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This web site can be very useful for tracking down particular Class 37 engine movements over the years, Phil. This is the page for 37 140 around 1980 but if you use the Fleet History tab you can track any of the 308 examples through their lives, some photos are also linked to each loco. I appreciate that you may not wish to be 'tied down tightly to a particular loco' .... but there may just be one to suit your scenario ? I use this site a lot for identifying 37s on the West Highland Line. https://www.class37.co.uk/fleet.aspx?strnumber=37140 Regards, Ian.

Hello Andy, could you try mixing a bit of white into all 3 of the colours to try and give them a more faded look (if that is what you're after ?) The darker 'green' in the original photo is also edging more towards the bluer side of the spectrum than dark green .... could you try the Oxford or an RAF blue and try adding a touch of yellow in it and maybe white to fade if it needs it ?? (Not necessarily to try on the model just yet until you are happy.) However I may have misunderstood the effect you want to end up with, ie a faded look ? ... or a fresher look ?? .... and whilst I am a colour Printer by trade I am used to working with varying Black, Cyan, Magenta and Yellow ink levels rather than mixing paints .... a simple little side pallet should give you the chance to experiment with a bit of this and a bit of that, though, to 'move' the colour in different directions. Hope this helps, Regards, Ian.

I'm just trying a little T'internet search whilst my printing press is running well ... haven't found anything yet though.

There are 2 versions available 378-028 and 378-028A ... I must have the 'A' version. I wasn't bothered which as mine will belong to the ScR ... I assume Perth Yard but I can't see the markings on the one photographed in the yard at Ton-na-Faire, Fort William. Regards, Ian.

Morning Phil, That's looking really, really good and I'm amazed at how you've managed to capture what I think is a very awkward body shape. One thing that I meant to mention when you were redoing the nose side grills was that there are also two versions of cantrail grill dividers plus both welded and rivetted roof panels to be aware of as they were built by two different companies, Vulcan Foundry or RSH; sorry I can't remember which details belong to which locos but it's best to try and have a look at a couple of photos of your chosen loco just to be safe. You may, of course, be already fully aware of this but I thought it was worth mentioning just in case. Best wishes, Ian.

Hope these help John. Regards, Ian.

Yes John but I haven't taken it out of the box yet, I'll try and post a couple of photos tomorrow. Regards, Ian.

Very interested to see what you find with this kit, Ken, as I intend to get one sooner rather than later ie whilst I still can. I know Alan Smith of Leeds MRS has built one successfully but I don't remember his comments from his build as it was several years ago now. This may well be the last 0 Gauge kit that I buy for quite a while as I still haven't gotten around yet to building any of the other dozen ones that I've bought but I will (hopefully) one say. Regards, Ian.

Now I do like that !! Super looking little loco.

Thanks for that, I'd missed that bit of information completely even though I am supposedly signed up for and certainly have had newsletters in the past. Expression of interest form now submitted and newsletter sign up redone just to be on the safeside ! Does anybody want to buy 6 Farish Metalair wagons and about 20 Peco 15' chassis ?? LoL Much appreciated, Ian. (Hmmm ... unless PBA Covhops ran on 15' chassis ??)

Can't wait for them to be announced in N gauge (hint, hint .... please, before I start cutting up Farish Metalair cement wagons and sticking them on peco 15'chassis !!)

Well some progress made with the fish van yesterday but not until I had realised that I had made a bit of a mistake (also spotted by @Phil Mason) with the solebar overlay ethches which should have had the top couple of millimeters bent over at 90' which I had originally been aware of but had managed to either forget or convince myself not to do as there was no fold line in the etches, this can be seen in the first photo ... the solebars being much deeper than the buffer beams ... having filled the swear box I decided that I needed to remove them again, bend them and refit them which lost me an hour or so but looks better for it (see 2nd photo.) I did manage to fit the small bracket details onto one side only, one of these took nearly as long as the solebar rectification as it just wouldn't take for some unknown reason. There is also a flaw with kit that I am aware of and still need to address. This flaw is that the initial 5 sided etch (including floor) folds up to make a lovely square, open box BUT the etched side and end detail overlays have unfortunately been etched to the same size as face they are to fit onto when they should have been a tad bigger to give butt joints where they meet, as it is there is a roughly 0.5 mm recess on the outside of all 4 corners. The instructions did mention this area would need fettling with brass strip (so the designer was aware of the flaw) but had I fully understood why this was then I think that I would have cut down (rather than folded up) the original 5 sided etch into separate pieces, filed them down a little before soldering back into a box shape that would then be slightly smaller than the overlay lengths and allow them to butt up to each other. My options now are to try filling the recesses with either wire or strip and then file to shape, fill with a filler (not sure that this would work) or more drastically seperate all of the sides and floor using a piercing saw and do what I should maybe have done in the first place ! I'm still undecided about this but might as well try option 1 first and see how it looks ... who knows, it might even work !! I was hoping to do this tonight but a late and tired return home from a visit to Newcastle has convinced me to get a good nights sleep and see if I can pinch a couple of hours in the morning before I prepare for a night's OT shift with a very quick turnaround back onto days for the rest of the week. I'm conscious that I don't have much useable time in which to finish this wagon before it is needed for display (Mar 16th) but I'll try. Hopefully more positive news later in the week to report. Regards, Ian.

