SWT442

A couple of pictures from yesterdays tour with 88002 and 68025. Did the whole lot with a few friends. 68027 in its 'minimal' DRS livery worked the tour from Didcot Parkway to Crewe, where 88002 "Prometheus" and 68025 "Superb" took over. From Crewe, both 88002 & 68025 were in multi, giving us just over 9,100hp when 88002 was working on the overhead and 4,750hp when on pure diesel. It certainly shifted well when under the wires, with our departure from Crewe we were upto 100mph within 4 minutes. No doubt it would be quicker if complex pointwork wasn't needed to be negotiated. From Farrington Junction on the return working, 88002 was working solo on electric and preformed very well indeed. You could certainly feel the pull when the power was wound up! The braking was quite harsh though, with two jolts felt when the brakes were applied at any speed. I do wonder if the regen brakes kicked in on the locos before the air brakes on the rest of the train started to bite. Was the same when just 68027 was working. Here's a few pictures. The Northern Belle with 68002 "Intrepid" & 68017 "Hornet" was due through Appleby 20 minutes after we arrived. It passed through as 88002 & 68025 were reversing into the siding. Andy.

30 Years In The Bathroom - The Wonder Stuff

Rainy Day Girl - Suede

Thanks for the comments guys! That is something that will be done Nick. Will probably go with a Kadee though, as I'm toying with the idea of getting either another 456 or a 455 in due course. The kit is sold as ready to assemble, so everything is already painted up, all you have to do is build it. You have to supply your own wheels and bearings. One thing that would improve it is if it came with an interior. I'm going to modify a Hornby Networker interior, which probably isn't correct but will be better than having an empty bodyshell! I have to say, kit building isn't something I normally do, but it all goes together very well. Have to be a little careful, as if using Super Glue it can damage the paintwork. Andy.

Evening all, A few more bits and pieces have passed over the work bench over the last couple of weeks. First off are a couple of wagons, the first being a Cambrian ZCA "Seahorse" which was picked up ready built and painted from a model show a couple of years ago, probably for less than what the kit cost! Work done to it includes adding a waste ballast load with lengths of old rail, which helps weigh it down which in turn improves the running. Also added are some Colin Craig brake discs. Next up is another Bachmann Dutch OCA which has recieved the weathered look and a set of brake discs. Just another 2 to go. And finally on the wagon front is a mesh sided OBA conversion. This isn't a totally accurate portrayal of one of these wagons but more a representation. I plan to do another one but base it on one of the OOA's converted with mesh sides. James Makins' conversion of one was the inspiration for doing one of these, although I realised too late that he re-did the wagons floor (IIRC), while I just used origional one, which in turn makes the sides a little too high. It's broadly finished but I may in due course come back to it and paint the ends Dutch, which seems to be fairly common feature. A set of brake discs has also been fitted. Not something I've tackled before is weathering a multiple unit. I own a pair of Connex Class 205 DEMU's that Kernow produced in their first run of the "Thumpers". One was picked up new on release while the other was found second hand in Ron Lines of Southampton last year. The first one is due to become a 3-car unit, while the second one is the one featured here. My standard weathering mix was used on the underframe, while a very thinned down wash was used on the body sides and ends. All the springs on the bogies were picked out with a small amount of Matt Black to represent the rather dark and greasy appearence of the real thing. The roof was initially washed with Phoenix roof dirt, with a mix of about 4 powders from one of my sets done after this had dried. The exhuast and fan area was picked out with Hornby Black powder. Fuel stains were also added to the sides of the fuel tanks. Will get some better pictures on the layout in due course. I'm fairly pleased with it, but reckon I could do better. I've a Hornby Networker on the bench next, as it's bright NSE livery is now looking a little too clean next to the grubby "Thumper"! Andy.

