Geep7

Whilst I haven't subscribed to MR for a few years, I usually have a look at the latest copy if there is one when I pop into WHSmiths. The last issue I bought (September 2023) was extremely thin, much thinner than when I stopped subscribing (just one of the reasons I did). Again, all the best to the current Kalmbach staff, hopefully there is brighter news on the horizon.

Thanks, I'll give it a go then. I have some railway fonts on my PC which should be close enough. I'm looking to renumber my 122 from 55003 to W55016 or W55018 as I know those 2 units operated on the Western Region in Devon and Cornwall....

One piece of advice i've learnt over the years. If you're taking a DCC layout to an exhibition, do not leave your rolling stock overnight in the car, if the temp is going to fall below or near freezing, as when you bring them back into the ambient temperature of an exhibition hall the chips don't like it.

Had another check of the box, and nope, nothing, nada etc..... Guess i'll have to improvise something...... Would 2 white blanks be appropriate?

I'm sure I did check the whole box, but i've only found a small bag of pipes and details to add..... I'll check again.

I'm slightly surprised that the new Mk1's haven't been done initially in Blue & Grey, especially the BSO and RB. I'm also continually perplex as to why Bachmann aren't producing re-liveries of some of their existing tooling. We're still lacking a 2-Hap, Class 117 and 121 in BR Blue, or Green Small Panel..... (although I know the latter has been done by Dapol). I wonder if the original run of these didn't sell as well as expected to allow the confidence to do them in these other colour schemes.

So bringing this thread back to life. I've just availed myself of a blue Class 122 in the Rails sale, you know, the one with the upside-down W pretending to be an M.... As it doesn't come with the decal sheet for the headcodes, and none seem to be available, has anyone made alternatives to this? I have thoughts to print off my own on normal printer paper, but would they block the light too much?

Also, Hornby can't seem to get the blue on blue & grey quite right.... Too dark for me.

Bare in mind that those are the RRP, and won't be the price in the shops.

I don't think it helps things (more muddy's the water) when a better fidelity model is put on sale for around about the same price or slightly more expensive than the Railroad model. (i.e The Dapol 73 vs the Railroad 73)......

Are we sure the Peco one's are not the correct length? Personally, if we're talking a matter of a 9-12", I don't think I would notice a 1-2mm difference at normal viewing distance with my worsening eyesight. The major improvement that Peco have made are the metal wheels as standard. Yes, some of the fidelity of the detail isn't quite as fine as, say, my EFE Rail JIA's or Revolution IWA's, but it's tolerable. The other thing to consider is, the new run of CDA's are current at around the £20 mark..... how much would an Accurascale or Cavalex CDA be? This isn't a complaint about price, far from it, as i'm fully aware of higher detail = higher price, but would the market be there for it. Especially as the CDA's have such a limited sphere of operation. At least the JIA's get outside of Cornwall, for example. Personally, I think we should be glad Peco are making them at all. Btw, still waiting on more EWS ones........ 😁

As a somewhat lapsed US outline modeller (hence my RMweb username), that layout looks fantastic. Looking forward to seeing it in the CM.

It's definitely looking less than PEDestrian, that's for sure. Almost makes me wish I had put in an order for a Blue one too.... But i'll be happy with my Green FYE version when it arrives.

Too much to ask for the n gauge Class 150/2 in FGW Purple and GWR Green? And OO 117 in BR Blue?

That did cross my mind too.....

Yep, exactly.... someone must have made a mess up on the order quantities..... 2 x of each corridor brake (they did 2 separate numbers in each livery) for each composite, rather than a 1 for 1.....

Sadly the 59ft Corridor Brakes were only ever used in 3-sets with the other 59ft coaches and never used as loose stock, afaik (i'd have to check my Southern Bulleid book to be absolutely sure). I'd be up for buying a couple at £17.99, but only if I could guarantee getting a 59ft composite to go with them, and in the correct livery too. The Southern Railway and BR Southern were quite strict about keeping is coaching stock in sets. If one coach had a defect, then the whole set was pulled. And they would go to works to be repainted as a set too..... Just one of the quirks of the Southern which makes them stand out from the rest (apart from the affection for live rail....)

That looks to be a great amount of space to build a nice Spanish layout. Any thoughts on if you're going to model a prototype, or something based on a few different places?

Saw this reported the other day, and don't feel so bad that my old AMT/ERTL kit nacelles drooped a bit too after a while....

There's only ever been one good adaptation of the book, in my opinion, and that doesn't even have any moving pictures....... And even then, it has to be the Richard Burton narrated version, not the more recent one with Liam Neeson (as good as he is).....

Also to add, I've recently seen announce that the small radius Code 100 Y point has been redesigned as unifrog. Not sure when it's due in stock though....

What I do know is that all the Code 75 Flat-bottom track is available in either Insulfrog or Electrofrog, with none available as unifrog, but the code 75 Bullhead is all unifrog.

So a bit of slow progress made over the past couple of evenings on the retaining wall along the rear of the left hand side of the layout. There will be an embankment from the bridge and down the slope, covered in undergrowth and a few bushes and trees, and then on the level, I will have a couple of house backs. Probably the rear of a fairly new housing estate, of the type that appeared all over the south in the mid to late 1960's. I already have a laser cut kit, one that came free with BRM a few years back, so I might use this, perhaps as an interim until I can scratch build some. With the factory and now some houses on the back of the layout, rather than being distinctly countryside, it's starting to feel a little more outer suburban, so perhaps it's imaginary location of being somewhere a bit south of Bordon isn't so good, and maybe I should move it somewhere closer to London perhaps? You may also have noticed that I have painted the platform sides, and tops. The tops are just in a shade of black in preparation for the emery sheets to be glued in place. The white areas, are where I have filled in a couple of screw holes (to initially keep the platform in place) and filed back smooth. The platform is now held down by screws from underneath the board, but will eventually be glued in place. Whilst the Peco sides are moulded in coloured plastic approximating concrete, painting them takes away the plastic shine. I have been experimenting with what shade of paint to use for well aged concrete, since my customary paint, Polly Scale Aged Concrete, is no longer in production. The paint shade here, and brush painted, is Stone Grey by Vallejo in the Model Color range, which I think looks pretty good. I have also sprayed the footbridge with Army Painter Skeleton Bone, which seems to give a similar colour. Obviously both will need a good amount of weathering added too. Something else I have been pondering. So the exit to the station is via this footbridge, and I think it's safe to say there would be some sort of barrow crossing (as marked in red) to allow luggage, etc. to be transferred out of the station. Also the crossing would continue to the other side to allow the signalman to collect the single-line token (when the line used to continue further south/west). The area marked with the blue rectangle i'm wondering if there would be a small station building / booking hall of some sort? Maybe one of the those fairly modern looking CLASP style buildings? Single story so as not to overpower the scene too much. However, i'm not 100% sure if this would be prototypical at all. I know at Waddon Marsh, people used to buy their tickets from the signalbox, but this was situated between the tracks at the end of the platform, but I don't have the room to do that here. Maybe I could just get away with one of those red ticket kiosks and just some gates? Any thoughts or suggestions?

Sorry, I should have been a bit clearer, I'll never go back to using IPA to clean my track. The contact cleaner works like a dream.

At the risk of opening pandora's box again, i'll be honest. I used to be sold on using 99% IPA, wiped on using a cloth, but having read some other suggestions, I've used electrical contact cleaner, again applied with a cloth, and I'll never go back to IPA. I only ever use a track rubber when removing any paint sprayed on.