Had a bit of a running sesh today using 1986 stock. I had intended to film it but the idiot cameraman forgot to switch on the external mic to the main camera. Fortunately I had parked the phonecam in St Flo's churchyard but whilst it got the noise, it suffered some flaring and focus issues. However, it gives you a good impression of where things are at the moment.
 

I'll probably do some more detailed vids outlining the thought process and products I've used in the hope it might inspire others. Hopefully with the mic switched on.
 

I took some pics as well.  Everything ran well and although I do still need to finish some bits, such as lighting (working streetlamps and some building lights), tidying up the rather pish ballasting, and finish painting some more figures, I'm happy with the overall effect.  There are things I would do differently if I was starting again, but overall, I think I'm happy.

I've done a bit of weeding at Wombourne.  I went a bit Radio Rental with the grass tufts and weeds so I decided less is more.  A quirk of the 1986 timetable following the introduction of through services to Birmingham, reversing in Wednesford bay platform 2, was the introduction of a through Sprinter service to Birmingham using a unit which stabled overnight at Tyseley, some four years before Tyseley got an allocation of the units for West Midlands locals.  

86224, still in Rail Blue, brings a rake of newly refurbished Mk2f coaches in Inter City livery past the prefabs.  A backdated Heljan 86/2.  Unfortunately the OHLE isn't strong enough to withstand the passage of the pantographs so they are locked down for now until I can work out a way of fixing them in place.

1986 was a difficult year for local train planners as there was a shortage of EMU stock with 304s off having compartments ripped out of the /1 units and all being given a light refresh whilst losing the trailer composite, and 310s going to be Networked and having their windscreens rebuilt.  I recall that the peak hour Walsall line additionals were often DMU worked, so here we have a WMPTE branded Class 116, still non-gangwayed (as some were in 1986) working the hourly Wednesford to Birmingham shuttle, which with the hourly Wombourne-Wednesford-Birmingham services combine to give Pensnett, Gornal and Rowley Regis North a half hourly service.



Class 116 meets an AL1.  The 116 is a Silver Fox conversion of a Lima 117, fitted with a DCC chassis and noise, which was sourced from the Bay of Tat second hand.  It actually stands up quite well next to the Bachmann 108 units and I'm pleased with it.