Darius43

Lowered Cheers Darius

Thanks David, It should be simple to drop the ride height by a few mm. Looking at the roof profile compared to the Mk1 it could do with being lower to avoid loading gauge issues. Cheers Darius

Started on the underframe using the pressed aluminim part supplied with the kit. I added plasticard layers to thicken the part to level it with the lower edges of the bodysides. Screw holes were drilled to enable it to be fixed to the "shelves" moulded with the cast whitemetal ends. The plastic bogie mounting parts were also screw-fixed to the chassis. I used plasticard pieces to thicken this area so the screws have a purchase. The kit-supplied underframe boxes etc. were cemented in place as per the instructions - most of them fitted. There is a random selection of bits for this but they are insufficient for the complete four-car train so some scratch building will be needed. Cheers Darius

Plasticard strip used to create door recesses. Brass doors cleaned up and cemented to plasticard recesses. White metal cab and corridor connection ends fixed and will be left overnight to set. Will fill joints and then create a better-defined chamfer to the body ends. This is a distinctive characteristic of these units and the cast parts look a bit wishy washy in this area. Cheers Darius

I have seen and purchased these - they are resin casts of 3D printed parts. They look good but the profile (most likley correct) does not match that of the brass bodyshells. The eBay parts are the first in a series of parts to make a complete kit with the alter parts to follow. I have decided to persevere with the NNK/MTK kit because I am an awkward sod Cheers Darius

I thought about leaving the flush doors in place but it would have bothered me so I decided to cut them out and re-mount them inset from the main body. Sliding the bodyshell over the edge of the modelling table onto the cutting mat helped with this. The pre-curved tumblehome did flatten out a bit with this process but it was reasily re-profiled. Only three more bodyshells to go To rest my aching arms, I moved on to the bogies. These are provided as white metal sides with the standard chuncky plastic MTK mounting frames. I had bought a bag of plastic bogies cheap from somewhere a few years ago and this included a load of Class 508 style bogies. These had better and more consistent detail than the white metal sides and were modified to fit on the MTK mounting frames, which were themselves cut back to redued their "chunkiness". Wheel bearing holes were marked out and drilled. They run quite freely. Cheers Darius

I have finally started this kit, which has been in the stash for a few years. Its the No Nonsense Kits (ex MTK) kit for a 4-car Class 508 EMU. The bodyshells are in folded etched brass and the ends and other detail bits in white metal. The bodyshells are quite nice and a pre-folded to the correct(ish) profile with the curved tumblehome. The sliding doors are part of the sheet and so are almost flush with the bodysides, which is incorrect and looks odd. Much has been said on other posts om RMweb about the MTK white metal ends (and I have read a few of these as research for this project). Theydo still look better than a recently produced resin kit of this subject and so I decided to persevere with them and did a small amount of work to improve the "face". I cleaned up the part, widened the main windows with needle files and drilled out the lights. Before: After:

Hello, I built the Southern liveried Bratchell Class 456. You need to scratch build the underfloor equipment and third rail pickup beams. I also added jumper cables to the cabs and led lights. The kits are well designed and easy to build but you need to add details - especially to the cab fronts. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/118946-southern-class-456/ Cheers Darius

I do like that bridge. Is it kit or scratch built? Cheers Darius

Found it - it was on RMWeb - see post #83:- http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/67511-improving-the-Hornby-apt/page-4 Darius

There is an article somewhere on the web (possibly on RMWeb) that I read a year or so ago where someone modified the power car with a central motor driving booth bogies via articulated driveshafts. I'll see if I can find it and post a link. Darius

I always imagined Annie and Clarabel were teak coaches as illustrated. Of course I haven't really considered this in 45 years but there it is. Cheers Darius

It's a 4-TC - being produced by Bachmann for the Kernow Model Rail Centre. Cheers Darius

