roythebus1

I've recently unearthed my Kitmaster Blue Pullman set acquired off a certain internet market about 10 years ago. It has an original Kitmster motor bogie which is physically broken (Muzak pest), so I'm wondering what modern motor bogie or chassis might fit.

I may have one or two which are partly made, unwanted, but until I know what I need to make my 6 car set I can't say. I'll have a look in the next few days. Deffo got an unmade power car.

As a bit of an aside from the OP, when I learnt the Portsmouth direct (via Haslemere), one of the old boys told me when you leave Haslemere on the Up, get to about 40 by the over bridge, shut off and the train will coast to Guildford. I tried it one day with an 8 car CEP/VEP or whatever. And I got to just over 40 by the over bridge and shut off. The train accelerated to just over 90 on the downhill bit through Milford, I had to brake a bit for Godalming and Farncombe, then it carried on up to 70 , entering Guildford tunnel still doing 55, and I had to use the brake to stop at Guildford. I doubt if the old Nelson stock would have rolled that far as it didn't have the benefit of roller bearings.

Yes, once it goes back on the third rail the motor generator will run and charge the battery.

did this layout ever get finished? My brother lives t Garsdale in one of the railway cottages and would have been nice to show him the model. ps I live near Ashford Kent as well.

Let's try again to load pics from computer..but computer still says no. I can't download anything from computer to social media sites, but can from phone. So another few hours to be wasted on the Apple help line again tomorrow. Pah. I've spent mote than 10 full days on help lines this year so far and 3 months trying to get my miscue library downloaded again, all 32,000 songs, still loads lost "waiting in the cloud".

I've just found a box full of ABS flat cast ends for the BR suburban coaches, along with a few under frame kits and bags of BR ventilators. I used to have some of his extruded body wheels but they became mis-shape over the years so got binned. I may have a few printed sides somewhere, but I think they got binned a while ago. they were very good in concept, but most people had a problems getting the sides to glue to the bodyshells.

Yes, far too many projects to finish before I pop my clogs! I've been tinkering with the big big Hymek last Friday, the motor runs and the gear train works. It's a case of sorting the pick-ups on that one and then sell it on. Today fitting Kadees to som ehornby HAA and HEA coal hoppers.. I've also got 2 full-size vintage buses to finish restoring this year and next when the weather gets warmer.

Many years ago I had some ABS cast buffers for a few Hornby HAA (the air braked silver coal hopper wagons) but seem to have used my stock! Does anyone else make them or are the ABS ones still available? Also are there any better buffers for the Bachmann domestic coal hopper wagons? I've just acquired 6 of those!

Thanks for that, the other week they were out of stock. I got some from Express Models, but they too it turned out were awaiting stock, so maybe a new batch has arrived from the USA. I've spent a happy afternoon fitting Kadees to some Hornby dn Bachmann wagons.

Interesting, thanks.

Sorry to go off-topic a bit, but Selsdon-woodside was a deliberate run-down. I got my driving job at Addiscombe in June 1978 and passed out in December 1978 and started work there having done route learning. that included Selsdon-Woodside. All fitted with lovely semaphores, 12 car platforms that were only served by 2 car trains in the rush hours. Some time during 1979 the station signs were renewed with new corporate BR signs; semaphore signals were replaced with semaphore signals. This maybe would be the upturn the line needed? But no, there were bods counting passenger numbers, all of which added to the losses incurred on running the line. Closure was rumoured and it was rumoured to be converted to the tramway which of course it eventually was. The rest is history. But no searchlight signals there.

Agreed, but don't forget it is quite possible to get far higher speeds in parallel. I've only trained on MLVs during my SR driver training course but have worked on the converted 501 motor cars that ran on battery power on the ECML. We had to collect a pair of them from Hertford North one day, me 2nd manning. They too were limited to 25 mph so the sign in the cab said. But we got put out behind an all stops 313. We have hime a bit of a start and on downhill sections easily reached 45mph or more. We followed on single yellow all the way to Bounds Green at that sort of speed, but then it's downhill most of the way. I know they're a different beast to the MLV battery wise as they are full of batteries. They'd also last 12 hours or more when we used them down to Moorgate when that was being converted. The traction equipment is similar to that of the MLV so there's no reason to expect a decent MLV not to do Redhill-Tonbridge. They will go as fast as the balancing speed of the motors allows them to go. It's all down to the driver's route knowledge and the use of gravity. Also remember he doesn't need to take power all the time. Get to 25, shut off, coast...drop to 20, take power, 25, shut off, coast...

