Hi Julian,
I too have made up the brake gear and cylinder assembly as Chris has suggested and fitted the pickups to the keeper plate, which is not my normal way of doing things.
It has been an interesting exercise to show a "deliberate mistake". I was curious to see just what people would come up with and how they would reply on the fourum. No one has made a direct posting so far, but I have had one or two emails behind the scenes. I suppose no one wants to be seen to getting it wrong, however, I have had a couple of emails from one member who is very eagle eyed and picked up on the missing pipework below the footplate and who has now picked up upon the clack valves going into the side of the boiler, being different on the prototype photograph from what is now on the model.
I had fitted Chris's clack valves before spotting they were different in the photograph. It seemed a pity to cut off the little wheels on Chris's ones after I fitted them - I was hoping I might come across an earlier photo which might still have the earlier valves fitted. My guess is that this may have been done around the time that the chimney was replaced, but have left them on in the hope there may have been an in-between stage - looks like they may have to come off though! - It may be someone out there has just such a photo, if so, I would love to see it. I have a photograph of its more conventional sister engine which also worked at Methil and will go back and see if I can find it.
I am looking forward to a few more corrections as the more glaring one has not been picked up on yet. Happy

to take emails behind the scenes and appreciating those I have received so far as they all are useful for improving the model. Those of you out there who make models and show them publicly will know only too well that once something has been built it is often scrutinised for faults and you can bet that if you have built a building for example there will always be someone who had the view you really wished for when building the said building and who may even bring it along to the show to prove you wrong!
On Dubbieside I have a model of the harbour masters office from Kirkcaldy and had Dubbie at the St.Andrews show one time. One young fellow turned up and immediately recognised the building and we got talking. It turned out that his father had been the harbour master there during the 50's and 60's and I said to him it would have been lovely to have met him. He said to me "I will go and get him he is here." Within a minute the gentleman was with me and was telling me all about his job there and at other harbours in the Fife area. When we got down to the actual model he commented that I had managed as far as he could remember to get everything correct, however I did have one question. I was curious about the small upper storey room. What was it used for in the building. He said that he did not know as he had never been upstairs in the building at anytime during the 20 odd years he had worked there! If it had been me I would have been up there first morning! So I have never found out exactly why the building had this strange little upper storey. My guess was for observing ships out to sea prior to them coming in to harbour. Maybe someone out there knows the answer to the particular mystery.
If someone turns up with a piece of vital knowledge that is missing from your model, that's fine, you have added to your own knowledge and maybe even have found a friend who has the same enthusiasm for the subject you are modelling. So do not be downhearted, put away the immediate disappointment, be thankful!
It should always be kept in mind by those who make comments that all modellers do put their heart and soul into the models they make, if you make models yourself you will know this. My friends in the starters group have been a little bit hesitant about posting their comments on what they are building and the errors and re-workings they maybe have had to do to correct and get things right on their first engines, but all they are experiencing is the way models evolve and what they learn in the doing of, which is common to all of us, myself included.
There will always be the odd individual, we have all come across them at exhibitions, who can tell you all that is wrong in a model, but who have never put anything of their own into the public gaze, but who will criticise often quite loudly to show off their "superior" knowledge.

If this should happen to you, well just say to yourself "pair soul" as my grannie used to say and remember that the vast majority are not like that and really do appreciate the things you get right. I, myself am constantly inspired by models built by Scalefour modellers and others who also like to work to a good standard in other scales and gauges - it is all wonderful!
The truth is we are all "improver's" and from top to bottom should be considered as such. I hope I have not put anyone off replying to the original question however as all replies have been very positive and in the right spirit. I have mentioned no names as they have all been private emails so far and I will continue to respect anonymity, but do appreciate all the time individuals have put in to reply so far.
