Ian Fisher

Kits had an attempted delivery today but due to the simple fact of me being in work and my partner being on grandparent duties, it will be Thursday now before we can get em at the earliest!! Will be first in the que Thursday when they open for sure. Last night got me thinking of effective coupling systems and electircal connections and making the best use of them over the unit length. I plan to use the live axle on every other bogie so not every axle will be live but four out of every eight will pick up which I hope would do a good job for me. I like the look of the Hornby Pendolino inner couplings and wonder if its worth another spares raid via ebay to "have a look" Ian

Email opened late last night from Bratchell Models 3 x 319's posted First class Saturday just down to the Royal Mail now o_O Despite our postie making four trips up and down the street this AM and parcel force visited at least three times no plastic here yet!! (Monday) Ian

NRM pods with the 4mm x .5 strip added as a backing then with loads of bits all over em, but they dont look that rough in the flesh the almost complete job! Just need some mark three rooves to glue em too.. Ian

Hi Pete, If only it was so simple! Over half has been acquired by Our Grandson hes four at the end of the month! Tamworth Asda had an offer on £8 for the box with base and £22 for the brick collection. Im thinking if I can get more red bricks maybe a lego 3235 might be easier?? I took the red mention by Mike as being *iverpool, him knowing I prefer BR Blue and Royal Blue! Ian

Bit of work with roof pods and some plastic strip tonight, fingers just being rescued from super glue! Ian

We went to Hobbycraft looking for some resin, but came away from the local Asda with this, still its all towards the project.

Just assembled but I do like those Honrby handrails and wipers..Thanks to ebay!

Oh Mike ty ty ty ty, Gready of me I know but keep em coming! Thank you once again. Good useful pictures. Ian

I got on that one with 142's a while ago Will, Easiest way look to the ribs and then position them from there, they are as you say ever so slighty "off centre" The ribs even if out will provide the information to fool the eye. http://www.therailwaycentre.com/NewSite%20POD%202008/POD01-12-08.jpg is clear what Will means. Ian

I have hit a block today with my ordering of buffers. No one seems to have any stock of metal sprung Oleos! What is a boy to do? I am as yet unable to see a clear picture of the buffer stock of a 325 but for ones I have looked at its nope were out of stock...with no nod as to when they may become a stock item once more. Still plenty more to get on with.. Ian

Hurst radio pods the first of three pairs. I usually beef the ribbed base up a little by 10 thou, which for me just gives that bit more depth. Ian

last ebay session for me tonight has secured... I have ony bought one set of lights to see what might be possible, as I think there might be better options. The windscreen with added rubber seal frame should look rather good. Cant wait to get all these bits actually underway

Hi Derek, The 325 idea predates Oxford Road!! I just fancied doing some and a ppi repayment and that sort of nailed it for me. Still its a WCML unit so a drag might happen Ian

Paypal strikes again! Handrails, wipers and shoe gear! Peterspares.com x3 Ian

I am going to have a go at casting my own cab fronts from the work im currenlty doing, I have cast a few things in the past but not for a while and just had a quick google and came across this site:- http://www.b9robotre...ic_casting1.htm I know there are a number of good resources here, but I like this sequence and how the author has laid it out. I would still like to see what the potential would be for a clear diy cast could be, I know it has to be very fine or very chunky for the like of paper weight type casting. I also realise the process doesnt offer as good a quality as injection moulded produced parts like Bratchell supply. It is something I would like to see what might be possible even if it ends not really going anywhere. Just had a look around and these arent too far from me in week http://www.glasplies.co.uk/contact COSH considered it might be as easy to have a drive up! Time to devise a shopping list... Ian

OOOh its getting exciting just used my plastic to buy more plastic! Ian

Ohh the joys of a good supplier! Order placed late Sunday night gone 11pm arrived today! Think I just need to identify some tops panels and a few other small touches. Ian

Fingers crossed Jim, I have had an auto email saying the payment went through, not knocking fox one bit just the fact they have had 2mm, 4mm and 7mm in their range for years (Thanks to Mike Edge's models?) Sods law says I fancy enough for a rake and they'd be out of em! Thanks for the heads up though sounds promising for future buys. Ian

325 EM wish list so far and by way of a cath up to date The kit Bratchell 319 kits x 3 PH Designs Roller door etch grilles and door opening x 3 Fox transfers x 3 Hurst NRN aerial LDP103 x3 (with added plastic strip) Desirable parts A1 sprung large oleo buffers x 3 sets Kaydee buckeye (number) Windscreen wiper and handrail spare Hornby x6 Collector shoe spare Hornby x3 Lights (Express models 156s?) 11mm wheels Markits or 10.5mm wheels Black Beetle 10.5mm disc brake inserts Colin Craig 11mm disc brake inserts not available Bachmann class 25 for power plant To fabricate Cab ends (casting) reworked Hornby Round vents on cab roof (casting) Gangway blanking plate (Etch?) Pantograph (Etch?) Buffer beam and valance (Etch?) Cab window frames (Etch?) Draw bar coupling (Etch?) Inter coach cabling mu rebate (casting) Steps boxed in (casting) Glues and solvents Super glue Plastic cement, the good old fashioned stuff) wanting or not bothered if it does fog the glazing on the sides this time! Liquid poly Epoxy resin Paint I wonder do Halfords do a Royal Mail red BS 381C I believe? Warning Panel Yellow Black

From looking at a spare Bratchell 150 I have, I think it will be a case of re-using the glazing taking some frame and beading away. I think it may need a little filler more than a Bachmann 150 as Will is using in his conversion but do-able all the same. I fancy glueing the glazing in with cement then taking the farmes down and seeing how that looks if its a case of adding some filler then its the route I will go with the remainder. If it needs a little more filler I will add the lot and then take it down in one go, finnishing with finer abrassives and then a few passes of primer should see a neat side result. Ian

Final bit of shopping for today, three sets of Fox decals. Fingers crossed they are a stock item! Ian

Both Cabs side by side one raw the other, Halfway there? Having a 322 to take some sizes of has helped but unitl I get the 319's I was in limbo so I thought the pastic card and filler was the route to go also as I want a few more, these may form the basis of some patterns. Ian

The drive train which will be used came care of A few Bachmann class 25's in this pic I had already fitted with Black Beetle 14mm wheels, but they will be fitted with the appropiate size for the 325. Now do I do a double bogie per set or one. From a opc trawl the the `power` bogie wheelsets should be 12mm Ian

Next up wheels really the units should have 11mm wheels, these are seeminlgy ony made by Markits which whilst are good and true, my preference would be 10.5mm Black Beetle wheelsets, if only they did them in 11mm! Ian

Next up on my trawl will be some spares like window wipers and shoe gear that seem too good to ignore. A quick search on ebay has thrown up a number of bits and bobs www.hornbyspares.com throws up many a further idea, although as I type there are many more seemingly available. The attached pdf might be of some use. Ian ss-202c-69(1).pdf