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Nice tip - thanks. Bet you were sweating the first time you did that! Cheers, Chris.

Hello All, I have made some more progress with the 210. I have added the missing gangway door window frames on both the DMS and the DTS cars - with still the screen door to go over the top. I have also now got the DMS car all lined out - and I can catagorically say that the orange cantrail stripe is the most difficult transfer I have ever had to apply!! Finally I thought I'd post a peek over the roof of the DMS car. I think I'll drill out the exhaust ports, and I've also got the scavenger fan to fit. That is all the progress for now. I'm moving on to lining out the centre car, before a couple of coats of varnish. Cheers, Chris.

Thanks for all the comments chaps. I've been short on tinker time lately so the 210 has not really progressed - addiing the fine orange and white lines is not a job where you think "Yippee! Transfers!". Anyway, turning to the patch painting I will have a go at some of the methods suggested on a spare bodyshell next time I get the acrylics out. Cheers, Chris.

Thanks for the comments chaps. I'm hoping to be able to show some more progress over the weekend. The battered ATN / RR livery was a regular sight in and around Yorkshire for a time. Most of the units were shabby inside and patch painted outside. I've actually done two units with the Arriva logo, and I'm thinking how I might get them to look patch painted..... Any thoughts? This is a rather tidier looking 150 289 at Bolton Percy heading towards Leeds on 8th June 2004 (photo Chris Shutt) Cheers, Chris.

Thanks for the comment Jim - They solder up nicely too! I'll add the pirspex screen over the front of the corridor door and some destination and headcode blinds, and I think the overall effect will be very convincing. I wonder if the DTS cars 60300 & 60301 were the last BR vehicles to have a working four character headcode box when they were formed in 457001, the three phase drive prototype EMU? There's a few evenings of lining out to go, and then the finishing touches. Why does blue / grey livery (on the face of it so simple) have to be one of the most difficult to apply neatly? Anyway, did I hear correctly that a flush glaze pack exists for your window etches Jim? Cheers, Chris.

Hello All, It has been a while since I did anything on the modelling front - I seem to have lost interest a bit. But now I have some progress to show, and I'd like to share it. Firstly the class 210 project has moved on quite well. I have the train painted in blue and grey, and I've made a start on lining and lettering the DTS car. There is still a lot to do to this coach, it still needs handrails, glazing, door push buttons and the ventilators to fit. I have also completed the underframes for the power car. These are scratch made in part and cobbled together from bits from beneath a Bachmann class 150 - a very useful source of parts. The '150 has also donated it's gangways to this project. Also, during the dark months when painting is not so practical I have been fiddling around with creating my own transfers. I decided to post-date and renumber a Bachmann class 150 to one of the batch operated by Arriva Trains Northern. This represents 150275. Thanks for dropping in, Chris

Hello All, I managed a quick play with the Class 321/9 today. As you can see I have fitted the lights from the Bachmann class 150 and I think they look rather good. I have the pantograph to fit and pantograph bay to detail and then I'll call this one finished. I'm now waiting on better weather (snow again today in Holland) to get a good start on the class 210 paint job. Comments please, Chris.

Magnificent!

Thanks for the posts of support chaps. Hello F-P, Thanks for your comments, they are much appreciated. The layout is intended to represent the North Transpennine line through Standedge Tunnel, but electrified and with a reopened station at Diggle. This is a long term aim of NR and GMPTE anyway I believe, so I hoped to beat them to it! Naturally, with this being and electrified railway in the UK the majority of trains will be diesel. The idea is that you will see the usual Transpennine traffic of 142's, 150's, 156's and 158's plus the binliner and a couple of other freights. The EMU's come in for the extended Huddersfield to Marsden turnaround service. This will run through to Diggle and reverse there instead of Marsden. Some services will then go back to Leeds. GMPTE will also operate services to Diggle from Man Vic. After the 210 I am creating a class 150/1 triple in GMPTE for which I have all the stock and materials to make. Thanks for your input on the 210 livery - I think I will keep the NSE branding after all. Well, it is a what if..... And for that reason it is supposed that the class 210 unit is on trial on the Huddersfield to Man Vic trains fighting it's corner against the unlovely and unloved second generation DMU's. Cheers, Chris.

Hi Carl, This is really looking good now. Just one question.... How do you intend to do the Cal Mac lettering and the ship's name? A trip to the local signwriter's for vinyls? I know what you mean about the cold - It has all but stopped my modelling too! Cheers, Chris.

