Geep7

The body shape etc. were close enough that plenty of people have done a 117 to 116 conversion. The only really obvious difference is the headcode panels. 117 having the large 4-character headcode box on the roof, and the 116 having a small destination box on the roof, and a 2-character headcode box on the front of the cab between the marker lights. Also, it's worth mentioning that some Class 116 units were built with an all second centre vehicle without toilets, basically the same as the Driving Motor Second, but without a cab. It's probably worth studying drawings and pictures..... There are plenty of books out there on 1st Generation DMU's, but https://railcar.co.uk/ is a great source of diagrams and pictures.

I have watched that, and a nice little diorama it is too.... I think they had it at the Basingstoke show at the weekend too..... But I don't think it mentions when the EWS and ECC one's were meant to be arriving.....

So i've noticed that the DB Schenker version of the CDA Hopper wagon has finally reached the shops, however, I would prefer the EWS livered version for my era. Are these due back in stock as well, or have I missed the (china clay) boat from Fowey with these and the ECC examples?

So last weekend, I made a start on mocking up the factory in the far right-hand corner. Initially I was going to have the main building right into the corner, but then had a flash of inspiration, and thought a boiler house and chimney in the corner would add a bit more interest, and more importantly, the chimney itself would hide the corner of the backscene. Here is a picture of the second mock-up. The first was made out of cereal packets, just to check spacings, this version, is made from artist board, and will form the skeleton of the building. It will be clad in brick plasticard sheet, and plain plasticard for any concrete lintels. The shed covering the tracks will probably remain plain brickwork, but the main building will have windows. Rather than make the windows myself, I have lazily gone the laser cut route, and sourced these from Scale Model Scenery. These arrived yesterday, so I the evening spacing them out. I originally thought I might have two rows (floors) of windows, but when measuring, it looked a little silly, so there will just be a single row of industrial windows. The plan is also to give this factory a flat roof, so above the windows will all be rendered concrete. Hopefully this should give it a nice 1930's look. I'm still unsure as to what produce the factory makes..... maybe it's a Smarties (other chocolate based sweets are available) factory? I'm sure I recall a layout having a Jelly Bean factory once, Ditchling Green I think? Hopefully I might be able to get the main structure together this weekend, and start cladding it with brick..... There are two methods I have used for this, either using superglue or rocket card glue, to stick the plasticard to the artist board. I'm not 100% sure which i'll use this time. Once the boiler (retort?) house building is made, i'll then measure up, and cut down the chimney so the top is just the height of the back-scene. I could leave it higher, but then I would need to remove the chimney everytime I put the layout away.... plus the top is rather nicely moulded. However, this weekend will probably mostly be taken up with N gauge modelling (more soldering using a magnifier!), and Mother's Day on Sunday (so no modelling that day). So more progress will probably be slow. Until next time, happy modelling everyone.

Agreed. Good modelling is good modelling in my book, no matter what the subject matter is.

The MJT cast buffer also includes the buffer shank and mounting point, which are black along with the underframe.... The actual buffer head, whilst being a silver finish when first outshopped, would soon weather down to a dullish brown/black colour from all the grease....

You'll be wanting to use these: https://www.dartcastings.co.uk/mjt/2934.php ex-MJT BR retracted coach buffers. I used them on my Lima Mk1 coaches back in the day. Snip off and file back the original buffer to the buffer beam, then drill out a hole big enough for the locating stub at the back, and superglue in place. Then obviously they need painting black. Technically you should have un-retracted buffers at the ends of a rake (which I think you can get from Wizard Models), but unless you're going to be running fixed rakes, i'd just stick with the retracted type.

Had a fantastic day yesterday at the exhibition. Very rare for me to spend almost the whole day at a show these days, except as an exhibitor. Tbh, if the quality is repeated next year, I think there could be scope for offering a 2-day ticket. As has been said, the quality of layouts this year was exceptionally high, and whilst I have my favourites, I won't single any of them out, as they were all outstanding, even if some weren't to my own particular taste / scale. A very well done to the organisers for a great first time 2-day show at a new venue. Very brave, and i'm sure lessons will be learnt.

