CazRail

The Accurascale buffers have finally come back into stock, and have duly ordered a few packs to finish off the remaining bufferless wagons. So, as they're back on the layout, I thought I'd take some photos.

Just watched your video on YouTube, really looking forwards to seeing this develop. A really colourful and interesting era for the Ipswich area in terms of the locos and rollingstock, with so much variety. The ability to have such a range of liveries and stock running together will be good to see. All the best with this layout, I'll be following.

I'm guessing it could either be a mistake, or a variation of the Barible livery when they worked breifly for Northern Rail, which I'd imagine would be very niche. https://flic.kr/p/2on6G7D (Photo from Flickr)

A quick catch up on my own projects, which isn't a whole lot if I'm honest. The 37 in the second to last post was a 'mojo inducing' project, so whilst I was at it, I decided to tackle my Regional Railways 158, which was long overdue it's re-number. To my surprise, I found that @railtec-models now produce Wales & West transfers, including Alphaline for the 158s. Perfect! This was then re-numbered to 158834, perfect for the late 90s/early 2000s Holyhead-Cardiff Central run! Now if Bachmann produce a Central Trains class 158, I have some transfers ready for it....(I'm not re-painting that livery!!)

A project which has been a slow burner is re-painting some stock for @JackB95, consisting of a class 150 and 158 into TfW, and a class 60 as a GBRf machine. The class 150 is about 98% there now, with just final small transfers to add and a few coats of varnish to seal. Completed using Precision Decals, which usually I try to avoid using as I don't get on very well with them, however I'm happy with the end result. Jack will be collecting this unit on his way through next week, and then it'll be the class 158's turn through the works. This one has been a slow burner, mostly between dad duties and work, with a dash of mojo loss in between, but with longer evenings, the 158 and 60 should be much quicker.

I've also put my expression of interest in the FNW 175s, aswell as a FGW barbie 180. Apart from a few other bits and bobs, these are the missing link in my roster! Funnily enough I thought these might have been most popular!

Same with the 175s, hopefully they'll be available at some point. Some ATW versions in the bag though!

Hopefully it'll reach page 429 in Regional Railways livery 😉

Another Bachmann 37422 re-numbered, a simple little project to get my mojo back up and running. This time, I've chosen 37420 'The Scottish Hosteller' to go with 37429 'Eisteddfod Genedlaethol' that I did 3 years ago. Number and overhead warning transfers supplied by Railtec, plates from Fox. I chose 420 for a couple of reasons. First, it had a Welsh dragon on one of it's headcode boxes, secondly it had a mixture of the old and new overhead warning stickers, as if someone at EWS only bothered to change the ones that were easily reached. Happy with it so far, this one needs a Welsh dragon, some 'roughening up', and a coat of varnish before it's finished. 429 might have some more work done to it aswell whilst I'm at it. The factory weathered on these is pretty abysmal, so I used a cotton bud with IPA to clean up the bodysides, leaving a bit here and there, particularly along the bottom. This really improves the look of these. Thanks for looking, Caz

Just to clarify, does that also apply for e.g. an order for a 175/0 and 175/1 in the same livery, or can they be in a single order? Thanks

Aren't EMR giving up their 180s soon? 175-wise, I'm going for FNW livery, although my era also fits in the ATW liveries too. The 175 really are the missing link for me.

Have seen on the projects page that the orderbook for the OO models will open at the end of the month! Very much looking forwards to ordering.

I've just had to re-motor a Hattons 66, found my replacement on ebay. Took a bit of running in, but it runs sweetly now.

This along with the shunter hut from the previous announcements is perfect for a Dee Marsh type set of sidings.

I'd say a class 67 Accuraskip to the standard of the Accurashed would be a winner! (The boxes on my shelf are slowly trasitioning from Hornby/Bachmann to Accurascale/Cavalex/Revolution)

In-between other projects, my Revolution IWA vans still need weathering. Started to distress the 'CARGOWAGGON' letting on one van, bu painting some of it in Citadel Corax White... hopefully this will show through the 'muck', and provide some variation between the wagons. I'll probably do the same to a couple of others to varying degrees.

Thanks for the kind words Jim. There definitely are parts of the layout I'm proud of, the concrete and lattice bridges being two, and this view... ...which I think captures some of the line's character. But looking at the bigger picture, it's not ideal. Whilst I like the idea of such a simple layout, being single line and no stations, signal box, points or signalling, it puts a lot of the attention on the scenics as the train runs through it(which is the idea). Ive tried to include as much interest as possible(such as two different bridges, a user worked crossing, signage, culvert etc) without putting too much in. My scenic skills aren't what they could be, and it felt rushed in a lot of areas. I might well look to pass the layout on, which would leave me with a blank canvas to work on a new and fresh project sometime in the future. As you said, now is the time to sit on it, and revisit when the time is right, then decide. Many thanks Caz

I've now decided to pull the layout from the show later this month, as I'm just not happy with it, and have no desire to work on it anymore. Unfortunately the work I've done on it up to now has been for nothing, and as far as I can see for now this layout will be scrapped. Thanks for following, hopefully I'll have something else to show soon.

A photo of 66171 on the Tinto's... that's all I needed 🙈

Very happy with this announcement! Already have a solitary EWS Hattons example, so I'm sure to order a Freightliner one to replace my Bachmann one. A Freightliner/Shanks one would be great too! The same, but better. I like it.

One livery I'd love to see is either 60006 or 033 in Corus silver!

Well it was only a matter of time before someone did it! Looks the part too. Might have to get an EWS one 😉 It's also good to see that what happened with the class 91s hasn't deterred Cavalex from going head to head with the red box crew. 56 and now the 60!

Some more progress on the layout, I've continued the scenics. I also started the process of adding long grass along the lake shore. I'm hoping this week Ill hopefully get a chance to get some timber to complete the legs so the entire layout, including the staging boards, can be put together as one.

This evening I finally finished adding transfers to all 17 wagons. The 'final 6' now need spraying into matt varnish, before which Ill need to disassemble my airbrushes to clean them out and get them working again. Remaining jobs is to fabricate the replacement ladders, fit them to the remaining wagons, fit the brake lever cross bar under the wagons, paint them, and fit Accurascale buffers once they come back into stock.

Work is still happening on the layout! It's slow progress, but it's getting there. The whole layout might not appear at the show due to possible space constraints at the venue, but I'm hoping it will.