Kelly

I've dabbled with 1/72, 1/48 scale aircraft in the past, but don't these days as I have nowhere to put the things anymore and all the ones i did have didn't survive moving house sadly. Also dabbled with wargaming figures (mainly GW Warhammer 40K) over the years and the odd bit of armour (1/76 and 1/35).

They should work. But there are so many different makes and adhesives used that it is impossible to say 'Yes, they'll be 100% fine' as the laser printer could get too hot for them and cause them to melt, and consequently jam. Use at your own risk applies with such things. However, I'd suspect they should be fine. Hope the sciatica keeps away, it is horrible, I get it on occasions alongside my usual back pain (and fibromyalgia pain) and it is most annoying! Been a quiet day after a busy weekend just gone (Diesel & Electric Show in Telford) and been doing some planning work on the 465 I'm building, only to run out of ink when I want to print some plans off for it, do'h! Kelly

Yes, D838 was named Rapid.

The one at Coventry is probably fairly accessible. You'd likely need to email the museum and arrange a viewing day, which I'm sure they'd probably oblidge. It is located near Coventry Airport, which isn't too far from Coventry city centre or the NEC/Birmingham International Airport.

So, in the last post I caught up a bit with what was planned and what had stalled plans etc. I've been researching baseboard construction recently and come up with a couple of ideas now as a result. Construction methods: i'm suspecting I'll go with plywood on a frame rather than my original thought of a foamboard base with thin plywood on the sides. This won't likely commence until the new year due to other committments, but now a few things are out of the way (boyfriend moving house, getting a new mobility scooter and having to replace all the white goods in the flat) I should hopefully be able to make a start on the baseboards, finally! A trip to B&Q in the new year I think. Modular is the key: Plan is for the building of 2-3 3ftx1-1.5ft boards and a 2ftx1-1.5ft board for the level crossing. The decision really is how wide I want the boards. As the layout is effectively not much more than double track with no stations etc on it and a single siding going off to a dock or similar I'm wondering whether 1ft width might be sufficient, but 1.5ft might be better. 2ft might be better for the planned rat run behind the scenery though. What will decide this really is a) the size that will fit into my car (05 plate mondeo estate) and b) the size of the area I could store the boards. Dual or single? The other decision is whether to have dual levels or not. By that I mean the main boards having space underneath for storage of units, in a traverser format, with corner boards allowing access by raising/lowering height. I'm in two minds about it after talking with Natalie. Storage/fiddle yards: In terms of fiddle yards I plan to use cassettes of no more than 4 car length, with some being enough for 1 carriage/loco and some for 2 carriage/locos. Avoiding point building is a part of that decision, and easier to store/transport in my opinion as the cassette should be able to be put straight into a suitable storage box without handling the units/stock. Control: DCC is a given really I think. When wiring the layout I think I may try to allow for being able to run in DC mode, but that might complicate things too much. As for controllers, I had thought after consideration with Natalie that going with an NCE PowerCab unit would be best as Natalie being left handed found others difficult or 'odd' to use in comparison. Unfortuately as things stand at present it is unlikely I shall be able to afford one, so I am thinking either: Hornby eLink + laptop, or A SPROG unit with JNRI on a laptop. I might give both a try at some stage, and will investigate other methods. I know computer/tablet/phone control would be good I think. I am rather tech savvy and unashamedly a geek when it comes to tech/computers, so such control methods appeal to me. I am not short of suitable devices at least, having one or two spare laptops and a tablet laying around as well as a spare desktop computer lurking somewhere in the flat. Another option is using a raspberry pi/arduino to control the layout as I already have a raspberry pi to hand (well I will do when i upgrade to a raspberry pi 2 for my media watching on the telly). Signals and points: Signals on the layout will likely be 3/4 aspect colour lights as that is what exists on the prototype location. However I would like to be able to at a later stage change the era to around the 1920s/1930s or WW2 (can't go beyond 1925 due to 3rd rail) as that could give some interesting future stock opportunities (and WW2 interests me historically). The starting era will be 1990-1994 or so (the changeover period of the EPBs and Networkers). With this in mind the buildings will be changeable, and ideally the signals too so that semaphore can be added. How feasible this turns out to be is another matter though! experimentation needed perhaps. Control of the points/signals by a lever type panel would be good i think. I'd like some kind of link between the signals and points and train detection to change signals after a train passes. A recent article in Hornby Magazine has made me think of using a MAS-Sequencer by Heathcote Electronics for control of changing the signals, which signals I use I've yet to decide. I suspect DCCconcepts point motors/controls will manage the points on the layout by DCC. As there aren't going to be many points (3 visible in total iirc) hopefully that should help keep costs down a little. If needed any points in the non-visible areas can be manual (by switches/panel) to start with perhaps rather than DCC. Track and gauge: The gauge will be EM, and I've been a member of the EM Gauge Society for just over a year now. (I'm sure the templates that came with the membership pack will be very useful when plotting out the layout on a board!). I will likely use C&L Finescale track. Final thoughts: That concludes a rather lengthy update post really. I don't think there'll be much updates this side of the new year, but I hope to get started by the middle of January, and hopefully make a start on the conversions/kits also. Any thoughts and suggestions are welcome

