ColinK

Well, you've got the first line written, so just keep going. I suspect many of us would be interested to hear your story.

There was a pacer plus 153 south through Arnside about 1605 yesterday.

Sounded good and looked good at Shap Wells.

Waiting up at Shap to see it. Despite the awfull weather, the whole world seems to be up here.

Thanks for your kind words Ben. In the back of my cupboard I've got some old cine films taken between 1981 and 1988. While the quality and camera work isn't so good, the content includes things like blue diesels in Scotland and East German narrow gauge. I'm thinking of getting them digitised this year.

I've started this thread as somewhere to post my railway videos in case they are of interest to anyone. Part 1 of my 2015 video covers the West Coast Main Line between Lancaster and Carlisle. It includes steam, diesels and electrics on passenger and freight duties. You can find it on, I've already posted the other three sections elsewhere, but for completeness here they are. Part 2 covers the Cumbrian Coast Line from Lancaster to Barrow, featuring mainly the class 37 loco hauled services. Part 3 covers the Settle - Carlisle with a mix of diesel and steam traction. Part 4 goes overseas to North Germany and South Denmark. I had a week there photographing the rapidly vanishing 218 diesels on Intercity expresses and the Sylt Car Shuttles, large MaK diesels on the NOB trains to Westerland and diverted freight trains hauled by German 232s and Danish MZ locos. Plus a clip of an unusual narrow gauge line. I decided to use Vimeo as its supposed to have fewer anoying adverts than Youtube. But I had to reduce the resoloution of the video to download within my free allowance. Hope you enjoy.

It is a great shame that we don't have the funds and ability to bring APT-E back to life. In my opinion, it is one of the most important trains in the development of the modern railway - just as important (maybe more) as Mallard, Flying Scotsman etc. It is APT that pioneered the way for the modern high speed tilting train throughout the world. If anyone from the NRM is reading this, hope there will be an exhibition showing the development of the modern train, with APT as its centrepiece. The downside of highlighting APT is that it shows the folly of this country, abandon something new just before its 100% right, leaving other countries to finish it off and reap the benefits.

I would say 8 feet long is small for 0 gauge. I'm interested to see what you do as I have an O gauge diesel shunter but nothing at home to run it on.

Looking good, well done. If you go onto Youtube, there is a Humbrol channel containing many videos on painting, weathering etc. They are well worth watching. There is even a demonstration of painting a tank in camaflage a bit like yours (the colour edges are wavy rather than straight) using maskol.

Thanks Mick, hope it is as that's my day off.

Thanks for the info. That's quite tempting and I could do with the cash at the moment.

I'm hoping someone can give me a few pointers. My 05 has suddenly started running badly, but only in one direction. Running backwards (cab first) it runs fine. But going forward (bonnet first) something is wrong, it is erratic with a ticking sound like something is catching, particularly every half revoloution. It sound like something is catching in the gears, but if it was I would expect the problem to be in both directions.

Many thanks for the video, great to see them working.

Please keep the blog going, its a big help. I've got a similar airbrush and compressor and I'm learning too. Weathered seven locos with it today without any problems.

Glad to see the 58s bavk in use. Hope someone gets some video.

Will there be a 'Slim Jim' to go in my 33/2?

Nice photo and video.

Many thanks Richard E, your post has kept me dry. Had it been Scotsman I might have nipped out with my camera, but its pouring down, blowing a gale and I've got lots of pics of the 8F, so I'll stay in.

Carnforth - Hellifield - Carnforth path today has been activated. Suggests a test run from WCRC depot.

Today I was off to my model railway club (70 miles away). In the car I had my airbrush, a few locos for weathering and appropriate reference books. These included a Vitrains 37 and the 'Syphon Salute' book to use as a guide for weathering. However, I had only got 5 miles when the M6 came to a halt due to a lorry carrying shortbread catching fire. I was stuck there for over three hours. I was tempted to try and couple the airbrush up to my spare tyre and get on with the painting, but decided against it. Instead, I passed the time re-reading the excellent book accompanied by 'English Electric Thrash' on the CD player. There was a happy ending though, having abandoned the trip to the model railway club, I was back in time to see Flying Scotsman going through Lancaster.

Raced through Lancaster. Looks like there is a path tomorrow for a test run.

I arranged a day off work for the original test run. Wonder when it will be now?

Well done. While I've heard many people say don't buy a cheap airbrush, I went for one a bit like yours. I wasn't sure how I would get on with an airbrush, so I didn't want to spend a fortune. In practice I'm very happy with my purchase and I hope you are too.

Tired tonight so I sat down and watched a couple of VHS tapes I had picked up somewhere. The first was 'Britains Railway Heritage, Archive British Diesel & Electric Traction volume 2'. While the quality of the tape was poor, it did include some real gems, Green Falcon, Blue Pullman, class 74, one of the southen 1-co-co-1 locos, and some shots of a five car APT-P. Excellent. So if someone produces a 5 car APT its fine to run it on our layouts.

Many thanks for the update. Meant I didn't have to sit out in the cold with my camcorder.