Temeraire

Afternoon all

Time for an update as I've actually been doing a bit!

As I previously said I decided to site the original but revamped Industrial units from Exford behind the station and here we can see the fencing contractors have put up the posts.

The wires have been added and a bit of rusting and weathering done ready for the mesh to be added which I had cut and weathered at this point, and gravel added.

Once the mesh was fitted I started on the 'bushery' along the top of the retaining wall.

Now the fencing was completed, I could finish off the tree lined embankment to meet up with it and complete the scene for now.

A final view looking back along the embankment.

So a bit more done and further work has since happened around the station and I'll post some pics once there's more to show.

I'm back with round two.

First of three different clay trains and 33030 is first cab off the rank awaiting the loading of its tanks.

A first for Tidworth was the visit of 59003 'on test' from Merehead after repairs. 😉

The crew left it at the loading dock while they cadged a brew from the local staff.

The next visitor on the clay train was unusual as well as 50149 Defiance rarely left Devon and Cornwall.

Next to occupy the loading dock siding after the departure of the 59 was a tamper to kill time until it could head out to do its thing.

Last up 37068 'Grainflow' is seen leaving with the next clay train and passing the busy MoD sidings.

There you go then that's enough pics for now and just to say Tidworth's next play date is due to be the South Hants MRC show on 18th November in Portsmouth.

Evening all

As promised a pictorial record of this weekend's show from me for a change as I actually took some pics this time!

As it was its first appearance in its new guise a few pics of the 117 unit, here sat in the platform. It's only now that I notice the 'Reading' end is the wrong end!

Close up from the other angle.

The London end awaits the driver as the red tail lights are still showing.

Meanwhile over in the stabling road 'Eastleigh' has been fired up and is ready to head off to the MoD sidings to pick up a train.

Later 73108 arrived with an Engineers train and will probably be glad of a rest and a cool down having been on diesel power from  Eastleigh yard.

A pair of Vacs now occupy the stabling road after Illustrious joins Ramilies in basking in the afternoon sun.

I've got another 6 pics but I'll make a separate post rather than have too many here!

Afternoon all

So the last part in the DMU saga!

The now fully reassembled 117 unit departs Exford Park on its way back to Tidworth for the weekend.

Accelerating into the curve towards the junction.

Meanwhile the 121 heads the opposite way on the curve.

Rear view as it slows for the station.

There we go then project over for now and all packed up ready for the Exhibition this weekend.

Evening all

Well things have progressed well since my last posting when I had the matches at the ready!

A replacement decoder has been added to the extension board, so hopefully the mistake I made can't happen again, and all the points are working and the route setting sorted including a couple of improvements. The platform lamp is back in place and the fuel point railings have been repaired/patched up.

So this evening I got back on track with the DMU projects and all four vehicles were weathered and my plan is to replace the windows whilst away tomorrow night in a hotel, all being well they will be ready to go on Saturday morning!

Posed in Tidworth yard.

One end of the 117.

Looking back at the other end.

Finally a view of the 'bubble' on the fuel point.

Despite all the problems this week (self inflicted!) all seems to be well for the show in Brockenhurst this weekend, but overall I'm much happier with the look of the DMUs in the new (old) blue shade.

Evening all

So another two months passes but I haven't been idle! 😉

Progress has been made with the scenic treatment of the embankment up to the station and firstly a fence line was added all the way along, this will then largely be buried in bushes etc.

The embankment was then treated in two halves over a couple of evenings.

The view back from the station with pins still in place until the glue dries!

Next the area behind the station platform which I hadn't been happy with entirely. I decided the original Exford industrial units will now be sited above the platform, so the retaining wall was extended along at a higher level.

A few minutes later the new piece of walling was in place and the area built up with Polyfilla.

I also wasn't happy with the dark colour of the walling so this was repainted to blend in the new piece. Also the industrial units have had an upgrade with plastikard brickwork replacing the Metcalfe printed card, this was also painted/weathered with Acrylic paints. The cladding has also been repainted and gutters and downpipes added and more details are planned once it is settled in position and fenced in.

A couple of times I just sat back and watched some trains with a brew so some pics of the action.

'Dusty Bin' 47321 ambles past the camera with a fertiliser train.

Soon after 37235 passed with the domestic coal train for Exmouth Jct.

Then surprisingly 59003 rolled by with the Merehead to Riverside Yard which had been routed via Yeovil.😉

47603 'County of Somerset' passes with a cross country service. I really must get those Bachmann Mk2E coaches out of their boxes so these Lima ones can be retired!

Evening all

So two months on from the Basingstoke Ex I started a project I've been thinking about for a while that should be ready for the New Forest Ex in Brockenhurst in a couple of weeks. The Bachmann 117 unit hadn't been weathered up until now as I was contemplating respraying the blue to the earlier lighter colour as I did previously with my Mk2 coaches. So with some time off last week and the weather more suited to paint spraying I jumped in with both feet and also included the Dapol 121 that was a different colour entirely!

Once the bodies were stripped down and the windows removed they were carefully masked and lightly blown over with Halfords grey primer to seal the edges and give the blue a key to stick to.

An hour or so later the bodies were sprayed with Halfords 'Ford Electric Monza Blue' in several light coats until happy with the colour density.

Having left the paint to go off for a couple of hours the masking was removed, which had worked perfectly, to reveal matching 3 car unit and bubblecar.

These pics were taken last week and since then the roof of all four have been painted with Railmatch roof dirt which makes a big difference, especially to the very light original roof of Dapol's bubble! Also I have removed the headlight and filled the holes on the 117 as they didn't have them when in the earlier blue. Over the weekend they were all matt varnished and I am waiting a few days for this to cure before weathering them and reassembling in time for the Exhibition, and I'll post some more up to date pics later this week.