Rummaging through my drawers time to clear up the railway room has found some long-lost gems. A Kitmaster Blue Pullman, this is a bitsa of part-made, full made and an unmade power car. there's a spare power car and a Kitmaster motor bogie, all bought off flabby about 12 years ago for sensible prices, just before Baccy announced their super duper expensive one. The motor bogie appears to have suffered from zinc pest, the main part has broken, but it still works. some of the coaches have been painted but the paint has faded and they'll benefit a repaint as will one of the motor cars. I'm still debating whether to go with the other painted one or go for the unmade one along with the 2nd restaurant car, also unmade. What would the learned members on here suggest as a decent motor bogie for this lot? There's a pair of Trix AL1 motor bogies minus the sideframes but with a working Trix motor, a Bonds (I think) 0-5-0T loco, yes it's missing a centre driving wheel! A motorised Triang Big Big Hymek which has a centrally mounted can motor driving through drafts to the outer end of each bone, with the wheels connected with Delrin chains and sprocket gears. I've only ever run it once, many years ago. I think I'll have to get my camera out and post some pics. A K's Q1 has been unearthed, made up but disassembled, a Ks class 5 body, built but not finished, another 3 or 4 Black 5s with chassis and tenders, very heavy close, should pull the house down! Lots more in the first 2 drawers...5 cupboards to go yet!

The MTK class 140 has just resurfaced, one car part-built, anyone interested in it? Also an EAMES Airfix railbus chassis fitted with a modern small can motor...

One of the other threads I've just looked up showed showed what I thought the formation would be during the Penmanshiel diversions. Interesting times. I'm not too fussed, it'll have to be what I've got to hand! I know there's a Jouf restaurant of some sort and the long Hornby restaurant of some sort and some 1st and 2nd class cars, not sure how many yet! I've also dug out my Kitmaster Blue Pullman, so that'll make a nice addition.

Revisiting this old thread, I found a couple of the original Hornby HST power cars in a cupboard. I stripped the motor bogie as it didn't work, the brushes were worn out. So I oiled it, put it back together with brushes from another motor bogie, and it squealed. 3 times I stopped and oiled it...then checked the bottle of oil. It was actually Carr's flux for low melt soldier!! Grrr, another strip down, clean flux off, use oil and re-assemble. this time it works quite nicely. So, back to the Jouef coaches, it's possible to fit top hat bearings, but the Jouef plastic is very unforgiving. Maybe a bit of drilling out then gentle heat to melt the top hats in. then some Kean KK units with Hornby or Roco KKs, maybe a quick repaint and off we go! Presumably the correct ECML version would be M-2-2-RUB-2-2-1-Restaurant-1-M ? I can't remember, it's been a long time since I've seen one!

I've got some 8mm cine film of the standard Stock when it was "new" to the Island, including a cab ride. I haven't found anyone to digitise it yet.

Class 419 (MLV) could run in multiple with ED class 73, and with class 33/1, as well as all EP type EMU stock. The batteries would charge when the 419 was cut in and on the juice (taking power from the 3rd rail). There was a tale of one managing to get from Redhill to Tonbridge with one vehicle in tow one night. I suppose driven carefully it would be possible.

Remembering the Motorail Cartic double deckers at rugby in 1974, new Hillman Imps stabled in the up goods loop overnight. Still the locals managed to nick most of the cars' batteries despite being not too far from 25kv! And the tale of the Hillman Imps the used to run out of petrol after a sort while...it transpired the petrol tanks were collapsing as the breather pipes were blocked. It turned out the bloke at the factory who sprayed the area had a bad back and for some reason his paint blocked the breather pipes! another true story...

a lot of the redundant rail from the lifted double track was used by the IWSR for the extension from Hvenstreet to Smallbrook, as was a lot of rail from the Alton-Farnham line. I'm one of the few IWSR members who can claim to have driven an electric train on those rails at 70mph!

I mentioned a while ago on another thread that the Mile End Road going out of London to the east would make an ideal tram route and suggested that as the 6 lane road is now basically a 2 lane road, the space taken by cycle paths seem to be the same as that required by a light rail/tramway. Maybe that is part of Citizen Khan's plan? After all, Mile End Road had trams from about 1890, then trolleybuses, then mayhem, despite the District Railway runs beneath it from Aldgate to Bow Road.

Gaugemaster used to list something line 199 Kadee items in stock, now they have just 3 in stock. Just saying'.

I use Roco/Hornby close couplers on bogie stock with Kadees on the outer ends. On some of the Bachmann stock I've replaced their KK mountings with the Kean systems units which brings the NEm box out at nearly the right height, more nearly than the Bachy offering. I've just been online to stock up on Kadees and it seems they're in very short supply in the UK at the moment. Hattons no stock, Gaugemaster no stock...Express Trains had a few in stock and I've probably wiped out their stock! Another vicrim of the B word that we shouldn't mention on here.

Having just posted a bit on the "ultra light rail" topic about the Croydon Tramways, when that was designed the principle of rolling stock provision was something like 21 trams for service, one unit always running spare, one for routine maintenance, and one always off for long-term accident damage or heavy repair. Much the same as the Southern with their DMU fleet. The IoW requirement seems a bit of under-provision to me. While lengthening the trains is of course possible, it is not easy to split a unit as they are permanently coupled. they either run as 2 or 3 all the time. Or 2 and 4, easy to split.