SWT442

Slightly off topic, but regarding the HEA's, the 'gen' which came from an Eastleigh based DB driver at the time said it was sea dredged pea shingle for B&Q, which went to PD Stirling at Mossend for processing. Initially was for 3 wagons a week but seemed quite sporadic at times. The Eastleigh 'Enterprise' and it's associated trip workings to Southampton Western Docks, Marchwood and Fawley are much missed since the demise of the General Freight Network (as DB called it) in 2017. Andy.

An excellent choice, been waiting a long time in hopes I'd see these done RTR! I'll definitley be having a few sets to model the Morris Cowley working. Good thing is, you can get away with just the one set as part of an enterprise working or just on its own on a wagon move. Also means you can have them behind more locos than just an EWS/DB Class 66! Yesterdays working from Morris Cowley to Southampton and return was just 3 wagons, so even present day modellers can get away with a 'short' train of them! Andy.

Some not particularly brilliant shots of the SWT one on the bench. The new style of packaging was a bit of a surprise but at least it made it easier to remove the models. The old foam tray was quite a tight fit. Though it's odd that the motor coach comes in its own packaging. The colours look pretty good to me, be interesting to see how they compare to Bachmanns 3-CEP. Andy.

No drag at all. The trailer bogies all have pin point axles and roll very freely. I've a pair of the SWT ones on the bench at the moment, found both motor coaches smooth runners on the rolling road and the body a doddle to remove to fit a decoder. One slight niggle is the motor coach bodies being a touch too easy to remove! Picking up from the top of the coach body seems to risk the clips on the bottom not engaging fully, causing the chassis to sag. Definitely a good upgrade from the first release, and I really hope we see a 4-CIG join it at some point. Andy.

Same issue with mine. Someone on Twitter reported the same issue with theirs too. No switches that I can see for light control. Manual states F0 for both head and tail lights. Not sure whether the 4-TEP is similarly affected? Will be dropping Bachmann an e-mail about it to see what the score is. Andy.

Interesting thread! Was part of a group that had a tour of the stored Class 60's at Toton in October 2021. Took shots of the nameplates as thought it odd they were laid up with them still in situ. Wasn't really sure what to do with them until this thread popped up! 60034 Granted not a nameplate, but hopefully still interesting. Knew the 60's were fitted with WIPAC lights, yet didn't know it was printed onto the lens nor labelled as the 'Hair Raiser'! Andy.

One of the aims with Maritime Lane was to be a test bed for proper wiring and point control, as the layout I had in my parents garage just had a few DCC feeds and all points operated by hand. With the loft being boarded out, it meant a 35ft by 9ft continuous run could be built, but would be a rather daunting project for someone who had never done it properly before! A small depot seemed a good way to get to grips with things. A bundle of SEEP point motors along with a CDU were had from a mate a few years ago, so these were put to good use. I'd always fancied the DCC Concepts Cobalt point levers and with the layout only having six points, the bundle of 6 they do seemed a no brainer! A few hours one evening was spent practicing how to wire one up to throw a solenoid point motor. With that figured out, the fun of getting everything wired up on the layout could start. One Saturday afternoon was spent pulling the points up, doing some mods to help with reliable operation and drilling the holes for the point motors. With the motors all fitted, a week went by as I got some additional wiring and jumper leads in place. A Sunday afternoon was then spent getting everything wired up and tested. Despite having an issue with one of the levers causing a short, everything actually worked first time round! With that done, some testing was done to make sure everything was working reliably before the scenic work could start proper. This brings everything up to date, as some basic scenery placement and planning has started while I play trains and make sure everything works fine! Most items will be ready to plant, mixed in with some kit built stuff. The shed has been made by Weston Models, while the portacabins representing the depot offices are from Bachmann. A Scale Model Scenery telecoms mast was also built up. Road vehicles are Oxford Diecast. The roadways and depot hard standing are made from 2mm thick grey board, with the hardstanding around the shed being doubled up so it comes up to track height. The DB shunter is on hire until I find a Freightliner one, though I do like the look of the 6w Sentinel Hornby have just released... Andy.

Hello and welcome to Maritime Lane VMF, a model of a Freightliner depot set around 2020. Having moved out of my parents and into my first house during March 2021, the itch to play trains soon appeared! I had picked up a basboard off a club member during a show in 2019, which had been stored away by a mate, so this was retreived and planning could start on something. The board was a single 4ft by 2ft one, so a depot of some description seemed like a logical idea. Having a load of Colas stuff, I did initially think about doing a depot based around them but having picked up one of Bachmann's Class 90's in Freightliner colours, my plans soon shifted. Thus, Maritime Lane VMF was born. The layout and it's name takes some inspiration from Southampton Maritime, with a bit of Basford Hall influence from having OHLE. A track plan was drawn up and laid out, with one of the aims being to not cram sidings in every bit of space but still give a good amount of stock on the layout. Part of the Southampton Maritime influence is the shed for wagon maintenance. By the summer, the track had been laid proper and everything wired for DCC. Copper tape was used for the main bus under the layout. Testing could begin to ensure everything ran smoothly, with the only concern being the points needing some tweaking for more reliable operation. It also gained some trestles courtesy of a freind, who donated some from an old layout. During August, the loft was boarded out with power & lighting installed not long after. This saw the layout move up there so could get my spare room back! It also gained a fiddle yard, which used a left over loft board. Some Dapol catenary was also installed, with only selected sidings getting it. In due course, the Dapol stuff will give way to Peco and modified Sommerfeldt OHLE. More in the next post. Andy.

