Downendian

Talking of small coppers this is a South Devon one, August 2013. I was out earlier walking the hedgerows plenty about butterfly wise, but no photos as daughter 1 has borrowed my new camera. Ringlets, speckled woods, a couple of red admirals, meadow browns but identification difficult without photos of all seen. Neil

Well I'll have a stab Chaz, it looks like a Queen of Spain, but I'm guessing it's not . Neil

Then they must be small blues Chaz? Please enlighten us on the dot patterns. I've struggled with these as I get them in my Garden. Neil

They look like Holly blues? Neil

I reckon painting those steel tyres black will sort that.Neil

As you know Phil I'm in London on business for 3 weeks, plus I've been travelling up at least twice a week for the past month. D821 is very often outside OOC, I'm quite taken on how tiny the Warship appears against the current diesel fleet. Power/weight ratio of hydraulics etc. Like you I'm not especially interested in the modern scene, but like to "keep up". There's been another modern 800 class at North Pole a lot of the time in recent weeks, and the transformation of Reading is quite something, the old depot has been razed to the ground in the early part of this year. I must try and capture some photos of the old girls (class 253 for us 70s railFans) as they won't be around in a few years time. I say to my kids "I saw these being built" which always gains the comment "are you that old?"! Neil

I remember long ago "collecting" a piece of flaked paint from a well worn Western, sellotaped into the back of my spotting notebook. I was astonished at the time to be able to make out Maroon paint, obviously from a previous livery. I assume that is what is showing through on these well worn blue hydraulics. Neil

Music to my ears Mike Neil

Apparently she ran round in that state for another 8 months! To blue full yellow 3/1/72, last to this livery. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/54551-western-liveries-1961-1977/?p=657046 Neil

Judging by the BR arrows it's a very faded blue small yellow panel which fits the date. Good grief how powerful was that exmover? Thanks for posting Mike. Neil

So it is John. Slide says D9528, will amend. Thanks Neil

Evening all, Time for an update with some recent copyright additions. First D9527 at Keynsham in 1965 (1st September) with a trip to the Fry's factory - I've been looking for one of these for a while, class 22s were known to do this working too. Prototype inspiration for my two Heljan class 14s. The original slide has the full loco in frame. Next an unidentified Western at Dreweats lock, slide is dated 1 Dec 1973. Any ideas of the loco? Another unidentified Western at Newbury, slide dated 5th May 1974. I've yet to check, but that patch repair near the headboard clip looks familiar? D1011 at Plymouth, slide dated 14th June 1974 Finally, and excuse my diesel electric distraction, D25 at Bath Green park, on what looks like a local Bristol service via Mangotsfield. S & D slides normally command a premium, this was quite cheap considering it comes with copyright, and formerly in the colour rail catalogue. The original is now mine. 1965. Neil

You might want to look at this thread http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/123078-removing-printed-decals-with-sharpie-permanent-markers/?p=2732860 I've been trialling using Sharpie fibre tip pens and acrylic thinners - it works rather well. Neil

The two Maroon ones will stay as they are! Toying though with getting another to become D844. The Abbotswood session certainly was infectious, I'm sure you'll have the entire fleet soon Phil, but I started spotting too late to see any Warships in service. Neil

Let me know how it goes Phil, I have two Royal oaks to renumber and dename. Neil

I did a further two locos this afternoon, a spare new tooling Bachmann 44 and an old Hornby tender drive 2P. Both worked really well, the new Bachmann decals seemed to come off much easier than the first release class 44. Slight hiccup though in that I varnished with Humbrol satin varnish to remove the sheen at one end, and it bloomed. A quick search on here suggested that Humbrol varnishes are prone to this - I won't use them again. Resprayed the offending section, and started weathering. The Hornby 2P worked very well, I used a blue sharpie as I have lots of them and only one black (which incidentally beautifully covers the white wheel rims on Bachmann's 44008). The thinners did slightly attack the lining, but not so you would notice. The blue ink did stain the "2P" decal but quickly went after daubing with a cotton bud soaked in Tamiya thinners. Neil

I patiently waited for one of the parents to leave, and quickly grabbed a poorly focussed shot of what I think are Dunnockettes. Less than seven feet from my kitchen window. Slightly nervous as a greater spotted woodpecker and sparrow hawk are regular garden visitors, but fortunately magpies are not. A recent pile of pigeon feathers on the lawn confirms this. Keeping a watchful eye on "my babies". Neil

I agree with Mike, speed is of the essence. I applied the Tamiya thinners onto the numerals with a cotton bud, and after a couple of minutes started with the Sharpie. I found they were somewhat softened doing it that way, and did not attack the paintwork at all. Any sharpie ink is then removed with thinners and tissue and/or cotton bud. Alcohol based thinners rapidly evaporate, especially in this weather. Off topic, but the hottest June since 1976 - when July 3rd was the hottest day of that year. I remember it well, tramping around Stratford depot in buckets of sweat, and buying a warm can of the new drink called Lilt back at the station. Neil

Hi Roger Indeed I have some Steam locos to be renumbered to engines that frequented the S&D, so trials forthcoming. I used Tamiya acrylic thinners, and have done four Bachmann locos, a class 44 a warship and two class 25s I'm yet to attempt any Hornby models. I will use black on the steam locos, but any colour may work as the thinners remove all traces of the sharpie ink. Neil

Hi Andy Well with only limited photos available of the prototypes these two look quite neat in comparison to some of the botch jobs done on the two tone green brush 4s. I'm certain that I saw green 25s in 1974/5 but my incomplete spotting notes don't confirm this. There were certainly a lot of green locos still around in those two years, so I can justify a good green/blue mix. Neil

First on my workbench thread - a new workbench. Over the last few weeks I've created some space in our integral garage for a new workbench space, much to the relief of my wife whose craft room workbench I'd been using. The bench itself was standard construction baseboard (18mm exterior ply with 2x2 bracing and adjustable legs, screwed to a wall batten. All my spraying/soldering kit was moved and with good lighting rig should do the job. the first job undertaken was to renumber some two tone green class 25s. I have a particular fondness for TOPS green locos, especially as (one) of my chosen timelines is 1974/5. These two were two tone green still in that time frame, 25 294 and 305. I used the sharpie method to remove their D52XX numbers, which unfortunately lifted the sherwood green off, and I then spray painted four panels in rail match acrylic. Not a perfect match, but weathering will disguise. Will add Brassmasters boiler blanking plates, and I'm still contemplating whether to remove the false sole bar from all my class 25 fleet. Neil

Last weekend was spent at the cottage in South Devon, I had two jobs on the to do list that could not be completed. First was to remove a Norway spruce that is getting too large. Found a nest in it, I think Dunnocks and has hatchlings in it yesterday after I saw mum fly off. Second was a replacement pane of glass in the garden shed which has fallen out earlier this year. Around a light fitting inside the shed I found a house Martin nest complete with 4 eggs. I had to just sit in the garden instead soaking up the sun with a few beers and family BBQ. I've placed five nest boxes in strategic positions - not one is taken. Neil

I only had two sightings of 44s away from Toton and as scrappers at Derby works. Both sightings were 44005 at Washwood Heath in September 1974 ( first sighting of the class) and then three years later, August 1977, at Peterborough bound for Whitemoor yard. Neil

There is this 1960s shot at Horton road http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/21342-class-40444546-on-secondarytertiary-services/?p=209916 I'd love to hear any details of STJ workings, I've got a fleet of 44s to use on such workings on my layout. On my dozens of trips there by bike or train, I never saw one. Neil

Hadn't seen that Roy- in this thread?Neil