Robert Shrives

Hi Gang , Well by popping off roof, sawing though cross glazing bars, removing glazing, unclipping underframe along with desoldering cables, extracting seating, sawing in half and adding half length of Second seating with a reversal to rebuild, touch of glue on glazing cross pieces and fitting a light bar -used tacky wax to retain as it saves having to use the modellers third hand- we will mutate eventually of course! The CO internals created - worth it ? Yes becasue I know its there does it show? Only if you look hard! Just need now to resize photos and I will try to upload later . Robert

Hi all, Postie has just delivered my sets - and a fine work of art, running numbers of ScotRail SC12004/14/30 and CO 11905. lovely models. Came with my extra seat bit and currently 11905 in several bits- pics to follow of conversion and fitting light bars. A big thankyou to Mike and C&M models for this project. Robert

Hi guys Blue grey numbers given as SC11008. SC1207/15/25 no gen on logo -sorry Robert

Hi gang , From below radar height comes advice on Hattons site of CM002 which is a 4 pack boxed set of blue grey Mk3a LHCS, running number a SC11008, SC 12007/15/25. preorder price 71 quid... This the cancelled C&M order looks like production still took place so if you want lots of Push pull stock you know where to go !! Cheers ( now £71 poorer! ) Robert

Hi Scott , Just looked at my M12109, code2P-005-035 and No bodyside is as expected. I can just see line as you comment but it is just the mask line for the rail grey under the blue, the white line neatly abutts the blue and grey almost on top of this line as you would expect. In the real world the white line was tape over join area. Some early ones the white 1" band was the mask line between two colours. I guess it is visible if you look hard for it and tilt coach over in certain light but certainly no problem for me and no worse than 4mm coaches. Still a great coach in 12" to the foot and the Dapol model. Robert

I really hope this sells well as it and along with the boxed freight train pack soon to be listed should prompt Dapol futher down the complete train pack idea, Wallet now shaking with fright ! - post CNY traumic stress !! Thanks to all at C&M for this leap of faith. Robert

Hi , have you tried running slowly upside down with out bogies and watching worms run? This would help isolate a problem bogie. Also check with DCC supplies - the doer of repairs and supplier of little Dapol spares, like circuit boards, gears and wheelsets. cheers and have fun ! Robert

Oh Goodie !! The wallet now hding under sofa !! Done the Mk3a buffet white windows and about to start on Mk3a in blue grey after fun day at work. The Mk2 P/P set 2013 version now has correct numbers and Inter-city legends applied, 27104 done and Dapol say April for 27/2. Should then be able to run a crossover period, but how long was it ? Some where in the stash is a very poor early MTK and minitrix version and a later taylor inlay/ farish conversion mk2 along with two Mk3s - remember the Farish 47 712...How the hobby has come along.. At least the commssion will look like the real thing and when Bachmann supply it will run like it on a good day. Found on flicker but cannot find link now for 12009 at Montrose with a Dark "railblue" stripe vice the light blue any body idea what it said on other - Intercity , Scotrail or ScotRail? might be fun to do. Robert

Hi , I have just got hold of some Mxxxxx Dapol LH to renumber. good news? is that compared to HST blue grey the number is in right place but Inter-city is too low , but is right on HST , a small mod to correct the logo has seen number now wrong ! Hopefully an easy fix for next batch ! The result is all numbers and logo to come off . Railtec transfers are doing a white version of black sheet which should make change a doddle. coaches will run with an early DBSO Taylor models conversion. and early farish 47/7 conversion from the collection.. Looking forward to next month, I should be able to get Warley club layout Broadwater into ScR mode easily.. Robert.

Hi , great "films" just show how varied buffet designations were... Just back from Rails of Sheffield and have pulled glazing out of three buffets for a coating in white on kitchen/ staff window. Take roof off, unclip underframe- allow to hang on cables , pull out seating unit from kitchen end and this frees glazing on the sides, unlike early Mk3s windows remove with out pain. I masked all outside windows and inside of kitchen end door and all public windows on rest and sprayed Halfords primer white on inside. Masking off as soon as dry and coaches reassembled in less than an hour - allowing time for cup of tea to let paint dry ! Simples Robert.

