Downendian

Purchased less than an hour ago, Aldi sack truck at the ready. Ideally with parking sensors when moving all those tasty sound chipped diesels. Neil

And here's one of those "funeral processions" D1040 hauling D1052, D1026 and D1059 through Wootton Bassett from my collection. I bid on a better shot of the approaching consist but lost it. 29th November 1975 Neil

I have 3 Lima and 2 Hornby Westerns stored somewhere, bought when they first came out. I've a fledgling plan to use them (well Lima at least) to put together a scrap train movement of 1974-6 vintage. I saw such a sad procession in March 1975 with D1005 hauling D1029 and D1044 through Temple Meads with presumably a move from Laira to Swindon. A fair few projects in front of that one though. Neil

Hi Phil Yes 44009 should be ready too, new compressor arrived on Thursday this week for respray to class 46 end. Coke hoppers - have a rake of 14 now. Neil

Well I've dug out D1065 to complete this model after a summer tidy up had temporarily separated body from chassis, and the body had been mislaid. I'm crewing the fantastic Abbotswood junction at the Nottingham show in March, D1065 must be done by then, buffers, pipework some touch ups to bodyside paint, and Loksound decoder just ordered. Heljan body heavily weathered/modified married to a Dapol chassis. Neil

I was a rookie roadcrew member for Abbotswood (sorry all, not setting correct routes causing derailments and crossed couplings on consists was my fault ) but it was an excellent experience. I just love that ECoS controller and how Phil has automated the whole thing. From the first time "on the other side of the fence" I can vouch for how much hard work Phil puts in behind the scenes to get Abbotswood working. It's a very significant commitment, and certainly one done for the love of the hobby and all those happy memories of over four decades ago. It was also very hard work getting a varied roster out on public display, and I was happy to say that my first run of my SLW 24063 and Heljan B tanks were on Abbotswood. We arrived at the venue at 0715 for 1000 am start, and despite setting up the evening before we still needed an hour or more to check that the consists were running OK. I'd love to do it again (if Phil hasn't sacked me ), and will use the opportunity to get some of my models more of a public viewing if the boss lets me run them. Thanks to the organisers for an excellent show, and wish I lived a bit closer to Phil to help him unload this morning. Thanks to all that came and spoke to us, a very nice atmosphere at the show. Neil

Not watching your bird feeders at night? We have a few resident Tawnys around the cottage in Devon. Now I wonder, may put out some fat balls. http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/watch-owl-eating-from-bird-feeder-something-thought-to-have-never-been-recorded-before/story-30112804-detail/story.html Neil

RBAGE. What a kind offer, and the type of altruism that should be a hallmark of RMweb. Had a dig again Phil, and these are too pricey and still too thick at a scale 6" wide, but could be sliced with a very sharp scalpel, http://fox-transfers.co.uk/early-diesel-electric-lining-crests-and-d-prefixes Neil

Perhaps some coronation lining will be the right shade/width? http://fox-transfers.co.uk/lms-coronation-scot-streamlined-blue-locomotive-and-tender-livery Edit: Scratch that it's grey! Contemplating a similar job Phil on one of my GFYE 40s. Neil

A sliver of rail blue obliteration patch? They come in a number of rail blue flavours - these were quite pale blue though Phil? Neil

Terrific Kevin, memories flooding back. Those grimy, coal dusted 37s were regulars growling up Patchway bank in the 1970s, 37 224 - if you weathered a model like that you would get some comments, but proof they were really that filthy. Keep them coming. Neil

I'd picked up a cheap Hornby TTS King last week after the DJM/Hattons announcement. Unfortunately it's had to go back lunchtime today, as the chip wouldn't respond to my functional DCC system (Lenz). Maybe worthwhile checking rather than let them lie in the stock box for a few weeks (unfortunately a habit I've got into!). Anyone had similar problems? I've seen in Rich's post above that it maybe an issue others have seen. Neil

I was hoping to run 44009 on her debut, but my compressor has just blown, and my reworking of the class 46 end is on hold! Looking forward to it Phil. Neil

Many thanks Gordon It's most probable that these ships transported the containers to South Wales ports, and thereby formed the Danygraig flows. Bell containers duly ordered from C-rail. Neil

As you've quoted my post ...... I'm not overlooking this at all, I do know that there were differences between the prototype and production mark 3s, and have posted this in various threads. As you have also quoted Shane who has built IMO the best prototype HST set out there, here a link to his thread describing the build. The rail express article describes the mods needed to the mark 3s.http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/56462-prototype-hst/?p=690712 Locomotion had only said they were doing the power cars for now, one tooling, compared to APT-E with 4 vehicles. But you're right, to do the 252 set justice all vehicles would be nice -eventually. However it would not take too much for someone like Oxford to retool their new mark 3s. Whether they would be up to a Rapido offering is another question. Neil

