Timara

Through the arches at Chappel.... Through the Arches.... by Tim Easter, on Flickr

A couple from this morning, on its second trip on the Midland mainline in as many weeks. 60103 Sandridgebury 25-6-16 (V29012) by Tim Easter, on Flickr 60103 Sandridgebury 25-6-16 (V29018) by Tim Easter, on Flickr Both taken with the aid of a telescopic pole.....

Update time.... I've had this A2/2 on my workbench for some time now, but I'm pleased to say it's now finished. Following on from the build thread, here's how things look now. One of the photos I've worked from is this one here, which I believe is a Keith Pirt one. https://www.flickr.com/photos/38949371@N04/3659855122 Extra effects include the use of gouache (ivory white) for the limescale streaks and MIG powders for the vast amount of exhaust dirt across the boiler. I may see about some outdoor images if the weather plays ball tomorrow....

Thanks Gary! What with all the complete change of project and other stuff, I'd completely forgotten about updating things on here. The 2MT is still ongoing, thanks to getting new chassis under both loco and tender. So much for it being a quick and simple conversion (on my part)...... I'll probably post an update with how things are looking on the loco in the next few days. Busy finishing an A2/2 at the moment! Cheers,

Couple of pics from this morning.... 60103 Harpenden 4-6-16 (V28767) by Tim Easter, on Flickr 60103 Harpenden 4-6-16 (V28772) by Tim Easter, on Flickr I really don't normally venture out in such dismal conditions, but it was local to me and I was awake...

One from today, leaving a nice cloud of stone dust in its wake. Last time I saw this loco (66747), it was grey! Dust storm shed by Tim Easter, on Flickr

Oh billhooks.... Looks like the lamp iron fairies have been at it again! Another task for my next visit, along with a few others on A4s I wonder? Nice to see the J11 too; I would dearly love one of those in GCR livery.....

I came out with 45 on that one. Having been diagnosed at 18 (half my lifetime ago), it's been both a blessing and a curse. I don't like "labels" at the best of times, but that's how it goes! I'll be honest when I say that I have found quite a few situations difficult, where most others would breeze through without much ado.

Couple of photos from yesterday's run, now that I'm back home. I was both surprised and not surprised at the sheer quantity of people who came out to see her. The bridge north of me had an entire primary school on it, together with the hundred or two already on the bridge. As it was, where I was had around 150 or so... 60103 Newark 25-2-16 (V26876) by Tim Easter, on Flickr 60103 Newark 25-2-16 (V26879) by Tim Easter, on Flickr Cheers, Tim

D6757 giving 3Q33 a shove, passing Harpenden at night. D6757 Harpenden 22-2-16 (V26845) by Tim Easter, on Flickr I wouldn't mind seeing this in daylight sometime.....

Another long overdue update. The D16 is now ready to head to Peterborough North, with added "in service" dirt. My own D16 will feature later on, but this one will do for now. Another visitor to the workbench has been this Hornby J50, recently transferred from Hornsey up to New England, so it'll soon end up doing its fair share of work up there, after years toiling in either Ferme Park or acting as a shed pilot.... I have a pair of these myself, but they're awaiting chassis developments. Both these models have really upped the level of RTR, as far as I'm concerned. They respond very nicely, too, to minor personalisation and, speaking personally, the detail comes out superbly once weathered.

Sticking very carefully to the confines of what was on public view today, here are a handful of pics of 592 sat in platform 1 at Kings Cross. I have to say, it looks lovely under that roof. 592 Kings Cross 6-2-16 (V26682) by Tim Easter, on Flickr LCDR stock, Kings Cross 6-2-16 (V26696) by Tim Easter, on Flickr All platforms bar 0 and 1 were fully open to the public and indeed service trains, so a comparison between old and new was able to be caught on a few occasions by those there at the right time. 592 82218 Kings Cross 6-2-16 (V26686) by Tim Easter, on Flickr I shall look forward to seeing the film when its released. Cheers,

Both of my own ones rock on their centre axles, though a third with me at the moment is dead flat. Seeing as I will be replacing the chassis on mine with a new P4 one, it won't pose me a problem, but I agree that it really shouldn't be the case on a modern mass-produced model in this day and age. As far as the numberplates are concerned, two of those I'm working on gained replacements. 68987 (the subject of Hornby's /4 model) gained one after overhaul early 1959, together with a late crest. 68986 and 68976 two others I know of, seeing as I need to model both. I'm sure there were more, but I only know of those three for the time being. Cheers,

Thanks Andrew! The numbers and crests came off very easily with Microsol; left for 5-10 minutes. I'm assuming yours finally arrived in the post? Cheers, Tim

Well, never say die and all that! It's a thought either for if/when cheap LNER ones come up at the end of this year (I'm in no hurry!) or when the J50/2 comes out in the fullness of time. Plenty of tell-tale signs that this future development has been designed into the model. I just hope the cab roof isn't retained, seeing as there are two holes in the front.... Cutting off 5mm from the chassis block at the back will be fun to say the least, though there's nothing a hacksaw can't deal with! As it is, the modular construction of these models really does lend itself to some good old-fashioned modelling/bashing. Converting mine into an early /2 was easy, so I wouldn't say it's much harder to do, at first glance. They ran down the Widened Lines anyway, so I haven't an excuse not to have one!

