Downendian

Progress on the MSV rake. Bulk now have the excellent railtec transfers applied, all wagons pool 7671 which was a Tytherington flow back in the 1970s. I will need to find an authentic headcode for a loaded working, as these will be weighted by Tytheringon shade stone which is the next job. I’ve got six more wagon kits to do, three of which lurking in the background will be sprayed today. Three are yet to arrive by post. These will be operated by my fleet of Westerns plus Bath road allocated 47s, although peaks and I have photographic proof that a pair of 25s and 37s were used. some weathering still needs applying and tiny details such as touching up the wagon buffer shank silvering and brake lever handles being painted white need to be done on the whole rake. All are fitted with instanters with the extra link to give more flexibility as I discussed earlier. The wagon internals will be weathered before the stone loads are applied, a “stone dust” look is what I’m after. I have four Bachmann RTR “Ore-MSVs” to add to the rake - they are certainly not MSVs as Bachmann have used the unfitted MSO chassis on them. They need to be rebranded and renumbered before adding, again another railtec order. The rake will be of almost prototypical size, although the biggest trains operating through Stoke Gifford comprised up to 35 wagons. I’m not sure how unfitted wagons were dispersed in the rake - randomly or at the head/tail if anyone knows that will help! As this project is reaching a conclusion, thoughts now turn to the next one. I’m relishing the butchery required to generate a centre car for my 2H DEMU, which will become 1101 or 1102 both of which were seen at Bristol Parkway when they operated the shuttle service from Stapleton road when the Badminton route was shut for HST upgrades in 1975. All components for this conversion can now be obtained from the Bachmann spares site, which I’m awaiting a delivery to get this going.

Indeed Phil - we had a discussion about this earlier. I had no idea they worked onto the WR. May consider a purchase. Classic traction at NA with a TCV just making a background appearance. My excuse is I was distracted by the foreground. Neil

Hi Ross/Ashley I’ve only just seen this thread so my apologies for not responding sooner but glad you’ve got things sorted. My layout turnouts are all controlled by switchpilot servos both 3 (4 servos) and 4 (8 servos), and I have over 50 points. I also have an ECoS so appreciate the issues you’ve been discussing. I programmed them all in directly from the switchpilot controller having assigned the turnout number there- the ECoS picked them up with no problems once the switchpilot was in programming mode as you say. The switchpilot 4 servo is much easier to use I found - but initially I had to use Google translate to convert a German manual to English! I’m rather glad that I’ve placed the decoders in accessible positions as occasionally they need accessing. if you have any issues re turnout control drop me a line by PM, I’m no expert but I like you was on a learning curve but eventually got things sorted. The only issue I have had is the servo motor itself somehow forgetting its right position and needs reprogramming- I have three to do again at the moment. I’ve yet to use it for accessories but I will do so for colour light signals in the future. Neil

More work on the growing MSV rake over the past few days. All the bits had turned up for my Hornby/Parkside PC63 hybrid. Not as straightforward as I would have liked, but getting there now after a few hours work today. Bufferbeams were added using evergreen L-section and steel buffer/drawhook back plates added using 2.5mm evergreen strip. The solebars were then attached to the sprayed Hornby body, and alignment was done manually (not easy I add) to get square and wheels running true. if I was doing more of these I’d fabricate a jig, but I’m loathe to do any more as they take twice as long to put together than the Wild type PC63 kit. However from normal viewing distance the two wagons look identical- the old Hornby body looks indistinguishable from Parkside. It was on the first wagon I found out that the weight on the Hornby wagon which I had wanted to retain, fouled the wheels so off they came. I wish I knew what adhesive Hornby used as they took a lot of effort to shift! I then added Accurascale 13 inch oleo wagon buffers, which some of the prototypes appear to have ran with (courtesy of the obligatory visit to the relevant Paul Bartlett gallery), plus their instanters and draw hooks. These look rather lovely and somewhat show up the Parkside originals (photo shows Parkside on left Hornby/Parkside on rights). Maybe replace the whole rake? I’m tempted but not at the moment. ignore the apparent difference in bauxite tone, it appears to be an artefact with my phone camera, perhaps due to the Parkside wagon being in gloss varnish now awaiting decals. Hopefully the first fifteen will be complete tomorrow and the hybrids need gloss varnish before I can proceed further, after touching up some areas of the paintwork - mustn't handle wagons with superglue on fingers (not that I knew it at the time of course). The eagle eyed May spot I’ve added an extra link to the instanters, not prototypical of course but coupling with them was so close there was no way the rake could negotiate my helix. So a compromise was needed to achieve their route availability. After decals they will be suitably weathered and stone loads/ weight added. Finally I submitted today an academic paper, although retired it was nice to write an invited review for a relatively new journal which is publishing a special edition on rare Rh variants (I’ll leave it there). Neil

