virginhst539

we have a winner! very very minor adjustments made and V6 of the file has given the desired result. If anything it might be 0.2mm too short at the bottom but I'm happy with it. so far 4 for myself and 4 for a mate are spoken for but a handful of them will be appearing on the usual auction site once I have made the window frames up for them. Also arriving onto the workbench is the latest Hornby EC power cars to become Colas 43277 + 432**. original plan was to do 274 but the lights on these don't allow 3dtrack clusters to be fitted which also rules out 43272, So both will be now be going into colas rail livery and one left un numbered for the time being. will become either 43251 or 43257 TBH I have not noticed much in the way of changes to the original retooled 43 but the fan motor set up and lights are a welcome addition. These will be next for a dip in the ISO once the Mk3 has been painted.

They are indeed. earlier MK2a versions. might have a crack at the Mk2F ones with the hopper windows at a later date. Whole idea of making these parts was a friend was wanting his model rail ones upgraded and they have been on my hit list for a while

Bit of progress on the DRS Mk2 parts. think these are at a stage where I'm happy with them. This is V5 of the file, most of it was fine adjustment work and I have added tabs which locate into the existing gangway holes for a stronger glue bond, less filler and they help old the sides in at the correct distance. This is the last rough print, the next ones will be at 100% print quality but it looks very promising I think and should require minimal filler. Will be interesting to see if it can do the frames I have drawn up for them.

Back to some yellow stock, 977994 test coach. Nice easy one. First step was to put the FGW ciggy pack TSG into the forbidden vodka for a soak. Hornby really should buy some microsol for these, decal application over the doors was shockingly bad for a 2022 model. Left in a quiet corner for four hours and given a scrub most of the paint was off. Second time i have done this, some of the roof black struggled to come off but got most of it. Only modification this one needs on the body was filling in the smaller part of the guards door on both sides. A quick sand back tomorrow and hopefully be ready for a shot of primer. Pair of power cars should arrive next week too become EX EMT 274 and colas 277

Another venture into to the land of yellow HSTs. 43277 is currently in the planning stage and a pack of the 2023 lner ones has been ordered to become ex LNER NWR and 43274. As long as it does not get repainted between now and 2024/25 when they eventually turn up... Looking at the yellow ones i have its less than ideal as the motors in 062. Having it in one of the buffer fitted power cars allows for more flexiblity when running them. So im looking to swap the chassis. This is going to to require some surgery. So my idea here is to cut at the red line and remove the taperer infront of the lead bogie and draw up an adaptor plate to print to fit the bufferbeam too. Also in the works, i was asked to see if i could make end plates for the drs escort coaches. 10 mins and a prototype later its not miles off. Attaching in the interior of the coach allows for the sligt recess the prototypes have. V2 will have window frames and hopefully a tighter fit requiring a bit less filler. If i can get a good enough fit i might offer them up for anyone else who wants to mod them

Here's one for the experts to ponder over. what shade of orange has been used on this. its deeper/brighter than standard colas orange but I'm struggling to find a decent match on RAL. any ideas?

They have multiplied! An absolute steal on the model rail limited edition 57601 at Glasgow has now made the repainted one redundant. My thinking is to get a replacement 57/3 body to go on the /6 chassis prior to stripping both back into WCRC northern belle livery which uses the standard WCRC maroon with cream band. While I'm at it I think it would be as good a time as any to finish off the Mk1 RU for the set. Sure I read it was a 50/50 mix BR maroon and GWR stock brown for the NB brown? who knows that what I'm spraying on it either way. Glasgow was as always a great trip, finally got to see Deadman's lane in person. Unfortunately the main man was away from the layout by the time I got there. Plenty of yellow inspiration and the LSL push/pull set was superb!

Timber part two Bogies off and stanchions back on. Various chipping methods used at this stage. Given it a blast of frame dirt. Cleaned off the lifting points, handbrake wheel and a few other bits. Thats about it for the timber wagon for the time being, let it all dry and get it varnished. One down, 7 more to go!

Twice in the last month i have finished a model of a loco just for a new one to come along! These look stunning, sure another 60 in the fleet would not hurt

Really been struggling with motivation to get any modelling done of late in my free time but have forced myself to get a start on something. One thing i disliked with the IWAs was the as built blue timbers. So first one through the shop was 28-2. All those lovely stanchions i glued on are off and will be painted which will be another post. The trusty Mig tank paints are being used for this A mix of 'old wood' with a touch of shadow rust was used as a base. Already a massive improvment for what im after with these Few boards where then picked out with 'new wood' to mimic where boards had been replaced. This is most common over the bogies Finally they where given a quick slap dash application of flory wash. Still need to clean if off the sides of the wagon but its a fairly easy way of toning it all down and most importanly adding veriety. Rather happy with it so far, next up will be chipping effects and a overall application of grime

Superb work with the window blanks. I have never been able to master cutting them out so opted for 3d printed ones off ebay. Can i ask how you got on with the cally sleeper coach? Looking to have a go at one myself but not sure the besy way to graft the new sides to the donar.

