Steadfast

Here's tug 99 on Saturday with 6E41 Westerleigh - Lindsey. It's working 6V98/6E41 today into tomorrow, so hopefully it (and the weather) will stay good for Tuesday when I can get out. cheers jo

Hi Mark, Yeah, I'm a fan of the livery too - I like spotting all the places I've been to! It's good the way the various FGW liveries pull the franchise together, but retain some individuality The worst part with the transfers (so far) is sitting there typing it all in, but it's easily done sat on the lasptop with a brew and something on tv. I know the fade is doable with paint, I just hope the transfers come up to scratch. Test, and test again methinks I've seen the Anitcs 153 advertised, but a combination of things made me go for my own. First up, I'm trying to improve the look of the 153 model, and I find it easier to do a full repaint to hide such work, and give me a blank canvas to work with. Then there's the price, not cheap! Also, there is no guarantee on seeing the quality of the printwork beforehand. Finally, and most importantly, I know the colours between my 150 and 153 will match B) Must get some better pictures taken, hopefully before work tomorrow...

So, over the last few days I took it upon myself to forcibly dismantle my 150 and 153 to see what was what. After much sound of snapping glue and a stabbed thumb, they were apart - here's the 153 The general conclusion is that Dapol use much more glue than Farish, and the design of Farish models makes them much easier to disassemble to modify/ respray, not that that is what they were designed for of course Anyway, at the N Gauge Show in September I bought a pack of the Tomix Scharfenbergs for fitting to Rapido pockets as a "just in case they come in useful" type purchase. And lo and behold - they did! I unclipped the NEM pocket from the 150, and drilled a hole through the new coupler, bogie under where the NEM clips on and a small piece of plasticard.A piece of wire was threaded through all three, thus allowing the coupler to swing side to side. Despite the fact I really dislike the look of these couplings on a Sprinter, when coupled in the middle of a pair it does look ok, and was much easier than trying to fit a Rapido to the 153. They will run as a semi permanent pair, with the outer ends detailed using the plough and BSI coupler from the Farish 150. Apologies for the low res phone pics, some proper ones will be taken in daylight! I've also been working on the decal artwork for these, the main blue body and pink doors will be sprayed, with the text printed on clear via an ALPS printer That's all for now folks, jo

Here's 071 later the same day, passing Rodbourne in the very end of the day's light on 6B33 - some serious RAW file editing happened here, as to get a sharp shot, even at ISO1600, made the piccy rather dark. Damn I miss the summer... Got the bins too, as well as the wineliner in the morning, in here http://joalder.fotop...t/c1921168.html Went over to a slightly familiar location today (though from a different angle) for a second stab at it - though the snow that was looking good around home thinned out just a little the other side of Swindon If my memory serves me correctly it would have been 60010 sat in Westerleigh waiting to take 6E41 to Lindsey, and 60096 working 6B13 from Robeston to Westerleigh. There is a Network Rail training centre at Westerleigh, and I believe OTP is used in relation with this, also Colas tend to stable stuff there from time to time too cheers jo

Dave, Thanks for the update, all useful info and good to know the buffet and TGS are still on the cards. Am I right to assume the FGW livery is the current blue with pink doors? cheers jo

Thanks for that - tug 71 is my target too for the day, along with the Bristol bins and whatever else is about. Still, at least there is some snow on the ground today unlike Saturday's will it - won't it moments cheers jo

Ah, they're not. Sorry to disappoint. The NEM arm has gone in the spares box. All the HST stock has/will have Microtrains mounted on the bufferbeam, as per the real buckeye mounting location

I went to South Wales on Friday, and was rather lucky, especially given the weather forecast. Despite the fact that 60013 on the Dee Marsh - Margam was running late, and wouldn't make it to us in daylight, not long after we heard that 60074 was working the engineers trip from Westbury, which made a change from its recent stone workings 60063 crosses the Bishton flyover with 6B13 Robeston - Westerleigh 19/11/10 60074, running about an hour late, passes Undy with 6B65 Westbury - Newport ADJ 19/11/10 More from the day can be seen here http://joalder.fotopic.net/c1917786.html cheers jo

Um, Wow! What a start. The Canon and Co bits are exquisite - a pity they don't make them half as big I'd never have thought of removing the upright stanchions on the underframe - despite being a fiddly replacement, it would make fitting the pipework much easier! Lovely stuff

Interesting project Grahame! I've been meaning to get one and do the same (albeit in First white blue and pink) for a while - nice to see the conversion works!

Cracking shots Brian, I love seeing trains at the start or end of their journey, it adds a bit more meaning to their workings. Photogenic locations too Et voila nombre deux! 60013 seen passing Crofton with the diverted 6B33 due to Didcot - Swindon being shut. Same again for the next 4 weeks IIRC assuming 6B33 isn't caped. Got a wider shot, amongst others, at http://joalder.fotopic.net/c1916115.html cheers jo

Thanks James - yeah there's some lovely detail on the model, and a bit of dirt in the right places really helps to lift it up. I've got a royal and a silver one to do too at some point. My 58 is calling though, with all those nooks, crannies, doors and oil spills

Thanks guys! Hopefully the concept of a small slice of something huge will work out well! Pete, the track is actually a Peco inspection pit with their code 55. I had it out as I was using it for the head on shots of the 67 on t'other blog. The track on the layout will be Peco code 55 (I know, I know, but I have loads of it sat around, and since it's my first layout I thought it'd be simpler) with the shed area kitted out with Peco pits. The pits will be at ground level, with the floor around them recessed, to allow fitters to work on the running gear without bending down etc, if that makes sense?

