brian daniels

The garden line had a nice little covering of snow this morning, not too deep, just enough that it did not overpower the models. The diesels are all Heljan with the WD being an ex Jim Harris kit (or does he still do it?) The snow ploughs are etched kits from PRMRP.

Now that is off the beaten track

Barrels are 56mm Pugsley

Well Pugsley it looks like the barrels are a bit undersized to me. I did not know but JLTRT have done a token catcher for the diesels. So I have tried one in the 20 recess and must say it looks very good. Now this 20029 only has the lower part of the token equipment left so it was out with the cutters and file to make the version I need. So at the moment I have my MkI on one side and this Mk2 on the other. Now have to decide which to do for both sides.

The coupling Richard is by CPL but put in the JLTRT hook thats supplied as that fits nicely in the bufferbeam. Tim on my 20 I got Howes to make sure I have light functions on F6,7,11,12. F8 will toggle through 4 steps of volume and F9 is shunt mode. F0 is the standard forward/reverse light function and F2-5 are sounds. F6,7 are the tail lights, F11 cab light and F12 the instrument lights (F10 doesn't do anything). On my 26 I have F2-4 are horns, F5, 6 for the tail lights, F7 seagull!, F8 Volume, F9 shunt, F10-11 sealed beam headlights and F12 one cab light. Unfortunatley I don't think you can have all the sounds and a lot of functions but on the 26 I have 5 light functions which is enough. Don't forget you can put both cab lights on one function button.

I have been busy recently building 2 JLTRT TTA's with the short walkway on the top to go with the one I did earlier with the long walkway. The 2 new ones are built but due the cold weather I don't think they will get painted anytime soon. Also been doing a little bit to the 20. I have made a representation, on one side so far, of the stub of the token apparatus that 20029 had on it when at IM. I have also made the red fault lights on the bulkhead light up by making a light box and sticking a 12v LED in it to shine through 3 holes drilled in the panel in the cab. The LED is controlled via a bridge rectifier so the currant goes one way through the LED and the 2 wires will be connected to the pickup terminals on a sound chip eventually, so as long as the loco is on a live track the red LED will be lit. I have also put some instrument "discs" on the control stands so I can now get the cab glued together and filled. Then glue the cab to the hood and make the 2 odd pipes that come out of the cab along the running plate of 20029. I have not got a lot on at the moment so I am just taking my time with this project, a little and often approach.

Gazza, the only Heljan loco I have put a sound chip in is my Hymek and on that I took the old board out and just replaced it with the ESU sound board and then hard wired the lights to the relevant function outputs with resistors for the led's. I know others on here have used the Heljan board and added a chip to it but I am affraid I have not. I did not take a picture of the wires I pulled out but it is not much of a job to do. Just follow a wire from the red led back to the light board and unscrew it.

Pete, I believe the larger window was to assist in retrieving the token once caught in the arm that was put out at 90 degrees. The driver would have to open the window and lean out to get the token in the cab. Seems a bit dangerous to me

As I have not got another Heljan 47 to put the MMP sideframes on at the moment that project has gone back in the box for a while as I now have another JLTRT 20 to do Earlier up this thread I showed some new deep window frames that I had etched to do the token recessed 20's. I have now got these on a model. It was fun cutting out the recess as I don't have any measurements for these so it was just from pictures and as you can see I put a number in the space where they have to go to make sure they will fit later. The plasticard back to the recess was itself recessed a little as I did not think that just the thickness of the side would be deep enough. I had to file a bit off the side of the control desks to account for the recess in the cab sides. For some reason one recess has a plain "hole" in it whilst the other appears to have a part of the control stand poking through giving a step in the "hole". As usual when doing these cabs you have to mill/cut away a little bit of resin here and there to fit 2 red LED's for the tail lights and a bit of ally tubing to take a bulb for the marker lights. There is also the same set-up I did to illuminate the instrument dials on my 20052 as this one will be sound fitted to run with it. I have also drilled 3 little holes on the bulkhead for the red lights to shine through for the fault panal above the control stand. JLTRT kindly milled out the rad sides for me to put the etched grills in I had made for me. I will have this at the NEC/Warley show on the Rail Express stand at the weekend if you want a closer look.

Tim the plungers of choice at the moment are from ABS Models, same style and size as Slaters but much smoother operating. Lee, one good thing with having a week of work every 5 weeks! And it just hapens that a few projects are getting finished at the moment, honest. All my models are painted with Railmatch as i have a good local supplier at Howes. I am getting very tempted to do another Heljan 47 as 47091 in green and a bit taty maybe with it's Thor nameplates in red fitted with these MMP bogie sideframes. Picture below of 47060 in the same sort of condition. I have only found 2 pics of 091 like this on Fotopics.

I have made a start on the MMP bogie sideframes for a Heljan 47. Got to decide now if I carry on with this 47 or get another as the sideframes have to have the front and rear stretchers glued on so basicaly making them permanant. I am tempted to get another and leave this one with it's original ones that I have put sandboxes on!