It appears that No1 is at the Electric Railway Museum near Coventry (down the road from me). http://www.electricrailwaymuseum.co.uk/collect.htm I'm not sure if it was there when I last took photos there though. but theres photos from that visit here: Hope they're of help.

So I haven't updated these blogs for a fair while as life has sadly gotten in the way of thinking about any kind of modelling. That and my nature for being easily distracted by other things! I haven't forgotten about this layout plan, but money hasn't been available sadly to make a start on the boards for it. The plan thankfully is pretty simple at least so shouldn't require too much work track wise beyond a couple of points being built (it will be EM). I'm toying with the idea of it being dual level, with the lower level for storage of cassettes, but am in discussion with Natalie about the feasability of this at present. Hopefully in the new year some progress will be made. A 4EPB (BR built) and an 465 are in progress to some extent however, but no photos to share at this stage. A rough idea of the proposed plan is below. It will likely have a rat run behind some scenery to allow running around behind the scenes, as well as possibly curving around to a lower level at the sides for cassette fiddle yards with storage underneath, but none of this is final yet.

Morning. I'm not usually with it of late at this time to remember about early risers. awake as got a laptop to fix and backup and an MOT to book, oh what fun! First though off to post a birthday card for my grandfather who turns 95 Monday, and grab a cuppa in the cafe nearby to warm up I suspect as it feels bloomin' freezin'!

Traders are always asking top dollar as the saying goes, but they really have shot up in value, with how few good clean ones there are left now due to the rust eating most away. The joke was that some of the Victors left the factory already with value added rust included as at the time they both didn't treat the steel for rust prevention and left the body panels outside until needed.

There might have been a very small number released with the 1600cc engine, but majority would have been with 1800/2000/2300cc engines, though I'm by no means any kind of expert on that Yes, the oil crisis led to a lot of Firenza/Magnum models being unsold, so the bodyshells were rebadged as Viva E and stripped down to the 1256cc engine and even less thrills than the base models. Not many of those are believed to have survived, so they're perhaps one of the rarer models after the HPF and sportshatch (and HA Brabham models).

With the prices of genuine Mexico/Sport (and other sought after/faster models) Escorts not surprising someone has replicated one, probably quite a lot of bog standard Mk1/2 Escorts get such treatment as a result.

Yes, earlier HBs came with the 1600cc slant-four engine. They replaced the 1600cc with an 1800cc later in the production run to give it more power as apparently people thought they'd be getting a much better kick than the 1158cc (some early ones had 1057cc engines iirc) engine of the standard model. In the HBs life only the GTs had the 2L engines, it wasn't until the HC that it got complicated with engines, with some having 1158cc, some 1800, some 2L and some 2.3L (Firenza/Magnum models always had an 1800cc or above engine iirc) with most having 1256cc engines.

