Rich Papper

Hello Possible next project has seen a bit of work today (has been leapfrogged a few times!). One end stripped down as far as I could without breaking things. Is spending the night in IPA. This tends to ease the glue a bit too, so some further bits may yet come off to make the repaint a bit easier. Second part of the project will be the centre car. Others have posted much better conversions than this will end up being, so will spare you the swearing, but basically bits from Replica. Will need some thought as to couplings to allow lights to work. Might be a slow one, but will see how it goes. Have a good weekend folks. Rich

Hi Alex, Very good to see you and Westbridge again at the Hucclecote show today. Hope you got a chance for a sit down at some point - it's always a bit weird and exhausting operating on your own all day. Again, sorry my son's attention span didn't last through all of the stock, but all looking very good and performing faultlessly. Rich

Good Evening, A quick update as it feels like it's been a while. Did finally get around to finishing the DMU vehicle above, most guessed correctly! A few modifications to wiring, additional pickups and DCC'd with Hattons chip. I know, I know - but it keeps him off mine (albeit temporarily). Then to prove there are some sensible things going on. Destination blinds production line has started up again. Awaiting painting. And finally: about 15 years ago I did the NR HST. Didn't fit in with anything I'd done before or since, but I liked it, so rule #1. The boy likes it. Mainly because it's the old Hornby power cars so goes like the clappers. So I thought I'd do him one. Problem is it's been a while and I can't remember how I did everything before. I have searched through Newbryford's excellent thread, but for the life of me I feel there is some level of detail I've missed and I can't quite put my finger on it.... Good night. Rich

Just found this and rather enjoying it so far. Good work! Rich

Good luck. Always sad to lose a layout, but new opportunities too... Rich

Absolutely brilliant, well done. And flatter and better looking than any wooden floor I've ever laid! Rich

I would totally agree, I just seem to be on a roll with fettling plastic at the moment so will give it a go. I don't think there is much in it with the windows. If you look at this pic on Marton Loader's excellent site here (albeit not the main subject of the image), it does look like the level of the front and side windows are close at the bottom edge. Without the aid of proper drawings I think we're talking less than half a mm in OO. The 110 windows I'm planning working from are definitely shallower than the Bachmann 108 so I think I can live with it too. Good luck! Rich

Great pictures, and looking good so far. You've got me interested in the windows. The second picture down looks like the bottom edge of the saloon windows is level with the bottom edge of the cab front windows. Is this the case or is it a trick of the camera? Very curious as I had assumed that the Hornby 110 bodies I'm planning to fettle mine out of had saloon windows that were too deep, but offering them up to the Derby style front end they seem to be the same. My alternative is to make them all shallower and cut down the glazing so if this isn't necessary I'll be a very happy person! Thanks- you'll beat me to it either way! Rich

Glad to hear it went well - any pictures? I have a Powercab on Oxford Road and never had problems on it there. When I built home layout - a similar size to yours - I went for the 5A ProCab and haven't regretted it. Also the added bonus that the PowerCab can be used as an additional handset. Rich

Thanks for all the replies so far. Funnily enough Pete one of the tester pieces I did was Humbrol 29 but I was worried about the similarity to the track colour. Will find the bit I did and have a bit of a dry-brush session. I did also have a go at mortar, but couldn't get it to flow so ended up just making the bricks paler. I think this was a combination of not diluting enough, not having the wall wet to start with or not waiting long enough before wiping off. Interested by weathering powders too, have never used them. More experimentation needed. Happy for more ideas / pictures if anyone has any. Thanks Rich

Hello Brown brick. Does anyone have any recommendations for a starting colour for painting Wills / Slaters brick sheets? I'm thinking of the approaches to Paddington or the arches on the way into Waterloo - every bit of brickwork is a sludgy / muddy brown tending towards black in some places. I'm fairly sure I could dry brush the black, but what colour to start with for the brown? I'm also not at all sure whether these are actually brown bricks or started life another colour that is now just absolutely filthy, in which case would it be better to start with the colour they should be? Sorry, many questions, would love any and all suggestions. Thanks Rich

I use Humbrol 29. Available in pot or aerosol. For areas that are more likely to have locos etc standing I add a little black. Rich

Gnuthing.

