Robert Shrives

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

Hi not entirely helpful but I guess when the rust won!

Hi "UM" is up main route, routes to 299 signal - which then has a theatre display for 5 routes ( plats 4 - 8 256 signal you picture has 5 routes available so a few more to see yet ! I guess the only platform no it can show is 10 as it "reads towards" other signals for the platforms but the diagram in the IIRS journal I have shows it routes to down main. Up branch and middle road last two are towards the tunnel. The green suggests 299 signal protecting platform is showing a single yellow and a platform. This will be a yellow as it is reading towards the buffer stop fixed red- effectively an unnumbered signal. Robert

The two steps back one forward this morning, my yellow offering to the 80 gods is the wrong shell it is 752 but this got some differing mods when converted from loco hauled to demu stock - the passenger door at leading end got BR suburban style small vertical windows - same on BR 310 / 312 stock- which was handy as Southern pride had a end of line brass 310 body set. " Just a case of letting in" a bit of brass into the bodyside ! More later hopefully but morning taken up with more 5408 spraying - happy now and the earlier buffet mods have has primer and second filling sessions. Stripped paint of 5 shells ready for 80 class or gen brake works and cleaned off the EGV with the paint runs and wrong black stripe. It was a good job as shell is hardly clean and I think any masking tape use would have caused disaster. The other sandite prep task this morning a bit of a scaling fudge as I have used Southern pride bogie inner mouldings at 8`6" to hold the MIR resin MK6 ish bogie frames and now as Darius spotted on his 80 build the cast bogie sides are bomb proof thickness so these have had 1.5mm sawn of back by hand .. labourious but first one matches the thinner resin version. I plan ( strong words sorry ! ) that the two yellow power cars on the sandite will be dummies so using the Southern pride bogies does mean free wheeling vehicles, the powered one will be in the 3000 style body at least only have to paint one!

True who would be a storesman ! Great without the public wanting stuff and the other staff . Stores run perfectly Sunday night with lights out and nobody in ! Thanks for getting stuff back out quickly and of course it helps the cash flow for developing the next project

Good to see , I do wonder how you keep finding these extras - I guess the Warehouse is that large even the automated pickers miss things or is that with no lighting in the rear part of the east wing ( haunted and nobody likes going there) that some brave soul ( red tee shirt!) is sent on a mission and the surviving ones make it to the bridge with a box or two.... I am sure they will fly off esp the empties having come to light after I cut the food budget and sold my left leg to get the blackish Friday sale offer - which was very good. regards and getting coat .. Robert

What I have found is that airfix bogies and triang B4 and Southerpride B5 all take peter spares PS108 12.6mm wheels on 25.6 long axles a dream. PS33 out of stock which do lima bogies but expected soon Fitting Kaydee no 5s to lima chassis I found these really good https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fast-delivery-M1-4-x8mm-20-off-Truss-head-Phillips-Nickel-plated-selftap-screw/3242478 and ordered 40 more just now along with some others for stock.

Hi A while back RoS tried the same with me and a quick conversation got an apology and refund on one item as a good will gesture. Hattons before Trunking did same when two packers send individual parcels on same day.

