The Fatadder

On the ex Hattons Class 66 Accurascale have done some pretty significant tooling modifications (including changes to the body to add a lift out section for DCC fitting that would have required much more significant changes to the tool than what I would suspect would be needed to the 48xx, so I guess there is promise on that front. On the other hand if its EFE who have got the tooling, I'd expect it to be the same... I know which I would prefer to see!

Really pleased with the 3d print / dukedog chassis model, not cheap but highly recommended. Wish I had some green paint so I could finish it off!

Found it in short for passenger trains More details in Mike's full post linked below

One of the few 'recent' models that I would be itching to replace should an upgraded version appear, all be it if the body was relatively unchanged I would be inclined to see if I could move my existing GWR black and weathered 1470 body onto the new chassis Fingers crossed there is good news on its reappearance soon, for now I am more than happy messing around with Bulldogs

I think on the front, certainly the few photos I have seem to suggest this. Im pretty sure @The Stationmaster has written about this in detail somewhere on the forum. Will have to try and find it again Excited that by the summer I should have two bulldogs in service (even if only one will be able to work under its own power). Hopefully will be able to get my Mitchell Manor to at least freely roll to add a third option, though I’m thinking seriously about rebuilding its chassis so it will actually work on its own…)

A little modelling (and a little shopping) this evening, first up I’ve finally placed an order with Rainbow Railways for my Rapido B Set (Kingsbridge in wartime brown naturally). Just need to decide if I will get a second for the other Kingsbridge set that I still can’t verify the livery for. Then onto some modelling, until I sort some paint the curved frame Bulldog is in limbo. However a delivery from Bachmann Spares today gives me the parts to finish off Nightingale. As I’ve said before, this is a very old model a fair amount of which has been scratch built. Getting it running with anything other than its original design would have been tricky. (Which would have also kept its too small wheels.) However as mentioned previously given it doesn’t need to power itself the Bachmann Dukedog chassis was the way to go (for less than a set of Gibson wheels!) the boiler section at the front of the chassis block was chopped off with a hacksaw, the gear removed from the axle and a basic keeper plate fitted into position. 3.5 mm spacers were needed on each end of the chassis (which also gave something to screw into for the body fixing and bogie mount). While the axle slots needed opening slightly to match the new parts. All that remains is to attach the bogie properly to the front of the new chassis block, and to add some sort of loco to tender linkage (as well as reattach a broken tender step) For a loco that has to be at least good ten years older than I am, I’m pleased with the end result, looking forward to seeing it on the front of a King and a set of coaches

I find black tack on the edge of the plastic chassis frame works really well

Utter failure of a painting session at lunch today: There is a massive air leak somewhere in the outlet system, not the end of the world as the 25l air tank holds plenty, but frustrating none the less. The painting was a car crash, GWR Green had dried solid in the can. The rattle can of Brooklands Green had also gone off and just splattered the loco with green blobs. It now needs cleaning up and trying again once I source some replacement paint (no doubt not until Ally Pally or Swindon, which ever comes first). The EWS gold paint had also dried up, with some left in the bottom which was 50 - 50 as to whether it was useable. after spraying it was rapidly apparent that it wasnt useable and was immediately wiped off the model. Another new tin of paint needed.... Finally the NVA car carrier was successfully sprayed white. At least one project can now progress over the coming days, just not either of the two more pressing ones!

For ideas for future releases, how about one of the locos that were running in triple grey with no branding, not just good for people wanting that particular loco but also perfect for anyone renumbering to any sector or Transrail. (It would be a great choice for the 60 for the same reasoning, just adding Mainline / Loadhaul/EWS branded triple grey to the potential renumbering list)

I am even more impressed now, going to have to speak to the guy who did it and get some advice on the setup he is using (and the orientation of the print). There has been a lot less fettling required than usual, removing the remnants of the supports and no work needed filling pressure tares, exaggerated layering or any of the other oddities that hit my prints from time to time. All being well I am hoping to get it sprayed green over lunch, although the compressor still needs fitting with its new regulator before I can do anything which will limit the spraying time. Of course I say I am going to spray it green, I havent actually managed to find a period photo of 3335 to verify its livery so I am assuming green and not black. All I have managed to find so far are pre war photos, and photos of a very nicely finished 7mm model in green with G W R on the tender. Not exactly a reliable source to go from, but seeing as the Bachmann tender is already lettered for G W R i think it will have to do for now.

