kevpeo

Thanks Patriot, you will have to say hi, I'm the thin bald one, Ian's the slightly more 'rotund' not quite so bald one! Kev.

After packing Parrot Hall away before it's trip to Showcase next weekend, I got the EMU's out for servicing. There is a few quids/hours worth sat there! The 320 will not be going of course, and is now redundant on Coppell too due to the influx of 'proper EMU's! I've adjusted one stretch of O/H into the station which was very close to pantograph 'run off' and fitted a temporary lighting kit, nicked off Ian's (my co-operator for the weekend) Swiss metre gauge layout. Now the question is, do I run the layout to two era's. ie the B/G 304 and 303 with blue stuff. And then the two 304's and 310 with sector era stuff. Or do I just run the lot! Any thoughts. Kev.

And into traffic she goes - I'm glad I finally have a Bachmann/SWD 37 that actually drives nicely! We have had a few, and the original v3.5 was the previous best, each update lost something somehow. IMHO anyway! Kev.

Yes both were used on the West Highland. 37 012 came first. The name was later removed with the arrival of the 37/4's and was fitted to 37 408. Kev.

One down. I got the 303 assembled today and couldn't resist a pose - Complete with ''Parrot Hall'' destinations thanks to the other 'Kev'. The 304/2 will be along shortly! Kev.

Blimey, over a year since the last post! Thats because all has been quiet on this layout front, apart from the regular ''thrash'' sessions of course! But something stirs - 37 012 has arrived. To become 37 012! To be denamed, cos I already have 408, and with a few tweaks to the livery to suit 1986, it will keep its Bachmann/SWD sounds as it actually works well on the v5 decoder. The speaker will of course go, with a 'meatier' one taking its place. Kev.

Nice surprise waiting for me when I got back from York show last night - Nicely done on first inspection. Now to run it in and then pull it apart to fit sound!

The F.M.R.C's next show will be - The 57th Model Railway & Transport Exhibition Saturday & Sunday, the 12th & 13th October 2019. Barrow Sixth Form College, Rating Lane, Barrow-in-Furness, LA139LE. TIMES: 10.00 am until 5.00pm, both days. ADMISSION: Adults £6.00 Concessions £4.00 Children £3.00 Featuring model railway layouts, traders, model engineering, model aircraft and model ship displays. Tombola and Raffle. Free Car Parking, Excellent Catering, Free Bus Service from Barrow Railway Station and Town Hall. All info subject to change. Layouts Swisspass - Ho & Hom Thomas - 00 Pengullow. Cornish - 00 Laramie Engine Terminal, USA - 0 Gauge Triang.- 00 High Stamley - 009 Bere Banks - 00 Ketton Cement - N Upper Cwmtwych - N Sheffield Grimeside - OO - tbc Trade D&E Models Pooleys Puffers Baby Bitz Crafty Hobbies Broughton Rail Along Classic Lines Simon Mott Contact - The Exhibition Manager - 01229 583595

An impression of seats in the 304 power car - Seat painting is ongoing. The wires and motors, and ,when fitted, the DCC gummins should be fun to hide! And that's about as far as I can go for now. So I may have a play with the 323 middle car for a while. Kev.

Feels like the final push now! Windows are in, weathering done and final details fitted, just the seats to sort out now - Of course, because of the Replica mech in the power cars, seats in them are not an option. I may be able to give the impression of seat ends in the 304, but the 303 ones are behind the pillars. The 304 ones are the Southern Pride ones, but 3 + 2 does not fit, so my passengers, when I fit them, will get a bit more room! The 303 ones are chopped up Replica, chucked in free when I bought the chassis's. Kev.

I've not been completely idle! All the door handles and grab rails have been fitted to the 304 and 303, glazing is now ongoing and the sound decoders have been ordered from Bif to be collected at York show. To keep me from going completly insane (or more so?) I've been having a play with another project - An attempt at a 323! All the sides have been marked out on plastic sheet, and this one has been filed out and attached to a doner 158 coach. It looks promising, a few 'sink holes' in the plastic but nothing that cannot be filled and smoothed. No more progress can be expected on this one until the older units are complete. Edit, the bad news is the Cherry paints have reacted with the solvent and wrecked the paint job on one side of the 303 power car!!!! It is mainly the brown so may be salvageable. Lucky its the only car done so far. 304 is fine, so far.

We'd better put on a good show then! Coppell's all packed, serviced and ready to go in the morning. Kev.

50% of Buckshaw Parkway - Man Vic and a few others due to go to 319's from Monday 11th Feb. And I'm at work! I had got wind and tried to get the day off, but to no avail. Kev.

A rubbish phone shot as a test of new forum! Transfers applied to one side of both units and sealed with matt varnish ready to start side two, of six! Kev.

It looks like Parrot Hall has been called up to attend next weekends (26/7 Jan) Kendal show, after a last minute cancelled layout. I'd better get some wheels cleaned! Kev.

Oh, that looks nice Mark. And yes, I also will be doing the 'cop out' paint work version! Kev.

Did the APT - P not set this with 162.2 in 1979? Kev. Edit - no passengers on the APT run. So the 91 figure stands if that is what counts!

Just do a google search and a few piccies pop up Ian, only 304/2's were done istr, inc 304 019,36,37 & 40. I haven't decided on id yet. I did ride on all the survivors! The 305's got modified NSE,RR and GMPTE colours. Kev.

Another one ready for the paint shops - Just needs a little filler and a wash, then ready for priming. The 303 is now yellow and orange, and the 304 is yellow,grey and blue! Kev.

Can I play too, in order of preference:- 1 - Provincial Blue Livery x many! 2 - GMPTE early 3 - GMPTE late 4 - Reggie Rail 5 - Merseyrail ( I hate the real ones seats, but still have to have one!)

Unfortunately, for me, the last run now seems to be on the 11th , from northern's website- ''To commemorate the service of the Class 37s on the Cumbrian Coast, Northern and Direct Rail Services (DRS) have commissioned a farewell return journey between Carlisle and Carnforth on Friday 11 January. The Class 37s were removed from service on the Coast and were replaced with DMU units on 28 December 2018. The commemorative journey, on 11 January, will be the last chance for rail enthusiasts to ride on the 37s on this route, and to mark the occasion special keepsake tickets have been produced. All money raised from the event will be donated to local charities.'' And you have to enter a draw to ''win'' tickets, at 37 quid each! Kev.

Jeeez, gimmi chance! lol, Kev.

Toilet pipes are 0.5 brass coated steel, ie, left over bits of Sommerfeldt wire! The multi working cables are thin multi core, either from DCC suppliers, or stripped from old scart leads! hth, Kev.

I've not been completely lazy! The 304/2 and 303 have been completed and primed, and have now entered the painting stage. An online shopping spree has also supplied all the required paints and transfers for all three units. And in between has appeared this - Which has been sitting in the 'when I get round to it' pile for a while. A doorless Cambrian 'Sturgeon' to go with the earlier 'Tench'. It is just balanced on its bogies for now. Kev.

Yep, Northern tweeted something along the lines of '' the 37's are available, but not rostered'' I spent the last day(maybe) on them Friday. edit - And here's 37 424 waiting to leave for the last time on Saturdays ecs move to DRS Kingmoor - Until Friday! As it is rumoured that the 0710 Car - Lancaster and return is going to be the 37 farewell trip. And it is my day off! Kev.