Ian Fisher

50% of the cabs now grafted on! wow eeee! I had took a very slow and deliberate approach with the first one "getting it right" but for the nest two I thought naw dispense with the care and get glueing! I have a list of alterations I want to make, many done on the first one but I think these will be achevied probably as easy in situ! Ian

Been busy today...finally got round to marking out eighteen gangway blanking plates! and wait for it fitted and glued five of them! Two images one not so good focus wise but it was hard to get that close! of the shore supply on the PTMV being blanked off. The other one of the plated "in" ends with fabrication folds from the finest strip I had to hand! but looks OK IMHO! still some filling to be done though.

60071 has been on this working 6E54 through Burton Upon Trent....goes through around 12:15 and appeared today and yesterday.

A small but pleasing job completed tonight...VENTS! The base is made from a sliver of five thou cut to 3mm x 5mm glued in place with a Testors felt tipped glue pen. The vent is a simple push mould created with Silligum (Hobbycraft Purchase) cast with greenstuff filler.

Shore supply holes now cut out both ends of ALL PTMV's Plastic will be going back in soon!

I have measured up the shoresupply socket which is found on the left hand end of the PTMV's pantograph well. I intend to use two pieces of plastic card to form these parts per recess, thats the plan anyway! I have measured up the shoresupply socket which is found on the left hand end of the PTMV's I intend to use two pieces of plastic card to form these parts per recess, thats the plan anyway!

Later I intend to make a little jig up to make the gangway blanking plates in an attempt to get the consistant and alike. I have given this some thought and there will be two styles one for the PTMV pantograpgh ends which is basically an extra strip. The others will have sides x2 Back and the three ribs, I am going to use a low grade masking tape to get these in the right place using the tape as a spacer, securing with a tiny dab of solvent going back later to wash it in! Thats the plan anyway, off to Tesco's now back later.. Ian

The ends are prooving hard to get the correct width, its a waxy plastic sort of job and not that easy to cut or file precisley especially twelve coaches worth, but im over half way now and just got tp add the blanking plates if it were only so easy... Bedtime edit sometimes only a BIG file will do and it has for me in the last hour...eight down four to go! Ian

ROOF WORKS TPMV Why is it the safe removal of a part measuring 4mm x 4mm or there abouts takes sooo long? But still I am happy with it taking ages and not having to repair any scrapes or the like all this fuss to relocate a vent! x3. Then of course we have to add the little *uggers back not so far away.. Ian

Looking to get the roller doors fettled and fitted over the coming days...another big step. An Excellent etch from PH Designs, from several sessions just placing them on, I cant wait to glue them and see some primer on them...on the model finally.. Ian

A bit of work has been undertaken on the chassis with lots to be added and amended. Cab smoothed down a little more and I have scribed around the door, just not in these pics and despite the door being a plug fit there is little relief really or should be little relief. Slow and steady progress really..

Next up on the to cosndier list is the power plant. Bachmann class 25's would seem favourite. I have three ready and waiting to donate their vital bits and bobs. What I will take some time over the how best to beef up the plastic chassis and to provide some much needed weight and strength. I have a huge stash of brass strip and angle so will look to do one and then see if the others come out the same I need three dont forget! What I am finding is I am having gos at indivdual jobs getting them to a stage then looking at getting all the other jobs done to a like level. whilst others if they have a production line element to them rather than prooving them I am saving up for a rainy day! It does begin to feel to look like a 325 fleet now rather than a collection of random bits. Ian

A little work with some of the Bracthell UF parts, roll on the arrival though of Mike Edges bits! Will take some pictures tomorrow in daylight.. Ian

Thanks Pete, It was most odd, its had a small run today an no surges what so ever. Its not like I havent run other things in a similair way. There are no worries with it other than these speed bursts! Ian

Had an odd running-in session last night Set the unit off on my old failthfull duette mid speed half wave and it went off nice and even then after ten minutes its speed doubled and did this every ten minutes during the half an hour. most odd. Tried with another loco and no increase in speed. Cant say I had this before, the unit is smooth and stutter free so not sure what it was... No obvious noise or blockage very controllable bar the spurts... Ian

HI Will, Thanks for the advice but having got a 350 in my hands and looking at pictures of a 325 the moudling on the 319 just doesnt cut it! Even if its replaced with a finer srtrip the moulded detail is just too chunky! Hoping to get the car and get the models oonce it stops raining...and get doing some.. Ian

The raised detail around the cab door is going..to be replaced with some scribed detail akin to the prototype and looking at how subtle Bachmann have done it on their 350 brought it home how clumsy the raised detail is! It will also aid the gluing of the cabs on and not having to be so precious to keep the raised detail Ian

Picked mine up today and EVERYONE thats has seen it including non-mod types have commented how good a looking model it is... Quality.. Ian

Ladies and Gentleman... A cab end got stuck on the end of one of the cars tonight! The other two images are the PTMV ends which still have some way to go but, there getting there.

Simple bit of gluing tonight.4 x 1.5mm strips (x3) glued into the top of the MPMV's Five cab ends have also seen some more work getting them ready to beef them up. Also made a push mould using a product from Hobbycraft Siligum made by Gedeo. A two part putty blended in a minute dry in ten, seemingly good for fifty patterns. I think it could be usefl to make three extra vents needed on the TPMV's

Been removing the final bits of plastic around the top of the doors and the pastic is a real mish mash. Some is hard, some is waxy and then we had something imbtween! Still it took a while with not just being able to go at it! Roller doors could be going in SOON! Nighty night. Ian

The model.... Images show with notes added on sides what needs to be done

Having had a look over what I have got and after viewing images for weeks (months, years!) Dave's image made me take another look, the roof that comes with the 319 has a toliet hatch that needs removing, it come with three vents. A 325 TPMV has three vents too just not in the right place! so it looks like ive some more wor to do on the rooves Daves' image shows one the kit has two! hopefully once my mobile has took a charge I will add an image of the roof with the kit that needs altering.. Cropped image below from Daves above (hope thats ok Dave?)

Nice shot Dave, I did twelve 'cos I could! Still its a nice project. Ian