Boco_D1

This layout is looking promising and just the use of your stock already gives that 1990s north western feel straight away, I’m looking forward to future posts.

Thanks graham, you’d have a long wait I’ve still got to do mine amongst the other several hundred projects I’ve got lined up, it never ends.

That’s probably why I like it so much, certainly a better use of a previous livery than what other companies did I’m looking at you stagecoach with your orange stripe added to NSE, sacrilege!

I dug the wagons out for a better photo... This was using the various shades of humbrol wash, dust, sand, dark grey, white and black all based on prototype photos (except the batman embellishment that was my own work). I will stop hijacking your thread now Graham. Jimmy

No worries Steve thanks for the like, I will one day revive this layout when I have the time, although my time frame has moved on (as I wanted to run 68’s) and so the HST is long gone i’m afraid. The station canopy is certainly a great corner hider and as it’s OO you can fit 4 n gauge tracks under it.

I’ll have look tomorrow and see if I can fish them out of my storage box and show the results. Edit: found an old photo with the wagons in the foreground

As an alternative I found the Humbrol weathering washes do an excellent job for this style of wagons when I was weathering my Dapol ferrywagons.

The build of Swindon panel continues and I’m pleased to say I’ve built the staircase. The outer dimensions where a bit of trouble to work out as I couldn’t find a photo of top to bottom where I could count the brick courses so this is a rounded off guess from what I could count. Inside is pure guess work and memory, the interior was exposed brick although I only had one sheet of super quick red brick paper to hand and my memory is of a more creamy/grey colour but I’m not going to lose any sleep over it. I’m pretty certain the stairs snaked their way up but this is pure guess work and the centre steps are most certainly wrong but fit the dimensions of my build. But with it all in place they don’t look so bad, I’ve also added the two covered radiators and the box for the fire alarm system. And to finish the stairs off is Two-hat-Thom the deputy LOM off home with the tuck shop takings book.

Looking good Graham, that clean exterior didn’t stand a chance.

Ive been neglecting this project for sometime, I bought about 25 Lima PGA wagons to upgrade and have been distracted since (but that’s another story). When I last worked on the project back in January I had been detailing the Opps floor and had completed the panel. Here is the panel I completed back in January, I modelled it as it was at the end of its life (before preservation) so the track diagram is that of the Swindon area from uffington to box tunnel, the only omission being the the GSM-R terminals, but as intended to model 89-94 that doesn’t matter. And here’s the panel before the A end was transferred to TVSC a few days latter for comparison. I also added the other details to the opps floor, this will be my main area of concentration for detailing the s&t offices will get a little otherwise the rest I will more than likely leave empty. The panel in place, the change in colour of green is not because I ran out of paint but represents when Thingley junction was added to the end of the panel. I’ve added lockers, the clock and even the first aid box, I still to add the union notice board. And from the other angle is the desks, signaller notice boards, cctv workstation, hot axel box detector unit and most importantly the fish tank. I’ve also done some crude interpretations of Don Breckon’s ‘Country Connection’ and the print of ‘Twighlight of the fifties’. So after neglecting this project for sometime I finally pulled it out of its storage box and started making the other sections of the building. The box now has the rest of the interlocking room and the boiler housing now attached. Nothing too difficult here but I imagine the stairs on the otherside will be slightly more tricky. They have a door after the first flight which comes out at platform level which I’ll need to get right. But at least it’s starting to look a little more like the building it supposed to be.

Thanks I suspected as much. Well unless someone does etched plates back to the shop it goes. Edit: Fox do an etched plate, placed the order so hopefully that will solve that issue.

Can I just check is 43078 meant to have a nameplate on either side as my currently has one, seeing the above photo I’m assuming mine has also slipped past quality control.

I watch the newer episodes with the kids, the latest series are miles better than the early cgi episodes (although nowhere near as good as the first four series). They even have the very small engines (Bert, Harry and Mike) and I always wanted those episodes to be made when I was kid, one episode even follows the story from the book. When I was at wicksteed Park the other week I pointed out to my wife that “steam” loco was a diesel in disguise I’m sure it won’t be long until Thomas gets his first transgender friend in this form.

That is a rather unsightly gap will be interested to see how you tackle the issue.

This is looking good Graham I like the modular idea, certainly gives you more scope. I think having modules would be great for film making (aka YouTube videos) you could follow a train on its journey recording it as it passes through the various modules (that’s what I’d do, anyway). Where are you going to store the various boards when there not in use? I’m glad to see you’ve not given up on the hobby, I have always found your work very inspirational and what you can fit in N gauge onto a baseboard I’d class as some sort of witchcraft. I find an unrelated hobby (for me it’s comic book drawing) to get your teeth stuck into from time to time can be a welcome break when this one is getting a bit too much. All the best Jimmy

That duchess looks superb and the 37 sounds great, some all round excellent purchases I’d say. Jimmy

That voyager came up on my eBay alerts I was sorely tempted any chance of a vid to hear the sounds? That track recorder looks like a great a little model too. Cheers Jimmy

Hello Phil, to be honest I haven’t worked on this layout in well over a year it has sat in the garage gathering dust I’m umming and arring weather to rip it up and use the track for a new project or sell it on as now my pendolions have arrived I want to move on to building my WCML layout.

Thanks Mike I’ll drop you an email later in the month.

I like my Pendolino’s so much I want to concentrate on the current era if these sets go ahead is there a chance I could change my NSE order for a London midland livery?

I found a way to get round the issue of a dominant power car is to move the train off very slowly and once moving open up the throttle, it also sounds quite good driving the train this way especially with the flange squeal on.

I did send an email to the support email address in the booklet as one of my power cars is displaying the same issues as described by others. I bought two sets and the other runs perfectly, running in certainly helped particularly with the ‘bucking’ at slow speed, I’m using a digitrax supercheif and the main issue at the moment is a sudden lurch when accelerating and decelerating is anyone else having this and any suggestions to remedy? Apart from this niggle I am very pleased with my models and would like to thank everyone involved to bringing a superb model to market. I look forward to my 92s and again hope this will encourage people to invest in a 321.

Thanks Steve most appreciated.

Well I ordered one thought I’d give it a go especially if it meant I could use the compressor at night but I’m still waiting for it to be delivered it’s been over the quoted 28 days and the sales department haven’t replied to my email. Any idea what’s going on BRM team?

Thanks Graham, My attempts to turn my daughter to the dark side hasn’t gone too well she’s more into ponies but with the Railway series library in place in his bedroom I think I can tempt the boy to all things trains. Jimmy