Bert Cheese

Here we go, batch 2 of 3...The Pilbara museum, and Indian Pacific at Cook (SA) to follow in a couple of hours. All shots were taken on a 35mm Olympus point and shoot camera and the scans here are just quick and simple efforts with no enhancements made, hopefully they look alright though. I have tried to provide some background but am no expert here, it was usually a case of seeing things by the side of the road and screeching to a halt for a quick explore. A bit of imformation for the shots below in order, please point out any mistakes I may have made....it was a long time ago and I was rather partial to Emu Export! 1 - Alco C636 No 5497 at Port Headland, I'm afraid the others are a mystery to me. 2 - No 5497 alongside our trusty Falcon XE which did us proud for 10 months, by far the best way to explore such a big country. 3 - Someone with great hair! 4 to 7 - One of the BHP iron ore trains from Newman to Port Headland, the entire train just visible in the first shot with 6 Alco's in 3 pairs throughout.

I spent 1998/1999 travelling around Australia, though railways and such were not a priority I did see a few things that grabbed my attention. First off a shot of the Sydney monorail at Darling Harbour, followed by some trammage in Melbourne. Next up for the scanner will be some W.A iron ore (Port Headland) and Pilbara museum (Dampier) shots hopefully..is anyone interested in seeing such things?

If that sells for the asking price I'll be half tempted to put mine on the bay!

The Bachmann club edition of the DRS flask wagons seem to be doing well at present, a couple on with the one below on silly money? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bachmann-Collectors-Club-Limited-Edition-FNA-Nuclear-Flask-Wagon-/270951031979?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item3f15f0a4ab

I initially thought it looked as though the crew were midgets wearing balaclavas... As for the Telly Tubby observation, I think you may be thinking of Tinky Winky as I'm sure Po was red in hue? All of which doesn't help me decide which one of these to buy, the early AC blue version is looking favourite at present as I've really got to limit myself to only one of these.

From the leaflet enclosed with the model: "Lighting: as per the prototype, the model displays white lights in the direction of travel but no rear light. In reality, these railbuses carried a traditional oil lamp at the rear to display the red light"

I have just given my E79963 a test run, a superb little model with only one errant handrail to attend to at the lower end when I find my tweezers... I have to say my reason for getting one of these was a passing visit to the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway last year while visiting friends in Bradford, to be honest I thought the place was closed when M79964 appeared at Ingrow and I was strangely impressed....the pre-order went in the day I got home

IIRC correctly the white window surrounds on a number of the 33/1's were authorised by Allan Baker who was in charge of Eastleigh MPD at the time, at least 33101, 103, 107 & 119 being so treated. Some may remember him better as the last depot manager of Finsbury Park,famous of course for white window surrounds on a certain other class...

Looking at the droop on the buffer skirting I would imagine the chassis is already gone, as soon as the body is removed the chassis end will most likely drop off...looks nearly identical to mine a few months ago.

My D5705 arrived today and I am very pleased just looking at the thing, have not had a chance to run it yet though. An impressive model overall with an awful lot of small detail on that rather sparse underframe between the bogies, another nice touch being the distinctive power controller wheel in the cabs. I've been looking forward to this since 1984 when I saw a rather folorn looking "Object" sitting in Swindon works shortly before it moved to Peak Rail for the start of its restoration...despite being born in 1971 and raised on a diet of 33's, 47's and 73's the Co-Bo's have always fascinated me ever since reading Brian Haresnapes fleet survey books (purchased of course from Dave Cleal's "Mainly Trains" when he had the shop in Chandlers Ford) My only tiny gripe is a missing horn, but as I cannot see where it is supposed to fit it probably won't be an issue, I might be able to use one of the others to replace the more obviously missing one on one of my Hymeks....I reckon someone at Heljan must have a laugh leaving one out of the stuff they sell me...its a conspiracy!

The horns are/were mounted under the buffer beam, very noticeable in some ex-works photos. Hopefully my D5705 will arrive tomorrow, a bit of a must have for some reason and my first loco purchase for several months now.

There is another option if the chassis has broken but the body is intact/repairable. Mine broke at both ends and I repaired it by filing back the broken sections as far as practical and fixing the end sections into the cab ends, then simply dropping the assembly onto the chassis. As a consequence there is a small gap in the chassis now (hidden by the body anyway) and I lost the functionality of the tail lights (though someone with more patience could probably retain that) Overall I am quite pleased as the loco would have been good only for a scrap project otherwise or binned on eBay.

Looks like they will be here soon then? The 2800 release showing D5700 with all the picked out bogie detail looks great, though sadly the change of heart regarding the wrap round windows saw me cancel my pre-order some time ago....I am sure they will do it one day and I will certainly have one! Still got D5705 on pre-order though, that'll do for the time being B)

All green'uns though....what about the Loadhaul version we all secretly want?

