dj_crisp

Express!

I like your final statement :) I fully expected Bachmann to announce a 116 as I'm just about to finish mine! I rather like the 104s near the end of their time... mixed up in hybrid formations. From flickr... a blue one with NSE flashes with a 101. Great stuff

Yeah I agree.... which is kind of the point I was trying to make that future margins will be more challenging after the excitement of a new versions of each model. However (and i know Im in the minority) I've found DMUs and in particular 1st gen examples way more interesting to model than locos but each to their own eh 😉

A/S haven't (yet) produced a UK outline DMU so I don't think you can really compare. I hope they do though! Also I'd consider A/S in the earlier phase of a startup company.... done great with some low hanging fruit picked, got some buzz about it and trying to expand from a niche company to something more mainstream. When they do it'll be interesting to see pricing then and what they focus on. Returning to the 104... its clearly more niche than mainstream locos so I would expect shorter runs and a higher price to achieve a decent return on the tooling. So far i think it looks great and hopefully its a success so other DMUs are considered! Looking forward to seeing it.

Sorry some more DMUs! 70s bubble time! Well they're nearly finished but it's amazing looking at photos there are plenty of odd things that need sorting out. Both are resprays with my own decals drawn in inkscape and printed by 4D. They're not drawn strictly right so I'm going with them being an impression of the real things.... as are the route indicator numerals (I've no idea what the true fonts are!). I have to admit I was really worried over my respray attempts and in particular the blue. So worried I almost stripped them and started again. The problem was they appeared to be very grainy on drying which I think was caused by spraying on a really hot day (30+) and using pheonix quick air drying thinners. I've since switched to using their general purpose thinners which have worked better so I'll see if it happens again. Anyhow with alot of disappointment these were left to harden for at least a month (along with my 116) until i could face looking at them again..... Anyhow I decided to t-cut the lot to see if i could gently persuade them to look a bit smooth with the theory that if it looked awful I'd just start again. Wasn't fun doing 5 coaches! Having a small blue square waterslide transfer to fit from Railtech I then took the decision to gloss the lot in the hope things would look better.... and now I have a greater respect for those than can paint in gloss! I took the plunge and attached the transfers, straightened the lines between blue and yellow and then coated the lot in a railmatch gloss/satin combo mix. Note to self - must learn how to mask straight lines! Amazingly this coat has hidden so many of the imperfections that I think I've blagged an average paint job! Roofs are Lifecolor Acrylic painted on which is where my rough painting skills come in handy as it adds some texture. First up is my "1976" representation of W55026. I think i shared earlier a rather nice photo of the unit with some nice bashes on the fronts.... so I've tried to represent this along with a few dents. One of the rare occasions damage from my workbench is intentional! (I'll admit to one of the antlers having a splint to keep it in one piece). One of the benefits of dry rub transfers is there is no film around the dent so is easier to fit. A modelling bonus is the prototype had a missing destination box for a while so as I think I'm quite good at modelling missing things I had to model that!! The route indicators are a drawing in inkscape that I've printed off in black and white then weathered with acrylic washes. I quite like the numerals not being aligned as it tricks me to thinking there are four blinds which have a bit of motion and a bit of selective weathering helps. The other end has some dents which are just humbrol metalcote. Both units had different buffers and i happened to have some nice brass ones in stock... but they had a square base and so I removed this is a mini file so I could attach and keep the original base plate. The destination blind is printed off and attached to some plastic, a 1mm strip of plastikard was then painted brown. W55016 is from a picture of it in 1973 while it was still in revenue earning service. As I've done before I've used a Bachmann underframe (with some extra bits of wire as mentioned before) and a Dapol body. I'm now a pro at hacking the body about to allow it to fit to the Bachmann chassis and it's really straightforward to do if the roof is separated. This is then smoothed a bit and MJT shell ventilators added. From trying to joing Bachmann and Dapol shells I'm now convinced Dapol have got the heights of the door hinges and door bangers wrong. It's not something that bothers me and I was all confident that it would cause a problem with a blue livery.... then tried to line up the transfers!! I've ended up just whacking them near where i think they should be rather than being lined up to anything specific. Again the area which took the most effort was thinning and opening out Dapols front route indicator box and it's a pity there isn't an etch for this to make it look a little bit more flush.. Again it took an age to find a font that looks similar to the photos i have.... clearly different to the 121! The destination blinds are printed paper between two bits of clear plastic and is illuminated behind using the Bachmann circuit board but modified to illumate on the top removing the window destination ones, I was planning on black exhausts however I had my silver spray can out (for a 117) so just sprayed them silver to see how they looked and rather like them... so they'll stay silver! I've had a go at opening out the exhausts to make them look a bit more like tubes. Interiors on both units have been weathered to tone them down and I've fitted a faux wall round the pins attaching the roof circuit board as i just don't like seeing them when the lights are on. (I don't know when the guards van couldn't have been used for this tbh! They've both been converted to EM using my normal method with DCC concepts 12mm wheels which i do feel as though I'm making a good contribution to the entire UK trade for.... but the latest batch are rather excellent (i.e. I've had no wobblers since they're changed the plastic busch). The last things to fit are the cab glazing which are both laserglaze - I'm finding Dapol is consistent on sizing whereas Bachmann seem to have slightly different sizes between different moulds (and even on the same bubble car!). Where they're a bit loose I've been using a splodge of paint here and there as well as my normal Humbrol clear to seal everything in but this has only rarely been needed. I'm not sure whether it's a 116 in Blue or NSE next - depends which one i have the mojo on finishing first. Its a funny thing this modelling mojo thing, which has wained a little recently. I think it'll help if i get the layout up and running, or maybe some 116 data panels arrive from Railtech to inspire me to finish them. For the time being until the mojo fully returns I'll keep myself busy flogging items which really don't fit in any of my layout plans (which of course all of my DMUs do 😀 ). Ta rah for now and happy modelling! Will