Just found this and spent a happy while reading through. Really like the attention to detail and you've got a great selection of stock there. Keep up the good work. Rich

Good Evening, Another one picture update, but a significant one. Track is appearing on the upper level after some considerable absence. Nearly at the platform ends and two points in place. Slight hold up towards the front of the board as I can't seem to get hold of one of the points I need. Hopefully a trip to Cheltenham next week will put this right. Will only upend and do all the wiring when I've got all the track down as it is a pain to get to. Seep point motors, DCC Concepts decoders and a Hex Frog Juicer all ready and waiting. Test coach Argus doing the clearance tests. One thing I still can't visualise is the amount of empty space to the left hand side of this image. This is where the missing lines would once have come in. Looks a bit strange from this angle - apologies for terrible photo. Will mostly be empty ballast and weeds. Quite prototypical for a great many places, I'm just used to shoehorning all the track I can get in! Have a good weekend. Rich

Thanks! They are quite strange, but they have a certain character. I do do other things - I just haven't since I started this thread! I have several bits in the pipeline at the moment but have a bit of a backlog waiting for Spring to turn up so I can paint things in the shed. Then maybe some locos, wagons or coaching stock - and maybe even some HSTs! Rich

I feel exactly the same. I have waves of doing loads and then weeks go by when I either don't go in the room or we spend the whole time running Thomas! The mojo always comes back! Rich

Exact same problem here. Used the link, it takes me to a blank page with a search box for '1000s of magazines'. None of the searches for BRM from whatever angle come up with this offer. Anyone out there from BRM know why not? Rich

Hello. Can I just say a massive thank you to Chrisf and all other contributors to this thread. I don't have anything to add I'm afraid other than a vague recollection of a being on an NSE liveried 116 at some point in my youth, but am finding all of it absolutely fascinating. Love a DMU. Rich

Latest tinkering. Any guesses? Rich

Using supplied tension lock couplings for connecting the two, I get 1m28 or 4'2 and a half in old money. You might be able to shave a few mm off that with kadees! Rich

Good Evening, Small but significant update this evening - finally some evidence of platforms. Annoyingly, it did actually have platforms about four years ago. A 4 platform station with short parcels bay with Minories-esque points arrangement and could fit in a class 50+5 mk1s - but it just didn't look right whatever I did with it. Plan now is a terminus with a single island platform. Front line will fit a 4 car EMU in, the opposite platform will be extended slightly the basis of which is shown in tonight's photo. As seen in previous posts, the idea is that it was once served by two lines, one of which has since been lifted so this platform extension will cross the area that would have originally have begun the pointwork for the junction which has since been removed. In theory. Lets see how it turns out! Platform construction is going to be mainly 18 x 21mm stripwood faced with Peco concrete sides for the main, with Wills brick on the extension. For platform surface I plan to use some particularly good 2mm ply from local timber yard. Bought one sheet about 5 years ago and have been nibbling away at it for all sorts of things. Decided to start with this odd piece as all the rest will be relatively straight or very gently curved - simple but big. This bit has all the fiddly bits, and has concrete, brick and platform surface so I can experiment with all the paint colors I need on one small bit. Much of the past few evenings though has been spent trying to get three bits of B&Q stripwood that are labelled and sold as the same size, to be actually the same size. I know there are better sources of wood, but B&Q is on the way home from nursery so I can sneak bits in! More soon I hope. Rich

Good Evening, Another small update this evening. Have just had the Camtruck back from repair (failed battery because I forgot to charge it for ages - excellent service with repair though) and thought I'd give it a quick go. Light was failing so quality isn't great but have tried to do same circuit as shown on first page of this adventure. I still have no idea how to embed the video window, so here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5z0cJI3w1M&feature=youtu.be Shows more changes than I thought over the past couple of years, I suppose that happens when you just keep doing a little at a time. Nice to see progress though. Sorry about some of the tunnel sections being a bit dark, next time I'll contrive something in there with lights on. Should also mention the NR HST. Not quite in my time frame but I'd done one of the power cars about 15 years ago when it first appeared and it had just been sat in a box until my son discovered it and wouldn't let go of it for about three days. Supposed I needed a test train anyway so why not. Is relatively accurate - 43013 with buffers and 43062 without, only two trailers but he loves it as it has lights and moves like a scalded cat! A picture of the upper level too. Foundations for the platform going in - 15 x 18mm stripwood (which annoyingly B&Q seem to have stopped doing). Shows the relationship between the levels too. Both still look a bit flat, but DMU depot will be slightly higher than retaining wall at the peak of the roof and there will be low relief buildings behind the station on the upper level so it will hopefully give a bit of variation to an otherwise flat board. Have a good evening. Rich

Tried both of these - problem is they all know where I live!

I think Network Rail have Castle Cary penciled in for Control Period 74.