Finally finished my 35 ton "A" tank. There was one little problem with it though, the "A" tank is more different than the "B" tank than I thought. Whilst looking through the pictures on Paul Bartletts site of his "A" tanks "A" tanks I noticed that they do not have the big handwheel discharging arrangement on top next to the filler. Only noticed this after spending a couple of hours putting the one on in the kit:( So I have removed it and found a small etch in the scrap box to use as a blank where it would be. I also found a casting to represent the preasure relief? valve between the filler and the lid support. I have also modified the suspension as apart from (I think) the first built that had shoe suspension, which the kit has, these tanks did not have bottom discharge. All the pictures I have found of bottom discharge "A" tanks have auxilliary suspension fitted. So into the scrap box again and found some Slaters spring mouldings from their Southern CCT's. I shortened the cast springs and glued the plastic suspension bits on the ends. It's not perfect but it looks the part now. Another thing Ihave done is I have "hinged" the side steps at the top of the tank and just secured them with a piece of tempory wire at the bottom so once it's painted I can remove the wire at the bottom and lift up the steps which makes it a lot easier to add some weathering and oil streaks behind the ladder.

Got hold of a Dave Parkins MMP Heljan 47 Bogie Sideframe Detailing Set today so hopefully get something done shortley. One thing that is apparent is that it will add a bit more weight to the model, just what it needs! Anyway here are a couple of picture of "what's in the box". He also does a cab interior detailing pack and a body detailing pack, don't know if anyone has used all 3 yet?

My other MMP 35 ton tank is nearly finished just the top valve, walkways and logo panal clips to put on. Still got to sort out some couplings though. A picture here of the "A" and "B" tank together to show the different tank barrel lengths.

Hi Gronk, the dials are from MMP kits I don't know if they are available separate or not. Drop him an email via the MMP website and ask. The class 20 body access door handles are in the kits. I have just ordered another disc headcode 20 to do one with a token recess in it so watch this space!

Too bl**dy long!!!!!!! Seriously though, it took me 2 weeks for the first one and that was with a week off work so I was at it hamer and tonges every day. This second one is going a bit quicker as I have one done to follow rather than the instruction. The brake rigging slows you down a bit trying sort out the orientation of it all under there but it is worth it, as they say no pain no gain, and it does make into a very nice model.

I have just recieved some etched bits I asked a friend to do for me. I have done a larger window frame to do a token recessed window on a 20, will just need to cut the token hole out under it when I get a kit. Also got some brake discs done for my Warflats. You have to break them in 2 and put half on at a time as the wagons are built up now. Also got a representation of the worksplates and a wagon label clip done. Just painting these now so should have them on soon then I can weather them at last. I am busy building another MMP 35 ton "B" tank although the longer barrel "A" tank version at the moment.

Hi Julian, sorry about the delay in replying, forgot all about your question old age you know! I used Railmatch dark rust, a little on the end of a brush and used downward strokes from the bottom of the windows.

I have done 5 of the JLTRT Presfo's using CCT transfers and a few Fox ones for the yellow "Curcuit working" and yellow solebar data panel and black repair data panel. M&M Models do transfers for the Presflo's with an advertising board on them though I don't know what they are like personaly but I think they are the only suppliers M&M

Forgot to say I have also re-painted an RJH diesel brake tender that I built years ago. I also have 3 Skytrex HAA's that I have given a basic spray over.

I have been quite busy recently finishing off projects mainly. I have finished the 06 at last and finished the paint job on the 27/2. I have put the mu and eth cables on one end only at the moment. Also weathered the JLTRT TTA. I have ordered 2 more with the shorter walkway to go with this one. I have been sorting out my brake vans as well in the last couple of weeks. I did not relise I had 5 of them! I have a toad in grey, midland in bauxite, LNER standard in olive, and 2 BR standard ones. On one of my BR vans I have put working lights on which show red to the rear and yellow to the front. I did this by using a yellow and red small led and soldered them in series and folded them back to back. One terminal is rubbing on the lamp inside which is soldered to the van, being an ABS white metal model. The other terminal is soldered to insulated armature wire and fed to a battery inside. I might still play around with the weathering on these models a bit more.

Well I have finally got my 47 back together so I have now taken a picture to show the "slightly" narrowed tanks. Make your mind up wether it's worth it. i also milled a bit away from the back of the life guards which makes a big improvement when it's going round corners. I pulled the tail light wires out as well whilst had it apart so they are not on with a train behind. I also cut a couple of the uprights out of the headcode box as they got in the way of the light on the domino's by casting a shadow on them. I also went over the back of the headcode paper with a black felt to darken it more, leaving the dots white though.

Got hold of prototype number 2 to play with. They have now done the ETH for it and changed a couple of other little things but not the grill before you ask. Wonder if they would like it painted again?

Damn work getting the way again, I don't know. If it any consolation I never got a pic of it either.

Glad you like it Nidge. As you say it does look good in the flesh. It will be at Warley for those can't get to Howes for a look. When the production stock arrives I will weather this model, should improve it no end.