The Evil Bus Driver

It's giving me great pleasure to announce this. Thunderbolt Models will be opening a new model shop at Coventry Covered Market from November 1st. They've been a pop-up shop until now so a new permanent location is a great thing, it's some of the members of Daventry MRC. Definitely worth popping in for a cup of tea and a chat if you're in the area (and you'll probably come away with a lighter wallet hehe) They also buy second hand stuff and collections so there's always something interesting to be had.

Ooh nice! I've done reenactment at Herstmonceux Castle so I'll follow this with interest

Departing Twyford

Ebay have quite a bit of 20 thou if that's any good. Here

Oh wow. Somethingscaused the plastic to shrink. But hey, if you need some 2ft gauge track in 7mm...

'Bluebell Railtours' or 'Bluebell Trains' anyone? Actually they sound pretty good. And they've got the perfect guy on hand to train drivers and firemen in the shape of Clive Groome. A top gent, an absolute legend and a genuinely decent bloke.

Why not do a few 'new build' or 'Accountamcy Rebuild' coaches instead? If there's a group able to raise the funds. I did mention a Bulleid 3-set as being ideal for a line like the Bluebell on here a fair time ago however maybe in this case LSWR stock to make two others for the Radial to work with would be fitting That said seeing Beachy Head finally in steam will be a great sight.

Now THAT is something I've been looking forward to seeing. Awesome news indeed!

Sounds almost like a story from the Reverend himself!

Nice looking layout you have there.

I had a Reliant Svimitar SE5A which needed an engine rebuild. I told the buyer it'd be cheaper to get a new engine. He then said he'd found one for about £350 and I said that wouldn't even buy the parts new hehe. Good find though. Ex boat engines are a good way to find them.

To me the pistons will always be a problem in any engine. I had an Essex V6 for a Capri and it was something like £70 per piston but I could pick up a replacement engine for £400. But they are expensive engines to rebuild anyway. I'd imagine a Sulzer rebuild would hit similar problems as stated above among others. At least if you did have to buy 50 pistons you'd have spares plus some to sell. Not sure who'd buy at 50k each though.

Still not good but I'm guessing the footplate crew will be relieved by that.

Not a 5 minute job but the works at Sheffield Park is one of the best so they'll at least be able to trace the cause and figure out the damage, if any, and how to fix it. I certainly wouldn't like to be thd one who has to telephone Poplar's owners with the news though.

I'm not sure about the cabs but I do know the Bachmann class 101 drawbar gives really good close coupling within the 4CEP/BEP unit. If you're portion working your trains (common on the Southern region) then I have no solution other than maybe using Spratt and Winkle couplings and uncoupling using magnets. Don't use Kadees as the NEM pocket is too low and will foul the points.

There's one of each chassis on Ebay but it's a bit pricey. I have two spare body shells if you're interested. Do you need glazing?

OK cheers I'll have a look and see if I can get one printed up. I'll let you know how I get on.

Heh I need 6 for the layout I'm building plus potential extensions. And fiddle yards, although I might use streamline points off stage. We do have a 3D printer at the club so once I figure that out job's a good one. I do remember a coffee house back in Brighton that had one and they'd print anything you wanted. Might be worth looking into as a backup, since I'm heading down there soon.

Looks like a useful bit if kit. I've downloaded files for a 3D printable one. As I don't have $59.99 (About £45 isn't it?) plus shipping. But I'd certainly be interested in one of those.

Heh thanks for the warning. I'll have a look and see what I can find, there's no rush as the layout they're planned for is more of a module with a fiddle yard either end type arrangement. I could always substitute Mainline or the Hornby Ex Airfix 2Ds as they're from the same tooling. Either way they'll be revealed and close coupled. They're planned for a boat train so like I said there's no rush. That's a shame about the Chapel as we used to like going in there looking for the carved mice on the pews. Plus behind the garden of Moor End is a green gate leading to the grave digger's toilet. Happy days...

Heh nice. I'm looking to build a few of the more unusual mk1s, one being a TSO without the centre door as well as a diagram 72 or 90 to populate the sidings. As a Southerner I'm familiar with the setup of these coaches as the seated door with the quarter lights were a prominent feature of the EMU rolling stock there. I'm also building a mk2D rake although the buffet car will be a Mainline item. Just need 3 more coaches to compete it, another First and two more seconds. I might have to resort to cut and shut if I can't find any at GETS or Warley this year. Those plus two Accurascale mk2s will be this years priorities. And maybe a 37 to play about with as well. Other than that it'll be a push to get my own layout build under way. Got the wood and I'm making arrangements to cut it up. Then things can begin in earnest. I'll definitely be up soon as my grandparents are buried in that cemetery. Plus I've got various uncles, aunts and cousins still around town. The house they lived in is in a cul de sac called Harlow Pines and the house is (or was) called Moor End.

OK cheers. That's one item I need, also the one that conne ts to the track which should be a 2 pin plug into the 'Track Out socket. Otherwise I might go for a Gaugemaster Prodigy and use the multimaus as a second handset.

OK cheers. I'll have a look.

Me likey! Is that a Diagram 72 mk1 I spy there? Is it brass sides on a cut down coach or a cut and shut in the usual style? I'm thinking of doing one similar using Mousa Models sides and one of my 3 Hatchette mk1s (They do form the 'Experimental' rake after all) Either that or a Diagram 90. Decisions decisions. And Harrogate! I have family there, my grandparents used to live in a house backing onto the big cemetery on Otley Road. Might be time to pop up

OK so I might have cut up some wood. By hand. Go me!