Oxford Road - 1980s/90s NSE

[Rich Papper]

10 hours ago, 37114 said:

Great to chat yesterday Rich, hope your electrical gremlins stayed away!

 

You too Rob, and thanks for the tip about the width of board for the replacement. Not something I would have thought of until I was wedged in a doorway!

 

No further electrical gremlins after the issues around the time the show opened on Saturday. Tried to narrow it down with process of elimination since the layout had run quite happily for hours at home after the Stafford show. In the end best guess is the removal of one of my son's tank engines seemed to solve it. On closer inspection now we're home it looks to me like the area at the top of the smokebox has melted slightly, suggesting the chip has been fried.

 

 

Not sure why though - more investigation needed. This loco has been no particular problem for years and has run at home and on OR before. Could just be coincidence that it fails just after the failure of the layout at the end of the Stafford show, but will keep thinking on it.

 

Great show this weekend though - more photos later when I get a chance to sort.

Rich

[Rich Papper]

Hello All

Fantastic weekend at the Thornbury show. Great venue, lovely people and a greater cake selection than I've seen anywhere! Some early gremlins with the electrics (I hope) have been traced. A selection of shots from the weekend. I'll try to find some more general ones later, but rising to Will's challenge: how many DMUs do you really need to operate a layout that's 9' x 1' with one platform? Spotted at Oxford Road this weekend:

 

A class 119 set L588. Comfortable, if a bit sedate in pace:

 

Slightly draughtier and with no corridor to the toilet, a class 115 borrowed from Chiltern:

 

Class 121 L124 glimpsed from the overbridge:

 

A class 128 DPU fills up with fuel before heading back to Paddington:

 

Another class 121, this time L120 still avoiding the toothpaste colours in an attempt to remain classy:

 

Another view from the road above sees class 101 set L207 arriving:

 

Class 117 number L400 appears from beneath the bridge (deputising for the Bachmann one I still haven't weathered!):

 

Class  err.... 'Iris' seen at the fuel point. Probably in the area for radio survey work:

 

You can almost hear the rattling from here as class 104 set L703 heads off the fuel point to make up an afternoon service:

 

Another DPU, but more space this time as a class 114 set passes through:

 

Does this count? As much rattling and diesel fumes as the rest, just a difference in transmission for the class 205:

 

Taking the next turn at the fuel point, another scrounge from Chiltern, a class 108:

 

Yet another class 121, this time L131 that has gained the unofficial name 'Rachel':

 

And finally hybrid set L211 puts in an appearance - a class 101 & 121 DTS combination:

 

The frightening thing is I am sure there are more kicking around. I can think of at least a Bachmann 117 in NSE awaiting weathering, a Bachmann 117 in B/G awaiting conversion to other things, and a Lima 117 in heritage green that needs a re-wire - but I can't rule out something else turning up that I've forgotten about.

 

There were other items of rolling stock present. It took most of Sunday, but I did finally manage to get a shot of a pair of 50s in the shed.

 

Next outing is booked for June next year, but my son has a booking for his first layout before then and pretty much anything could appear on that!

 

Stay safe all.

Rich

 

Edited November 19, 2023 by Rich Papper

[lincolnshiremodeller]

Great looking selection of DMUs. Especially liking the 114 which is something on my long term radar. What's its origin? Modified DC kits?

[dj_crisp]

Challenge complete! Brilliant and some excellent photos! Thanks for posting.

 

The 104 in NSE is a fav of mine and yours looks smashing!

 

You can never have too many DMUs :) what plans do you have for the Bachmann 117s? 

[Rich Papper]

21 hours ago, lincolnshiremodeller said:

Great looking selection of DMUs. Especially liking the 114 which is something on my long term radar. What's its origin? Modified DC kits?

 

Hello

Yes, DC kits with the bogies and motor from a Bachmann 108. I do miss DC Kits DMUs, they were great to build and detail. Occasionally one turns up unbuilt on ebay.

Rich

[Rich Papper]

19 hours ago, dj_crisp said:

Challenge complete! Brilliant and some excellent photos! Thanks for posting.

 

The 104 in NSE is a fav of mine and yours looks smashing!

