lancer1027

Have started drilling out the whitemetal buffer shanks on the bufferbeam on the peak this morning. Will start some more work on the chassis now. Look forward to seeing your 25 in blue Phill.

As promised, just got back from the GOG Cleckheaton show. Here are a couple of pics of the peak so far. Still work to do yet on the body. As regards the show . Had a good day met up with friends Phill Dyson and Ross Peacock plus good to see Rob Pulham and have a catch up. Saw the fantastic painting Chris ( mrs Pulham ) had recently finished of D1015 Western Champion at Minehead. What an amazing talent she has. I was very impressed. Mentioned a couple of time to Rob that if it went "missing" it was probably me. LOL As regards purchases, not much really. A peco point, buffers for the peak and track pins so progress on the trackwork can continue. Anyone else who went i hope they had a good day. Right off to have a bite to eat and a glass of red or two. Rob

Hi CME, thanks for the nice comments. When it comes to blue/grey i always spray nearly all the side in rail grey. This is then masked off as a rectangle with the corners snipped off to leave a slight angle. Once the corner transfers are added they cover the angle and when the lining is on it doesnt show. If there are any bits of blue or grey the wrong side of the line then i just touch in by hand. I use Fox water slide for the lining as i find easier to get a straight line (ish) Phill the reason for the masking off was that i had already put the headcode characters in and painted the yellow around the headcode boxes. This has now been removed and all the yellow applied. I will post a pic after i get back from Cleckheaton later. Rob

Coming along nicely Phill. Did you manage to sort out the difference between 25 sub classes?

Here is a pic of 1xTSO and 2x FK lined . Just realised that the chassis/underframe isnt finished plus i still have the interior to doon the second FK. Oooops , must crack on with that. I have also given my peak a witness coat of primer. This i will check when totally hardened and sort any "issues". Once this is done then it will have its warning panel yellow tidied then blue can be sprayed. Rob

These pics show the areas of the railway that i am working on at the moment. Hopefully later (if it stays dry) i will get some more boards down along the side of the fence. The bottom curve as you can see from the pics that i have added 3 extra posts and im in the process of drilling posts, fixing brackets and cutting and fixing the 4x2 timber between each post. Once all this has been done then the boards can go down. ( although the hardware store where i get the brackets from is out of stock for a couple of weeks ), so wont be able to do any work on that part. You can see from the last pic above that i have laid a couple of small boards after the bridge. I will also try and get some felt on them. The last two pics show the latest felt has been laid and weighted down. Rob

The sun finally come out long enough for me to take some pics of progress. I was just about to start when there was such a comotion from the sparrows then a sparrow hawk swooped and landed on the fence. I quickly crawled along the conservatory floor with my camera as close to the door and as quick as i could zoomed in and took a pic. I know its not that clear but no sooner had i took the pic it flew off. These next few pics show the top curve with felt on, just leaving one piece to put down .

Well i am now over half way round the garden with the board laying . I still have to fix roofing felt to some boards which i will hopefully get some more done tomorrow weather permitting. Unfortunately its raining so no pics of the progress but i will again take some tomorrow if weather is ok. Tomorrow should see me getting closer to meeting up with the "other end" to complete a cicuit. Although there will be a missing gap where the viaduct goes but work will commence on that again when i cant do anymore on the railway. Rob

Thats my thinking.

Yes Phill, i am using superglue. When you hold a window etch up to a plasticard pillar you will see that as long as your accurate with the spacings then the frame hides the square corners. I have now run out of white lining so ordered some more from Fox. This will allow me to finish the other side to the next TSO. This will give me 6x TSO, 2x FK and a BFK all done bar the glazing. I have another 3x TSO and an FK at various stages of build. Rob

I dont think so Phill. Once all the track is down i will think more about it then, but to be honest it seems a lot more cost/work in an area that can be just changed by hand.

