Richard Pike

I had been out Friday and Saturday to catch this loco and had Camera problems both times but this evening was third time lucky as I caught 66720 working 6V80 West Burton - Portbury Gypsum at Sutton Parkway on the Robin Hood line. The train was running 10 early which gave me time to make it over to the ECML and catch 47812.

Running 44 minutes down allowed me to catch this mornings 6M57 Lindsey - Kingsbury Tanks being worked by 60015 at Clay Cross Junction.

This mornings non stop 3Q17 Inverness - Derby RTC, worked by 37688 with DBSO 9708 on the rear, seen at Clay Cross junction.

1Q07 Doncaster - Derby RTC at Clay Cross this evening.

New Project …..WBB Minerals PAA Hoppers To match my increasing GBRf fleet, one of my favourite workings is the Middleton Towers sand train that runs on the ECML most days in the WBB Minerals PAA hoppers. Big Thanks to Mark Saunders who supplied me with a rake of 30 PGA hoppers suitable for the conversion to PAA's. The major conversion from a PGA is the hopper hood, this I have made from plasticard as a master then started molding them out of resin. First prototype is completed, just 29 more to go !. Normally I like to make my own decals but for this size project I have commissioned them to a specialist…….hurry Steve.

Not a GBRf loco for a change. 57003 just repainted into new compass livery.

A few from the weekend. 4D79 Peterborough - Doncaster, 66728 leading 66709 with a single FEA-S, Saturday 4th July at Carlton loop. 66061, 66079 and 60039 on the rear at Doncaster Decoy, Sunday 5th July. Also on Sunday stabled at Doncaster RMT, 66771. This morning 66716 on 4M88 Drax - Hotchley Hill caught at Sutton Forest.

This afternoon at Clay Cross junction, 20118 / 132 / 311 / 314, 0M24 Barrow Hill - Derby.

47815 caught at Clay Cross today, Barrow Hill - Eastleigh.

A couple of hours today at Clay Cross North Junction whilst waiting for a 47 and two pair of 20's. 66136, 6M57 Lindsey - Kingsbury diverted Tanks. 66760, 6M01 Tinsley - Bardon Hill 66764, 6M73 Doncaster - Toton. 66172, 6X01 Scunthorpe - Eastleigh CWRT 66613, 6L87 Hope - West Thurrock Cement 66595, 6Z91 Mountsorrel - Tyne SS

Finished another 4 loco's for my GBRf collection. First up a new version of 709 in its latest Europorte Medite livery Next, a straight forward renumber job, 66737 Then 66711, which incidentally is being named this morning at Bardon Quarry. Finally current GBRf celebrity 59003.

Had to nip to Chesterfield this evening on family duties and managed to catch these two workings 66115 on 6X?? Lindsey Refinery - Kingsbury loaded Tanks at 20.35. 66076 on 4E69 Southampton - Wakefield running 217 minutes late at 20.39

This mornings 4M88 Drax - Hotchley Hill Gypsum being worked by 66759, running on time at 05.22 through Mansfield Woodhouse.

My Paint shop has a GBRf feel to it……..surprisingly.

Yesterday afternoon's 6V80, West Burton - Portbury Gypsum being hauled by 66738 "Huddersfield Town" at Sutton Forest. This morning's 4M88, Drax - Hotchley Hill, worked by 66719 "Metroland" taken at Sutton Parkway.

Currently I have 9 loco's under going repaints, so I thought I would add or replace their handrails with my own made efforts. Firstly I added a measured piece of plasticard to a set of square nosed pliers to form a very basic bending jig. I then set about making 40 of them and attached them to a piece of card ready for the paint shop. The fun of installing them to follow.

Just a couple from today, first up, apologies for such a poor picture but it was quite dark this morning at 04.40 !!! 66749 working 6V80, West Burton - Portbury Gypsum, taken at Sutton forest. Much better light this evening, 66206 working 6E83 Hotchley Hill - Milford sidings, taken ay Clay Cross junction.

One from this evening, taken at Clay Cross North. 47818 with Caroline in tow working 5Z02, Doncaster to Derby RTC.

A couple from this afternoon at Clay Cross Junction. 66739 with the 6M35, Rylstone - Small Heath. 66738 with the 4E83 Hotchley Hill - Doncaster Decoy Gypsum.

66748, 6E89 Portbury - Doncaster Gypsum empties today at Sutton Forest.

The wagon box's are simply made out of plasticard, I just scaled them from the photographs of the wagons that I had, primed, painted DB red and then decals applied. I got the TOPS panel decals made up by John at Precision labels.

The kit I used was Cambrian C22.

The DB wagons.....the MXA is converted from a BRA Bogie Bolster, in my case a RTR Bachmann model and the MVA is based on a BAA, this one built from a Cambrian Kit. I understand that the two prototype wagons have been built as trails vehicles to utilise wagons that are currently stored

Hi Jack, I have cut open the nose and installed a Keen close coupler and just used a NEM bar coupler from a Bahmann intermodal flat. i did try making a magnetic coupler but that didnt quite work out to plan.

There is a great picture of the coupling on the GBRf facebook page. https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153336111195362&id=597805361&set=p.10153336111195362&source=47&refid=13