P.C.M

Hi Jon, I am gutted for you mate, and understand what must be going through your mind, as yes it's happen'd to me. You spend hours on a model only to fail at the last thing. I won't carry on about what I did, but you will find it happen's to everyone at some point. I think stripping the paint may be the way to go but I would try T cut and see if you can't cut back the paint and get a better finish failing that, If you are worried about bits falling off when you strip the body try using thinners on a cotton bud if the paint hasn't fully hardened you mat get a fair bit off. When you come to repaint the body as I am sure you will in the next few weeks, try railmatch as the others have said it is pretty good. The other thing I would try is use matt paint. I can understand why you used gloss as you want to add waterslide transfers and need to hide the carrier film. I use Replica rub on numbers data panels and double arrows, they can be a pain to get straight but using masking tape to give you a straight line to work from really helps, If you stuff one up just rub it off a try another one. You can then varnish the model and you are done. Hope this has been of some help. Cheers Peter.

Thanks Alex, There is a bit of a path for the spotters, it would be rude not to have put one in. I painted the posts today and have added a bit more green stuff. Cheers Peter.

I took some of the factory weathering off my Modelzone brake van last night and it looks a lot better. Also put up and started to paint the fence that runs past the loco shed. Cheers Peter.

I can't justify it either but I got one anyway. My blue one was feeling a bit lonely. Cheers Peter.

Thanks Trev, I had a look at your pics on frickr, thought you might like 33018. I will have to dig out one of 33046 for you. Cheers Peter.

Hi Alex, The wheel lathe looks great, and I bet you are well happy with the Peak, you just need a few more now. Cheers Peter.

Hi Mark, Good luck with the house move, look forwards to seeing more updates when you are sorted. Cheers Peter.

Thanks Trev, pleased you like the thread, and glad to hear 33201 is still with us. I nearly modelled that one as I have a few pics of the old girl but went for 33202 as I have a pic of it on the North Wales Coast. I see you have 33018 I think for a time that was my highest mileage 33/0, I used to see it everywhere. Cheers Peter.

No worries. Re your duff, duff I contacted their spares department and they said they would send the bits over. Not received anything yet though. Might be worth a try as you are missing the detail pack with all the handrails etc. Cheers Peter.

Hi Rick, OMG small world, thanks for the Gen on what went on that day. I do remember some but you have filled in the gaps. By the time we were stopped on the branch our group were all fairly well pi55ed, we weren't sure if we were in the tunnel as it was dark outside, an empty beer can lobbed out of the window confirmed that we were stuck in the tunnel. I am not sure we got home either if we were running that late. What is really bizarre is one of my friends from that day was over here last week. He arrived in Perth and did the Indian Pacific then the Overland to Melbourne. One of the reasons for his visit was a gig Friday night that we both went too. We had some spare time so popped into Southern Cross hence the pic of the A class. Now what is really weird is on the platform was another guy taking a pic of the train, I started to chat to him and he was over from the UK, next thing is he recognises my mate from doing railtours back in the day. Not a fan of the new liv, I think they looked better orange and grey. Meeting this Saturday if you are interested. Cheers Peter.

Thanks Scott, here are the pics, Cheers Peter.

I have been working on a few wagons in the last few weeks and a couple more Sealions ready for weathering along with an old Airfix brake van that I have changed from a rail freight grey and red to a grey and yellow departmental ZTO. I have a Bachmann railfreight grey and red one on the workbench at the moment along with a Modelzone limited edition CAR that arrived last week. I quite like a brake van and when I saw the Modelzone model I just had to get it. I realised the other day that I haven't really played trains since April so started to clean the track. I managed to give 25904 a bit of a run but haven't really had time since then. I have had a couple of busy weekends so time has been a bit short. I did get a nice pic of two Australian A class at Southern Cross on Friday though. Not sure how to post pics, so will add a few later when I work it out. Cheers Peter.

I have painted the new steps on 33026, I also had a parcel arrive yesterday with some bits to finish 47561 so they were fitted and painted tonight. It was only bits for one bogie, but it was bugging me that they were missing. Cheers Peter.

