Steadfast

So, a little bit outside the usual sphere of operations for this blog - early 90's Southern region EMUs. With Trainwest at Melksham only a couple of days away, work is progressing well with my 4CEP. The photo shows Farish mk1s prepped to take Electra sides, with TPM ends fitted to the driving cars. The motor is from a Bachmann USA diesel picked up cheap, which it appears the TPM mk6 motor bogie frames are designed to fit. I had great fun chopping the block down with the minidrill! The chassis was bought when I was still at school, as it was affordable. Does seem to be pretty solid though, so hopefully will have the grunt to shift 4 cars. Until I get to see BHE at Bristol, the unit will retain mk1 coach underframes, as at least there is something there. I've also got an MLV shell to stick on a coach underframe to get it rolling for Saturday. I really must mention the brilliant fast service from Adam at Electra, even with Easter and the Royal Mail to deal with! I know it doesn't look it from the picture, but most of the hard work is done, and it's now just a case of re-assembly Normal (dieselised) service will be resumed shortly jo

Mr Read, that'll do for me! Ta very much for emptying my wallet cheers jo

Mmm can't wait for the N gauge ones to come along! Now to justify them...would they ever be seen forming a portion in an EWS Enterprise coming out of the south west? I know the Imerys JIAs and Polybulks have worked in this fashion, but bullets leaving Cornwall seem to be in block trains according to photos, with Enterprise portions only seeming to appear in WCML shots, probably Wembley-Mossend A few bullets would look nice with my scrap MBAs and TTAs as an enterprise working behind a shed or a tug cheers jo

AFAIK the majority of maintenance on the DBS ones is still carried out at Merehead by Mendip Rail - certainly 205 had a major exam there before heading onto the Murcos, and 206 has reportedly been sat there for three weeks awaiting parts. Indeed I meant to mention the stone trains in my post Mike, climbing away from the quarries is no easy task with 4000t+ in tow, which is why I was so surprised to see the struggle it had (59203 btw) cheers jo

A couple of weeks back it was wet, and it took two attempts to get the 59 started with about 3000t on the drawbar at the Stop board on the entry to Westerleigh. There were 28 tanks and a 66 dead behind the 59. The track is flat, or slightly downhill, but has a tight ish curve. Mind you, back in the day, a 60 got 28 tanks moving whatever the weather. It seems although a 59 has more grunt, a 60 delivers it more easily cheers jo

Another one of those epic trips, eh? I don't know if you remember the 3D printed wagon I had down at Demfest last year? This shell is produced using the same technology, the work is covered here http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=10057&start=234 The butchered 66 I had with me is similar to Grahame's project, though there is still a long way to go with that one yet HTH jo

Hiya Michel, I'd never have put you with an interest in this loco.... Sadly it won't have DCC sound, smoke and lights (or DCC at all for that matter) but it is the easiest route to a 59 in N Catch you soon jo

This shows the current situation with 59004. While I have been working to get a 4VEP ready for Trainwest this coming weekend I've managed to slap some black paint on the underframe. Dropping it on the way in from the garage didn't help, but I don't think it's noticiable now. I must get round to getting the transfers printed, and will hopefully get the name and numberplates from Brian at Shawplan over the weekend. Then its just windows and handrails before weathering! It's finally getting somewhere

That looks really good Grahame, an NSE duff has been tempting me for HHC, but I've got so much else to be getting on with in the mean time. You say NSE is more complicated than BR blue, but it looks a hell of a lot better! jo

Hiya Jon, That Easitrac looks very good. One thing that struck me while looking at the 2mmSA site is that it seems expensive compared to Peco track. Now I know it looks a million times better, and the outlay is going to be worth it, but from a tight budget point of view, how does it compare?It looks so good that it tempts me a bit more each time I see pictures of it jo

That sounds very dangerous for my wallet Stu -thanks! cheers jo

Well the weather today wasn't the best, but double tugs was still a spectacle worth going to catch. Because the late arrival meant the train was still at Westerleigh after about 12.15, when 6B13 from Robeston arrives, there was the unusual occurance of 4 locos in the sidings. 59203 worked 6B13 in with 66165 DIT as insurance, and 60054 worked 6V98 from Lindsey and the 6E41 return with failed 60009 DIT. The pictures show the train shunting in the sidings, with 6B13 waiting to move into the terminal once the 60s have gone, and 60054 leading 60009 past Westerleigh Village at the foot crossing The full collection from today is at http://joalder.fotopic.net/c1828728.html cheers jo

That doesn't half look good Dave! A proper loco on a steel once more. The train loco (60071 I think) on 6V98 Lindsey-Westerleigh failed overnight, so the inward, and the 6E41 return later today is running with 60054 piloting the other tug. Should make a nice fot! cheers jo

That take on NSE livery looks rather nice Ceptic. I could imagine that appearing if NSE had run a Pullman service. Porky is a rather fitting name When the 442s moving to Southern was very much still a rumour, I knocked this up Original pic © Martyn Read ukrailwaypics.fotopic.net used with permission Over the last week or two I've been playing around creating a template for the 67, and sticking a couple of liveries onto it These are all now in my Photoshop Fiddlings gallery along with the previous images cheers jo

Cheers Martin, so, 2mm (or thereabouts) brass it is then

That's looking great Martin, it just oozes detail. It's been a great project to follow, and I do like getting a project to the stage of first paint - it blends the different materials together and you see it as a whole for the first time, if you see what I mean. Do you know the diameter of the Z gauge wheels you've used? I'm trying to figure out a way to represent these tiny wheels in N. Needs some playing with plastic and brass me thinks!