Hello Sean, Thanks for the kind words and support. I'm pretty pleased with the result so far. I have some head and tail lights culled from a Bachmann 150 to add, and the pantograph to fit and she's about ready. I'm waiting for the varnish to harden and I'll also mask and paint in the rest of the cantrail orange stripe. The stripe over the cab fronts is a transfer - but I hate tring to get a transfer straight over a coach length. Regarding the 210, it will be in BR blue and grey. I have toyed with the idea of adding the Network SouthEast logos to depict it as it was in it's last few days, but I can only find evidence of it working with the composite trailer from 210001 in this condition. I have built the all standard trailer from 210002, and I'm worried it will be wrong to run in this livery..... I do like the idea of a Peak in TP livery - to me sectorisation was BR's last fling and definately a high point. That particular livery did not suit the class 47 as well as it might, as the executive light grey band was too shallow, but I think a Peak with deeper bodysides would look much better. As for the 210, how about Sprinter livery? Now there is a might have been..... Updates on the 321 ans 210 coming up over the weekend hopefully... Cheers, Chris.

Hello All, I'm pleased to share some real results today for a change. I've been busy painting the class 321 as the weather has allowed, and today I can show the results. Close-ups are cruel aren't they? I will try to take some more shots of it under the wires at Diggle Junction later (too cold at the moment to go down to the garage). In the mean time I will be turning back to the class 210. My idea to paint the two models in parallel has gone out of the window because by 9pm when I can usually get started with the painting I'm too tired to contemplate doing a second colour with the air brush. Anyway, I start next week with the rail grey. Thanks for looking in, and comments welcome, Cheers, Chris.

Hello All, And, a Happy New Year. I have some more progress to share of the class 321. The WYPTE red is now painted, and looks well. There is a little touching in to do, but for today I shall be painting the 'bib' around the cab windows and the roofs. After that there is a little bit of detail to be picked out and the transfers to add. You will note that I have masked off the inside of the cabs this time. Not so stupid as to do it again! Thanks for looking in, Cheers, Chris.

Thanks Pete, All cured now. I feel really stupid. However I'm sure I'm not the first, and definately will not be the last. I've put the 321 aside for a couple of days for the paint to harden up before I mask off the cream band and the yellow front tp allow me to paint the red. I'm hoping to have the red on by the end of the week - and once that is in place the livery should start to look the part. I'll be continuing with the class 210's face, building up the yellow and leaving that to harden before starting the main colours. In the mean time I plan to get the chassis rolling on DCC, and I'll be thinking about lights for the front ends. Thanks for looking in, Cheers, Chris.

Hi Michel, No problems. I have plenty of those too... Evening All, I have been doing a bit of painting over the last few days, and I'd like to share with you a slight faux pas. I had masked off the cab windows and light clusters on my class 321 and sparyed the warning yellow. I had also by this time sprayed four coats of WYPTE cream - very nice. But this is how it looked when I took off the mask. Horror! I should have masked off the inside as well. DOH. Anyway, it should come off easily enough with some paint stripper. I also got the first coat of warning yellow on to the class 210. It is starting to look like a train now. Hope you like the progress so far, Cheers, Chris

Hi Pugsley, I'm following the class 455 with interest. I agree that the Bratchall kit go together easily enough - although filing has been needed on the roof section of all seven of the vehicles I have put together. Question - I note that you have used the Bratchall cab. Does Jim do (as part of his window etch) the gangway for the 455? It is a very nice piece of etch if you can get hold of it. - the trouble comes in making the rubber bellows. For me I have not been able to make them convincing enough, and recoursed to the Bachmann class 150 gangways. I'm keeping my eye on this Pugs, Cheers, Chris.

Hi All, It has been slow going with the modelling of late, however I have managed to make quite a bit of good progress (for me) over the last week or so. This has been helped by being allowed a modest spending spree by those in pinnies who hold the purse strings. Delivered recently was a pair of Bachmann class 150's in order to make the GMPTE triple a reality, and also a class 153, which will be modified with the Bachmann power-train as per Scheihallion. The march of progress has also reached the class 321/9 project. This model is now ready to hit the paint shops along with the class 210. Now I'm quite pleased with the 210. It is now a viable model of 210002 - and if I were a better photographer you would be able to see what I mean. For now you'll have to make do with the shots below. A front end comparison The DMS Of course there is a lot still to do paint wise - not least that jolly fiddley white line between the blue and grey of BR livery, however I hope to be able to share more progress soon. Perhaps I'll put up some shots of the class 321 as well. You can also follow my workbench thread if you'd like to see what I'm up to. Thanks for looking in, Cheers, Chris.

