CloggyDog

Close, but not the one I've seen. Rudimentary shed/shack on a Blomberg truck. Might not even have had a prime mover, but rather was powered via jump leads off the shop supply.

I do recall another 'DIY' switcher, rather less refined than the TP56 and mounted on a Blomberg 4-wheel truck... but can't find the pics or details I thought I'd saved. Similar, if slightly more esoteric, is the Wilmington Shops switcher... Essentially a wrecked GG1 with the wrecked end cut away.

TractivePowerCorp's TP56

Not sure about your neck of the wood/world, but I recently had a number of Loksound 3.5s reblown by Coastal DCC (Ipswich, UK) with no problems at all.

Bonnet hinges - I have the following builds having the long, rivetted hinges: D3000-59 (Derby), D3060-81 (Darlington), D3082-126 (Dby), D3127-136 (D'ton), D3137-3216 (Dby), D3217-3244 (D'ton), D3245-97 (Dby), D3298-336 (D'ton), D3454-72 (D'ton) Now, that's all types of 350hp DE 0-6-0s, including the non-EE 6KT-powered machines, but gives a total of 356 with the long/rivetted hinges. Taking just 'proper' 08s, in TOPS terms that's 08001-266/369-87* Don't forget that a number of 350s were withdrawn before TOPS came in, but the surviving EE6KTs were renumbered in a straight sequence from 08001 (D3004) upwards with no gaps, hence you get D3091 = 08076 then D3102 = 08077 (the 10 in between were EE6KTs, but had no train brakes, hence their early withdrawn dates (May/Oct 1972) - other similar gaps occur around the Crossley/Lister-Blackstone-engined locos (so D3116 = 08091, then D3127 = 08092 and D3136 = 08101, then D3167 = 08102), plus the first 4 snowplough conversions and other odd early withdrawls. Never mind the minefield of exhauster boxes...

As others have said, the 2nd triangular panel was a consequence of dual-braking (as some internal components needed re-siting and new access to them required cutting the 2nd panel into the bodyside) - Jim Smith-Wright detailed the necessary (albeit in 4mm) on his website: http://www.p4newstreet.com/wordpress/articlePDFs/25%20article.pdf I think I have seen a list of the 25/1s with the extra triangle published somewhere... just not sure where As to it being a 'mistake'... Heljan have done a single body tooling, so late-blue era modellers will need to address the front doors, side step/handgrabs, etc anyway (and early/green types might want to look at the exhaust port...) - I see it that Heljan wanted to reduce the production cost, so did a 'one size suits none/some/most/all*' tooling and those requiring 100% accuracy will just have to get on and do a bit of modelling (*delete as applicable) Having examined a friend's 25/1 at my local club recently, I shall be getting a blue 'un to hack into 25032, circa 1986 (so sealed doors, plated steps, etc). However... 032 was a NB machine and never had the water tank - I know the fuel tank/battery-boxes on the Heljan model are removable, but is the boiler water tank also easily removable?

I took the 'May I suggest Wimbledon or Richmond District Line stations pre-1972 as good places to model?' to mean just the terminus side, rather than the whole through station. Wimbledon A box covered the terminus platforms, http://www.s-r-s.org.uk/html/srm/R324.htm Richmond: http://www.s-r-s.org.uk/html/srr/R234.htm Either could be adapted to lose the through lines and any connections thereto

08202 certainly was blue with red rods in 1979: https://flic.kr/p/9sNi3y Roof colour is uncertain, though. Fast-forward a few years and it has yellow rods, blue roof and also the bonnet-end buffers have been replaced with Oleos 1985 https://flic.kr/p/HQKr85 1988 https://flic.kr/p/9LQJK1 I'm looking forward to my 08202 thudding onto the doormat and am sorely tempted to add a green/wasps to my order with Tower which can then be green/TOPS'd. Anyone know if the later bonnet doors/cab doors style will follow at some future date, because a 13 master/slave pair is mightily tempting!

Half that, surely?? Mk2 SOs seated 64, so double seats would mean you'd need 32 double-seat castings per coach.

What he said! Except my PM is now sent!

Having recently had yet another 3H one disintegrate whilst being gently shunted at an exhibition, I look forward to these being made available. That 1/151 looks cracking good... dare I enquire if the 1/152 will follow??

The latest Eisenbahn Magazin (Juni 2016) has an article on decals, with an updated list of German decal suppliers: Firma Ansprechpartner Internet BS-Design Helmut Bross www.bsd-online.com CTD Modellbahn Jan Striewe www.city-town.de Gaßner-Beschriftungen Hermann Gaßner www.gassner-beschriftungen.de HartmannOriginal Heike Hartmann www.hartmann-original.de KH-Modellbahnbau Karin Hegermann www.kh-modellbahnbau.de Kuswa Modellbau Gerd Kuswa www.kuswa.de KTD/HHB Modellbau Jörg Hüsgen www.ktd-hhb.de Modellbahn-Decals Andreas Nothaft www.modellbahndecals.de modellbahn kreativ Siegfried Künzel www.modellbahn-kreativshop.de Modellbau exclusiv Karl-Heinz Müller www.1zu87mueller-siegen.de Modell-Manufactur Hainer Pilz www.plus-perfect-line.de Ostmodell Andreas Hoppert www.ostmodell.de TL-Decals Petra Budde www.tl-modellbau.de Tröger-2m Michael Tröger www.modellbahnbeschriftung.de Weinert-Modellbau Birgit Weinert www.weinert-modellbau.de And I've found that Ostmodell do EpIv DR Hilfszug decals in H0, just the job for my repainted (from EpV red) Heris set

Issue 6 dropped through the letterbox this morning with the usual eclectic mix of subject matter and scales. And it's renewal time, must dig out the chequebook.

