Temeraire

Evening all

Nothing to report on the layout but as the weather gets better and it's more temperate in the shed I hope to make some progress soon. However, a couple of locos that had been on the workbench for a couple of years awaiting finishing off made into the shed in February and I realised that I hadn't posted the pics I took.

Yet another 50, this time 50026 Indomitable in a scruffy condition, I might have overdone the scruffy!

A regular in Devon around 1990 on parcel trains 47582 County of Norfolk rounds the curve on the approach to Exford park station.

Evening all

Its been a week since the exhibition at Basingstoke and tonight I remembered that I took a couple of pics.

Last week was the first time the MoD shunter was able to play its part. After fitting a third motor/gearbox solution and a new chip and stay alive I think Paul was glad to finally see the back of it! Thanks Paul! Seen here arranging a few vans for collection by the mainline loco 270 looks at home inside the fence.

A closer view of 270 from the other direction.

Having given the shunter a good 'run-in' on the shed layout it performed well all weekend and only hesitated when the wheels had got dirty by Sunday lunchtime. Once they were cleaned it carried on doing what it was built for.

Evening all

Just a quick reminder that Tidworth is on the road this weekend at the Tonbridge Exhibition, so come and say hello if you're visiting the show on Saturday.

Saturday 18th February

The Angel Centre

Tonbridge

TN9 1SF

Show open 10am-5pm.

See you Saturday! 😉

Dinner done I'm back with the pics!

Yeoman Highlander emerges into the light making its debut on the layout having dragged the PTAs up from the fiddle yard.

59003 storms through Exford Park station.

The loco seems to have been turned around on its journey and is also now heading the other way.😉

Now powering around the curve towards Exford Park station.

'003 passes the platelayers hut on the approach to the station.

Passing the camera.

That's it no more 59 pics for the time being on with the next project!

Evening all,

A belated Happy New Year to everyone. Once the festive season was out of the way, I've been working on some workbench projects in the warmth of the house rather than the shed!

Inspired by Richard's (Everard Jct) video I was spurred on to have a go at my newly purchased Class 59, which I'd decided to renumber into 59003 Yeoman Highlander. As 59003 is one of the earlier ones it meant some different changes had to be made.

First up the modification to the lighting to give the correct forward combo of lights and rather than try to add very small wires to very small contacts on the lighting boards as Richard did, I chickened out and chose to add solder bridges to the main pcb instead!

As this is going to be one of the early ones in the period I model, the exhaust port is on the wrong side so out with the saw!

The exhaust silencer was lowered by rubbing on emery paper until I was happy with its look after removing the extended part, which was also lowered slightly. Once the height was good, I cut off the exhaust end about 9mm in from the end, turned it around and glued it back on. Plasticard was then added to form a new end.

The join was then filled and filed smooth before it was sprayed a steel colour as a base.

The NRN pod was also repositioned at this end and the holes filled.

After swapping DMs with Richard he sent me his redundant plinth from his model and this was added above the cab at the other end. (Thanks again Richard) The NRN pod was fashioned from a small square of plasticard with some grooves filed into it. (Not 100% be gives the right impression)

The moulded pod in the centre of the roof was removed and the roofline built back up with plasticard and filler.

The roof was masked off to the cantrail line and blown over with this paint that I had left over from another project, whilst not a perfect match its close enough before weathering hides it.

Once all done the lights were painted with some orange paint to tone them down, which I need to revisit as they are still too white/blue, the plates were then added and the whole loco was then weathered.

There you go then, I'm sure the rivet counters will pick it apart but I'm happy with the overall look, especially from normal viewing distance and I'll post some pics of it 'in service' later.

Evening all

Just a final pic for this year as an excuse to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

37068 'Grainflow' rolls into the yard having collected a rake of vans from the exchange sidings as 33117 arrives with an afternoon London train.

I hope you all have a great festive season and hope to see you out on the road with Tidworth next year at Tonbridge in Feb, Basingstoke in March and Brokenhurst in May.