CloggyDog

Aside from the noses, the long horizontal body grille was longer on the 44s than the 45/46s. Etched conversion sets were done by the likes of Craftsman and Crownline back in the day - these would also have included cast noses and bufferbeams (as they were intended for use on the old Mainline/Replica 45) - The early Bachmann 46s were basically the Mainline body on a better chassis. The batteryboxes also differ - the 46s have plain boxes, the 44/45s have an 'X' across the front of each battery box. There were other small detail differences with regard to boiler compartment roof panels, small side grilles, etc. Worst case, why not modify the existing 46's nose? File/smooth off the existing detail, fill as required and then drill/scribe new detail. As an alternative - have you thought about getting a Bachmann 44 body to go on the 46's chassis?? Would be a much simpler job!

I was with you, from memory*. Revolving restaurant, views across Berlin. *Said memory being a tad vague, mostly due to that minty ice cream pudding I had which was swimming in about a pint of Crème de Menthe *hic*

Very sensible - I was also on the tour and endured the totter back down to Liberec on the Sunday - we averaged about 6km/h for about 8 hours. Still, there was a plentiful supply of free beer! I'm one of the 3 that Taigatrommel mentioned - a couple of possible Czech TT layout doodles and stock requirement lists have been added to the layout build file.

Could the 'Unknown Vehicles' (middle pic, post #605) be the ER's Stourton Saloon, converted from a Class 100 power/trailer set (51122/56300 = ADB975664/ADB975637)??

Another vote for the excellent Bachrus saddles - I have 4 of the '50' version and they'll adjust with the supplied Allen key to cover everything from N to O. Very good value too. Most of the other types are fixed to one gauge only - this might be fine for you now, but who knows whether your gauge interests will change (or increase) over time. I started with OO, moved to EM, then added H0 and O later on. The set of Bachrus saddles does the lot.

It depends on how close other boiler fittings are to the bit that needs removing. My usual approach is to use side or end nippers to remove the bulk of the piece, then scalpel and/or files to smooth. Fill any resulting hole (filler/plastic rod/sheet and make good. A useful bit of kit for smoothing round surfaces like boilers is a Flex-I-File - a U-shaped length of ali rod, about 4" x 4", with a pin in each end, over which slips a strip of abrasive, held in tension across the opening of the U. There's enough give to conform to a coach roof, a boiler top or the nose of a diesel. The strips cover a selection of grades from course to very fine. An earlier thread on here may be relevant to your interest... http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/49668-jouefelectrotren-0-6-0-ho-to-oo-conversion/

That book (AFAIK) relates to the earlier (LMS) locos on 4' wheels, later BR Class 11. Can anyone confirm that the BR 350hp shunters (Classes 08/09/10/13) with their 4'6" wheels were set up the same??

Are you referring to the displacement of the cranks by 90o when compared to the balance weights, rather than the quartering being out?? Having seen a number of ootb Dapol 08s from various batches, I've not noticed that there are issues with the quartering itself more than a few thou (and well within the rather loose tolerances of the con-rod holes)

The Be Stiff Rail Tour Has been reminisced about on these boards before: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/77326-stiff-records-tour-train-1978/ https://urbanimage.photoshelter.com/gallery/Stiff-Records/G00005jZtqSvoaSs/C0000rdY.ZwU_gYw

Steam Age is the s/h kit trader who frequents expoEM events. Don't have any contact details immediately to hand, sorry.

I'm currently planning a 'station throat' bitsa of which the scenic bit comprises the throat between an overbridge signal box (left side) as one scenic break and then the platform ends with a large overall roof (right side) as the other, all in 1200mm by 400mm. 3 platforms (up and down mains, plus a reversible relief, a through goods line (bottom) and a goods shed to the rear(top) with it's own headshunt, plus a loco road between the mains and relief. Based on German practice, so it might look a bit odd to UK modellers. It was based on a plan published in the German mag MIBA around this time last year. 2016-12-20_02-50-04 by Alan Monk, on Flickr I'll be doing it as Hasselhöf Ost Hbf, circa 1982(ish) with plenty of mainline steam. While I'm building it with a fiddle at each end, it could easily form the scenic section of a roundy-roundy with a fiddle to the rear, though with 4 roads on and off at each end, curvature might become an issue.

