Downendian

I Hope to make an outing to see it Rob. Would be nice to see the occasional tatty hydraulic Neil

Received my GBL 45 022 during the week, analysing potential this weekend, but also brought back 2 Bachmann 46 spare bodies from Plymouth to Bristol. Will start work on 46 003 this evening and post my assessment of the GBL model in this thread.

I just picked up a second chance offer for a Heljan class 17 chassis for £17 and post free. I had originally put a max bid of £18 and the starting price was £15. So I was pretty satisfied all in all. Although one of the dud first batch, I will remotor the chassis or failing that strip to gain the bogie towers that will be used for another repowering project. Neil

Must say even without paint they still look terrific Rob. Neil

Ahh Geoff, the summer of '76......sigh.http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/83609-w-r-freight-services-in-the-1980s-swindon/?p=1657754 Neil

The GBL peak certainly has class 46 battery box covers (or a representation of them). Struggled to find a decent broadside pic but this YouTube video of D172 illustrates it well from 1 min on. I guess most will be looking at spare Bachmann chassis to power these, but I've enough spare class 46 shells (nose seamless Bachmann release) to work on, and these need much less work by the look of it to this GBL release. Craftsman also provide white metal kits for peak buffer beams, I have one so fitted to the version of the Bachmann chassis that erroneously had the buffer assembly attached to the underside of the cab, Neil

Oh dear it look like my GBL peak project is a non-starter for conversion to 46 003 using the GBL as source model. Shane has posted photos of it in the relevant GBL thread http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/69535-great-british-locomotives/?p=1733173 Issues I have with it as a source model just as a brief summary based on that photo montage. 1. Those tail lights will have to go. 2. nose seam looks a tad too high 3. Buffers attached to body, will need removing with a razor saw 4. Lack of flush glazing. 5. Almost certainly will need a total repaint. 6. No recessed scavenger fan I have some spare Bachmann 46 shells (of 46 053 vintage) that need less work to produce the sealed beam nose variant. Will use up one of those instead to get a representation of 46 003 in 1977 condition. Neil

This has just been posted on the "Bristol then and now Photographs" Facebook page, several railway ones have been recently surfacing, and may be of interest to RMwebbers. It's a high level view of Lawrence Hill taken in the 1960s and a remarkable shot in that it shows the extent of the sidings there. Unfortunately no "now" photograph as the vantage point has been demolished. Note the former Midland line in the foreground. Neil

As I posted yesterday in the Hornby magazine brake tender thread, I've consulted my logs for 26th February 1977. I saw 46 003 between 0900-1230 in the morning at Bristol Parkway, the same time period that the Western Tribute rail tour passed through on the Paddington to Swansea leg. So the photo appears genuine - a brake tender in service early in 1977. 46003 was working Westbound, I presume that lots of other photos of this train are out there as the lines that day were packed with photographers waiting for D1023 and D1013. Neil

William Hornby magazine preorder page http://www.hornbymagazine.com/view_article.asp?id=7114 Or if you can't wait http://www.britanniapacific.co.uk/DieselBT.htm Neil

Just checked my logs yes 46 003 0900-1230 was seen on 26/2/77 at Bristol Parkway, so the date appears genuine. Neil

A couple this morning from Facebook to lighten what is in my opinion the most depressing week of the year! Neil

And in my quest to find the latest date a DBT was in traffic, this is a candidate, a copyright slide I've recently won on ebay. 46003 at Bristol Parkway on the day of the Western Tribute rail tour 26/2/77, I was the opposite side of the tracks that day. I was shocked to see this photo because 1. I was probably there at the moment this train passed and can't remember seeing it 2. It's the latest I've seen of a brake tender in traffic. Neil

The killer Greenfinch disease is Trichomonosis, a microscopic parasite. If it's suspected (i.e you see dead birds or suspected diseased birds) RSPB recommends temporarily ceasing feeding, or at the very least cleaning of feeders. http://www.rspb.org.uk/makeahomeforwildlife/advice/helpingbirds/health/sickbirds/greenfinches.aspx They are still present in South Devon, and their colours are already intensifying in preparation for the spring. I've also noticed a lower number of coal tits, and had thought they'd completely vanished but saw a solitary one in the garden between Xmas and the New Year. Neil

Indeed you can see the difference Rob, the Bachmann version has a squat central windscreen and the whole windscreen is raked back too steeply. Jim Smith-Wright was always banging on about this, the moulds clearly show what he means when compared directly. Neil