Most likely in the hands of Frank "Mad Monk" Matthews who is said to have wrung 120 mph from the class 74's too on the juice rail too back in the day.......it was said that some of the young second man at Waterloo refused to ride with him such was his reputation for pushing the limits. There were certainly some odd combos during testing, my dad recalls having a 4TC+33/1+4VEP+73/1 or such on one occassion when the 33/1 conversions were still on trial, he jokingly told the overseeing inspector (Roy Porter of Basingstoke) that if anything went wrong the chair was his for the taking....though fortunately the SR had got things spot on as usual Just a pity I was too young too appreciate such things, some of the thousands of miles I travelled in the cabs of 33's and 47's may have been spent on Warships and Big E-D's had I been born 10 years earlier........mind you I'd be knocking 50 now, and the thought of being a mere 40 fills me with a strange fear

No, not yet anyway........ I was chatting to Elvis Presley near Box tunnel the other day, and he told me that the first 350 will have wrap round windows after all. The lack of proper glass story is apparently some sort of ruse by Hattons because the pre-orders for D5700 have been massively over subscribed by legions of Metrovick fans. B)

B) Ooh Wibble............. I have always been fascinated with these things since glimpsing D5705 through my binoculars at Swindon works as a youth back in the early 1980's, and having read about them in Brian Haresnapes excellent "Fleet survey" books which I eagerly purchased from Dave Cleal when he had his shop in Chandlers Ford.........Oh for a time machine to take me back to happier days. D5700 & D5705 duly ordered with no hesitation whatsoever, the sheer joy of potential Co-Bo ownership is enough to make me smile even when looking at my dodgy pair of Claytons

To *my* eyes it looks like a rather nice dilemma! I do have 6 Warships, 2 Westerns & 2 Hymeks, so a Teddy Bear would not be too out of place, but then in real life the TB's were never really part of the WR's hydraulic family were they?.......more like a strange uncle who turned up and lurked in the corner A quick count reveals 21 Heljan locos in the collection, so they are obviously making stuff I want to buy.....usually I can make a quick decision on purchases but this one has been preying on my mind since it was announced, the recent bother with the Claytons has not helped either to be honest but that is another story! B) If I have any money left at the end of January I may have another think about this if Hattons have any left in stock.......Kestrel can still be had new so I think I may be in with a chance?

Mmmmmm, look at those lifting eyes on the bonnet tops...... B) Not for me though, nice as they look I just can't justify stretching to over ??100 for what looks like a large shunter to many eyes. I am having enough trouble at present choosing which Bachmann 47 to buy, what with the recent rash of L/E's in the old InterCity colours on the horizon.

I received my Ribble Cement replacement chassis from Howes this morning, a bit of postal smashage had damaged one bogie side frame but I reckon a bit of superglue will fix that. The new chassis is something of a revelation, running almost as well as the usual Heljan offerings. So far I have only run the loose chassis on my test plank but it takes power at 20% application and runs smoothly up to a good speed which compares very favourably with the 60% take up and grinding sounds of the original running flat out at near walking pace! Somewhat annoyingly I will have to buy a soldering iron if the headcodes are to work though as I do not possess such a thing, even then it will sit mostly motionless in a cabinet as I have no layout to run it on...........this modeller/collector dilemma is enough to drive a man to drink.....I find Fullers ESB does a good job of erasing any worries

I would imagine they must have at least considered Lion, it would make sense to complement the other oddball prototype releases, the other remaining obvious choice of DP2 probably being best left for conversion from the Bachmann Deltic by those keen on tinkering? Heljan do seem to have a fairly large back catalogue at present, and in these current times perhaps may not feel it prudent to announce yet another large diesel, though if they do I will not be complaining.

I would imagine the forthcoming class 14 & 15 will possibly share the same motor as the revised class 17's, all being of a vaguely similar narrow bonnet type design? Perhaps once the outstanding motor issue for the Claytons has been resolved Heljan will start making proper noises about the long awaited Teddy Bears & BTH's........neither of which are on my shopping list (at present anyway!)

Presumably your model still has the up yard in place in preference to it being a car park? And with redundant class 07's from Soton docks replacing the old B4 that used to work there too? As for the DN&S, I was walking over Hockley (Shawford) viaduct a couple of weekends ago on the way to Winchester, getting a bit ropey on the parapets these days, seems strange to think that my father was driving trains across it shortly before the line finally closed. My Kestrel arrived a couple of days ago and very pleased with it I am too, if only your prediction for its XC work had come to fruition I might have got a few cab rides in the thing, would have made a change from 47's anyway

Currently just 3, all as received for now. 50007 in G.W Green.......one day I should get some etched black plates I suppose? 50031 in large logo blue 50149 in railfreight grey Next on the list are 50135 in Loadhaul which someone is bound to release soon, and a weathered 50008 in large logo with black roof etc which I may tackle myself from a suitable donor loco. No NSE 50's here though, I can still remember the disappointment I felt as a youth when seeing what they had done to 50023 on the front cover of "Rail Enthusiast" all those years ago! (Although the revised version without all the white paint around the windows was not quite as objectionable....)