SRman

I have the MR-104 green one pre-ordered too, and am really happy that it is in this shipment. As I stated earlier, I was under the impression it would be delayed because the shade of green was under review. Obviously it has all been sorted and approved, so I'll look forward to receiving mine in due course. One question: has anyone fitted a decoder yet? If so, what decoder did you use and how easy/difficult was it to fit? (OK, that was really three questions! Sorry about that!)

In part, I can sympathise and agree, but 35028 was the last one to be rebuilt, so has the latest time span in that condition, allowing it to run with BR(S) green coaches (or BR maroon ones, for that matter). I'm not sure if it wore the later crest on its tender - I can check my references but not right now. 35001 was also one of the last two or three to be rebuilt, but cannot legitimately be in BR green in the form Hornby is showing. It isn't all that difficult to remove the cabside numbers and the nameplates from Hornby locomotives, and while I don't want to do this with a brand spanking new model, I have done it before with a few of the rebuilt MNs from Hornby (I ended up with three Clan Lines at one stage, because of bargain offers I couldn't refuse!). Legend: I thought there was a blue one in the offing, but maybe it got cancelled or postponed. I would love a BR blue one myself, as I think that livery with white/black/white lining sat extremely well on the air-smoothed MNs.

I know we have had this discussion before, in other threads, but while "unrebuilt" (or "un-rebuilt") are not ideal terms, 1. we all know what is meant by them, and 2. "original" doesn't cut it when there were so many modifications and variations from the original Channel Packet as built originally! That said, I think maybe Hornby could refer to 21C1 as illustrated as "original", but that may not apply to some of the other "unrebuilt" versions they are to produce. I don't think there is any "perfect" terminology, given the nature of Bulleid's beasts!!

That looks incredible, Nick. I don't think my eyes would hold out in that scale!

Continuing with the brake van: I have added the brake shoes now, using the mouldings from the LNER wagon underframe kits. The shoes are moulded as part of a 'U' shaped piece. I had to thin the shoe mouldings a little with a file, and took crescent shaped chunks out of the base part of the mouldings to clear the wheels. I also had to remove the outer corners of the base moulding for the outer axles, to clear the underframe cross-members, while the centre axle had an off-centre cross-member near it, which necessitated cutting the 'U' shaped mouldings to form two 'L' shaped bits instead, with one 'L' having a much longer base leg than the other. None of this was difficult, it just took a little time and patience. The result, to date, then, is this:

Of gorse she is!

Just a couple of small changes have been made since the first part of this build. I have added the turned brass buffers (as per Simon0r's suggestion in his topic), and I have substituted some slightly larger diameter Hornby spoked wheels, which somehow look more spindly and archaic, and entirely suit the style and character of the SECR brake van, in my opinion. With these wheels it runs even more freely than with the Romfords. I suspect the Hornby axle length is a tiny fraction shorter and therefore has slightly less friction in the bearings. I have also removed the moulded gutter lines from the roof, although I have retained the moulded stove chimney, at least for the time being.

Good luck with yours. It's not too difficult, and the end result will be very rewarding. It looks like Simon has not just started the ball rolling, he's started an avalanche!

Inspired by Simon0r's two SECR 6-wheel brake vans converted from Parkside's MR 20 ton vans using LNER 10' wheelbase chassis (see http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/112617-buildingbodging-some-secr-brake-vans/), I have attempted my own version of the bodge. I only wanted to do one van, but as the conversion uses axleboxes cut from a second LNER wagon chassis, I had to order two of the LNER chassis, leaving me with a spare pair of axleboxes for possible future use. Simon cut four planks out of the MR van sides from the centre, but I wanted to retain the moulded rivet and bracket details, so cut two planks from either side of the centre section. Unlike Simon, I used the original MR chassis/floor moulding, shortened by a similar amount as the sides. In fact, I got it about half a millimetre longer, so bodged that by adding a section of microstrip at the non-verandah end of each side. I also wanted to do the earlier single verandah version (which would later be modified to two verandahs, but after the time period I wanted to represent). To this end, I cut the end door top and side but left the bottom in place at one end of each side, and shortened the roof to match. I filed a recess inside the solebars in the middle, and also filed the solebar thickness down for the extra axleboxes, so they could sit aligned with the outer axleboxes with the full thickness of the solebars intact. Once glued to the floor unit, it all becomes quite strong. I used Romford 12mm spoked wheels, which have no clearance problems with the chassis cross-members, although I prefer the appearance of the slightly larger wheels Simon used. I may try out some Hornby or Bachmann wheels gauge the effect later. Pictures of my progress to date follow. The roof is not glued on in any of these shots. I have added some lead weight to the floor and some rectangular fillets of plastic to fill the gaps between the solebar ends and the insides of the headstocks/buffer beams. A quick test revealed that the wheelbase is so short it will go around any of the tightest curves I can throw at it ... or throw it at. Whatever!

