Robert Shrives

The MIR resin 121 got a bit of the black on - go round with a band and will use the IRM ends to fashion spray masks . The 104 got 4mm loco numbers but closer checking of pics show much smaller numbers used - the look coach sized numbers so I will scrape off first efforts, in back ground of 121 pic a case of two steps back, ho hum.

Bells on the way - I guess festive modelling you could say ! Wagons for them to sit on - SSM bogies on the way The To "spoil it all" a first pic of some seasonal build goodies from Leslie - 10 spoils to make a Hunslet sized train. Really sharp resin castings, next to no flash on main body parts. You can see the lead shot let into resin on chassis - it all adds weight. Selection of finer castings to slice out of carrier film and selection of rod and buffer heads chain and 6 pages of A5 instructions make a comprehensive package. As they are to run in a rake I will fashion couplings of a simple nature and only have kaydee gear on the ends - well that is the plan anyway. A quick book search showed the wagons most easily photoed from non door side ! But one found of the wagon in ballast use so a bit more to do to get my little grey cells around the door locks and operating gear to go along with the instructions. I guess more to follow..

Update 16/12 - got some transfers on . The Mk 1 got white stripes and glazed oneside. The two NIR coaches are the blue stripe and stripe with white edges - the Blue stripe is on MIR tinlet of NIR grey and the blue/white is on audi Ibis white which reflect images in research in books and web - open to comments. Top blue stripe decals a big thanks to Darius, test application as you can see Lima rib not fully removed and lower from Steve at Railtec.

price of progress , you cannot keep everything or the globe will top heavy and topple over ! A good find nevertheless and if the tatters do try hope the tranny flat bed can cope ...but unlikely.

I bet moving the stone block it was bolted on to was no fun. The internal crane in Minffordd goods shed/ exchange shed had top beaing block affixed to a roof truss lower member and a trunion block at floor level with a castiron shaft between the two, what as not expected was it was almost 4 feet longer running in hole in a stone block - which turned out to be two halves clamped around the shaft and were perhaps 5 X 3 X 3 foot - it took a five tone site loader to extract them. This took the reaction load of the crane and the top took bearing just a fraction. I would think the crane here was mounted on a good sized stone block. - If crane is going to preserved compared to being conserved the block is part of the story.

Good to see another 121 re-homed and settling in well! Really hope foot works out in the end - I guess you were hoping mad at one point, take care and stay safe.

Getting there - bogies and tank got black today just need to sort couplings, numbers and fixing body to the chassis and I might actually finish it.

Air brush set up today for NIR blue on two and black for 4 CIE coaches. As well as can be expected. Airfix, filler and grills, slight touch on left end and ends to sort but much better from 6 years ago. Silver Fox DBSO , when yellow on front done an MM headlight to add. The MIR blue looks ok on the Ibis white but lighter than 8911 on a ford ivory. I will have to re do the middle coaches to match the ivory - currently in BR Intercity beige. This one of the EGV shown earlier The etched grills are over size but now better placed, I will do in the super train livery as it will not emphasise the grills but black has gone on well. all the bobbly details of hinges and handles to add plus now got some roevac roof vents to glue on - hopefully a bit of exhaust grot will tone down the roof. Bill Bedford GSV based on the BCK batch with offset van doors.Based around a Triang overlength BG and will get Southern Pride B5 bogies but no rush it got the black today after perhaps a decade in a box.. A coach that was part done and of course inspired Mr Murphy to bring out rtr version ! This too has sat in a box for donkeys years but got a flashover of orange rattle a few days back and black gloss from airbrush after lunch today. Based on two airfix coaches and will benefit from correct roof vent positons and wheels ! but no rush is there.

Or the O71! https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lima-L149437-Irish-Class-201-Train-Pack-with-3-MK3-Coaches-CIE-Black-amp-Orange-/224177372782?nma=true&si ....recently on sale but looks like withdrawn from sale.

Crikey start the froth pumps !

On a better note 4 boxes of spoils turned up minutes ago from Parcel force - met the handler for first time of a least 6 IRM deliveries - wonders never cease. And to report a much better box and tightly packed with bubble sheet and card filler - Normal service from warehouse restored thanks to all involved after the ballasts and gypsums arrived in lacklustre packing. Good news in that the beet boxes and Bells containers from the wagons build now have wheels ! thanks Gents.

Sorry !! Just amazed at suddenly getting paperwork from the bunker ! Stay calm and drink tea ( other stronger beverages obvs available.)

That clears it up then ! Shopify info ahead of its self as it notes it is being packed - in China then !! I can calm down - if you want to cull this thread then do so to stop boiling of the froth ! Robert

Hi Well just in time to haul the Gypsums notice this morning from the Bunker that A class going to dispatch. Well a pleasant surprise and as always a big thanks to all involved. Robert

My N version took a lot of filling and a second one sits haunting me or perhaps taunting would be better. A fun build of something seen widely on the notwork. I look forward to progress.

Looking good - a slow correcting build can be more fun that a drops together. The gun should scare the local ducks on the pond! Not sure the research book will help much with this one. The wine should help iron out defects after a couple of glasses..

