JaymzHatstand

After cleaning the weheels and adjusting the pickups, the chassis now runs very nicely (it was pretty much just collecting current from the centre wheels only!) I have made a start at modifying the lighting arrangements to match the prototype, so the top and middle lights have been removed, as have the associated conduits. I fear that this is going to require a repaint though, the blue I can cope with, but I'm not too keen on doing the wasp stripes! Ah well, we shall see what happens. I'm also considering fitting lighting to the remaining headlights, one red and one white (or a yellow LED as it'll probably be) The main bit of progress has been in replacing the handrails with wire ones, as can be seen here More updates as thing pregress! Thanks for looking J

Cheers for that, halfwit - It will be getting a bit of dirt, and a light wash of thinned black to stop it looking so 'shed-fresh'! Horsetan - There's a good few suggestions in there, as well as what looks like some proper genuine Golfers knowledge! I had thought about going for the double headlights, but wasnt too sure about how, I'll have a think! And the windscreen strip was forgotten before I'd put it all back together, but it will be going in, as will a radio aerial (missed off thus far as I couldn't be bothered to go upstairs and get some suitable material (lazy? nah, I was comfy!) jim - Thats a very tidy little upgrade, proper low profiles! I'll have to have a look for something suitable as the big fat tyres do look a bit big! Nice bit of street it's on too! Thanks again J

After purchasing an Oxford VW Golf Gti at the York show over Easter weekend, I thought that I would modify it a little into one which has been 'improved' by its owner. The first task was to dismantle the car, which was very easy thanks to the two screws, front and rear. Once I was inseide, work could begin. The first modifications were to the chassis. The hubcaps were drilled out to represent alloy wheels, and a small slice of plastic rod for the centre-nut. The moulded exhaust pipe was cut and filed away, and a new one fabricated from a spare missile from an aircraft kit (should go like a rocket!). The centre was drilled out for added effect. The interior mouding was given a splash of colour, and the glazing was given a wash of Tamiya Smoke acrylic on the side windows for a slightly 'tinted' effect. Bodywise, some thin plasticard was used to create an 'air-scoop' on the bonnet and a spoiler on the rear. The bonnet was given a coat of black to give it a more sporty look, and the spoilergiven a coat of red to blend it in a little (but not too much, as the owner isn't too careful with his colour choices!) Just a quick mdoification (under 2 hours) to add a touch of difference to the excellent range of scale motor vehicles available. Any questions, comments or thoughts, as always are welcomed! J

That's a very nice bit of artwork sir, what did you use to create it, as its given me a few ideas for 009 waggons. Its also very nice of you to provide the template for free, when I'm sure there is a money spinning range on your hands! If I were wearing one, I'd tip my hat to you. I'll have to go and put one on! J

I recently purchased a BR blue Bachmann 08 from a certain on-line auction website for a very reasonable price, and I have now set about detailing and re-numbering it. Originally it was numbered 08 763, with depot plaques on the body sides (applied by the previous owner) and the cab handrails had also been painted sliver. This wasn't really a problem as I planned to replace the handrails with wire ones anyway. I also intend to add the various pipes and details of my chosen prototype; 08 850. You may ask why I would pick said loco, as it was a Southern shedded loco under BR and has the extra air pipes mounted high up for EMU stock, but it is one of the 08s based on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, and I already have a number of photos of it (I knew they'd come in handy one day!) and I have toyed with modelling part of the NYMR several times, and so a loco based on it would be a logical thing to have just in case I ever do! I made a start on the bodywork yesterday morning, and the following photos show the current status. Intercity logo, numbers, depot transfers and handrails have been removed, and the lifting eyes on the engine roof compartment have been drilled out. I intend to pick up the various bits and bobs I need at the York show on Sunday (pipes, wpiers, decals and handrail wire) but the biggest problem I have is the raised air pipes as I'm not sure of anyone who manufactures them, if indeed anyone does. I should be able to scratch-build them, but was wondering if anyone knows of a manufacturer of them at all? To give you a better idea of the loco I'm aiming for, here are a couple of my photos of it at the 2009 diesel gala, sitting at Grosmont shed. I need to remove some of the light fittings and wire runs too, but hopefully I can do that without needing a full repaint (famous last words!) Again, I'd be most grateful if anyone can point me in the right direction with regards the upper air pipes. The A1 products should suffice for the bufferbeam pipes, windscreen wipers, and hopefully an air horn. Thanks in advance for any advice, and for reading! J

Wow! This really is looking very impressive. loving the track inlaid in the road, especially the nice sweeping curved section. Thanks for the overall shot, it's an impressive beast indeed! Does the fiddle yard fit on the end, or is it now self contained? J

its coming together very nicely, its always satisfying when you make good progress. any chance of a shot of it with Calshot so we can see the full extent?<div><br></div><div>im enjoying seeing this as it advances, its certainly an interesting project.</div><div><br></div><div>J</div><div><br></div>

Its always good to see people taking the NG plunge. You'll really start to pick up a lot of new skills, as a lot of things have to be built, even if oyu're just enhancing already active skills by working on smaller sized items! Have you thought about joining the 009 Society, as they have teir own foum specifically for the scale, and there is a lot of specialist knowledge on there waiting to be tapped into. The idea of an exchange siding layout has always appealed to me, and I do keep thinking about how I could convince the domestic management to let me do such a thing, but for know I'll settle with my shunting dockside and my NG terminus! Looking forward to watching this progress! J

The shot of you racing a Scarborough service was just a little North of where I went photting, sadly the coal train that went South blocked my shots! Nice report on a day I wish I couldn've gone out on! J

Whilst looking through my collection of wagons, I discovered my old Hornby 'Red Arrows' box van, which I'd forgotten all about (bonus!) I took a look at it and thought it's make a colourful and unusual addition to the fleet for Whitborough, so I set to work improving it slightly. The modifications went as follows: 1. Remove tension lock couplings and mounting pegs 2. Fill resulting hole in frame 3. Remove moulded buffers (mainly because one was damaged) and replace with brass ones, from Parkside Dundas (I think!) 4. Fit a hanging brake pipe (ABS) 5. Remove moulded brake pipe stand on body ends, as it is too far from the headstocks to be believable 6. Remove moulding pip in the centre of the roof 7. Re-spray roof white (original livery colour) 8. Fit Sprat & Winkle coupling mounting plate to chassis 9. Spray underframe and body ends black. The latter to disguise some paint fade. 10. Add running numbers from an Airfix 'Red Arrows' Hawk decal sheet Simple and I think, effective update for a rather old 'toy' wagon and the result can be seen below One of my other projects is a classic Airfix Cement Wagon, which has had bearings and pin-point metal wheels fitted, Bachmann sprung buffers and the holes for the side-boards filled so it can run as one of the later liveried bauxite 'Bulk Cement' wagons. I just need to source some transfers for it, and get onto Paul Bartlett's wagon photo website so I can find a nicely weathered example as inspiration! And finally, what port would be complete without some form of fish related traffic (lots of them probably, but not this one!) so this is the next wagon to be tweaked and hopefully made to look too not out of place alongside blue diesels and other 1980s rolling stock! Any comments, questions or suggestions will (usually, unless they are unconstructively rude!) be gratefully received! J