Fabulous PGAs! Some days when I see shots of this layout I'm tempted with N....!

A great thread that I'm enjoying following! This looks very interesting and a product I've not heard of before. Do you spray it on and then mess about with it? I guess it'll work on any colour? Thanks Will

I'm building up to tackling the electrics on my 101 DTCL for use in set L210. To avoid looking at such things I've looked at photos of an underframe and added a few bits (as you've probably guessed electrics are a bit of a mystery to me so I try to avoid!). First up is adding a speedo cable (from Bachmann spares). Now I really hope this doesn't snap! The 101 seems a bit lower mounted so I've used a bit of TCL pipe metal roof mounts (taken from the 116 project) and stuck in a speedo mounting pin (also avialable from Bachman spares). The bogie mount is just another pin drilled into the axle box. It's a little more stretched out than say a 117 but should negotiate any curves that the unit may face. Not sure if the vacuum hanger thing should be horizontal or as is when the unit is moving? A poor photo but hopefully shows the mods to the front bufferbeam - added brass horns, an extra white pipe and couplings and other cables from a 121 bag. Typically I broke the white MU connector pipes so this is now brass wire while the black one is original. The red and blue pipes are original but i would like something better but don't have anything so will live with them. A toilet shoot has been added at the back (more spares from the TCL to TC conversion) and a dynamo band added using scrap brass fret. The interior is in mid-repaint into a blue that will hopefully be more matching of the NSE 117 interior on the 116. It'll be toned down with an airbrush at some point. Final mods have been thinning the V hangers so they look a bit less plastic and adding some kind of box thing to the right of them. Debatable how successful this has been! It's also scary how bendy all of the underframe is without the body!! If I've missed anything please let me know! I've not done much research on the old 101s! I'm hoping to take on the electrics at the weekend or next week. Looking forward to that working :)

Excellent choice! I also like 55026 in this formation :) Set number is sadly not on railcar.co.uk

I've nearly finished my class 118 and I'm just waiting for some data panels from Railtech then I can add a little weathering to the inner ends. Anyhow a few test shots (with a few more of flickr).... I've got quite a few excuses for a 118 as my layouts are based on the western region, and on the west side of the country, so P471 was chosen. The other slightly far out excuse is this model reminds me of my old Lima 117 (or was it a 118 ;) ) which I had many hours of fun with before selling on so wanted to recreate some of that. Mods are probably detailed earlier in the thread but essentially the main effort went into getting the headcodes to be curved using a bit of spare Dapol 122 roof. Also the DMS on P471 seems to be more plated over so that was added with some brass. Otherwise it's the same mods as my 117.... and all of the heavyweights I've done so far! TBH the roof is probably a bit too smooth so I've tried to roughen it up a bit with my poor painting style ;) I'm quite pleased with the exhausts and think it's worth the effort to open them out. I think the TCL should have lost it's first class portion for the time period i'm modelling.... but a few years before it still had it. I've currently decided to leave alone in case i mess up removing it all! Modellers license and all that. The underframe has had a few changes with a few wires here and there and I've added a dynamo belt from scrap brass frets. TBH I'll mostly run it in 2 car formation so won't worry too much about the TCL ! Transfers for the renumbering are dry rub which i drew in inkscape using my approximate guess method of sizing. I find it hard to hide waterslide so prefer the dry rub alternative. I do like this one in 2 car formation :) Next steps will be data panels and experimenting with connecting pipes... but there are a few DMU projects nearing completion first. Happy Modelling and cheers for reading! Will

Good news but a pity its not one of yours.

