Robert Shrives

Hi , I recall using a Bob Moore pen and now have a Peter Spoorer Easi-liner pen, used both for N gauge orange lines, but not for a while as it happens, I recall comments about using humbrol paints, well stirred but unthinned. I guess pigment size as the SP pen is 0.25 mm dia. A tip I was told was to clean and store with cleaning wire in delivery tube - it never blocks. Pen five years old and as good as day I bought it. - Whilst at a gauge one show in Bakewell. Robert

Hi, Sadly the little controlling didoes on the PCB are a weak point and do fail - It seems a random thing but can be down to faulty component but as it ran in shop ok a bit odd but does happen - infant mortality. Sometimes a voltage spike can occur on DC controllers with feedback and these are beyond the 100v range of the diodes. As it is brand new I would contact shop but also get advice from DCC supplies as the repair agent for Dapol products and do as they say. I have had all of the 56 models and with most of Dapol diesels over the years and not yet had a 56 fail - I have got and soldered in diodes after advice from DCC models and the helpful souls on here- fiddly but can be done. At Warley club we now use own built controllers after spikes and feed back issues, some controllers produced a very pronounced pulse DC and cause buzzing in locos and one or two spikes from components saw AC output. Hopefully the next batch will be not too far away having seen the adverts in mags last month. Robert Hopefully it can be sorted.

Hi , Joined the club D5000 in EM ordered today, look forward to post crimbo fun... It will get looked at my colleagues who worked the rats in 12" scale so it will be good to hear comments, well hopefully. Cheers Robert

Hi , Having now built 10 of the mk1 points for myself and Warley N group I have a couple of M2s on order and await arrival -so pictures are very gratefully observed ! For chair handling get a short length of rail - say 2" / 50mm and deburr file a little curve on bottom and use as a handle to hold chair whilst using a blade to cut from sprue. I then fit unglued into hole on sleeper and slide rail into whole length before gluing - any slight tab from cutting out chair can be done once glue set with a very sharp blade It is also useful to put black felt tip pen on rail head to ensure it goes in right way - it slides much easier the right way up - just like the real thing. Flat bottom will be good and I suspect a fully 3D printed base is the way forward as the clips and baseplates will be too small to mould - peco for comparison is large but with rails part in sleepers a reasonable fudge achieved but Wayne`s current range shows where it will go in the near future. Catch points a real doddle using parts from a kit anyway - I have made single and double bladed from mk1 offcuts thanks to Wayne for that. Also for Broadwater junction at the club we discussed fitting code 40 cosmetically for traps but as these would be closed all the time felt it only pointed out the "error" all the time, nobody has commented about lack of traps on exits to loop or trailing catches at entrance to loops in the 3 years of exhibiting, and no don`t start now please ! As ever go on you know you want to ..... Robert

Hi , Thanks for pictures- much better than mine. I too like the grass bit however I do wonder what will happen when its longer and on the railheads will Centro have a sandite tram? and will we enjoy tramflats on the fleet after sliding down the hill towards St Pauls .Cannot wait to see the mower modified tram fleet - will it in centro green? Cannot wait for Saturday. The next extension is logical plus saves having to find storage for all the cones and barriers still littering the job and I hope the mess trackside at Snowhill is fully cleaned up for opening or it will look like a "rush" job.. regards Robert

Hi gang , well trams start running to Bull st on 6th December - yipee! Yesterday two trams on new section undergoing trials - all seemed well bar a door fault on one tram. Engineering types in very clean orange and hard hats - well it was raining a bit were nurse maiding trams around platforms. If I get chance I will upload a couple of pics later. Nearly there, wherever there is!! Robert

It was part of a cab refurbishment plan by BR - the way cowl built I guess it trapped water, hid corrosion and or helped draughts in the cab.It was a case of function over form. The class 56 loco started with them but cowl dropped at 56056. Certainly makes modelling easier without. I guess one end only as time ran out in works at the vital moment - a bit light flush fitting of the headcode replacements. Robert

Hi , On Sunday afternoon railcar was having a run on the Dapol display layout - a good turn of speed and a heavy model - lighting working as well. Really hope the boss will allow a bit of shrink to fit for a RTR N gauge... And of course "nice shoes." I think Dapol had a good show if the transit van full of packing cases/ cardboard neatly piled in hall, certainly the O gauge flew off the shelves- on the Sunday only a few wagons left. Robert

Hi , By 1350 Tram had gone - towed away by a unimog, a shore supply gen set kept lights on for the Royal visit. The security fencing had quiclkygone back up around Bull st stop - I guess its aming for a Turner Art prize as still life ! or waiting transfer to Tate modern! All contact wire on mains done but no crossover wires up yet. Pre visit I did comment to the please access chamber sealing team it was nice to see even the police working on getting the trams open - they laughed, every cover lifted and checked - police freeded off stuck ones and cleaned mortar out of bolt holes - so much for the installing teams work. It is good to see a shinny copper wire glinting in the lights around New st tonight! Not long now folks until the first tram gets into the London midland Mess room - sweep stake anyone! Robert

Hi Noted from bus today poles up on bridges over Great Chales st Queensway and most brackets on poles , Last night poles been dealt with between Bull st and back of Snow Hill one. It would fair to say route ready for contact wire by the weekend. Almost all paving repairs done in Bull St - I guess this is where Her Madge will see tram on 19th - even if towed in ? but might be powered up by then. Hopefully the project nears conclusion for 2016. Railway Herald latest issue has a review and futures statement on extensions - all very worthy but dates may be a bit like model suppliers subject to change!!!! Working lates this week so will keep you up todate on what I see. Robert