I have started work on my 3rd FK last night and took a couple of pics to illustrate the process. These show two sections of big big's with door apperture at each end. Then i cut out the window pillars using a dremel and cutting disc ( being careful as sometimes the odd coach had very brittle plastic. Once all pillars were removed then using the etch window frames i started to mark out spacings .Then using 100thou plasticard i cut a strip the correct height and gradually started to work my way along. Here is a pic of the previous FK corridor side to show the results. Rob

I have had a re-think over passing loops and although its not a final decision i am swaying towards having a centre loop in between both mainlines which can be used for either direction plus when empty can be used as a cross over. I am trying to keep most, if not all, points close and in one area so maintenance becomes easier/more accessable. The reason for the slow progress on the railway is because i have had to fit 8 concrete plinths to the fence, which is why the panels look odd. The new panel is the correct height and all the others will be replaced asap. Rob

Originally it was 9 but for the second FK i did the same as i did for the TSO's useing 3 pieces. I then started at one end and cut the window pillars out to where the first section is. Then using an etched window frame measured and fitted a new window pillar out of plasticard. Once i had glued about 2 or 3 i left it to harden. Then carrying on . Although the next FK will be just two pieces and i will cut out all pillars before i join the two pieces together creating a coach with one long open strip . Then i can cut the pillars and glue the windows as i go along. When i start the next , which will be soon, i will take some step by step pics. Rob

Hi Brian, Thanks for the pic . I will now be able to put the transfers on. Rob

Bit more progress update. Here is a pic of various vehicles showing a mk2 TSO having its lining put on.Also showing the interior which still needs some work doing. This includes headrests painting, tables fitting etc. Also in the pic is the dia 733 Brake Stowage TPO which is also having its whit linig added. I am struggling to find any pics of a brake stowage in blue grey so i know where the " Royal Mail " goes plus the crests and number etc. So if anyone could help with a pic of any of the 80456, 57, 58 i would be grateful. Also in the pic lurking in the background is a mk2 FK which has just been masked off and had its first coat of blue. Should get its second coat tomorrow.. Finally here are a couple of pics of the other mk2 FK which has recently had its transfers on. Needs varnishing then glazing plus roof spraying grey and some light weathering. Hope you like. Rob

OK i have been out in the garden today and made some more progress on my garden railway. I know these next pics are a little boring as no trains are actually running but i am getting closer to that day. I have now fixed the boards beyond the other side of the path "step over" bridge and they now reach the side of the green house. Now the plan has changed a little . I was going to have a passing loop for each of the double track circuits. This has now been reduced to one loop for the "inner" circuit due to space issues. Oh well never mind i will see if i can fit a passing loop to the " outer" circuit round the pond area where i have a bit of space. I have painted the edges of the boards and hopefully tomorrow i will cut and start to lay the roofing felt onto these boards. Rob

Hi Phill, Thanks for the nudge about your update. Those trees look great. I will be asking questions about them the next time i see you which probably be Cleckheaton. The atmosphere at Withercombe is really taking shape. Rob

Hi Phill, This is the best i can really get from upstairs. Its not clear but gives you the general idea.

I have took a few pics of the projects im doing at the moment. Here they are at various stages. First up is TPO M80347 dia 731 Sorting van. I still have to put the VHF pod on the roof and spray roof grey. This i will probably sell not sure yet. Next is TPO W80300 dia 720 Sorting van. I am still working on the roof . This has Kadee couplings fitted to fit into my rake and will be weathered once i have done the roof. And last is a general pic of 4 vehicles at various stages of spraying. From left to right is a Mk2 FK which has now had its blue sprayed, just leaving roof grey then transfers etc. Next is another TPO this is a Stowage Brake dia 733 probably to be numbered M80457, this has also just had its blue sprayed and i may also sell this but again not sure. The 3rd is another Mk2 this time a TSO which has had its grey sprayed. Then it will have blue done. The last one is another Mk2 FK which is in primer and i was going to spray grey but noticed it needed a little work doing first. The grey should get sprayed soon though.

few more pics

OK its been a while since i last had an up-date but i have been in the garden today. So here is the progress pics.

Very nice Rod, I really like the Inspection Saloon. Appologies if i have already said this before but i do like it. Rob

Been a while since i last posted but here are a couple of pics of the Heljan VAA i picked up from Kettering Show yesterday. Very nice. Although there seems to be a recuring " issue " with the brake lever that needs fixing back on. Still i've done that and it does look nice. Just got to do some light weathering. Rob

Hi guys, this is just my opinion and i could be completely wrong but if you look at the ground it shows a wider path one side and the standard size space between tracks the other. With this in mind could the western pics be of the same loco but from both sides of the same end ? Rob ...... hoping i haven't lost my marbles