Michael Delamar

I think it went about 10 years ago.

Chris’s Swimming baths under construction. The decorative stonework, the coins, are cut into the Slaters brickwork rather than laid on top. Windows are next which Chris has laser cut, the steps were laser cut too. Placed on the layout.. The real thing back in 1967...

Some interesting shots here.. https://topticl.zenfolio.com/p969397407/h81D11290?fbclid=IwAR2jKt1sNmtc2ACBh42mV-6ONWZ1V8PZ_0r4aD-9pB7gaaOls_KhD289j5o#h81d1121a

b&r 115 steam north of Derby.

Im more than pleased with them Tom, there will be more in the future too. Shot of Chris Hewitt starting on the front of Walton swimming baths last night. His usual method of Slaters English bond plasticard and counting the bricks on the photo. The prototype building was demolished a few years ago. This will be just the front of the building low relief up against the backscene.

Screenshots from a B&R video of the Gorton crane passing through Stockport Tiviot dale behind 90152. Thats all we get to see of the coaches.

Some shots on Ebay. Kings Cross.

4 clean locos which are about to be sent off to Tom Foster for weathering. All have recently been converted to EM by myself. The DJH J10 I acquired already built but was OO gauge. The loco was easy to convert with new axles and spacer washers. The tender was a little bit more work as it has needed quite a bit of whitemetal material removing so the wider gauge wheels would fit. Ideally this needs a new inside frame for its tender. Ive renumbered it to 65177 a Walton one. The Bachmann 04s have Markits wheels, EM gauge 3mm axles, Markits hex crankpins which enable the Bachmann coupling rods to be used unmodified. Although the 1st and 3rd axles crankpins needed a bit of work for them to fit due to tight clearances. Both I have renumbered to Gorton locos and ones that I have photos of on Walton shed, 63713 and 63743. The Bachmann J11 another Gorton one which didn't need renumbering I just changed the tender crest for a smaller one. The J11 was quite an easy loco to convert to EM, 3mm axles, spacer washers,Markits insulated wheels, Markits hex crankpin nuts again which I like and again no need to alter the coupling rods. Bachmann tenders are Markits wheels put on to Bachmann axles. The 3 Bachmann locos have Zimo decoders and stay alive capacitors. All have had the wheel balance weights glued on and the wheels and motion painted black before they sent off to Tom for weathering.

At the other end of the layout, sleeper fencing has started to be put in, again done on the laser cutter from card, there will be quite a lot of this on the layout.

I really enjoyed watching the layout at the Shipley show. Looking forward to seeing it again in the future.

The Westminster bank, first we cut a hole to give better access for track cleaning. The bank under construction by Chris in his usual method of plasticard. A more recent shot with laser cut windows done by Chris. A shot of the now demolished bank and the shops which will be built next.

Update on buildings and scenery by Chris Hewitt. The water tower under construction. The structure is MDF the brickwork with its distinctive CLC style of 4 rows of brick headers and a stretcher was done by Chris on his laser cutter machine on to thin mounting card and glued on in strips in the same style as building model buildings from brick plasticard.

Im looking for 3 of these axles for a GCR tender. I regauge my GCR tenders to EM gauge using these Bachmann axles by removing the Bachmann wheels and fitting new Markits wheels to the existing axle. However the Bachmann J11 tender I have has split plastic and metal axles as it has pickups on the tender and the sizes are different which are of no use to me. If anyone has any that they may have discarded for regauging or know if any of the spares shops including Bachmann would have these even if they come with the wheels Id be happy to hear. Im not sure if these stepped axles were used on other locos, but if so they would do. many thanks Mike

Seaforth yesterday.

Mine has also been cancelled however Im not too concerned as I had mistakenly ordered a grey one when I wanted a bronze green one as in this photo I posted a while ago. Although Im still struggling to find a vickers vigor to go on it.

Interesting. I’ve been thinking about the possibility of a Bachmann style crankpin in Markits wheels so to convert Bachmann locos to EM without altering the rods.

Behind a K3 on the CLC north Liverpool line at Halewood 1955.

Reminded me a bit of Schumacher and Hill at Adelaide 94.

One of my favourite people in the hobby. I would always look forward to seeing him at Expos and having a laugh. I loved his no nonsense approach and the way he went about things in EM gauge. Learned so much from him. I was lucky to be invited to see Retford last year. I really am gutted.

Ive got a TVP DVD on the line and the presenter said class 37s worked the line which raised an eyebrow from me. Can anyone confirm this? Also got a B&R video DVD which has footage of a green 40 on the line with a train of iron ore wagons.

No model detail but interesting shots of Clarence dock power station.

Thank you I love the jinty shot, here is a shot of the allotment end of the layout. More work to do on them including the path alongside them and the fencing..

The majority of those wagons are the newish Hornby HUO type with the high angled brake lever straight from the box, just with Markits wheels fitted and Yet to have the 3 link couplings fitted. I wasn’t aware these needed handrails. I’ve a few of the older Hornby/Airfix type with plastic handrails. Most are NCB or TOPS liveried ones as I couldn’t get the E numbered ones, but a quick wipe off with thinners and I need to add the black label and numbers. Here are some shots of the trains of empties from Clarence dock power station on the CLC near Childwall Liverpool. Im still looking into making a few of the Liverpool corporation hoppers to add to this rake. I won’t be building a full rake of them.... According to this it looks like Clarence dock power station was converted to oil firing by 1963. The same year Walton shed closed, maybe that was one of the reasons the shed closed as a loss of one of its traffic flows? https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2719841

Hi everyone. For conversion of my Bachmann ROD locos to EM gauge I’m looking for a brass chassis. Has a chassis for this loco been produced by any of the kit makers? Ive been playing about with bushing of Bachmann coupling rods but the more I think about it Id like better scale coupling rods. Many thanks Mike