brian daniels

Martyn the couplings are blackened with "Birchwood Casey Brass Black Metal Finish to Blacken or Antique Brass, Copper or Bronze" so it says on the bottle. It's the same bottle as the Gun Blue they do but it does some castings better whereas the Gun Blue is ok for steel wheels. I got it at a show some time ago. AJ you have all you are going to get I'm affraid. The pipe is made from the .7mm wire supplied and fixed in the ends with 2 split pins. Do any of my pictures show the top ok? I used a small piece of tube soldered onto the "roof wire" into which the end of the water pipe going up and over the end springs into so you can get the roof off. Is that clear enough?

Yes Paul the orange conduit is an add on when Derby Research had it. They originally put one orange pipe on it and looking at pictures it later aquired a second one. The white pipe down the other side goes to a air brake pipe on the bufferbeams so I think this was the only Clayton to get air braked! Jeff, lets just say they were different. Which unlike the railways of today did give us some variety.

Here are some pictures of the JLTRT Clayton. I see I forgot to put the red tail lights in when I put it back together

As much as I want a Falcon and Kestrel I too think at those prices it will only be a dream. By the way the JLTRT Clayton has now been painted blue!!!!!! Pics in a couple of days I hope.

Here are some real Bedfords on Warwells. I did not know the frame to the canvas topped ones are telescopic, maybe I should make a frame from brass rod? Maybe I could strap the radio room down on a Warflat? I am sure all the 432's I have seen recently are plain green? The 432 needs some more weathering on the tracks but I will leave the Bedfords as they are as they do keep their vehicles in pretty good nick, except when coming back from a war zone though!

Just go over them with track cleaning block when you run the trains. I like useing the Roco track rubber as it's big and does not leave any bits anywhere.

Here are the pictures af the ASAM 1:48 MoD vehicles that I have just finished. The canvas top needs painting properly when I can get some correct paint. I think the load would be out of gauge though with this attached? This has a radio room for a load but again would probably not travel with it on. The radio set has a generator trailer that I wil load in an open.

The white line is HMRS Pressfix and the rest are Fox. I thought the build dragged on a bit as I was doing the 31 and painting 3 MoD vehicles at the same time. Pictures to follow of the 2 MoD Bedford TK now they are painted but still needs windows putting in, and a 432 that's finished. Forgot to say that the BG here is a Westdale one I did a while ago.

Here is the TPO finished at last. You can see more of the inside than I thought you would, anyone up for doing a full interior?

The TPO is the same in so far as there is nothing inside! Still took a while to do though whilst waiting to get all the bits. I just have to fit the windows and grills in now and then take a picture for you.

Not sure when the 31's are coming as we stil have not seen a painted sample from China yet. I must get a BG. Countersunk screw should work ok.

Two Tone, yes those damn screws do get in the way of the wheels don't they. I recess the screw by milling a little bit of the floor away and have even filed a bit off the screw head, with Commonwealth bogies if I remember right. I have said earlier in this thread, why did they not put these screws in the middle? I have raised the ride height by adding a piece of 40thou plasticard at one end and at the other used some washers so this bogie can pivot in all directions.

Ok I have just been in the attic and took these for you on my little depot.

Yes the 31 is weathered. Now you mention it I don't know why I haven't took a picture of it yet I painted the rubbers with a "new" paint brush very slowly! See if I can get a pic tomorrow after work.

Finally finished it.

Looks as though I haven't done much recently doesn't it. But I have been beavering away on the TPO now that I finally got all the castings from JLTRT on Monday. I have been making the etched B1 bogies for the last few days, they do take a while to build but are really nice when done. The TPO body just needs the water fillers at one end to finish it I think. I have added the CPL tell tales on one end now. Pictures to follow soon. Also finished the 31 since I got the data panels from Precision Labels.

I would think there should be sprues with the sideframes on. As you say they are very close.

Not sure Jeff, can you get to the contact bit on his site and drop him an email? His site is a bit of amaze to get round isn't it.

Glad you reminded me Ozzyo, I haven't painted the door handles! The depths fine for me. I am a bit suspect about the cutouts in the bottom of the chassis somtimes and just put the parts where photos show them to be.

I have added all I can underneath the TPO until I get the other castings fromJLTRT. The next thing to do will be to glue the sides and ends to the chassis then fill the joint in the corners and at the same time add a bit more filler to the bits I filled on the side earlier. I still have the correct bogies to build so it's just resting on these Commonwealths temporaraly. One thing to note with these is that the V hanger is on the right of the cylinder like when fitted with B4/Commmonwealths so note the rod to the bogie comes from the top of the pivot rod rather than under it like most B1 bogies. Must admit I am not a fan of the truss rods having whitemetal cross supports, I prefere the all etched versions.

Well I'm blowed, after saying the Clayton is not getting painted yet as I don't have all the transfers I just found out that I haven't got any data panels and shed allocation stickers for the 31, doh So this is as far as it can get for the time being. I forgot to say that looking at pictures of 31243 I noticed it was fitted with tripcocks at some time so still had the cutout on the bufferbeam fairing, so out with the drill it was!

No not forgot it but I have asked Precision Labels to do the lettering on the cabside and he said he was a bit busy at the mo so can't do it yet so there's no rush to paint it if I don't have all the transfers to hand. Transfers going on the 31243 though as I type this!

If you can wait a bit TTG I will take some pictures but I am still waiting for the extra bits and am also painting the Heljan 31, and work! Although I do try to keep the latter to a minimum as it gets in the way of the former. I have got some paint to do my Bedford TK lorry so that joins the list "to do", Oh and the Clayton can be painted!

It is a shame that JLTRT do not put the right vac cylinders in the MkI's. If anyone is going to buy one perhaps ring Laurie and jog his memory to change them over before posting the kit off. I have been on to him to change the pdf that lists all the parts so the packer gets the right bits. The pdf list for the etched bogies do not show any coil springs so it was no surprise that there were none in the box. More expence from their profit posting these onto me! The JLTRT coridoor connections are good but solid so do not give on curves.I have been useing the consertina card ones from Modellers Mecca for the innercoaches and just using the JLTRT one on the outer coaches. My bike is a 1300cc Pan European that I use whatever the weather throughout the year, I would expect better from a tourer!

Thank's Bob, another job to do!