Robert Shrives

That looks very tidy minded - hopefully you can now sort stuff to suit Good use for mini legs as well . You will need a back edge "crash barrier" now as recovery of that empty bogie flat/ wagon of choice will be pretty near impossible. Happy shunting when time comes. Robert

A good test , now it needs boxing up and given the first floor fire escape drop test. thus replicating contents of an ISO box on board in a force xx storm... or the postal service of your locality enjoying some drop kick training. Robert

Hi yes and of course knowing the shade of red does mean I can paint some lima MK2bs into the original Enterprise livery ensuring the powered surprise comes with suitably coloured coaches. The coach pack with 812 as DBSO and the mkb2b in "bumble livery" aready means 2/3 of an 80 class is in progress - albeit a one off it was quite long lived. A no brainer when spending the good lads money. Some discussion after IRM doing air con MK2s - clearly if an F type then the Gatwicks are easy fruit and would "only need" 8911... just saying - having yesterday started adding MIR translink transfers to an airfix Mk2 for "fun." Robert

looks like time interval working or ETRMS4 flexible block in use. control staff will need to exercise a little judgement on releasing traffic. The pics do show the capacity to abosrb stock quicker than the pocket can fund ! Brilliant as ever. Robert

Hi Thanks to the good gents with the 80 class - RAL 3005 "Wine red" has been reported as the shade used. The blue however was a colour match as no record of BS/ RAL/ pantone .. Robert

Very sharp modelling puts my bodging to shame ! I have to consider the interiors of the 450 class at some point... Robert

That info is really useful as I have a tinlet of precision NIR maroon. Might need a 5l tin!! Robert

Hi gang ! Steve at Railtec has indicated he could do the stripe for the white/ red stripe livery - also modified when on hire to IR. but is concerned that if he was to use say BR maroon he would be a "moving target" as it would be a wild guess. so does anybody have the RAL number or a Pantone ref for the red .... cheers Robert

930/ 775 Found a pic of it in UK stored - I think cut up now, shows Mk2 rovac so just 777 to prove but pretty likely that it is Rovac type as well..

Undoubtedly but I would think the faff of new body shells for these conversions over the std 3 shells required for the original versions means it will be a case of DIY , having said that the clever use of 811 in original form with a 774 - 780 style no middle door TS is made reasonably possible with the coach pack as advertised by IRM mated to an 80 class motor car. Current bodging plans involve a 310 emu coach side for the DTS passenger door arrangement behind the cab - off an etch from Southern Pride let into a either an etch MK2c or a thinned lima side- all pretty tragic for donnor vehicles... Robert

Interestingly DTS 753 which was a conversion (SO 5498 also looks to have large "class 70" style roof vents - , I wonder if stores were having a "fire sale." Need to tie down DTS 752 as that an earlier conversion in 1981 ,from TSO 5516 Robert

Well the following found with a couple of hours of disappearing into Flikr 774- ex BR5521 converted 1982 ran in original red and blue had large 70 class roof vents - only one. _ IC branded in Bumble bee livery 775 - Ex 930 rovac style. 776 ex 824 Mushroom style vents possibly only one as minority showing in pics. 824 was last of original 1970 Enterprise stock which might explain the mushrooms as the mK2b build was fitted with them. 777 ex 931 ..... 778 ex 826 rovac style - IC branded 779 ex 827 rovac style 780 ex 828 rovac style - IC branded All carried white with red stripe with "centrally placed" logo, all carried Bumble bee - need to go back and check if all got IC branding but pretty likely ( neck on block) . All bar 778 carried translink. Will have to check modern ish enterprise photos for 930/931 on grounds roof not likely to get make over as a MK11c rovacs were fitted so likely answer. Well it helps my quest on the mushroom vents and the 70 style vents as I can now number correctly. Robert

Hi all, Uber nerdy question, while enjoying the zillion 80 class pics on the net I can see that the extra trailers from loco hauled stock without the middle door numbers 774 - 780 came from a BR convert, 4 ex 800 and 2ex 900 series SO coaches but I spot three roof vent variations one had large almost 70 class style vents, one has round "mushroom" vents and others have "rovac" Mk2 style . However allocating a number to each I have not managed as captions do not give middle cars. Any chance the "hive mind" can tie roof to vehicle numbers. Robert

80 things hopefully..