So to kick off this new blog, here's some up to date pictures of some bits I've mentioned briefly on the other blog. Both are development pieces, so progress moves both ways, working out what works and what doesn't. This is a Graham Farish HST with a Dapol Mk3 Doors have been removed, and the chassis lowered, though there is still too large a bogie - body gap, I think that's down to the bogie being too shallow. Bits of metal have been filed off the underframe too, to improve the relief. The other power cars will have their doors in place. The roof grill is replaced with mesh, and part of the TPM exhaust deflector is glued on and used to drill out the exhausts. The actual exhaust outlet still needs adding in the hole and a fan under the grill. This is the hole for the coupling bar. Comparing it with the TPM etch for the hatch, I managed to cut it the right size with pure guesswork - lucky! A couple of photos of the interior I've knocked together. It still needs seats adding. If anyone is unfamiliar with the layout of an HST cab, here's a link http://www.uk-train..../p64568476.html The mk3 has had a bit of home improvement - with the end wall being knocked through. Most FGW mk3s don't have end doors, so this is a bit of character that needed modelling. The fact the interior isn't designed for viewing from this angle didn't help matters, but was easily solved with some sidecutters Microtrains couplers have been added, and in time air pipes and ETH sockets will be gained too. The toilet windows are glued in here, so that once all sprayed blue, they'll be pretty flush like the real things are. Eventually the fleet should stand at 3 power cars, 4 or 5 Mk3s (maybe more) and a pair of gronks. That's all for now

All good things come to an end - and this week sees the end of the FGW loco hauled diagram due to the arrival of the various 150/1s from London. The weather's not up to much this week, so here's a shot from a few weeks ago, when 67026 was on the circuit In the meantime, I *think* I've finished my model of 67026. No doubt I'll spot something out of place sooner of later though. The weathering work was covered here http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php/blog/360/entry-4781-skips-and-stonesfiddling-with-gouache/ Overall I'm pretty happy, the varnish has brought the whole model together, and it's the first time I've had a go at doing wiper arcs. It has toned down the gouache a little, but it still looks good in natural light - the trick now is trying to capture it in the photos! Might have to wait for some decent natural light to try I like the way the sheen on the fuel tank is picked up by the lighting I used, though I don't know if it needs a small glossier area closer to the filler. These 2 shots highlight all the details I've added to the front, well, rear, end of the loco. I'm dead chuffed with this, but it does highlight a couple of points. The wipers are rather chunky, and stand away from the windscreen rather nastily, I think an etch would work much better here. Also, the knuckle coupler has been robbed from a Farish EWS 66. It's a shame the model doesn't come with this in the detailing bits included. I wonder if it's worth mentioning these to the after market detailing guys? The comparison with the real loco also illustrates the huge light clusters on the model. One day I may take a file to a 67 and see what can be done here. Oh how crude my homemade tail lamp looks! B) Now onto getting the mk2s done to run with it, and a powered loco to haul them.

Here we are again. Same loco, same strectch of line, just a mile or so further north 60074 is seen at Thingley Junction with 7C54 Oxford Banbury Road - Whatley quarry empty stone 9/11/10. It was cold and dull, but the loco sounded ace and was powering well. For the wagon fans, this is the same set 60010 used last Friday on the Appleford stone, formed of VTG green ex Railtrack JNA boxes (34xx), Mendip Rail JNAs (39xx) and Yeoman O&K JYAs (32xx/33xx) I've noticed 60074 has lost Shaun from the front handrail since my photo of it at the end of September - he hung on for a few weeks though! cheers jo

Nice one! Three tugs in one shot - and it's not at Toton All different liveries too. Here's hoping the 60 becomes mundane again - in a good way. Today 60074 worked a local engineers train, from Westbury to the worksite on the single line to Thingley, then to Swindon for a run round and then back to Westbury. Due to early running I missed the outward shot by seconds, but here it is returning near Lacock, a couple of hundred metres north of the worksite. The portable floodlights parked against the lineside fence are from this work, and a pair of road rail excavators were parked up out of shot too. It'd be an interesting scene to model, along with the discarded food and wrappers present. cheers jo

Sounds nice Mick, and here's hoping it's more than just the one that ends up getting done. Nothing in this game is certain until it's happened Here's tug 10 in the rain today on 6C48 Appleford - Whatley, passing Langley Burrell near Chippenham. Whilst the 59s are nice (a real local landmark) a tug is top in my book! cheers jo

Heads up for those in this neck of the woods - 60010 is currently at Appleford. It should work back to Whatley this afternoon via Swindon, Chippenham and Westbury. Normally 15.00 - 15.30 at Chippenham cheers jo

60096 failed on Tuesday morning on 6A11 Robeston - Theale. It was dragged most of the way by a 66, and returned today (6B33) nearly a day late. Not sure what the state of the tug is, or what will be happening with 6B33 tomorrow, well today now. A happier tug moment on Tuesday (2nd Nov) saw 60063 with 6B13 Robeston - Westerleigh, rolling along the single line leading to the terminal An alternative angle, with the train coming over the foot crossing is here http://joalder.fotopic.net/p67964008.html The developments with 60007 sound very interesting, here's hoping it's a success and leads to a squadron overhaul (albeit only part of the fleet) as planned cheers jo

The paint seems to be doing it's job well on what's a 21 year old shell, unlike many other items produced in Britain around that time! Very little, if any, rust on most of the 60s I believe. 60091 looks a little tatty (= modellable ) with some big marks in the paint Mmmmm B) cheers jo

What they all said! Fully recommend 7dayshop.com, both me and dad use them regularly for electronics and computer bits. As well as eBay, give Amazon a quick once over too. Canon will ching you £70 for a replacement battery at RRP for my camera. I haven't paid more than a tenner for a non OEM compatible, and although they tend not to be as long lasting like Dave said, 2 of my collection actually do better than the Canon one! HTH jo