Hi Mark, Thanks, I know you like your class 31s, I still have another blue one to do plus re chassis a Lima railfreight one I did years ago. Petes etches are good I painted the steps on the Crompton last night and they look great. I need to paint the bins but I am not sure what colour to do them at the moment. I am getting some spare parts for the Vitrains 47 too. They were quite happy to send some out. Cheers Peter.

Thanks Jamie, Yes those were the days. Here are a couple of real ones for you, some of my favouite locos. Cheers Peter.

Hi Neil, Yes I think you are right the loco moves about and bits fall off. I will see if I can get some spares other wise I will glue mine back together though I have found some buffers in my parts box, I think the Vitrains ones are to small anyway. Cheers Peter.

Thanks Phil, I modelled an open door on one of my Lima 20s which was a pain to do some glueing the class 31s door open was a piece of cake. Cheers Peter.

Hi Leon, Thanks mate, The Vitrains 47 is going to need a bit of work but for the price 49.00 Quid I think it's a good model. The price when they first can out put me off as the Bachmann ones were due out about the same time and were going to be cheaper. I even pick up a few blue ones for 35.00 Quid, so I went with the Bachmann ones to start with. The problem with the Bachmann model is that the only Large Logo loco they have done ( not including all the limited edition ones) has the flush cab ends at both ends. The Vitrains 47401 is a good starting point for quite a few Large Logo locos so I thought I would give it a go. I have already had a little go at removing the numbers as I has heard they were hard to do, I used some T cut and very fine Wet & Dry and very carefully rubbed over the number, it seemed to work quite well but I have only done part of one number. Hopefully a repaint wont be needed, though I think the roof will need painting once I have removed the aerial and replaced the fan grilles. Cheers Peter.

No worries, gald the Shark ones got used. Cheers Peter.

Hi Leon, Those spotlights make a difference.B) I had a look at my VItrains 37 and it seems they only pick up from the outside wheel sets as opposed to the Bachmann and Hornby which pick up from all wheels. Adding a pick up to the centre wheels looks doable, maybe give the backs of the wheels where the pick up are a bit of a clean. I haven't had ant trouble with my locos on my points. Are yours insulfrog or electrofrog? as that would cause a problem the insulfrogs have a dead section. If the blades aren't going over hard enough you can push the spring housing towards the tie bar which will help push the blade over. I clean the inside of the rail and point blade with a bit of turps on a cotton bud, or maybe try a bit of fine Wet & Dry and give it a rub. you may have managed to get some paint in there. Cheers Peter.

Hi Jeff, I have some transfers for your Grampus if you want them. Cheers Peter.

Hi All, I have been working on some Pete Harvey etches, I started with the depot bins which got better as I went along though I did manage to loose one of the legs. Next up were the steps for a clas 33. Some Cromptons have the bogie steps with the holes down the side and my 33026 was one of these. Some Cromptons have a mix of both. I am a bit out of practise with my soldering so doing the bins first prepared me for the steps, though they weren't too bad and went together really well, my first one wasn't as good as the others and I did manage to burn my fingers and have a bad case of Tourettes but they are now on the loco and look pretty good. My first Vitrains class 47 arrived this week the buffers were broken one end and some brake gear is missing from one bogie. Apart from that I think it looks ok and it does run quite well. Plan is to make this 47617 though buildings and more senics have to be done first. Cheers Peter.

Hi Keith, Sorry must have missed this post, thanks mate still more to do but I am happy with how it's looking. Cheers Peter.

Hi Alex, I can fit the GTI in next month if you want to post it over. Cheers Peter.

Hi Mark, 37261 looks at home but then it should being an ex Inverness based beast. End to end layout do tell more, is this the Cumbrian one you have been talking about. Are you going to have more room in the new house? Hi Pete, whats the go with painting the fronts of the baseboard? I recently done some work on Llanbourne and need to paint the front again. It was grey but I was thinking of having a change I was thinking black. What do we think boys. Cheers Peter.