P.C.M

Hi Fran, I have had a look at the blue and think the Bachmann is probably a tad light and yours a bit dark. I had a look at coach roofs too. It does seem that your pic shows a black roof but it think most came out with a dark grey which weathered down to an almost black. I took a few pics with the phone so not great quality but certainly show coach ends being black and the roof dark grey.

I finally received my MK2b today and it's a very good model but I think the Trans Pennine blue is too dark. I know it was mentioned a few pages back that it's a good match but I think the Bachmann MK2s are a better match to the real thing from pictures I looked at. I will have to paint the roof too as I am pretty sure they were not blck on the real thing.

Thanks Simon, The yellow ends haven't been painted. I have added the Replica high intensity headlights and just painted them with a humbrol yellow 154 I think. I did add just a little bit of orange. Which seems to be a really good match. Cheers Peter.

Hi Simon, I didn't use a kit I just filled and sanded the area. One part of the boiler can be removed. I filled it with plasticard and finished off with filler.

So I have done some work on 56008. I wanted to bring it into mid 80s condition by the mid 80s 56008 had had an overhaul and had been fitted with longer handrails one in each door like the later locos. The handrails were also painted white and I added the Diamond multi working transfers. It did leave the upside down 8 as I didn't want. Re weather the body plus I think it's a nice touch although wrong for the loco in mid 80s condition. 56070 has also been through the workbench and had the aerial removed from the cab roof and had a weathering job.

Hi Trev, Looks like someone has a passion for Peds. 😂😂 I am liking the wagons too, glad to see you getting stuck into a bit of 7mm modelling. Cheers Peter.

A couple of pics from a running session the other day.

Thanks mate, I thought I could live with the shape but the work I would have to put into a Heljan model wasn't that far of what I would have to do to a Bachmann model for me to be happy with it. Plus the Bachmann run so well. My Heljan one didn't. Remember seeing 106 back in the day such a shame it caught fire. Cheers peter.

Thanks Mate, I thought doing three loco's together would be quicker but I think thats not really the case. I did have a bit of a balls up with 45037 but managed to save it. I have also finished a 7mm 37 too so a good start to the year. Cheers Peter.

Thanks Mate, Yeah the lining was a worry, The main section was a presfix transfer which actually went on quite well the sections round the cab were hand painted. 45110 has the Bachmann V5 sound chip which isn't that bad. Cheers Peter.

Thanks John, I am happy with how they have come out.

So the last few months i have been working on some Bachmann Peaks, as with most things it's taken a lot longer to get them finished but I am happy with how they have come out. 45110 45128 had a bit more work too make them a 45/1roof mods side steps removed centre headlights fitted. My original plan was to do a few Heljan Peaks. I thought I could live with the shape issues but I just wasn't happy with the build quality on the one I bought and it just didn't run that well either. Anyway a few pics.

Thanks mate the detail dies really pop on the bogies with the weathering. It was the western region 56s I remember early on. they used to work the Stone trains out if Westbury over to Eastleigh and Fareham.

I was a shunter at Eastleigh east yard for a while in the early 90s. We used to loose shunt although management didn't like us doing it they used to let it go on. We did get a bollocking for loose shunting car flats and TTAs one time. 😁 We also did Fly shunting a few times which is different to loose shunting in that the shunt loco pulls the wagon towards the points. The shunt loco backs off just enough to loosen the coupler then speeds up past the point which is then changed before the wagon comes past. Hopefully the wagon has enough speed to go in clear to be pinned down.😁 Cheers Peter.

I am calling this one done. It's taken so long to do, when I finally got the body on I managed to break one of the tail lights then noticed the cab windows at one end aren't quite pushed in properly. I will leave it for now . I don't want to break anything else taking the body back off.

My excuse for running a 56 is that the fly ash trains were still running in 1986. Cheers Peter.

Thanks Paul, I didn't want to over do it on the weathering. Though some certainly did get very dirty. My 56 when it arrives might get a touch more grime.😁 Cheers Peter

Thanks Rich, My HEAs are the older Replica models which I think are a nice model but certainly not up to today's standard.

I finally got round to weathering the cavalex class 56 that Will left with me a few months back. He did say I could weather it😁 I found a pic on Flickr of 008 in 1982 which showed it still in original condition. The detail on the bogies really shows up now I have added a bit paint. Cheers Peter

All good here mate, not the best summer we have ever had but it's been warm this week. I remember seeing the DCWA 50s about I got a few pics of some round Exeter. Then some ended up in the NSE pool when the reliability of the other 50s got really bad. Cheers Peter.

I have finally got round to weathering the 56 that Will left me on his visit a few months back. He did say I could weather it. 😁 I found a pic from 1982 when it appears 008 is still in original condition. Cheers peter

For your time period you probably have to remove the Arial I have done it on mine. Bit of a pain as you have to patch paint the roof. Cheers Peter.

Thanks Mate, I haven't run any trains for a while so not much to post on fb I have been working on a few Peaks so will post up a few pics when they are done. Cheers Peter.

Thanks Mate, still a few loco's on the workbench and the layout is getting there slowly. I am still doing the 00 too so its finding the time. Cheers Peter.

Hi Nigel, layout is looking great. Loving the 90s vibe. Can't beat a bit if DCWA class 50 action. A nice selection of 37s too Cheers Peter.