Downendian

Hi CliveI did mention the Hornby/Triang Hymek a bit earlier. Fine body shame about the chassis. Once the cab roof profile is dealt with, lights added and fettled with Shawplan bits, it cuts the mustard against the Heljan version, plus it has the right boiler port for the first batch of them. Here's my 1974 birthday present getting a makeover, must get it finished. Can't bear to part with it. Neil

I've only ever used acrylic thinners on factory applied paint. The only locos I have with acrylic paint and those I've resprayed myself and have been renumbered that way. Enamel thinners I suspect would damage the surrounding paintwork. All is needed is to soften the factory applied decal so that the abrasive power of the sharpie comes into play. Neil

Agree the mark 2 tooling is a delight to work on when changing nose end details. No more masking and skew-whiff yellow lines and masking tape bleed. Here's how I took off the noses on a Bachmann mark 2 class 40 http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/61530-downendian-details/?p=1685270 And the end result, awaiting renumbering to a TOPS green example. Neil

Thanks Andy, Yes I see the roof of signal box can be seen in the foreground of photo 6. Rarely (at least for me) seen views to the west of Temple meads. We routinely visited Pylle Hill though to note the parcels stock present. The station pilot was regularly transiting between Pylle Hill and the parcels bays at TM. Those were the days. Neil

Edits made to photos to add captions, there is only one where I was unsure of location, labelled "Bristol west" Neil

A few late 1960s Bristol railway infrastructure slides I've just purchased with copyright from eBay, dated 1969. Most are taken from the Bath road overbridge outside the depot entrance, a few I'm unsure of the location. A lot has changed now, but in the 1970s this is how I remembered the Temple meads area, although the hymeks and NBL type 2s had gone. Enjoy. Neil Bath road overbridge BR depot to the right Malago vale CS Pylle Hill parcels depot taken from BR staff car park Temple meads taken from Bath road overbridge Gantry at Pylle hill Bristol West Gantry opposite Pylle Hill Pylle Hill from BR staff car park

Hi Russell Glad our lists tally, no I haven't ever heard that D7075 was GFYE, will have a bit of a search. Edit was discussed in this post http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/78107-complete-list-of-hymek-liveries/?p=1497770 I'm pretty certain it never carried full yellow ends whilst in green. Neil

D7018 minus yellow panel in service, last image in group. https://hiveminer.com/Tags/class,d7018 Neil

I thought the swelling was confined to mazakitus in a batch of 31s Keep selling the revamped Lima stuff, good repowering projects and good old school tooling. Neil

Hi RussellThis is essentially identical to my post of almost 4 years ago, which I have evolved thanks to subsequent posts. The only difference I can see is that in your list D7018 was delivered with yellow panel. Have you seen a photo of this as I would be interested? You have also D7051 in the BSYP list and the yellow panel and blue window surrounds list, which the latter you rightly mention was as scrapped. It never had white window surrounds. Neil

24073 was reinstated in February 1977 after being withdrawn in late 1976, so yes you are correct. Was it on the ScR 1977/8? Will need to ply the reference books. Neil

Paul's excellent photo shows perfectly the centrally located headcode discs, the hallmark of the skinhead 24s allocated to the ScR. They were all early casualties, I well remember seeing lines of them at Kingmoor in November 1975, sadly missed a few as they were dispatched to Doncaster and cut up before I could get to see them. 24006 languished at Eastfield for a few months on retailing exercise duties. Interestingly we passed through Carstairs on 9th April 1977 on a previously mentioned merrymaker , two days before Paul's photo and noted neither 24 009 or 147. They look pretty immobile so I'm sure they were there and were missed. Neil

From the SLW Facebook page, 24 009, with Glasgow works plated end now approved for production. This could well be my third SLW 24, I saw the prototype in the late 1970s pottering around at Waverley whilst waiting for the Merrimaker excursion to take us home to Bristol. Neil

Here's a YouTube video of the recent Yate ( South Glos.) Hawfinch sightings. My daughter lives there. Neil

Thanks for the excellent description and photos Michael. Where did you source the bevel gears? I intend playing with these motors soon. I shall follow this thread with interest, especially following the excellent RM article. Neil