Hello All, The class 210 is now ready for painting, and I though I'd share a few images prior to painting. First up is the DMS. I have built up the underframes from various sources of boxes and tanks. Next up the TS car. And finally the DTS. In parallel to the class 210 build I have also been progressing with a model of class 321902 in WYPTE METRO livery. I will also be painting that model at the same time as the class 210. Thanks for looking in, and as always comments welcome, Cheers, Chris.

Hello All, It has been some time since I made a workbench entry, and for that I apologise. It is my intention to pick up my thread from the old RM Web and continue to chronicle the building of bits and pieces for my Diggle Junction layout. Currently on the go is the Class 210 DEMU prototype - Whoaaa! I hear you cry. Class 210 in the Pennines? Well, yes. I kind of liked the unit, and in my what if world I thought that once it's useful life on the Western Region was over it was transferred north to Neville Hill, or Newton Heath and trialled on the Pennines. http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s119/gallowsclose/PowerCarGeneralArrangement.jpg The drawing (based on Jim S-W's class 150 drawing and used with permission) shows what I'm trying to achieve with the Bratchell Class 317 and Jim's class 317/1 parts as a basis. The unit is not far away from the paint shops, and now I'm pottering along with little details. I have butchered a Bachmann class 150/2 body shell, which has yielded among other things, roof vents and gangway connectors - it will also give up some of it's underframe equipment. (The rest of the class 150/2 will go to make up a triple with a class 150/1 later). I've made up the J S-W gangways, and although they are very nice, I felt they were not deep enough - so below is a comparison with the car on the left having the Bachy gangways and the car on the right having the J S-W gangways. http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s119/gallowsclose/GangwayComparison.jpg Thanks for looking in, and I'm looking forward to your comments. Cheers, Chris.

Class 58 MkII definately suits the 70. I think that such an industrial design needs a functional paint job. Best leave flowing curves and soft fonts to the passenger TOCs. Can't wait to see more of your handy work Jo. Cheers, Chris.

Hi Carl, Thanks for the information and the photos - She's quite a flexible little ship! Alex, and PGN, The only official use of the BR arrow reversed was sanctioned for their ferries. Alex, as you say it was so that the top of the arrow pointed forwards - To me it always looked wrong. Any other applications of it wrong way were just that - plain wrong. Cheers, Chris

Looking really nice now Carl. I was just wondering why you chose to add all that detail on the bow, and then the mast before tapering the stern? Now she's right side up again I can see what looks like side loading ramps. Can I ask how this ship actually operates as a RoRo? I assume there will be a stern gate as per a conventional ferry. Thanks for the updates, I don't recall a topic enthusing the RM crowd as much as this in the time I've been a member - fantastic (and different) modelling. Cheers, Chris.

Thanks Pugsley, that helps hugely. I am thinking that my FNW liveried 150 will be the set used for this project as I never really took to the stars. My 150/2 will be ATN/RR hybrid livery and I am taking a third set to make this project. The GMPTE colours sat well on the 150s (and the 323's for that matter) I thought. Thanks again - now to Flickr.... Cheers, Chris.

This working for a living lark certainly gets in the way of a bit of decent modelling time. Anyway, I have cleaned up the OLE today and made the small repairs needed to some of the masts. I have taken away all of the old contact wire and everything is now set for rewiring. Drawing on experience now gained I intend to try out a new way of tensioning the wires. I am building a small pulley tower from Meccanno which will take the contact wire's free end and run over a couple of pulleys to a balance weight - If gravity works best on the real railway, then I rekon it should work for me... I have said before that I do not like springs for tensioning as they impart a variable force on the wire, whereas gravity is a constant (at least where I live anyway). I have a wire run of about sixteen feet to tension, and this in itself is a challenge in 'OO', and add in the temperature variations of a garage then I think the Meccanno solution might just work. With the wires down, I have taken the opportunity to stretch the scenic area of the layout. I will move the tunnel mouth back by a foot or so to allow me to have a four car platform instead of a three. This is a must really as I have a Class 321/9 ready to paint and it would be nice for it to have somewhere to stop! Speaking of rolling stock, I picked up a couple of Bachmann's new class 150's. Now this has got me wondering.... I recall that GMPTE had a few triple sets like Centro in the West Midlands, although they are now disbanded, but I cannot locate a photo. The Bachy Sprinter would make a nice model if converted to a triple in GMPTE livery. Can anyone help with the formation of the GM triples? If I could locate a decent pic I would like to have a go at this one. Cheers for now, Chris.

Hi Carl, That is really rather nice. Is it a water line model? I know you are not the end user of this model, but will it be posed along-side or under-way? If it is going to be along-side then all the linkspan and other dockside equipment will be pretty large too I would imagine. Great stuff, and thanks for sharing, Chris.