jessy1692

They are good paints to be fair, my brother does a lot of warhammer stuff so have 'borrowed' pots before. I'm sure somewhere there is a colour chart with what games workshop paints are close to railway colours, I'll see if I can find it. Cheers James

⁸Evening all, not a lot happening on the current crop of coaches, I was going to varnish them today but the weather has been horrible so didn't fancy it, tomorrow looking brighter and drier so ill rig up a spray booth and get them sorted. The Gresley BG and Stove are all lettered and ready to varnish now too. Also I have a pack of 14mm wheels now to put in some of these coaches, pretty expensive nowadays are Hornby wheels, anyone use anything cheaper?? Also this week I have pulled out a kit I have had in the 'to do' pile for a while. A Leadley Kits P0P1 3d printed kit. I think I got it as a lock down project but never got round to it. All went together very nicely but I am missing some of the weight stacks on PC 4, hopefully I can get some more but if not I'll just make some from plasticard. This is it pretty much done for now ready to paint up, I'll add the glazing and roof bits once it's painted. Very interesting thing and it will probably lead me and my Dad back down mk1 cut and shut rabbit holes to make up some RTC coaches to go with it. Cheers James

I thought exactly the same after doing some with Railmatch, good colour but looks dark and too 'new'. I have a couple more vans to do so will be interested to see if you try something to fade out. Some very nice stuff going on here. All the best James

That's exactly what I thought when I bought them! I got this pair and another pair previously, the previous ones are painted green but have extra ribs so look more like the Ford vans I think. I have them stashed in a box for now ready to go after the current coaches on the bench. Rough plan is to cut chassis down to fit thr body, check the bodyside ribbing to check it best reflects an Izal/Ford and generally just tidy them up a bit. Will post pics when I get to them Cheers James

Evening all, been told to get the various bits of carriages tidied up before I go away with for a couple of nights so status of the various bits below: Inspection saloon, main painting just about done, need to look at transfers for it and some new plasticard bits to build up an interior, lots of windows means the big empty space looks a bit odd! Cravens SO all but done except a bit of weathering and varnishing. Thompson 328 compo like the Cravens. The wooden BG has had 3 coats of blue and counting, roof and chassis to paint and heavily weather. The blue helps hide a multitude on this but I have to say I love it, looks and feels very bulky. Stove R, latest addition to thr parcels fleet, a surprising ebay bargain got 16 quid, it was in lms crimson so a quick repaint to BR maroon. I should have most stuff done by the weekend ready for varnishing next week in the kitchen when the family are away so I don't get told off! Cheers James

I have seen a pic somewhere of a 1950s rebuilt bar area when I did my conversion from a Kirk Kit, I'll try find it and share here, BR made it more like a kiosk. Edit, found it, link pasted handily embeds the pic! I very loosely copied it using bits and bobs for my model a little while back

Evening John, as much as I'd love to take credit on the windows they are actually self adhesive stickers from SP, I think they come with the sides buy are available separately too. Also once you get going with them they are a diddle to apply. Iv no idea on time frames and I'm patiently awaiting my order coming through. I imagine there is a fair chunk of orders in at mo. Cheers James

Evening mate, it's a full Southern Pride Models kit I picked up off ebay, Southern Pride are still trading but are on the wind down so probably only brass sides left. I have done the FO brass sides on a mainline donor previously. Site is http://www.southernpridemodels.co.uk/index.htm?1 But be aware David Lewis is on the wind down and has/hadhealth issues so best to email first regarding availability of things. Also as per messages on the site replies may be slow bit he will get back to you- I think a lot of people are getting orders in to stock up and there is a back log. I know I have an order in and patiently waiting. Hope this helps James

Evening all, latest crop.of projects slowly creeping along and nearly all now at a stage where its a bit of finishing needed and varnish awaits. The Thompson, Cravens and inspection saloon are either ready for transfers or ready for weathing/varnishing now Another coach has made its way down from the layout too I got it as part of a job lot on Ebay a couple of months ago, from the pics I assumed it was a heavily painted Kirk Gresley full brake but when it arrived I realised it looks to be a home made thing with wooden sides and roof! The undergubbins was very battered and the bogies pretty basic do I whipped all of that away and added new trusses and Bachmann Gresley bogies. My Dad had a go with the paint stripper and not much came off but some of the plasticard beading did so iv added bits to replace it. Also the domed rood ends have been re done as one end looked pretty odd. Other bits iv done is add an extra bit of plasicard beading to split the lower panel and also add hand rails where needed. Also glued a new cantrail on to try hide the side/roof gap. It needs a primer coat to see what's what now but it will hopefully scrub up OK, plus heavy weathered plain blue will hide a multitude!

J1288 certainly worthy of the 'unusual and interesting coaches' topic, I feel a model of that is going in my 'to do' pile. Excellent as ever Dave, always something interesting. All the best James

There was a 47 at Sinderby too I'm sure, also I thought/ got told/ misremembered it was a doctor or some such that had them? Of course it could be the Clergyman also had a doctorate! I thought they'd all be gone by now, must have been out in the open for the vest part of 20 years.

