CCGWR

August 8, 2021

Looking very nice as usual Jack. Watch for missing buffers on the SECR D, Dad bought 2 (one in Southern Olive, the other in Southern Black) Green one had 3 buffers off when opened the box and the black had one off. Thankfully they were all floating around in the boxes and not a hard fix but seems a common quality control problem with Dapol models recently, I had same problem with my Mogul.

Connor

April 30, 2021

Check how they run first. If they run fine, then leave them alone.

March 18, 2021

Hi All,

Has anyone managed to get the Firebox light to flicker on DCC with their 16xx? I have fitted mine with a Dapol Imperium Decoder but can't narrow down the CV to make this happen. The instructions on the Dapol website regarding Decoder Functions/CVs are not clear to me.

Regards Connor

March 17, 2021

Hi All,

I have just fitted my Model Rail/Rapido 16xx with a Dapol Imperium Next-18 decoder. I am just trying to figure out what CV is used to control the firebox light. Currently it is turned on and off with Function 1. It only operates as on or off. My aim is to get it to flash/flicker in a similar concept to the Bachmann 94xx with a Bachmann decoder with CVs 127 and 128. CV 127 and 128 operate different functions with the Dapol decoder and there are so many light controlling CVs on the instructions, I don't know which is the appropriate one to change. Some advice would be greatly appreciated.

Regards Connor

February 4, 2021

12 hours ago, MonsalDan said:

The weathering on the moguls look fantastic!

Indeed it does. I have also recently weathered 2 for a friend and I found that painting the tyres (rims) first in Humbrol matte black (no. 33) which although came out glossy greatly enhanced the model further. Whether John has or chooses to do this in the future is up to him.

Might not be so obvious in these 2 photos but it makes a huge difference.

Connor

December 30, 2020

Hi All,

I am in the process of respraying some locos into Central Trains Livery. Can people please provide some insight as to the appropriate paint colours from manufactures such as Humbrol, Tamiya and Vallejo. As I am in Australia I cannot access Phoenix or Railmatch paints.

The colours I would require would be:

Light Green

Yellow

The Blue/green stripe

Thanks

Regards Connor

December 24, 2020

Hi All,

What do people find is the best product and technique for stripping paint off rolling stock and locomotives for the purpose of re-paints? I am relatively new to the respraying process but pretty successfully repainted a Bachmann 4575 from GWR Green to Wartime Black. I used Testor's paint stripper for this (I think the exact name is something like 'Easy Decal Lift Off'). I mostly applied this with a paintbrush and seemed ok. I recently stripped a Heljan Hymek body with Tamiya paint remover which was applied with brush and then removed with a cotton bud (as per the instructions). This worked well but due to the sticky nature of the remover, the cotton buds started to fray and stick to the model, I tried a second brush but this didn't really remove it super well. Is there a good product (I can get in Australia) that I could just soak the model in and brush it off. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers Connor

December 11, 2020

13 hours ago, Jack P said:

Apologies for butting in here, but (due to 'a nod to brent' being based in 1947) I garner so much useful information - I almost feel like I should be paying!

What do I need to do to Hornby's 5076 "Drysllwyn Castle" to bring it to 1947 condition, is it as simple as swapping the shirtbutton crest for G (crest) W, and painting over all the red lining below the footplate, or is the model actually wrong for 1947 condition. I'd love to get my hands on 5075 "Wellington", because it's name after the City I live in, and it's got a Hawksworth tender, but they don't seem to come up often. When I compared the two, the only difference seems to be the aforementioned lining.

Thanks in advance for any/wall answers!

JP

Good Choice Jack, 5076 didn't retain its name for too long as it (like Wellington) was renamed after WW2 bombers, it was named Gladiator.

December 11, 2020

2 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

I'm not sure if it's the Hornby BR green itself which at 'fault', Baz,

It's the surface finish....................

This is Hornby's CORONACH from some little time ago, as supplied (complete with A4 boiler!).

And, believe it or not, this is the same loco. Apart from my ditching the horrid bogie wheels and renumbering/renaming it, Tom Foster has applied a coat of Klear to it, then weathered it; perfectly.

The difference in the green is astonishing. The Klear really brings out the Hornby BR green, and it looks dead right to me.