Might have been due to the cost of fuel, the 2/2.3 engined Vivas were in the region of 10mpg or less if you weren't careful, whereas the 1256cc you can get a comfortable 30+mpg without much effort.

1256s were a little underpowered for the Viva HC as it was a fairly heavy car compared to what came before, early 1970/1971 cars would have had the HBs 1158cc engine, which was even more underpowered. I always found the HC very good at cornering and as a everyday cheap runaround it suited me fine. Reason my ex had the Vivas was he got one on a whim after not being able to afford what he wanted at time (Morris Minor). The Vivas were only meant to be a cheap 'get his hands dirty for a short time' affair really for him... I think iirc he still has at least one (last I heard a '67 HB GT). By comparison the 2ltr and 2.3ltre Viva HCs went like stink.

Now you'd be lucky to find a genuine one for under £2k I'd suspect in that sort of condition, as they're more sought after by people wanting Escorts and going 'How Much?!' at the prices of those (imho the Viva is better than the equiv. Escort in terms of handling etc). The 1973 cut off for tax free status also meant a lot of Firenzas/Magnums got scrapped as well as standard Vivas as no-one wanted them for a fair while.

Any sensible (and I know a fair number probably aren't sadly) person running a classic car would as a first job with any new classic (to them) replace all fuel/brake lines and leads for this very reason.

Yep, tough and cheap to run as classic cars they were until more recently when people started to cotton on to them being good and the prices shooting up, mostly with everyone trying to make their own Viva GT or Firenza/Magnum without the costs of the genuine articles. Had a HA that suffered brake failure down hill when doing 40mph towards a mini roundabout, with traffic on the roundabout and nowhere else to go I managed to get it around the turn and into a car park. My passenger was rather gripping the dashboard with fear! (no seat belts, seats folded forwards on a pivot with nothing locking them, drum brakes and crossplies). The simple act of engine braking was the key factor which i knew about, hence my not being worried. Ouch. The first Viva HC I drove had similar (a van decided to scratch and itch down it's side) Had some great fun driving old Vivas for a while, I think they made me a bit of a better driver (even if they were fairly limited power wise with the 1057/1256 engines in the ones I drove), very different to the modern boat I drive now! (Mk3 Mondeo estate).

Reminds me of the time an ex's VIva HC was parked outside mine and a cop car (brand new focus area car) came flying around the corner chasing someone, lost control and rear ended the Viva. Car car totalled, passenger had to climb out of the drivers side. Viva? a busted brake light and a slight dent in the bumper, though we couldn't be sure if that was already there or not as it'd been replaced previously with a salvaged one anyway!

I remember my father always having Sierra's, usually estate versions until they introduced the Saphirre version. He once had a bit of an incident with someone pulling out in front of him and almost writing the car off in the process. It being a company car he got a replacement in the form of equivelant age Orion, which he hated as it lacked any punch to what he was used to (always had 2L Ghia models) I recall. His last Sierra Saphirre had a bit of a disagreement with a lamppost when I was driving it oops. He replaced that with a Mk1 Mondeo iirc, though can;t really rememebr if he liked it better or not as by then I'd moved out and he drove less and less due to living and working in London. As to the size of the Mondeo's, they're rather big, my mk3 estate is massive and will happily swallow anything (almost) put in it (it being bought for that very reason due to needing a rather hefty mobility scooter). Now having lost over 5.5 stone in weight thats been replaced by a much lighter model so I could probably now get away with a Focus estate instead just about.

Thanks I started in July. Found it fairly easy to follow, lots of yoghurt and fruit

I wouldn't have gone to slimming world without a GP referral giving me 12 weeks free. Made a big difference so far. 11 lb is still progress in the right direction is the way to look at it

Today has been a bit bittersweet. On the one hand I got a 4 stone award at slimming world so I'm rather happy with that. On the other, Sir Terry Pratchett died my favourite author, and the reason for a lot of friendships, memories and why I read so much.

Covering themselves from return disputes, effectively making it sold as seen, or 'hard luck pal' auctions. Can make for some bargains, or some piles of crud.