£475 for a 5 wagon rake is a fair bit but they do look really good and not far off what the standard release sets sell for now. Dont think any of the other manufacturers will be doing them so definetly a captive market. Website is down which is the onmy thing stopping me just now. Anyway could be worse, you could have just finished off modifying 37099 to 37175 just for them to release it today

Great detailed list. Theres a few bits i will probably change but dont think i will go mad with it.

At a glance the only thing i can see is the 64A shed plate is no longer fitted.... now need to ask myself how many RSGs are too many. Currently at three!

Daft question but is the VXC 55022/D9000 the same as its current condition with LSL? D9016 in purple is very very tempting as well!

noticed the kits where back up on the usual auction site with the addition of the RTC jumper cables. would packs of the jumper cables be something you would consider selling for upgrading other network rail coaches the main manufactures have done but not included. think Bachmann's DBSO is the only RTR coach with these fitted out the box

if your wanting a bit of variety have a look at 011-8 in this screen grab from youtube, this is one of the ones I'm going to be doing. its probably picked up a bit of grim now and has the extra strapping points but it adds a nice contrast between the work worn examples. Might look for a stronged super glue as it was just the usual supermarket Loctite stuff I had used

You have captured the grubby wiped clean look absolutely spot on! got to ask how you you stuck the narrow stanchions on as mine seem to like flying off! Also going to steal the way you have removed the blue ones but left the bases on them as they look weird with loads of holes along the side of the wagon. Will eventually get my set weathered, loads of reference pics on the work phone.... just a shame most of them are of the brake rigging and underside

Yes but flangeway are doing the modern airbraked varients of these with ASF bogies which Hornby have missed in this run which im sure will be popular. No doubt these will appear in the Hornby range at somepoint as well

Probably be one of last post prior to xmas ect. Been having a push to try clear the projects shelf and it was the turn of the last two railway items of 2022. 43062 has received full branding before getting a satin varnish. The tarmac 60 also got varnished. Unfortunatly the tarmac banding had silvered a bit but i can live with it. 43062 will be finished off in the new year once i figure out how to rework the Hornby light board and wire in the top marker. And a nice bonus of the last order of 22 arriving early. Bachmann have knocked it out the park with the new 158s! Couple more running sessions this year so there might be a little photo update once i decide what to run

quick root round flicker has produced a set with both scrap rail and wooden sleepers. nice two for one picture. Also worth noting the gent who made these body's has recently published on his facebook that he is closing up shop which is a shame as there are some really good bits on there. Hopefully he will return in the future.

Remembered to take pictures this time and it was two stanchions knocked off this time. Think they where a casualty of putting stock on the other lines in the fiddle yard as I found them when packing away. I'm wondering if having a load on would help prevent them getting knocked off or perhaps a stronger glue? Anyway, ran them into the sidings, split and reformed it before propelling back into the platforms and over the cross overs. Good running session over all. Hornby 56087 doing the honors of first and so far only loco to haul them. Must sort that cab front handrail at some point.

Well, the IWAs were run tonight but not without discovering a fairly major fault with one wagon. Controller kept overloading so first instinct was to swap the loco which did not clear the fault. subsequent testing revealed one wagon has a wheel which is missing the plastic bush which insulates the axel causing a short across the rails. With that wagon removed the rest ran well and I only knocked off one stanchion! Of course, between all that I forgot to take any pictures of them running with the 56 so that will have to wait till next week. Also running was 60087 with the transition period Cement rake comprising of JPAs, PCA vee tanks, Accurascale PCAs and two KVAs and 66720 with a mix of Dapol JNAs, Hornby Coal fish and Acurrascale MHAs I will eventually get round to weathering the wagons....

thanks for the kind words, at the moment it's a mix of projects I have been wanting to do and spur of the moment projects. Have started ripping apart the wagons to bring them in line with what I want to run. I have done four 'Mixed' sets where some of the original stanchions have been removed and replaced with narrow ones. One full replacement and 028-2 which is a bit of an odd ball with 4 narrow stanchions either side complimenting the original blue ones. I still have another mixed and replacement set to make up. 'mixed' Full Replacment 028-2 additional narrow stanchions Fairly easy job. all you need is something to pry the blue ones from the body side and your choice of glue for the new ones. Hopefully they hold, real test will be the first run of these on a layout tomorrow night along with the JPAs which have yet to turn a wheel in anger.... I blame Bachmann... need a 70 for the front of them!

from a quick search the CAIB wagons are the ones depicted by Bachmann with the leaf springs. VTG wagons shown in this picture linked from Flickr have a spring arrangement Unlike the MHAs which later replaced these the PNAs where build on TTA chassis between 1998 and 1999. The spring suspension arrangement matches those found on TTA CO2 wagons so it could have just been a case of what wagons where redundant at the time of the conversion program.