I remember driving through Arthurs Pass 30 years ago ... or rather, my then newly wedded wife was driving. THAT was scary!! We didn't get to Arthurs Pass this time (September last year for our 30th anniversary), but we have vowed that next time in NZ we'll take the Tranz-Alpin Express (I think that's the right spelling).

I'm not rightly sure if I'm in the market or not for this one. I rechassised an older Hornby model with one of their class 60 chassis and mechanisms. While not super-detailed, it runs superbly. The metal pantographs are horrible, though. Mine also has Howes' sound fitted. In the meantime, I do wish Dave well with this project. I may change my mind later as it is tempting. I'll leave you with yet another video clip; this is footage I took at Bromley South station in 1999, and there are two 92s running light engine in multiple running on third rail at the 0.57 second mark.

And a few more from today's track laying sessions. And one, just for fun, showing my Bachmann SECR C class 0-6-0 with a 17 wagon pre-grouping goods train on the viaducts along the front edge of the layout. I think that's my lot for today. I have a bit more work to do tidying up both the layout and the train room (not to mention the house), in preparation for the BRMA meeting I am hosting this Saturday.

Just a little more done this morning, straight after getting up. The tracks are only lightly pinned at the moment, to allow for adjustments when I test the clearances properly. Still more to go, but doing a bit at a time eventually gets the job done.

[Wiping tears of hysterical laughter from eyes!] No, Peter, it won't be running by next Saturday, but I hope it will be a little more presentable for then!

I have been laying a little more track in the fiddle yard of the upper level. It doesn't look like much, but this represents an afternoon's work! The two 4 CEP units were on the line to gauge the length I need for the two units plus an MLV.

M7 0-4-4T 30051 leads a train of modified ex-LSWR coaches and a van C, all in BR carmine livery, out of Newton Broadway LT station.

I received my four BR crimson coaches yesterday and ran them earlier today. I have formed the 2-car set 43 and, after a few initial photos, decided that they could be closer coupled. I used a couple of Kadee couplings with their dropper arms cut off, as the set will remain semi-permanently coupled and should have no need for any auto-uncoupling. First runs were with M7 0-4-4T 30051 and a van C. Kadees now fitted: ... and in formation after closer coupling, this time with the addition of a Maunsell open 3rd, with 700 class 0-6-0 30693 hauling the rake. And a couple of short video clips of the trains in action, firstly with 30051, then with 30693. 2 HAL units 2694 (still without its numbers applied) and 2639 can be seen passing in the opposite direction in the latter clip. All photos and videos were taken on my new phone, an HTC X9. I'm still trying to get the best out of the camera but need to read the manual to see if I can override some of the settings. As you can see, the current results are a mixed bag for quality and clarity.

I wonder if that might be an opening for Electra Railway Graphics to do some vinyl overlays.

I'll look forward to hearing it running and seeing the sound ... or summat like that! I'm glad you have been able to resolve the clicking and also the space problem, because I know how much you have been looking forward to getting this one.

My new Collectors' Club Horlick's wagon arrived in the mail yesterday. I hope you have chased one of these down, Doug.

I guess I'm used to having two browsers sided by side at work. Most of our school related programs run better on Chrome, but all of the Education department stuff only works properly on Internet Explorer. Even so, I'm not a huge fan of either browser!

Rick, have you tried an alternative browser? Recent changes to eBay's checkout have caused me problems with Kaspersky's 'Safe Money' extension combined with either Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge, refusing to actually pass on my logins to eBay or PayPal. Internet Explorer still works with 'Safe Money', so that has been my work-around for now. If that fails later (perhaps through updates), I will have to disable 'Safe Money' for the websites involved.

That should keep him off the streets for a while, then!

OK, Doug. You have nearly collected them all in a very short time. Once you have the whole collection, you'll have to move on to collecting something else, so-o-o-o ... what's next?

You silly person, you! That's the Isle of Sodor!