The mechanism to place preorders for this model was rather obscure, I'd have bought two power cars, but didn't preorder as waiting for something on the Locomotion models website. The £$ issue was cited as the main reason, but I'm hoping it wasn't down to low numbers of preorders/expressions of interest. Neil

A shame but not a surprise. So my Lima with Genesis class 252 ends project moves up the to do list. I suppose we can count our blessings that APT-E was done before the exchange rate reduced Rapidos profit margin. Perhaps an opportunity for Shane to make his radiator grille etches commercially available? Neil

I'm looking for strictly 1970s containers for my rake. Photographic material from that period on the web is scarce, although the working I'm interested in was photographed well in the mid 1980s. Specifically looking at the Danygraig-Stratford working that passed through Bristol mid evening, and its return the following morning. Without any information on what containers Bachmann will provide, I'm assuming it will be over a broad operational period, some liveries of which will certainly be later than the 70s. There are several candidates in the C-rail range which may suit (I recall seeing P&O and Bell containers for example). However going just from memory is a dangerous precedent. Is there any information on what time period the C-rail containers were used? They don't produce the original BR freighliner container which was certainly widespread mid 1970s. However private owner containers were becoming common in the mid-1970s. A nice document here on BRs freightliner service http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/BRB_Freight1965.pdf Neil

I hope so. There are a few discrete differences between the prototype mk 3s and production apart from the livery. So it's not just a case of a relivery of existing tooling. I will be looking at modelling the whole train, and not just buying the power cars. Neil

But no announcement re reverse blue-grey mark 3s, compatible with the Rapido class 252 power cars. Will anyone do them? Good move by Oxford, let's hope they can put the Dean goods episode behind them. Neil

Yes entirely possible, although through fiddling around I had to pull the mainline wheels off a couple of times, and they are now "looser" on the axle and I've had to regauge them. The Hornby wheelbase is obviously slightly smaller (by 1mm or so) to the mainline, otherwise the brake blocks would have fitted better. The £39 Hornby warships are back in stock at Hattons, ive just ordered a couple more. Two more mainline warships are due in the Downend workshops. Edit the Hornby wheels are a disaster, too large a diameter, need blackening and lack holes. Neil

I must stop doing this, getting side tracked onto new projects. I spent much of this afternoon on the converted Mainline warship project, but it was fun. The Fohrmann wheel pullers and pushers arrived mid week (thoroughly recommended tools) , and I've taken apart the Mainline and Hornby wheel sets. I removed the final drive gear from the Hornby axles and transferred to the mainline axles. The Hornby axles are larger, and the gear was fixed using araldite, a bit of a bodge but I couldn't source the required brass final drive gears, but neverless they all look too expensive for this project. The Mainline bogie baseplate with a bit of fettling clipped nicely onto the Hornby drive unit. However, the inboard brake blocks were a very tight fit, and I filed them back a bit- may need some more when I wire it up. I then set about surgery on the Mainline body, cutting the plastic with a fret saw to a sufficient size to accommodate the new drive unit. I then made a cradle support for the drive unit by bending some Albion alloys 1/2 x0.032" by 130mm brass strip in my hold and fold. The brass curved slightly, but anything thinner I would be nervous re the strength. I added a couple of small strips of curved plastic (snipped off a plastic PTFE tape dispenser) to act as bogie pivots and araldited to the underside of the brass bracket. With great care I then aradited the bracket to the suitably fettled chassis, after drilling a 4mm hole, that was enlarged with a rat tail file so that the drive unit fitted easily. Whilst setting, I packed the underside of the bufferbeam with paper and made sure all was square using the spirit level on my iPhone. It's all setting off hard now. The rewiring and test running is next on the to do list, but I think this was quite a simple conversion. I just need some more cheap Hornby warship drive units for my other Mainline warships. I think those will be fitted with Shawplan scavenger fan grilles, and I will have revived some old 1980s models that have languished in their boxes since the 1980s. Neil

Getting my daily dose of David's excellent photos before work. What I like about the photos is that they are many "out in the countryside" and not shots of places you normally see in the publications (e.g London Mainline terminals big stations and depots). They are thoughtfully composed, and I find the infrastructure shots highly useful from a modelling perspective. I'm also amazed at the size of the collection, and long may this thread continue, many thanks to David for the work he puts in to keep us happy. Neil

Showing my ignorance here, but what coaching stock would have been used with the 1Ps on the S&D Highbridge branch in the 1950s? Neil

Hi Woodenhead the link in your post doesn't work - a series of serious in depth reads here. Get your slippers on and a cup of tea (or malt later) and have a good plough through this little lot. http://www.whatreallyhappenedtosteam.co.uk/download-what-really-happened-to-steam-articles.htm The diesel articles are at the very bottom, one of which is the article to which woodenhead refers. This Zulu guy, well words fail me, myths based on hearsay are one thing, but his misinformation spreading is scandalous (in context of course ) I know OT, but the piece re disposal of Lion is quite an interesting read. Reminded me of the tale of four Westerns being set aside for Foster Yeoman. Neil