Downendian

Just returned from a 10 day trip to Scotland and the Lake District. Just the most magnificent bird I’ve ever seen, a white tailed sea eagle. At the limits of my telephoto lens (so slightly blurred) the eagle was being mobbed by a pair of buzzards, one visible in the first image. Tiny in comparison. my daughter took some video where the eagle turned upside down flashing its talons at one of the buzzards- amazing! The North of the Isle of Skye. one spotted the day before, although it may have been a golden eagle as the zoomed in shots don’t show the hallmark white tail as this one does. Neil

Lovely morning out fishing it Wiltshire. Aided by the Merlin bird ID app, I’ve identified a pair of Marsh tits looking like they’re preparing to nest. I thought they were coal tits at first but identified through their calls. They’re on the RSPB red list which includes mistle thrushes of which I’ve heard several this morning. A lovely spot for fishing and bird spotting. Neil

This site may help https://peakdieselarchive.co.uk/first-to-last-liveries D59 looks like Toton blue with small yellow panels in that time frame. Neil

I used model aircraft tissue paper for my rake of sheeted china clay wagons. Cut roughly to fit the wagon in question and then fold in the relevant positions and hold in place by elastic bands (hair bands pinched from my wife were ideal). A layer of cling film was placed between the wagon and the tissue paper. The paper was then painted with a ballasting mix of 50:50 PVA/Water with a drop of washing liquid, and left to dry rock hard. The hardened tissue paper was then removed from the wagon, and cut carefully to shape. The wagon tarp/sheet can then be painted (I used grey primer) and then with whatever paint/weathering powders you see fit. I thought they looked good, and yet to attach ties to the wagon, but the folds look very prototypical. Excuse the other wagons in the background buts here’s a 10’wb ex LMS open which forms the tail of my clayliner rake. Neil

Hi John my 24 136 is a Hornby/Bachmann hybrid on a New generation Bachmann 24 chassis. With a bit of surgery on the Bachmann body mould mounts it fits. Re the old chassis block, yes I’ve had a good look - in short they don’t fit. The motor and cradle are of a different design, but there are some possibilities using the new underframes fitting the old chassis but not without significant surgery to the frame and the (old) chassis weight. The mounting points body/chassis v1/v2 are different, but only just. I’ve bought a fair number of the class 24 underframes for this very reason, but not moved this forward yet. I have a large fleet of Bachmann v1 25s and loathe to sell them although I have a SLW one on order. Neil

I thought I’d give a more detailed look at my Tytherington 21T hopper rake as it’s now nearing completion. I’ve just given the handrails a coat of white primer, and been round twice with a fine detail brush touching up bauxite/grey/black- still more to do especially on hopper levers/brake handle ends. Weathering to start in earnest hopefully next week. It totals 21 Parkside kit built wagons, the rake limited in size by my passing loop, here are some of the variants. Two rebodied HOP21VB/HOP21HTV, one with one round of weathering diag 1/146 next a original body HOP21 (unfitted) and another HOP21HTV, many unfitted hoppers were in bauxite livery which I’m assuming was a mid 1970s thing; Paul Bartlett’s site has a few examples a rebodied 1/100 LNER braked example and an original body. Many wagons photographed at Stoke Gifford in these trains were of the rebodied LNER brake variety with trademark “high” brake lever, both with grey and bauxite livery- both unfitted. two unfitted grey livery HOP21 which will be included in the tail (non vac braked) part of the train. The Parkside transfers were utilised for these two. two vac fitted original body HOP21VB/HTVs - an easy adaptation of the Parkside kit by adding end stanchions, vac cylinder and pipe work And finally another Rebody 1/146 and a airfix brake van modified with roller bearings and Lanarkshire 13” Oleo buffers complete with Stone branding. the chances of getting correct running numbers for the rake are effectively zero -so I’ve used some artistic license! The brake van was WR allocated and I don’t know if it had stone branding, I’ve just shamelessly utilised a photo from the Kier Hardy EM gauge site to copy, As always transfers are from the excellent Railtec range, and thanks to Steve for his patience in printing all those TOPS transition era panels. By the mid 1970s 21T hoppers were in diminished use, being replaced by vac fitted MSVs and eventually air braked PGAs; all trains of which were operated by Westerns and Bath road allocated brush 4s. Very fond memories of particularly the Westerns in Stoke Gifford yard growling away shunting these rakes around as the empties were stored there. Weathering to be done next, then all will get a coat of varnish, then running trials.Having built over 30 Parkside kits (and very time consuming and challenging they are too) I’m waiting for the inevitable release of these much needed RTR wagons from Accurascale. Never mind if they do- they’ll be very welcome as I need more for the ISC smelter coke trains from South Wales. Neil

