Reading (yes , I can read ) one of the model mags bought yesterday , came across advert for On30 loco by Backwoods of an articulated tank . It takes two Mantua HO 2-6-2 chassis ( I think 2-6-2 ) and the body kit cost 85 quid , or to you colonial chaps , £85 , multiply by 1.7 and you have the uk dollar price-but , as you don’t pay vat (don’t ask ) it may work out that with the postage , you pay the same as us . The kit is brass structure and whitemetal castings for details , and if up to usual Backwoods standards ,should be good .
I shall be getting one ,so if anyone is interested , we may be able to give you a bit more detail .
Mike

Welcome to the World of Winter Large Scale Mike! I love O scale just fo the change in scenery. Is this a 1-6-6-2 T or is it the Garrat they’re coming out with?

It’s a 2-6-6-2 tank , the Garratt we have as a kit nearly completed . The Garratt is coming out "soon " as a made up model ,and Backwoods are taking deposits for them .
See www.backwoodsminiatures.com , or their advert in the UK mag , Narrow Gauge World and modelling , a super mag , covers the whole world and frighteningly is up to bi-monthly issue No 45. I have had it since issue 1 and still see it as "new " . Time flies .
We have been into On for a long time , ever since Fleischmann brought out the "Magic Train " series , and have all the Bachmann and so on stuff , they really are nice , good fun , and a bit of a change . But with my eyesight , I need the models as big as possible .
Mike M

I saw this model at Narrow Gauge South here in Wet Winchester back in April. At that time they hadn’t the steam domes and some other small bits ready. Otherwise it looks fine and I’m in for one. I asked Jen to e-mail me soon as the kit is available. OK -anybody fitted DCC and a sound chip into a B’mann Porter yet?

Deryck
Winchester ? WET? Heaven forfend . Whisper it gently in the cloisters , or the local trading standards people will be after you . Winchester is a sunny tourist destination . It says here .
Lucky seeing the model in the raw , so to speak . Alright , is it ? Do a quick review from memory .
Mike

Mike Morgan said:
Deryck Winchester ? WET? Heaven forfend . Whisper it gently in the cloisters , or the local trading standards people will be after you . Winchester is a sunny tourist destination . It says here . Lucky seeing the model in the raw , so to speak . Alright , is it ? Do a quick review from memory . Mike

er- did I say Winchester was wet? Where are the cloisters? What world is this? who am I?.....It's all very faint but I seem to recall some very crisp etched brass side tanks and cab-certainly one of their 'easy fold' items. The domes, stack etc along with other small details hadn't yet been cast. The mock-up looked great and might just have dissauded me from buying the Precision Scale castings for the Uintah-which being 0n3 would have to be modded. More razor saw mayhem. I don't know much about the Mantua model although it looked good enough in the show.Better if BWM intend to provide larger cylinders. Forgot to ask about that since I was considering a re-mortgage to buy a ready built Garratt. Did buy the link and pin couplers and -no-don't intend to follow instructions and drill 'em out with a pin vice. They are glued to a strip of wood and under the drill press they go-tomorrow if domestic pressure permits. (someone superglued the safety valve) As for those 'ladies of the cloth' you mentioned. Nun to be had hereabouts-they seemed to have dropped the habit....besides I have enough bother looking out for a lockkeepers daughter for someone- Jeez-short term memory- who lives in Can..Can-anyway West of here. I know he keeps goldfish -probably why he wants an LD-someone to look after the fish. As for Backwoods Min- I've bought all the dress-up kits. Buy with confidence-its good stuff. Ah-now I remember....Deryck

Deryck ,
You are a gentleman and a scholar , sir . I shall place an order forthwith ,or even thirdwith , it might arrive sooner .
Thank you , you old devil ,
Mike

Mike Morgan said:
Deryck , You are a gentleman and a scholar , sir . I shall place an order forthwith ,or even thirdwith , it might arrive sooner . Thank you , you old devil , Mike

Mike,

It’s the horns, tail, sulphur breath and all eleven eyes too close together- all subtle hints- that gave me away- right?. I really must pressure the NHS about that cosmetic surgery they promised me 12,000 years ago. (It’s odd-they do everything else I ask) Remind me to tell you about the Eden garden rail project. “Infernal Combustion Mag” under the headline “Would you Adam & Eve it?” called the track plan ‘the best serpentine arrangement thus far’ I won a Fiat Lux as a result but, of course, it rusted away.

Firstwith is faster- as in firstwith the new BM’s artic.

Uxbridge recalls 'appy days on the Picadilly Line. I used to live in 'arrer onna 'ill.

Deryck

Deryck
Cor , yer din’ dija ?
Aaaahcom yer live in Winchester den , is it better’n Landon? No glo’ll torkin dahn dere ,den .
Moike (spoken in a Brummie accent )

Mike Morgan said:
Deryck Cor , yer din' dija ? Aaaahcom yer live in Winchester den , is it better'n Landon? No glo'll torkin dahn dere ,den . Moike (spoken in a Brummie accent )

Moike,

I moved in 71 when the petrol fumes from passing traffic were spilling through the windows by 9am. To Northampton-Gateway to where you least want to go-then an olde worlde cottage in Bucks. Those were the 5" gauge live steam days outside and German H0 in. Trekked to Winnie to assist Jo's aged parents- they left us this haunted Victorian villa. Low ceilings on top floor and basement to teach the servants to keep heads bowed - when we first arrived the place just knocked me out. (several times a day) Now it's 1:20.3 (still have to stretch the LGB Artics Cabs) and 0n30 in. One other way BM's have served me is via their Dress up* kit for the Shay-the plumbing details assist the completion of the large two cylinder version based around B'mann Shay bits. 

Onnyway hwoi er yow in Oksbridge loike? Dow'nt yow miss thur Bull centre den?

