Pillar

Hi Mark, Thanks for the info. The results you're getting look excellent. What kind of decal paper did you use? Is it still the one sold as 'inkjet' decal paper? Cheers, Liam

Absolutely amazing. I can't wait!

Does anyone have any thoughts/recommendations on using a laser printer for printing on waterslide decal paper? I've had nothing but problems trying to print on it using an inkjet printer, as the ink seems to 'bead' on the surface of the paper, which ruins any fine lettering. This is despite my printer being of good quality and giving excellent results on normal glossy photo paper. I think it was on the Wells Green TMD website that I saw laser printers mentioned as a possible solution to this problem. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I have a lot of decals to make! Cheers, Liam

A few bits have been progressing over the weekend. I've started painting the Transit, and some figures from Modelu and Hardy's Hobbies to become drivers and passengers on various buses. On the Metropolitan front, I've drilled out most of the lights which will be made to work with LEDs; namely the headlights, tail lights, indicators and destination boards. The latter is handily provided with a removable clear window on this Britbus model; although the seam around the edges will eventually need to be filled in and painted over. I've also put together a plasticard representation of the window sill on the upper deck, complete with handrail and driver's 'periscope'. My enduring memory these is looking down them as a child to spy on the driver - although not on a Metropolitan as I think they had all rusted away by then! Also in progress is a 'cut and shut' project to create a LWB Series III Land Rover from two Oxford Diecast models. The plan is for this to eventually become a North Eastern Electricity Board (NEEB) vehicle as part of a substation diorama. As well as the bodywork, I've been trying to open up the Oxford chassis molding a bit, to represent the spindly leaf spring suspension. The solid moldings have been gradually pared away and a start made at replacing them with 'leaves' of 0.25mm plasticard. Time will tell if this is biting off more than I can chew! Cheers, Liam

Hi Fran, You've mentioned previously that you intend to offer EM and P4 wheelsets as optional conversion packs. Will these also be of a reduced diameter? I can't speak for EM, but in P4 there will be no need to negotiate R2 curves. Cheers, Liam

I've just come across this thread and it's really put a smile on my face! It's always nice to see a North East layout, but even better to see one with such care and attention to detail given to both the stock and the buildings. Looking at some of the wagons has really been an eye-opener for me in terms of what is possible in 2mm scale. I'm taking my first steps developing a 4mm/P4 North East layout, and if the fine details look half as good as this i'll be pleased - even at double the scale! Fantastic work. Cheers, Liam

What are you using to cut them?

Looks excellent. The missing shoe should be an easy enough fix.

Painstaking and neat work cutting out all those windows! Is the idea of laminating multiple layers together to cancel out any warping?

Just come across this thread. Fantastic work throughout! The scratchbuilt tank underframe and springs for the grain wagons are very nice. Thanks for detailing your approach to P4'ing the Dapol Turbot too. I've got a few that will be needing this treatment. Cheers, Liam

Progress on the lower deck of the Metropolitan, starting with filing away the protrusions on the original plastic base and making a copperclad floor to fit and populate with seats. Next job will be to locate the seats and size the partitions around the door openings. I've scoured Flickr looking for interior pictures, but there appear to be few showing the lower decks on the T&W vehicles in intact condition. Does anyone know where I might find some? Cheers, Liam

A few photos of another work in progress below. This is a Britbus MCW Metropolitan in the earlier version of Tyne & Wear PTE livery. I plan to keep the paintwork intact but the interior will be largely rebuilt to make use of the full width of the body; the original interior is a bit compressed due to the chunky side glazing but this will be replaced with cutouts from plastic bottles. Also a couple of pics of the TINY mk2 Transits before they go for a swim in paint stripper... Cheers, Liam

How long before we see a 'cut and shut' job to bring it up to scratch, like some did with the tubby Heljan 47? Sad to hear this has happened though. It seems a lot of people were looking forward to these wagons. Hopefully the CAD work can still be put to some good use in future.