A fairly common working on the SWML is from Wimbledon EMUD to Bournemouth T&RSMD, which can produce Classes 455, 456 & 458. The units head to Bournemouth for bogie overhauls and other underframe work. Outwards, the working would run as 5B39 with the return being 5B40. About 5 or so years ago, the return headcode changed and became 5Y51, though the outward one remained the same. Below is some pictures of these workings, which bought these normally suburban EMU's for a run away from the Capital. 455702 rolls through Millbrook with 5B39 - 14.05.2014. Passing Shawford Down, 455705 gets a mainline run working 5B39 - 13.06.2013 Heading back home, 455706 & 455703 work 5Y51 towards Southampton Central - 12.07.2012. 455716 and a UID classmate race through Eastleigh on the fast lines with 5B39 - 24.02.2014. Seen at Deerleap, between Ashurst and Beaulieu Road, is 455724 working 5B39 - 04.02.2015. Running solo, 455847 passes Millbrook with 5B39 - 21.01.2014. Heading away from Totton is 455862 working 5B39 - 26.02.2010. Heading through Eastleigh non-stop are 455862 & 455706 with 5B39 - 04.12.2012. Heading away from the camera at Woodfidley are 458007 & 458024 working 5Y51 back home - 15.10.2012. On the up fast at Eastleigh is 458018 working 5B40 to Wimbledon - 27.03.2009. With its new bogies on show, 458003 trails 458028 as they work 5B40 through Southampton Central - 15.03.2010. Andy.

A little more has progressed on the Bratchell 456. The cab fronts on the trailer car have been finished, the cab front Yellow was also painted so as to match the Yellow used on the M/W covers. Kadees have been fitted to the inner ends, though I think I could with replacing them with ones that have a shorter shank as the gap between the coaches is a little too big. The motor coach had its M/W cables and cover added. I didn't have anymore brake pipes the same size as those on the trailer car. The Yellow for the covers needs a few more coats, as does the cab fronts. The underframe detail provided for the motor coach is rather sparse, so some underframe detailing sets from Replica will be ordered up. Some scratch built items will be added as well. Anyway, here's a few pictures of progress so far! Andy.

Loving all the pictures so far, especially the MK1 stuff! Something I only saw the end off. Here's a few more from me: A 4-VEP makes a stop at Eastleigh near the end of the MK1 "Slamdoor" EMU's reign on the SR. No idea what the date I'm afraid! The first two of the 444's make a stop at Eastleigh as they work in opposite directions to each other. 31.07.2008. With the shoe gear causing the rain to spray off the 3rd rail, 444016 leads a UID classmate through Shawford as they head for Waterloo. 31.10.2012. The different designs of MK1 EMU successor pass at Eastleigh. Siemens' 444016 passes Bombardier built 377425. 03.11.2012. Breaking the tranquility of the New Forest, 444040 heads through Bishops Dyke, near Beaulieu Road, with 2B60 Poole to London Waterloo. 11.06.2016. Southern's 455825 rumbles through Eastleigh working 5Y55 Eastleigh Works to Selhurst T&RSMD. 09.10.2012. Running on its own, 455904 passes Southampton Central with 5B39 Wimbledon CSD to Bournemouth T&RSMD. 17.07.2012. Slowing for a stop at Clapham Junction, 456019 & 456016 lead a UID Class 455. 15.09.2015. Andy.

All looking very good indeed Rich! The coach is top notch! Andy.

With the South Western Mainline as my local route, 3rd rail EMU's are the bread and butter of the area! Here's a few from me. Blue & Grey 3-CIG 1497 "Freshwater" stands at Brockenhurst waiting to head to Lymington Pier in the dying days of MK1 EMU operation on the branch. 16.05.2010 Rolling off Setley Plain, 1497 "Freshwater" heads for Brockenhurst on a day before the slammers ceased to operate on the Lymington branch. 21.05.2010 From one of the origional batch of Electrostars that's now 15 years old, 377102 shows its age as it leaves Eastleigh with 1Y77 Brighton to Southampton Central. 29.08.2016 Just a couple of weeks after Wessex Electric operations stopped on the SWML, 442402 waits at Eastleigh to head into the works for warm storage. 16.02.2007 Back on home turf, 442422 races through Worting Junction with 5Z42 Stewarts Lane T&RSMD to Eastleigh Works. 05.04.2016 Seen within Siemens Northam Depot, 444022 & 444017 recieve some maintenance. 06.08.2013 Sat at Brockenhurst, 458006 & 458014 are passed by 444018. The pair of units were working "The Juniper Factor", running as 1Z45 London Waterloo to Poole. This was a fairwell tour of sorts before all the 458's became 5-car Class 458/5's. 23.05.2015 Arriving at Clapham Junction, 458535 works a London Waterloo bound service. 15.9.2015 Off of its normal patch, 460003 heads through Eastleigh with 5Z60 Bournemouth T&RSMD to Ashford Down Sidings. This was just before the class were converted into Class 458/5's. 02.11.2012 Heading the classic location of Wandsworth Road, 465002 has an UID unit in tow as they work 5Y85 London Victoria to Blackfriars. 15.09.2015 Andy.

