Squirrel Rail

Hi Rich, good to see you back posting, I agree 100% on the 50 steps, I use the etch from Brian at Shawplan always been available or do you know something I don’t!!! Cheers Jerry

More completions this week with the Heljan 47 resprays, 5 different liveries and all sound fitted: My favourite is 371 which was my last 47 to see way back in 1981! Nice subjects to weather too: here’s the rest, 503, Dutch 334 Red stripe 322, decals for this and 371 by John at Precision and last 832 Away from duffs the first and last HSTs were completed The Shark was also finished The 450 rescue has had the final white painted today and the next onto the bench is another 60, previously EWS 029 it will be going into GBRF.

Revised

Hi Rob, the photos being cruel as they look fine to the eyeball and I hadn’t noticed- suffice to say they will be coming off this evening! Cheers Jerry

The EWS trio are now finished and definitely a case of a livery Bachmann should do! and individually and last up a reworked 027

A few completions over the weekend with the four class 90s being done. 020 and 027 were rescue jobs and 018 and 039 being full resprays. Here’s 027 being de-weathered and then finished 90020 had a few paint issues and some very wobbly cant rails, sorry for sideways pic but you get the idea… Now all straight and reweathered with correct TDM cables 90018 is my respray, bit different this one with its round buffers, The other respray is 039 with its faded white logos, freight buffers and TDM mods and lastly here’s the trio

Cheers Rob, I try and keep things planned but a pair of 90 odd year olds don’t do planning!!!

Apologies for such a gap between updates- I’ve managed to get some progress on stuff but haven’t got round to posting! Starting with first and last pairing weathering onto 43002 and 198 after a coat of satin to tone down the finish, as for the blue Hornby have used I can only say hmmmm, On the subject of HSTs the fastest is also on the way, 43102 being close to getting decals but still adjusting the paintwork The five 47s have all beennnumbered as have the two EWS 90s with work starting fading the 47s, here’s one but I didn’t take any more pics before starting the airbrush work So base weathering applied this afternoon Also getting weathered was this 101 which had been “weathered” in a previous life but I’ve now got it all cleaned off and a new weathering applied Lastly a completion earlier in the week was 60074 so nice to get something off to it’s owner. I ended my last update with hopefully things have calmed down which was famous last words as we have one oldie with a broken wrist and the other with a broken collarbone. These old guys need our support so have to be our priority, I will get as much done as close to timescales as possible but it’s difficult to balance everything so whilst I clear all my current workload I won’t be taking on any new work until January. I will keep the workbench updated and Sqrail site too, cheers Jerry

There’s a nice empty pantograph well now!!

Very little progress sadly due to ongoing oldie issues but grabbing time as and when I can. Another Rescue job is this 450 which had been sprayed into South Western but needed a complete rework. Here it is before starting…. The unit has been broken down and the old paintwork feathered in then a coat of white fine primer, which will show up any more areas for attention also getting painted were the yellow warning panels on 60074 and the GWR 166 The ends of the 450 will be primed with the second coat of primer after the bodysides are flattened, hopefully back to usual service soon!

Thanks, this one will be a one off - the Bachmann 166 must rate as one of the worst things ever to come across the workbench, concrete paint, windows nearly impossible to remove and so flimsy- it’s a nightmare!!!

Short update as lots of prep work so the only paint has been these three: GWR green on the 166 Two more EWS 90s which will go with 90020 from earlier in the thread have had the maroon sprayed and also going with them is 027 which I have just started to remove the previous weathering so I can do it squirrel style last up Puma grey for this 60 to become 074. I’m using the Rainbow Railways paints and they spray beautifully so if you haven’t tried them I can definitely recommend them.

Quick update from the workbench with the Heljan 47s getting some decals and bringing back memories of Vic Berry’s… The other Heljan 47 has just had executive dark grey The Vitrains 37 has also began to get some decals following its respray 43102 has had its yellow ends and cab roof and another 60, to become 074 has gone into primer last up it’s always nice to see locos back on their home layouts so heres the peaks at work

Hi Andy- John at Precision is doing the decals - I saw them on his Instagram, cheers Jerry

D9 and 44010 all completed- really nice project and much more in keeping with my era!!

