Denny

Very helpful, thank you. I didn’t think about taking the point off with thinners/white spirit! I’ll look forward to giving it a go!

Hi Andy, They all look great! Just the right amount of weathering for a modern day fleet. I especially like your version of 47749. I’m about to start working on one for myself. Could I ask about your method of masking the radius on the cabside, where the blue meets the yellow? My plan was to mask diagonally across a sharp 90 degree corner and then touch in the blue with a brush afterwards. Is there a better way? Best, Denny

Track3D produce a few bits for HST’s. Not specifically for the Lima model but if you’re prepared to hack things about, I guess they could be made to work. https://www.track3drailwayparts.store

Shawplan do an etched mesh. Not sure how big the holes are though. https://www.shawplan.com/fittings.htm

The 73/9 looks very promising. Excited to see how it turns out!

Here’s a primitive edit to one of my shots taken the day it left Eastleigh.

https://www.coastaldcc.co.uk/products/esu/adapter-board-18-pin-next-18-socket-to-plux12 Currently out of stock but available to back order.

Thanks! Ordered. You can never have too many greys!

It is from what I think is the AWS magnet housing. The small box in the middle of the chassis behind one of the bogies.

Looking really good! Is that a stock Vallejo colour for the parts on 311's roof or a mixup job?

Absolutely brilliant! Thank you for the video, that's completely alleviated my concerns. Like you, I don't mind too much as long as the thing moves and a light or two works! Thanks again!

Do you mind me asking how you got on? Bachman’s new class 69 specs mention a Plux22 socket. I use exclusively the HM7000 chips in Bluetooth mode so it would be good to know if the adapter linked above will allow things to work.

I must admit, I'm really quite excited about these. It's been difficult to choose which one to pre-order. I've gone with 005. I think I'd also like 004 if it's announced but then I'd have two celebs (are they celebs?) and no bog standard one!

The models were mentioned in the announcement video, 5 minutes in.

Has anyone found further details about these models yet? The announcement said info was available online and that order books were open.

I’ve been very tempted by the SWT version. Unfortunately not my chosen era and I must be strict with myself or I end up completely out of control! 3417 would work though! Go on Hornby, you know it makes sense!

Looks like the MU receptacle has fallen off one end.

I've been having words with myself since yesterday... "You don't need a Colas Grid... You don't need a Colas Grid. You haven't even seen one in real life! You bought a knackered Hornby BR Blue example to turn into 081 because you couldn't justify both celebs on a 6 foot plank...." *Ping* "Order confirmed... thank you for your purchase." 🙄

Thanks for the responses and photos. I think part of it, is the huge change from pristine, almost white ballast. I did go back and revisit a few areas I felt I had overcooked though. As Gilbert said, after a few days, things look and feel a lot better. Some careful dry brushing has helped.

Same with the Hornby HM7000 chip. I get markers, tails and gauge lights on 37409 in the "Non-ESU" config. I don't really understand it but I'm assuming that regardless of dip-switch config, I won't be able to access the headlight.

Thank you. That is sound advice. I plan to add some greenery and other details which hopefully will blend things together. I will leave it a while though. I was warned that it was difficult to know when to stop with the airbrush!

I've just completed my first attempt at track weathering, but I fear I may have gone a bit overboard. The combination of sleeper grime and frame dirt has given my tracks a look more suitable for a steam-era industrial setting rather than a modern-day scene. Now, I'm in a dilemma – I'm worried that adding more paint might make things worse. Has anyone successfully managed to pull back an over-weathered look? Or should I accept it as is? I'm considering spraying a light grey over the top to tone it down, but I'm unsure if that would just result in a chalky appearance. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Awesome. I missed the post initially, but thank you for the information regarding 153376's paint job. I bumped into 153331 on Friday and took the liberty to take some detail shots. They may be of use to you.

I recently attempted to fit an Illuminated Models engine room light to an unused decoder function on my early gen Hornby Class 60. Unfortunately, in the process, I managed to break the existing directional lights. Initially, they only worked in one direction, but after more tinkering, they now only work in that direction but regardless of the lighting function being turned on or off – they come on as soon as track power is applied. The engine room lights worked as intended though…somewhat a result! My suspicion is that I might have bridged a connection on the rear of the decoder socket while trying to tap into pins 3 and 7. Would this cause problems with the other lights? In my attempt to resolve this issue, I'm planning to purchase a replacement PCB and try again. However, I'm wondering if there's a method to wire the engine room lights without soldering onto the underside of the decoder socket? The PCB has several solder pads, but unfortunately, none are marked. Any advice or suggestions would be immensely helpful! Thanks!

Where there any HM7000 announcements? Can't help but think that's a missed opportunity.