Evening all. After it being left on the side, some work has progressed on the Bratchell Class 456 kit. After visiting the Bratchell stand at Ally Pally for some advice on where to source a Black Beetle, I was pointed in the direction of the Replica Railways stand. As luck would have it, one of the guys on the stand was in the proccess of building a Bratchell kit using one of their chassis! A suitable chassis was duly purchased and I've spent 3 evenings this week modifying it to accept the body of the 456. First up is the chassis as it comes. It's the 'medium' length one riding on 12mm wheels. The first job is the removal of the step boards. This allows the chassis to sit into the bodyshell of the 456. At one end, the plastic chassis edging needed cutting back to the metal frame. This was to allow the end to slot into the cab end, as the bottom of the cab tapers inwards. The plastic clips were also removed, with the resulting dip in the plastic frame filled in with some plasticard. This allowed the moulded 'pips' on the inside of the 456 body to just sit onto this plastic surround, which in turn means it then sits at the right height. Turning to the bogies, the Bratchell side frames were modified by removing the moulded on yaw dampers. As the top speed of a Class 456 is 75mph, they don't need them. The side frame on the Replica chassis also needed cutting down to suit. Unfortunately, some of the Replica side frame does show above the Bratchell frame, but this can't be avoided as the locating pegs are on the reverse of the exposed area. The power bogie side frames were also modified with the removal of the yaw damper. This is a little bit trickier to do as there is a drop link that needs to be retained. The side frame length also needs to be reduced slightly to allow the wheelbase to line up with that on the chassis. And here it is all together. Still to do is add on the cab front details and disc brake inserts. The trailer car wasn't forgotten, which saw the additon of the covers for the multiple working equipment added. These were made from thin plasticard, cut down with grooves scored into it to allow it to bend into shape. Once happy, the back of the cover had was coated in glue and then held in its bent shape until it dried. They're not prefect, but they help make it look more like a 456! The covers and pipework will be painted. A set of Kadees has also been sourced, and these will be used to couple the unit up. All going well, the unit should be finished in the next few weeks. Once all the details have been added, it'll then get some weathering. The rather useful thread by Martin_R on here came in very handy as well! http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/70956-powering-a-bratchell-emu/ Andy.

Like the sound of the VGA you're doing Jack, certainly an interesting prototype to work from! Quite fancy doing a couple myself in the grimey condition they're in today. The Megafrets really look the part as well, wish I had your patience for doing all that plasticard work too! Andy.

