'CHARD

Ain't No Feeble B*stard - DISCHARGE

No More Heroes - STRANGLERS

London Lady - STRANGLERS

Just run mine for the first time since delivery yesterday. After a little excusable initial hesitancy, she runs admirably quietly and smoothly across the speed range, albeit demonstrating slightly less controllability than we've come to expect, which may be down to the motor design. One lamp iron was damaged, other than that no obvious signs of handling/ transit mishap. Not had chance to check the bag of add-ons yet. As reported by others, there seems to be a moulding void adjacent to the exhaust port. Moving about on the layout the loco looks well, certainly near enough what my mind's eye imagines as a recollection of the prototype. A jackshaft drive loco is a first for me, as I daresay it is many other modellers, so watching the motion is a delight to be savoured; its boxy teutonic utilitarian stance looks awesome, and with what appear to be heavy machined metal finishes, Heljan has captured the elusive character very well IMHO. The numbers will have to be corrected, that does stand out as a key decorative feature to me. Apart from that, I'm delighted. Well done to H&H for bringing this to market, if I could afford another I'd have an NCB version tomorrow!

There's a picture in the leaflet that comes with the loco, if someone is able to scan it. EDIT: here's a photo of the page, if you would please adjust your heads 90 deg to the right for maximum enjoyment:

Love the cars parked outside - Toller is it? A pair of Austin 1100s, Avenger, Opel Rekord?, Fiat 500? and Simca 1300... Awesome, thanks for the pics, very evocative indeed.

A decent handful of Bristol-based locos then mate. D9500/2/3/4/5/25/6/7/8/53/4/5 all from new so with differing longevities until the S&D closed. I'm quite happy with your reasoning that if the Forest of Dean had these beasts writhing about in it, then the coal-hauls of the north Somerset field could justify some 0-6-0DH action.... I mean, in my alt.reality, the Waverley Route will be host to a displaced example, captive to a superannuated branch line that's barely clinging to life itself.

I've actually got the Harris in front of me John. I don't know of a web-based equivalent source for this, but if you have any specific queries I'll look them up gladly.

I'm not going to reprise the exhaustive detail again just now, it's buried further up the thread after all, but suffice to say: early Claytons can be runners but not fit for purpose you can only establish what an early Clayton should have been like when you benchmark against a properly made one you couldn't do this comparison until just before Christmas when the decent ones were released the April ultimatum doesn't hold water in the Sale of Goods Act many Claytons now fall into this inbetweener category, incapable of proper layout use or remedy hence that's why I'm endeavouring to find this third way, which may or may not end up involving the retailer (never has the phrase box-shifter, which I usually hate, been more apt) as well as the manufacturer.

He slew the lost Seacow of Bolton mate

I was going to mention weathering too - says he who still hasn't touched a single one of his Claytons inappropriately yet! I guess I should wait until mine lands (tomorrow possibly) before commenting, but I imagine there will be some obvious work-arounds for the pick-ups, that may suit certain types of layout to greater or lesser extents. I have in mind some form of sheathing (the sort covering the PCBs on my Bachy 24 chassis) which will both hide them and push them gently closer to the back face of the wheels....

Still owed 4 by Liars (anag.), whose optimism cannot be gauged behind their Berlin Wall of silence. And now I'm teaching myself Danish for Gricers: Trading Standards Edition, as I compose a rather polite letter regarding this situation. Tak Med venlig hilsen 'CHARD

That really does look very tasty indeed. Shame the number typeface is entirely fictitious, but I'm sure between us all we'll arrive at a solution to that minor niggle. Wondering now if I should stay in just in case the postmiss knocks....

Railbrit being what it is, I had never seen this piece before, I actually found it searching Google for Stobs Station.... If you have any interest in the Waverley Route, or indeed the socio-economic impact of Beeching, spare five minutes to read this. Those 300 seconds will be repaid immeasurable times over. http://www.railbrit.co.uk/articles.php?recno=31

Read the caption to this, I mean, a Waverley Route picture needs no excuse, but the story that this tells is simply incredible: http://www.railbrit.co.uk/imageenlarge/imagecomplete2.php?id=25189 I've heard of the practice of closed depots being used for loco storage but never Gala!

Rock'n'Roll Radio - RAMONES

Another of Bruce's classic pictures, this time a peek at a Peak at Steele Road, with a bogie van of interest leading the consist. The page on Derby Sulzers from which the link is taken has some interesting Waverley gen, including info that the junction to the route from the WCML at Carlisle No.3 was removed on 12-13th January 1969 as it was slated for renewal that had been held in abeyance until the line's fate was sealed. It would seem that a TSR on the other main line possibly applied to this, hastening its demise. http://www.derbysulzers.com/45xxxwavsteelerd.jpg

