Squirrel Rail

It's certainly a lot of fun and scenery is something I haven't touched for near on 40 years so fun to do. So far I think I have cocked up as much as I have got right - partly due to no planning and partly not liking what I have done so it will remain a work in progress and a nice distraction as something to play with other than 57's for a certain South Western Trains project Cheers Jerry

You must post a pic of it!!

Hi Jules, My remark will we ever see one was a bit tongue in cheek as I can’t remember how many years ago I did that 59 but not long after the Dapol one ( and was there a DJ one too?) was announced. I seem to recall the same livery samples and again that must be 2 years old so from announcement to now it’s got to be at least 5 years! Makes you wonder if Hattons should have done the 59! Cheers Jerry

Hi Jules, I Did it a few years ago as a bit of an experiment- I can’t remember why I didn’t use a Hornby/Lima body - think it was I had a surplus 66 to play with so with and it was easier to get the lights right on that. Perhaps one day we will see one in RTR form! Cheers Jerry

Bit of time spent yesterday and today on the stabling point where I managed to get the trees in at one end and all the ballast down. There are no plans for this so I am making it up as I go along First up a few trees, made from foliage clumps and twigs from the garden - quite enjoyed making a mess... The twigs and greenery on the track are bits I've dropped... Now with a bit more foliage - quite pleased with how they have come out as a first attempt at tree making, definitely going to have to tone down the colours as too nice and bright for me There's a lot more filling and detail work to go on the buttresses and to blend them into the wall, I will sort this all out when I add the buffer stops. Quick pic with a 25 to check heights - not sure what to do with the scenery behind the 25, which will be behind the old shed, which may or may not end up in the finished article... Whilst pondering this thought I would add the OHLE masts and one last shot of the stops That's all for now as proper Squirrel Rail work calls - will update as and when I get round to it again!

Found a couple more pics but wish I could find the work on the bogies and the chassis. From memory I made a replacement grill for the body side - excuse the bad pic and the second one shows this in the primer The major inaccuracy on the model was where the panels join on the bodyside which with the corrugations was a job too far for a cut and shut job. The other two pics I found have it half way being painted: and painted but not weathered!

Last weekend I started messing about to build a small diorama for photographing my locos. The challenge was that everything had to come from what was squirrelled away in the workshop with a budget of zero. Loosely based on Ipswich with a lot of artistic licence it has 3 roads with two electrified. I’ve made a rough catenary to get positions- the building on the left is totally spurious and bodged together from card and brick sheet- how nice not to have to be accurate! last up to get an idea of what goes where I have laid down some colour with the airbrush. this will give me a guide for ballast and paths and the trees to go at the far end and to blend everything together. Shopping has now curtailed fun but at least I get to take the car out!

Looking good Will - nice match on the paint too!

Looking through some old pics in the Squirrel Archives and came across my 59 build. It was a mix of Hornby 59 and Bachmann 66 creating a frankenstein 59. Overall it was as accurate as I could get it without creating a project that would never finish and thought it may be worth a share! Last I knew it was residing with #RS4 - is it still going? First up here was the franken 59 with new exhaust bogies and chassis additions A coat of primer brought everything together ready for EWS red and gold and finally a shot of each side painted and weathered. If I find any more pics of the build I will ad them to the thread, Cheers Jerry

Sorting through some old pics and liked this one of the old Bath Road resident 03382. Shunters are soooo much fun to weather!

Few updates from Friday on the workbench. 57311 got its new numbers but has failed Squirrel Quality control Look absolutely fine from the side but at an angle have silvered. Microset and Microsol haven't touched them and they just look wrong - Replacements being sourced! With the 57 on hold made a start on the two 60s, 054 Charles Babbage and 068 Charles Darwin. All decaling work complete and starting to fade out the petroleum logos on 054. The yellow looks crap at present but its just a base and will weather down, looking forward to weathering these two:- The remaining three (lurking in the background) have now been started, 57312 has had a wash to the roof before being lightly weathered The duo Southern Region likewise will be lightly weathered. 33035 has received it's new identity (ex 049) and I must say renumbering Heljan loco's is one of the most difficult jobs on the planet. The 73 has had a couple of very light washes to bring out the detail, in fact so light you can hardly see them. That's it for now - quiet weekend beckons!

Meant to add- I have had a replacement bogie from Bachmann which cost £28 inc P&P to repair an out of warranty eBay purchase so you can get them. Think the two screw method is a bit cheaper though!!

Many thanks for the message. IM0 the fractures have occurred during assembly as the pictures John posted show an identical fracture to a previous one I had but certainly worth a look. I spoke to the supplier and they have sold fourteen without problem then my two!! Hopefully third time lucky!

Just received the replacement from the approved Bachmann supplier and again both bogie towers broken - tearing hair out now

and in N Gauge too!

From the Squirrel Rail archives the L& B Pullmans - My prototype... Production in full swing... and this was the magazine launch Seems a long time ago now!

Hi Rob,Many thanks for the message- I will get on the small suppliers listings but want to finish my website first so people have something to look at!. I used to do a lot of commercial work ( ie I did the reverse livery Pullmans for Lord & Butler) but For the last few years day job took all my time so I only did stuff for friends. Now I’m in a position to fire it up again I will be taking on (hopefully) new customers! Cheers Jerry

So renumbering and naming a 57/3 is quick and easy... so far today it has had - bogie pipwork painted, ETH boxes painted orange instead of supplied black, silver buffers with red backs and a detail pack fitted perhaps I can now do the original job!!

Coming on nicely- look forward to seeing it done!

Chasing my tail at the mo Rob catching up on the backlog! Weather has been crap so plenty of time to get some modelling done - must also finish designing the Squirrel Rail website too- oh for more hours in a day

Don't forget a very large stabling point for all your Class 57s

Class 60s. The other project on the go with the 57 is a pair of 60s; one will become 60068 with large EWS beastie decals the other 60054 in RF petroleum. First up donor 077 had to lose numbers and mainline branding so it doesn't show through the new decal - Here's the other side with branding removed - may lose the 60 0 too depending on decal match The other 60 is to retain its petroleum sector decals but is from the batch of 60s where Hornby got the bottom shade of grey (IMHO) wrong - it looks duck egg green. Putting one shell on top of the other shows the difference : not easy to spot on camera but miles different in the light Usual remedy is mask it all off and respray the rail grey so here it is masked and with the masking off. Pleased with the really crisp masks, the blue "snot" on the hand rails is liquid mask that will be removed when fully dry That's it for today so hopefully some more progress tomorrow.

57311 Thunderbird. With the Freightliner trio out the way it was time to start on the renumbering and naming of 57309 which is to become 57311 Thunderbird First task on this is removal of the old name and numbers - I leave a small portion of the old plate to help with positioning so this is now ready for decals and plates tomorrow

Finished the 3 sheds and the 70 this morning - quick few photos but the light isn't particularly brilliant so forgive the quality. First up the freightliner 3: Followed by 70001 Quick comparison of Bachmann v Hattons exhausts, both weathered up nicely though: and a close up of Hattons - main difference from Bachmann is the the seam across the silencer and a larger port than on Bachmanns version -although IMO the lip round the port is too small and I prefer Bachmanns which is more like the pic I took below Bogie detail is great on the Hattons model and really brought out by the weathering but to be fair 66614 has scrubbed up nicely too Lastly ( not a great pic 66727 Maritime has had a light weathering and an exhaust job so thats ready to head to Richmond Park!

Bit more progress on the weathering - the 70 is now suitably dirty in its base coats Likewise exhaust soot on the three 66s, Maritime one is staying fairly pristine: Lastly Bachmann v Hattons!