thegreenhowards

I’ll look forward to that. Three volumes sounds like a serious piece of work - should do the class justice! Are you still planning another blue diesel book? Andy

I was expecting to be put firmly back in my box, so it’s good news that it’s on the cards. The 1905 from Aberdeen looks like the best bet - just one SLSTP and one SLF (admittedly a long Gresley, but I’m sure yours could substitute) plus a lot of mark 1s. Next time hopefully. Andy

Gilbert, Now you have some sleepers, shouldn’t there be a late up overnight service to kick off the cycle?! Andy

Hi Andrew, I’ve got to the underframe fittings stage on my d.210 now, but I’m struggling to find a picture or diagram which shows what went where. You seem to have battery boxes on both sides whereas I thought these twin arts often had them one per coach on alternate sides. Also you seem to have four sets of vacuum equipment whereas I would have expected three in total - one per bogie. I could have got this completely wrong, but do you have any sort of diagram as a basis for what you have done? Regards Andy

Clive, I’m now home and I’ve checked Campling. The reference is on p22 (and 24&26) and refers to end vestibule stock only, so I’m pretty sure that neither of your proposed vehicles would have had the same treatment. Andy

Hi Clive, I’m away at the moment so can’t check my reference material. I think the comment was in the Orange Campling book on LNER Coach diagrams and referred to end vestibule diagrams. I’ll check when I get back and confirm. Andy

Thanks, I use a similar mix but with 27004 and some grey added and brush painted. It generally works well, but I find it sometimes doesn’t stick to the valve gear very well. I don’t think I’ve got the patience for airbrushing - far too much cleaning involved! Andy

David, Just read through this thread as well. Some lovely locos and the weathering looks really good. How do you get the grimy effect on the valve gear & wheels? Andy

45-50 trains is impressive, I’m very jealous. I can only manage about 25 which means lots of stuff stays in boxes.

They were set correctly before I started filming, but you know what I’m like for forgetting signals! It’s only a stand in old Hornby signal with the arms held in place with blutac. I’m planning to build an MSE one to replace it, but that could be some time.

David, I've just found your layout thread. It’s a shame that you never managed to complete the old layout as it looked like it had potential. Do you have any specific plans for your new ‘bigger site’? Now I’m off to read your rolling stock thread. Andy

Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings! It’s strange because it seems to have the separate battery boxes which, I think, only feature on the sleeper. It’s possible that some were rebuilt with angle iron so I’d wait to see if any of the experts on here provide a justification before you do anything hasty.

Here is a short video of the complete formation of the 1410 King's Cross - York/Hull in action crossing my take on Digswell viaduct (about half the correct height and 1/3 the length!). The formation was: BSO, TSO, SK, FO (E3083), TSO, RK, FO, FK, BSO, SK, TSO, BSK (all mark 1 except for the Thompson RK/FO). Thanks to Robert Carroll for the carriage workings. All the mark 1's are Hornby or Bachmann expect for E3083 and the Crimson/ Cream BSO which is made from Southern Pride sides in the same way as E3083. The telephoto on the camcorder makes me realise how wonky some of the viaduct is. I must put that on the winter renovations list. Andy

Gilbert, I've been eagerly looking forward to seeing the sleepers in action. I won't pass judgement on my efforts, but the train as a whole looks great - a welcome addition to the PN repertoire. I don't mind the Hornby sleeper although yours looks like a bit of a cross breed as it has angle iron rather than truss rods whereas the Hornby original correctly had truss rods - what's the provenance of the chassis? Andy

Tony, It's still working very well thanks. And in order to kill two birds with one stone, as you were asking about rescued Kirk kits, here is a picture of it on a ECML relief. Seven of these coaches are Kirk kits rescued from Ebay or toy fairs ranging from unopened kit to complete, but in need of fixing. All have been built/ finished off/ repaired by me. The formation is BSO, 6*SK (D.155 end vestibule), BSK as was typical on reliefs to the North East. The fifth coach I made from Mousa brass sides on a Hornby donor. In some ways I prefer the Kirk kits as the window arrangement is wrong on the Mousa sides (it had no ventilators which is correct for the 1930's but they had ventilators added on alternate windows by the 1950's - see photos below). Obviously the flush glazing and Hornby underframe are superior to the Kirk kits, although one or two of the Kirk kits have had MJT underframe fittings. The coaches ride on a mixture of Kirk, Hornby, Bachmann and MJT bogies. Here is a close up of the Kirk kit with the correct ventilator arrangement. And here is the Mousa version with no vents on the corridor side. I see I need to get that handrail straight! As for the V2, she runs very well and is so stuffed with lead that she'll pull anything. She is a little on the slow side though so I use her mainly on fitted freight Here is a video showing the rake in action - this is top speed for the V2. Andy

Tony, Just back from a week’s scout camp with no mobile signal - hence my radio silence. I agree with Northmoor over the pricing of EM stuff. At a show or face to face where you normally sell, the number of EM modellers must be quite small, so the chance of finding someone who wants the loco except at a bargain price is slight. On eBay (which I know you avoid), the market is much bigger and, in my experience, EM gauge stuff sells for reasonable prices, if slightly lower than OO on average. Regards Andy

Another couple of coaches off the production line. This time it's a Thompson FO produced from Southern Pride sides on a Bachmann donor. This is one of the four started back in May (see my post of 4th May). The RK is already finished and I showed some pictures on the Peterborough North thread. This will form a pair with the RK or a triplet with an SO as well. I envisage it forming part of a few services, but initially it will enable me to complete the 1410 King's Cross-York/Hull from 1959. The other coach is a Mark 1 prototype FO, E3083. This was a one off built in 1957 and has a very distinctive window arrangements. The seats all swivel to allow the passenger to face forward. The original is preserved on the Severn Valley Railway where it is a regular performer. The model is built from Southern Pride pre-printed sides on a old Hornby Mark 1 (the sort with the two screws in the bottom to hold the roof on). The Southern Pride sides clip into this chassis with no modification so it's a really easy conversion. Southern Pride sell a kit to create the interior which makes that easy as well. This has been in my 'almost finished' pile for a couple of years, but finishing the RK/FO pair gave me an incentive to finish it off as it was allocated to the 1410 King's Cross-York/Hull in 1959. Andy

Thanks Clive, That's very useful. Should save me some work.

So is the difference just one vertical bar in the middle of the large grill or am I missing more differences. If it’s just the vertical bar, then it should be an easy plasticard conversion.

Having started all the J17 debate a few weeks ago, I’m pleased to report that my own is now finished and weathered. the hot weather over the last few days meant I set up a workshop under an umbrella in the garden...and very pleasant working it was too!. Here are some pictures and a short video.

That was the point I was trying to make. You explained it much more comprehensively though! Basically the courser the standards, the more you can get away with. Tony’s track is quite unusual in allowing good fast running on finescale track.

A nice rake, thanks for showing us. I couldn’t see the ‘1’s on the BCK in the first picture hence my confusing it for a BSK.

Indeed- I remember a video of a visiting loco going somewhat above the speed limit which is what prompted my post. Of course it doesn’t need to be good track - just remember how fast Hornby Dublo could go!

Is that a scale 80mph?!

I love the work stained B1 and the leading Gresley BSK(6). What are their provenances? Andy