P.C.M

Hi Larry, Nice one, were was that going, to an open day or some such. Cheers Peter,

Thanks Gary, $199 does'nt seem to bad, I will have to have a think about your offer on the Lenz set. Cheers Peter,

Hi Leon, The layout is looking great, you really have an eye for detail and the track colour looks spot on, though I am not sure about that red loco. I bought myself some grass tufts but I think I have the smaller ones James mentioned, I stuck a heap down then removed some. I think some times less is more if you know what I mean. Maybe add some smaller tufts and remove some of the bigger ones. Your depot area is comming along nicely and the fuel tanks look great but a wall around them would be good. I made mine from plasticard with Slaters brick glued to the sides. Cheers Peter,

Yes but Doug, the force in strong in me. Unless as you say a system comes up cheap on ebay. As for older locos I don't really have many left, I sold most on ebay. Cheers Peter,

Thanks Mark, I have been out in the garage this week playing trains, so thought I should take a few pics I am really happy with my 47 and my 25095 with sound chip has been getting a work out. I think a sound chip for a 33 is on the cards but it will have to wait as will the DCC. Once I have the stock I need and the layout more finished I will look into it, plus I do have a few O gauge plans. I finally remembered to scan class 47975 for you, taken at the North end of Preston. Oct 1990. Cheers Peter,

Hi Bro, Slowly, you are not wrong there, I really need to pull my finger out and get some locos done I have to many sat in boxes. Glad to hear you have made a start in the study, M.O.D sounds good. I am sure if you start a thread you will get plenty of help. Cheers Peter,

I think the 26 would sound good depends on what you already have. Cheers Peter,

Hi Alex, Looking good, I can just imagine a Peak inside the shed looking up at the roof in the background , nice. Just a thought on access to the shed, would it be possable to lift the whole building or put a hinge down one side. You could lift it up like a car bonnet. Cheers Peter,

You lot, stop ganging up on me, I will happen one day. I do have one sound loco that will do me for know.A Crompton and a Peak would be good though. Cheers Peter,

Thanks Jeff, Sounds cheaper than going DCC, I will have to look into that. Cheers Peter,

Hi Dave, Unless I can get the 37 to speed up or even slow the Heljan 33 down, it looks like DCC is the way to go. Just can't afford it. I would be nice if Bachmann took the Heljan idea of locos without names and numbers, I could buy a few more. As you say though Dave your Heljan 47s do a good job, they look pretty good to me. Here is a pic of47418 on the workbench still plenty to do. Cheers Peter,

No worries Grimley, I am thinking of getting the Inter-City 47 next, I just need to get some cash. Cheers Peter,

It would be rude not too. Everytime SRman comes down here he brings one of his 33's with sound, he knows they are one of my favourite locos. Cheers Peter,

Well! Mr smarty pants, I have a Bachmann 25095 with sound chip and it works fine on DC. Only because SRman changed it for me though. I must say it's an absolute Beast. Cheers Peter,

Hi Flood, That looks great, you certainly deserve a rest, top stuff. I see you have done a BG with white line, I did an old Replica one a while back, just adds to the variety, Nice. Cheers Peter,

Not what I wanted to hear. I reckon I could have put money on someone saying that DCC would be the go. Cheers Peter,

A couple more. Cheers Peter,

Here are a couple of pictures for you, I am really happy with the 47, though wish Bachmann had done a loco without the flush front both ends. One end would have been better as I would have bought a few more. Anyway for now I am happy to keep 47535 the same number, though I will do a few mods, like remove arieals and cut back the bufferbeam cowling, which I have done on my 47418 currently on the workbench, some extra detail on the underframe should just about do it. One problem with playing trains this week was when double heading my Heljan 33 with a Bachmann 37, the 37 runs at a much lower speed than the 33, is there a way I can speed up the 37? Cheers Peter

Hi Doug, Ok so you are doing it as a 37/4, cool. It would'nt suprise if 37/4s and 47 were used with the ETHEL's, I think once the 37/4 started to arrive the ETHEL's would have been used for other things. Look forwards to seeing the ETHEL sprayed up and finished. I will dig out some info on 37/4s if you like. Cheers Peter,

Hi Doug, Looks like you have got the spraying sorted, very nice. What number are you going to do the 37 ? reason I ask is because you have said you are doing an ETHEL, which makes me think you are not doing the 37 a 37/4 which I think you would be better to do, as the railfreight loco looks like it is a refurbished one which would have different nose side grilles to a standard 37. A 37/4 has the same grille set up as a 37/6 so would be a better choice. Just thought you ought to know, this may not bother you and it's your layout, but if you found out after you had renumbered it you might be just a little peeved. hope I haven't totally confused you. Cheers Peter,

Hi Keith, Yes it was a good day, I have been out playing the last few nights, my sound 25 has been getting used on everything, and a Bachmann large logo 47 turned up yesterday. It's a great model I will post a few pics later in the week. Cheers Peter,

Hi Gary, I will PM you some dates, a few other people couldn't make it down so I am going to do another meeting later in the year. Cheers Peter,

Hi Kevin, I have had a look for the date of the pic but can't find it, I would have been about 1985. It was quite unusual to a Slim down our way though 33208 worked interegionals for a couple of days during May 85. We were more used to seeing the Pushers. As for frost we do get a bit, but nothing like over there it's normally gone by 8 O'clock. Northern parts of Victoria get it pretty bad though. Keep the pics coming not bored yet. Cheers Peter,

Hi Jeff, Glad you had a good day, Simon built the Clayton I think its a Dave Alexander kit. I think he has done a great job unfortunately it's not a good runner. A couple more pics showing the extension, and control panel. Cheers Peter,

Here are a few pics from yesterday, about 20 people turned up and the layout ran quite well even the new section. SRman bought a number of locos with sound which he changed so that they could run on my old DC set up, I managed to get a pic of his 33/1 and 24 which sound great and the CIG looks good too. SRman also rethinged my 25095 so I now have a sound loco of my own. A Wren Sir Nigel kettle thing also showed up along with a friends kit built class 17 and 37 with ploughs each end. Cheers Peter,