 

You can never have too many DMUs :) what plans do you have for the Bachmann 117s? 

 

Could only do it with a local show where I could swap stock on the Saturday night!

 

The NSE livery 117 I am tinkering with the idea of repainting into the lighter blue, but not sure it's worth the faff as I don't have one in the darker one anyway. The plan with the B/G was to use one end and some Bachmann spares to make L210 which means a 116 conversion - couldn't hope to match yours though. The other end I think will be de-motored and become a 121 DTS. No idea for the centre car as yet. A big pile of Underground bits further up the queue at the moment though.

 

As for the 104, am waiting for the Heljan version with interest but after the shenanigans with the PWM I think I'll wait and read some reviews first.

And for the price it will have to be a LOT better than the one I have.

 

Rich

 

Edited November 20, 2023 by Rich Papper

[Temeraire]

16 minutes ago, Rich Papper said:

The NSE livery 117 I am tinkering with the idea of repainting into the lighter blue, but not sure it's worth the faff 

Do it! 😉😀

 

[dj_crisp]

The early blue does look really good and a cracking job!

 

One of the problems I have with Bachmann 117s is the glazing is really difficult to remove. Not sure what glue they use but I've struggled with it. Had a few cracked windows and crazing on the sides so it's always obvious the glazing has been removed and re-fitted. So for my final 117 I need to varnish it prior to weathering and so have left the glazing in situ which i normally wouldnt do. Will use alot of masking fluid!

 

L210 is a great idea! Or any 116 :) The only horrible bit is removing the guards vents but fine if you're doing a full respray.

[lincolnshiremodeller]

17 hours ago, Rich Papper said:

 

Hello

Yes, DC kits with the bogies and motor from a Bachmann 108. I do miss DC Kits DMUs, they were great to build and detail. Occasionally one turns up unbuilt on ebay.

Rich

Yes agreed a great range of kits. I have a 114 which uses a Bachmann 108 chassis extended to fit. I'm on the look out on ebay for another one to convert into a parcels unit.

Simon

[Rich Papper]

23 hours ago, Temeraire said:

Do it! 😉😀

 

 

That does look pretty stunning. Was it a full repaint Ian, or just the blue?

Rich

 

Edit: sorry - muppetry - just realised the headlight is gone.

Edited November 21, 2023 by Rich Papper

[Rich Papper]

22 hours ago, dj_crisp said:

The early blue does look really good and a cracking job!

 

One of the problems I have with Bachmann 117s is the glazing is really difficult to remove. Not sure what glue they use but I've struggled with it. Had a few cracked windows and crazing on the sides so it's always obvious the glazing has been removed and re-fitted. So for my final 117 I need to varnish it prior to weathering and so have left the glazing in situ which i normally wouldnt do. Will use alot of masking fluid!

 

L210 is a great idea! Or any 116 :) The only horrible bit is removing the guards vents but fine if you're doing a full respray.

 

I had trouble getting the windows out of a Bachmann Mk2f. I cracked two of the door windows, but was replacing these anyway to convert to a Mk2d which have larger ones. Someone did recommend putting the bodyshell in the freezer for a while first, but I'd already done it by then.

 

I think I would have to do a full respray anyway, but L210 will get it's turn. Do need to think about the 101 end, annoyingly I have all the Lima bits but the Bachmann spares website is so easy to use...

 

Rich

[Rich Papper]

5 hours ago, lincolnshiremodeller said:

Yes agreed a great range of kits. I have a 114 which uses a Bachmann 108 chassis extended to fit. I'm on the look out on ebay for another one to convert into a parcels unit.

Simon

 

Having beaten a class 119 out of a Hornby 110, a 114 would probably be do-able - and you can pick them up pretty cheap. A lot easier than a 119 too as the windows would be the right depth.

Rich

[Temeraire]

17 minutes ago, Rich Papper said:

 

That does look pretty stunning. Was it a full repaint Ian, or just the blue?

just realised the headlight is gone.

Hi Rich

 

not a full repaint, if you look a few pages back it’s in the Tidworth thread. The blue was resprayed from a Halfords can and the yellow brush painted after the hole was filled following the headlight removal.

