Signaller69

Thanks chaps, Gibbo, I read through the "Railcar" site Class 105 detail differences some while back (there are several pages) so goodness knows how I got it so wrong. I swear blind last time I read it it said the Scots 105s were power twins, and Batch 3 (as per Bachmann) but nope! It does use the word twins in one or 2 areas, as in 2 car sets, but not POWER twins, and they are from batch 4/5, which had the same cab front layout as batch 3. I'd checked photos regarding the brake van area too, but again, I got it wrong, possibly looking at later photos when other batches had been transferred. This page explains the batch variations well: https://www.railcar.co.uk/type/class-105/variations There are even BR diagrams* showing the van differences so I must have somehow tied the number series to the wrong batch. It is indeed very frustrating! *To add confusion, the BR diagram for batch 4/5 is noted as incorrect, having the double doors shown handed wrongly compared to photographs, ie Guards door is on the right, not left as shown on the diagram!! Anyway, apologies James, please forgive my ramblings. On the plus side I don't think my conscience will rest so perhaps it will galvanise me to dig out my razor saw and take Class 105 matters in hand!

Not sure. A cut and shut of the Brake Van area wouldn't be particularly difficult normally, only the Scottish version went to the extent of the double doors being the opposite orientation to the Bachmann ones, meaning even more cuts are needed to get it right, you couldn't make it up! I'm tempted to use the chassis elsewhere and chuck the bodies in the bits box, but more than likely I will go the cut & shut route and sort it to something I am happier with. Martyn.

Thanks for the offer Gibbo, but I think I may have found an additional project I wasn't planning, having realised the Brake Van section of my Bachy class 105 DMBS is wrong for the Scottish batch.....I'd just resprayed it blue too. Oh and it should be a power & trailer combo rather than a power twin, so the DTC underframe is also wrong, of course I had rebuilt it a while back due to missing/damaged bits. Annoying when you realise after the work is done! Not sure how such an oversight occurred but hey ho! Martyn.

Hi James, Thanks, most kind of you, no rush at all! Martyn.

Hi Gibbo, I think in my case I enjoy making something once, then want to move onto something else. Production lines don't really do it for me I guess! The current lack of inspiration is mainly due to no Club visits, exhibition deadlines, toyfairs, or even model shops to visit. I do have a couple of projects left to start but the box of "one day" projects is looking rather sparse currently, which probably doesn't help! Hopefully the malaise will pass soon. Martyn.

Cemflos are looking excellent James. Must admit I find repetitive stuff very tedious and generally lose my mojo around the same time. Doing the same jobs on a 2 car DMU can have that effect, but cutting and shutting a dozen or so wagons would certainly do so! Nice work. Martyn.

Transfers are on, needs a coat of varnish now. The extra double arrow was the result of a cab door swap, during which the loco seems to have lost the makers plate on this side according to photos.

A quiet Saturday morning in the yard.

Amazing! And the transfers (including custom numbers) arrived this morning! Thankyou Steve!

I bolted the fiddle yard onto the layout this afternoon and fixed what spare track I have down using contact adhesive.....why is it you always end up literally one yard of track short? Well, I do have some concrete sleeper code 75 but I think it would look odd, so will wait until my local model shop opens again as I need rail joiners in any case. I have enough down to add the feeds to each road though, which was the object of the exercise, and the main 2 lines are the full 2-car DMU length to use in the meantime, which improves the playability.

A class 24 stands outside the works, ready for a renumber! I have decided on this becoming (numerically) the last 24 of all, 5150 as the details are right for this loco and timespan; it was blue by 1968 and based at Eastfield from 1971. It also carried 4 numbers and 5 BR double arrows......! A post on FB produced 3 photos of the loco in this period which was most helpful. Cotton buds and cream cleaner were used to remove the TOPS identity.

Thanks, I have a couple of snaps of Churchill at Murton when it was among other small locos at the time I visited. I guess the plates were removed for safekeeping. Hopefully it will be operational in the not too distant future. Thanks, Martyn.