Mine arrived yesterday, very pleased with my 3. Not often I buy new stuff but couldn't resist these. Very well packed and the liveried box is a nice touch too. Detail and finishing I think is superb, feels a quality model. Not sure why roof is removable but they are a very good fit. All in all I'm very very happy with mine- worth the wait. Cheers James

O nice, I havnt seen a tracking note as yet but in no huge rush, like you say I never thought I'd see these RTR and was about yo get some Southern Pride ones snapped up. Iv gone for the early blue and grey ones so can justify a green blue and maroon mix. Also my main aim is to run them with a 40 and a mk1 pullman second and a blue and grey thompson bsk converted to a sleeper amongst some other mk1s for the york-inverness motorail!

Payment to Rails gone out this week from me so hopefully these will be landing on layouts soon

Great pics as ever, little fact about Prospect Tunnel on the end of Crimple viaduct, when built the contractors allegedly cut corners and made the bore too thin so trains were not allowed to pass within the tunnel due to tight clearances. Shouldn't have been much of a bother as it's pretty short. Cheers James

Evening all, had a pretty busy week sorting out by bathroom tiles so not a huge lot of time for trains. Having said that though this aft I did have a bit of time to fiddle with some coaches: Inspection saloon moving on, water filler pipes bent up and stuck on, seemed to take forever but glad I perceived to get them pretty symmetrical. I think that's most of the work on the body done so I'll be looking to add bits to the chassis next. Interior would be nice but I don't think iv any arm chairs spare. My Dad popped in with another little job, it came as part of a job lot of coaches with bits of work already been done but missing ends and a chassis. The roof boards and rain strips had been shaved off and the original vets filed off and new white metal ones put in off set. I'm not sure if it was part way through a conversion to try do a dia 334 FK but I'll keep it as a 328 CK. Holes drilled for new door furniture as previous owner had sanded off and new rainstrips and destination board holders added. Some filler required on one end but should scrub up OK. Finally, some transfers have landed so I'll get cracking with the Cravens SO soon. I'm going to get the sides decorated before attaching thr clear sides. Cheers James

Cheers mate, I have to say in KR defence I think* they have modelled it as built, the grilles next to the cab were later additions. Its been a while since I built it but I think they were a later addition Cheers James

Top pics as ever David, recently I have been taking an interest in the East Coast coach rakes, looks like an early mk2 probaly FK?, 3rd coach in on J550. J 551 Also a great example of transition era, nearly a full corporate rake compared to the nearly full maroon rake in 550, Cheers James

Thanks Moxy, great research there, iv missed them Bartlett shots somehow! Also that's the 1st iv read of a conversion from a coronation coach too! I'm sure I have read somewhere 45045 was in blue ar York in the 70s and as iv done more research iv concluded the A1 etches don't really match any protype, allegedly BR ends with 1st batch LMS sides, however, 45045 did get it's ends rebuilt to BR batch style without the centre droplight so it's 'nearly" right. I should have really read up before I started but hey ho, itl do for me. That pic of one on the Southern is interesting as to me it looks like it's I blue but like you say screen's etc can change it. Assuming it is blue I would have thought it'd have got into blue and grey by then. It seems these things got about a fair bit. For a smallish class/batch of coaches there is a real minefield of detail differences. Thanks for the links, very much appreciated. All the best James

Nice to see DHP1 coming along and my build from a few years back isn't too far away colour wise, from memory I used GWR Indian Red fir the body and a coach cream possibly pullman fir the top. I also got some custom plates made from Narrow Planet so if anyone is looking to upgrade theirs they should still have the artwork on file. Cheers James

Very good trick is painting the inside of the window frames, I tend to use a dark grey though as sometimes black can stand out a bit I have found but iv been mainly doing it on blue and grey repaint. Top tip! Also great work on these coaches, i have a few lurking around so taking notes here. Cheers James

Hi all, bit of an update on the inspection saloon, door furniture all in now and the roof vents put on. I managed to save enough of the original ones to re use and added a few white metal ones for the bigger fans. Next up will be detailing up the ends, not a big fan of bending up wire to make symmetrical curves so we shall see how it goes! Cheers James

Working in what used to be the Milk Marketting Board when we had a lab in Harrogate testing milk samples by the 1000 per day, the spent samples had to be disposed of down the special sinks into an underground tank. I'll never forget the day I walked in to the smell of the tanks being emptied via special suction tanker... I think it was an every 6-7 month job and it was a warm day...... Hands down THE worst smell I have ever encountered and from that learned how serious a milk tanker spillage is, imperative it doesn't make its way into water courses in big volumes. Cheers James

Evening all, been on with a couple more bits of coaching stock since the last post, a Southern Pride Cravens SO kit is in the works along with an LMS inspection saloon. I got the A1 brass sides and windows off ebay for a 5er or so and a 50ft bg for another 8 or so Inc post so have set to. I know its not the best kit/sides but it looks the part. Usual stuff of strip down and carve off the detail and window apertures, coming along pretty well. Seems to be a lot of differences on these things so I'm going for a bit of a if it looks right it is right job on this. I have read 45045 may have been in plain blue with FYE so possibly go for that as its a bit different to blue and grey, plus easier painting wise! Any clues as to these things being in plain blue gladly accepted. Cheers James

NE1760E in blue and grey! I think that's the first iv seen of a NE prefix in B&G. I feel some Thompson sleepers coming on. Great pics Cheers James