[Rich Papper]

23 hours ago, Temeraire said:

Hi Rich

 

not a full repaint, if you look a few pages back it’s in the Tidworth thread. The blue was resprayed from a Halfords can and the yellow brush painted after the hole was filled following the headlight removal.

 

Found it - thanks. Now trying to work out how I could be accidentally passing Halfords on the way home from work. What yellow did you use to match the front?

 

[Porkscratching]

6 minutes ago, Rich Papper said:

 

Found it - thanks. Now trying to work out how I could be accidentally passing Halfords on the way home from work. What yellow did you use to match the front?

 

Not sure what he'd have used but Halfords "Fiat Broom Yellow" was a popular choice for yellow ends.. 

[Temeraire]

11 minutes ago, Rich Papper said:

 

Found it - thanks. Now trying to work out how I could be accidentally passing Halfords on the way home from work. What yellow did you use to match the front?

 

Hi Rich

 

The yellow was Railmatch warning panel brushed on.

[dj_crisp]

It's always fun colour matching!

 

The closest match I've found to Bachmanns yellow is strangely a tin of precisions pre85... but this has nearly dried up so I bought a replacement and im sure the shade is now a touch lighter... more like pre85 yellow should be I guess...  but not as light as railmatch pre85 (which I used on a recent 122 I sprayed)

 

So now I've mixed up a combination tin of precision pre and post 85 to get a closer match to Bachmanns for current and future projects 🤔 

 

Personally I've found the post 85 yellows from railmatch and precision to be a touch more orange than Bachmanns efforts but one thing I'm learning is that each pot is subtly different! And for that reason I like to have several shades of yellow available....(and some humbrol yellow gloss)

[The Fatadder]

9 hours ago, dj_crisp said:

but this has nearly dried up so I bought a replacement and im sure the shade is now a touch lighter

That is frustrating to hear, I had been using the same and have to touch up the ends for my next 37 respray.  Likewise my old tin has dried up and was planning to buy a replacement at Warley...

[dj_crisp]

51 minutes ago, The Fatadder said:

That is frustrating to hear, I had been using the same and have to touch up the ends for my next 37 respray.  Likewise my old tin has dried up and was planning to buy a replacement at Warley...

 

Probably still worth a try.... I may have just been unlucky!

[Rich Papper]

Thanks for all the colour recommendations. A couple on the shopping list for Warley tomorrow. Last two pictures from last weekend. OR has gone away now until next June. 

 

First an admiring glance at 50149 while 47406 ticks over the other side of the hut.

 

Than a distinctly southern feeling at the shed. 33207 one of the rare locos I have that retains tension lock couplings at both ends. Useful for double heading, although would really like a matching partner for it. It's usually found with 33101 in grey.

 

Really looking forward to the trip to Warley tomorrow, despite the early start. Have a small shopping list, but not going to go too crazy as the Bachmann refurbished CEP turned up this week. Thing 1 has his own shopping list. Seems to be keeping his options open, I noted just the word 'engine' on it!

 

Rich

[rob D2]

I’ve just reread the thread . The layout remains inspirational - a good example of what a skilled model maker can do in a small space . Mine always end up half arsed and half finished and lack coherence .

 

im almost tempted to get some NSE and I wasn’t into railways in that hiatus period for me !

 

 

[saxokid]

On 25/11/2023 at 20:16, Rich Papper said:

Thanks for all the colour recommendations. A couple on the shopping list for Warley tomorrow. Last two pictures from last weekend. OR has gone away now until next June. 

 

First an admiring glance at 50149 while 47406 ticks over the other side of the hut.

 

Than a distinctly southern feeling at the shed. 33207 one of the rare locos I have that retains tension lock couplings at both ends. Useful for double heading, although would really like a matching partner for it. It's usually found with 33101 in grey.

 

Really looking forward to the trip to Warley tomorrow, despite the early start. Have a small shopping list, but not going to go too crazy as the Bachmann refurbished CEP turned up this week. Thing 1 has his own shopping list. Seems to be keeping his options open, I noted just the word 'engine' on it!

 

Rich

Had good read through once again Rich,looking forward to nee update soon.

thanks neil