Sadly Bachmann haven't done the BR Hap in plain blue yet. I suspect that they will announce a run of them the minute I paint my DC Kits BR Hap in blue.... For the SR Hap, I don't think there are any current kits, but I know No Nonsense Kits (now owned by Precision Paints) do the ends (ex-MTK I believe), and etched window frames, but i'm not sure if they do any sides.

As a cheaper alternative for the legs, if you're up to a lot of cutting, you could use some Plastruct I beam section.

Interesting topic...... Think I will have to read it through from the start...... Also interesting is the mention of Palvans...... I need to check, but I think I might have a couple of kits to build.... If not, I might have to get some....

Right, it's been just about a month since my last update. And it's been a busy few weeks, but most of it hasn't been spent on Sotherington Lane. I've done 2 exhibition's with my friends layout (Alton and Tonbridge) plus doing some more wiring work on the n gauge project. However, I have managed to progress the lighting gantry, and supports for it. A lot of work had to be put into the left-hand support so that it could take the PCP interface panel for my NCE Powercab. As this panel is quite deep, including the power plug at the back, i'm had to extend out to the front. Not exactly elegant, but functional, and all the wires can be hidden by the bridge support. And here it is, fully primed, and with the lighting strips added. As mentioned previously, these are 2ft fluorescent daylight tubes in under cabinet units that i've had since my first US American HO layout, so almost 20 years now. I had been looking at LED strips, but as I have these still to hand, and they still (touch wood) work fine, it would be a pity to waste them, even if they do use a bit more leccy than LED. Next task for the fascia's will be to paint them a nondescript colour. Previously, i've used a rather dark grey, as befitting a run-down US outline layout, but when I used the same shade for Blackhurst, i'm not sure it worked so well, so i'm thinking maybe a light grey. Any suggestions or thoughts please? Also in the photo, you'll see the 2 latest additions to my fleet. On the right is my new Class 73/0 or JA. It's currently numbered 73002, but I do want to re-number it back to pre-TOPs.... I could re-number to E6002, but photo's of it in this condition seem rather elusive.... E6001 and E6006 seem to have been photographed more, and I have found E6006 on a Chessington coal train. At least if I do re-number it to pre-TOPs, it'll be more unique as a model. On the left, is a Bachmann Class 205/2H, no. 1121 in Green with small yellow ends, but not all is what it seems. Initially I had bought the 2 complete bodyshells from Kernow, having noticed they were selling them off separately. The intention was to motorise it with a spare Hornby 2-Bil/Hal motor bogie, and scratch-build the chassis. However, whilst perusing the Bachmann spares website, I noticed they had the parts to build the complete chassis' for both coaches, so these were ordered, and all assembled on my workbench. I'll be honest here, and say that, after how much I spent, money wise, doing this, I might as well have bought a brand new boxed example. But the Green with small yellow ends seem to be rarer than hens teeth. Something I have been considering, is adding a factory building at the rear right-hand end, and turning what is currently intended to be a multiple unit servicing siding into another freight siding. The thought now being that it would be unlikely for a unit to be left overnight at such a small station, and the last passenger train would return to the main junction station or London. It would also give another industry to shunt, although i'm not sure what industry to model.... Perhaps a furniture manufacture, or fruit perhaps, but then I think fruit would be handled with the provenders store. Hopefully with the lighting gantry done now, I can start to focus more on the scenery, although this weekend marks the start of a very long F1 season, so more distractions at the weekend.

Having just finished laying a load of code 55 track, my fingers could have done with them...... 😆

Yes, this is true..... But this stuff to make this racing circuit work is next level technology from what i'm led to believe. The AI knows exactly where on the circuit each of the cars are, and each in turn has its own AI character so they technically race each other. I think the biggest stumbling block they had was designing the actually race track surface, with the sensors on it, to track each car.

