bmthtrains - David

This appears to be imminent, along with the other new 60 liveries, as Kernow have them on their ‘recent arrivals’ list but out of stock - meaning they’ve had the delivery note and are awaiting stock in a couple of days. Looks like an expensive autumn/winter for me with lots from Farish and Revolution due. David

Well that’s the model railway equivalent of the three minutes of terror completed - I will never get comfortable with liberally spraying watery glue all over the layout. Now to leave it to dry for the week… David

And so the ballasting begins…regretting all those points now! David

Thanks everyone. The two boards were up today before I start ballasting the right hand one, so decided to give some of my TINGS purchases a good run. David

I’ve invested in a pair of LED lamps to add a bit of brightness to my photographs - the last image of my speed signs made me realise how much light you need to capture tiny things! These will also help me do more fiddly jobs through the dark winter evenings (such as the joy of painting rails). A little experimentation has helped me find the best way to use them, and they’re a dramatic improvement to what I can see and can photograph! David

I rarely engage with wish lists as I find them rather pointless but as Ben has outlined criteria above, I have long maintained that track maintenance stock would be ideal subjects for Revolution to tackle: Kirow cranes, tampers, rail grinders and stone blowers, etc. Dapol or Farish unlikely to ever go near them, they run pretty much anywhere so are suitable for all modern image layouts, and they are a hugely visible part of the modern railway that modellers struggle to represent. David

That’s good to know. I wouldn’t be ordering one if it were the same. I noticed someone at TINGSS studying the underside of the 313 to check the same. A little annoyed that the staff on the stand decided to laugh at this. Those of us who have been dismayed at the couplings on the 321 certainly don’t find it a laughing matter… David

Ah that’s a problem - I’ve just ordered a pack of 44s to go in them! David

Having bought four of these at TINGS yesterday I have to say I am totally bowled over with the quality and detail. The yellow livery really lets the surface detail show, and the printing is absolutely stunning. The wagon load - something I’ve not been a fan of before - also really works. I need to get some batteries to test the wagons with rail lights but this is by far the most impressive model in my collection. At £45 or £47 each they are terrifyingly expensive, especially given you can get similar box wagons for 2 for £35 from Dapol, so anyone after a decent rake is looking at little change for £500, but the detail of these in comparison to the Dapol MJAs for example confirms the price is worth it. I’m not yet sure how I feel about the direction of travel with detail and costs in the hobby at the moment, as I worry too many people will be priced out of it, but looking at these models - well, they’re astounding! After a hugely disappointing experience with the Revolution 321, Revolution are back in my good books (though only if they banish that 321 coupling never to be seen on a model again!). A hands-down model of the year winner if ever there has been one. David

I’m quite glad there are only three speed signs on the layout - I’ve gone cross-eyed now! David

Thanks Phil, Here is the finished sign. Very fiddly! David

Another handy set of etches I designed are these sign templates. Having found it impossible to cut 6mm circles out of the Sankey Scenics speed sign sheet I’ve now got etched circles that I can stick to the rear and then cut round. A much neater circle than I could have managed freehand! David

In between painting rails (will the boring bits of layout building never end?!), I am making a start on the OHLE equipment. First job today has been to test my new etches and to establish the right portal heights. This is an old N Brass portal just sprayed with primer so not the right colour yet, with an N Brass register arm and my own etch for the support arm above on the left. To the right is my own etch of the combined equipment. As is fairly obvious, portals with these need to be higher, and thankfully I have some spare N Brass portals of the older design which had taller legs with marks to cut down to normal rail side or platform heights. I have cut these to a height 6mm taller than the the normal legs for the two portals that will have the combined etch on. David

The 08 is about 15 years old so I couldn’t tell you. I don’t remember any issues with it at all and running it today for the first time in probably a year it’s been fine. David

I can now do shunting! What I have realised doing all this hideous wiring is that in future I can probably get away with dummy sidings. The way I run my layouts is to sit back and watch trains go by. It never occurred to me that the yard didn’t actually have to move to suit my needs! The next layout in about 10 years time will be much simpler in terms of electrics I think! David

As this week is my last week off until Christmas, I finally overcame my apathy and completed the wiring on the right hand board. All lines now run smoothly, and it means I can get on with more enjoyable, smaller jobs in the evenings through the autumn. Here the NR class 37 pulls out of one of the sidings and onto the up slow. Next jobs will be to paint the rails on the right board, then ballasting. David

Thanks both, that’s really helpful. Seems if I avoid the DB and GBRF sets, I could pretty much mix the loco livery and wagon set as I wish. Probably I’ll go with either the grey Ermewa or blue VTG ones. David

With these wagons due shortly, I’m thinking of getting a short rake (if funds allow), but I’m wondering which liveries to get. Am I right in saying these are largely interchangeable now - Revolution’s consist diagrams are helpful but photos and videos seem to suggest a real mixing of locos to stock. DRS locos hauling DB liveries wagons, DB hauling Touax, GBRF, etc. I had been thinking of getting MRL liveried ones to go behind my Hanson 59 when it arrives, but these are unlikely to have run up the WCML. I’m not after 100% accuracy (probably 60% accuracy and 40% Rule 1), but a rake that either DB/EWS or GBRF locos could haul reasonably convincingly. The 59 can run engineers trains instead probably. David

Lovely livery application. I’m a little uncertain how effective the lift off section is going to be though - a fraction of a millimetre out of line and it will really show jumps in horizontal banding as seen in the above picture. Fingers crossed production versions avoid this. David

Barely visible, but I’ve added the window frame etches to the ROC, and finally replaced the missing T and O on the north end sign. David

All the windows are in place now so this building is pretty much finished. Next job is to add the window etches to the ROC and finally add the missing letters to one end! David

Lots more to do but a quick test: David

My etch has arrived! Looking forward to adding the window frames to the apartment building now but this also has parts for all the other buildings I’ve planned, and OHLE components to match the N Brass ones but in the more modern styles. David

Finally for today, a quick test on the scenic section. Once the window etches are added this should look just right I think. David

And here is the basic assembly completed. Next steps are some paint tidying on a few edges, then when my etches arrive on Monday I can add the doors and windows. Weathering and embedding it into the layout will come later - there will be little shrub borders in the recessed spaces. David