Great stuff Phil. “Operators inadvertently exiting sidings without selecting correct route” I’m guilty of that one for sure on Abbotswood I! Can’t wait to see the full set up. Neil

S-kits released 4 products for class 47 boiler ports, Spanner, Clayton, Universal blanking plate 47/3 and Stones. I’ve collected a few for a rainy day, but rather foolishly gave some away. They maybe still in business as I may need to replenish the stock pile skitsinfo@btinternet.com I think Shawplan have only ever done the blanking plate. Plus I also thought the Limby 47 had the blanked off Universal port (not one to hand to check) Neil

Just three I can think of The smell of freshly brewed courage beer wafting across Temple meads from the nearby brewery. Alas long gone. The sulphurous smell in the atmosphere in the Industrial North, I first noticed this as a Southerner travelling through the Rotherham/Sheffield steelworks in 1974, something again long gone. Lastly and very fondly, the warm vaporised oily smell emanating from D1015 on my last visit to the SVR. A smell I’d forgotten about when up close to hydraulics, diesel electrics don’t smell the same way somehow. Neil

Hi Martin. I guess it’s far more complex a job matching pool and running numbers - I’m not too fussed re running numbers and will use what’s on the 4mm MSV sheet, carefully adding the 7671 pool number. Drop Steve a line and see if he can change one of the pool numbers on the new sheet to what you need? Meanwhile the next batch of Parkside MSVs were given solebars and wheels this morning. Underframe garments hopefully later today. Five Hornby MSVs were given bufferbeams also, fabricated from suitably sized Evergreen L section and cemented to the wagon floor. Buffer shanks will be made from evergreen tube sections, but I’ve been on the rummage for thin plasticard to represent steel plates behind the draw hook and buffer shanks. Then they’ll get the primer/ railmatch bauxite treatment. Neil

Terrific service from Steve at Railtec. I dropped him a line this morning regarding transfers for MSV pool numbers, and this was his response this evening - a new product. You can’t get better service than that. https://www.railtec-models.com/showitem.php?id=8083 thanks again Steve, pool number 7671 used on a Tytherington flow will be on my wagons, incidentally five more were in the paint shops today, Neil

A beautiful tribute at the Plymouth cenotaph and naval memorial where Remembrance Day is hard etched into my former adopted city. A wave of poppies - stunning.

Not much modelling today - but the PWM gang have been out working on the helix that links the upper scenic part of my layout and the fiddle yards underneath. I’d bought a secondhand Dapol track cleaner many moons ago to maintain the helix which is inaccessible for much of the time as it’s a useful place to put storage boxes. The secondhand cleaner I found out a few days ago was minus its vacuum fan, so suitable spares were purchased. I was amazed how effective the vacuum is - look at the detritus it picked up which is impossible to get to with my layout Shark mini-vac. Oh also found out the track cleaner paintwork doesn’t like IPA - so my deft pipetting hand (accrued through many years of dropping blood into centrifuge tubes/blood smears etc as a blood scientist) came in handy. On the plus side a DCC chip was already in the cleaner. The up lines are now operational and possession by PWM was given back this evening- some trackwork needs repairing on the down lines and almost ready to roll. The helix is now becoming critical for running as my Freightliner rake, Herrings, Catfish Rakes and eventually the MSVs are all coupled with Bachmann couplers (liners) and instanters. They can only be moved to storage via the helix. I must get around to starting a thread on the layout but it’s not ready for public viewing yet. Neil

Not tried one of those Mike, but one Cambrian mermaid was enough for me. I’ve still got 6 more to build though, has moved well down the list and I’ll put up with my flangeway versions for now. Neil

Ah so you’ve obtained some Forest of Dean ballast then Phil!