Hi Dave , This looks good as well as the 17, did the bodyside windows warrant a move as angle of projection not comparable to first CAD that prompted my comment, Heljan had issue with windows mentioned on here at the time, nodoubt in N its fractions of a mil dif. But cannot wait for blue headcode version! Robert

Dave , Great progress , wallet is now hiding under sofa! Hope all goes well , now where to fit the smoke unit ! Please keep up the great work. Robert

Hi All, and Ash39, Your comment on Yellow DVT prompted me to contact Dapol yesterday and info delivered a little while ago suggests early summer, but possibly late May - log jam in China joy of the extended New year in China slowing the job. Not forgotten about was the other version his means hopefully the IC livery will come with it. As N gaugers we now have to accept that with OO and O in the portfolio we do not get all management time ! I am sure Yoda would say something really useful at this point .. Robert

Hi , yes thats how they do it . The rails arrive precurved and in Bull St now on the second attempt of laying the set track curves! Work has started outside New St Station - large concerte slab hopefully means track will not move and with rails to last 30 years I guess builders see rail change as "not their problem." Hopefully given how late the work is the connection into the Snow Hill lines will be late 2014 to allow the opening to Bull street. Robert

Hi Gang, Today I have asked Railtec if possible to do a white print of the Scotrail transfers sheet to allow easy renumbering of the Mxxxxx stock - now in hand. Now we hold our collective breaths for all of 2014 for the 47/7 and DBSO from Farish . CJM do a v nice one if not willing to wait by the way! Robert

Hi gang, Of interest do we want correct or matching liveries ? Should the TGS and future coaches have lining and logos correct or match initial Dapols under Dapol Dave control liveries as in the market place with misplaced/missing legends and wrongly matched stripes or roof colours. It would be possible to issue corrected livery plans from photos or from a composite of pictures - have you tried to find good square on HST coach shots - yes there are some but not a busting amount - unless you know or have some ? Just waiting for postie with coaches .... Robert

Hi Swallow buffet cars absolute minefield with no red through all red with half yellow and some full yellow for stripes and two widths! So not all wrong just not all right. Livery checks always a thorny issue but hopefully will get better But like many awaiting delivery ! Robert

Hi the reprint much better , how is 37 coming along ? Still hoping that you can get the cabs for this and 25 as "retail items in 1/32 Robert

Hi main problem for 60 will be coupling up, as a lot of HTA wagons are buckeye. On the Fiiddlers ferry circuit the 60s hauled Nat power HHAs as these rakes had outers with buffers. Latterly some HTA got buffers to allow 60s to continue their good work. Great "fun" watching the poor antics at Drax with HTA over HAA , with the HTA being manual release over the dalek controlled HAA the opo had to "run" backwards and forwards supervsing three wagons at a time with unlocking,unloading, relocking doors - air controlled from levers on each wagon, at time had to dance round daleks as these still fitted in shed. Called progress, love the model 60, hopefully decals will print down to N. Robert

Hi Dave, Any metal cutting progress to report - will it be the model of the year for the 2014 competition ? Thanks Robert

As ever removing numbers with Tcut but yellow stripe more of a problem. I would get some clear decal paper and spray VT red and cut a thin stripe. It might prove possible to use a little piece of red bodyside stripe transfer and allow a little weathering to mask the change. The number is right for a TRSBhttp://shed83a.smugmug.com/CoachingStock/Mk3-HST/Mk3-TRSB/18325547_nq25H5#!i=1411042056&k=djM44sd&lb=1&s=A shows it in withdrawn state a while back. The glazing is also clear so needs a touch over with VT red on back counter windows and white in crew window. Yes roof is a pain - I suggest cutting out vents and gluing in correct order on a plain roof might be a way to create TRSB roof but up to you. Robert

Hi To say removing numbers/ logos etc easy with t cut and a cotton bud, you will get a shinny body where image removed. Not a problem for the intercity 125 legend but on the "1" on the bodyside will need a touch over matt varnish . a fine blade will remove CDL moulding with out damage - if worried put an amount of masking tape around moulding to prevent damage - and then a dot of paint to cover. I would renew entire Intercity legend to the correct place shuch that it starts under lefthand edge of first picture window and up the side so more on vertical rather than tumblehome. These and the "1" available from fox, Blackham and I guess Railtec have or can do some. Railtec certainly do a matching red stripe as the proportions on the stripes is the wrongway round. For the foreseeable future will be - to ensure current modellers can make identical looking sets, perhaps in future some changes might see a "correction" - we are only talking about a 1mm change! Go for the bargain to try out some modelling skills . Mine may end up under Yellow peril no 2! or the prototype 252 set have fun! Robert

Hi The CDL locks added after contract issued June 1993 , first fitted vehicles were 42005/16/17 by ABB , first trains fitted were IC GW in Spring 1994. The project finished 1995 on HSTs loco hauled followed And all because of persons opening doors and using external handles at speed ! blue grey CDL only right for Cargo D stock ! no orange "lamps" printed on blue buffets I have seen Robert

Hi Dapol home page lists a batch of Mk3s LHCS buffet , 2 firsts and 3 seconds in VT then a selection HST VT and FGW stock including buffets , still blue grey to come ... Robert