It has been some time since I have posted here due to other commitments.
I have had some time over this xmas to get stuck into one of my loco projects , namely one 18 class.
The body and chassis are now well under way. The chassis is made from 60 thou styrene with Slaters wheels, bearings and a Roxey gearbox/ Mashima 1830. It is running smoothly at first trials so should get better with some wear. This is my first attempt at a full plastic chassis and it was far easier than soldering a metal one up.
My pickups are phosphor bronze with a solder filled loop. This is my first use of a loop ( from a suggestion in the Connoisseur Models handbook) as I normally use 20 thou brass without any loop.

** The Slaters wheels I chose were 7848SD

Only a 41 class, 30 tank, 2 off 48's and a CPH to be finished after this is completed and my current batch of part built locos will be done ;>)

Post Xmas Update

No photos this posting as I left the camera at home.
A short trip to visit friends in Lismore (terminated before I got trapped by swollen rivers) was enjoyed last weekend. The first day was spent wiring up a radio throttle and a collection of portable throttle sockets for my host's Lenz DCC system. This all worked first time so we moved on to showing how the scratchbuilt points could be wired for maximum reliability. I was rather jealous of the 35 or more points he had recently made ( including single and double slips). They were well made. Tests showed them to work perfectly with his AMRA profile wheels and to accept GOG Fine with some wheel drop at the common crossing. While all this was going on my X200 was getting a good workout pulling long trains far in excess of prototype around one of the loops - amazing what a CD loading motor can achieve.
The next day we enjoyed looking at another friends efforts at building up his stock of 2-rail compatible equipment by making castings from some of his 1950's era models. His two new 48 class cast off his original brass model were showing signs of progress after suffering some cut and shut to improve them after he noticed some signs of mould shrinkage.
Later we all returned to my host's to run some trains with us all contributing to the consists.
Among the new stock on display were my three latest S wagons. One an O-Aust kit and the others based on O-Aust, GME and scratchbuilt parts.