DBC90024's Blog

Good News with my plans for Johnson Street IEMD in full steam ahead... A good man in the know of making model trains just that little bit better is going to transform 90018 into DB Cargo 90019 and my recent acquisition of 66135 EWS into DB Ex-EWS 66002. 

 

As with most layouts, there will be a little creative licence on show. Most of it will be really subtle, there will be one or two ficticious liveries, but most of them will be real world and up to the minute.

3rd November

 

OK, sensible cap on, my plans to re-brand 90018 into 90019 DBC are on hold. The Bachmann 90 will be worth the wait and she will be going to be going to DB in one form or another, I have the decals ready for this and 90037, so these are likely to be the first to be repainted.

 

On a brighter note, the 08 has been serviced by the boys in the know and the decals have arrived from Precision labels for the first re-numbered 66135 is going to become 66002 in Ex-EWS DB. 

 

The boys in the know have managed to recycle two pieces of layout accessories for Johnson Street, a long section of retained walling - and a pair of inspection pits for shed 2.

 

 

 

I have, today, photographed some of the catenary that i'm going to be using @ Johnson Street IEMD. Bear in mind, the main style will be the PECO wiring - and also their single track gantries, not snapped today.

 

The multi-track sections will use the gantry style catenary masts where as the single track sections will use the single track masts, all fairly obvious, right?

So, my grand yo-yo loco plans constantly ebb and flow, no diesels, no 66s, one 66, two 66s, tweaked 66s, and my nicely fledged AC loco fleet looking all pristine, only to find out Bachmann are making a 90 arrgghhh... so anyway, having missed out on a DB red 66 needing maintenance, I have only gone and done something rather questionable - I now have a DRS 68, totally pointless for a DB depot.

..

 

 

Above, illustrations of what Johnson Street IEMD will look like, the urban townscene to the right and some ideas rethe entrance to Johnson Street IEMD from the edge of the layout as one looks across it, from there, the main building appears, to the left and right are shed 1 (electric shed - to the left) and shed 2, to the right (diesel shed)

With Christmas fast approaching, one has to think of a way of filling up a stocking, and I know a little about Bachmann sized packages nowadays, so, ok, only a very very few people (like one or two cheeky folk at Bachmann) might get to have a Class 90 by their hands in their stocking so, one of the diesels at the yard, as most electric yards, past or present would have had some diesel presence, Johnson Street IEMD is going to have several post EWS DB 66's in attendance regularly. 66065 and 66002 are going to be based here once fully open for business. 66065 in Ex EWS DB is that such stocking filler, ever since feasting my eyes on this little gem, have I felt that this would be a perfect diesel representative in a DB yard, 

Ok ok, so maybe I am not alone with this, 90018 is off to become 90019 DB Cargo, 90035 is off to become 90037 Ex EWS DB and 66135 is off to become 66002 Ex EWS DB. The DB stable is growing once more, and with 66065 due to arrive imminently :-) and some Sommerfeldt supporting arms on their way from the States also. Im sort of regretting letting go of 90034 DB here and now, even thought medium term I'm hoping Bachmann do this livery, or I will be getting a pro-relivery done.

Ok, so, today 66065 has had its turn round the local model shop test track - with Johnson Street still some way from completion and all was good. The DRS 68 has also departed. It didn't really fit in with my long term plans as such.

After feeling like I was here every day for what seemed like a while, i have just seen I haven't been here for more than a month, so, whats new? Christmas has come and gone, but the advent of bargains pre Christmas has seen me be able to snap up some DCC sound units for my two Class 66s. 66065 now has sound and my forthcoming 66002 Ex EWS DB will also have DCC Sound. I also have a sound unit ahead of Bachmann's new Class 90 which i literally dying to see. 

 

I had been looking for a sound unit for my Bachmann 08 as well but no joy yet for this.

 

Here and now, the new year is about seeing my local model shop complete the build for my layout, hopefully, this is completed before the Bachmann 90 arrives. In the mean time, a few of my 90s are having a late shelf life facelift, they should be finished by the end of the month.

 

 

 

 

Rob aka Ely South has kindly let me share his snaps of the forthcoming Bachmann Class 90 from the recent Warley Show, thank you Rob.

Today, I decided to go and snap 4M25 from Norton Bridge which isnt too far away from me, they have recently built a fly-over taking trains North and South - to and from Stone/Stoke directly over the Stafford-Crewe line and building a diverting freight line the other side of the new loop, so, where there were four parallel tracks going past Norton Bridge station, there are only three. Anyway, I just about got to Norton bridge in time to see 4M25 buzzing past ... drat... well, at least a DB pair of 90s were deployed... I am paying attention to the locos deployed on 4M25 as this is one of the train schedules Johnston Street will serve once complete. There will be DB 66s on standby just in case, and long term, i am thinking of having an RHTT train stationed there also.

So, Bachmann have unveiled official pictures of the Class 90 on the Hattons website with a price of £152, I better get saving.

Ebay is evil, i have now acquired a Hlejan Class 86, which will be reliveried, into DB large logo. 86424 was sent to Bulgaria as a donor loco back during the EWS era, so its quite feasible that DB could bring it back, right ?

 

Latest work on the layout shows the inspection pits for shed two

 

 

Shed Two in place