Hi Last night noted rails joined up on Snow Hill link work. Robert

Hi To add to this list of greats, I have enjoyed use of Steve`s skills and help - a recent special for 156 3 car hybrids was turned from mad idea to in my hand in 36 hours. Just spotted the 2mm NIR logos /stripes - now that will be handy for some with the new farish MK2s - now how about a class 80 demu- the Mk2 thumper BR never had Cheers Robert

Hi , Last week saw overnight working on the Snow Hill track slabs - Ro rail machines moving spoil about - site is very tight and with the rush of work now looks a real mess with discarded equipment and ducting just thrown aside - ducting was a playground for rats and I saw a fox on platforms heading towards Moor st. - no orange jacket but a red bushy tail! Today walked up from New St to Bull st for a bus and at a quick glance all the street running cross spans now up . missing from link track works to Snow Hill Queensway roundabout. No contact wire up yet. Quite a bit of pavement works to finish, I have to agree that that the planners are fans of fifty shades of grey !! So dull dull dull and dull. It will not be kept clean - well not sofar so the split drinks and worse stains disfigure the way already and the inevitable removal of the lovely trees have left a visually barren street view - even if one or two non concrete buildings attmept to enliven the greyness. Mind you the Pink trams and grey streets are on trend fashion colours.. Can`t wait not long now for the first tram to get into the LM messrooms on the station ! Robert

Hi , That is a lovely pic - and reminds me I must add to the panel before Warley. Take me back to rose tinted days of yore ! Now we need to convince - add name here - to do a 4 TC to match !!! Thanks Robert

looking good ! N gauge for me so will see how you get on thanks for paint ref that will make life easier! have fun and look forward to updates Robert

Hi Just to add my thanks - a lovely model colected from sorting office today having been in Wales for a week! Looks great ,runs well, if you have not got one get in quick cannot be many left. I wonder what will come next ? Robert

Snow Hill platform 3 never got its permissive working sorted as it was all wheels tested by just one class 31. so it was not possible to test a permissive arrival. All the TCs are there and I have noted another version of an intermediate stop advice board between the Livery Street entrance and the carpark overall roof - must take a pic and ask more about it. The works in BHM now have two cross spans in Corperation St and about 6 other poles errected. Yesterday the glass support brackets in Upper bull st at the tram stop were again being lowered to the ground? ! but platform surface 85% complete. The next tram stop has metal work up and the Arco back drain in place. Little obvious progress on the further rebuild of the out of town face opp BHM New st stop. There was more concrete being pumped up to the cross over site near the junction at Snow hill- Livery st end. Getting there! Robert

Hi Must have been around then with the demise of vacuum braked freight trains, the Working wagons Vol 4 1985 - 1992 by David Lakin shows 388 on the books in 1994. Robert

Hi Update on DJM wagon page robert

Hi Update on djm wagon news - waiting for 23 - other work to progress first. Robert

Hi Dave A good selection, I have Harris kits for Mermaid and two NGS kits plus a pile of turbot from various sources so I hope that you sell all you need, thanks for update on 17 and 23 still to wait but I am sure worth it over earlier options. Happy flying. Robert

Hi TS depot tricks kept things going but could go awry, one such case a 117 escaped to Derby - well as far as Rams Halt where a bogie gearbox glowing, once fire out it was found that the final drive had no lid bolted on - so TS - Burton about all possible with an empty gearbox having thrown its oil in short order. The same controller had L579 or perhaps L578 as a WM area set only on fire at Melton Mobray on a Cambridge train - electrical fire this time - adding water in true fire (sorry- thermal incident) service way broke the trailer back and it was deemed not safe to move - fire service boys broke a window waded in water and punched holes through floor to let water out. It was then propelled into sidings - the trail dried out as a white sludge! At which point the Asbestos gremlins and safety elves got to play and vehicle had to be wrapped and ballast dug out!! - All this for trying to run a train service with dmus !! good old days !! Robert

Hi Viz post 14 I would say bodies have come out really well ! More strength to the elbow as these units including the 158 all intrerest - I have the El crappo 156 and given the instructions not having any is not that much of a loss ! The box art s however a classic and the disclaimer awesome ! Robert

Hi , In a backhanded way I agree about Tyesley keeping stuff going - I never failed but it was a close run thing! My only cancellation due a fault was the driver hitting the AWS cancellation button that hard the desk snapped and it dropped through ! "Driver unable to cancel AWS" Fitters attended - laughed and set went to Tyesley to be fixed - or have more defects put on depending on your point of view. I showed a driver how to isolate a final drive at Four Oaks as it would not reverse and we were in the bay with a 4 car, came home on 3. ASLEF staff did ask me on my return to depot what did a guard know about such matters - bought in my VHS copy of the DMU driver training film- did not see it for 3 months as it did the rounds! Certainly Rose tinted looking back but no heaters , jammed doors, failed underframes, poor or nonesistent lighting, panels falling off and holes in guards van floors on winter days was part of the reality - hats off to the gangs keeping them going today. Robert

Well done for getting this project to completion hopefully those full shelves will clear in the coming week. I really look forward to the arrival of my set . Next ? regards Robert