Thanks. I'll get together some pictures soon. Unfortunately not one of them is finished yet but this doesn't seem to stop me acquiring more kits to build...

The mk3 prototype is further down the page. Funny you should mention the TINY mk2s though, as I just had two turn up in the post today! The plan is for one to become a BR personnel carrier; not sure what to do with the other yet... Back on the subject of the mk3, I'm tempted to try and do something about the overscale rainstrip along the top of the body - it looks much too chunky compared with the real thing. However, this will inevitably damage the blue factory paintwork which I was hoping to retain and tone down with some light weathering. Colour matching would be needed to repair the damage. Does anyone have any thoughts on how feasible this would be on a diecast model like this? In the past I've only ever done a full repaint or none at all. Cheers, Liam

Awesome work. - especially the spiral cables .

Hi All, During lockdown I seem to have been bitten by the 4mm road vehicles bug! Apparently it's one of the perils of browsing the excellent threads on this forum and the P4 New Street site . I thought I’d share a few of my ongoing efforts in case anyone is interested or finds the info useful. First up is this long wheelbase mk3 Transit modified from the Oxford model, and loosely based on this unglamorous prototype. This one is now ready for painting, but here are a few unpainted pictures to show what’s been done. The main points are as follows: - Head and tail lights added using surface mount LEDs and LR41 batteries. - Lower bodysides gently filed to add an upward slope towards the rear bumper. Comparing with photos, Oxford’s effort is too square. - Rear bumper heavily filed down and reshaped working loosely from photos. Oxford’s effort looks too square and hugely overscale to me; more like one of those HELP bumpers you used to see on old buses! - Front bumper gently filed down at the extremities to remove the sharp ends; again based on photographs. - Front bullbars scratchbuilt from brass strip and rod. - Wheels replaced with whitemetal efforts from Paragon Kits. They were advertised as 8.75mm diameter, but were really more like 9.5mm and needed to be filed down. I’m happy with how they’ve turned out though. - Wing mirrors added roughly from plasticard. - Rear step and towbar added. - Exhaust and silencer added from 0.6mm brass rod and plastic strip. The end is bored out slightly with a 0.45mm drill. - Mudflaps added from thin brass strip. - Fuel filler cap added. - Sliding door running rail added from plastic strip, scored with a ‘skrawker’. - Steering wheel replaced with one from Oxford’s VW T4 (butchered crudely to appear more spindly). Oxford’s default wheel on the Transit looks like it came from a dodgem car. - Seatbelts added (yes, really… ) - DIY flush glazing cut out of a lemonade bottle. Securing it post-painting will be interesting though… - Holes drilled to receive etched wipers. A lot of effort perhaps for a static piece of scenery, but it was a lot of fun experimenting and on a £5 model not much to lose. I’ll post an update on the painting soon and a few other projects in the works - mainly an ever-growing procession of buses... Cheers, Liam

Excellent news! Just down the road from me Best of luck and hope to visit soon when things calm down.

Is there a UK stockist of Tiny HK models, or is eBay the only option?

Thanks Ray, that's very useful. Cheers, Liam

Good news nonetheless. Does anyone have a list of which kits were formerly in the range? I believe ABS used to do a mk2 transit front which is impossible to come by nowadays. Might be worth an MBF membership for that alone!

Thanks All for the info. It looks like I may end up doing a cut-and-shut using some Oxford models, or just waiting until they inevitably do a LWB Series III. The Cararama model looks great but the difference in scale would bug me. FYI, these are the kind of prototypes I'm considering: http://eblrs.org/neeb/. Cheers, Liam

Does anyone produce a model of the above in 1/76 as either RTR or a kit? I'm after one to represent an electricity board vehicle but can only find the short wheelbase version. Cheers, Liam

I think Cavalex are doing the CDA to go with their HAA?

Or maybe a clasp-braked variant of the HUO?