Devonbelle

Bob - I have a trawl through my SNCF Society magazines of the last 25 years, Ill post on this thread if i find anything. Paul

I’ve cracked in and now built up a part of the hood top and fitted further bodyside panels. Hinges for the newest panels and hand grabs/hand rails will go in this week. After fitments this week another thin coat of primer has gone on; that’s also helping me to highlight where further light sanding will be required. Clearly scope for a lot more modelling this year.

I think your loco line up is superb. I particularly like the Planet diesel and the Peckett. Really capture the look of the prototype. Paul

You are not the only one. Quite an inspiration; leading me to pursue loco scratch building in plastic.

Pressing on with work on the 2044. The spray painting helped, allowing tonhihjlihjt areas that need more work. I have reset the front buffer beam and then worked on the area ahead of the cab - one side only - where I think the batteries are for the starter and what looks like an outlet for the locos turbo charger.

Back on with the loco; got some primer on tonight to see what areas need filling. Majority of doors on now; and hinges attached. Next some horizontal bodyside doors to do. Will tackle in coming days. The buffer beams (both ends, need squaring). Paul

Update - all the vertical body side doors have been applied; on both sides of the loco hood. Then hinges next - all 72 of them; followed by a small number of horizontal inspection panel doors. Progress photo attached with a patriotic background!

I’ve pressed on with doing the bodyside inspection doors. Few photos of the work the last few evenings. I have to say it’s therapeutic cutting bodyside doors out! Now, looking forward to fitting over 50 bodyside door hinges.

Ah - wouldn’t be a hobby then Neil Regards Paul

Buffers and their beams attached. Some smoothing off to happen. Back to doing grills now. Then the (many) bodyside doors for access the engine under the long hood. Clearly once loco finished; some Lima UIC coaches will get the treatment with a respray into HZ pass train colours. Pictures of progressed attached - I think the model is starting to capture the bulk of HZ 2044 class locos. Paul

Lovely standard of modelling there Neil. Very inspirational. Paul aka Devonbelle

I’ve attached a photo of the HZ 2044 I’m scratch building. Starting now to fit the grills and body side doors. That said I diverted the last few days, to do the buffer and associated beams. Picture shows one end as I was starting to brush on some grey primer - always helpful to pop some primer on to show blemishes that need filling. I’ll spray paint the loco once all body work is complete in the attractive HZ blue. I’ll post some more progress later in the week. Paul

Chris excuse delay in responding - I have 3 o gauge layouts, all modern image and all o gauge. Nouvion my French layout which has done about a dozen show's since 2013. Britvik the Norwegian layout which has done 4 or 5 shows and then the project on this thread, Croatian o gauge - where the standard I am seeking will usurp Britvik and Nouvion in build quality and detail. I've been beetling away on the scratch built HZ 2044 diesel. Photos to appear soon. Best wishes Paul aka Devonbelle

Finding that TV to dull, I keep working away on the loco. Today I've substantially completed the main box shape of the locos hood. That now signals the start of the real detailed work on the hood, fitting all the side panel doors which give access to the engine compartment \ generator etc. The side panel doors will be made from 0.5mm plastic card sheet. For the body side doors I managed to buy half side pieces of fine plastic tube. They will be great for the body side door hinges. That will be tomorrows job. Thanks Paul

Thanks to Bob for tip off about signals. Had a few more sessions on the class 2044 loco since the last post. Enjoying working with the plasticard. Very therapeutic! More work on the loco body tommorrow. Paul

Well it took a while to find time for.my Croatian o gauge project but we are back! The help from a number of you getting plans for a HZ 2044 CO-CO diesel was really appreciated - so thank you. I am building the body in plastic card. Early days but a picture attached. I have a holiday coming up so some scope to pass the time .modelling when having a quiet time. Picture below plus the real thing which I saw and travelled behind in and out of Split a few weeks ago. I'll post progress. Paul

Hello. Nouvion has been the subject of work the past few weeks as it’s back out on the road in a few weeks time. After being squirreled away following 3 shows in 2015 it’s appearing at the French Railway Society get together on Sunday 10th February. The event is at Lenham in Kent; charming village with a good train service, not too far from Maidstone - always a good display of French layouts in various gauges. If you do come, please do come and say hello. http://frenchrailwayssociety.org/index.php?p=1_16 Few shots this morning of 67349 pottering around - first train in two years. Few more jobs to tidy up over the next two weeks. A bientot Paul

Craig’s response got me thinking further. The other significant change as to Cornish freight wagon types/freight flows was November/December 1983: which saw the end of unfitted freight in Cornwall and that point was really the end of commercial freight in vacuum braked wagons in Cornwall, except for China clay in OOVs which continued until early February 1988 when the air braked CDA wagons started. The aforementioned changes were explained to me by my father John who worked in BRs Divisional Freight Office at Bristol (1970-84). When father and I did the Cornish Railtours working 19th November 1983 (37186/187) with Guard Vic Millington (selling his railway oil paintings on the train!), I saw the following wagons. Vac braked vans and opens at St Austell Goods, Air braked PBA Tiger wagons at Parkandillack along with vac braked OOVs, plus OOVs at Carne Point (Fowey). The green polybulks were at Burngullow (used on the two weekly service to Biberist in Switzerland). There were no wagons at Boscarne Jn or Bodmin General, clay having finished some weeks earlier. When I trained it to Falmouth Docks in April 1985 (on the 0750 Bristol TM-Penzance, 4 mark 1s and a class 50); my notes show I saw vac clay wagons at Lostwithiel, Par, and air braked vans in Truro Yard (Cargovans and BR VDAs). The only wagons at Falmouth Doxks were a bizarre selection of elderly internal user wagons, open wagons and tank wagons some with dumb buffers.