 Deryck

• The night nurse kit is a Lulu.

Deryck ,
Interesting , to say the least . You obviously have had to do what I did , get something more suited to your eyesight .
Your command of Brummie shows you to be a man of the world , but we have pushed the bounds of Brummagem a bit .
I joined the RAF at 17 , and achieved such technical brilliance (oops , my tongue just poked a hole in my cheek ) over the years , that I was posted to Industry to see that they weren’t cheating the RAF . I made such a pest of myself (doing the job properly ) that the company offered me a job -I had taken on a mortgage in Uxbridge for domestic political reasons , and for the kids’education continuity . So I accepted the generous offer after saying it would cost them . So I have spent all my adult working life in Avionics , with a sideline that is best not discussed .
It ultimately cost the company even more because of my accident , also best not discussed , but a broken back stopped me in my tracks, so I put the tracks to good use and make trains to go on them .
What’s your excuse for playing trains ?
Mike

Mike Morgan said:
Deryck , Interesting , to say the least . You obviously have had to do what I did , get something more suited to your eyesight . Your command of Brummie shows you to be a man of the world , but we have pushed the bounds of Brummagem a bit . I joined the RAF at 17 , and achieved such technical brilliance (oops , my tongue just poked a hole in my cheek ) over the years , that I was posted to Industry to see that they weren't cheating the RAF . I made such a pest of myself (doing the job properly ) that the company offered me a job -I had taken on a mortgage in Uxbridge for domestic political reasons , and for the kids'education continuity . So I accepted the generous offer after saying it would cost them . So I have spent all my adult working life in Avionics , with a sideline that is best not discussed . It ultimately cost the company even more because of my accident , also best not discussed , but a broken back stopped me in my tracks, so I put the tracks to good use and make trains to go on them . What's your excuse for playing trains ? Mike

Mike,

Had a cousin (older than my father) who was Chief Draughtsman to William Stanier. That collected me footplate rides as a kid. Living in Wembley then I was within a bike ride of three of the big four and I used to ride to my first art school on a GWR Auto train (Ealing Broadway) Wars end found me in Germany (still trembling) and I signed on for a 3 year short service to (a) get a grant to go to University after demob, and (b) Renew a connection with the Reichsbahn. The 'job' (Ha!) gave me unlimited access and I footplated most of the rollers out of the Bw's at Rheine, Osnabruck and Hannover(great double turntable there) Started collecting Maerklin back then-switched to better class stuff later. T'was a great life. Finished up at Slade and then 'taught' (Ha!) for a term before discovering you could earn more as a film extra in a week than a month as an 'Eddicator' (I was a 'relief teacher' in Hammersmith and most of my time was spent in preventing nine year olds using craft knives on each other)Somehow drifted into storyboarding. And so on......films usually mean divorce so did that, been there- and lost my T shirt.

Now here I am ten miles over the National (and notional) speed limit and wondering just how much mileage is left in this chassis. Hey-but this is Noo Loco's on the Block ennit? So are you going to the Larger Scale Show in Reading this coming week-end?

Deryck

You are the second person to ask me about going to Reading . I would dearly love to go , but my son is working so unless he gets the sack , it looks unlikely . I haven’t been to a show and used my electric buggy yet , so perhaps it’s as well , I have had the odd collision with pedestrians -usually those who are determined to walk in front of me and expect me to stop instantly .Their reactions have put me off going out anywhere at all in it , let alone somewhere crowded . Martyn had a heck of a job pushing the manual chair ,there were frequent problems with that .I believe it to be very painful , a wheelchair’s footrests clouting the erring ankles . Always our fault , of course .
I would only spend money on railway stuff . But I am sure I shall hear about it .
Mike

Mike Morgan said:
You are the second person to ask me about going to Reading . I would dearly love to go , but my son is working so unless he gets the sack , it looks unlikely . I haven't been to a show and used my electric buggy yet , so perhaps it's as well , I have had the odd collision with pedestrians -usually those who are determined to walk in front of me and expect me to stop instantly .Their reactions have put me off going out anywhere at all in it , let alone somewhere crowded . Martyn had a heck of a job pushing the manual chair ,there were frequent problems with that .I believe it to be very painful , a wheelchair's footrests clouting the erring ankles . Always our fault , of course . I would only spend money on railway stuff . But I am sure I shall hear about it . Mike

Well for sure. I'll tell you about it-that is assuming I go. Touch and ditto at the moment since Jo is recovering from a bout of Pneumonia- but she claims we'll attend. Anything you'd like me to look out for or grab info on? I'll check to see if BM are there- although it isn't likely. Haven't seen them there before. Slaters will have their new Quarry Hunslet on show. Tower Models will parade whatever they have in B'mann 0n30...and possibly Broadway. Plus all the other large scale manufacturers. Say what grabs yer....I shall be looking for vertical boilers in the two scales. Both for A Class Climax' Have the chassis from our first build in 1:20 and thought of scratch building in the smaller scale hoping that Precision Scale still have the marine engine in their 0 catalogue. Don't worry about pedestrians Mike-you could talk to Jo about it. She hired an electric buggy when she had some back problems couple of years ago. Still holds the lap record for Boots the Chemist and Marks & Spencers with a minimum number of feet/ankle road kills. Anyway I could always walk in front of you waving a red flag while I dodged bullets from the Lone Railroader.

Deryck

Deryck

I was right about my son working , he has the honour of driving various overseas dignitaries to the Memorial to Commonwealth Airmen lost in the various conflicts where they leaped to Britains aid .
Every year there is a commemorative service at Runnymede , a beautiful place on the Thames , where as you all no doubt know , the Magna Carta was signed . Appropriate place for a memorial to those who gave their lives for freedom .
Mike