P.C.M

Hi Leon, The layout is looking great, It nice to see plenty going on in the yard. You have achieved a real sence of space and the senics look just right.B) Cheers Peter.

Hi Mark, The puddles on the dirt track look great. B) The whole layout is really coming together. Cheers Peter.

Hi Dave, Sorry to hear about you problem with superglue, I have had a few bad experiences with the stuff, the last time was refitting a nameplate. I now use PVA it dosen't stick as quick but seems to work really well. Hi Grimley, It was because they were not common down my way, I used to get bored of seeing Old Oak loco's and Crewe based machines on the cross countrys. Things did get better later in the 80s when the Up Wessex Scot from Poole to Glasgow used to produce a Scottish beast quite regularly, If I timed it right I could see it storm through Sway while i was doing my paper round. Cheers Peter.

Hi Arnie, I like the latest pics, lighting is something I need to do a bit more of on Llanbourne. I have always liked 45115 Apollo with its blue name, it was one of the last Peaks I saw in service, so might do a model one day. i have a model of 45150 but pre Tinsley name, I didn't know it had a black painted nameplate. I did the loco because of it having it's number on the front. Nice pics mirreles31. B) Cheers Peter.

Hi Dave, 47644 is a beast, I do like a Scottish duff with ploughs. Look forwards to seeing your flush window mk3, I am tempted with some Shawplan windows for my mk2 air cons. Have a look at Kier Hardy's website he's had a go at one and it looks great. Cheers Peter.

Hi Kevin, Like the latest pics,B)The Hamworthy steel brings back some memories. I finally got myself a copy of Modelrail with your layout article, some very nice pics and write up. Hope all goes well, and you have fun at Basingstoke. Cheers Peter.

Hi Andy, Superb pics,B) can't beat a bit of steam heat. Cheers Peter.

http://www.derbysulzers.com/25insideholyheadshed.jpg All this talk of sheds got me thinking, and yes it did hurt a bit. I was sure I had seen a pic of a class 25 parked out the back of Holyhead shed, I was also sure there were a few other pics of the shed. Well I found the site and in the section where I had seen the class 25 outside the shed was this pic, and look one road has no pit. Yaaay. The Derby Sulzer website has some great pics if you like 24s 25s and Peaks. Some great info aswell on workings etc.B) Cheers Peter.

Hi Ian, Thanks, thats some useful info,and I had forgotten about the 2d53 website, it was in my favorites a while back but must have lost it at some point. I have also found my OPC book 'Diesels and electrics on shed' vol 1 Midland region. There are some useful pics showing pits and walkways plus lots of shed clutter. Hopefully I will get out to the garage this week and crack on with the shed area, though it's a bit hot out there today. Hi Merf, I hadn't seen that site before, there are some great pics, it's nice to see the men who worked on the railway too. If you have any pics of around the Llandudno junction feel free to post them on here. Many thanks Cheers Peter.

Thanks Doug & Rick, I found a pic of a class 40 in the shed at Llandudno junction and there's no pit, just a slightly raised walkway. I think the shed was more used for coaching stock but it's good enough for me. What I will do is leave the old bit alone but put pits in the new bit and make it look like the long one is divided by a walkway where the board join is. Most of this will be out of view anyway as there will be a shed plonked on top, well when I get around to building it. Cheers Peter.

Hi Mark, I have three blue class 47s, they all started out as Bachmanns 47035 which did have the riveted windscreen and class 57 underframe tanks. And yes they all wobbled. The rivets were just filed off, the tanks were modified useing Pennine MCs thread on improving the Bachmann moulding. The wobble was fixed by glueing a bit of plasticard on the chassis each side of the bogie tower as it stops the bogie moving side to side, I only needed to do one end too, so was quite pleased with how it worked. I will take a pic for you as I probably haven't explained it that well. Cheers Peter.

Hi Arnie, 45113 looks great, looks like the NSE sticker on the front, nice touch.B) She looks good parked up with the others. How many more do you have to do? Cheers Peter.

Hi Jon, Hope you enjoy your Deltic Bash. Once again top work on the bufferbeam, and those last two pics, wow.B) I also think the Hornby pipes are a bit thin, but as Nick said the Shawplan pipes are pretty good I have used them on a few loco's. The recent Bachmann pipes that came with my class 47s were pretty good too, you might be able to get them as a spare. Also not sure when ETS started to be used, I am sure it was called it ETH in the 80s. Cheers Peter.