Interesting Tim re the Hawfinches, local Bristol news had run a piece on a relatively large influx of visitors this year due to the harsh recent weather. The only British finch I've not seen, I hope to change that. Meanwhile whilst walking the dog here earlier in South Devon, a small finch hurtled down the middle of the lane we were walking with a sparrow hawk in hot pursuit. I'm glad to say the finch got away with it that time. However, I've seen the sparrow hawk several times this week in the garden hanging around the feeders. Neil

Ah those were the days. I remember that Hattons were selling mainline warships at £9 a go around that time, I ordered two and I was told they were out of stock. For a few months after, they continued to advertise them, I didn't buy from them for years. All is forgiven now, and they've had plenty of my custom in subsequent years. Neil

Do I get the first swallow of the year prize? Spotted one here in South Devon when we arrived for the week on Monday morning. Neil

Another vote for the Lima Tooling of the late 1970s early 1980s. The Class 31 body shell is better quality than anything released, and the class 47, 73 and HST, suitably repowered hold their own against more modern counterparts. I also am a fan of the class 40 bodyshell, with suitable fettling, new power plant and Shawplan bits are a good competition to the admittedly excellent Bachmann mk 2 tooling. I also very much like the Hornby hymek tooling once the roof profile and scavenger grille are corrected. For a fifty year old tooling, they knew what they were doing, and at that age can be excused for their discrepancies. The Hornby class 25, especially the cab profile is much better than the Bachmann offering too. Finally the mainline warship, only just retired from the Bachmann range, it is very accurate despite lacking see through grilles etc of the new Bachmann class 43 tooling. Neil

Hi I haven't done any more renumbering for a few months, but the thinner/Sharpie method is pretty straightforward. A cotton bud soaked in thinner dabbed over the numeral and then quickly followed by the sharpie. Gently rub until you feel the fibre in the sharpie tip "grabbing" the numeral, and white begins to appear as the numeral softens and is being removed. Mop up regularly with thinner/cotton bud until all traces are gone. I understand that Phil Bullock has tried another technique using alkali oven cleaning gel, obtained from the supermarket which doesn't even leave a trace. Must try that one as well. Neil

Hi Miles I've bought a few Dapol spares to detail a few Hornby 73s that I have. Grilles etc available from DCC supplies although make a rather pricey "kit". One of my to do projects. https://www.dccsupplies.com/cat-771/class-class-73.htm/3/ Neil

OK week 2 of retirement, the snow has somewhat stymied the fishing this week, so to sorting the kit pile. I've purchased a largish number of project boxes to complete kits, and to keep all parts together during the build. Here I'm part way through a catfish/dogfish rake made from excellent Cambrian kits. I'd bought a completed kit from eBay a few years back, and is rather excellent, runs well and is well put together and detailed. I'm shamelessly copying its construction. The rake of catfish will be in gulf red to go with my oyster and repainted shark kits, plus a mixed rake of dogs/cats in black. I already have a fair number of Heljan dogfish in olive green. My approach is to first make sure the chassis are put together squarely and run true, as they will be running and not static, I think this is the most crucial stage. I've then sprayed the hoppers, I think important as I don't want to mask off the models for the gulf red versions. The boxes are very useful as I've already had a Stanchion and a brake come loose, and from previous experience they are lost to the carpet monster of work bench detritus. They were staring up at me from the bottom of the box, all I had to do was to locate the damaged chassis. I've got project boxes also for my Herring rake, 21T hoppers, and 21/24.5T minerals, the hoppers and minerals are in prep for my representation of the Severn Tunnel-Acton consist. Neil

Ah the Chiffchaffs, heard at least one yesterday in North Somerset, it was even brazen enough to flit into my fishing swim looking for scraps. Hope they don't regret flying North over the next couple of days. Neil

Just a quick note to thank Michael for excellent service. He noticed my post on another thread regarding sourcing Ruston & Hornsby logos for my Judith Edge PWM650, as they weren't in my old kit. An etch provided now in the kit was sent to me after a PM exchange, and arrived last week. Many thanks Michael. Neil

Well not in my back garden, but currently out fishing at Hunstrete between Bristol and Bath. Heard the first Chiff Chaff of the year, so spring is here! Neil