I'm not replying to my first messages as it won't get back here for a
day or so and I didn't want folk fussing over a non-problem.

I just repeated everything I did earlier with 2 (ok 3) things changed...
1. I used a vanila 1.0 kernel - which did get copied onto wd0a ok
2. I booted of said kernel
3. I left off all the link* stuff from the ifconfig lines.

I've now got root.tar.gz ftp'ing down the slip link...

--sjg