Duncan.

Evening Everyone, Thanks for your comments. We struggle on. Did a little modelling therapy this afternoon. So I got the fans installed today-progress! Cheers Duncan

Hi Stuart, The last 5 days have been very difficult. We are both (at last) starting to improve., but we are still both very tired and it will be a slow recovery. It does sound that your wife has it- a test for her is essential. You need if you can to keep in separate rooms use separate towels, crockery and cutlery, sleep in separate rooms too! I know! You will need to isolate straightaway and not go out at all. We did the home test on ourselves. Got results just 2 days after the test. We will be thinking of you, try to keep us informed of your progress. Cheers Duncan

Hi Cav, I have not had problems breathing. But I have had an intermittent fever, really bad pains all over my body lost about 1/2 stone so far and I cannot taste anything, so it's be quite unpleasant.. Then we are isolating for 14 days so shopping is a problem. Cheers Duncan

Hi Rich I got the wrong result this morning POSITIVE In fact both Janet and me are positive. We like to share everything! Everybody please take great care. Duncan

Hi Everyone, Once again my modelling (and everything else) has taken very much a back seat. I have been really ill over the past week with what I believe to be Covid 19. I am waiting to get the test results back. I feel a little better today but so very weak and tired. I can not taste anything but haven't really felt like food anyway... This post was not meant to be about me apologies... I have sprayed some paint this afternoon. I have added etched roof grilles to the 47 with fans to be added soon. The loco remains to be weathered. It was tricky removing the raised rib around the moulded roof grilles due to the raised detail in close proximity slow and careful is the way to proceed. Cheers Duncan

Hi, In what scale are you modelling? I have Shirebrook Depot as the centre piece of my layout (see links below). In N scale it is 6ft in length. To model a depot and include all your list you will need a larger space to avoid it looking cramped up. Cheers Duncan

Hi Ric, Not my work but that of Mr Bachmann-Farish. The loco is 47436 but I am changing the identity to 47120 RAF Kinloss. So I am only repainting the parts that I have to, the basic livery is the factory finish. Cheers Duncan

OK Cav, I'll see your handrails and raise you a lamp Iron! (Well two actually there's another at the other end) This will be 47120 when finished. The aerial has been removed wire handrails and lamp iron added,hole filled (for eth), pipework added, headcode panel painted black and roof partially respayed. Cheers Duncan

Hi, I'm in the process of making 47436 into 47150 as mentioned above. I have had several mods to make. The roof mounted aerials had to be removed. There was a hole just above the buffer beam where it was possible to fit the supplied eth jumper which also required to be filled (no eth on this loco). I have replaced all the moulded handrails with wire ones on the ends of the loco and I will be detailing no1 end with the usual brake pipework and screw coupling. The printed numbers 47436 on this loco came off very easily, probably too easily... I can see them coming off even with gentle handling, which is not ideal if you want to run the loco as 47436! I will post some pictures in due course. Cheers Duncan

It has been said that rub down are superior to waterslide transfers due to the lack of carrier film. However I find waterslide easier to work with. When you see my locos that I have renumbered you are looking at waterslide transfers. My preferred brand is Fox. However as you can see from the photos above I think the transfers on my 47362 (Fox) and Cav's 47190 (Railtec) both look great. I have found that it is not possible to use Microsol and Microset solutions with Railtec transfers. (These solutions are used to help transfers form to a ridged surface, but that's not an issue with renumbering a 47. If you are applying separate numerals to make a 5 digit number you will find it easier if you apply the number over a series of days. So do your 2 on each side of the loco and leave to dry. Tomorrow you can add a 3 and a 7 (of the '47' part of the number) to each side, take care not to let water contact the dry '2'. Allow to dry overnight. Then on the third day (sound like the Easter story) you can add the 4 and the 7 again keeping the previously applied numbers dry. I use a cocktail stick to drag transfers off the backing and into position on the model and I use a quality kitchen roll to blot water off the surface. Ensure that the surface to which you are applying the transfer is oil and grease free, keep your fingers off it! You could clean it first with a cotton bud and a weak and warm washing up solution, blot with kitchen roll and allow to air dry. I also cut the transfers from the transfer 'sheet' with a scalpel (new blade) as close to the digit as I can.This keeps the carrier film to a minimum. Once all the transfers are dry if you have an airbrush spray lightly with satin or matt varnish to match the model. If no air brush I would gently paint a thinned satin varnish over the numbers applied. Cheers Duncan

Lovely work John. May I be so bold to recommend that you add a figure from Modelu https://www.modelu3d.co.uk/product/1035/ I have no connection with them. Cheers Duncan

Time for a catch Up. My wallet has been suffering lately, perhaps your has too. I have purchased some stock for Shirebrook, whenever it is possible to get it back on the road. Some MK 2fs for a weekend diversion of St. Pancras -Sheffield services and 47018 and 47436. You know it would not be me to run these locos and coaches on the layout straight from the box. 47018 has become 47362, a modification to the roof -362 didn't have a boiler of course,weathered and is pictured below ,while 47436 is still in 'the works' and will shortly reappear on Shirebrook as 47120 RAF Kinloss. This loco was one of only a handful of 47/0s to be painted into Blue Large Logo livery so therefore a suitable candidate for Shirebrook, (despite my dislike for named locos). 120 was chosen for the name as 120 Squadron's home base was Kinloss. Pictures of that to follow. Cheers Duncan

i have to say 9C85 I think you made a mistake going to OO, Dallam sidings is a great layout and like my N gauge layout we were both supposed to at the Wigan show. So if you dare check out Shirebrook via the link.... Hopefully we will both be at Wigan in 2021, I sure Simon would join me in hoping to see you there! Cheers Duncan