This is 5408 again after makeover no xx! Dealt with etch end gaps - nearly and filled the gutter gap which was very obvious. A primer and orange but on very close inspection the end joins still open up little. Close up of end of EGV showing tomix exhausts. The etch sort of provides for the foot steps - but the end slots only half etched - a few careful dremel cuts and scoring of etch with hook bladed scorer and these folded out, fractionally short but certainly better than nothing. Of course this left a gap in the body shell, 30 thou strong back visible on other side and a bit cut to fill slot. I was quite pleased with this improvement. Clearly "kit" had no instructions by this stage - if ever. RSS1800 in UK money or 546 in the NIR version of the pound! A Lima Air con MK2D as donor. Windows blanked and filler applied several times hopefully the last as a couple of joins refuse to die! Another old age mod going back three many years! But with annual leave and long weekends of work giving 21 days away from the real one allows quite a bash. finally 548 the NIR version of the TSOT. It did occur how close the RR blue was to NIR bumble bee blue, it would be possible just to slap on a decal - but for that lovely feature of a lima coach the rasied bead used to form the white"line" in banger blue liveries for the printing process.- Tampo printing moved on so far now not required, a few minutes per side with a scaple blade used vertically to scrape -and does not dig in soon removes the "feature!" Window hole filed square to make blanking easier. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Window-Fillers-for-Bachmann-OO-scale-Mk1-Coach-conversions/233776130 But these might be adaptable - MK 2 air cons also available certainly useful for GSV conversions! before the boys do one - as it were! On the bench for later are 8 lima mK2 floor pans to get Kaydees fitted , two pads 10x12mm centrally behind buffer beam, slight scrape of bottom of beam on central 12mm and a second overlaying pad makes mounting - I got some "truss head" self tappers to provide a mechanical anchor for the No5 but it could be glued. Should say of course pads are 1.5mm thick. No 5 coupling stash to take a hammering later. I plan that when a chassis gets allocated to a body then any undergubbins can be added as required.

Hi Hattons advised 127 on its way. Robert

Had a chance to progess some more with thanks to the info from members of the forum. NIR 8911 roof vents, side grills and roof holes this built up on an older airfix MK 2D BSO with roof hatch removed, side grills are BR class 37 refurb nose grills chopped about a bit , the round grill is an N gauge class 47 roof etch , long grill has been glued on for a long time and I think was from A1 models Model from the ark - yes I have two of them ! MTK brass etch, plasticard roof hatch as etched item was armour plate thick but made a template for roof lift lugs- Mine not totally identical but having seen pic of tortured ones they pass ok. Top air intake had some fine mesh bought a model boat show. The Exhaust elbows exercised the mind and electrons but in end a light bulb moment got me to tomix N gauge sprue from a lorry. - it had 2.5mm dia sprue with nicely moulded elbows. I also cut and bent out door steps and infilled resulting slots with thinish plasticard from offcuts box - but strong backed with a 30 thou evergreen strip . All that is missing are the roe-vac roof vents - on order from Southern pride models. Both models to same condition. A set of three NIR Mk 2s in various states of experimentation Decals from Darius on the SO - blue no white line on Halfords ford pale grey. The Gen brake is an early model and flawed with a door missing - the haste of youth shell mods over a decade in the making. Painted in precison NIR coach grey with Railtec Enterprise livery - white edges, available as shown or with coach numbers already added. The top coach one of the NIR second hand buys ex FK into SO painted in Halford Audi Ibis white - which is just slightly off white and matches the coaches when photo`ed in bright sun . I think this is easily the best and being an acrylic is easy and safer to apply to the enamels. It might be close enough for bumble bee livery. several rattle cans of blue to try. And finally a can you guess what it is yet picture - a late yesterday cut and hakcenbash to start of window blanks. The real one is preserved as more than a hint. It was a bit of a shock yesterday to realise I had done something to 12 body shells. For those who recall the Vic Berry coaches for scrap stack the bench when tidied and bodies stacked. I did think well ok on the lids what about the wheels etc. So this morning dug out chassis some had lima wheels out and Peters spares 12.6mm coach wheels on lima length 24.5 mm axles code is PS 34 but out of stock - some inbound from China Peter reported last week. Kaydee No5s built up and plasticard packers used to test height and spacing. No glazing at the mo but some Eastern Finecast vaccumm formed packs to hand and for suitable ones some shawplan lazer glaze in bags, but I guess these will not get used for a while.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/184557747209?_trksid=p2471758.m4703, two tanktainers ? £26 first bid - private listing of first bidder... Two plastic tanks or a weeks shopping for me, crikey! Yes a jeep would work for me too. Revolution trains/ Rapdio have announced an N gauge class 28 co-bo diesel nodoubt the Crossley sound effects might have a crossover?! It shows that despite small market size a loco that in reality was a bit of a duffer has "underdog sympathy" and as it spanned the transition era it increases market pick up. 3D printing has moved on in leaps and bounds in 3mm scale Lenny Sweeny has this among others. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CLASS-59-GM-Freight-Loco-3MM-SCALE/124442350241?hash=item1cf95792. They are created on his home printer and are amazingly good. Almost layer free and with a wash and dry in a cream abrasive cleaner to de grease are ready to paint. I would think with good drawings a Jeep to fit say a Bachmann Fairburn 2-6-4 chassis more than achievable. I have said at Warley show over last few years that 3D prints make for variation not cost saving and this will continue for a while longer as it is the chassis that costs to buy. Robert