Regards,

Tony.

As others have commented, I also find adding a coat of Clear (I use Humbrol Clear) is an excellent way to bring out the green of Hornby Locos. I always brush paint it on, however, as I have found spraying it on with an airbrush occasionally makes it go all white.

This is a Castle I did.

I did a similar thing with this Star, although the green still looks a little grey on the loco, the overall effect was much improved.

Regards Connor

December 9, 2020

On 06/12/2020 at 04:41, Tony Teague said:

I don't want everyone nodding off whilst we return the remaining four Nelson's to the operational fleet, and so here, by way of an interlude, is the changeover for the Up Van train - the new formation being based upon all of those weathered vehicles that have been sitting around in Stowe Magna Yard:

I must have had something strong to drink when I took this shot of the 'old' Up Van train as it came into platform 6 at Stowe Magna, hauled by a pristine King Arthur, No.742 'Camelot'!

Towards the bottom right of the picture you can see N class No.1824 which has been shunting the replacement vans in the yard; only 3 of the pristine vans from the old formation will be joing the replacement train - and then perhaps only for a limited period:

Lord Nelson No.858 'Lord Duncan' has come off shed to haul the replacement train and has now shunted it across to the Up Main, on platform 4, ready for the off.

A few minutes later the revised formation is seen heading in the Up directions as it approaches the tunnel mouths north of Stowe Magna.

Stowe Magna yard now loks surprisingly empty, but sadly the weathering queue has grown yet again!

Tony

The weathering on your locos is looking great, Tony, I also have quite a queue with my locos. The first 6 wagons (apart from the 2nd one) of the train behind the Lord Nelson look particularly interesting, are they kits, and what are their origins?

Regards Connor

September 24, 2020

Locos on shed at London Road

Cheers Connor

August 7, 2020

4 hours ago, Jesse Sim said:

The C2 arrived safe and sound Tony, here she is on BJ with my mini me signal man getting a good look at her! She runs sweetly down the scenic section, I haven’t given her a full run yet, I’ll run her in and lube everything and then let her stretch her legs!

Thanks again, Tony and Geoff, she’s marvellous.

Horrible photo as it’s just on my iPhone with a bit of editing to make her pop

Looks Great Jesse,

Obviously, a wonderful job has been done by Tony and Geoff in the building and painting of the model. Looks far to shiny though, even a light weathering (appropriate for the 1930s) will greatly enhance the model. I am sure Tony would agree.

Regards Connor

August 3, 2020

Looks rather nice Robin, what is the first coach in the train? Looks good.

Connor

July 31, 2020

On 30/07/2020 at 02:10, gwrrob said:

As @2ManySpams might say, a pannier never offends, with lamp irons or not.

Very Nice, I will be getting 1 or 2. I've found Lamp irons are fairly easy to add, although I just did a bodge job of making them out of staples for a couple of my 5700s instead of buying brass ones.

Connor

July 15, 2020

18 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Good afternoon Tony,

It's not your fault, and it's only an 'accident' of the time of birth. By that, I mean you're not old enough to have done what I did (at Retford).

That is disregard what's happening in the sidings (movement in which was quite rare) and watch the succession (indeed, procession) of steam-hauled expresses racing through!

I know you found Roy Jackson's Retford dull and boring to operate, but that's what it was really like. Apart from the stopping east/west services and the two-hourly Leeds stoppers on the main line, it was one long distance, non-stop express after another. A 'watch the trains go by' layout without equal in my view.

To many as well, Little Bytham would appear boring to operate. A few stoppers, and sporadic shunting by the pick-up, with everything else (95%?) just bowling through non-stop, those expresses going south at very high speed. However, since I'm definitely NOT a layout operator, it suits me down to my boots.

To me, the greatest 'satisfaction' in this great hobby is to set a road, clear the appropriate signals, open the throttle and watch a locomotive I've made (most important) hauling a train I've also made (also important), easily, quietly, smoothly and quickly. How can any 'interesting' shunting activities beat that?

Each to their own, I suppose.

It would be wonderful to claim that I also painted this loco, but I'm not in Mr. Rathbone's league.

Regards,

Tony.