A 117 in standard all over BR blue would suit me fine. I’m somewhat puzzled that this has never been done seeing as it was the predominant 1960s/1970s livery. I’d buy one as soon as they are available - now if a class 120 were to be announced then that would take priority over anything else. Neil

Not often you get an unexpected freebie from a manufacturer. I’d made a start on the next batch of MSVs and collected together the chassis subframe sprues to spray with primer and black. The first five needed for the Parkside bodies are now drying in the spray booth after the final coat of black. I normally spray chassis parts and bodies separately as I can’t face masking up 20 plus wagons. I was surprised and delighted to find that the five kits I obtained all had an extra chassis sprue! Not one to waste them, I looked at my retired Hornby MSVs to see if they can be used there instead of the unprototypical chassis they are mounted on. They look a relatively straightforward fit, although it will need buffer beams and headstocks fabricating which annoyingly aren’t part of the Hornby body. The Hornby MSV body is not too bad, dimensionally almost identical to the Parkside model, and the five reworked Hornby body/Parkside chassis will look fine mid rake of around 20-25 wagons. The Hornby bodies will be resprayed as their shade of bauxite is not a good match for the others. I can even use the Hornby wheels of course plus I have a box full of bearings. All wagons will be fitted with Accurascale instanters which I know will turn up soon. I will need to bodge something up for the underframe vacuum cylinders and connections but that’s a compromise I’ll take any day if it means saving ££. Test fit in progress shown in photo showing what a good fit the solebar is to the Hornby body. Neil

Well I’ve just been commissioned to build my grandsons a small layout for their bedroom. I had been accumulating bits and pieces of N-gauge stock for them, but this gauge seems ideal for the space available. I may well buy them an 08 as part of their Xmas presents. They will get my old trusty Lenz system too. They’ll be getting one of the Hornby sets from their parents. Although I realise a different scale, I remember a tri-ang TT gauge 3mm/foot railway layout on display at Exmouth when we were on holiday in the 1960s, and always thought it looked the perfect size. Neil

Running trials yesterday and today with D7026/9 and 31 309. Some minor glitches (including the schoolboy error of fitting the chip in D7029 the wrong way round) but the Heljan hymek chassis were bomb proof and smooth and silky as always. One was second hand, fitted with new wheels and one bought brand new a few years ago now. Not so for 31 309, hesitant and some clear indication that the pick ups are inadequate. It got progressively better with running in, but not acceptable to me, so it’s looking like a rewheeling job plus extra pick ups to the centre axles. Those traction tyres just have to go. Soldering iron had to come out too to reattach wires that had come loose. However I won’t give up on the repowering my old Lima models this way if 31 309 turns out well finally. Meanwhile a scenic interlude and built six pine trees (loosely spruce or larch), planted in a row behind the signal box. This I’ve read, mirrors GWR practise where rows of pines were planted near stations. My South Gloucestershire woodland scenic will get a conifer addition or two. Followed the Boulder railroad creek method from you tube. Briefly balsa dowel with wire branches embedded, followed by woodland scenics turf for bark, then 8mm and 4mm static grass for branches and foliage. I’m rather fond of them. Scenic work started in this section - work in progress. Also completed the first batch of 5 MSVs, just awaiting decals and weathering now. I’ll wait until I’ve built batch 2 before adding decals. I’ll have a pleading word with Steve at railtec to see if I can get a set made with the same pool numbers that saw use at Tytherington back in the 1970s. Neil

Lovely Phil, I haven’t unboxed my D15 yet. Noticed from your photos that they’ve omitted the front door hinges too. It does look like it needs some weathering to enhance the door boundaries. I think the hinges would enhance them too. Neil

I should say of course that some started out in the Churchdown painting shops, which kindly donated them in the first place, hope you don’t mind Phil. I had bought a few more sets though as all mine are marked “empty to Tytherington”

I’ve certainly got enough spare transfers for what you need for 6 wagons Mike, happy to wing them over to Spain. I’ve got loads of “empty to…” transfers too. Drop me a PM what you need and we can sort. I’m certainly not going to build any more Herrings - not enough space for a start. Neil