Cheers James, glad you approve! A lot of the inspiration for tackling the wagons has come from reading and seeing your work. The nameplates for the 58 weren't purchased new from Shawplan, I think they must have been from an earlier batch as I got them from eBay. I had contacted Shawplan in the past for plates, even after speaking to Brian at shows in regards to certain plates, but never got a reply. A shame really as they're good quality. Unless I can get what I want from Shawplan at a show, I normally go to Fox now as I know that I'll actually get them. Anyway, onto to some modelling. The 58 has had its roof weathered as well as some oil staining down the sides and onto the solebar. Some additional bodyside and underframe weathering and it'll be done. A rather quick project was the weathering of some Bachmann Railtrack PNA wagons. These were kept fairly clean as to represent them running around at the turn of the century. One wagon carries Grey instead of Green, not sure if this is accurate or not but it was an eBay bargain so rude not to! Plus it breaks up the rake nicely. There is one more wagon to add to the rake, but I'd like to model it as one of the ones running on Gloucester pedestal type suspension. The last wagon in the pictures is one of Bachmanns factory weathered ones, which was touched up with some powders. I don't think this worked particularly well, so will re-do it with some paint instead. I'm hoping to finish off the EWS 58 before the weeks out, but a week of call out does tend to interfere with getting stuck into something! It was why the PNA's trumped it in the queue as they took no time at all to do. Most of the stock seen in the thead will be running on Mossbank Yard which is being exhibited at the Wimbourne Show this coming weekend, so feel free to say hello! Andy.

A handfull of Freightliners from me. First up, 66955 powers up through Mottisfont & Dunbridge with 4M68 Southampton Maritime to Garston FLT 'liner. 25.08.2016 A few days into the New Year, 66594 "NYK Spirit of Kyoto" heads up through Kimbridge with 4M68 again. 05.01.2017 Rolling through Shawford Down, 66553 has a well loaded 4O51 Wentloog to Southampton Maritime in tow. 24.02.2017 Andy.

Not much Class 68 action in the Southampton area, though that being said 68024 did make an appearence at Eastleigh on 21st February dragging 37405 and a MK2 to the works. Think this may be classes second or third foray into the area? Anyway, a couple of bits from me. First up is 68010 "Oxford Flyer" at London Marylebone having not long arrived on 1H48 from Birmingham Moor Street on 6th January 2017. A pair of videos taken at Banbury on the same day, with the class powering out of the station. They certainly make a nice racket! Andy.

Evening all! A bit more progress has been made on some already started projects. The pair of 58's have moved on from where they started at the beginning of the thread. The EWS example has had the grilles on one side painted black, though I quickly lost the will to live so that was as far as I got. The Mainline Grey example has had a bit more attention. Some transfers arrived from Fox earlier in the week, so the cab fronts have recieved the missing numbers. Once the varnish had dried, a start on the weathering was made. The underframe and sides have been done, using my standard mix of thinned Phoenix "Frame Dirt". The roof will be tackled next, before varying powders will be used to finish the sides off. Also arriving was a set of 3D nameplate transfers from Railtec for 68010. They do look the part and set the model off nicely and are a nifty and cheaper alternative to etched plates. As nice as they are, I do wonder if they're a touch oversize compared to the real thing. A quick project was the weathering up of another Dutch OCA, which took about and hour all in over two evening. I picked up 6 of these quite a while ago for a good price off eBay, when a single wagon was going for silly money. One has already been done, complete with a load of new sleepers. This one has recieved a slighty lighter weathering compared to the previous one. A small load of scrap rail lenghts and sleepers was also put in. A set of Colin Craig discs was also fitted. I'm aiming to get the Mainline 58 finished by the end of next week but I'm on call from tomorrow evening so it probably will be a stretch! Andy.

Those 50's look awesome Will! I admire your attention to detail with them, which has certainly paid off. The weathering of the roofs is great as well! Andy.

