Tingle Finger Rules OK

Just thought I'd give you the first update in the final month of the year,,,,, we've been that busy up't shed that I just have not had time to offer meanderings on the blog.

Have heard nothing from Mr Wright or DJH ref the faux-pas on the Q7 front spectacle plate,,, typical,,, mine is now sporting brake gear and the aformentioned  Q7/2 cab arrangement,,, I won't mention it if you don't.
Mind you at one recent exhibition some learned scholar rolled up from the R.C.T.S stand and informed me the number on my J52 saddle tank was inaccurate.

Strikes me as that's all the RCTS lads do,,, it's like virtual trainspotting,,, when the show opens one of them trots round taking all the numbers of scratch or kit built models at the show,, they all then sit round in a steamy huddle and check all their reference books to see if the number is right,,, he really was pleased with himself, I duly congratulated him on his observation and he seemed somewhat bemused by my explanation that I often number things wrongly just to see if anybody notices!!!

In all fairness where would we be without the RCTS locomotive books,,, he was right and it was a fair cop, I didn't bother boring him that the J52 was built and painted around 1972 when I was an impoverished airman in Her Majesty's Royal Air Farce,,, and at the time my modelling expenditure just did not run to RCTS loco bibles!!!! Needless to say the J52 was in need of a refurbish on several fronts and that is in hand,,, mind you I am sorely tempted to give it the same number,,, just to see if he notices,,, another thing about the RCTS lads is why do they all look like me old technical drawing teacher,,, sports jacket, complete with leather elbow protectors, and the finest set of pencils and engineers rules Mr Staedtler ever invented, BLESS.

The tingle finger is back and whilst soldering some cab doors for the D2 I'm sure I got a whiff of burning
digit,,, now I'm on the digital type writer I can confirm that not only is my left hand index finger sore but I have the the shape of a left hand D2 cab door etched into the end of it.

Worth every grimace,,, the D2 was also started in approx 1994 whilst in Bahrain and like the 20 or 30 odd other half finished projects it deserves better,, so we are having a concerted effort to finish some of them.

I will close with a picture,,, and what a picture,,, Sheffield Steel Workers at the turn of the century,,, thats 1900 not the Y2K frolic,,, what I want to know is why can't you buy flat caps like that any more,,, there are 30 on show and at least 10 different varieties,,, wonderful,, and all these guy's were probably downing 10 pints every lunchtime!!!!!  [Back row 2nd from right looks very familiar,,, I wonder if we are related!!] and how old is the little chap seated bottom left!!!!! he could only do 5 pints a lunchtime!!!!