Some very nice engineers wagons there, having done the Cambrian and Warren Smith P18 kits and the Kirk P23, looking at that Chilvers P17 I think I need to add one of those

New toy day..... Just had a delivery of a 3d printed curved frame Bulldog that was designed by a chap on the GWR Modellers facebook group, intended for use with the Bachmann Dukedog chassis. Also included is an accurate bogie for it, with the model just needing bufferheads and handrails to complete (along with a few of the fixing screws etc from the Bachmann donor model). Mine is going to be finished as one of the last two survivors of the curved frame Bulldog, Exeters 3335 (for which I need to get a set of plates ordered from LRS). For now I have test fitted the chassis (without the fittings for the bogie) and aim to get it painted over the next couple of evenings if the weather holds. The question will be how well Phoenix GWR green and Bachmann GWR green match up to see if I can avoid needing to respray the tender as well. If anyone can direct me toward 1940s photos of 3335 I would appreciate it. I think the quality of the print is high, including some very nice cab interior detail and a representation of the inside motion which is no doubt going to be a real pain to paint. In the mean time this evenings task is going to be getting it fitted with handrails, its been a while since I last formed a set so naturally I am really looking forward to this wonderful task..... I ordered a Dukedog Chassis block and complete wheelset / rods / bearings from Bachmann spares on Friday, so as soon as that arrives I will get it modified and fitted so that 3449 will be ready to enter service.

You are making me more and more tempted to switch up my plans and do Iris 2 rather than the tractor pair with my Lima 101. It wouldn’t take too long to draw up a suitable 3d print for the grills (which I’d recess into the body similar to how you’ve tackled it.

I really need to start using the sprog/decoder pro more. It’s the lack of electrical outlets where they are needed in the study that puts me off. Need to get it sorted! Ive been doing a bit of tidying on the layout in preparation of taking some higher quality photos for a potential magazine article. without the facia plate the ends of the bridge were still in white foam board, so this has all been painted black. There was also a messy strip along the front edge where the bank was built up for the river, so a strip of electrical tape was added to hide the messy part. This needs something a bit more permanent going forward, but does the job for now. bits for the compresssor are due tomorrow, so fingers crossed I can crack on with 37668 this week and get it into service. The chassis had most of the detail bits added last night. Very frustrating that Bachmann have continued with the rubbish bogie mounted snowplough instead of doing it properly ala Accurascale. (Still at least they did the windscreen properly….) just need one more split box /0, one centre /0 and one more 37/4 body and I will have the whole fleet upgraded (bar the 37/7 which will probably get a Shawplan upgrade)

I have an excel spreadsheet that contains the transfers / detail bits I need. Just somehow forgot to add it! The day the order arrived I also decided I wanted to order a set of plates for my rebuild of 50031, so they can both join the bits for 37902 on the next order when ever that turns out to be. Speaking of which I had better update the file! I like to get as much ordered at once to save on the postage, so locos often end up without names for a fair while unless there is a show on the horizon.

given that the final table will more likely than not end up based on points difference, going for the 7 was probably the right call at that stage. I’d disagree with some of the 3 points they went for earlier in the match but when we should have been going for the 4 try bonus. Given the reluctance to go for the try earlier in the game, it did seem a bit of an odd shout to flip it around at the death. That said, second half England were a lot more dominant, so perhaps they took their eye off the ball a bit more and forgot the pressure Italy had been applying in the first.

One thing I did have an issue was refitting the cab into the FGW Hst. Hornby have a different light bar in the new model (presumably it has more lighting functions and the ability to have all 4 lights lit like the prototype GW powercars. So I’ve swapped it out with the body that was providing the chassis (172 in intercity) which in turn will get a rebuilt Lima chassis eventually. As with most locos I hate spring contacts for the lights so as a matter of course hard wire them to the pcb instead. longer term the intention is to replace all the Hornby lighting with new boards that give full control. Ideally I want a surface mount board along the lines of the kit I bought for the 158, that can be glued behind the Hornby without the existing light guides. Of course refitting the cab interiors is a real pain, and always seems to result in a seat braking off. (Not to mention some of the spares I’ve bought over the years don’t have seats in the first place.) I have a plan to resolve this, 3d printing two seats on a base plate that can be stuck in place inside the cab interior while it is fitted to the model (once the lights are tested)

