alexl102

They do, but in some lights it's nothing like BR Red... in some photos I've taken it looks almost pink. With regard to things being the same colour... I don't want that but for me I want to start with the same colour as a base coat, then weather or fade it out to create variations. I wouldn't mind if for example I used different brands of Rover Damask Red and there were slight variations.

Please keep us updated! Photos if possible :)

Hi, Does anyone know of a colour match for Longmoor Military Railway blue, and also the dark blue that was seen on some LNER departmental stock? thanks!

That's absolutely lovely. I was just thinking a couple of days ago how much I'd love a model of Twizzell in OO. You should be well pleased with that!

I'm absolutely delighted by this announcement; I've been hoping for someone to do a model of these for years! Price will be a big problem for me but it seems this is the going rate (before anyone says it, the EFE models are well overpriced, no matter how good they are). I'll just have to get saving! Really excited that it will use some die-cast construction too. Re: EM/P4 conversion... as others have said, EM/P4 is a tiny proportion of the market and it probably doesn't make any sense for Rapido to spend significantly more money and time developing a model that can be easily converted for the sake of the tiny number of examples that will be bought with that in mind. Thanks Andy & Rapido for bringing a much-wanted model to the market

Cheers! I do want to have a go at a Hardy's Hobbies Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0 kit at some point. Don't mind that some people consider it 'not real modelling' or that it requires an RTR chassis - as a Leeds lad I really want some Leeds-built industrial locos and I really like the models Hardy's have produced. I hadn't thought about doing etched kits of wagons so I'll take a look.Thanks!

Thank you everyone. You’ve been very helpful. Think I will stick to my Parkside kits for now to hone my assembly skills; I may come back to this at a later stage.

Cheers - this was the thread that got me thinking!

I've just been reading a thread in another section about upgrading an Austerity tank with an etched chassis from RT Models and the correct wheels from Alan Gibson. As an inexperienced modeller, how easy would it be to do this with a Hornby 'Harry' Austerity? I imagine one would build the chassis and then fit the existing loco's motor and the new wheels, then add the body on - is it that simple? Is building the RT models chassis hard? Also, they seem to do kits for various locos that aren't available RTR... could I for example buy a battered Hornby austerity as a motor donor, and fit that motor to an RT Models Manning Wardle brass kit that I built or something like that, or would I have to buy a motor specific to the kit? I'm about to assemble my first Parkside rolling stock kit - that's my level if it helps!

I’ve decided I finally need to get onto painting and assembling a couple of Parkside kits I’ve had laying around for a while. One is a box wagon onto which I’d like to put the logo of a business my grandfather used to own, the other is a PMV that I've modified to represent an industrial coach similar to those on the Middleton Railway so it will be painted maroon using Halfords plastic primer and car spray paint. Whilst these kits are probably very basic for the serious modeller, it’s a first foray into kit building for me and I would like to do a few afterwards. However, I am quite nervous about assembling them as I feel like it’s probably quite easy to mess up and end up with a body that isn’t straight or a mis-aligned chassis that won’t run smoothly. I would be really grateful for any tips you have for a first-timer, including: - what order to assemble the kit in - how to ensure that everything is straight and properly aligned - the best type of Liquid plastic cement to use - how to hold parts in position whilst the adhesive sets And any other wisdom you may have gained! Thanks so much in advance.

Hi, Has anyone ever tried to model Swinden Quarry in North Yorkshire, or scratch-build the site shunter, 'Cracoe'? Looking for some inspiration, tracks plans and photos for a planned project but it seems to be hard to come by! Thanks in advance.

Hmm ok, that makes more sense - I did think that the standard LNER brake was a bit shorter than the ballast vans look on photos. My intention is to take inspiration from the Tanfield Railway and create a simple, industrial coach such as this - which is converted from an LNER ballast brake van (I'm also converting from an SR PMV as the Middleton Railway have done). My biggest priority is finding a suitable chassis - is the GWR TOAD brakevan a better bet? I don't mind if the wheelbase isn't accurate; it isn't about creating a perfect replica, just a representation that will look right running with a bunch of other oddball conversions. Cheers!

The chassis is the same as the standard LNER brake? I'd be modifying the body quite heavily anyway to turn it into a rough coach so maybe would be better off modifying a standard LNER brake van?

Hi, Does anyone know if a plastic kit of an LNER Ballast Brake Van is available in OO? (Assuming nobody makes one in RTR) thanks!

Cheers, both really comprehensive answers which have helped me understand a little better.

Thanks everyone. Interesting to know. Somehow when searching Rails' website I hadn't found that, Jason, so thank you.

Thank you, that's helpful

In recent years, Hornby have started to produce more models using die-cast metal for the locomotive body. I'm totally unfamiliar with Bachmann locos having never owned one - are there any/many Bachmann locos which use die-cast metal as part of the model? Is there any way to tell which when buying second hand?

I'd quite like to get myself a Bachmann Midland 1F with full cab but they seem to be much rarer than the half-cab variant. Was this a limited edition model or anything like that?

Thanks very much! How easy is it to swap the Austerity wheels for those of a terrier? Is it a straight swap?

Sorry, haven't been clear. The J94/Austerity tank is a development of the 50550, both of which had 18" cylinders and a tank that went all the way over the smokebox; I'd like to create a Hunslet 48150 similar to Jessie on the Pontypool & Blaenavon railway (albeit in a different livery). Whilst the Austerity was the most numerous, describing the earlier classes as 'minor' isn't really accurate; they were the company's main designs and used widely all over the country. Has anyone done this? Cheers!

Does anyone know if there's a kit or relatively easy way to covert a Hornby J94 into a Hunslet 18" 0-6-0ST or similar? I'm not worried if things like the wheelbase/chassis aren't exactly prototypical length/size, just something that looks the part would be ace. Thanks!

Thanks guys, this all gives me some ideas to crack on with! I've found some track plans online which I may be able to adapt, using some scenic divides to help.

Hi, I'm looking for some help and inspiration! Hope I'm in the right section. I'd really like to create a layout which is based on/inspired by the Tanfield railway as it is today - ex-colliery preserved railway operated by tank engines (mostly ex-industrial), 4-wheel coaches and appropriate goods wagons. I'd only have room for a 6x4 layout which makes it quite challenging. Clearly, this won't be an exact representation and neither do I want it to be - I simply want it to have that same feel of. In terms of the layout, I'd like to include a simple MPD/storage yard based on Marley Hill Yard, and ideally two stations, at least one station similar to Andrews House - double track within the station for trains to pass, but I'm not quite sure how to achieve it - if anyone has any inspiration on how to fit all this into a 6x4 or how to build decent platforms, I'd be really grateful! Secondly, I'd like to get some coaches that are a similar style and profile to the coaches used on the Tanfield Railway. I presume this will have to be in kit form but if they're fairly simple, similar to a Parkside Dundas kit, I'm up for that. I know many of their coaches were converted from wagons or brake vans, but I have previously tried butchering a PD Southern PMV kit with a craft knife to recreate the type of coaches used on the Middleton Railway; it didn't look great in the end so I'd rather not resort to that again if possible! Can anyone recommend some suitable models/kits? FInally, if you've any other advice or can suggest good kits to build appropriate loco sheds etc, I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

OP here. Thanks everyone, didn't expect this thread to attract such interest! To answer an earlier question, the Bachmann 57XX looks like an excellent model and it's not that it isn't good enough for me - just that when looking for a 57XX, the Bachmann model was the only one I knew of; just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything that was worth a look!