Hi Rick, I think that water looks superb the light and dark colours with the white water foam, spot on.B) B) Cheers Peter.

Hi all, I went out to the garage last night and made a start on where I want to extend the loco shed, it will hold 4 loco's when it's done which is still pretty small but better than a 2 loco shed. Problem is do all loco sheds have full length pits? As you can see from the pics I only added one on the old part so should I hack in another one. Another problem is the new bit goes over a board join, which would mean some major hacking or I make it look like a bridging section for fitters to walk over as I have seen that in a few pics. Any ideas? Any pics of Holyhead shed would be good too. Cheers Peter.

Thanks David. Cheers Peter.

Hi Grimley, Thanks for that, you do learn something everyday don't you. I think I have a pic of the back of the shed somewhere I will have a look for you. Cheers Peter.

Hi Dave, The shove duff looks great, B) The 4mm you made me laugh, but the mini you is missing a camera and note book. Cheers Peter.

Thanks mate, of out to the garage tonight might even get something done. CheersPeter.

Hi Grimley, You are making some good progress there, it will be great once you have the pits in permanently and weathered up, I think the rest will start to really come together, the buildings are looking good too. I noticed one of your class 60s has some sort of cover over the horns I haven't noticed that before. Did they some out with that or were they fitted later? Cheers Peter.

Well I did go and clean some track and have a bit of a running session, I also got out the tape measure and as Baldric would say " I have a cuning plan my lord" well something like that. My lack of backscenes has been on my mind for a while as has making the loco shed area just a tad bigger. I want to make the loco shed longer as it will look more realistic this means the office and staff area which was going to be on the back will now have to be on the side of the loco shed and at the back so I will make the board 10cm wider and redo the backscene. While I am at it I will also move the bus depot waiting room and if I can curve the senic board round and come across the back of the station building, This will make the pics looking down the layout better, as it will hide the garage door a bit. Anyway here is 45036, another old model done about 15 years ago though upgraded about 6 years ago. The old girl the last with headcode boxes has arrived with the FSO 07.55 1D32 from Manchester to Bangor I have this train booked for a class 45/1 but pretty much anything can turn up on it as it's a Summer only service. Loco's for extra services were sometimes quite scarce so anything spare could be chucked out to work the train. I know Bristol used to do this sometimes on some of their local passenger diagrams during the Summer. Cheers Peter.

Hi all, Thanks for your comments and help guys. Thanks Grimley, l was planning on cleaning away the cobwebs and cleaning the track so I could have a play. But if you send me a plane ticket I will be quite happy to help with Boxenby. Hi Larry & Merf, Thanks for the info on the Postal. I sometimes run a class 31 on passenger and thought I might be pushing things a bit for my time period but it's only by a few years. Hey Bro, 5 weeks and counting, I sometimes think I have too many loco's then see what others have and stop worrying. Yes the new ships do look a bit box like but still impressive. Thanks Pennine MC, I might try the slightly smaller wheels before having a go with a file as that's something I will almost certainly stuff up. Thanks Mark, The Hornby class 25 is one of two I have and are both over fifteen years old, and although not up to my more recent standards still get used, 25059 has two motors and the other a new 5 pole motor both run ok. Cheers Peter,

Nice one Larry, Don't think I have seen an old LMS TPO in blue grey before. I wonder how much longer they lasted. What was normal motive power for the postal train on the coast during 1986-7? I normally run a 31/4 or 47. Cheers Peter.

Hi Rick, Hope you are well, I am thinking of doing a meeting in March, 26th probably. If you are interested let me know. We went down to Rosebud pier, it's about the closest point. Cheers Peter.

Hi Scott, The plan was to get out there last night and tonight but last night we went down to watch the Queen Elizabeth cruise down the bay, she is one big ship. Its been quite warm here today and the Garage was bit oven like this evening so I didn't bother, maybe tomorrow. Enjoy playing trains at Kevs. A couple of 'Queen Elizabeth'. and one from the archives, One of my fairly new Bachmann 47s sits on shed, hopefully this year I will start building the loco shed just need to extend the track. Cheers Peter.