simon b

Hi all. I've just bought what I think is an old MTK kit built class 205 DEMU on a certain auction site, and I need some help with its wheels. Going by the shape of the bogie sideframes the power bogie is from the Triang dmu, but it still has the original wheels fitted. The rest of the 3 cars have 15mm finescale wheels so the motor bogie wheels look very odd and undersized, what would be the best way to upgrade the triang motor bogie wheels?

I've just had a read of Albert Street, that's a fantastic little layout. Changing the lights is a very effective idea to date the period.

Inner city arches, just my cup of tea! Is there a platform at the rea, or just the island in the middle? Will enjoy following progress on your build.

Yes please, I'd love to see some recent pics. Will have to have a proper read through when I get a chance.

Now that looks intriguing! Anything with blue diesels is a winner for me, any more pics or a layout thread on here somewhere? I've got a half started layout I made a few years ago before the house move (which is where the trouble started), which I think is a candidate for rebuilding into the Victoria park plan. This is currently on a 6ft x 18" board, but I think it could be shrunk down to fit the 52" long layout I'm aiming for.

Would look smart with a stripe of Chiltern blue, though they dont look that bad as they are. Is there a pic of the driving trailer anywhere, I'm curious how much of the blue around the nose was wrap?

Quite a few had a separate engine entirely for powering the train supply, in the case of the rebuilds of the E8/9 that meant 3 separate engines in the one body. The worst for it was the GE u34ch, they used to run at a constant 950rpm with the HEP switched on. Noisey ! Perhaps a separate ETH generator in the train is the way forward if the 68 silencer mods are not successful?

I seem to remember such a system was in use somewhere on the network, it was advised to let it disconnect itself rather than unplug it. Chiltern DVT were fitted with an ETH generator supply at one point, seems strange they don't use those still.

That's what I was getting at, we could of had 6 full length platforms instead of the awkward arrangement Marylebone is now. A very short sighted move, must of been good money selling the land off where they stood. And yet they left the turntable in place the other side of the bridge.

Thanks, that explains it then! I was confused as I couldn't see a join in those pictures so thought it was one long body.

Hi all. I'm doing some research on early freightliner trains and have come across something I'm a little puzzled by. On Paul Bartlett's excellent website are some pictures of what appears to be a 60ft flatbed body mounted onto a freightliner wagon, link here: https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brferryfreightliner Some of the other wagons also have the same body whilst others dont, so I assume that this could be removed from the wagon using the twistlocks? Was this type of body used in normal freightliner trains or just the international wagons? Must have been a flimsy thing when not fitted to a wagon?

Thanks, since the idea was first mentioned I hadn't heard anymore about it. Interesting they want to use Euston rather than Marylebone, it's debatable which has any free capacity. Getting rid of the third roof span and it's platforms at Marylebone was a bit short sighted, in view of the lack of platform space it now has.

Very possible, they should need no modification to work with mk4's. Another possibility is the new incarnation of the Wrexham and Shropshire services, if they choose to go with loco hauled stock they could take the mk3's for a complete package.

There is a an available exhaust modification which will quieten down a 68, easy to fit that to the TPE ones before they enter service.

Chilterns 68's are not compatible with mk5's, so they would need the TPE locos. How involved it would be to convert the existing end coach to an intermediate I'm not sure, but in theory you could run a driving trailer at both ends of a set.

As I understand it the TPE locos will move down with the mk5 sets, Chiltern's 68's go back to DRS.

This will replace the mk3 sets entirely, it will also free up some of their dmu fleet so hopefully they can get on top of the maintenance issues.

I assume the mk5's are painted silver with vinal over the top, in which case they are half way there already. I like the silver and grey, but the blue livery on the 165's is good looking too. Silver with a blue window band?

Apparently Chiltern have now put a bid in for the the MK5 fleet with locos. More 68's is just fine with me.

I thought the same about the lack of detail. The part about the suggested new route was very vague, you would think that was the part that needed the most effort. A couple of things that I did learn from it was the way in which they decide if a scheme is worth it or not, and the amount of unnecessary spending they budget for. They did mention that to use it as a through route the Aylesbury branch may need to be doubled in places, I don't think it does but there is now provision for that with the new bridge they have built. And an extra platform at Bourne end and High Wycombe isnt really needed either. Surely just build the line and extend the existing service to Wycombe would be enough.

The idea of reopening of the Bourne end to High wycombe line seems to pop up every few years, and when it does it is often mentioned that Wycombe Council commissioned a study to see if it was worth doing. I'd never seen the outcome of this or heard anymore about it, until a link to it popped up on Facebook recently. Enjoy: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/qyvQqXn1Eu3bXezr/

Good to see your making progress, as long as your happy with the track plan it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. But if your keeping the plan as is, the one thing I would suggest is that the front track needs curving a little. It stands out from the rest of the layout as it is dead straight, and parallel to the board edge. Bullhead points will bend a little, perhaps swap the two points left to right thereby putting the whole line on a gentle curve?

You have a PM.

Yes please, pics are always great to see! Any parts of the plan that didn't work, or things you would change?