Thanks, yes I am familiar with the DVR photos on Geoffs Pages, they have been very useful in researching the Steam Specials too.

Thanks Monty, marvellous photo! Any idea what the light coloured plate on the cabside was? A Yorkshire Grain Driers ownership plate perhaps? Martyn.

Steve from Railtec saw this and dropped me a PM - now that is what I call service!

A small job for today. I have decided my Bachmann 24/1 is going to stay as such, rather than convert it to a 25/0; the decision was made easier by discovering the last of the class, D5150, went blue in 1968 and was based at Eastfield from 1971. A request in a FB group yielded a couple of photos, one from 1969 and one from a couple of years later, by which time it had lost the 'D' prefix. It had an interesting livery variation to boot - double arrows on all 4 cab sides and 2 numbers on each bodyside inboard of the cab doors, plus the icing on the cake, a small extra double arrow on one of the cab doors! Detail wise it looks an exact match for the Bachy model. This meant removing the TOPS cabside numbers, builders plates and central bodyside arrows, so cotton buds and domestic cream cleaner were used to leave a blank canvas for renumbering. The later style of numbering (as per TOPS) looks to have been used on this loco so next job is to see what I have. As there are 4 numbers I would like to order a custom set from Railtec but their contact form appears to be down at the moment, just my luck!

Not many these days, in the UK two or three packs equate to a used Hornby 25, a months worth if you smoked 20 a day would pretty much get you a new sound fitted SLW 24/25. Glad I packed in a while back.

Nice one, will check them out thanks! I could use a cig after today lol. The pack will come in handy for layout planning in the time honoured way!

Thanks James, I have tried everything with Humbrol sprays, afraid I don't trust them anymore. They never seem to have enough pressure to me. The last one didn't even spray on its first press of the nozzle! Perhaps I have been unlucky and had old stock? I have found Matt automotive varnish is available and perfectly happy over matt enamels (not gloss), not seen Satin varnish as yet though. However Etch primer is available too which, though not specifically aimed at brass, seems to work very well with zero masking tape peel. (used both of these on the class 100). Martyn.

Hi Ian, Excellent video. Seeing the layout in the flesh, from the drivers perspective, along with the captions, really gives a flavour of the length of run and scope of the layout you have created with the various (3 iirc?) levels. Seeing the mimic panel above also shows what a labour of love just the wiring involved on your layout evidently is! Very nice work. Martyn.

James, No worries, I realised you weren't knocking Railmatch, my phrasing was more to include Humbrol, Precision etc as the same sizing applies. My experience with Humbrol enamel sprays (varnishes generally) in the past couple of years has been dire though tbh, mainly clogging of the spray heads despite all usual precautions and preparation. Almost as bad, postage seems to be an issue with aerosol paints these days too, either retailers won't send them or the "Special Delivery" postage costs almost the same as the paint (if not more)! I agree the Railmatch BR blue looks spot on to me too, but for main body colours I'm sold on using the automotive sprays now where possible. Martyn.

Thanks Mark, most kind. Hopefully progress will pick up again now the wiring is more or less done. I'm looking forward to the detailing stage! Martyn.

Hi James, My local paint mixing place have done colour matches for my car before now (I always seem to pick cars which don't have colours available off the shelf strangely!). They charged £9.95 last time, but that is for an aerosol 3-4 times the quantity of "branded railway paints". Plus the coverage and finish with these acrylic automotive aerosols is much finer than with enamel sprays I find. Hope the wagons are going well! Martyn.

Thanks Gibbo, will make a note of it this time!

Thanks Ian, I use acrylic car aerosols for most colours to be honest (except for Rail Blue which is a Railmatch enamel aerosol, but if I make a note of the RAL reference again I might get that made up by my local paint supplier too,) though I accept these are not necessarily "environmentally friendly".