Hi Rich, hope you’re well, thanks for the tip, I’ll ask the owner if he wants them removing! Cheers Jerry

Hi Andy, working on that one- spares box and Railtec is my plan! Cheers Jerry

Here’s an EWS one I’ve just had in for refinishing as it had a few paint problems in its previous life along with another Barbie and 20 and 21 together…

Managed a full day on Squirrel stuff today so some good progress….. D9 and 44010 have had their weathering and are ready to be reassembled and a few detail paints to be added and in green…. Two more 90s now withe the rescue 90020 finished and another Barbie completed whilst on the theme of 90s another into primer and another newbie on the bench is this 43 to become 43102 in IC swallow The rescue 50s are also finished, new bodysides for 50033 and a partial repaint of the sides and roof of 049 to tidy up someone else’s efforts, see earlier in the thread and you’ll get the idea! D400 was back as I’ve another project for its owner and he asked if it could be dirtier so happy to oblige…. with the 50 muck in the airbrush I have done the airbrush work on these four TEAs which had been started by their owner and last up the yellow ends onto the large logo 47- thats it for today - Squirrel out!

A few bits of progress, red stripe on the 47 and primer on two more, one going into mainline currently in white primer and rail grey roof onto the other for large logo blue Two rescue jobs now, the GBRF 50 has now had all its paint and decals and the underframes painted black to lose the Hornby weathering With that done a light weathering has been started before the glazing and reassembly The other rescue job was 90020 which the last job was to add the correct shape battery box with one of my resin replacements - weathered in this shot and an overall pic of it with the paint faults and cant rails sorted

I’d love to but it’s going to be a runner so not too tatty

Carer duties have overtaken again this week so fitting in as much as I can so excuse the long post as it’s nearly a weeks worth… D9 and 44010 have been primed and then some pre-shading D9 going green and Tryfan going blue messing about with a Hornby shark has seen a bit of weathering followed by the first 8 vans being finished with an example pair below a colour that hasn’t been on the workbench for ages is rail freight grey with three Heljan 47s getting the treatment and with the masking off. One will get its red stripe the other staying all grey lastly two completions, Slim Jin 204 renumbered and weathered from 206 and another GBRF 60, this one being 021 Penyghent ill try and keep things a bit more up to date but it’s a bit chaotic in Squirrel land

Quick update so excuse the rubbish photos! I’m trying to keep things ticking over between hospital trips to uncle so here’s what’s going on: One of the rescue 50s is now renamed and numbered - the previous post showed the new BR blue but thought I’d just show the before picture… and now redone Another loco nearing completion is 60021 currently being decalled in the front are the IZAs, I’ve put my hat on backwards and graffitied them before they get another coat of weathering then some fresh tags to finish so a bit bright at present and the other pair lastly completed the EWS shed for Jack and there’s some great pics on his thread @WrattingRoad so worth a look at the other projects he’s got going on!

Updates have been a bit then on the ground as one of our oldies has been hospitalised so although I’m getting through some work the updates have been scarce! So following on from previous posts here’s where we are: The Mainline 37 has all its paint work done and is ready for decals The D9 and 44010 conversions have had the etch added to one side, great stuff from Brian @shawplan 66083 has had the last of its weathering and another 67027 to 023 renumber and name. @railtec-models decals settled down perfectly Rescue jobs now, this 50 leaves a bit to be desired: it’s been flattened off and new orange laid down, it’s partner has had the blue resprayed to repair over glued nameplates lastly a couple of completions, the HST power cars and a line up of 90s with 048 and 043 back with their owners fleet, all by Squirrel Rail apart from 041 on the far end. hopefully I will get back to more regular posts as soon as possible…forgot this slim Jim has had new numbers and etched fan so is now ready for weathering

I’m using a crystal clear resin with a pigment tint to try and match the Bachmann ones- using the Originals to make the moulds and go from there, problem will be keeping air bubbles out but will see how I get on, it’s got two chances As for the 166 this will be unique as there isn’t enough tea in China to persuade me to do another!! I’ll post some pics when I do them, cheers Jerry