Phil Bullock

Pink primer over blue has worked on one end - hurrah - still got to sort the other Phil

Sounds like an excellent plan! Enjoy this Jamie - any chance of a shot of it on your layout? Cheers Phil

Having seen it today I'll take your word Andi! Phil

Havent forgotten! Don't want to take the lid off again until I can do all the jobs I need to do whilst in there So in addition to the dcc sound fitting shots that's fitting crew and decent headcodes - have the Precision labels to had but struggling to lay my hands on Bacchy loco crews at the moment Please be patient... Phil

Looks acrylic - will it take enamel top coat do you reckon? Got my hands on parafilm will let you know how that goes Phil

Absolutely - that's the only on line picture I can find of the beast too! Cheers phil

Nice photos one and all! But 1669 continues to be as elusive as ever.... Theres a challenge! Phil

Model strip is also my friend - is much more functional than the somewhat scenic name suggests! Have got all that yellow cr*p together with the oversprayed primer mess off without too much grief - now have a shell that is completely blue So to squirt the yellow ends over that - can anyone suggest a white or pale primer that I can overspray the nose ends with before re-applying the yellow ends? CMC has some expensive Tamiya primer - will that work? This way round I mask the blue not the yellow so the masking shouldn't walk off the end of the nose - hopefully! Much easier doing models with removable nose ends like 6992! Cheers Phil

Ha - thanks Mike, that stuff is very familiar to me - but for its designed purpose!!!! Will give it a go Phil

Somerford will be worth seeing again Geoff - who has it these days? Phil

Phase 1 Geoff - 12 x 10 Phase 2 is another 6 boards and would be rather ambitious in the time scale available Phil

Heres a short train with top class power - thanks to 53A Models http://www.flickr.com/photos/blue-diesels/4000635368/in/photostream/lightbox/ Phil

Nice aren't they! Will have to get some "Norton Junction Signal Box" ones done as a statement of intent. P

Ah yes - scrap is a useful traffic source Several Claytons, a Class 16 and several class 74s met their fate at the hands of the local scappy in Birds yard at Long Marston together with many diesel shunters, steam and underground stock. Have done a tubbyduff as D1725 in BFYE specifically to haul 75002/6/13 and 92138 there when phase 1 is done - that was a working witnessed at Worcester. Cheers Phil

Cheers! Thought I would buy some decent tape so yup spot on - Tamiya!!! I guess the problem is that masking off over the yellow there isn't much tape adhering to the bonnet top to ensure it stays in place WIll remask and try and respray the yellow over the blue - over more white primer, but don't want too much paint build as otherwise happy with the result! Fingers crossed Phil

And the next one.... 6885, One of the S Wales steam heat batch, most commonly found west of Cardiff but not exclusively.... Brush veteran captured her twice at Cardiff - heres A and B ends, thanks again Graeme http://www.flickr.com/photos/59835095@N02/6265580115/in/set-72157627818608793/lightbox/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/59835095@N02/6265578537/in/set-72157627818608793/lightbox/ What a difference - definitely had a nose job at B end. A has headboard clips, coupling reinforcement plate and 2 OHLE flashes - B end has neither of the first two and only one OHLE flash. And not a WR cow horn lamp iron to be seen! So the base model - the later iteration of Bachmann's D6826, which is of course GSYP and has boiler port and vents. So we have to go BFYE. Detailing first - hers my stabs at A and B ends to match the above - clips and plate added to A end, lamp irons and side hand rails to both ends. And an over all view Used Precision Paints rattle cans over Halfords white enamel primer. Fairly please with results until... AAARGH! The masking tape kept trying to walk off the corners of the bonnet - and has succeeded partly in doing so, look at the slope on what should be a vertical yellow panel. Ah well, remask and try to respray over the blue perhaps... any one got tips on how to avoid that problem please? WIll get some better photos in daylight once completed. Phil

Certainly got to Wolves several times I can see a scenario where it has run down to Gloucester - on a few maroon coaches or maybe even the Invicta LE Tribometer train - and failed. WR control would not tolerate such a monstrosity on their patch for long so the nearest spare hydraulic power is coupled to tow it north and dump it in the up loop at Abbotswood before running back light engine to Gloucester. Fitter comes south from Derby on next freight and manages to revive her - cue much revving and deltic din before she roars out of the loop back towards Brum and Derby Hee hee Phil

Thanks Rich and Geoff Yup clayliners it is - roller bearing 10' wheelbase, the bacchy ones are mongrels and wrong for both clay hoods - which should be 9' wheelbase but plain axleboxes - and clayliners - which should be 10ft with roller bearings. As far as I can see all the bacchy clay hoods are 9' but with roller bearings!!!! And yes we have 2 rakes, loaded with flat tarps and empties with the tarps folded in the wagons as Geoff says. That can be avoided by marshalling a van or two at the front of the rake to stow the tarps in which was done occasionally. D1013 and D1048 both BFYE are available for haulage - D1046 and D1067 also on roster but in MSYP and MFYE - all wizzos were blue by the time the clays ran this route regularly - from 74 onwards. Cheers Phil

That's super Jamie - a great present! Enjoy your father's thoughtfulness Phil PS Does it come with these? http://www.fox-transfers.co.uk/image_display.cgi?image=11BM7o4j9oWHo.jpg

This super photo - thanks to Maybach Music on Flikr - shows the terrain for the Worcester end of phase 2 nicely http://www.flickr.com/photos/d1015/8310561554/in/photostream/ Taken from the minor road overbridge by the Retreat pub in Norton, the M5 over bridge is out of sight around the corner - will have to be foreshortened significantly to bring the motorway bridge at least half way along this train. Ignore the headcode - these are empty clays heading back south so 6V53 or 6V06 would be correct perhaps Phil

That last photo brings back memories - Stratford drivers used to do that when they were driving the 15s past us at Stratford station!! Great stuff Mike Phil

That's the one! Cheers Phil

That's the one Sean Isnt in the book though - thought I found it on line! Cheers Phil

Spot on Sean - page 15 at Arpley on a train of prestflos, 1972, have just bought that excellent book this week! The picture I have seen - and cant find again! - was of her blue fresh off Crewe in May 70 so pretty sure that's when she was first blue .... now that stovepipe has turned up that shot dated July 1969 - I had searched and searched Flikr, how had I missed that one? That picture gives me the livery I need - GSYP with tops panel it will be. Thanks again to all for help with tying this down Phil

Nice one Paul - white insulated wire? Is bogie travel reduced. Thanks Stovepipe - had missed the grab handles, as you say they have to go too Any references to photos of the old girl in 68/69 would be appreciated - she seemed to be camera shy around this time, I guess everyone was photting the last knockings of steam instead.... Cheers Phil