Having finished rewheeling my mk3s back to OO last night, this evening I wanted to sort some powercars to go with them So 43191 finally had its lights wires up, before swapping bodies with my Intercity 172 (which will end up on a Lima chassis) and a new Hornby body that will probably get an identity change to a partial white front. I think I’ve mentioned before the the roofs on my GWT powercars are all wrong, I thought they were falcon grey but apparently it was black. I wi probably repaint them all with a weathered black mix (but no doubt all the cantrail linking will need redoing

Damn, I knew there was something else I needed to put on my Shawplan order last week to finish off the roof on the last GWT example I repainted… love the horrendous state of 523, makes for a fantastic model. 484 is one of those I fancy doing but can’t justify, I’ve missed out on damages / non running Vi trains examples a couple of times now when the price exceeded the low limit I’ve set myself for non core locos. I remember it being a regular performer on the binliner, did that go through Didcot?

I know what you mean on that front, there is literally only one day in the two years I model (98/99) in which a class 56 operated in Cornwall, 56078 in unbranded triple grey arriving on a railtour to Fowey and returning light engine. Pretty tenuous for justifying a purchase, but it’s enough that should I see enough on my current eBay auctions that end this weekend I will be ordering 56074 (assuming I can still find one)

A few penalties showing a lack of ambition from England taking the 3 rather than going for the try. Given the odds of England pulling off a slam are slim, and the likelihood is the tournament will be decided on points, failure to get a bonus point (and the conceding that additional 7 at the death) will hurt England I think

Its not listed as a part on the Bachmann spares site, so I am guessing for the moment at least any spares they have are being kept for warranty work. Shame as for this (and for the 37) it would be nice to be able to buy it as an upgrade. Maybe another enterprising third party will produce a retrofit kit

updated list in post 1

Thanks to @Southwich I have got rid of the majority of my remaining P4 wagon/coach wheels, meaning this evening I have set to work getting my mk3s back to OO. So far having completed a full set of GWT and a full set of Virgin. The former is complete with couplings so it will be good to give it a proper test on Brent sometime soon (though I will need to sort out some decoders for the powercars first). I do still have quite a few wheels left that I am looking to swap: Maygibs are solid steel, Branchlines are solid nickel silver. There may be some surface rust on axles / overspray that needs cleaning up. Bachmann 158 (old model) > Maygib wheels with Bachmann gears / sleeved axles 2* Bachmann 159 > Ultrascales (nickel silver) Maygib 10.5mm *8 Maygib / Colin Craig 10.5mm *8 (these are fitted with Colin Craig brake disks on the inside and outside of the wheels) Branchlines 14mm * 11 Exactoscale 14mm * 10 (assembled) Branchlines 14mm *6 no pin points Maygib 14,5mm * 7 no pinpoints Gibson 14mm disk brakes *7 Gibson 14mm Maunsell *1 Gibson 14mm disk *4 Gibson GWR tender *3 Gibson 3hole disk 12mm * 3 Gibson split spoke 12mm *3 Ultrascale 2 axle Lima Ultrascale 14mm *3 Gibson Hornby Class 50 No doubt I still have a few more kicking around that I have missed (particularly those with odd quantities), but I think this is pretty much it

Thanks, there are a few others (private owners and a salt van) that have had similar conversions previously, always nice to get something that has a bit of sentimental value turned into something that is also useful, I still have another 6 wagons in the unfinished box (and I think a further 5 or 6 awaiting build), although everything thats left will require parts purchasing so they are certainly a lower priority. Its the unfinished locos that I really need to look at, with the County, 47xx, Mitchell 43xx and Manor all still not working, the Finney 2251 still without a chassis even in the to do pile, and the Saint awaiting a chassis build. Then there's the Bird.... The latter might actually see some progress. I think I have a way forward for a reliably running unpowered chassis for it using Bachmann Earl parts from their spares site. Having just dismantled my dukedog in preparation for fitting the chassis into a curved frame Bulldog I matched up the block against the existing block and they are pretty similar in size. It just needs modifying to add the body fixings and a new keeper plate (as I refuse to pay what Bachmann are asking for the Dukedog part). (This does mean that I will be putting a Dukedog body in GWR green with etched number plates on the classifieds soon). For those interested you can buy the complete drive assembly including motor and keeper plate for about £55 from Bachmann spares which I think is a bit of a bargain. With some metal removed from the insides of the boiler I think it would be possible to fit one to the K's white metal kit I have for sale.