kevpeo

Proper Black, my favorite! I was gutted when the local Tesco stopped stocking it. Kev.

Not seen anything official, but apparently Manchester - Preston went live at the weekend, fed from the WCML feeders. Test trains to start later in the week if all is well. Hurrah! Only two years late, but who's counting eh.

Funnily enough Martyn, I did a 305/1 from Lima 117's many years ago too, and a 309 from Lima mk1's too, I wonder what happened to those? Anyway enough reminiscing, Charlie has now forwarded the missing roof mouldings - This has allowed the bodies to be assembled and attached to the mainly finished chassis, and they didn't fit. So after much cursing and tweaking of levels, I made them fit whether they wanted to or not! Solebars have been added to the two driving trailers and footboards added, including the bogies which I had forgotten on the 304! So these have been added to that too. Next up, fitting the roof and end details, as well as finishing fitting the door hinges on the 304. Kev.

Not the middle bit! Euxton to Buckshaw Parkway is on, and the triangle at the other end, Salford Cre - Salford Cen and down to Deansgate. A last minute block is on today as well to 'tidy up and snag'. With talk of more to come, so no means certain we will see an electric through Bolton this year! Kev.

Thanks, believe me my eyes go crossed too a lot of the time! Kev.

Another Saturday, another missed show (Workington this time) thanks to Northern's ongoing strikes. Still, more modelling time, and spending less money, so an upside too! More progress on the 304 - End detail now added to the cabs and all footboards now in place. So now there is no putting off the door hinges any longer! Kev.

Well, with 'northerns' ongoing Saturday strikes stopping me going to Blackburn show, and lack of roof mouldings stalling the 303, its back to the 304! End and toilet details mainly - The main joins have been through the 'fill,prime,rub,fill,prime' sequence before setting too with plastic and wire. And the other ends - I may gets the door steps on today. Note how I'm avoiding fitting all those door hinges and handles! Kev. Edit, it is amazing how you spot errors after printing the pictures, now corrected!

Simple, if you run big trains, you need to add more weight, or more driven axles. Or both! The Hornby motors use too much current when twinned up and worked hard. Kev.

Still no roof mouldings, pull your finger out Charlie! Still, pressing on, the 303 undergubbins - or at least what I can suss out from photos. A mixture of Southern Pride, Replica and scratch. As you can see, I didn't have any trussing left, so had to fabricate most of that too, what a pain that was! Kev.

I found the code numbers but they are not listed on the PP website, but I have found them under different codes under the Cherry brand. Kev.

Indeed I am, if I can suss out the correct colours! Railmatch do not seem to do them (anymore?) Kev.

I'm still waiting for the roof mouldings from Charlie Petty, (hint hint), but I have been able to push on with the 303 chassis - Because I'd used two Replica powered chassis under the 304&5 power cars, I had two Southern Pride chassis mouldings and sets of bogie frames I could use. Couplings have been added and set to match the bogie spacing of the 304. I also fabricated five (!) sets of circuit-breaker gear for the pan wells with one set already fitted to the 304/2. I also assembled a batch of traffic cones! Next up, AWS pickups while I wait. Kev.

I blame signaller 69! Not content with having a 304 and 305 ''on the go'', I've now got a 303 too - Some of the bits were collected at our show, and I'm still waiting for others, but I thought I'd get the sides put together! This may well jump the 305 in the queue to completion. The 304 has had rubbing plates added, the couplings ‘tweaked’ and was tested again at our show last weekend. The couplings worked so well that the earlier 304 has been converted to match! Kev.

Are you getting old then Ray? Many thanks to all our visiting operators and demo'ers, the show wouldn't happen without you all. A big shout out to MRDblue in particular, as he spent the weekend fitting a lot of our members stock with decoders! Guess who would have got the job later! Cheers Mark. Kev.

Nearly time! Website updated with revised bus times, to suit the strike day on Saturday the bus often now connects with a bus! Kev.

OP updated. Not long now!

Me too, not for Ravensclyffe obviously! It's all signaller69's fault. Is it going to be delivered by Nigel at our show Charlie? Kev.

I never got the chance to try it. But the layout will be set up again at our show in a couple of weeks, so I'll give it a go then. As for the marker lights, it turned out i'd forgotten to puts the light guides back in on re-assembly! Doh, Kev.

The 304/2 passed all its running tests on Coppell at the weekend, so once our show is out of the way work can resume - Kev.

The now 87 011 had its maiden run out on Coppell at the weekend. A not very good I-phone shot i'm afraid! As you can see the marker lights failed, not Hornby's fault as I'd 'binned' the PCB. But otherwise ran smoothly all weekend on eight Mk2's a Mk3 RFM and a DVT. Kev.

Yellow, are you bringing one of New Bryford's old layouts? Just cleaned the last of my wheels ready for Coppell's trip to Oustende this weekend. Then I'll have to do them all again for ours!!!! Kev.

For some reason 87 101 was the only one ISTR prior to Railtrack coming in to being, then they all got them! Mine is coming back together, the PCB has gone to make some room for a big speaker and the lights reduced to just the front 3 whites. Wired backwards, thanks Hornby! Kev.

True, but we have a few in stock, we bought a job lot of twenty back in the day! Kev.

To be fair, both the Hornby pans look superb! They just don't 'work'. The Bachmann 90 pan works, but is wrong, it has an extra arm which shouldn't be there, take your choice! As for me, I'll be fitting a Hurst Models hi-speed. Kev.

Yep, not good so far! There is provision for a speaker, but only a 23mm round, and if you put it in facing down towards the provided holes, the PCB will not fit back on! It will fit facing up but the sound then just hits the PCB, and with no 'box' it sounds crap anyway! I used a Zimo 645 and now the body will not fit back on. Poor effort Hornby. Plan B to follow. Kev.