. I intend to paint it BR black with original lion and wheel. Does BMRG want me to weather? Perhaps dirty and then cleaned? I will check front number plate availability and report back before numbering. Kind regards, Richard B

Thanks for your advice. 31A - yes I thought that it might be the reversing lever. Micklner seems certain that it is RH drive due to position of vacuum pipe. The pipe running from the smokbox to the cab would also support the view that it is RH drive. This pipe is part of the vacuum circuit and would feed the drivers brake valve. Kind regards, Richard B

Went over this morning to see this layout and chat with the Artistic Director. Very impressed with the scenic elements and this years crop of rhubarb looks fantastic, better pick it soon AD else it will start to go over! AD has offered to do some scenic work for my layout (70D) when I start again in its new location which is very kind. In return I will build some wagon kits and AD has an unbuilt SE Finecast G6 kit. I have built one of these on a Finecast chassis so I may get around to building that, we shall see! G6, L12 and D15 on roofless 70D Kind regards, Richard

First time onto this part of the website so your help would be appreciated. I have a London Road Models K2/2 kit that I have been asked to build for a Model Railway Society. The kit and the instructions appear to be very good. I have collected a large number of prototype pictures on the basis that I will build to a photograph or two. I should add that I will be building a Scottish Region loco with the side window cab in 1950's condition. The K2's do not have a visible reversing rod, I guess they may have had a steam reversing engine (very unlikely) or the rod was mounted on the inside of the mainframes. I have had a good look at the kit's cast firebox back-plate and it looks as if the drivers vacuum brake valve has been modelled on the LH side which seems common practice in Scotland (and elsewhere). Can anyone confirm that my assumptions are right or not? Kind regards, Richard B

What a fabulous piece of machinery! I knew absolutely nothing about US steam until one of our daughters moved to the US 3 years ago. Have read up a bit and given the completely different operating conditions, the US designs did seem to be about 10 years or so ahead of us. I still maintain though that aesthetically British steam loco's are the most pleasing. The video's are much appreciated Woodenhead and others, many thanks. Must plan my next US trip to include Cheyenne, well done UP too. Kind regards, Richard B

Good work Mr Thompson. Any relation to Edward? Keep up the good work - I will have the WC cab etch when available. Kind regards, Richard B

Loco now wheeled and mechanism fitted. Driving on centre axle with motor in the firebox. No intrusion into the cab. Boiler temporary fit, splashers to fill. Motor mechanism fits well. Kind regards, Richard B

Many thanks Paul, will stick to brass/whitemetal for now but will keep a look out. Always interested in new technology. As much as I admire the locomotives of the North Country, I have enough to do with LSWR/SR types for now. Kind regards, Richard B PS Do have a DJH Thompson A2 kit that I will build some time!

Nice job, printed body all new to me. Certainly simplifies construction but I guess the design input quite high? Kind regards, Richard B

Hi, Driving wheels have now arrived. Daddyman I have decided to drive the middle axle with the motor located in the firebox, bit conventional but it all fits without intruding into the cab. Boiler bands on and final smokebox wrapper (three in total is scratch built from v.thin brass with rivet detail added. Coupling rods made and soldered on the Poppy jig to ensure alignment with crankpins/axle centres. Will now fit gearbox, quarter wheels and fit coupling rods. Then time to run in chassis.

Yes Jeff, its St Margaret's as I remember it although this is not my picture. I recall seeing Maude there in December 1963. Smokebox wrapper wired up ready for soldering. The second wrapper will be scratch built with full rivet detail. Sorry about my crap picture! Footplate with all those tricky splashers assembled and fitted. Boiler temporarily fitted and assembly united with frame. Kind regards, Richard B

Have been doing a bit more than gardening etc.. over Easter. The splasher sides are a bit fiddly to solder to the footplate but once that is done, and providing you take care to get the profile right the tops solder to the splasher fairly easily. I have added a bit of rivet detail here and there - using pictures of Maude, both in service and in preservation, since I intend to model this loco. Saw the old girl on St Margaret's back in 1963. Damnation - out of focus again! Kind regards, Richard B

I am a little astonished that Oldddodders original, and perhaps understandable thread given he is domiciled in Le Mans, has turned into a debate about how "Western Civilisation" is continually under attack from within and without and how a "belief" in science prevents us from seeing the "truth" of what is really happening. Can we just get back to reality? The burning of Notre Dame was very sad and would have affected many people around the world. It certainly did me. Likewise, terrorist attacks in New Zealand and Sri Lanka to name but a few are at least equally tragic, obviously more so for the victims and their families and friends. As to Western Culture? Well we are not that innocent are we? This is a Model Railway website - remember science underpins our hobby and the internet. Amen to that. Kind regards, Richard B

Whilst I have not built any coaches (yet, like you I have a number of old Roxey kits to build) I have built a number of brass loco's that require lots of bending to a profile. The advice received is sound, I use various diameter dowels of smaller diameter than the required profile and progressively roll the brass section to profile. You have a template, the end of the coach, to compare with. As to painting, that's the way I would do it but no doubt there are many coachbuilders out there that have much more experience than I do! Kind regards, Richard B

Many thanks Paul.