Interesting thread. I’ve been on the railway since 1984 and that’s the first time I’ve heard of BOC traffic to Falmouth! I’ve annotated some comments below the subject matters, hopefully with some authority I was Railtrack Regional Freight Manager based at Swindon 1999 to 2002 plus worked in BR train planning and Ops Management 1986 to 1998. Diesel fuel (to Long Rock) RAN UNTIL 2013 IIRC, USUAL WAGON TYPE TTA Scrap metal (ex St.Erth) TRIAL TRAFFIC RAN 1999 ONLY LOADED IN SIDING ADJACENT TO BAY - JXA BOGIE WAGONS 3 AT A TIME Cement (to Chacewater) PCA WAGONS BUT I THINK HAD CEASED BY 1987. HAVE IN MIND THAT NEWQUAY STEAM BEER WAS HANDLED HERE FOR A SHORT WHILE 1987Beer, calcified seaweed (ex Truro) SEAWEED WAS IN HEA WAGONS OR SOMETIMES IN PFA WAGONS ((DEMOUNTABLE BODY) - FINALLY CEASED IN 2000. Fertiliser (to Truro) CORRECT PWA OR CARGOVANS, EX INCE AND ELTON -CEASED CIRCA 1992 China clay in all its various forms (multiple locations) Coal (to Drinnick Mill) CORRECT - IN HEA WAGONS WHEN I VISITED IN 1988 - FINISHED BEFORE END OF SPEEDLINK IN JULY 1991 Fitzgerald Lighting (ex Bodmin) COVERED ALREADY AND CERTAINLY CEASED BY 2001 - VGA BOX VANS plus some other traffic worthy of mention. Lead shot waste (off ships at Falmouth) certainly started running by 1996 in Greater Manchester Waste Containers on bogie flat wagons. Plus a short season of coal to Falmouth Docks in PFA four wheeled container wagons ex South Wales, ran 1996/1997. Clay to Moorswater ceased 1997: then cement started in 1999. I went to Falmouth Docks in 1985 on an officially sanctioned visit, there was no BR traffic that year, all traffic was internal and was shunted either by yellow painted Sentinel diesel (number 129?) plus the Hawthorn Leslie steam loco number 3 was used up to 1986. Trust that helps. Paul S.

Test trains ran at the weekend drawing power to and from Newbury. I understand from my colleague, who led the installation of the OLE on this route there was quite a crowd with cameras. Travelled to Paddington yesterday - all IETs I saw east of Swindon (and mine) had the pan up; saw 6 trains and mine was obviously on electricity - superb leaving Swindon. The only exception was an IET which came off North Pole at 1330 in diesel mode - not sure why.

Interesting. I saw two down IETs arrive Swindon, pan up - this afternoon, both 3 minutes early against plan. I did a down one through from Reading last week (0815 ex Padd - South Wales) with a 9 car, arrived Swindon 3 early. I walked up and thanked driver (I didn’t give him a packet of woodbines). Driver laughed and said I wasn’t even trying and said to me he eased off to about 50mph through Didcot realising he would be early at Swindon. Saw an Up one, pan up ex Swindon Mon teatime, one clear of plat 1, really took off.

Thanks to Bob and Neil. Now I’ve finished my degree I can get back to work on the Croat layout - set up in the garage now. A visit to the Split area has given me ideas to incorporate into the layout. I saw lovely semaphore signals at Unesic, which I’d like attempt. Rail staff over there are great. I will post an update pre-Christmas.

I have not seen this thread before. Fascinating. Hopefully not too outrageous (Mods please remove if deemed so); I’ve just written a book Transforming the Western Region - see link below. I consciously generated quite a feature on the Filton Bank Works (which only feature in the limited edition). The book also includes wider area Bristol works and wider Western Region works of the last 8 years by Network Rail. The book features many behind the scenes colour photographs of the work, track diagrams. It’s due out in two weeks time published by Silver Link Publishing https://www.amazon.co.uk/Transformation-Western-Region-Paul-Stanford/dp/1857945433 Regards Paul

Thank you for the comments and research - appreciated. a few of you have found drawings of 2044 class locos, combined with photos means I will have to build one. Post Winchester show, I can now,quietly resume work on Croatian layout -watch for updates Regards Paul

Well the layout never made Winchester 2018 Show - the Norwegian layout went instead. I found by August 18 I wasn’t sufficiently far enough ahead of the layout; and did not want to rush it as it is a hobby after all. Track is all in now. Wired up and tested and the station building glued Down. Now my degree is all complete (studying outside working day) I can give Stari my attention now. Few pictures taken in August reflect progress.