Ian Fisher

Bit of work in progress really tonight. although I have not acheived much I have removed six small vents. The areas still need some fettling but the actual plastic doesnt look too bad. I have so far managed to retain the angle despite the vent going over the rib.

Bogies, bogies, bogies, bogies, bogies, bogies! There shoud of course be another twelve trailer bogies, but due to a packing error I have been sent a lot more bogies with steps.! They make up quickly and easly. I just have to look now at what additions are needed a nice little job to get on with at some point.

The bogie shop suffered a problem tonight! Progress was a sort and count session and a scratch of the head..

Tonight is going to be a bogie night Have to have a start and a look at whats possible the bogies whilst not that well detailed do capture the prototypes look, bit of detail work needed but if it didnt need it it wouldnt be as much fun! Ian

Going back to the driving trailers, I had problems with the image being blurred uploading via Facebook over the weekend for some reason. So this is what the sides looked like on Saturday evening, For these I attempted a variation on filling theme. 1. Sanded glazing down to remove moulded frame 2. Glued frame in and left for 24 hours 3. Took door opening lights down 4. Filled sides leaving moulded window frame on the bodyside 5. After a few hours remove bulk of filler with coarse emery file, taking care not to scar the sides i. re-fill areas missed on first filling using the other colour filler to make it visible hence the marbling 6. Take down further with emery (reusing older stick that arent as biting has worked for me so far) 7. Polish with cheapo nail emery buffer 8. Repaeat many many many times 9. The sides nead a good scrub to remove all the dried dust. Looking to getting some spray on them to see how much more finnishing will be required. The fact that I overfilled the window apertures seems to have resulted in a smoother job so far.

Tonight has seen the following glued PTMV x2 MPMV x1 Still loads of filling and smoothing to do but they look like a mark three unit now or beginging too. What strikes me having looked at the psoted images now is the gangway should take up a huge chunk of the end. I had planned to make the parts of the model and add them in as a whole sub-asembly. Quicker and easier to glue them in and pare them back then add some strip and sheet. Happy here. The images hopefully give a flavour of what I am upto. Ian

Bit of chopping of cabs will do some glueing and getting them to a 319 325 profile a bit later, Got a busy afternoon though today Grandson's fourth first (all the school mates) external birthday party. Ian

I had hoped to share some more images tonight but for some reason they upload blurred and then wont download...I use facebook to upload my photographs. One that has worked and rather cruel too is the roof. One of the TPMV's rooves which as a 319 has a toilet and of course a 325 does not so out with the scalpel, file and a rather nice non marking chiesel (whhich fits once some pastic has been removed) to remove the hatch. A before and after shot, one down two to go! the job is 90% complete.

Still work to do and I have a production line going by the sink! But some progress I think?

Had a go with the yellow filler and its better than I thought it might be but by no means job done! Ian

A little update, a lot more finnishing of the sides was done last night and a few had a misting of primer to see how they are coming along. Yes they need more work and yes its taking a while but so far so good I think anyway? The image seems to highlight the frames more than you can actually see them if that makes sense, maybe they need a another misting, but they look closer to a 325 side than a 319 I am going to try the plastic spray filler later maksing off just the frames area and then sand polish back with some 3200 grit probably Sunday. Anyone else have any views of getting things smooth?

Just having a smoothing session, the sink is green at the minute! Half way but more filling will be needed later. I dont want a tarce of wiindow frame and ive got one hundred and forty of them to fill. Ian

Can I cab it? Well my plan was to do a lot of work on one end and look to cast it, this aint happening now and thanks to ebay I have "won" another four Networkers that have been chopped, over the coming days, weeks, months maybe yeasr who knows they will become 325 cabs! Doing them as a batch I am sure will allow direct comparrasion and a stage by stage filling shaping will result in a uniform look, fingers crossed.

On getting home I could unwrap these lovelies... They fit well too..these are just resting in the space nice fit!

Right! well first up today we had a delivery of erm....these lot..

Hi Jon, What livery are the sleeper support coaches going to go into and whose branding are you thinking of using? Love the work on the coaches! Ian

Having now had the benefit of seeing CWJ's in Wills thread the etches supplied and manufactured by Peter Harvey's PHDesigns. I was happy to carry on with my filling of windows on my 319 sides which are becoming 325's every so slightly....tomorrow well later I can have a go with mine! aquired from the same source. The sides are now under various degrees of filling, look a mess tonight but a wet n dry session will see to that 144 windows almost done!

Wheelsets are now ordered. The list of things readily available commercially to consider narrows a lot now, leaving me to consider how I can add some extra bits and bobs. I am going for 10.5mm Black Beetle wheelsets in the non powered cars and 12mm in the pantograph cars. I think for now the bogies that come with the unit will make up into workable bogies. Just had an update on the Networker bodies x4 they should land soon via Royal Mail, my plans to cast them has been amended to I can cast some finer bits to add to them rather than the whole cab! Ian

My fingers are sore and a little bit shiny...but more steady work tonight only a few more frames to roughen up and remove the glazing moulding. And OK I am short a car in the pic...that must be the fully finnished one..if only!

Hopefully secured some Hurst LWB pantographs!!!woop woop Ian

Nearly filled?? the centre cars are making good progress, some primer soon I think.