Ditto! Though I had a set of the nem adaptors with my DR one, so managed to use a set of Kadee #17s, suitably cut down at the tail end. Much more fun was cutting and splicing Kadees onto the coupler shanks of old Piko V60 Osts

08173 was withdrawn around mid/late 1978, but Polmadie depot retained it in working order as their depot pilot and unofficially renumbered it PO1, in which guise it lasted until around 1984. Now, 08 cab roofs get grubby very quickly, but https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3914/14523640922_934946035f_b.jpg shows it as PO1 in 1982 with a very blue roof (which could, of course, have been repainted since withdrawal) In 1984, it got reinstated as 08173 (with mis-matched numbers!), https://flic.kr/p/q5xshd and https://flic.kr/p/9JCy5X by which time the cab roof was grubby to the point of being black-ish. Then ran until the late 80s before being withdrawn, condemned and scrapped. Haven't been able to track down a pic of it pre-PO1 though... The linked pics also neatly show the lack of bonnet door grabs

Are you running DC or DCC?? If the former, wouldn't they only illuminate if the controller was turned up, so if the controller was turned down to 0, you wouldn't have any illumination of the switches at all??

Nick, I aim for an achievable standard I've set myself and then try to apply it consistently. As others have said, this is meant to be an enjoyable hobby. If it ceases to be enjoyable, either stop, or persuade/pay/trick someone else to do those less enjoyable bits! And everyone will have the bits they enjoy and the bits they don't. I like building and detailing stock, but dislike doing scenery. I have painted coach interiors, though only on stock with windows big enough that you'd notice that I'd painted the seats (having researched whether it was green or red leatherette and on which deck or section of each coach H0 scale DR EpIV stock, in case you were wondering). On some stock I haven't as you'd struggle to notice even close up. I did once look at doing some 4mm 1970s DMU moquette on self-adhesive labels for my 1st gen DMU fleet... might still have the file somewhere. And I know there a couple of manufacturers who produce such things for some RTR stock. I do have a lovely Slaters 7mm 20t LMS brakevan with a fully painted and detailed interior (stove, padded seats, tea can, papers on the desk, etc) which are nigh-on invisible now that the roof is fixed on. On the other side of the coin, The Shirebeck signalbox also has a fully detailed interior, but I cannily left the roof loose so it can be revealed with a flourish should the occasion demand

Shawplan/Extreme Etching definitely do a set for the Mainline/Bachmann 03, it's just the list hasn't been updated. Give Brian a call/email. http://www.petersspares.com/shawplan-eefg0301-mainline-Bachmann-class-03-diesel-laserglaze-loco-flush-glazing-oo-gauge.ir

There's also the hugely useful CLAG page on 3rd (and 4th) rail electrification, which is always my first 'go to' on the subject: http://www.clag.org.uk/3rd-4th.html

There were a number of 20s allocated to the 'Civils' sector in the 90s - these usually had a yellow stripe under the cabside windows. Even before this, 20s with little booked coal work at weekends would often be borrowed to work PW trains. And there were a few booked workings for a single 20 in later years - a Bescot trip working is one that immediately springs to mind. There were even a couple of instances where a single 20 worked passenger (usually the return leg of a Skegness working) following the failure of it's partner.

Not all multiple units were green. The AM9s were new in lined maroon, so why not a HST in the same style?

Were you sorted Bartb, or are you still after some?? I've just de-laddered my new Green/wasps one (ready to be TOPS'd), so have a pair of white painted ladders (still intact) going spare. Free to a good home. Just the ladders, brackets are staying on the loco (as per the prototype) Cheers!

The prototype Park Royal railbuses had a 3' diameter wheel, so 12mm would be correct. I did look at the rewheeling options when i first got mine - I'll dig the spare set out and have another look. From memory the main part of the axle was 2mm, so it should be relatively easy.

Did that journey once back in the late-80s or early-90s. It did get quite lively when we hit the 60' jointed at just the wrong speed... Never had any desire to repeat the experience, even if Pacers are arguably now 'heritage' traction!

It's worth keeping an eye on the 'Dapol Outlet' section of DCC Supplies' website where they occasionally have returned 08s. I picked up a 'Grade A' D3120 Green/wasps/unicycling Lion for £99 plus postage last week. Arrived earlier this week - the only fault I could find was a slightly misaligned cab, quickly and correctly re-attached. Now considering which of the suitable green/TOPS ones it might become (045/064/065/066) with a change of emblem and numbers. plus a good coat of grot. They also have Grade B ones for around £80 and Grade C for around the £60 mark... I'm rather tempted by the latter to do a snowplow conversion! (And thanks to Giles for the very speedy supply of a set of wipers and guard irons for it!)

That was my understanding of the '1959 ruling', that the restriction on 4 or 6 wheel stock applied ONLY to passenger-carrying stock. 4 or 6 wheel Parcel stock COULD continue in unchanged use after this date - the final Mk1 CCTs were withdrawn late-80s, IIRC.