C&WR

Saddam Hussein's trainset?

It profoundly depresses me! I haven't a lot od spare cash for stock, so buy slowly & carefully (mainly) from eBay and then add decals and so on just to give a feel of how I remember the railways in my childhood. That the old Hornby Mk 3 is too short with one too few windows doesn't matter to me. I was childishly pleased when a member here gave me an old Hornby HST train set surplus to his requirements which in turn he had had given to him. I'm putting the Black Cat lighting sets in this and the one I had as a nipper and they will look just fine to me on my railway. That someone is going out and spoiling things the very young me would have been glad to have is rather sad. Cash wasn't abundant in those days either & nearly all my stuff from back then was from the local newspapers or whatever the 1970s version off eBay was... Hope you enjoy them. These were and are part of my much loved GWR express consist. And therefore worth much more A man of taste and discernment

Don't be so modest, that fits in nicely here!

I thought Bay Header Valance sounds like a character in Beverly Hills 90210*. *This was an American scholastic dramatic entertainment on the picture wireless, m'lud, popular among the youth of the 1980s.

I thought it was a constipated Geometry student who worked it out with a pencil and dividers

Great updates. Al. The loco lamps are inspired, & I wait with interest a view of the firebox effect!

He's got them back in stock again quickly. I paid slightly more for the second set, it must be said. Whatever, they are a really cool product, straightforward to fit, well packed for posting, and very quick to be sent out. I'm now tempted by the DMU lighting kit...

Thanks, Jaz. Yes, I intend to do a few shots from round the layout & edit them together.

Thanks, Julian. While the full length will not fit on Wallington properly what I intend to do is run it and make a video. From above it would look silly. From a fixed camera position I hope it will look majestic...

Yep, DC and very old. The kit comes from Black Cat Technologies on eBay here. Sadly I've just bought the last pair to go in the units Julian gave me! It's a really easy set to put in, even with my poor soldering skills. However as Black Cat say, it's worth test running before refitting the bodies...

And here we go, a proper HST consist, OK, I know most of the coaches are too short, but this pleases me: Andy Y would not approve of this shot, but it was late & I couldn't be bothered to get the tripod out. Next weekend I get to go home to Wallington-Super-Mare. I'm going to be doing a fair bit of soldering to get the layout lights right, but at one point. even if it almost touches its own tail, I will run this and pray the power car can pull it:

Hrar. Open day at School today, and in the lead up I have also been really busy doing a lot of reports to the Governors. Open day is a good day because I have to be there, but after the place is looking Bristol-fashion there are few demands on my time so I've finally brought the desk from weeks of paper down to woodwork. Anyway, when I got back TSC, TLHC and her cousin were off at a birthday party so after a short time in the garden with a paper and a beer I got to my HST & the directional lighting. The Black Cat kit suggests that the PCB can just be slotted in in the front of the cab and the existing contacts will make it work. Sadly this isn't the case, so it was out with the soldering iron: Eventually I got to this: And with the power the other way this: It then took a lot of messing about to get the power & new lights into the powered power car, and synchronise with the dummy. Whatever I did, the lights were the same at each end depending on how I turned the dial - right, all white, left all red. Then there were no lights at all. Eventually TSC, who had come home, looked at my test track and said, "Daddy, you know how you have to make a circuit?" "Yes, I do." "Well, Daddy it's not working, the power needs to go all around." "Yes, TSC, I know." "Well Daddy, the bit of metal you're using to stop the engine moving is going in front of the engine and making the electricity go away..." Good blooming point. Here's what I have now: Well done his CDT master, I say!

Got mine last night in a Buckinghamshire Tescos. I'm torturing myself and making myself wait to look at it until I've finished last month's. The young Kiwi girl (TLHC's cousin) who has just come to stay doesn't quite know what to make of my shopping last night which consisted of four bottles of St Austell Proper Job, a bottle of Brew Dog Punk IPA, and BRM. She's also a bit doubtful of the big pile of BR Blue Mark 3s awaiting the final transfers and the stripped down power cars which I have to get round to putting the directional lights in...

This has been one heck of a week. In minutes few I'm off for a livener before the School quiz night, then it's London Irish vs saints tomorrow, then TSC's team take on Wasps on Sunday. Oh, and the Beaconsfield show tomorrow morning too

Ye Gods, they aren't wrong when they say painting yellow is difficult! I had read somewhere about an initial HST consist being TF-TF-TRUK-TS-TRSB-TS-TS (imagine, to eating places) and how eventually this became TF-TF-TRFB-TS-TS-TS-TGS when I realised I had sufficient stock to do the latter. In fact depending on what a TRUK looked like I could make a fair approximation of the former using my Hornby and Joue bufett cars, although the last TS ould have to be a TS. Anyhow, I had this floating around my mind all day. When I got home TLHC was finishing some paperwork before a Mummies' night out (they're having a Pharaoh time of it I gather) and it transpired TSC hadn't completed his prep, so that had to be sorted. Therefore I masked off the cantrail lines on the to buffets and set to work. It appears Humbrol Gloss Yellow does not adhere well to Rail Blue plastic. Looks like it's going to be a few coats needed... Anyway, must have supper!

Hrar! Have finally managed an evening's modelling, thanks to having all the chores done earlier in the week and making a simple supper. I've finished the Op Build It lamp hut and made a start on the yard office, both of which have places to go on Wallington. I've also put the data panels and loading gauge markers on all my new Mk3s including the ones which Julian so kindly gave me. The Black Cat directional lighting set also seems to be functional, although I need to do some work to fit it in properly. Sorry no photos yet. They will follow!

Candy was dandy, but the liquor was quicker...

I certainly remember being a millionaire on School Trips*, Jamie. Anyway, because of the currency change one no longer spends a penny on the continent, it's now called euronation... *To Italy and Turkey

I was quite pleased with my cases and trunks, Jaz, but those are fabulous. I really needed to do the shading on the leather as well. One thing I did differently was use metallics for the catches and hinges.

I could barely walk away from the trackside signs stand at Coventry, Jaz. Sadly I was broke and couldn't afford to buy anything and I could have spent a fortune - the stuff is lovely!

Love the shot outside the station at night. A real feel of "journey almost done when we pull in, hope the kettle's on at home"...

What a thoroughly lovely bit of work which I will no doubt plagiarise pay homage to at some point

When I was at School the Downe House Gels were jolly nice Gels... Reminds me of that old one about explaining cricket to a foreigner:

The GWR one will be the correct one