Might a solution to the pick-up drag issue be to adopt 'stylus' style pick-ups, where the pick-up wire is arranged such that the end tip bears on the wheel, rather than the usual scraper style. CLAG (as ever) worked this out some years ago: http://www.clag.org.uk/tedpick01.html

The D5098/D5107 release both have the original grille, but in the Darlington 'polished grille' finish look less problematic than the plain blue or green versions. Phil did have a test-etch of a revised grille on the stand (painted blue in one of the saucers containing the various detail parts). The revised grille has more and closer-spaced slats without the verticals and looked to be a significant improvement over the originals. The SLW website has been updated to reflect the new releases (and the Tyne Dock add-on pack) and these are all now on general sale via the website or by phone 01780 470086

Oh I say... that's lovely! I have a thing for the 20t cokes, having done around 25-30 of the old 3H plastic kit, including all 4* major variants, plus all the small variables. It's a nice moulding, but is long OOP** and can be a pig to build (especially the chassis) and it's rather fragile for exhibition layout use... * raved sides and ends, raved sides and solid ends, raved sides and solid ends and vacuum-piped, solid sides and solid ends. There were also the Pensnett conversions (deeper hopper chutes, from memory) and the cut-down sand hoppers (with fixed tarpaulin rail) and the original LMS/PO builds had a strengthening plate/strap across each side. And, of course, the one-off vacuum-braked example. **oddly enough, the s/h price of these has come down since the Hornby announcement I was considering replacing the worse ones in my fleet with the upcoming Hornby RTR one, but this gives a viable alternative. I did also try the Steam and Things brass kit from Australia, but it's quite expensive when you factor shipping/customs in, plus I had a couple of issues with the design and build of the kit. Are you doing just the 1/150s, or might 151s and 152s be in the offing at some point?? And what might be a likely price?? As for the hooks - nope, no idea either and I don't recall seeing mention of their use in the few published sources. I do know they didn't always mould fully on the 3H kit and them that did were easily broken. Lots of 3H modified ones on the ever-useful em1970s site and prototype pics on Paul Bartlett's website. MRC Datafile on 20t Cokes was in the August 1983 issue of Model Railway Constructor

As HM appear to have completely forgotten they once promised a blue/yellow ends brake tender, I've just ordered an all-over green example, which will get a bath in slightly diluted IPA upon arrival ready for a coat of blue (after titivating the detail some). You just watch... the 'blue is now ready to order' email will no doubt arrive tomorrow...

Even 'flamecuts' can be replicated - I know of at least one chap who will make you up full-size replica comprising a steel panel in your required colour (green or blue) with authentic style numbers, data panel and depot sticker. They do look very smart indeed - I'm rather tempted to get a couple of my fave locos (20005, 20145, 45041) done to decorate the walls. And while he doesn't sear the edges with an oxy torch, I guess it could be done. Another couple of chaps do very nice lasercut nameplates (usually in mdf) which look spot on, but are much lighter and much, much cheaper than metal originals or replicas.

The other option is a shim of thin (5 or 10-thou) microstrip, 1 or 2mm wide by the length of the draft box opening, glued in at the front of the coupler lid (so under) the coupling - should lift the coupling into line. My parcel from Model Market arrived on Friday (very quick service!), so I spent an entertaining few hours over the weekend trying the various lengths in my NEM-fitted German stock - to get good close coupling I found most of my personenwagen and guterwagen needed a #17 (short) at one end and a #18 (medium) at the other even though this would mean my stock would all be handed, but I can live with that. A #17 to #17 was marginally too short for reliable coupling, #18 to #18 was too long, especially on coaching stock. I may nip the pins off either all the short or all the mediums to aid identification. I have (so far) nothing that requires the #19 (long) or #20 (extra long) I also looked at some of my older, non-NEM stock - for these I have a selection of NEM mounts scavenged from my UK 4mm RTR stock (which all gets 3-linked) and I've adapted these (filing, re-shaping) to fit older Piko, Roco and Schict stock, superglued in place.

For those looking for the NEM Kadees (#17-20), Model Market have them at £3.50 per packet (2pr) with very reasonable shipping - just £2.20 for the 7 packets I've just ordered for testing with my German H0 stock. On my US H0 stock I've pretty much standardised on the #153 (whiskered short shank scale head) as most suitable for my era (1950s). I nip the trip pins off, as I'm a skewer-wielding kinda guy. For my UK Em stock, I only use Kadees inter-rake on MUs and coaching stock. MU's have #17 or #18 in the NEMs between cars and I use screw-links between units. On CS, I cut a slot in the headstock and mount a standard draft box with a whiskered standard head coupler, length as appropriate. Trip pins nipped off as I have no need to split the rakes, screw link on designated outer vehicles.

The widened lines signalling plans might be of interest: http://www.harsig.org/ In particular: http://www.harsig.org/Circle.htm Always good to see WL layouts

There are 8 small screws, 4 at each end. The outermost pairs hold the bufferbeam in place, the innermost hold the close coupling mech in place via a metal strip. As aleady noted, the body is clipped in place. The suggestion to use the display plinth is recommended!

Neat idea on the tail lamps. Must dig out the stash of Bachmann bodies from their crate and start cannibalising the various useable bits. How about opening the BIS hatch and modelling the internal gubbins?? It was a pretty common sight for the cover to be hanging down (or even missing!) I've done that on one of my Bachby hybrids, along with tablet recesses.

Do an image search for 'Three to the Sea' railtour. The Railfreight livered 20 rode 2-3 inches higher than the green pair.