I was invoiced yesterday for 5803 - delivery should be soon! Neil

First chiff chaff heard this morning in Wiltshire whilst fishing

Quite a lot has been happening on the workbench during February, 21T hoppers - a rake of 21 now for Stone traffic; a mix of vac fitted and unfitted 1/146 and rebodied versions. 1/100 ex LNER one rebodied - all unfitted wagons in grey livery; all Parkside kits. Will be a train of over 50% vac fitted and run as empties so 7B46/70 for Tytherington to Stoke Gifford empties or 7V45/7V38 empties from Redditch or Wolverton to Stoke Gifford. Photos of the type of rake I’m after are present on the Stoke Gifford history website. One shows the tail of an empty train and I was rather surprised to see a large number of LNER-braked but rebodied grey hoppers of which I’ve only built one - maybe a few more needed! Westerns - four now progressing, D1014; D1022; D1045 and D1059 name/numberplates and brake rigging applied, some preliminary weathering done - I’ve done them before but hopefully my weathering and modelling skills have improved somewhat after an extended wagon kit building period. All were seen in Bristol in summer 1974; but D1014 is a bit of a mystery - it was underlined in my 1974 combine, but was laid up at Laira minus its engines and transmissions by early August (data from the late Adrian Curtis), and laid up most of July awaiting a decision. I’m missing a few days spotting notes from that summer, but I do recall seeing her as Westerns were the number one target. However, there are photos of her active on a milk train approaching Plymouth in September 1974, which I think maybe an incorrect date, but possibly not? Was she briefly reinstated - seems unlikely. I’ll do a photo session with these as they progress further. What else would I put on my stone trains? other wagons builds include Chivers MDOs and LMS 20T coal wagons for the STJ-Acton rake- just to give a bit more variety and hone my weathering techniques. I’ve also built a couple of the venerable airfix brake vans for my partially fitted rakes. Lovely kit that belies its age. For all rakes now I’m fitting train tech tail lights, but dispensing with their unrealistic LED, and replacing with tiny China-obtained red LEDs that fit in 12A models BR lamps which are hollow bodied - lovely 3D prints but still after 2-3 coats of white bleed light a little. Fitted so far is a Herring (the 21st wagon in my fleet, an ex LMS 5-plank wagon of my clayliner rake and two brake vans. The brake vans need a small amount of work including fitting Oleo buffers to one, order on its way from Lanarkshire, handrail painting (my least favourite job)and transfers . Apologies for the fuzzy edges to this photo - my phone camera didn’t like the flickering tail lights! Neil

I can personally vouch for Phil’s sheer hard work and determination to get the layout to this stage, all those hours on the driveway board by board have eventually paid off. Phil has got the contours of the landscape spot on with gentle gradients on both the OWW and Norton/Abbotswood junction lines. Photos really don’t do the scale of the layout justice. We had a superb Midlands curry Friday night and many thanks to @Liam ‘s parents for hosting us, which included a few drams and some rather excellent Shropshire blue. A few issues for Phil to sort before its next outing in July but I hope to run some rakes next time including Clayliners, a PW rake and perhaps even a Tytherington-Redditch stone train. I really enjoyed the show and helping Phil and the crew and the Redditch club really put together an excellent show. Neil

21 now!

The Stone branded MSVs are fantastic Andy, scratch built and the weathering is spot on. They also worked from Tytherington quarry in South Glos, and I’ve put together a rake in 4mm. I’ll use your wagons as a weathering guide if I may. Neil

Indeed they are a challenge Mike- I’ve built 26 of them now and just about got the right technique in this second batch. Easiest the toughest Parkside kit I’ve built, and more work than the Cambrian Herrings which I thought couldn’t be equalled in complexity of build. Neil

Indeed Phil, some routine maintenance on the 6M55/52 rake over the next week. Very much looking forward to the Redditch show. Neil

This months progress. Hugely time consuming task of getting the 21T hopper Tytherington fleet together. All handrails added (the toughest part of these Parkside kits). Decals now beginning to be added and some preliminary weathering, plus liquid lead added to the underside of the hopper, plus instanters. These will be running as a fitted head with a mix of ex LNER 1/100 and BR 1/146 diag in both bauxite and grey livery. Both original and rebodied wagons are to be in the rake. Stone decals applied to the first few- I’ve no way of matching original running numbers as photos just aren’t there- however I’ve done my best to match livery/rebody to prototypical wagons. A rake of 14 wagons so far aiming for 20 or so plus a pair of brake vans either end. Neil