Steve Purves

I know I know... Another new toy has arrived. I bought a Dapol 56 in EWS livery that was sound chipped, being too modern for my current tastes, swapped the body over with my own 56003. as a result I now have a sound fitted grid and an DCC fitted/ready EWS 56 for sale!

The video is a little poor, and I need to get the hang of driving one handed and holding the camera (or get a tripod) and I need to tweak a few CV's but here is the result... 

The link is to Apa Parks facebook page, but it should be public and openly viewable...

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=1509854559251222

More new arrivals on Apa Park, an 08 from RMweb and some HAA’s from the N Gauge Forum. Still awaiting two more loco’s to arrive this week, before the BRM photoshoot

New gronk by Steve Purves, on Flickr

Apa park by Steve Purves, on Flickr

Thats actually my old mans name!

You mean people on these fora have real names too?

you are right, I excpect it to be very popular, does it not share components with a southern beachy head (I forget the class) also?

Now to start hoping for a prototype HST powercar to complement the APT...

Not what I hoped it would be but my wallet is safe this time...

I have decided to start offering my weathering services to people, as a result took delivery from a friend of 30 odd wagons and some locomotives. One bonus is that they make a guest appearances on Apa Park! Here is a few examples…

A grubby 37672. Layers of brake dust, oil and track dirt, finished with some streaks and clag. No additional details added.

Apa Park weathering by Steve Purves, on Flickr

Same treatment for 37431

Apa Park weathering by Steve Purves, on Flickr

A selection of patchy open wagons

Apa Park weathering by Steve Purves, on Flickr

Apa Park weathering by Steve Purves, on Flickr

So Whilst I had the airbrush out I took the opportunity to ‘blow over’ a few of my new acquisitions, a triple grey 58, some dogfish and the rake of BAA’s that I had acquired last month.

Apa Park weathering by Steve Purves, on Flickr

Apa Park weathering by Steve Purves, on Flickr

Apa Park weathering by Steve Purves, on Flickr

To anyone on facebook. Apa Park now has a presence on there.

https://www.facebook.com/apa.park

This should be visible even if not registered to facebook. Thoughts please?

Steve

Thanks David. Not booked for Tings, not booked for anywhere for that matter! A young family precludes me going AWOL for too long. Local 1 day shows for me unless I put a team together!

I will be attending Tings so will have to catch up!

What have you done in place of trunking now? Can you not retrofit?

Steve

How do you link the cassette’s to the fixed track?

 

Julie

Nothing more complicated than a simple pair of fishplates, if they get bent, then whip em off and put a new pair on..

Awaiting release

Apa Park by Steve Purves, on Flickr

Here’s some gratuitous shots, I had Apa Park out for a play on Saturday. I wanted to test out some shots ready for BRM coming next week and I wanted to test some of the new stock I have acquired…

Firstly a nice overall shot –

Apa Park by Steve Purves, on Flickr

 And a shot from above with the lid off –

Apa Park by Steve Purves, on Flickr

One of my favourite places for photographs is actually under the bridge, this is the lower level –

Apa Park by Steve Purves, on Flickr

And the upper level –

Apa Park by Steve Purves, on Flickr

The station area –

Apa Park by Steve Purves, on Flickr

And the yard –

Apa Park by Steve Purves, on Flickr

And someone asked for a shot of the fiddle yard in action –

Apa Park by Steve Purves, on Flickr

Operational until late 1996 apparently

Does anyone know how long 47715 lasted in NSE livery?

Very nice range of scenecraft, the power station set with some coal trains would make a very nice layout in itself.

I'm neither surprised nor disappointed by the lack of new locos - when you look in the catalogue, there is an impressive amount of new models on their way, and thanks to the OO announcement I expect we will see a new N gauge 90 in a couple of years!

Also, after much moaning about the lack of sector era liveries, hopefully the chattering masses will be pleased to see some NSE stock on its way.

David

Lack of sectors...