https://www.flickr.com/photos/10152260@N05/48096962126/in/album-72157708799760341/ Well just proving if you wait long enough or look hard enough the web will produce. Link above shows at bi door cement pallet with door and chain attachments in lovely clarity. Hope this might be of use to folk else where - I thin a small and I mean small split pin drilled into the resin door will give a reasonable looking anchor point. Robert

Yes, Two of the box shifting big boys Hattons and Rails of Sheffield have both been shunned by major manufacturers in recent times - with items delisted and press releases from the shops. This may be due factors beyond pricing- the introduction of own label models with overlap could be seen as a likely cause. Smaller traders with own label production not affected. And works the other way with Revolution models - a two man band having an O gauge commission from Heljan - but remain to see how packaging badged. On the subject of packaging my Ballasts were in a suitable sized box, and that was it. However I notice that for the collectors wanting "mint" packaging the green box had a rigid plastic sleeve outer. - great for free glazing thanks! but apart from shock damage this will protect product in transit. I would have thought screwed Dublin newspaper could be an answer - if, like in Brum the public transport is awash with a free rag paper every day (skool kids act like gerbils to make bedding !- pet hate.) and keep costs down. My friends at Dapol once described the " first floor test" - N model in packaging and jewel case and card sleeve is thrown off fire escape and then packaging and model tested. Fancy that with a 121 anybody! Robert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEdTLVLIgp0 FWIW .....

Ballast pack A arrived today, and very good they are too , off to be fitted with Kadyees. Thanks gents Robert

yes that is it in one ! I recon that if I make the three yellow unpowered and use the "facelifted" one as the powered - I can use that for two consists. Following on the good works on some on here I will chop up coaches for these vehicles nad keep the NIR etches for passenger sets . Lots of bright idea plans once wagon fleet is progressed and the crate stored away.

Today started well with a tidy up and I thought it will not take long to finish some long outstanding coaches. Several diversions along the way and this was all that got done. Bill Beford sides let into a lima mk 2 and given a quick spray of Halford`s Peugeot Seville orange which gives to my old eyes a match to pictures. The yellow beast is a case of can you guess ! painted in Halford`s Rover Inca yellow. Also a lima coach where model has truly mimicked real life with a MK2c SO hacked to suit along with a casting from MIR let into the outer end and etched drivers window frame - which is a bit chunky but is mid-train so hopefully not too noticeable. Has to be said the Bill Beford Etch was first fitted over a decade ago. And the driver trailer about eight years - wheels do turn very slowly.

That would be nice and for sheer bedevilment of the false god of wish listing let it be Hunslet.... but guess the C class is most likely but both after 80 class... Gets helmet and runs for cover ! Robert

I might have missed it in the 25 pages but today saw a review in Rail Express Dec 2020 issue for the 121 - given excellent review " The design of the model has been carefully considered to accommodate the drive and electronics in the narrow bonnet along with a good level of weight and delicate detailing resulting in a lovely machine which is good value for money." Double page spread on 135 worth a read. I think the quote says it all, thanks due to Mr. Paddy Murphy for seeing this project completed with such style.