Very helpful Joseph that justifies the purchase.

I must admit to being tempted to buy a Q6 and the J27 when available. Tricky justifying them for 70D though when the layout is complete. They did work the odd South Coast cross country service didn't they??? Double headed?? Nice thought. On another matter, I visited Darlington Works way back in December (Saturday the 7th I think) 1963. I was an apprentice from Eastleigh Works and I was shown around by a Darlington apprentice called Steve Shaw. He was a year or two older and we met up about 20 years later in our railway career and Steve gave me a copy of the letter asking him to take me around North Road. I have since lost contact with him, I think he lived in Darlington and was a railway modeller. Anyone know anything about him? Most grateful if you can help, Richard B

Dave, I don't know what help this will be but I have dusted down my v.old ACE products N15X kit. A few pictures of the motion: I started this a long time ago and have learnt much since! I fabricated the cylinders since those supplied were not too good. I intend to complete in the not too distant future and hope to learn from your experiences. First change will be a two stage gearbox! Good luck and regards, Richard B Started it a long time ago and have learnt much since, as you will notice! I fabricated the cylinders since those supplied were not too good.

Some very interesting and slightly controversial views on the Bulleid pacifics expressed, that has been the case since the 1940s. A few minor historical observations that tends to colour opinions about these locomotives is simply that they operated the last main line steam service. The level of maintenance declined and many drivers (and firemen taking a turn) thrashed them since they all knew they were shortly going for scrap. That's not to say that all drivers thrashed them all the time, just more often. This, coupled with the fact that enthusiasts flocked to the Southern to take a last look probably reinforced the view that these engines slipped more than others. I was lucky enough to have a footplate pass in 1964/5 as part of my training and I witnessed some of the behaviour described as well as 100 mph running memorably on Worting junction flyover. Happy days. Kind regards, Richard B

How many of you can remember those Orange station signs etc for the NE Region? The J27 will be a great addition and what a very sound locomotive design, lasting (along with the Q6) until the end of steam in the NE. I may be a Southerner but I travelled a fair bit in the early 1960s and what a hospitable lot they were at N/S Blyth, Tyne Dock, Sunderland and Gateshead. At least they were when I visited! Oxford Rail are doing a good job and reasonable prices when the opposition are increasing their prices. Kind regards, Richard B

Hi Daddyman. I haven't decided yet but probably the centre axle with the (short) motor in the firebox. There is just enough clearance for the top of the gearbox but if not I can trim it by around 1.5mm which should do the trick. Just checked the firebox backhead casting and it might just be possible to drive the rear axle without impacting the cab floor. The motor you used looks a little longer than the 1220 I'm using. Buy the way, whose driving wheels did you use? Thanks again for the advice - made me look again at the options! Kind regards, Richard B

Hi Denbridge. Thanks for the comments. I guess it all depends on what you mean by leading and trailing! I am wrong in suggesting the return crank is set at TDC, it is set a BDC! If the crankpin is in that position the return crank on the Moguls and N15X is set at, say 12 degrees (or there about!) before vertical and most other classes (Not sure if there were any other classes set in this way?) set at, say, 12 degrees after vertical. So I apologise for my sloppy wording! I think we agree on how the return crank should be set for the N15X and Maunsell Moguls. I just wondered if anyone knew if this gave any benefits in terms of valve timing or loco performance? Kind regards, Richard B

Some progress - footplate now fitted (temp) to frames I have reversed fixing arrangement - 8BA screws soldered to footplate instead of nuts, easier to align. Gearbox completed and motor mounted - gear train run in with electric drill. Will order Alan Gibson 20mm 16 spoke driving wheels. Kind regards, Richard B

Thanks Jack, much appreciated. Please keep me posted on the N15X, I started a layout based on Basingstoke Depot, 70D. Had to pack it away but will re-start soon. So I need to complete my N15X in the near future given where the seven were based! The U class doesn't look too bad I just wish I could take better photographs. Kind regards, Richard B