Thanks Jerry and all for the info, one added to the shopping list ... and an etched chassis ... and some buffers ... and some axleboxes ... and some roof vents ... LoL. Much appreciated. Regards, Ian.

I don't suppose that you know the dia. number of the L&NWR van do you Jerry, please ? I have a few L&NWR milk vans in my 3mm scale flat pack stash but none that look the van that you've modelled. We've got a meeting coming up shortly where I may be able to get hold of one. Any idea of date regarding the photo, please ? Regards, Ian.

Why did 'Thunder in the Mountains' by Toyah just spring into my head ?? LoL

An expensive week but I am now in possession of 5/6 Executive FOs, 2 WCR FOs and a Departmental exSECR brake van which all arrived a little sooner but very gratefully than I was anticipating. The last Exec FO should arrive next week but was a late addition to my pre-order at my local model shop (FMR) where I also found yet another split headcode Class 37 to buy. Volunteered for Mon night OT to help pay for it all !! LoL

Prompted by @TT100 Diesels the L&Y Fish Van makes slow but steady progress, several etches being fitted at least twice until I was happy with their positions. Thanks to Alan Smith (torpedo vents) and @Phil Mason of this parish (black transfers) I now have all the items to complete this little project and just need a good day tomorrow to get it as near to the painting stage as possible by the end of the w/end. It now sits temporarily on it's wheels which are removed and kept well out of the way whilst soldering takes place. Before I recommence work on the S&DJR Mail Van remind me to grow my finger nails a bit longer as trying to solder those long end vents on square blooming well hurt !! LoL Love the Peak, one of my favourite diesel classes and still amazed at how well the Class 37 is appearing before our very eyes out of plasticard. Best wishes to all connected with this 3mm workbench thread (even if you're just making a passing visit) ... it really is a great scale to work in. Regards, Ian. (Who also has a large N gauge collection and dabbles with other larger scales.)

That looks spot on to me, Andy, little bit of paint and weathering to blend it in with the trackwork and done. The trees and gorse look good to me also, showing them in the earlier stages of their lives. Regards, Ian.

Complete with an Observation Saloon on the rear for the passengers to enjoy the views back down Loch Awe ... marvellous !

I like the plan but (and I don't wish to sound negative here) the obvious concern to me would be the weight of turning up to 6 'O' gauge trains on each turntable. I once owned a Heljan Class 26 which was pretty heavy on it's own. I'm quite sure that you are comfortable with the size of your 'O' gauge stock, so you will have a much better idea of the feasibility of this than me and I'd certainly go out of my way to see Glenfinnan at an exhibition so I hope that it works, Andy. Regards, Ian.

I've rather hastily started this Jidenco kit of a dia.72 L&YR Fish Van this afternoon which is making slow but steady progress. I say hastily because I don't have much information about them other than a side on photo and a couple of drawings that I've found. Both the photo and the instructions suggest that the livery is white with black lettering in both L&Y and LMS days which I'm not sure if I can get transfers for, there were no castings either with the etches so I'll have to source some or maybe modify some others from my small spare stock. I'm hoping that CCT may do some transfers ? I only got the kit last Sat so it's definitely 'queue jumping' in my to build list but is needed for a friend's train in March. First time that the soldering iron has been weilded for a while as well so I might just try and finish off my S&DJR Mail van that is at a similar stage whilst I'm at it. Best wishes, Ian. (Who is watching the Class 37 build with fascinated interest !)

Just to bring this slight thread deviation back onto a Glenfinnan relevance I thought it might be useful to show the two ends of the stationary double headed 9 coach 1985 at rest at Glenfinnan station from ee20213's Flickr album. I hope that you don't mind Andy. I've also seen a collection of photos from around 1990 showing the run around of a 9 coach Landcruiser train which concurs with the previous description of the Mallaig manoeuvre described earlier. Sorry for this deviation Andy. Regards, Ian.

I think Option 2 as described by @Fishplate is the way to go as I think a joint on the summit will always be a 'weak' point with potential to change in the future (ie such as with differences between summer and winter temperatures) however does this section need a joint for maintenence removal purposes ? Regards, Ian.

Hello Andy, Double headed 9 coach specials were not unknown on the Mallaig Line as shown in this May 31st 1985 shot (again from ee20213's Flickr album) so somebody somewhere had a plan for running around these lengthy trains (and also for passing them en-route.) Incidentally the coach on the left must be one of the original blue/greys used in 1984 for the steam services (note the terrier on the side) even though the first set of green/cream coaches were now being used ... I always thought that it was these blue/greys that were repainted but obviously not (I've never been able to find out the numbers of the original coaches.) Regards, Ian.

Hello Andy, I'm sure that you've already come to this conclusion but just in case there is any doubt remaining about the colour of the headboard in 1985 ... .... photo by ee20213's Dad, from his SLOA Tour Flickr album, june 2nd 1985, which is well worth a look through.