big T

Ive prepared a few really badly done videos, taken from my phone. Not brilliant by any stretch of the imagination, and the sound is pretty rubbish, not doing the speakers or the decoders any justice. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCExx6g45HucsKpKvLs2QHRw? Please feel free to take a peek! Thanks Trev

Your layout is coming along nicely Adrian! The red cliffs are superb. The weathering on the Petroleum spoonage is really nice and subtle. Keep up the good work Trev

Getting a few mini projects out of the way at the moment before cracking on with the larger ones. This is one of the old trusty Hornby ferryvans in Railfreight that I wianted to convert into a grounded stores van. (It was a recent gift from my good mate Simon of Pendeford Yard fame) I have put a floor in it, glued the door open, added an interior LED and a few items on crates and a class 31 fan. Ive cut up and painted some plasticard to resemble wooden beams onto which the van body will sit. Tonight I will scrape out a section of ballast, then glue and re-fill around the van body hiding any gaps. Then Ill weather the ballast and maybe add some static grass. A couple of photos of the work so far: I have done a few (really bad!) videos too, but cant see how to attach them - can anyone point me in the right direction? Many thanks Trev

Cheers matey

Hi Rob hows it going?! I dare say that there may be some 1Z**/6Z** nonsense going on and maybe even st*am specials making an appearance!!! Thanks Trev

Hi all, Ive had a busy few weeks, mostly fettling and messing about. I really need to get myself into gear as I have had an invite to show the layout at the Cradley Heath 2018 show. My faithful NCE powercab controller is on its last legs, at first I thought it was the fascia plate. replaced that. Problem persisted. Could it be the cable? replaced that. Nope! Great so it has to be the handset. I won a full set up off ebay (virtually brand new) with a second controller. Happy days. My Mrs has just informed me its turned up so ill set that up tonight. The ferryvan is a small mini-project and is a stores van, fitted with lighting. A recent acquisition form my good mate Simon Barnes of Pendeford Yard fame Funny as I keep adding to my ever growing list of "jobs to do" these now include: wiring up lighting finishing top part of the yard finishing around the first WRD building - hardstanding etc plus painting. airbrushing the trackbed in various areas Making an extension to the fiddle yard to enable larger trains to be run Finishing off power wiring below fiddle yard Finishing off backscene boards with clouds Creating a lighting pelmet Point control. Front curtain and nameplate There are other bits but I forget! Heres a few pics from recent running sessions: Thanks for looking, its much appreciated Trev

Good stuff. Look forward to seeing that me owd.

Hey Col They are time consuming and expensive, but excellent to watch as you say! Why are you moving on with your layout?

Thank you Tony! I will read this with interest Cheers Trev:)

Fishkind lol!!

Hi Paul, No sound Im afraid, and I think theyre DC only! Very therapeutic though! Trev

About £70 a pop Rob!

So its been like 3 weeks since I ventured into the old garage for a modelling session. This is mainly due to the high levels of attention my new fish require and therefore I have been concentrating on their wellbeing. I had a modelling "to do" list, and was determined to get through each item, after a thorough tidy up. My first job was to re-wheel my GWR mark one. I then de-bodied a few HAA's and put them in superstrip. Then I replaced a LH point with a double slip in my fiddle yard. This now means both sides of the FY are connected. (Before they were isolated from each other). Finally I got my new acquisition out for a play (Bachmann 37798). Finally a quick shot of my babies! Thanks for looking! Trev

Good to see you back posting again matey, bet those Hoovers made a bit of a change from those sheds! Trev

Phew! Ive had a busy week or so, what with fish tanks, leaks, fish, water testing, monitoring etc, not to mention my ongoing saga with my PGA rake that Im messing with/spraying up. Ive put at least 10 new decoders into locos and have been through epic wheel cleaning and lubrication cycles. This mainly relates to my Heljan spoon collection. Ive sold a few locos recently, mainly 37's, and now Im down to approx 25 ish. A nice rendition of 37798 is currently in the offing, so we shall see. Im also in the process of re-bodying one of my Bachmann RES Spoons that I dropped. Well done me.I have a new RFD bodyshell floating around and aim to turn this into 47219 "Arnold Kunzler" and have bought the plates from Fox ready for this. This will require a re-number too. This may be fitted to the chassis of the 47/7 that I dropped, depending on battery/tank suitability. I will have to start focusing my efforts back onto the layout, rather than the stock. Now I've piddled about with fish, I have a new found enthusiasm for modelling and have a multitude of jobs to do, as I have been provisionally invited to exhibit the layout at the Cradley Heath 2018 show. Eek. Time to pull my finger out! Anyhoo heres a few pics from last nights session, which culminated in me lubing my airbrush needle and sticking it into my thumb at 00.30 this morning before weathering my Heljan rendition of 47476 "Night Mail". Deep joy. Not. I've just noticed that one of the RCH jumper cables has fallen off the front of the RES 47. Add this to the ever growing list of things to do! Thanks for dropping by Trev

Hi Rob, I need to find some kind of wire in tube or use inverted rail somewhow. #winterproject Cheers Trev

Hi Will Thats good to know, thank you very much! Cheers Trev

cheers Neil mate

Thank you Richard, much appreciated! Do people not get bored with just stock pics? (Ive not actually done much on the layout itself for a while!) Trev

A few pics from the past couple of days. Im looking to do wire in tube point control in the fiddle yard. Does anyone have any experience doing this or knows where to buy the kit from? Thank you Cheers for looking Trev

Cheers Rob. TBH Im still perfecting the technique and I still think I've got a way to go before getting the look I want on the hoppers. Trev

A few pics of my progress with the HAA's, finished this morning about 00:30: Ive still got a fair way to go, and will be adding further detail/finishing paint to missing bits like rears of buffers, bits on frames etc. Thanks for looking Trev

Hi Shaun Theyre mostly full of junk lol! Trev

Great techniques and inspirational as normal James! The 58 looks superb, and is very well matched with those filthy HAA's. Cheers Trev

Spurred on after noticing 2 x HAA's and 1 x HBA in the cupboard that I'd forgotten about, Ive started stripping these latest Hornby offerings. Whitemetal Oleo buffers fitted into my wooden hold-it-all-thingy ready for priming..... (It was only afterwards that I realised that I'd primed the buffers before filing the casting marks off the heads. Well done me!) The three chassis in the process of stripping and modifying. The cradles are off, and have been primed, ready for repainting in a more realistic, non-plastic looking EWS maroon. I had a decent run last night and managed to fit the Colin Craig brake discs, instanters, buffers, and to paint the cradles. Tonight I'll finish them by adding the final touches (decals, brake pipes and weathering) Thanks for looking Trev P.S. My garage/workshop isnt usually this messy! (I have a ton of fish tank and decorating gear kindly stored by SWMBO!)