Cheers Will! Not bothering with lights I'm afraid, electrics isn't a strong point of mine! I did toy with putting an interior in as I had a set of interiors from a Hornby Networker going spare but it wouldn't properly fit. Wish I'd made a bit more of an effort with it as it does look somewhat bare inside! I'll get some close up shots done of the OBA's in the next few days. Thanks James! I have to admit, some of the inspiration for doing them comes from seeing your work. Still got some more to be done in due course. Good shout with the 150 chassis, could possibly use some of the underframe components as well! Cheers Ben! The underframe was done with Phoenix Paints P960 'Frame Dirt' diluted with a little bit of thinners and applied by brush. The axle "boxes" and step fronts were cleaned off with a cotton bud, as these seem to stay fairly clean compared with the rest of the underframe. Some Matt Black was applied where fuel stains would be and once this had dried, some Humbrol 'Gloss Oil Stain' was put over the top. The bodyside had a very thinned down mix of P960 applied to it which was quickly removed using kitchen paper and cotton buds. Some Tamya weathering powders were then applied to give a dusty look. I think I used 'Set B' in their range and used the darker shade in the set. One of the lighter Tamya shades from the same set was used to the grilles. The roof used a lighty thinned mix of Phoenix P962 'Roof Dirt'. Again, this was applied by brush and then left for 30 seconds before being removed with kitchen towel. The exhaust silencer used a mix of P950 'Light Rust' and some Burnt Umber weathering powder. This gives a nice texture to the silencer for the Humbrol Black powder to adhere to. The same powder was also brushed down onto the bodyside in the vicinity of the exhaust port and along the roof itself to give a sooty look. I used this picture as my main guide for the weathering: https://www.flickr.com/photos/joe_bloggs_railway_photos/32398211880/in/faves-98929239@N03/ I wasn't planning to weather the 68 as heavily as I did, but when I saw the above shot I fancied doing it heavier. The Chiltern one I have will be kept fairly clean, gaining some underframe dirt and a light roof weathering. The bodyside will be left virtually untouched. Thanks mate, I reckon the same can be acheived with the Hornby 67. It has a raised area on the wheel face which seems to be a representation of the disc brake. Andy.

Apologies for a lack of progress, and apologies to Jack for not replying. The kind comment was very much appreciated! A little bit of work has been done over the last couple of weeks. Work and illness have been getting in the way somewhat. First up, my air braked engineers fleet has gained disc brake inserts where appropriate. The first lot treated were several already weathered OCA, OBA & MFA wagons. The discs are Colin Craig examples, which are now available to order online via Stenson Models. While not totally noticable, it's been something I've been wanting to do for a while, just because I can really! Also on the bench has been 20118, which has been fully weathered using a mix of Phoenix paints and weathering powders. The roof was also faded slighty, which was acheived by using Humbrol White weathering powder and rubbing into the paintwork with a cotton bud. One unfortunate consequence of using thinners in my weathering mix, was the fact that it took the number completley off one cabside! Not the first time this has happened when I've weathered up a Bachmann model. Just need to do finish up 20132 and the pair is complete! Also started was 31110. I tried to fade the paintwork by using the above method with Humbrol powder, but it seemed to buff the paint instead making it rather shiny! A basic coat of Phoenix track dirt has been applied to the underframe, with a thinner mix used for the bodyside. This will then be added to in due course using powders. My Dapol 68002 has also been weathered up. I think I was a bit too eager to weather it up and should have taken my time, as I'm not completley satisfied with it. Definatley one that will be tidied up a bit soon! I am pleased with certain bits though, such as the rusted up exhaust port. One thing which I think does make a bit of a visual improvement is to paint the outside and inside of the wheel face, leaving the raised section unpainted to better represent the prominent brake discs on the class. A project that was started is a Bratchell models Class 456 kit. This was purchased from Ally Pally last year and is the NSE version with the pre-liveried bodywork. So far the trailer car has been built, with some additional detailing added to the cab fronts in the form of air brake pipes and multiple working equipment. This will all be painted, and representations of the covers will be made. The powered coach will be done when I can source a Black Beetle of the correct wheelbase and wheel size. They seem to be thin on the ground! So that's it for now. Will be tackling the pair of 58's that were at the start of the thread in the coming weeks and hopefully finishing of 20132. Andy.

My pair arrived Thursday just as I was heading out the door to work that afternoon, so only got to play with them this evening. First impressions, it is a vey nice model indeed! I had read about the wonky plates and yellow ends before I opened them but thankfully, I've got none of these issues. They've both had a quick run around the layout to make sure everything is ok. Straight from the box they are very smooth and quiet, most new stuff seems to have a slight gear train whine from new but not these! As nice as they are, the DRS one is a bit of a let down with it's misprinted livery. Considering the frequent delays in the models being released to ensure the complex livery is just right, it seems completely mad for them to all be sent out with one side totally off centre! I'm guessing QC had a day off when these passed through. It would be nice for a new batch of bodies to be produced with this issue rectified. But as it stands, I can live with this silly issue. Another thing which would've been nice is the detailing bag containing a full valance and pipework. As I don't use the standard tension locks on locos, it would be nice to have both ends fully detailed. Again, not an issue that's the end of the world. Anyway, here's a few pics: A light weathering will be done to the pair. Also, anybody know if anyone is doing some "Oxford Flyer" plates for 68010? Andy.