Well I realised with a bit of cleaning the etched Worsley bodies were heading towards painting - underframes need more to get ride height couplings and under gubbins fitted , bogies to be on the trailers some Bachmann spared B4 bogies I found in Cheltenham models last year - erratic supplies mean I do tend to buy to horde - not sure if it counts as panic buying! couple pics they had Precision paints single pack etch paint dusted over and the a coat of Halford`s Ford Ivory rattle can as a basis for doing the as delivered livery. I admit to having some plastic sides from Bratchell models to do another but they are still flat pack.

The MIR barrier wagon kit proved to have a generic ISO container and not the type on the Ammonia trains so I had what I thought would be redundant and built to use up a couple of hours between other jobs - you have to make your own domed ends but a dapol tank end or a resin / 3D print options out there. They sat unpainted until a few days ago when a chance viewing of some older footage on Utube I saw a bit of footage of the Foynes- Sligo fuel train and to my eye - a bingo moment so out came the matt black can. Given the coal container cannot be that hard a model ... If Mr Richard Roache is reading !! Another use for a 20 foot chassis.. 127 as back drop and a Dutch EGV that is in the thinking pot siding/ naught step pending grills Upside down chassis is a Mk2 EGV with MTK castings hopefully glued on .

some pics of what could be called progress ! Chassis modified to take new motor mount and as a futher upgrade chopped out most of the lima weight box - a Hornby traction weight in fuel tank and 90g in the old weight retainer - this will make a good mount for the PCB. If there is yes please makes searching easier in the future... R

Yes but it does still retain the "pizza cutter" wheels which are ok on code 100 track but code 75 and not a lot of cop. The conversion kits look good value and also trader does useful other bits like black tac cable retainer.

Well thanks gang ! 12 Gypsums collected from Post office today - I was posting some crimbo cards and it seemed rude not to drop in and check, Parcel farce (force) not helping with no advice of having to pick up but now I know the score I can work around.... ( 1st world problem of course! ) Wagons in boxed sleeves and traveled with out loss of any bits and bobs, loads a nice touch as well. Bank balance in self inflicted tatters but you only buy models once ! Robert

As a quick job while paint dried on a 450 body set I took the old lima trailer bogie apart to remove old wheels and fir some Bachmann 14mm wheels- of course this led to drilling a 0.8mm hole and fitting a bit of brass wire to make a shorting pin so one wheel and axle live - to work the pickup. The bogie is slightly upgraded as it has Lima fitted pickup strip bearing on two wheels to help pick up on the traction tyre fitted but with finer flanges and thinner wheels will need a further upgrade but at least half the chassis is basically upgraded (the easy bit of course!)

Well further musing this morning. The Hornby 66 spares I got from Peters spares arrived today. It raises the question on bogie sizes - the real 59 and 66 had same bogie wheel base at 13` 7" , but an quick web search does not throw up the 201 measurement. As it stand the 66 bogie does not fit the lima chassis without a bit of cutting Taking the MM201 I can see its bogies are shorter as well... so given that will be spot on back to the drawing board a bit perhaps. FWIW what prompted the 66 was the article in the December Rail Express -models section about upgrading the Hornby / Limby 66 with lights - £20 . The 59 lighting rig shown out of stock but of course has the family double headlamps - email sent about how suitable the 59 rig would be.

In UK attempts to "glitter" the unglitterable is the focus of image managers and consultants to keep the "wheels" of industry turning. calling 800 class Azumas leads to Motezumas revenge and the Hull trains fleet of unsuitable express trains are Paragons which of course nicely mutates to Parody... When Arriva departed the scene on the Welsh Railways the Transport for Wales controlling body spent more than few quid expunging the Arrivaimage with little bits of tape on trains and with wide vinyl tape on station signs - and really badly applied in the Cambrian coast stations I passed. Now the signs got another layer when Transport for Wales decided on an image, which might have been an omen as recently TfW has dumped Serco and taken line operation underdirect rule - same managers of course many ex Arriva employees who were slated for not running brewery tours very well.... Thus all this needs expensive publicity and imaging campaigns while the public want a safe on time arrival and at best a seat with fares as cheap as possible. I feel sorry for Ireland if the same manics are now steering your railways!!

So true, my S&T friends like to tell me but the concept of : one train in one section at one time. is beautifully simple. It is just the doing of it and ensuring should anything fail accidents are avoided that exercises the gods of complexity and record keeping ! Modern signalling allowing for improved braking and increased traffic volumes also means giving drivers route information as well as speed/ braking advice. The increase in speeds on a fixed sized network also means drivers at more risk of simple human errors so now signalling includes warning devices for drivers to manage and at best stop the train with full service or emergency braking at many signals that protect potential conflicts. It is quite an overlay of subsystems - The graphic of Swiss cheese is often used to describe the still imperfect state and that if all the cheese holes line up then incidents occur. It has overtime grown and now many holes are down to the most imperfect beast - the human. The Stanley Hall series of books on railway safety are a good place to start. You can ask signalling engineers but of course they speak in tongues! and want to keep the naughty boys out of the grail!! Robert