Hal Nail

Now call me tight, but I work on a new sheet of paper for each colour, and the residue goes back in the bottle! Actually that's a lie. I re-use the same bit of paper.

No, agreed! I did wonder if the end is an abbrevation of dock, maybe underlined? I've seen "ST" with a half height T underlined for St Blazey.

I've found that photo on twitter and the blurb there says it was used between Truro and Falmouth. I could be convinced by "FA" but the rest is a mush. Interestingly though, it also says it was condemned at Savernake!

Could you post the picture less enlarged - might actually be clearer.

Well if you win the lottery there are these: https://www.ebay.com/itm/363310649024 When Paul R started scratch building his I suggested if he made a mould he could sell some. I rest my case Actually joking aside there is clearly a market here. Might be worth floating past someone like J&M Hughes who do resin stuff.

Happened to spot one yesterday when researching the loco: https://thetransportlibrary.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=131039

The pre-production photos Dapol's new 7mm vans have the solid "BR" type W irons which strikes me as slightly odd, given they have a newly produced GWR 10' chassis with the open type developed for the conflat (and I assumed at least part of the rationale for doing the GWR design conflat rather than the BR one, was to reuse the chassis!). Of course this may all change with the production wagons but got me scouring photos of the prototypes. There are examples of GWR built vans with solid irons on the likes of Paul Bartlett's site, but I'd always assumed these were later repairs/replacements - just as axleboxes and buffers are prone to huge variation. Did GWR ever build wagons with solid irons or is that, as I'd originally thought, a later BR feature?

I was attempting irony.

It's a strange aspect of modelling that if something never happened we don't do it but if there was just one example of something, we are quite happy with that regardless of where it happened and how often! I set strict rules on time period to keep my liveries prototypical. It is currently 1955 to 1986 but I may have to expand that!

Do you mean executive? There was blue grey with extra intercity branding which I assume isn't what you mean. I don't think many mk2as got executive: Heljan certainly aren't doing any.

Probably worth asking on the existing thread. Already been discussing its use later on.

Is the Lionheart branded stuff made in the same factory that Dapol use, post merger?

Nicely understated way of putting it! That finish is almost as bad as a railmatch rattle can

I use 2000 grade wet and dry to remove some logos - its like a gentle polish. I tend to use this on factory finish anyway especially on diesels to really smooth down the surface. Avoid rivets and raised detail and after a very light buff with kitchen roll, it looks more like metal, which then I weather with washes, wiped off to leave a light layer of grime which clings in the detail where the surface is still rougher. Not my idea - pinched from Giles on here who does all the amazing radio controlled vehicles.

I couldn't find the set numbers today - can you remember what they are listed as? Ta

Thanks to the middle at lidl, I've armed myself with a mini drill and what better place to test it than my expensive new coaches.

Hi, I feel I should warn you that is really tiny - I test my locos on a couple of lengths of flexi which is about 6 foot and its a struggle not to run off the end. A 121 is 18 inches long so even that would only travel a few times is own length - if running is your thing you could quickly tire of it. Most who start threads on moving up appear to have underestimated the space needed. All this said, I don't actually have a layout at all but enjoy detailing and weathering so I'm not trying to put you off. The heft and detail you can get in 7mm does make these models attractive just as display pieces. There is always a steady stream of largely unused locos on eBay and since you can always ship things on again, you can effectively try for free.

All the photos I've found of the blue era with multiple working symbols, have them directly under the lights as here. No idea what the norm was on buffers as seen all three types on blue units but I've found one on my line with the circular type so will model that one.

I'm not sure about us being more tolerant or just better at modelling Fox do Pressed Steel speed whiskers and presumably removing the existing ones is no harder than renumbering. https://www.fox-transfers.co.uk/transfers/pressed-steel-dmu-cats-whiskers

Have revisited 8702 which I was never satisfied with but wanted to try powders on it now I'm a convert! I had found a photo taken at St Blazey and the logos were initially mid-tank rather than over the tool boxes where I'd put them, so the sides were cleaned back with 2000 grade wet & dry and new Railtec transfers applied. Several other St Blazey 57xx tanks had the rare forward facing drivers side logo but I don't have a photo of that side of 8702 so am blissfully unaware of my error at present! The smoke box dart was twisted round so the inner one correctly points straight down. Then the body has been worked on with Vallejo Iron Oxide which is basically black but with a hint of brown. They also do carbon black (smoke black) which is about the most neutral black I've found, although looks a little too black if that makes any sense. I've used this sparingly just for a bit of contrast - for comparison, the cab roof is just oxide and under the smoke box door, smoke. The original weathering also means there are subtle variations. I haven't sealed it all as I don't want to lose the glimpses of slightly buffed metal under the grime so it will need a rework periodically to counter handling. I have a rivetted one to do which is waiting till I source a top feed (anyone know?). As I'll have the enamels out at some point I may end up filling the crack in 8702s chimney but for now it will do as its not as obvious to the eye as in photos.

I thought the GWR types were inevitable once they did a GWR underframe for the conflat rather than use their existing BR design and I had said elsewhere an LMS 10ft wheelbase underframe would open up a number of types using a shared wheelbase tooling. What is slightly strange though, is these new vans seem to have reverted to the BR type W irons rather than the more open GWR ones they just did on the conflat - are they just new bodies mounted on the existing BR underframe? I've e mailed Dapol in case this can be corrected. With so many being drawn to 7mm, largely thanks to r-t-r, all the popular selling prototypes will be replicated and those of us who like building kits might be wise to stock up as they may not remain viable: they have already jumped up disproportionately over the last few years.

Very nice. Did you replace the whole number or manage to find matching digits? Once I've tested my I think I will have a crack at lowering some of the door windows for a little variety.

It was reported somewhere that Dapol were improving the motors for the 121 to sort the problem. As far as I can tell reading through the posts, all the issues reported on here have been the original model so I'm hopeful they have done something. All my stuff is still buried somewhere at the back of my storage unit but im not going to risk it so going to have to buy a couple of lengths of track and a mini controller to test mine!

Except it won't let you order them at the moment as a backlog of custom work - there is an option to be e mailed when next available tho.

I read somewhere the other day that the oft quoted 7 years was for a full strip and repaint but a quicker spruce up happened as required, so new liveries might have been be applied more quickly than that. I'm sure you would get a few lasting years but always very hard to know how quickly changes became widespread - if nothing else, photographers might have preferences and not take or publish everything!