Hi Andy, I'm not sure if I want to know what is happening in the penthouse flat. However, (perhaps I missed it earlier in the thread), can you tell me about the construction of the Georgian (?) Terrace at the back of the layout? Have you produced your own artwork for these buildings? The layout is looking really great. Cheers Duncan

Oh Simon, sometimes I wish the Midland had built 4 running lines through Shirebrook! Cheers Duncan

Hello, Well household projects, work and other commitments have taken me away from the modelling bench. I was excited and delighted with the IPA from RevolutioN that was delivered this week. I think it is the best model they have produced to date. Here's a quick photo of it on the layout. Cheers Duncan

Hi PC, They come with very short spare NEM couplers. You can replace those fitted with the shorter couplings to bring the carriages closer together, it is possibe to have a standard and short or short and short depending upon the severity of the curves on your layout. My 7 coaches arrived today, just need some detail painting and weathering then they will be good to go. Cheers Duncan

Hi Ben and Mike, Wow, a fantastic model. Beautifully fine detail and printing, excellent running and exactly to scale. Well done all involved, the CAD engineers, toolmakers and yourselves. I have just a single twin set (it was a rare sight at Shirebrook) but so good I really would like at least one more-thank you. Cheers Duncan

Thanks Ben, That's fine. I am looking at ordering 8 packs so that time scale will give me time to save up. Cheers

Hi Mike, Ben, Is there any news on when the order book will close on these? I have to admit that I have not yet placed an order as my available funds have gone on 'Caroline' and Class A tanks. I will order but could do with a heads up as to how long I might have to save up! Cheers Duncan

Hi Mike, I understood this version had been culled due to lack of interest, is that in correct? I would purchase a 321 in primer to paint into Northern if you can confirm that it is going ahead. Cheers Duncan

Hi, Thanks for the likes. I have to say I'm not fully happy with 3D printed models, they always feel 'soapy' even after washing and I feel uneasy about how the paint goes on.... The point of this post is to say that I was unhappy with the printed handrails and have drawn up an etch for sharper handrails. I have included two versions and coupling hooks. The body is from Maridunian Models to be found on the Shapeways website https://www.shapeways.com/shops/maridunian-models and I'll let you know when my etches are ready, I'll be able to finish this shunter! Cheers Duncan

Update 24.08.20 Well time just flies doesn't it. Hard to believe 3 weeks have got past me since the last update! In the first image you can see that the rails and sleepers have been weathered. I was able to do this since all 'on board' wiring has also been completed- not quite true, all on board wiring to the track has been completed, further wiring to light buildings and wiring to the floodlights will be completed later. The image below shows the 'power box' and control panel and controller. I like to keep mains power well away from my layouts. The mains enters the grew box via the black cable. Inside is a transformer with 2 x 16Vac outputs. These connect to the control panel via the white lead and a 9 way d-type pug and socket on the control panel. The mass of blue wires from the panel connect to the layout via 25 way d-type connectors. The black coloured toggle switches operate the servo point motors and the two red push to make buttons operate the electromagnets for uncoupling. The yellow coloured toggle turns the layout lights on and off. The red 'dots' are LEDs which will illuminate to show how the points are set. My next tasks are to complete the wiring within the control panel, finish programming the servos and do a full check of the electrical operation. Cheers Duncan

Clayton Class 17 I bought a model of 8512. It's not really suitable for my Shirebrook layout, however, the design of the loco is so different from anything I would normally run I thought why not. When I opened the box my first reaction was 'It looks big', bigger than I imagined. After I read the instructions I left the loco running in on my test track for 1 hour. It ran very well. I was also surprised that it was very light (44g) even lighter than the Farish class 20 at 59g, however it had no problems hauling prototypical length trains on my layout. I checked a couple of dimensions (and found just like the Mermaids that DJM produced) the bufferbeam is too high, higher in fact than any of my other locos and rolling stock, about 0.7mm. The other measurement I found to be wrong was the overall height which I measured at 27.4mm I calculated it should be about 1.3mm lower if the prototype measurements I have are correct. Perhaps that explains my initial reaction that it looked big. All other major dimensions were close enough to call correct. I have read elsewhere that the glazing can be improved by colouring the edges black to reduce the prismatic effect which as delivered isn't great and there was also a question about the size of the 4 character headcode apertures on the noses. I can't decide if they are small or not (can someone measure the size on the prototype?), but they don't look quite right. I have tried to see where the extra height is in the model, I get the feeling that the cab is too high, the proportion of the cab windows look slightly too deep the cab just looks too tall above the bonnets when I compare to prototype photos. It is easiest perhaps to spot by comparing the proportions of the exhaust stack between the cab front windows on the prototype and model, the model version is clearly 'longer' and therefore looks narrower than the prototype. Cheers Duncan

A shunter's diversion. I hope you are all keeping well. Back in the 1980's I lived at Treeton. Just a 5 minute walk from home were the exchange sidings for Orgreave coking plant. It was here that I took my son to watch the trains roll past and the assembling of the coke services to Scunthorpe. The loaded wagons were brought to the exchange sidings by a little Yorkshire Engine Co 0-6-0 shunter. So I was delighted to be commissioned to make one. I have been painting a 3D printed bodyshell available from the Shapeways shop. It fits to a modified Farish class 03 or 04 chassis. As a side note, I checked google maps of the area before writing this post and noticed that 'Orgreave' has almost completely disappeared to be replaced by 'Waverley', Waverley Lane, Waverley Lake,etc, is this a deliberate act to try to get us to forget about the 'Battle of Orgreave' during the Miner's strike? Here are some photos of my (slow) progress. Cheers Duncan