Extreme examples never really convince me. I was keen on model railways as a kid in the 1970s but got into model aircraft (the Airfix variety) in later life only to return to model railways in recent years. I was on several model aircraft web forums and there were many vehement arguments played out about whether new kits had shape issues and incorrect details. The arguments were similar to those played out here on RMweb, ranging from the "It's only a model" camp to "this evil manufacturer has ruined the only kit produced of my super-adored subject and so no-one else will make a better kit and my life is ruined". There was even a character called "Gaston" (amongst other monikers) who claimed most kits were wrong and proved his assertions with photos of real aircraft with MS Paint red and green lines added to show why. No amount of pointing out about perspective, viewing angle, image distortion etc. would convince him ("him" is assumed - it is the Internet after all) and he proceeded to cut up and butcher his kits in pursuit of perfection. He is totally entitled to do so of course but one wonders if this is the path to true happiness. As for the 4-TC, some photos of prototypes show the front cab base level and some show it raised by a few inches (but not a whole foot). I dug out an old copy of Colin J. Marsden's "Motive Power Recognition:2 EMUs", which has a couple of photos of 4-TCs in it, both of which "appear to show" the base of the door to be higher than the bottom of the cab. Maybe it varied from prototype to prototype, who knows. As for the Triang-Hornby Class 37, my friend with the railway shed has one from his childhood in the 1960s and we recently dug it out and tried it out. It still goes - albeit with that electrical burning smell. We have hatched a plan to clean it up, convert it to DCC with led lights and sound and detail/repaint the body and chassis. What larks Pip, what larks. Cheers Darius

Fair enough - that's one more unit for everyone else

Thanks Phil, I think it needs to be set to 2 to disable DC - will give it a try. Cheers Darius

Thanks Nick - I'll give this a try. Cheers Darius

Last Saturday, my Huntley & Palmers Peckett hauled 35 PO wagons plus a brake van from a standing start in the sidings and thence around the layout with no problems What a little beauty!!! Cheers Darius

Ran Golden Eagle on the large layout in my friend's shed today. Sound seems to be on all the time irrespective of whether F1 is selected and the smoke comes out of the whistle but not the chimney. It ran ok for a few minutes but then started stopping for no reason. Dreading the prospect of another return, the problem was traced to dirty track, after track cleaning it ran fine but still with permanent sound and wonky smoke. I will set the relevant cv to default" smoke off" next time I am in the shed - had F7 selected to turn smoke off for now. Big relief that it runs ok (so far). I am wondering if the dc mode setting (I run dcc) is the cause of the sound being on all the time rather than being controllable using F1. Does anyone know the cv setting(s) to disable the dc operation mode? Cheers Darius

Update - DCC Supplies were unable to repair the locomotive and so a replacement has been sent out by Dapol, which I received today. It works fine on the short test track I have in the flat. Will see how it works on long runs in my friend's shed at the weekend. I would like to say that I have received excellent service from DCC Supplies and Dapol. Cheers Darius

Youchoos sound chips with stereo "3D" speakers installed in both DRS and Scotrail locomotives. Sounds amazing Still a very happy bunny Cheers Darius

Interesting "old maps" view circa 1959 of the Newhaven railway network on this website:- http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16&lat=50.7851&lon=0.0643&layers=10&b=1 Cheers Darius

Received Scotrail 68006 "Daring" today courtesy of Collets Model Shop via eBay. Absolutely stunning with no issues. Very happy bunny indeed. Youchoos sound on the way... Cheers Darius

Unboxed my DRS 68002 today - received from Rails of Sheffield. All looks OK nameplate and yellow wearing panel wise. Test ran eventually*with basic 21 pin chip and all is OK. Awaiting a Youchoos Zimo sound chip later this coming week. Superb model - livery application issues aside. * ran fine on dc but refused to move under dcc. Tried several chips to no avail before discovering a disconnected wire at the controller (doh). Cheers Darius

Definitely one to take back to Hattons (as they sold it to you) rather than involve Dapol. The messy wiring looks atrocious and to have non insulated wires soldered in is appalling. In my opinion, however, Dapol should get involved if this starts to become a common occurrence - especially if this is a factory fix for a faulty pcb. Darius