Completely agree Mike I’d been looking at rewheeling as an option - however I have a vicious helix to negotiate so let’s see how the running trials go

Thanks John - I’ve just checked there’s 2 tyres per bogie one each side, so 4 in total. The pick ups seem to be working fine, and I may well install a home made stay alive as I’ve already got capacitors, resistors and diodes of appropriate flavours. Plus there’s a bit of room. I’ve got to do more more on the internals anyway as I’ve ordered some L-section to strengthen the motor bogie cradle joints as one had come loose during all the fiddling taking the body off multiple times. Neil

Well a daily routine of a few hours per day modelling eventually got the two Hymeks done. D7026 and D7029 front-back. A huge effort on D7029- a Hornby bodyshell on a Heljan chassis which fits perfectly. Briefly, remodelled cab roof and windows, new horns, Shawplan roof fan and grille, fettled Heljan cab inserts, floor level door handles added, roof lifting rings added, handrails, window struts, marker lights, Shawplan numerals, Shawplan wipers, complete repaint and mild weathering as it would have looked in July 1974 when I first saw the prototype. Precision label headcodes, 3A40 one end, the most likely service it was operating the day I saw it, a Cardiff- Paddington parcels service. Flush glazed - had to repeat this several times and still not 100% happy with them. Fitted with Accurascale screw couplings and Shawplan/Heljan pipe work. The Heljan bodyshell wins hands down in the cab window area - and I won’t be attempting another Hornby conversion for sure. D7029 was a former D7063 Hornby Hymek I received for my 13th birthday in 1974, upgraded as I just couldn’t consider the thought of binning it. D7026 was a more simpler conversion using a spare Heljan bodyshell, fan grille, floor level door handles, new horns etc added as above. Railtec transfers including the four D7026 numerals- much easier to apply but not as crisp as Shawplan numerals. It’s absolutely essential if you use railtec numerals to varnish them afterwards- one detached in the process of setting up the spray booth. next in line for workshop attention was 31 309, one of Bath roads 31/1s back in 1974 and replacements for the rapidly diminishing Hymek fleet. This was a spare Hornby bodyshell that was returned to me when I’d sent back my two Mazak rot infested 31 270s. It sits on a Heavily modified Lima 31 chassis which has been double motored with Hornby railroad class 66 motor bogies, fitted with TTS sound and again Accurascale screw couplings which look much better than Smiths which my spares box has many. I’m still to tackle the headcodes and add more pipe work. A lot of fettling required to get the ride height correct, but it does run well. I shamelessly copied the Kier Hardy EM gauge site method for Lima 31 conversion - but used the spare Hornby body instead. Several Lima 31s still to do - time will tell if this chassis cuts the mustard - I’ve preordered one Accurascale 31 and likely to get a blue 31/4 too. Only drawback with the railroad motor bogies is the dreaded traction tyres - I’ll see how this goes. finally two Hornby sharks completed in gulf red - after eventually obtaining modelmaster transfers. I was rather pleased with their application as no carrier film is visible (at least to my eyes) used the tried and tested gloss varnish, decals applied using decalfix followed by Matt varnish. They will now be incorporated into my ballast rakes of catfish/herring/dogfish/mermaids etc. still weathering to do on the rooves as they look far too clean. Today though my modelling time was replaced by rig-tying for my carp fishing trip tomorrow. My next set of works will be the MSV rake, shortly followed by a centre car for my 2H to become a 3H. excuse the photography -poor lighting and an iPad camera/editing. Must get the SLR out and proper lighting rig. Neil

Hi David its more of a video format issue- will need to convert. I don’t have a YouTube account yet. Neil

Well a stunning sighting on Tuesday for me. An Osprey on my normal fishing venue, and catching fish too. Alas too far away/late to capture with my phone camera, but the markings were very obviously an Osprey (and much bigger than the red kites and buzzards I normally see). It was eventually chased away by a red kite. I suspected that I saw one before here (Lyneham Wilts.) but this was hunting for over an hour and I saw it fairly clearly a few times. Highlight of the fishing trip as I caught zilch! I shot some video on my phone camera, alas too large to upload. neil