Colin parks

Hi truffy, Having messaged Howard, it sems that I did make a pattern for a compressor and sent it to him. The part was to be made in cast resin. Having been rather ill and on a lot of medication back then in 2014, some things have dropped out of memory. If Howard recommends the Replica moulding for the compressor unit, then that is the way to go. Replica have a good reputation for the quality of their parts. I am still modelling, though the RMweb topic on scratchbuilding building a Bulleid 2 EPB is lacking in activity, there is a topic here on building a new train set. Colin

Hi Chris, Rather than just clicking the like button dozens of times, I would like to say thanks for posting so many evocative images of third rail trains in the South-East. There are some really good reference pictures among them. All the best, Colin All the best.

Hi Ian, That is an epic piece of work on the 4 LAV! You have shown the Kirk 2BIL kit to be very versatile indeed. Any thoughts on glazing? There are an awful lot of windows in such a unit. All the best, Colin

Hi Jemery, That looks like an epic bit of Templotting. Just one question: how will trains cross over from the down to up lines (and vice versa) in the fiddle yard? Colin

Wow Dave, those photos very good indeed, with the train fortunately only partially obscuring the track work! Having studied these photos at length, there does not seem to be one single ballast granule out of place, which is a truly remarkable feat of skilI - and most probably endurance too. Colin

Thanks for posting the pictures Dave. Without your photos it would not have been possible, nor for that matter, would the SUB have been quite right without Howard's grab handles and scribing template. Howard's trackwork and signalling looks excellent. Colin

Hi Dave, Regretfully, I will not be attending due to ongoing health issues, which have restricted travel to some degree. I shall be carrying on with modelling as usual, with plenty being done on a P4 test track right. See the link here for what I am doing now. All the best, Colin

Thanks for the plug Howard. There will be far more than just the 4 SUB to look at on your layout. Meanwhile, this 2 EPB has not progressed any further due to time being devoted to getting the P4 test track operational. All the best, Colin

Having studied the pictures in post #117 for a long time, it could be said that adding trains would just mar the view of the track work.

There certainly is plenty of detail to inspire modellers of the third rail. Now, has anyone modelled a derailment I wonder?!

An extension of the Gwili Railway to Pencader might prove to be problematic woodenhead. A section of the trackbed on the Carmarthen side of Pencader tunnel runs through land recently aquired by the Hindu and Multi-Faith ashram at Skanda Vale, near Llanpumpsaint.

Superb photos wiggoforgold! (Especially like the effective modelling of the water.) Colin

Hi Adam, Great work on the signal box. All the best, Colin

Hi Hendie, That is very skillful use of a found material in making the bellows. I have made such things from black paper in the past, preferring to model just the vertical portion, with the top hidden under a (prototypical) cowl. Does your chosen muse have some kind of cover over the top of its bellows? All the best, Colin

All work recently has been concentrated on the Roxey trailing pick up bogie. It is now as finished as it will ever be: Some rivet detail has been added in the form of pieces of 0.4 mm Plastruct rod, flaoted into place with solvent on a very fine brush. The guard irons could, with hindsight, have been a little longer. Now work can commence on the underframes.

Hi John, The night time shot of 313202 at Bognor is very atmospheric and a skillfully taken photo. Apart from the signage, Bognor does not seem to have changed an awful lot in 40 Years, judging by your first photo. All the best, Colin

Hi Andy, That diamond crossing is looking promising. The printed wing and check rails give quite a convincing contrast with the bright metal running rail tops. That must save a great deal of assembly time. All the best, Colin

Oops! Of course it is!

Hi Nige, Yes, this model is P4 - not that I have completed the track for it to run on yet! Colin

Have to agree with you re. the Golding book on SR EMUs Dave. Much of it has blatant cut and pasting of incorrect trailing pick up bogies. The pre-war 2 HAL drawing is wrong because Mr Golding forgot to add the thickness of the partitions when calculating the compartment window positions. The 4 CIG is equally dire, with regard to toliet window positions and much else besides. Based on the miserable experience of using the 'book' for reference on just a few models, it is clear it cannot be trusted, with some drawings being blatantly contradicted by accompanying photos. Surpassing even Mr Golding for side-splitting fun was an outfit called PDH drawings, whose 2 BIL drawing is almost unrecognisable as such! Colin

Ah, the Southern Region as I remember it! Your picture is packed with atmosphere, from the corporate signage to the hand-written adverts for excursions to Windsor and Llandrindod Wells. The 'All Stations to Brighton' sign evokes memeories of trips to Chichester to visit my garndparents in the late sixties, with return journeys on Sunday evenings along the East Coastway - or whatever it was then called, taking in such delights as Angmering, Southwick and Fishersgate (not neccessarily in that order). Colin

Just a single photo to illustrate the rather meagre output this week (and last!). Pictured is the state of play with the trailing pickup bogie, which has had some foot boards made for it. Making and soldering the brackets to these foot boards was, er, an experience. How these parts are going to be securely attached to the side frames has still to be decided. Initially, I had thought to 'rivet' them on with short lengths of wire passing though holes in the brackets and side frames and held with superglue. This now seems a little ambitious - given the scope of my metal working skills and the size of the parts involved. So far, this bogie has occupied me for more time than all the rest combined, with so many parts to be scratch built. (Have not even started on the bolster or brakes as yet.) The shoe beams have been glued to the axleboxes, but despite narrowing the side frames of this bogie, the beams are still 1.5 mm over-width. This has implications for the alignment of the pick up shoes with the third rail, so the shoe beams will have to come off and some surgery done to the axleboxes. Also shown are some parts for the steps which are to be installed on the ends of the chassis proper.

Looking very nice Brian. Colin

Hi Andy, Nice pictures. Are they taken by a drone?!

Do not worry about commenting here Dave. I am having to do a great deal of work to do on the trailing pick-up bogie, which is taking more time than anticipated, hence no pictures of progress for now. Keith's and Kelly's Tyneside conversions sound interesting and I look forward to seeing Nige's Sheba thread. We cannot have too many Southern EMU topics! All the best, Colin