brian daniels

They are from a pre-production model.

EMR at Swindon bale nice shiny steel from Pressed Steel that press Mini panels.

It is nice isn't it. Here are a couple of shots of the pre-production model I weathered.

37/4 is the next release but if you're into BR Blue then not much use.

Still a lot to do like fill the cantrail curve and rub it down on this side, sort out the headcode, the V brackets on the bogies, tail lights, lampbrackets and handrails on front and move the sideframes in a bit. Most of this will get done when I get the etches sorted from PH Designs so this is is about it for a while on this project.

Pantograph works!

It's ok chaps I'm on medication for my steam addiction that rears itself now and again. Unfortunatly it will have to run it's coarse as I have a JLTRT 2251 and a Finney 7 West Country to build in the future. Dilly Dilly.

Getting there slowly. Heljan class 50 MU jumpers are nice. JLTRT ETH fited and their air and vac pipes.

First and second samples with a bit of weathering on them to bring out the details.

Think this will do.

Thanks for the links Keefer, very usefull. I just had a trip to Barrow Hill to see the class 85 there to measure the V hanger for the 86 bogie. Look how smooth the cantrail curve is! Going to have to do something to it. Thankfully the 82 was outside so you could get a view of the pantograph, shame it wasn't up, but I have a better idea of how the air motor is on these to raise and lower them. I have motored it as well over the weekend so it's now mobile!

ECS Oxford to Banbury in the morning as Rugd said no loco hauled stock stabled at Banbury. The two loco hauled Hereford to Padd and return evening services went to and from Bristol ECS from Hereford.

Having it halfway like this is better than it at its full height when running with no wires so I'm not too worried Mike. Still got to make an unobtrusive way to lock it down.

Finally started to weather Sidmouth. Just a basic bit of spraying and wiping clean to start with then I will do a bit with powders and dry brushing.

I seems to work ok Mike. That's as far as it want's to go up mind you so might struggle going over a level crossing! The head wants to sit at an angle instead of horizontal though but that is just like the real ones until they hit the contact wire I believe. Not sure how the air ram arm would be connected to one of these to raise and lower it. There is one in the 86 kit for the supplied Stone Faively one but don't know if it's position on the roof would be he same. Can't find any roof shots of one of these cross arm ones. Yes the insulators are a the ones supplied with the lost wax single arm pantograph in the loco kit.

Been busy on the 86 the last few days. Roof detail nearly done but there is an extra box in the kit to go on the bit I tinned but I can't see it any pictures so that will need sorting. I have filled 4 of the sunken cantrail panels to see what it comes out like. Mildly pleased with it but they need for filling and smoothing, will be a long messy job to do all of them. Judith Edge pantograph made up and fitted on 4 lost wax insulators that are supplied in the class 86 kit. It's footprint is a bit wider that the single arm one supplied so will have to fill the 4 holes in the roof that are now visible. Compressor cradle is just a flat etch as supplied with no depth to it so I have beefed it up with square brass rod. I had to break off and move out the electrical conduit in-front of the compressor cradle or the cradle sat too far back. Pantograph, roof, cab roofs and bogies are not fixed yet so apologies if something is not lined up square.

Interesting new ventilation on 50033 as well.

Unfortunately I could only make the Sunday and what a difference a day makes! It was dam freezing as well with the wind blowing straight off the Bristol Channel. One fellow participant was not as nice as the people there on Saturday as when a couple of us set up to take a nice picture through the hedge/trees at the end of the car park to get a bit of tree in the top of the picture to fill the white sky of the train arriving up the incline a nice man with a tripod went straight past and plonked it down infront so unless we wanted him in it as well that shot was off the engender. No amount of telling to move helped. But I do think my foot caught his tripod when the train arrived, serves him right for being so close! Anyway these are a couple I got.

That's great, when I get home I will measure the model. The model does have the cabs tapering inwards from behind the cab door to the fronts. But not sure the side windows taper much in their recess.

If you blow into the picture from 5th September showing the roof curve you can see they are barely raised above the body. They are like recessed pop rivets? On the model they are indeed recessed on the outside of the model so not intended to be pushed through as rivets or you would have them on the inside. Hope that's clear.

Ok never mind, this is going to be a long term project anyway. And I'm down in Devon all this week so no progress I'm afraid.

Now that would be nice if you could measure one, thanks. Don't suppose you could take a couple of pics of the brake blocks and rigging as there is all in the kit but I do have some whitemetal brake blocks and hangers that PRMRP do for a 47 that could be made to look more suitable I hope.

Well with the help of a 75W iron I have re-done the window frames and got a better fit to the roofs. So with that done I have started filling the corners and lower bodyside curve. I guess I am going to have to add some primer on the filler to how good, or not, it is. To get a good fit and overhang at the front I have ended up with a gap at the rear so I think a piece of plasticard might have to be glued to the rear of the roof and filed to shape. The roof section drops in after painting and glues to the tabs that are bent in from the curved top. But in the centre it was not too straight and you could see the tabs in a gap. So I have added a strip of brass ontop of the tabs so you can't see through.

Just had a look through your 86 pictures and I'm sure I can make use of some of them. One thing I need to know is the size of the original V bracket on the bogie before they put the flexicoil springs on. A trip to Barrow Hill will be had in the next few weeks hopefully to measure the 85's V bracket there as it's the same as an early 86 and then get some etched. I will play about with the top of the front and side windows in the next few days to see how I can improve on it, the bottom of the roof casting could be a bit suspect as well. At the moment I am putting the basic bogie together so we can sit it on something. PRMRP stands for Prototype Replica Model Railway Products I think. These are the old RJH kits that originally Dave Parkin drew up in the late 80's and they are the only electrics out there so not much choice if you want to go AC.

Done a bit more on the 86. Made up the headcodes and drilled them out to take a 3mm LED. I have tacked the fronts and window frames but seem to have a problem getting a good fit of the cab roof. Just making the basic bogie up at the moment.