Layout and stock coming along great Rich! The Reggie Rail MK2's and 37's do go very well together, makes me want to model the early 90's again! I'm sure the Connex livery will come out fine, your respray work is certainly very good! Andy.

A few hours were spent in the modelling cupboard this afternoon. Nothing has been been done to the existing projects bar the Dutch Class 31 which has had its cabside painted with Grey. My focus this afternoon was weathering some wagons. I have a rake of 8 Dapol IOA's which are the Hattons weathered ones. They're a nice model but the weathering just consisted of a wash of Black paint. I wanted to make the weathering a bit more realistic and after a quick Flickr search I found a wagon to use as a guide. The first job was to scratch the side of the wagon using an Awl that came in a Draper screwdriver set. This was to represent the scoring and scrapping that the wagons get when they're loaded and unloaded via a mechanical grab. Once all the scratching had been done, a mix of Phoenix Paints P961 "Sleeper Grime" and Freestone Models WP12 "Dark Rust" powder was mixed with some thinners. This was then painted onto the side of the wagon. After about 30 seconds, the mix was then wiped off with a cotton bud. This allowed the paint to get into the scratch lines but not fully dry onto the side of the wagon. Both sides of the wagon were treated to this method. The same paint and powder mix was used again but with a touch of Grey added to the mix, which was then painted onto the inside of the wagon. This same mix was also applied to the bogies to help lighten them up a bit but still appear dirty. I'm pretty pleased with how it came out and looks much better than the factory weathering. The rest of the rake will recieve the same treatment in due course, with slight variations so they don't all look the same. Another wagon that was attacked was a Bachmann MFA in Mainline Blue but with EWS branding. Again, Flickr was used to find a suitable candidate as a guide. The wagon was weathered all over with Sleeper Grime, a touch of grey paint and a dash of thinners, before being wiped off with a cotton bud. This was also used to weather the inside of the wagon, but with a bit less Grey paint in the mix. A Sleeper Grime base was used for the underframe. Some maroon paint was used to paint out the EWS branding and add some patches onto the side. My Maroon paint was a bit "thin", so the patches will be touched up once it's all dry. I have about 7 more of these to do in EWS, Loadhaul Black and Mainline Blue. Both the IOA and MFA will recieve some internal powder weathering to represent stone dust. The IOA will possibly get a load, while the MFA will be done as a wagon which has been unloaded but still has a small amount of ballast in the corners. Flickr pic of the IOA (not mine): https://www.flickr.com/photos/newspectrum/14273681957/in/photolist-nKjmmM-qwr9K6-cvZ1Tf-piqL53-eSiCtx-bX6vYJ-qd8afS-pXQDi5-qfpvsk-pXZGP4-qd8PtL-qd92h5-qfe9Yv-piqA1q-qfeNov-ip4wkL-pbHpi4-qfpgeF-dyjKA4-bxaHu1-9Q5tbW-s6ZPUS-qBSELP-a5P6N4-eiqyuW-dg3oqt-d7SXMN-9ZzfQp-d7T2Bm-k63KvB-riDvH9-pFdf36-ktrJe8-eMnxoS-bkBrbR-e6M3Hg-7L3zV1-7KjrPg-a3FYaz-bAmQZR-bnrYaY-eFjxs2-d7SVvu-d7SU7S-dxpNVT-JmSFRh-rjmX63-ei5hcp-dg368Z-brddQa Flickr pic of the MFA (not mine): https://www.flickr.com/photos/trevor-plackett/21785909779/in/faves-98929239@N03/ Andy.