Out of interest, how much shorter were the bunkers (and indeed frames) of those earlier locos? I feel a cunning plan coming on....

Funny you should say that, Steve.... Mine gained these during the week; 5 thou plasticard being the chosen stuff and very easy to work with. As you say, finding both sides of the same loco is really good luck, so I guess that counts with the one I'm doing. Incidentally, 68987 requires a couple of smaller patches per side. I'm debating whether to add them or not, since it is ex-works in my chosen period.... Cheers,

You almost lost me a little there... Do you mean whether the factory printing stands proud of the plate or not? If so, they're merely printed and are microns thick. The real things were cast iron, but model ones straight from the factory are just printed on!

My pleasure, Russ! As Steve says, scrape the printed one off and then add the new one. You'll find you only need to lose the 7 on the end and then just add an 8 off a Modelmaster sheet. When I did the one on 68907, all I did was lose the 8 and add a 0 in its place; you'd never know it had been any different! HTH,

I'd happily settle for a Brassmasters Easi-Chas, to be honest! Both mine run very nicely as it is....! No probs, Steve! I used a thin implement to break the joins around the lugs that fit into the running plate to free mine. It might be easier to do with the body off, but I managed to do it without issue on 68987. There are ten lugs to free up anyway. I've just realised that mine is actually an early /2 and not a /1 as I had thought, so you can blame me for the confusion (not least to myself!). The later ones had the recess under the smokebox as per the rest of the class. If I ever decide to model any of the /1s, then I'll have to see about a new bunker as well.... I might just settle for another /4 and then wait for the /2s to arrive in due course.

Well, I got bored.... A quick interview with the compass cutter together with a little bit of cutting and filing has meant I now have the beginnings of an early J50/2. Thanks to the modular design of the model, I've also been able to give my 68987 the correct late crest that it requires in my time period, which also gives the one I'm doing for Peterborough North the required early crest. Anyway, here's how things look with the infill piece (40 thou plasticard) in place, plus another view with the resited blower valve. Just needs a replacement cab and a few other odds and sods changing over and it's a fairly straightforward bit of modelling to create a J50/2. Thanks Steve! I'm pleased to say that it was very easy to break the small glue joints without damaging the plastic. The cab roof slides out once the tanks are off. You don't even need to take the chassis out to do it; merely dropping the front pair of screw out and that's basically it. Cheers,

Indeed! I've put it all back together now anyway.... What I have discovered inside are the tell-tale signs that there may be a part 2 loco along in the not-too-distant future. The holes for the fixing pins that hold the steam lance are duplicated on the other side as a pair of blind holes. Going on that fairly flaky premise, together with the bunker being a completely separate fitment, I think there is more likelihood I'll convert this one into a part 1 and add the missing section underneath the smokebox. It does make it more interesting anyway!

Being the semi-destructive person that I am when it comes to models and suchlike, I've worked out how to get the bodyshell into most of its important component parts. My hunch that the cab roof would come off cleanly paid off, along with removal of the main front section. I haven't bothered to remove the bunker from the running plate, because I don't need to, yet. Incidentally, the front buffers were loose in the box; the rear ones came off with little ado, so if anyone who bought LNER 635 wishes to do a later numbered one with GS buffers and fancies swapping, let me know One hunch that didn't entirely pay off was whether the Lima cab would be suitable in order to turn the model into a part 2 loco. It's close, but not quite tall enough. There might be some mileage in dealing with the (overside) cab cutout with some microstrip, but we shall see. The important thing is that I eventually found my ancient Lima bodyshell, which I somehow ended up having in my possession some 20+ years ago! Here's a head-on comparison, focused on the cabs.... More musing required, methinks! Cheers,

Thanks Steve. My pair have arrived this morning (same as your two) but it only occurred to me when opening the one that came yesterday (commission) that 68971 was unfitted. It hadn't crossed my mind until then! From what I can tell, the forthcoming 68959 model ought to have the GN pattern buffers, so unless Hornby are likely to do a /2, I'm wondering if there is any mileage in perhaps 3D printing a cab top and swapping everything over where necessary. I've looked inside the bodyshell and couldn't see any tooling witness marks that could give an idea of future production as a /2. The injectors look like they can move to under the bunker, which is a plus.