Linda

Recently I’ve bought a Linda from Colin Lea (http://rhydddu.blogspot.com/).

The motor was in the tender, it worked, but poorly and very noisy. So, that went! I then went digging through some 00 gauge wheels I had been given by a friend, I found several sets of adjustable ones, and they look almost identical to the double Fairlie wheels (http://www.ngtrains.com/Pages/Newsletter/NZ_pics/Fairlie-wheel_s.jpg). Using 00 gauge wheels means that the model is a bit higher than the real Linda but, it'll do! Up to now I have only 'adjusted' the tender by literally 'ripping out the motor' (thus destroying the chances of using the plastic plate, used to hold anything in the tender) so I made a replacement out of a cereal box and went ahead to find some wheels (and a frame)

And I found some. In the form of an N gauge bogie I bought when buying the two Graham Farish Class 08 Diesel shunters off eBay (with two carriages). I tested that out for height and it was a good 3mm lower than the locomotive (due to the loco having re-gauged 00 wheels) so I got some 3mm x 3mm balsa and made a 'spacer' type object to put between the bogie and tender.

I am thinking of putting a Meridian Models MPD18 Chassis which is the only one I was able to find that was able to fit into the locomotive (any other suggestions? the area is 12mm wide, 35mm long and 20mm high) I will need some rods and fly cranks, does anyone know where I can find some?

I'm also trying to decide how should the tender look? There are the two possibilities ... a 'closed' tender (like Blanche) or an open tender (like Palmerston) decisions!

Lastly...

I'm planning on starting construction on the 'Cob' board. I'll use N gauge track for now, just to be able to run a train up and down! I've also priced up the layout... only the track.... £221.30, a bit expensive... but I’ve been saving up for a while so I’ll probably buy the track after Christmas (using the money I will probably get from family etc).