Firecrest

Thank you - I'll keep following your progress! Do keep updating as things happen... For my part I'm attacking the Lima Crab body here with a whole heap of things... thoroughly enjoying myself Best wishes Chris

Many thanks guys - I hadn't realised that the pickup designs were so radically different, but then again I do like a challenge, so I won't entirely rule that out... As for the Deeley / Fowler hybrid tender - yes, I'd forgotten about that. There's a picture of one in Fowler Locomotives by Brian Haresnape, but that's a much better view you've supplied. The only problem is that there might be a few holes to patch in the process... and it's a mazak chassis curse you Lima... haha! BW Chris

Hi One fairly stripped Hornby GWR County body (1029 County of Worcester) going free. Missing - buffers, copper chimney top, all external pipework bar front vac pipes, right hand nameplate, whistles, whistle shield, glazing Apart from that - and at risk of sounding like a dodgy eBay auction - intact and in good condition - i.e. nothing melted off, holes everywhere etc. £1 postage. Best Chris

Hi all, Bracing myself for the answers here but would like to know how to attempt to mate the Lima Crab body and the Airfix etc Fowler motorised tender. The Lima tender (as I'm sure you know) is wrong dimensionally, and I have an Airfix version going Spare (from a 2P project). The thing is how to mate them together... Has anyone attempted this (with success...?) Best wishes and thank you in advance Chris

Alan Gibson does a nice one in metal - cleans up well and easy to attach

I either use Humbrol 132 which is a satin colour or my other go to is an old tin of Precision Buffer Beam Red, which is more muted and great for a weathered in look. Maybe try Phoenix’s latest incarnation ?

I've tried a few including a Paasche Talon that I couldn't get on with... my main workhorse now is a basic but brilliant Badger 100G gravity feed brush - it's balanced just right and feels just right to use - simple to clean and strip down, and very solidly built. It would have to be one hell of an airbrush to make me get rid of this! I got it for £40 with a H&S brush from a lady who had been using it to spray nails with. It was solid with crud but a thorough clean and overhaul by me and a light service from The Airbrush Company and it just flies now!

Hi all, My apologies if this has been covered before, I did hunt to see I wasn't repeating but if there was something there, I've missed it. I'm looking for the Humbrol matches to the Railfreight Grey and Flint Grey used as bodyside colours during the Sectorisation era please... I totally appreciate that I could buy the required colours in a heartbeat from Phoenix/Railmatch etc, but I have so many Humbrol enamels anyway that are usable, that I'd rather work through them first than splash out on new paints that essentially I already have. All help much appreciated in advance. Best as ever, Chris

Agreed - I do most of my painting using older paints with very few issues. Any lumps or bumps that may be present you can strain out with a fine mesh tea strainer anyway. If a paint has got a skin on the top though, I do tend to dispose of as they're never quite the same again. Black is worst for this I find... especially Humbrol 85! The original Precision paints are excellent! I've a few of these and like you say, they just keep on going! Same with Gloy as well... always spray and stir well, and that smell! Totally unique to the brand... Chris

47471 was named after Norman Tunna GC, who won the award for his work during WWII - on Liverpool Docks during the bombing there I believe

No plans to get 264 mainline registered I'm afraid... she's in great shape, but that's not on the cards

Nearly... 255 was a paint test loco at Toton prior to 466 being treated. Toton had just opened a new paint facility, and various stored engines were tested including 31255 and 37137 which was very close to being preserved, but afterwards wasn't in as great condition thanks to paint being liberally applied everywhere and anywhere, and subsequently went for scrap

Well that's my secret hobby out in the open... blast. Back to the stock cube foil packaging for me it is then...

Sacrilege! It's a sort of very dirty grey/black ... does wonders when lightly sprayed on boilers for weathering, or alternatively can be used to obliterate King Arthur identities... Revell 9 anthracite is the same kind of thing. It's also called scale black in some circles... basically if you want black to look like its been out and about a bit use that

Phoenix Precision weathered black has a lot to answer for

On the plus side at least something has been said, so we're not as much in the dark as we were, let's try and stay positive. I'm in the same boat as many as you incidentally, I've been waiting just shy of three months for a set of Hall plates and was on the verge of going to Trading Standards when I searched on here for Modelmaster, which stayed my hand. I'd tried to call but kept getting 'mailbox is full' messages, and no email reply (we now know why...). I suspect many of those who've complained don't have the knowledge of our forum... Anyway, I'll sit on my hands and wait... and finally get that blasted thing off the workbench when they turn up Chris

Thank you that’s a very kind offer but I do have some spare ones knocking around - I’m torn between using an Airfix RTR or motorising the Keyser kit!

Alas I’ve left it as moulded and am popping an etched one over. Having hacked it so much I just couldn’t face wielding the saw anymore! It’s looking quite nice now and I’ve just finished its top coat of 1960s era Humbrol Railway Enamel 104 green... looks and smells the part and thins down beautifully for spraying!

That would be ideal, and I suppose there is the Lima motor from the surplus tender! I'll have a think

That’s helpful to know - what else would fit in the event of one of those not making an appearance? This is new territory for me ...

Well I can now join the Keyser club with this recent purchase... was after a Fowler tender for a Crab project (to replace the massive Lima effort) and saw this. I’m assuming you can motorise it? Looking forwards to tackling it in due course

I think you’re referring to one of the split box locos that was rebuilt with a flush front - ie 006/019/075/100/102 - the myth was that some of these received nose ends from split box 40s after collision damage but this doesn’t seem to be the case, and I think there was also some considerable discrepancy with the measurements between the two classes anyway. It does seem weird that some came out from repair with their doors intact - ie 006/019/100 but different works seemed to treat things differently. It was probably the case that the boxes had been written off as they’d stick out most in a collision but the rest was repairable... HTH

Very interesting and sorry to the OP for going off topic! Laira seemed to revel in producing overhauls that were a bit left of centre... most of their centre panel overhauls were quite distinctive too with the screwed in panels featuring sealed beam headlights - ie 142/188/263. Just to really break the mould 280 had the same panel as the split box overhauls - go figure... Don’t forget 075 to complete the list of 072-074 - that also has a bent end but flush. Anyway I digress... sorry

Laira did something similar c.1989 when they were overhauling split box class 37s - this was naturally post headcode use but several emerged with the doors removed and sealed and a non standard smaller centre headcode panel instead - examples are 031/047/053

Alas! I have a bag of L1 bits here including a spare block that I’ve been scratching my head what to do with. A body too that I’ve been using as a paint tester - they’re all from a very badly water damaged example I found in a junk shop. Front bogie, motor and wheels were a write off but the frame was ok. Any use to you?