Ian Fisher

I saw something similar in a craft fabric shop, I think they are used to transfer paper patterns to fabric and from the ones I have seen usually come with a few choices of spiked wheel. Ian

I dug out some Lima air-cons, Very surprised on reflection how 2f like the underframe actually is! Maybe Airfix has a finer underframe bar the bendy buffer beam, I have only just begun to realise how versatile the near forty year moulding is. I wonder why no underframes parts bar the Hurst temp aircon unit have been released as after sale parts. Looks like a busy paint shop soon Mick....keep up the great work Ian

Cant recall seeing these in the late 70's RCTS number books. I thought last npcss stock ex LMS were the Stanier BG's with a number having their gangways removed. I would plum for early mid seventies, with some in departmental service perhaps? Ian

Dan-sang fi-lo! to your factory staff. Something about images like that just look so good. Good Luck with the rest of the finnishing and assembly. Ian

Staffordshire for the last year! Only damage to my car in six years Staffs/Derby.. But honestly a chisel blade takes care of the underfloor gubbins like nobodies! 999550 now thats a huge cut..shutn replace everything? Ian

I have been having a play round with a few mods on some of my airfix mkII's and found a chisel craft blade enough to move chop,chisel & slice out most of the fiitings with ease. I dont know why I thought they be harder to remove than they it actually turned out to be. I have done two buffer beams also, by cutting square across inner square section, which then just needs a fillet of strip and a new buffer beam from Souther pride and jobs a good un! Ian

Nope......just focusing on trying to create a living for myself!! Normal service will resume shortly.. Ian

Working on cab ends to get everything as fine and fettled as I can at the minute...

:declare: yep

Brake modules getting superglued to the DTV's later another little job out the way...

Bit more work making up the deeper coupling thingy....four out of nine glued in place as of tonight...

Next Up inner connection beams... I would say buffer beam, but they avent got any! There are two sizes seemingly with the PTMV's having a much deeper plate..this is one for a TAV, all cut just need gluing into place.

Half way with using some pushmoulds for the suspension between the bogie side frame and the axle bearing, 24 needed. Using squadron putty and so far not too bad... Really a bit too small to take a pic of...

Last few days have been tweaky type jobs.. Bogie have been worked on mainly removing the steps from four sprues as Bratchell dont supply non step bogies with some kits anymore due to costs. The steps are awkward ###### to remove and takes a while to carve drill cut away without causing damage to the bogie. Still only four more trailer bogies to adress now and jobs done. Just have to detail them and as CWJ has done add the 325 detail which is just blank on the bogies that come with the kit. Underframe work has continued and is nearing completion. Also attention has turned to couplings I am trying to make some bars up and add the mini none-buffer beams. Seems to be two sizes of beam too. PTMV having a deeper one than the trailers.

Some rather cruel close ups of the wheels. These have had the centres painted and rims, they then have had the Colin Craig inserts superglued in with two drops of gel...worked very well and the job progressed with only four cocktail stocks used! Soon as there is any build up of glue start a fresh! Work porgressed too on the PTMV underframes which are now nearly fully resined up!

Very nice Michael! I bought some more bits today..from DEMU showcase....cant really be much more can there?? From DC kits some 10.5mm BlackBeetle wheelsets that allow the liners to retain their wheels! And some rather fine disc brake inserts from Colin Craig...they really finnish the wheel off, shame they are flat on the inside! a job too just maybe to far.

FUSE HOLDER The cocktail stick has been out tonight glueing the brass bracket to the resin fuse holder...all 12 done. Now just to add the conduit...which are also bent up

FUSE HOLDER *UPDATE* All the T angle brackets are done and a little solder paste added to the back to reinforce the fold the L angle is 1mm x 1mm so is a little fragile but only two out of twenty four folds are or were near to creasing so I am happy with that.

FUSE HOLDERS All tubing is bent up... Another four "T" section (really L angle!) bent up so only another six to go! six! Then its file down the mount on the resin moulding and superglue it then add pipe conduit to back rebated with a pass or two from a saw blade again add superglue to taste! and leave it to go off. I think once its in situ it will have a little araldite just rubbed over the back...just to firm things all up Ian

One down...the round wire is 26swg phosphor bronze bent to shape around a little jig, having had a little annealing to reomve the spring.. so the others should stand a chance of being like each other!

Angle sourced and twelve 2cm pieces cut and neatened up now to cut 5mm into each end then using a file take out a vee too allow the angle to be folded at 90' One done now only another eleven to go...

Just off to look in my brass angle stash see if I have any fine T angle for the fuse holders....fingers crossed

B*gger...can give them another toot I guess...its not clogging any detail as yet its covering very well ! Ian

All six centre cars are now in bauxite undercoat...and looking filler-sanded-tastic! Ian