The cab front numbering on 86609 in Freightliner doesn't look to be correct either from what I can find. Looks like it was painted in around 1999, with the cab front numbers looking to be the same size as the cab side numbers. (Crewe, June 1999 - Not mine, click for more info) It looks like it carried them like this until mid-2012, when it was given a spruce up of the cab front at which point the numbers moved to the right, with them starting relatively inline with the corner of the ex-headcode box. (Rugeley, May 2012 - Not mine, click for more info) (Garston, November 2012 - Not mine, click for more info) It then carried them like this until withdrawal in 2021. If the pictures of the model I've seen are correct, then the model has the number too far to the left and too small, in a position it never carried. I know it's a trivial observation, but literally 15 minutes on Flickr threw up plenty of clear images of how it should be. I'm aware that either position wouldn't have appeased everybody depending on what era you model, but on a model pushing 200 notes I expect that something like the numbering to be correctly positioned one way or another. Andy.

Last picture for me was back in October, catching the NMT at Hurstbourne Viaduct near Andover. In dying light, ex-VTEC power car 43290 leads whilst 43299 trails out of sight, as they work 1Q23 Salisbury to Reading Triangle Sidings on October 21st. Andy.

Black Swan - The Struts

A few years ago when my 2008 MB A180 CDI was in for an MOT and A/C recharge I asked about getting the thermostat done as it never worked properly all the while I had it. Got quoted £400 parts & labour to change it. Thought the garage was taking the p!ss quoting that, so turned to the usefull resource of YouTube for an instructional video with a view to doing it myself. After watching some, prompty realised why it cost that much as It's buried at the back/top of the engine block, under the EGR valve. With the pipework that needs flexing out the way to get at it and other bits that need removing, I could see myself getting irritated with it and breaking something in my ham fisted attempt. Never did get it changed, should probably get it sorted at somepoint as the temp gauge barely reads above it's start point now. Mercedes evidently thought it would never fail with where they put it. Andy.

And on to the demics. The pictures were taken on a guided tour of Toton Depot for a closed group, with no area off limits. I'm very grateful to those who arranged it and took us round. All pictures taken on the 9th October. First of the class, 60001, sits on the fuel point having just arrived from Doncaster. Making for a forlorn sight, 60067 sits at the head of the main row of stored 60's. Who knows what future awaits. Still wearing the attractive Aircraft Blue of Mainline Freight, 60078 makes a change to the rows of EWS liveried locos. Having been stored for some 14 years, 60033 'Tees Steel Express' clings onto its Corus silver colours. 60012 bookends the main row of locos, whilst 60048 sits at the head of a shorter row of abandoned 'Tugs'. Despite being stored away for so long, quite a few locos still retained their nameplates. Should've bought some tools along... Sat by the paintshop, 60061 still holds onto the remnants of its Transrail stickers. Despite suffering major engine failure back in 2005, 60081 is still about. Seen in the company of 60099 by the paintshop. Left forgotten at the end of the headshunt, 60057 carries the remnants of its Railfeight Coal past. 60038 & 60059 'Swinden Dalesmen' catch some afternoon sun behind the depot building. It was said that some of the 60's offered up for sale recently had been purchased, but it wasn't elaborated on who had and what they were destined for. Perhaps we'll see 60038 on the mainline again? Acting as a super shunter, 60065 'Spirit of Jaguar' idles away in the ballast sidings. Now back on the mainline, 60026 'Helvellyn' gets some engine attention in the shed. Sharing space with 60026, and still wearing Colas colours, 60085 'Adept' awaits some love from the depot staff. 60039 'Dove Holes' makes for an imposing sight. The beating heart of any Class 60 is this turbocharged straight-8 monster, a 145 litre Mirrlees Blackstone 8MB275T, set to put out 3,100hp at 1,000rpm. This WIPAC light clusters hair raising days are long behind it. Andy.

A recent trip to the Midlands netted a little bit of 'Tug' action, with shots of the unlucky ones the main target. First up though are the lucky ones, still in use doing what they do best. In use with DB Cargo, DCR's 60029 'Ben Nevis' is seen thudding through North Staffs Jn with 6M57 Lindsey OR to Kingsbury - 08.10.21 With a rake of pig sheds in tow, 60024 'Clitheroe Castle' works 6E02 Bescot Down Side to Boston Sleaford Sidings - 08.10.21 Hot on the heels of 6E02 was 60074 'Luke' on a rake of TEA's, working 6E54 Kingsbury to Humber OR - 08.10.21 60020 'The Willows' mirrors 60024 and its train, as it thunders through with 6E08 Walsall Steel Terminal to Immingham - 08.10.21 Clattering over East Midlands Gateway Jn, 60074 'Luke' is seen in a nice patch of sun with 6M57 Lindsey OR to Kingsbury - 09.10.21 Andy.