Some work the last weekend of the Xmas break, back to work tomorrow. Much of yesterday was spent repairing a damaged Vitrains 37 which had been won via ebay but had received an obvious heavy knock during transit. One of the lipped lugs that holds one of the bogies in place had sheared and necessitated a strip down and cementing in place with epoxy and leaving to set rock solid for a few hours. All reassembled and unit was as good as new. The ViTrains 37s have removable noses (like Bachmann 40s) and will make fitting the Shawplan resin replacements with buffer cowlings much simpler than the Lima bodies which need a razor saw cut. Two sets of resin noses were sprayed with white primer via an airbrush yesterday afternoon, and awaiting their warning yellow top coats. As an aside I am an avid collector of copyrighted slides of 1960s/1970s diesels (especially hydraulics) and other railway interests. Very recently there has been some superb slides appeared on ebay from that era, and I've won twenty slides (they are sold in batches of 5) in the past 24 hours. One in particular has astonished me - it's of 46 003 at Bristol Parkway on 26/2/77 - a day of infamy as it was the date of the Western Tribute rail tour - I was there across the other side of the tracks. I've yet to check my logs but look at the train - a later headcode modification class 46 (perhaps confirming the date, the first wasn't done until 1976) black grampus wagons (are they both? The leading wagon looks the wrong wheelbase?) and astonishingly a diesel brake tender. I do recall seeing them in service at Parkway, but don't remember this one, my log should prove I saw it. From my perspective this is latest date I've seen a brake tender in service. At least this will give me the identity of my forthcoming GBL peak conversion, and let's hope the Hornby magazine tender is a good one. Neil

Yes the 25/2 cabs would be a great seller, I'd have many pairs of them. Neil

Posted recently in the "changing face of Bristol thread" 31106 skinhead in well weathered banger blue approaches Bristol Bath road, early 1980s. A scene that is now just a memory. Neil

And to prime our chats here's a shot of the slave unit with some at least of the RT models kit fitted. Neil

Thanks Robbie for the PM. Robbie has mentioned inaccuracies in the RT models "slave" cab. I hope that we can have a conversation here about this and possible rectification. Neil

The master and slave units together. Still to be done is the respray of the RT models components to BR green, and then permanent coupling as per prototype. I will try fitting identical chips and run as a consist to start with to see how these run. Neil

Next up a bit more detail on the class 13 project. I've always liked the obscure classes, one-offs, (or as below three offs) that were specific to a location, and resulted in excursions to far off areas of the country to sight these rare species. The 01s at Holyhead breakwater, the lone 05 at Ryde IOW, and the three Tinsley sisters, the class 13s. With most BR diesels in my fleet now, a few obscure shunters are needed "for the set". Intrigued by the Olivia's trains class 13 offering I decided to give it a go. Spent the last couple of months accruing the required bits and pieces off the bay, including cheap Bachmann 08s. With the RT models class 13 kit bought, I settled on the Bachmann model as donor, although it is recommended to use the Hornby model. I'd plumped on 13 002 just after TOPS renumbering, so a pair of green outside framed, flush doored 08s were obtained. One was cheap because it "clicked", so always looking for a bargain I won it and decided a complete strip down would solve the problem. It was smothered in grease, but despite a lengthy clean up this did not resolve the problem, so further exploration into its innards was required. Basically the whole thing was dismantled (which it has to be in any case as I wanted it to be the donor for the slave unit), and I discovered the problem, a split nylon drive gear. A quick email to Bachmann's excellent service department and a replacement 08 wheelset is on its way to me, complete with yellow con rods- saving me a job painting the red ones that came with the model. First task is to remove the cab, and razor saw off the cab bulkhead, which having invested in a decent razor saw was a rapid job with very straight cut and minimum flash. It's all filed and sanded, and offered the etch to the body. For some reason the etch extends out beyond the compressor boxes beyond the former cab, and these will need gently filing back. The core components for the slave unit for 13 002, Bachy 08 and RT models steel backplate Attacked with Razor saw- pleased with first cut - patience is a virtue stop and check routinely that the cut is in line. This was easy as the guidelines were part of the Bachmann moulding. The source of the mysterious click - split nylon drive gear. An easy fix with replacement wheel set from Bachmann

I've been doing a bit of housekeeping this morning, especially looking at a workbench thread on a forum I used to post on. There is material there which for some reason I've not posted here, and will put that right. First is an addition from about nine months ago on the second tooling Bachmann 40 ( the blue split box variant). If you have not done this, it is must do to get effective running. The first release had pink non-conductive grease packed around the gear train which worked its way into the pick ups and gave errant running, it is a simple task to remove the keeper plate using a flat head screwdriver towards the fuel tank end of the bogie. The large amount of pinkish grease can be seen on the keeper plate. The excess grease was removed with tissue paper soaked in IPA and then the gear train similarly treated and then lubricated with conductive grease. A free running model then results. Both of my split box 40s have been so treated. Neil

Must say I'm looking forward to see what can be done with issue 24, the peak diesel, but spare chassis are likes hens teeth. Neil

Before that backdrop to locos entering Temple Meads to park or refuel on Bath Road vanishes forever , let's remember it in its Heyday. 31107 in the 1980s. Neil