It is an interesting point you make Tony, as you say each to their own. My point of view is that that style of 'operating' i.e. watching trains go by with little shunting (even though totally prototypical on a layout such as Little Bytham) is typically British. I belong to a social operators group here in South Australia which are mostly made up of American and Australian modellers and their view of operating is very different as are their layouts which are often point to point with no continuous run. Shunting and goods waybills are crucial to the operating of their layouts with very few trains simply set to run past the viewer and back into storage. The British layouts over here are very similar in style to yours in operating.

Regards Connor

July 14, 2020

45 minutes ago, john dew said:

Hi John

Glad you got it sorted

TCS are not my favourite decoders......they all appear to have this flaw where there is an upward spike around speed step 14 followed sometimes by no increase in speed to the next step they then resume an acceptable rate of acceleration. I have tried all manner of combinations but never managed to obtain the smooth speed curve one invariably gets from Lenz or Zimo. I have progressively replaced most of mine,

Best wishes

John

Interesting, I haven't had a lot of trouble with TCS decoders being the best value for money and most available at a time. Sure some have failed from time to time but not often with this trouble. Nowadays we get all the locos chipped when they are delivered from either Hattons or Kernow Model Rail so they are ready fitted with Hattons decoders which are mostly fine apart from the fitted momentum (acceleration/deceleration) which can be frustrating on shunting and local trains. Kernow's seem to fit locos with whatever they have available. Last year a Hornby King Arthur and Bachmann J11 were ordered in the same order and were fitted with a Lenz and Bachmann respectively.

Connor

June 30, 2020

Managed to fix it by just experimenting with Isopropol alcohol and water both made no difference, even making it worse sometimes, ended up just brush painting some clear over, fixed the issue right up!

Connor

June 28, 2020

Hi All,

I have come across a problem recently that I am sure others would have encountered (hopefully so that a solution can be found). I sprayed some Humbrol Clear (through an airbrush) onto some locos to give the paint a gloss finish (they are both Hornby A3s) and after a couple days drying they came out covered in white blotchy marks, last time a tried to correct a similar varnish problem it ended up whiter so I want to remove it with completely destroying the original paint finish. It is extra frustrating as I have sprayed Clear on models (Hornby A3s included) before with so damage to the finish, I can post pictures if requested to explain the problem. Help is greatly appreciated.

Connor

June 26, 2020

I have the Russell Book Jack and it seems there is diagrams for the 0395 plus a number of pictures which should be useful.

Connor

June 7, 2020

Very Well Done Jack!

June 5, 2020

Thanks Everybody, Much Appreciated and I assumed they would because of the passenger rating but in the two books I found there was no P19 diagram so I was just after placement and existence. Thanks again.

Connor

June 4, 2020

Hi Everyone,

I am close to finishing a Parkside P19 Python and I am wondering if they received vacuum pipes? I assume they did as I have seen other photos of Pythons with them but no P19 photo has come to light, some help as to the most appropriate pipes to use would be helpful.

Thanks Connor

May 31, 2020

16 hours ago, checkrail said:

Has it worked, after delving into the labyrinthine recesses of YouTube?

Perhaps!

John C.

Very Nice John. Can I ask how you constructed the Water Tower?

Connor

May 20, 2020

12 hours ago, trw1089 said:

Thanks Connor

I’ve been stocking up on both Vallejo and Tamiya for the same reason, but haven’t done too much experimenting with them yet.

cheers

Tony

Yes, I find the 'Model Air' range of Vallejo are probably better weathering colours but I only have one, the rest are normal Vallejo, I have found they are not completely matte in appearance. For this reason I have preference for Tamiya (on locos anyway) for now.

Connor

May 19, 2020

On 06/05/2020 at 21:09, trw1089 said:

While buildings are nice, locos are still my passion, especially making them look like ones in pictures.

Here are two recent additions to the fleet, a reasonably clean namer B1, and a rather dirty O4. Both have had sound added too and I must admit I rather like them. The O4 had the dreaded oil seep which even though the chassis was cleaned, still came back. It’s since diminished and actually fits in with the grubby look.

Very Nice Tony. That oil seepage is a pain, in fact I have turned to acrylics (mostly Tamiya and Vallajo) for the moment to try and counter the problem, so far it has worked, still experimenting though.

Connor

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