brian daniels

That's great Mike, always nice to see other 7mm diesel models. It's nice to see the Bachmann ones and get a better understanding as to why you get what you get in the MMP detailing pack for them. Thanks

Gloss varnish? Noooooooooooooooooooooo As you say it will be a nice, not over the top weathering, well here's hoping! I can't wait to get an even coat of varnish on it to blend in those gloss bits where the transfers went. The Slaters gearbox runs ok if a bit of a whine on it but not distracting enough.

Hi Lee, yes it is Railmatch BR Blue over Halfords grey priner. Mike, any pictures of the Bachmann 08's? Well Pete it is a shame that I had to get a bit extra for it. Be interesting to see whether it shows though next to a bog standard one.

Here she is nearly done. I still have to varnish it but I think it's a bit too mellow just at the moment for that. One slight problem with the Fox wasp stripes was that the ones for the cab end are not wide enough! I had to add an extra strip down both sides. I am well pleased with it and can't wait to get it weathered. I just had a nice parcel from JLTRT today with 3 replacement tank barrels for their TTA's so I can get on with those now

Well spotted Hal Nail it is indeed some thin masking tape wound round a piece of wire. It represents the hot water pipe that supplies the cab heating hence why it's insulated. Picture of it here Insulated pipe pic

This is a production kit. They had 3 at the ALSRM show at Reading recently. I had one, a friend had one so who has the other? It's got yellow ends and a black underframe now

Hi Paul I have found how to re-size folders in Photoshop so that is going gret guns at the moment. One thing though it does not like pictures with a # in the title, it seems to convert them but does not save them to your destination folder. I have been removing this from the titles and all is ok. One draw back from all this Fotopics crash is that I have definatly put on weight sitting at this computer re-doing all these pictures onto Flickr

Unfortunatly I don't think the paint will hide it now it's in primer

It's the way they are made Pete, hopefully won't show when it's painted.

Well here are the next few jobs done. I used .5mm wire for my corks but I would have liked them a bit thicker but the centre boss in in 2 parts for the centre axle to go up and down a bit and that leaves you next to nothing to frill into even at .5mm. I have made a rad water level sight glass for the front top corner. The GW style lampbrackets are a bit thin but trying to bend a wider piece of brass was going to trouble, for me anyway. I have decided to use the MMP sandboxes instead of waiting for JLTRT to send me a rear one. The MMP ones stand proud of the running plate a bit more but so do the real ones, a couple of pictures of one to show this. The cab desk has been painted and shows the MMP blue heater pipe that now stands proud unlike the moulded on one. I have glued the back of the cab in now and filled it so should be ready for the paint shop soon. Took some pictures of the Precision Labels 08 lettering to show how much ther is! The black lettering is just to help you see what the white says. Forgot to say that in the MMP detail pack there are 3 sets of Derby Works and one set of Horwich Works builders plates. Very nice they are too, shame there wasn't any Darlington ones as this is where 08946 was built.

I am afraid the 08 is going to be good old banger blue as 08946 an old Oxford one. I have just got in the post today some CPL lostwax crankpin nut castings so will do those this afternoon along with drilling and putting a piece of wire to represent the cork in the rods. I have made a set of GW style lampbrackets for it as well now. Will phot it later.

I have not done much modelling recently as I am still putting pictures onto my new Flickr site, up to 12,500 on it so far! I have bought an MMP 08 detailing pack for my JLTRT 08 even though the pack is sold for the Bachmann shunter. There is quite a bit in it for your money So far I have used a speedo drive unit, air cylinders under cab, catches for the compresser box, cab interior cooker and heater underneath it, heater control and pipe on the front consul and a electrical box on the cab rear. There is a lot more cab interior etches but I think this willl do for a JLTRT model. I have also made up the hot water pipe and insulation under the left hand side of the footplate. I still have a couple of pipes to make under the other side of the footplate. Made a set of balance weights for the wheels from plasticard as well. I put a couple of 14BA nuts on the coupling pivot to represent the hinged joint. I am still waiting for a rear sandbox from JLTRT There is a set in the detailing pack but I will wait for the JLTRT one as they are slightly different. I have got a set of transfers from Precision Labels for all the little lettering that is on an 08 ready for when it's painted.

I keep looking at those buffers and have come to the conclusion that they will have to go. I had a job to couple it up to the 121 power car as they are so long. I should put a function only decoder in it as the 121 has a sound chip in it and, hopefully when I sort out the functions on the chip, some working interior lights. Must admit I have not done anything to it since I took these pictures as I have been busy uploading pictures onto my Flickr site. I am sure there were two sizes of Oleo's. Large for 47, 56 and 37 and a smaller one for everything else. I must admit I have not had a really close look at an Easybuil DMU.

Hi Jeff glad you are getting on with your 26. Look forward to seeing one with the token recess filled in. I may do one like that in the future but as you say it will require a full re-paint. Mine has stalled for a while whilst i wait for Pete Harvey's etched rad grill. In the mean time though I have built this Westdale driving trailer to go with my re-painted blue 121. I still have the underframe to sort out. Had a nice time drilling holes on the body, about 150 of them Westdale has done a set of etched window frames for these and the 121 so I had to paint a set in blue to glue onto the already painted 121 so it matched this trailer. As you can see I have opted to use some press studs for the bogie fastening. I had used these before to good effect. I have used a set of Markits Oleo buffers that are nice but I think a bit too long. By the way Jeff the wheels on my 06 are Slaters.