Having seen the technology they've had to develop to get this to work, I very much doubt we'll ever be able to get this to work for our home layouts. The track base itself are some very sophisticated custom constructed circuit boards, and it's all controlled with a custom programmed AI.

Doesn't look realistic at all..... The Red Bull was stuck in third, rather than being half a lap ahead of everyone else......

If not a Lenz, then a Dapol Imperium 1 6-Pin isn't much bigger than the socket either, and they work rather well.... I have one in my Heljan 07, although there is more room in that, than in an 88DS....

Had a fantastic day on Saturday helping to operate Horsebridge Wharf. Many thanks from myself and Clive to Colin and the rest of the TMRC for putting on a fantastic exhibition. One thing if I may though. Horsebridge Wharf was not built, nor is owned, by the Basingstoke Model Railway Club, as mentioned in the show guide. It was built and is owned by Clive Abbott. @Modelrailwayquest, I notice it's also highlighted as so in your video, but I presume it's too late now to change this. I know Clive doesn't do social media, or any internet forums, and I know it's only a small thing, but thought I should just mention it here, just to avoid any confusion. I myself only help to set-up and operate the layout. My modelling interests, although still Southern, are much more modern, and more electrified, in nature.

I've always treated being invited to exhibit one of my layouts as a compliment to my modelling, and a privilege to share it with my follow modellers and the wider public. Therefore, i've only ever asked for the bare minimum in fuel costs. It's very much appreciated to be offered free tea and/or coffee, and a free lunch. It is, after all, a very long day, or weekend, as an exhibitor. But, I do pack some supplies myself, just in case. With regard to getting into the show for free if you're exhibiting. Yes, of course we do, but we don't exactly get hours to go round the show to look at everything. We might get a few minutes to pop round to a couple of trade stands to grab some supplies, or the odd bargain, maybe 15-20 mins, to have a look at the layouts once things start to quieten down in the afternoons, but mostly you'll find us with our layouts, operating, once the show is open.

More photos from the Alton 2024 show.

Thought I would share some of my photos from the Alton 2024 show. Mostly lots of close-ups, showing off Paul's hard work with the details.

Late to joining this thread, but as the Op knows, i've had a couple of American HO exhibition layouts which seemed to be much more well received (appearing at multiple exhibitions) than my British Southern Region layout. I suspect I know the reason my Southern layout didn't get any more invites than it's first show, but that's for another thread. That being said, i've had my fair share of the "Oh, that's American, lets see something else" comments. One actually made within earshot while I was operating out the front of my second American layout. OK, yes, you might not like something, but sometimes maybe it's best to keep your thoughts to yourself in public? I'll be honest, and say, I never gave any Swiss / Alpine layouts a second glance until I had my first holiday in Austria. Yes, it really is that clean in the Alps! Also, much like the Op, I also model a little modelled prototype in the UK. That being Spanish Railways. This is all down to my frequent holidays to that country, so i'm probably as familiar with the RENFE system, as I am some parts of British Railways. I still need to get the layout finished though, although it won't quite be the first Spanish layout on the exhibition circuit (if it ever gets there), but may certainly be unique.

Sorry i'm a bit late to the conversation, but i've used bulldog clips in the past, of the type used with artists easels and the like. These give electrical continuity and also alignment as well.

I think the best 4mm 4-Cor I've seen, would be the late Colin Park's scratch-build that he documented on here a few years back. His 4-Cig was just as good as well, and from some angles, you'd be forgiven (the same with the 4-Cor) for thinking that it was the real thing. A pity that a lot of the photos were lost in the great RMWeb DB crash.... However, that's not to take away from Darius's fantastic model, considering the starting point. It looks like a 4-Cor family unit to me, although I'm not old enough to have seen a real one in service.

When I was younger, I always wanted to get the MTK Southern EMU kits, as there was nothing else available. The work Paul Wade did with them was always an inspiration. But i've always thought that the face of the SR 1963 Type EMU's looked a bit flat. It could probably do with deeper gangway connections, and the jumper cable boxes drilling out and built up a bit.