And now for something Blue/Grey.... well a couple of bubbles. My standard Bachmann release has had extra detailing like the others so it sits nicely next with the rest of the fleet. I've replaced a few of the front windows with laser glaze where my homemade attempts weren't that great. Also changed the headcode boxes so they're a bit less thick... this end doesn't if it's coming or going ;) And I've just finished off my oddball bubble; This end I actually broke but thankfully I think I've got away with it.... ? Livery wise it's the standard release (with lining fixes due to the knife slipping at the wrong moments....) The inspiration for this model came from finding a shot of it at Penzance so this is the condition I've gone for. The main difference as far as i can see is the positioning of the BR Symbols which are left from the days of this being a valley trains machine. So along with the renumbering I've drawn slightly smaller versions in inkscape and then had them printed as a dry rub transfer. Actually all of my re-numbering (and resprays to come) have been done this way. Inkscape has been a steep learning curve and is certainly not a package that I've got to grips with but it does open lots of possibilities for things like destination blinds! In the period I'm modelling 55033 really has a rough looking roof. I've not gone as heavy as the real thing as I feared it'll just look like paint splatter and look like proper naff weathering...! So i may if I'm feeling brave add some more patches on the roof and re-visit this but for the time being I'm happy with how this one has turned out. The Dapol headcode box isn't illuminated (i think the real thing wasn't) but has a bit of grey plastic stuck inside and then I glazed it. I'm not entirely happy with the centre blank destination box tbh as its perhaps a little thin so this may be changed one day.... but I have other DMUs to play with and finish :)

I remember a rather inspirational Rail Magazine supplement from the 90s that showed how to upgrade the Lima 117 and was resprayed into GWR150 livery. I thought it was amazing and the work involved was really special and inspired me to try upgrading my own lima 117s (or were they 118s?). I never did a great job but fast forward 30 years or so (?) and Kernow brings out their own version and so any thoughts of attempting a re-spray are instantly forgotten and I now have my own 117305 (although without the super interior the model rail supplement had). The first modification is to the fronts as Kernow's commission is the original version without the headlight. I'm yet to find a suitable headlight so modified a replica railways version by thinning it down and drilling a hole through. It wasn't the easiiet task tbh! It's probably a bit large but will do! The window frames have been thinned then painted black which I find especially hard to achieve a look as good as a Bachmann print so have settled on how it looks now (3rd attempt). Transfers are dry rub and i tried to incorporate the Tysley depot sticker but this only worked on one unit and is probably pushing the technology too far. The front has then been airbrushed with satin varnish. The front destination blind is my mashup of printed paper between two bits of clear plastic and some masking tape and is illuminated behind using the Bachmann circuit board. Front glazing is by shawplan. I'm finding subtle differences in size between each moulding so for this one had to do a bodge approach of painting one end of the frame to add a bit of thickness and while still wet add in the glazing then fix with humbrol klear. I've tried a bit of fading for the roof. It's probably a bit subtle but hopefully looks similar to the last few years of the units life. Also the exhausts have been opened out to suggest they could be a tube. The circuit boards have been modified with each coach having it's own decoder. This allows better speed matching, opportunities for easily mixing units as well as removing the coupling unit which I find hard to use. The revised coupling is mounted at buffer beam level and is a kadee box and hunt magnetic coupling. Corridor connectors are York Models lasercut paper but with the addition of some plastic binliner for the roof. I didn't take many photos of the centre car but this has had some extra underfame detailing and also fitting of a dynamo band using scrap brass. Overall I'm quite pleased how the unit has turned out. I'm planning on experimenting connecting pipes but thats for another day. Being a bit of a celebrity set the unit appeared all over the place particularly on railtours. It also ended up in the south west in both 2 and 3 car formations so is a really usefull unit for my layout (and any others i may dream up!) cheers for reading Will

Thanks for all of the prototype info... im finding it all really interesting! Cheers Will

Thanks. I'm thinking I'll just draw something representing some kind of unreadable hand written writing. I also thought it said June too. Thanks!

