Hopefully, I now just need to buy some track!
Gary
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Thats a very nice looking Thompson coach, you do realize you need at least another 6-7 
Gary
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This brings back memories, in the late 70’s I and my best friend would regularly catch the last parcels train on Saturday night with a single passenger brake coach from either Leeds or Wakefield Westgate, and watch and hear the rapid loading and unloading of the hundreds of mail bags at each station stop, before reaching Kings X, then a quick dash to either Waterloo or Paddington to see how much travel we could get in before getting back to the cross and catching the 19:00 train back home.
This has all changed and disappeared from the railways, and now like everything else, is on the M1!
even the 125’s and class 91’s are on borrowed time, they were certainly happy days.
Gary
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Thats very nice!, what a fantastic sight they must have been when first introduced, do I see other items of rolling stock behind.
Gary
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A few bits and pieces left from a large collection I sold some years ago. LNER ( my childhood home turf) and French railways. The Ace A4 is one of only two scale models though. The rest are Hornby O gauge.
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The A4 looked familiar, but I couldn’t for the life of me think of the make! nothing wrong with Hornby O gauge either.
I’m going to bite the bullet and clear out a lot of my Railway items, especially the OO stuff, its mainly southern based, but I do have about 7 A3’s and without checking, at least 9 A4’s mainly BR late crest but also in Garter Blue and a couple in Silver Grey, it seems daft to just have them stored in their boxes, better to let someone else use and enjoy them.
Gary
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I came to that conclusion when we first thought of moving to France. I no longer had a layout and although I did display a fair selection ( one of every A4 in every colour that ran in period including coach sets), I had a lot more in boxes. Mostly O gauge but a selection of OO and N gauge. Sold at auction for 120k so a nice help for retirement funds. Not quite as excessive I also had the matchbox 1-75 series and a good few Corgi, again no longer displayed and in original boxes. They went, although again I have a few memoirs kept that remind me of my childhood.
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I’ve clearly not been spending enough!
Lol, a lifetime of attending auctions and collecting.
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Wow! That’s a varied and impressive collection, I don’t have that much, and none on display, again silmar to you no layout, just a test track of Kato HO and N gauge track, seems daft and a waste.
Gary
)
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That’s impressive 
and brings the wagon to life.
Gary
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Another plug for this event in Crewe this coming weekend, organised by me.
5 minutes walk from Crewe station and there’s also a large pay and display car park on site.
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When you build a kit like this, do you solder everything - including fine detail such as handrail knobs etc?
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Hi, I solder where I can but it’s not always possible. I use 70C for white metal, 145C for brass. Where this isn’t possible I use epoxy for strength and Cyano for fiddly small bits. Where I need a large area fixing I can use contact adhesive and for clear plastic (windows etc.) I use white glue. Not a simple answer I’m afraid but you use what is best for the job. Solder is obviously the strongest. Hope that helps.
It is possible to build the whole thing with glue if you don’t solder but learning to solder is very satisfying once you get the knack.
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This weeks Heaton update, put the kettle on or open your tipple of choice, and enjoy.
Gary
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Thanks - just what I needed. I followed your advice about starting with a preloved kit (a friend sold me a DJH 2-8-0 in 4mm at no great cost). I am soldering and have had a reasonable amount of success with the larger parts, even white metal to brass, but fixing the detail is a challenge so all those ideas are very useful. Eventually I’ll move on to 7mm but I want my techniques to be better given it’s a lot more expensive. I suspect 7mm will be harder as the mistakes will be more obvious!
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This is great to hear, encouragement from @Paul52135, and you’re having go, if you’re happy to share your build progress with photos to encourage others (Me) that would be great.
Gary
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You’re doing the right thing. I started with a 4mm 4-6-0, if IIRC I ended up melting a couple of small white metal parts to nothing and gluing some bits back to front. You can only see them if you really look but overall I got away with it . 7mm will cost you if you make a mistake so build up your confidence.
One thing to consider is that if you buy a new kit and parts are missing you get them from the supplier for free. If you buy used, they cost.
Enjoy! Look forward to some pics.
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