Know Your Rights - THE CLASH

Thanks mate, that's very kind. My intention here was not to do a finescale job of the conversion, no disrespect intended to those that can and will. What I wanted to achieve was an adequate representation of the correct roof type for that particular batch. It was also a matter of breaking a psychological barrier to carve into a new generation model for the first time, in my case! After all, physical work on the rest of the loco is confined to knife and files on the bogies and around the windcreens. Yes, I capitulated eventually - admittedly nine months after getting the locos, but basically only a matter of days from getting them on the W/B, and minutes from looking at photos of them in the unmodified state. The biggest surgery was the cooler group's external appearance, and Lima's donor moulding is sufficiently accurate for me in that respect. With that done, the boiler exhaust was a no-brainer. What this doesn't adequately reflect is the length of time spent filing everything to fit. Massive thanks to the Class47 website because it was reference to their photos alongside the Bachmann and Lima shells that finally gave me the impetus to do the work. It was also while searching here that I found the photo of D1971 at Hawick: result! The other upside was the discovery that 1536 and 1547 are correct with the as made Bachmann boiler-port configuration. That effectively means that the fabric of my blue trio is physically finished.

There is no end of interest in that photo. And loads of imponderables: what is she working (hint, it ain't what's wound-up!), when was this taken, did the photographer take more pics and if so, what was occurring just to his right, at the goods yard and possibly the depot - if it was still open? Hawick from this angle is compelling because it is relatively unusual. Right now, there's a swimming pool or row of cross-trainers where the duff is standing.

Can any of you rabid fans of this particular Type 4 please advise if Hornby has produced one in as-built, pre-TOPS condition? I ask, not because of fond memories of bunking them at school lunchtimes on 1O19? and 1E63, but because they traversed the Waverley Route, albeit infrequently, on diversion from the WCML. As a result I am considering acquiring one as a token gesture. Well, as that's my justification for having West Coast regular near-pristine Brush Blue D1958, then D404 or D419 in the same livery and condition would actually be rather awesome, despite needing a bit of work. Cheers chaps

Blessed be the forum without glitches: this is the third time I've begun to write this blog entry since the problems with UK2 manifested themselves. All being well, here is the concluding (sort of) instalment of what happened to my trio of Bachmann tri-grille 47148s, Hattons bargains tied up with string etc... Having tackled 1536 and 1547 in Early Blue, as Waverley Route visitors, and seeing Bruce Mac's evocative snatched shot of D1958 whizzing through Riccarton Jct with a single BG in tow, it's time to bite the bullet and get started on this example, that was shopped ex-works from Loughborough in the livery they call Brush Blue... Here's 47148 with a sister, just so we all know what we're dealing with: and for the fainthearted here's a what happened next photo-feature: The choices were stark: a) convert an available tri-grille BFYE 47148; b) buy a sealed-headcode Serck grille BFYE 47035 or c) repaint one of my to-hand Serck TTGFYE 1764s. As surgery seemed less daunting than two full scale repaints on that snowy morning, shortly before the kids were sent home from school I took a fresh sturdy Stanley blade to a brand new loco that had barely been run-in. Here is the easy to follow hit by hit transformation.... First, 47148 with its cooler group neatly filleted. The tri-grilles are separately applied parts, which they appear to be from outside the loco, but inside tells a different story, and some aggressive work with the blade is needed to remove the underlying structure. Two screw mounting points are sacrificed here, but with four other anchors I wasn't unduly concerned: Here is the Italian donor loco surrendering its Serck grilles: Reference to Class47 website showed me that the boiler ports on 1536 and 1547 are correct on the model. Delighted with this, a more appropriate solution for 1958 was sought from the donor: I think it's on the left of the donor in this shot, hard to see from the thumbnail as I type this draft... 1958 is weighted by the donor's ballast and that of another fallen sister as work starts on the decals. If I work this right, here's a picture inside 1958 with Serck rads No1 and No2 side installed, and the fan assembly back in place. I actually weathered the red fans with a spot of graphite while they were out of the loco: I'm sure there are a couple of steps I've missed here, oh - I spent a morning filing smooth all the windscreen surround bolts on the three blue Brush - only 1958's been retouched since. Not that you can see from this broadside shot: When I've had chance to review this over a brew I might add or swap a couple of pics, she is awaiting her boiler port blanking plate on the above shot, and the neat finish of the new port is worth showing.... Here it is - albeit at the far end of a dusty 1958 on the W/B: Close-ups will follow when she's tidied-up and painted with headcodes applied. As the light and my steadiness of hand have improved, here's a shot of Nos.1 and 2 end. I've finally found my plasticard stash too, so blanking plate will be fettled this afternoon. Outdoors is always good for cruel close-ups, ho-hum here we go anyway with the basically finished D1958, when I'm in the right frame of mind it's the turn of headcodes (using larger characters than on 1536/47), decal the No.2 side, detail and then paint/ weather.... And now for a couple of light-hearted insights: Rule 1 - always wash the bodyshell after filing has been completed, and leave to drain And here's the part-time eBay assistant, acting as workbench assistant on this occasion, displeased either at what's befallen the Brush, or what's drying on the radiator.

Easy to Smile - SENSELESS THINGS

There is a rather nice uncaptioned picture just here: D1971, one of the 64B nine, at a mystery location! Must confess, I made involuntary noises upon finding this. Not seen that angle of H***** station before, and the giveaway - yet misleading - headcode is a classic!

(Get A) Grip (On Yourself) - STRANGLERS