No class 31 post BR blue

No sector 37/4

No 47/0 post BR blue

No RES 47/7 or IC 47/8

Regional railways coaching stock?

Etc...

Ah the million dollar question! As I am sure Kit will confirm this has been aired on the APT support group Yahoo Group site. How deep are your pockets?

Is this museum still going ahead - I thought I heard that the lottery application was rejected

Apparently so... I believe they were turned down with honours. Ie, make sure you apply next time which I understand is currently underway.

My pockets arent deep at all but as a vision it would be quite something. Are we talking 7 figures?

Some of the PC2 turbines will turn over Paul as we've actually done it a few times, but we dare not actually try to fire one up inside the museum at Shildon!

 

In any case we'd need some proper control connections and they orginally went via the steering beam to TC2. As TC2 is now the other side of the fire break we'd have to re-connect and extend a large number of cables for which we have no drawings, so it's unlikely we could do that even in the medium term. The Conservation and Support Group does have two zero houred turbines on support stands as well, and there's a far better chance that one of those might be capable of being powered up, but please don't hold your breath....

I'm not holding my breath but heres a few if...

If the E-train gets moved to the new museum at Leicester its al the end if an 18 mile test track...

If there was someone out with deep (ish) pockets or a well sorted fundraiser...

Is a running restoration something the group would entertain?

Just out of interest what would it take to run the old girl again in terms of components and cash? I understand preservation as a seasoned realist I know its a similar length to a piece of string but I would be very surprised if nobody had run the numbers before

Steve

A selection of new stock for Apa Park arrived,  heres an overall shot…

20140713_234737 by Steve Purves, on Flickr

The 60 will look good with my Dapol LH 56, and the 37 is to be paired with my Dutch 37…

The Black 5 will be paired with a maroon BSK when I can find one and will arrive/depart from the front track for servicing between railtour duties.

There is the 'new project' which is 'Apa Something' - as linked. the possible 'new new project' using the remainder of the materials I have to hand will be a slightly larger layout currently based on Leicester TMD (there is a plan on here I drew), but that is definately a back burner job for now and nothing more than "I will keep this for X" or "thats cheap I shall buy now for X"...

Thanks for all the votes so far... Updates on Apa Park will be few and far between now, as my new project is underway. I consider Apa Park to be pretty much finished and available for shows and the like. There are a few little things I would like to add, streetlights along the front road and overbridger for one, a few more people on the station being another. I plan to add a standpipe in the road with hose running to the nearside line in the yard for servicing my new Black Five when it arrives.

My new project, currently nameless is also using Apa Boxes, a pair - spliced together. I was unsure whether it belongs here or in the main layout section, as the Apa Box mentality is firmlly in the micro layout camp, but now with the overall scenic area being just over 4 foot long, this is not what I consider a micro layout in N gauge!

The thread can be found here... http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/87597-apa-something/

Micro or not? what do you think? Honorary Micro as it uses Apas? anyway, the thread is currently residing in the layout topics sections...

Finally, Many thanks for all the kind words and ecouragement on this, my first scenic railway from scratch by myself.

Steve

I have a copy, i didn't realise it was rare!

I was thinking the other day I should dust it off and re read...

Sorry to see you are selling Pete, If I wasn't already planning my new layout I would have taken it at that price!!! Best of luck to Gridwatcher...

Armchair modelling doesn't have to be limited (apa box, apa box, apa box, apa box) so Good luck with whatever you choose next (apa box, apa box, etc...)

Steve

37 185 on clayhoods.

Nurse... the screens...

I did think about that, although I haven't found one that grips a mobile phone as yet (all pictures on this thread are either Samsung Galaxy S3 or S4) I have now run the videos through the youtube stabilisaztion program and it seems to have helped. I will have a go at putting something a bit more professional (my younger brother is a director of photography - http://www.karlpoyzer.com/ ) I will have to try and twist his arm...

Looking better by each update, I am planning on splicing a pair of boxes together myself...