JBM37404

I dropped down from O gauge where Heljan sold 37/0s with painted out skirts at one point. It seems in 4mm we can have multiple suppliers and a race for detail (Accurascales 37 does look the business) but those of us in other scales get left wanting although I know Heljan have finally retooled the 37 in O. Come on Farish don't drop the ball here, why bother doing Crewe cut buffer beam 47s if the 37s get left with the wrong nose ends.

They have been doing quite well of late this seems like some corner cutting or an oversight. I am personally disappointed as its going to make modelling the likes of 37080, 37113, 37106, 37088 and 37099 tricky. Maybe there's a way of filing off the skirts on a split box model. Or a nose chop of sorts. I am not the type of modeller who shys away from a challenge I just lack time at the moment to be rebuilding models completely especially when it's to represent a common form of the class. Will be asking their reps about this next time I see the stand somewhere.

Shot with the buses in is great, remember well the Crosville Cymru Coastliner services. Used to see a few VRs and the like at Flint depot when cycling past in the 80s with one eye on the railway looking to see what 47s would pass on the Eustons.

Indeed and it's highly frustrating as I'd say that majority in the timescale quoted carried the doors and usually the headlights post 92 onwards. I model the Inverness fleet in 93 and as a result can only have 37025 as a split box I think as it had a plated door. Such a shame considering Farish do a flush front 47 when required so why leave the 37 hanging. Starting to hope someone else starts considering a 37 especially as we have to mill the chassis for sound chip fitting. Revolution and accurascale collaboration maybe......

I would say yes, it's the same front as the 37035, 37068 models and I think back to 37027 when that was done a while back.

Looked N to me, I have a 37428 on order also which is arrived too. Looks like they won't re tool the front end on ones with the headlight which limits ones that can be modelled accurately. 37046 definitely had the doors still and headlight off centre. Remember scoring it on a Cardiff To Liverpool train in the 90s.

Noticed this is showing as arrived on the Bachmann site. Unfortunately it looks like the model has the nose doors with the flush plate over and headlight lower centre as per 37025 and the previous 37035 release. Bit disappointed so won't be picking up one unless I can figure a way to modify the nose ends somehow...

I am currently planning to strip a Large Logo 418 to paint as 404 in that scheme. I think about two thirds of the /4s carried it more or less late 80s to mid 90s period but we still have them doing COLAS which only one carried.....

That's right, my memory wasn't working when I typed that up. 670 was pulled from the scrapline and ran in its faded condition for a while. I think most of those 37s failed at some stage on trains I was involved with.

Grain elevator done from the Walthers kit, needs painting and weathering but I wanted it done for perspective planning as I need to figure out backscene height etc. Also can be seen an OTA in the back ground that came off one of the curves due to the previously mentioned coupling issues. Cheers John

Good work, 404 my machine as you can tell by username. It did very little South of the border and was one of the Most Scottish of the /4s. Was seriously loud to the point that other members of the class felt a bit tame in comparison. Had several runs in Scotland off it in the 1990s and often enough apart from Charters not a single person other than me aboard. Used to slip a bit in the wet too. Good work bringing it to life. I am going to have a crack of doing it in IC Mainline for my N gauge layout.

Thanks Simon, I will try some similar couplings. Cheers John

Tested the Sleeper set vid here: https://youtu.be/o7NL694qY7I Had some major issues with Chivers OTA wagons. They won't take the 2nd radious curves at the ends of the layout can't think of a solution tried every coupler going in my spares box. Anyone else used these wagons with success on curves? Cheers John

There was 3 of them 419 which failed, 401 and 670 which ran paired and got repainted I think as Northern Belle were not happy with the state of them when used on an Oban trip. They were all knackered and sounded rough and failed on a tour I was involved with just before repaint. As for choice of livery Bachfar 37s are that short on supply they could probably paint them in any colour and they will sell....

So on a few rest days I got some more track down. Laying code 40 has to be done with a bit more care than peco I have found. If your working with tools near it and slip then it can easily cause irreparable damage to the rails meaning that's got to be relaid. I also started putting in the first fiddle yard line and a point with the cobalt motor mounted on the baseboard as opposed to underneath. This was due to the underframe leg support being in the way underneath but I wanted the point in that location. I have also been working out what traffic to use the Yard for. I wanted to keep the Whisky theme going to shunt my NGS polybulks. So that is for one siding. The next siding will be for export whisky. This traffic will go out in ferrywagons and I have a roco one already which will need re wheeling. 3rd siding will be Timber traffic as I have some OTAs already done. As my layout will stick to 1993 by this time I think grain traffic had more or less finished. The last trains used to go to Roseisle near Elgin IIRC but I'm inventing a grain terminal here. This is well located for Bells in Pitlochry and Dewars in Abefeldy plus it could easily be roaded to Speyside or any other Distilleries from my terminal as its pretty much centre of Scotland. Speedlink finishing saw a lot of this type of traffic end so my story is that a Block train comes up from Whitemoor for the Polybulks. The ferrywagons will take Whisky to Dover and the train ferry into Europe. Timber can be detached off the Dee Marsh to Elgin train,loaded up and tripped back to Mossend. A lot of rule 1 going on here as I remember the Highland Mainline was pretty much just a passing point for all freight by the 1990s with far more action going on around Aberdeen and on the line from there to Inverness. It's all a what if but that's what some of us do and I am enjoying the build so far even if some learning curves are a challenge! John

There is always compromise to be made its how much can be accepted before it ruins the fun. If you can get your current set up working better and it saves you some hassle then all good. How do you find the code 40 gets on in the heat/cold? My layout sits in a building in the Garden which is a real sun spot although I can open large doors and windows when in to cool it down.

From another code 40 user As much as its a pain probs take it up and go again. I'm putting super elevation in on a curve and have tested it around 100 times already but as yet it may come up. It's better to get it working properly otherwise the enjoyment is getting ruined. Great work so far and you have plenty going on with the buildings and the atmosphere is spot on.

Put some super elevation on the end curve round to the fiddle. Looks alright I think but am going to test it a lot before ballasting etc. Cheers John

Installed first point motor last night, gone for cobalt digital for all points so got a large box of them. In a change to the plan I have scrapped the gradient and short branch and the track will remain on the level. I was not happy with the track laying and the look after using woodlands risers. I am also not using Cork underlay now after giving it a go and will lay track straight on the board. My new plan is to have a walthers grain terminal and 3 sidings with a headshunt and still have the mainline and passing loop also. After many choice words the point motor worked last night which I was pleased with as I have never put one in before despite 30 odd years of modelling.

Seen a few of those test train mk2s about but no more RR ones. I agree the late 80s to early 90s is seeming overlooked in favour of blue or Colas type era colours.

Repeated liveries again, how's about some InterCity 37s either the full swallow sleeper ones or the /4s without the branding. Some different sub sectors would be good too for freight. Load haul was very over rated livery in my own opinion although each to their own.

At a point here (no pun) were I need to consider how I am going to wire some handbuilt points that came into my possession. Does anyone else have any pictures or diagrams of how they have wired scratchbuilt points? I am aware the frog polarity will need to be changed and have some cobalt dcc motors on order. Greatful for any assistance. John

I have stopped buying stock for now as I need to put money under the boards point motors and the like. Not as much fun as buying and weathering/detailing stock though!

Great fleet your building up there!

26037 after some weathering and headlight added. Still some work to do with the airbrush but couldn't resist a shot in the sunshine.