joejab95

Hello I have just been looking at some of your photos and admiring your ballast and the cable trenches (if that's the right terminology).  How did you make the cable trenches lineside as they look really good.  Also is the ballast in the gap between the two railway lines (the 4 foot) raised/piled slightly higher?

The cable trunking/trenches (I'm not sure what they are either!) are made by Wills Kits. I lay them down first and then ballast round them. I then dry brush some brown paint on top to give them a weathered look.

Regarding the ballast, I try to ballast the railway lines themselves first before doing the centre. I try and give them a bit of a shoulder - I'm guessing that's what you're referring to with the raised profile? 

Once set, I go back and lightly fill the gap between. Hope this helps!

A bit of a general update showing the progress that I've made on the hillside scenery

And then just a few of my favourite HST shots from last night too!

I believe that the 87 will be with us shortly. I am not so sure the 90 will make it before the year is out though.

I'm led to believe that the Swallow 87 will be with us in March and the Virgin 87 to follow in the summer. 

Bachmann have said the 90 is due late summer, and looking at the samples, I can't see there being too much of a delay on that now. 

Nothing really done this evening. I gave 85 101 a run out, but it's definitely in need of a service! Class 57312 also got a run out.

Looking forward to getting these!

It's so nice to be getting them the same year as a brand new Swallow 87 and a 90!

Although it looks like my 85 will have the honors to do the debut run with them if they are close to being in the shops! 

Work has continued on the hillside. It's really starting to take shape now

I've also acquired some laser cut catenary kits. I'm very impressed with them

And finally some pictures of 66 416 with its rake of HIAs

Certainly one livery I hope for in the future is London Midland, and for Bachmann to get it right if they do. The 170's green was way off (so I repainted mine) - thankfully the 350s were correct!

I understand with the recent switch over occurring with West Midlands Trains, why Bachmann may have been reluctant to include it within the first wave.

I'd quite equally welcome a Central Trains variant aswell, which did span a fair few years itself.

I've started work on the back of the layout. I really wanted a long sweeping curve, as the front is rather busy anyway. I've also started work on a TMD for the layout

I also gave the 57s a good run out on the layout this evening

It certainly looks like Bachmann have got going on their Class 90 and mk2fs and both look excellent.

The additions of the Class 159 and GWR Class 158 to the range certainly suggests that work on the 158 model is progressing well. If the chassis will be shared across these modern DMUs, I'm sure that the 170 will not be too far behind. 

Following on from those, I could definitely see either a 166 or 175 on the drawing board in the future, using the same low profile chassis.

Regarding the BSI couplers, I'm very interested to see what they come up with. Like others, I'm wondering if the couplers will be sold as stand alone spares and usable on existing models?

I'd very much like to get some for my Hornby Class 153 and Bachmann 150s if they were compatible - but that's wishful thinking of course!

According to Bachmann, the second generation DMU models will all feature the following:

These use all-new tooling and feature a low-level drive mechanism with DCC provision (previous models did not have any DCC provision).

• Switchable day and night modes.
• Illuminated destination blinds.
• Functional BSI couplings on outer ends.
• Conductive coupling meaning only one decoder is required for DCC operation.

• Easy access DCC decoder fitting. 

Thought I'd set up a dedicated thread, as I'm extremely excited for these!

Cut and paste from Andy Y's  2018 announcement thread

Class 170 DMU
44 x two-car and 89 x three-car units were built between 1998 and 2005 for Porterbrook Leasing Company and HSBC Rail. The units have seen service with a considerable number of operators both past and present. Current operators are Cross Country, Greater Anglia, ScotRail and West Midlands Trains.
35-625 Class 170/1 3-Car DMU No. 170104 in Cross Country livery
New Tooling

 
Photo by Neil Downing

35-626 Class 170/4 3-Car DMU No. 170453 in ScotRail (Saltire) livery
New Tooling

Class 171 DMU
9 x two-car and 6 x four-car units were built between 2003 and 2005 for Porterbrook Leasing Company for use on Southern’s Uckfield branch which is not electrified.
 

Photo by Dan Adkins
35-580 Class 171 2-Car DMU No. 171722 in Southern livery
New Tooling

Class 168/3 DMU
9 x two-car Class 170 units were obtained by Chiltern from First TransPennine Express which were subsequently converted to operate with the existing Class 168 fleet and re-designated as Class 168/3.

 
Photo by Joseph Porter
35-560 Class 168 2-Car DMU No. 168327 in Chiltern Railways livery
New Tooling, represents Class 168/3s that were reclassified from 170s

I was a bit surprised there isnt a matching Intercity Swallow DVT being produced at the same time

Agreed, but at least it means I won't go hungry in 2018! I'm already likely getting the Bachmann Virgin 47, Swallow 87, Virgin 87 and possibly a Virgin DVT - The wallet probably won't handle much more this year!

I'm almost certain it'll appear in the 2019 range.

Made up to see a Virgin Trains Class 87 and matching DVT in the 2018 range!

Fantastic to see a Virgin Trains Class 87! That'll do very nicely along with another rake of mk3s! Gonna be an expensive year for me!

Absolutely delighted with new toolings for the 168/3 and 170!

Been long overdue this one!

I really like the tunnel approach with the Town scene to the left. Looks very effective!

Here's some of the photos which I had forgotten to upload before the club closed for Christmas

I managed to get quite a large amount ballasted at the end of last year, with three out of the four platforms now ballasted.

I've got quite a few plans for 2018, which I will be sharing with you soon!

The bus depot is amazing and your photographs of the locos are top notch. Such great detail.  Well done.

Thanks! I really enjoyed doing the bus depot, the scalescenes kit is excellent in my opinion.

So what liveries will we see in the next batch of 68s do you think ?

I'd certainly expect the DRS plain Blue and possibly a TPE livery to appear.

Why the last 2 announcements have only been 150/2s I don't get...

Yeah I'm gutted that there aren't enough 150/1s about! There are so many more liveries that could be done on them.

I'm sure that one in Northern would sell really well for them, considering how quickly the FGW 150/1 and Northern 150/2 have sold out in recent years.

Hoping for a few more Class 150s! 

Would be chuffed with either London Midland or Northern!

Thanks for the kind comments!

I appear to be much better at updating my Facebook page than my RMweb thread!

Here's the latest video!

Thanks for the info on the PPM guys!

That O gauge one looks absolutely superb!

I was never around to see the original station. I remember the old bus station used to come up much closer to the (newer) railway station where the 9 used to stop, than where it does now.

There's a nice fancy forecourt that separates them a little now, which I may model seeing as my University dissertation was on fabric tension structures!

Very nice work. I have built a PPM50 using the RM drawings some years ago. It's no good for your project as it is 1:29 scale. One unusual feature is that on my garden railway running from storage siding round the garden and back to the storage siding is in scale terms a longer run than the real thing has.

All the best with your project.

Thanks Chris, do you have any recommendations on where to start on the PPM? If I'm totally honest I've only been going off photos so far, whilst using just the entire length and width of the PPM as a guide from the Parry site.

I can't actually find any measurements on the net of the proportions of doors/windows etc

Not entirely sure, but it's rendered brick or block I think, with a concrete slab roof. You can just make out an air brick in the side, just below the sign, so it's hollow.

 

I suspect it's a housing for incoming the electric supply, housing meters and the like, and that if you went around the back you might find a couple of access doors.

 

 

Thanks Peter! Those photos are also very helpful from that angle, I never noticed the brickwork behind the box linking in to the back wall