D6775

I've done a tank swap between an 80's TTG one with blue 1970's one. The 1970's one will eventually become an early 80's 47/4 without water tanks and get moved on. Probably something like 47580. I've not got any pictures of 47114 post tank re-fit but I will get some at the weekend at Doncaster. Having just read the description and price for part No146 I am somewhat suspect that its not the full tanks, merely some brackets (PART 146 FUEL TANK SUPPORT BRACKETS £2).

Cam's finished the paint work on his TTA so it came back to me for buffers and couplings fitting: And now Steve has done transfers for Paul Rolley's MAA/MAB wagon I have finally also finished that, a write up for this one coming soon but they are available from Pauls website https://www.impressionistmodels.co.uk/ . Shown here in the company of a Buzz Models MEA. There will be a number of my wagons and bits and pieces on Dovedale & the MIOG stand at Doncaster at the weekend if anyone is going feel free to say Hi.

MTA's look good. Are you going to the GoG show in Doncaster on Saturday?

Not at all, I am not knocking Heljan and they're still pretty good for the price, but 37's have long been my choice of traction so I tend to notice things. As Ian says it stems from the roof panels being too wide pushing all the detail on the sides down. Most notable in TTG or Dutch liveries, less so in Green/Blue/LLB/LLG/Departmental Grey, even Mainline/Regional Railways aren't too bad. Its most noticeable if you look at where the greys dissect the bodyside windows on the TTG livery, it should be about 3/4 down the window but the Heljan models are nearer 1/3 from the top. Having said all that, I do have a number of the Heljan 37's but all so far in liveries that tend to disguise the errors.

Those Vans are fantastic, I'll have to come back to this and have a go with my Heljan ones.

Just a shame they got it so wrong further up the bodyside. Still better than I would produce from a brass kit!

Latest of the workbench and into traffic is 33051, an impulse buy but I rather like it. Back to the WB for some rectification this week and it should be appearing on Dovedale at Doncaster next weekend. Also out yesterday the stalwart of the garden railway 37423.

From Memory 60081 was always a Gaugemaster Exclusive and 6 & 33 were initially for KMS but for whatever reason weren't taken up so I think they just became general releases. You also have to remember that Gaugemaster are the Heljan Distributer in the UK so if they want to distribute their exclusives its their call.

Yesterday we finally had our MIOG show debrief and discussed what we want to do next year. The railway got a clean and trains ensued. Finally, not quite sure what this device was that appeared from BT&S:

Snuck past Dovedale this evening to find 47303 sat on the fuel point:

Last few weeks we've been prepping Dovedale & some new stock ready for the GoG show in Doncaster in June. Snuck past the depot earlier on to find 47303 sat on the fuel point:

Cam's loco, I just did the buffer beam cut, he's then had it back for its identity and weathering.

Well Cam's finished 47303 ready for Doncaster:

Although it never made it as a regular service (I believe it was talked about on numerous occasions) but Regional Railways Loco hauled services did reach Paignton on a rare occasion before privatisation. 37407 on one such occasion, not the best picture I am affraid:

They seem fine on Dovedale but wouldn't play ball in the garden. I think we gapped the rails too much. We'll have another play with them at some point and see if we can sort them out. I need to get the loco fleet sorted at the moment. Excluding shunters (which aren't here) I am down to one serviceable loco atm, they all need bits re-fitting!

Not BR days but I did manage to get a pair of 09's to move one night a fair distance a good few years ago, granted it was a little easier with them being 25mph. 09201 went from Knottingley to Peak Forest and 09106 went from Trafford Park to Knottingley one night swapping crew's at Sheffield. I still have the TRUST print outs somewhere. I wish I had gone out to photograph them at Sheffield in the early hours but I had to drive a van Doncaster - Wellingborough - Glasgow that day.

A little more motivation over the last week saw me cutting up Cam's 2TG 47. We'd discussed how easy or not would it be to do a cutaway cab version. Looking at the body it seemed quite an easy job, the bufferbeam though looked a bit more difficult. The following shows t how I did it and the final picture after it had been returned to Cam for transfers & dirt. It will come back to my workshop so I can add a little more detail to the bufferbeam sides at some point after the Doncaster show. I am quite pleased with how this is turning out. All being well I might have something else just about off the WB next weekend if I can keep this motivation up!

Looking forward to this @Rob Pulham. Got a few bits and pieces to sort out for Dovedale & might actually get chance to have a play with it!

Little bit of motivation this evening and resulted in Cam's coalfish rake getting their last transfers. Now ready to go back to him for sealing and weathering.

I have been exactly the same. When you can't get the motivation to crack on its very difficult.

That looks familiar!!

Ta, can't deny I refer to them myself if I do further of the same wagons!

Well from Snow at the beginning of the month to Sun & BBQ's towards the end. Bit of a running session yesterday. unfortunately I've only got 26024 & 37156 in traffic at the moment, the rest of the fleet need some attention. 47114 & 47309 are both WIP do just posed for some pictures, now back in the workshop, aiming to get these back to Cam this week so we can hopefully get at least one of them in traffic for Doncaster GoG show with Dovedale. 60062 paid a visit with some Skytrex PCA's, unfortunately the PCA's wouldn't play ball around the layout so didn't last long. And lastly, the backbones of my fleet 26024 & 37156 both stretched their legs with the MOD train and the MK1's. So nice to be able to get out into the garden and relax.

Hadn't realised Cam had made this write up live on our website, the GJH VGA build is live if anyone fancies a read: https://www.modernimageogauge.co.uk/gjh-plant-vga.html

I was going to point you towards Steve's data panel set! I need to order some myself at some point.