To be honest washes seem to be the staple of my weathering, but I think using a mix of powders and washes gives two different effects, so each have their place. Hopefully I'll have a fiddle over the weekend and see what happens. I did have an idea earlier on how to do the fuel tank - a mix of black powder and Johnson's Klear. Will try it on scrap first though. The 67 does have some shortcomings that are disappointing on such an expensive model, but as you say, it does put the Lima to shame, and it looks like a skip!

Hi Ben, I don't know as I haven't done it yet - it'll be whichever comes out of the bag of goodies! Seriously, it'll be a combination more than likely, pretty certain the fuel tank sides will be painted, and I'll run some washes round the bogies and air tanks

A quickie update of some porogress - a basic airbrushed coat of weathering has gone on the underframe of the 67 and mk2s. This is Railmatch frame dirt. The loco needs patches of light and shade adding, and the mk2s need dampers and axleboxes painting in. Now they are reassembled, once this painting is done, the mk2s will get another coat of weathering, to get the coach ends, and tone down the detail painting. The loco roof and ends still need weathering too While I had the airbrush out I also threw some yellow in the direction of what is to be 60074 'Teenage Spirit' I just had to put a piccy in to get a 60 on the blog at last The 67 project, which was a bit of a spur of the moment idea, is turning out to be pretty rewarding, and I'm trying not to get carried away and rush it and slip somewhere like usual in the final stages Back to Royston Vasey on Dave now jo

Hi Jim, That's looking good - and an interesting approach to the model. A while back Model Rail had a piece about modelling them in 4mm. This used white printer paper supported on the plastic rungs to give the hanging cloth look. In N I used tissue paper soaked in PVA, as printer paper would have been too stiff when scaled down. I'm looking forward to seeing how your approach comes out

I really like that Paul, the red and grey suits the 143 very well cheers jo

Lovely - I'll be keeping a good eye on this Grahame. The Farish 47 is a very good base for a detail and respray project - I've got 3 in various states of completion... It's certainly a rewarding model to work with

Indeed Martyn, I was thinking about having a go at cutting a door window or two out. Will see if I can bring myself to take the drill and file to the coaches! Passengers in the seating will be relatively sparse - as per the real thing

Over the last couple of days I've got some decent progress in the class 67 project. First up is the work I've done to the mk2s. The BSO is the most involved, as work is needed to modify the roof vent and interior layout. The standard roof vents were cut off and filed/filled at the guard's end of the BSO. The replacements are cut from plastic strip, 2mm wide cut into 3mm lengths, not sure on the thickness though. The interior is a cut down TSO moulding, with a piece of 20thou plastic sheet cut to form the partition. It's a T-shape, being mounted on top of the seats, and dropping to floor level between them With this work done, attention could turn to more cosmetic elements - out with the paint! This photo shows the effect I'm aiming for with the roof Here the roof has had several washes of orangey brown, before drybrushing a similar shade on. It looks quite brash at the moment, but once I've airbrushed a darker tone over the top, it should give a nice variety in shade. Here's the end details mentioned last time (etched corridor, RCH cables, lamp iron and handrails). I'm not worried about the crude white painting, as the ends of the coaches are very grubby! Last shot of the BSO is over exposed to help show how effective the interior is, with it's simple 3 colour paint job in white, grey and blue. Needs some people adding though! On to the work on the 67 - this first picture shows the modified baffle plate. It was removed from the bogie, and the mounting prongs cut off. The cut out for the coupler was filled with a piece of plastic and filled to make good. A 0.8mm hole was drilled for the ETH cable (0.3mm wire) with a piece of plastic glued behind it to secure the cable. A couple of shots of the 67 with the baffle plate fitted. As well as this, I've added the knuckle coupler (off a Farish 66) and cut lever (0.3mm wire), painted the wiper blades, multiple socket and paint chips on the light cluster, with just the air pipes needing adding once I've finished touching in the black paint on the lower front end. I also need to make a tail lamp to stick on the lamp bracket. The underframe has had a light dry brushing on the underframe, but more will come from the airbrush, along with roof dirt The exhaust was painted a dark metallic grey, then drybrushed with a rusty colour and black and grey washes, to try and create something a little more realistic looking than the Dapol finish of silver with orange speckles

Hi Chris, I've got to admit I don't know the Rugeley area very well, but I've not seen any mention on timing lists or gen reports of anywhere on the WCML, but yesterday came across a photo of one working through Stafford with an FLHH coal train, which really threw me! I'm trying to work out what actually goes on with these workings. cheers jo