P.C.M

Hi Mate, They are Ratio kits. I can't remember the part number but you can build a few from it. Some I did as per instructions others I changed to suit my needs. I am not totally sure if I have done done them correctly but they look ok. They need handrails and could do with some finer MSE arms. Cheers Peter.

Hi Alex, Thanks for the pics. Merf has some superb stuff on his Flickr site. Plenty of North Wales shots. Not sure why someone has disagreed with your post though. Cheers Peter

You have my full attention. Do tell. The only 7 mm Peak that looks any good is the JLTRT model and they an't cheap. Cheers Peter.

Thanks Alan, Work has stopped on the layout at the moment though. Mainly because I have been playing. Cheers Peter.

Thanks Micky, Some bits look better than others, but I am often asked if it's code 75. Cheers Peter.

Thanks Dave, I do have a couple of Scotrail branded coaches, they did escape from Scotland now and then. A Scotrail class 47 on test. I might be able to help you out there. Cheers Peter.

Hi Glenn, Should be 4 of us coming up Saturday, looking forwards to seeing what you have been up too. PM me your new address or is it in the new members list? See you Saturday, Cheers Peter.

I was thinking you would have started one by now. Cheers Peter.

One reason for going DCC was so I could run a Heljan class 33 with a Bachmann class 37. On DC they just wouldn't run together as the Heljan loco's needed more power to move and the Bachmann Loco would sit there spinning. 37693 is on test with 33202 on a Crewe- Llanbourne working. 45036 is on a relief and working down the branch. Cheers Peter.

Hi Alan, I had quite a fleet of Lima loco's but have sold them off over the years and replaced them with newer better models. I still have a few left that sit in a display case, some others I have replaced the chassis. So far I have a pair of Lima class 20s one dummy and one powered by a Bachmann chassis the Lima class 31 I have mentioned and a Lima class 40 with Bachmann chassis. You can pick up old type Bachmann Peaks quite cheap and the Mainline body clips on. The chassis are pretty good. I think the Heljan class 17s were all sorted so buying one now should be ok. Cheers Peter.

Thanks Alex, Yes that Blue class 37 is hard to get. I picked one up over here for $200.00 from a model shop selling on ebay. I have another class 31 to do and would like a red stripe one at some point. Cheers Peter.

Thanks Jeff, I have two sugar cube speakers in my class 33 which are 8 ohm so that would explain why that sounds good. Cheers Peter.

Excellent work on the coaches Brian, I am almost tempted to buy a couple. I will have to wait and see what the Inter City livery is like. Cheers Peter.

Thanks Dave, I will get around to ordering a couple 4 ohm base speakers this week. Cheers Peter.

Hi Alan, Heljan had a problem with a batch of class 47s too. If you can pick up a Hornby chassis cheap it's well worth it to use your Lima body. I think the Airfix class 31 is pretty good too so why not put a Hornby chassis under it. Good luck with finding some class 31s and 37s. What other loco's are you thinking of getting? Cheers Peter.

No worries Lee. Thanks, Cheers Peter.

Hi Marcus, Welcome to the thread. I did a few class 37s on the Coast in the 90s before coming over to Oz. I only did a couple of trips in the 80s really wish I had done more. I do remember seeing 37408 on one of my last trips which only months before I had seen at Weymouth. Then a few months after seeing it at Llandudno I rode behind 37408 from Inverness to Kyle. Cheers Peter.

A few more while I am in the mood. Cheers Peter.

I have seen a few pics of class 33s with black ploughs late 70s early 80s. I think it was just the colour at that point. 33111 is a beast It was one of my favourite Pushers back in the day and it was good to get some haulage on the loco back in May. Cheers Peter.

I have been looking at speakers. Whats better 4 or 8 ohm? Cheers Peter.

Hi Rick, Just been catching up. The station is looking great, the new lights look pretty good too. I noticed the yellow panel on your disc class 22 goes up to a point under the lamp bracket, never noticed that before. Cheers Peter.

Happy to help Alan, Hornby have released a number of ex Lima loco's under their Railroad range. classes 20 31 33 37 40 and 47. They have been fitted with a better motor though which is a lot smoother and better at slow speed. I have two fitted to my Lima 101s and they are quite good though a bit noisy running on DCC. I did buy a cheap Railroad class 47 to repower one of my Lima class 47s and it did seem to run ok but still had too much of a wobble on some of my dodgy point work so I sold it on. My class 47 fleet is all Bachmann now apart from a nonpowered Lima loco. Pitty you didn't take many pics they would be good to see. I wish I had taken more. Kier Hardy built Wibbdenshaw which looks superb. His website has pics of that and his new layout, which is also great plus a few other very nice layouts. plus a workbench section showing new stock and whats been done to them including useing the Hornby motor bogies under a Lima class 31. The best running class 31 is by Hornby and is a fairly new molding. But some of the early batch had dodgy metal chassis that swell up and break. A lot of people also think the Lima body is a better molding and captures the look better than Hornby newer body. I think the Hornby body is ok though and I have two blue ones which I pick up for 45.00 quid which was a bargain, even back then. I also have a Lima Body with Hornby power bogies and motor. James Wells did a thread on here and I had a go myself. I already had a repainted Lima class 31 which I had detailed and picked up a chassis with dodgy metal and stripped it for parts. Cheers Peter.

37284 shares the platform with a 101.

Thanks Jeff, I have used DCC supplies before, forgot about them. I used Peter's spares too so will have a look. Cheers Peter.

Hi Alan, Some of the Welsh 37s kept their frost grilles until quite late, I think most regions just removed them. I think it was the same with the class 40s, where some regions kept them on and others took them off. Your day out down South sounds pretty good, I only ever saw a class 33 at Crewe the once and my photo didn't come out. :0( You would have seen plenty of class 37s though, Remember Severn Tunnel Junction with the long lines of 37s. Unfortunately starting to buy 00 stuff now is going to cost you a bit as prices have recently gone up. Meaning that second hand prices have gone up a bit too. My 37s are the Bachmann model. 37284 started out as sound fitted model so cost me about 145.00 pound you might be able to find a blue one with sound removed but Bachmann haven't done this model or any other blue ones like this for a while so finding this model or a Split box one in blue which was a later release and also only came out with sound could be a bit hard. Keep an eye on the for sale section. I pick up a cheap split box 37 in dutch livery which I will repaint at some point so you can find the models, Ebay is worth a look. I thought the Lima 37s were ok but as you say they don't run the best. I don't know what Hornby have in their range but in the railroad range they have some cheaper loco's which are ex Lima models which have a newer and much smoother motor unit. It might be worth trying to remotor one of you old Lima models. Check out www.emgauge70s.co.uk Kier Hardy has done this on some of his Lima models. Hope that helps, Cheers Peter.