Hi Jeff welcome to the forum. . Glad you like your Heljan 26. I would give Howes a ring about the cab doors as I don't know what they have on their website regarding the 26 spares but I have had a rumage through them in the shop. It is a shame that Heljan have to make only one body style for their O Gauge models so there will always be a bit of a compromise somewhere for either the green models or the blue ones as BR did a good job on changing details on their locos over the years. I would have prefered them to have done the yellow round the cab side windows but they never as it is easier for us to paint the yellow on than someone who wants the earlier style yellow ends (as the model is) would find it difficult to paint out the yellow on the side windows without a complete blue re-paint. Those blue spares are indeed the horn grill covers and the boiler compartment roof covers for use if you want to "re-furbish" your model and make it an air braked loco with the boiler isolated. One thing to bare in mind, go easy with those body fixing screws as they are easy to strip the threads in there. Once I take them out for a bit of re-building I do not put them back in until it's finished! Nice picture of 26024. You can do this loco with the supplied cab doors and TOP's numbers but unfortunatly it has the token recess filled in Now you are here Jeff do tell what other 7mm stuff have you?

I have got Pete Harvey to do a rad roof grill replacement for these Heljan 26/33's. Money well spent? We will have to wait and see. I know what you mean about the pointy shape, might be able to tease an etched one into that shape? Just thought that if you like the Heljan rad grill it is available as a spare for your Limas.

Well I have taken the plunge at started a Flickr site. It will take rather a long time to sort it all out but at least I have started. All my digital pictures will need re-sizing as I am not putting 7mb pictures on it so it will take some time to do this. I am doing the slide scans first though as these can go straight on. Here is the link my new site

Well I have nearly finished tarting up the Heljan 26. I still have to move the coil springs in on the bogies. I am hoping that varnishing the cab doors will get the Railmatch blue to match the China equivalent. I am undecided if I should get Pete Harvey to do an etch replacement for the cab steps as to be honest these are not too bad. Also not sure if it's worth getting an etched rad fan grill as it's a bit of a job to see the rad fan on these and the 33's. It's going to look a bit better when I get some weathering on it as well. All in all a very nice model from Heljan

The 08 will be put to one side now until I get the parts needed to finish it from JLTRT. So in the meantime I have this Heljan class 26 to detail It's a very nice looking model straight from the box. It's a shame the yellow did not go round onto the side windows for a TOP's era loco as this style is pre TOP's blue. Anyway I have replacement cab doors with filled in windows, from Howes, in the paint shop now as they are supplied un-painted unfortunatly. I will put them on then re-spray all the yellow including the side windows. As you can see I have changed the discs one end so far for a set of JLTRT ones. The Heljan ones are a bit smaller but not by much. Also the top disc is a bit high on the model so i have lowered this. Have to fill a few holes now in the front. The pipes on the bufferbeam are in a bag for you to put on yourself. I also painted them as they are plain black plastic. I have glued the snowploughs on the rear of the bufferbeam. The headlights are from a Cararama Mini that I got for a couple of quid some time ago. The fuel and water tanks on this appear to be the correct width, unlike the 33 which are too wide. So a job saved there. Still got to cut off the coil springs on the bogiesoff though and move them inboard a bit. I think it's going to look rather good with the number under the secondmans window as 26042.

Thanks for the info csvt but I just looked at that and the numbers on the bodyside. I have looked at the picture in Bradford Barton Disels in the Highlands of 26040 and 26042 doubleheading. The lead loco has headlights and numbers on the righthand end like my picture above, As my pictures of 26040 show it does not have headlights and a picture of 26042 shows it headlight fitted I can assume the picture in the book has 26042 leading. So this model will be 26042.

Here is a picture with a line 20.6mm above the footplate where I think the bottom of the window should be.

Funny thing is that I have just measured my "office" at work this morning and it's 900mm bottom of window to footplate.

Well the 26 is in the shops now I will detail it up a bit as per the 33's I did. Does anyone know of a 26 like this with token hole and the number under the secondmans window fitted with headlights? I think 26040 was like it but not totally sure. Picture of 26023 showing the style but without headlights. As you can see there a couple of bags of bits that include the snowploughs, folded discs, jumper cables, brake pipes and snow shield for horn. Not included, but they are on the spares sprue, are the cab doors without the windows. Hope they haven't used too much glue to fix the cab doors in! The fuel and water tanks on this seem ok width wise so I won't need to narrow them thankfully. The yellow will need to be re-painted as I will need to take it back along the side windows. I hope I can blend in some blue on the doors as well or I will have to paint it all.

Shame about the depth of the side windows. It does not worry/shout out to me though, I can live with it. I did think about opening out the bottom of the window but the door window has the rubber moulded on it so I would loose that if i made it deeper. The one time it will be a problem though is if you want to paint the loco in a livery with a change of colour under the window. Thankfully good old BR blue won't show this The lost wax brass cranks on this are supplied in the kit from JLTRT as the Slaters ones are plastic and a bit chunky. I got the rods today and the grill etches. Got the rods on but the grills still to do. I have painted the cab interior as well now.

I did not rush this kit, honest There is not that much to it realy. I was at work 06:00-14:00 as well last week so did a couple of hours in the afternoon then the evening as well. Maybe I should paint the cab interior now whilst I am waiting for the bits to arrive. It had it's first public outing yesterday. A shot of it being "coaled up" on Laira. Another outside Swindon "A" Shop and finally having a bit of assistance from 06002 as not surprisingly it was a bit lacking without the rods.