more than a fair review of the azuma 9 car , the biggest issue for me are those awful silver wheels , the kato ice 4 first run had these and on the second run was switched to darker wheelsets , as they are the same i will have to order some as spares but for the money you shouldn't have too, this is poor, also the cutting corners on some parts like tampo printing.  interesting dig at revolution for the 320/321s on build quality of which i have a few and i do like the models but i cant defend the build quality or lack of , hoping the 313/314s are a step up

The Mattson 2

I came across this little duo (in fact they are identical twins) recently.
Playing a combination of up tempo music and slightly upbeat jazz.
This is a natty little number which you may recognise :
https://youtu.be/-1QWj0J49BA?feature=shared

The Gentlemen's cloakroom, while equally splendid, exuded a more masculine air. Rich, dark oak panelling reached from floor to ceiling. Interspersed at regular intervals were bevelled mirrors in heavy gilt frames, their edges adorned with intricate carvings of oak leaves and acorns.

A grand fireplace dominated one wall, its mantelpiece hewn from a single slab of Cornish granite. Engraved upon it was the Trevelver family crest—a proud lion and rampant gryphon flanking a shield—alongside the more esoteric Atlantean symbol of harmony: three overlapping triangles within a circle, signifying the union of mind, body, and soul. The brass fender before it gleamed in the warm light cast by crystal wall sconces, their facets throwing dancing patterns across the room.

Leather armchairs, their burgundy upholstery butter-soft with age, stood in strategic corners. Though currently unoccupied, they bore the subtle indentations of generations of gentlemen who had sought a moment's respite from the Castle's festivities.

At a polished mahogany grooming station, Jeremy ran a silver-backed comb through his tousled hair. The surface before him was arrayed with an assortment of grooming implements: tortoiseshell brushes, crystal bottles of cologne, and even a discrete collection of moustache wax and pomade.

Andy and Giles stood before a tall, dark-framed mirror, its ornate stand featuring clawed feet. They adjusted each other's bow ties with practised ease, the starched fabric crisp against their fingertips.

"I say, Andy", Giles remarked with a sly grin, his eyes twinkling with mischief, "you've a bit of rouge on your collar." He reached for a soft-bristled clothes brush from the nearby valet stand, its handle inlaid with mother-of-pearl. With deft strokes, he removed the telltale mark, leaving Andy's collar pristine once more.

As they made their final adjustments, each man's reflection gazed back at them, a shared secret dancing in their eyes. The passionate moments in the conservatory lingered in their minds, an unforgettable counterpoint to their preparations.

When they reconvened in the corridor, the transformation was remarkable. Gone were the flushed cheeks and dishevelled attire, replaced by the polished appearance expected of the Castle's guests. Their dinner jackets were impeccable, shoes gleaming, and not a hair out of place.

"Shall we?" Jeremy offered his arm to Sylvia, his posture straight and confident. The others followed suit, each couple a picture of elegance.

With a collective deep breath, they stepped along the short, crimson-carpeted corridor towards the Great Hall. The strains of the orchestra grew louder with each step, promising a night of renewed dancing and revelry. Yet beneath their composed exteriors, their hearts still raced with the thrill of their conservatory interlude, a passionate glow that would fuel them through the long night ahead.

Regardless of size (and that has varied from a small 8 layout show to getting on for 30), over the many years our Club has organised shows we have always had a rota that is distributed to members (and any stewards/volunteers from other clubs). This shows who is doing what tasks during the day and at what time (it is divided into time slots), when they are "spare" and at what time they go for lunch.

On those occasions a Club layout is taken an additional line is created on the rota so those allocated to crew it know when. Frankly I find it inconceivable that a show could run smoothly without a shared rota of some kind 

In terms of stock, there is always a risk and it is a huge leap of faith to trust someone with your models, especially bespoke sound fitted ones costing well over £300. For this reason, unless I know who I will be crewing with and they are experienced trusted operators I tend to leave the "expensive" favourite models at home and will take what I consider my second "string" locos that I am not (quite) so precious about. Bottom line is that even amongst the most trusted operators accidents can still happen and the only way to 100% protect your locos and stock is not to take them. I would therefore agree with only taking what you will likely use, nothing that is of special value to you (monetary or otherwise) and when you leave, take your stock off, do not feel under any pressure to leave it with others.

Roy

I recently bought the one bearing the name Stepney from Compass Models in Rotherfield. It was Rotherfield village Fete and they were doing 10% off to celebrate - still a lot more than 56 euros lol. My (as yet unstarted) layout is based on GWR so I'm just going to pretend its one they haven't got round to repainting yet 

My only question to show managers is can they please state what gauge the layouts are in the adverts and on line .

Polythene dust sheets?

I use matt or satin varnish after applying transfers (and before in gloss if not applying on gloss paint).

After weathering (paint rather than powders) I don't usually apply any extra varnish over the top.

Steven B.

Many thanks again, John.

I've amended one of my previous posts about the fusible plug; it wasn't the correct answer!

Looking forward to the next instalment.

Martyn

Quote from: Train Waiting on July 24, 2024, 09:12:16 PMApart from errors by the enginemen, low boiler water level above the firebox could be caused by cresting a summit, if running chimney first - going over one if tender or bunker first - or braking, as these conditions make water flow away from the firebox. 

In those circumstances the water level can shift quite alarmingly.
I used to work Bulleids and a WD 2-10-0 "over the Alps" on the Watercress Line.

Coming from Alton it's a 1 in 60 up followed by a (IIRC) 1 in 100 down before stopping at Medstead and Four Marks. With such long boilers, if running smokebox first, we had to ensure that the water level before the top of the hill was right up in the top nut of the gauge glasses because by the time we'd stopped in the station it would be bobbing only just above the bottom nut. We'd still need an injector running because shortly after leaving the station the gradient changed again to 1 in 60 down.
It wasn't as bad running to Alton smokebox first because we were stopping on the uphill gradient so had time to get more water in before cresting the summit.

We also had to be careful running tender first. Generally we'd aim to have the water lower than 1/4 up the gauge glass, otherwise when we'd gone over the summit it'd be well above the top nut and we could risk it priming - water being drawn into the cylinders instead of steam, which doesn't do them any good at all.