I'm just modelling this unit https://www.railcar.co.uk/images/20702 And I'm not sure what's written on the set number in the bottom left window. I assume top left is TS with 702 at the bottom. Does anyone know whats written top right to the right of the TS? Thanks Will

A 153 (and 155) will be ace and I'd be right up for those by any manufacturer who can get the shape right! I had planned on a major project combining the best bits of the Dapol/Hornby 155 and 153 to make one but have sold these as its a project too far and I'd heard Heljan were doing the 153 so thought they'd do both scales. Slightly surprised they didn't go for 4mm as well tbh. I'm sure 153 would be a good seller. Its well travelled, has loads of liveries and is small!

Thanks! I didn't realise so will have a look at mine as I didn't notice them. On the realtrack 156 I have I think there is a bit of an attempt to include the door cover as part of the moulding which is why I thought it could be a challenge to get looking right

I don't really use 3 link couplings but for a few of my DMUs I've got the option to couple up. So I used the cosmetic ones at first but found they uncoupled in operation so have switched to a hybrid coupling using a Smith's hook and Bachmann cosmetic couping. Being oversized I find the Smith's hook easier to use and it doesn't uncouple. Personally I'd only use this setup on the loco and then have a more robust coupling on whatever the loco is coupled to. (It's fine for a bubble dragging a DTS ;) )

I can't see any moaning....?? And I'm a quite happy "rivet counter" so like the chat of differences between locos and then how to apply these the models... which alongside discussing the merits/mechanics of the model I think is part of the point of the thread. I learn so much from them which hopefully then improves my modelling when i attempt to bash a few. So way prefer the posts on the current model than seeing how far we've come.

Hi Roy That's brilliant.... thanks for the help and finding a perfect shot of 54281! I must spend as much time on railcar as any other site but somehow missed this one. Will have a go at replicating as soon as I have data panels on order from railtech Cheers Will

I reckon there's no speed matching needed having a Heljan DPU! The DPU will be in charge! Will look really good together.

I'm just finishing my 121 DTS project using Bachmann bits n pieces..... Does anyone know what transfers I should include on the back? I think it might need an overhead warning flash, a C1 route and a data panel? Although could be that it's all blank like this! It's been a fun project and if you're interested here is my attempt; Any info on bit's I've got wrong is appreciated ! cheers Will

A case of spot the difference! Well they say a model railway is never finished and that rule applies to my models! I've decided to complete the same modifications to all of my DMUs so have been spending a long time adding bits of bent wire, plastikard etc so they all look to have a similar level of detail. Yes it's taken me flipping ages to do the fleet! Anyhow I'm now close to "finishing" a few models.... My 121 DTS has had quite a bit of work but is beginning to look how i want it to; I've added bits of wire etc, thinned the front windows, added transfers, laserglaze and a destination blind as well as some etched wipers. I think the colour match of rainbow railways blue is pretty good as you have to look to see where I've resprayed and I'm hoping no-one will notice with a casual look. I've included this view as I've lined the glazing on this side only - not sure it's that much of an improvement for lighter colours so I think I'll only do it for the darker shades. What do you think? I wasn't happy with my first attempt on removing the gangway so have re-filled and sanded... then resprayed the ends again! I'm a bit happier now and just need to find out what transfers need adding... if any? If you know please let me know! Well I'm quite pleased that the bubble in distress I bought i changed my mind and didn't sacrifice it for other projects. The roof welds and weaathering took quite a few coats but hopefully it gives the impression something it's not all one piece. I've tried to represent this one at the end of it's time in GWR 150. Unlike 117305 it didn't stay long in GWR 150 so didn't get chance to get too shabby although the roof did seem to fade quite badly. So I've kept this one "clean". I still don't think I completely cracked the roof colour but I'm happier looking at something that doesn't seem smooth. While researching 55020 it seemed to be out with a few friends while in GWR150 livery. On flckr i've found it towing/pushing a DTS and a DPU then i think mine might do the same! Right time to crack on with a few more DMUs!

Brilliant. Sounds like you've got proper day/night lights covered for the original lighting.... in warm white LEDs :) ? I was looking at my RR 156 and was wondering if I could make the translucent gangway door covers. Kind of gave up on that in the end but that would be a welcome addition if possible. I guess it would require a mod of the tooling though? Not a big thing if its not possible. Cheers Will