Lovely work , the underframe narrowing works really well in lifting what was a good but flawed model. Robert

I recall it being not only weight but ability to store on site at Shelton abbey, the shorter train suited operations the short experiment to nine with fewer trains was not repeated, it might on the face have made operations cheaper but overall the cost was greater due to need to make changes- as a guess. There were a couple of extra wagons which had differing discharge position cover boxes and a differing underframe. In the resources section on here is a drawing of the first batch. The other drawing I have shows the later wagons built by Bombardier at its Wakefield facility but does not show number range - it might have been only a hand full as phots are not common of them in traffic, thanks to warb for phots above. Robert

Mike, These pins came from ebay but the smaller ones came from a garden railway show- a gauge one supplier, Just the ticket supplies. I was "grazing" his little poly bags of wonder and came across them. I soldered the tails to prevent wire getting jammed and then cut to length the tails were soldered to a small plate and two small self tappers used to a fix these are 1.4mm dia 4mm long - from a Wst midlands tiddly bits supplier - but also on ebay from that well known shop "China." The hook was going to be the same but in the end I drilled a hole and superglued it in - a light knik in the end made enough friction it stayed put in the right plane while the glue did its thing. I have hung a wagon on its end and no pull out so good to go, and apologies to real engineers for a glue bodge solution. When I use the same method on the UTA spoils I will make a plate. In N certainly for a fixed rake possible. The current fad is to use magnets in small mounts to be less obtrusive than the Rapido The back plate with a bit of 1mm cross wire could be made to latch into an NEM pocket easily enough. I am pretty certain given nothing new in the world that this method is used in 2mmfs coach rakes by the good folk who model scale electric mice.. Robert

Worth checking as these were ordered specially as bulk 10. Thanks for comment, should have been done sooner really but faffing with home spun couplings. Robert

Well just rebuilt 219 as seen in earlier pics with its pancake and the finer wheels, to find I have lost a buffer ! So will have to look at doing that end with cast buffers and lots of pipes and stuff. - Well in time as the MM has overtaken them model it has to be seen as a dead end to faff with the lima ones... Robert

To update and divert , Peters Spares have introduced 2 packs PS 77 a geared wheelset to suit lima locos inc the 201, even though not listed ... PS79 is the non geared set, so for a 201 you need 1x PS 77 and 2 PS79. The geared axle retails at £9 for a pack of two axles which is very good value. the unpowered is £8.50. So under 30 for parts and allowing for p+P under 40 to simply drop in and replace. With one "caveat" the middle wheelset on the powered bogie you will need to slice a slot to allow wheels to slip in, if matching the drivers it is a clip in fit. close up of profile , B to b is 14.36 . while winning no awards a pic of 209 showing the improvement. OK it is still a lima pancake motor but it will run on modern track. With some front end fun with etches and couplings and pipes it does allow all those early models a chance to play again. The underframe has been cut to give more relief but no photo - it is all black and while better does show its age and parentage. Robert

Leslie, I will have to sort it all out but will be after 5 more as basis for the "oil" part of the oil and coal train. The old MIR ammonia tank barriers have a tanktainer suitable, I will have to chat up Ian to see what he has left two have been modeled as above, plus need two 4 wheel barriers. https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/loads/products/cie-20-container-twin-pack as loads - tucked away somewhere or perhaps your version. I have asked Steve at Railtec about some 273xx numbers so might be a source there having used up most of the numbers from the earlier sheets. In the final train form I should be able to muster 10 coal, 5 oil and to barriers , the real train was quite a bit longer in some photos - but all a universal matt black/ grey... sure it was bauxite at some time, long long ago. Robert

deed done, a good series and look forward to future volumes, I would fancy a wagon compendium - a boon to modelers! regards Robert

Thanks, I thought that allowing vertical movement was required hence the upward crank. I have painted in the pistons and buffer faces I have also painted the couplings grey to tone down visibility when on ballasted track. Got keen and glued on containers so now its down to numbers and weathering. As expected I have also found some smaller split pins so these will get used on the UTA skips that now have chains attached. "Just" to bend 20 curved handrails ... Robert

piccy time . Showing the frames now painted in jolly CIE bauxite and close ups of the couplings fashioned. Second pic shows the brass wire engaged in the split pin eye, even when propelling on setrack test curves all fine. Nex will be to add a touch of silver for the buffer piston and dark grey on buffer faces and coupling hooks. I can then glue on containers, to give stability/handle when adding numbers etc. well it keeps be off the streets Robert

Just enjoying the smell of railmatch bauxite spray fumes! as all 10 chassis now in final colour have to let harden before silver on buffer piston, numbers and grime. Next catch session will be on with the ammonia tanks to try and mug up the vaccumm cylinder support frames and "under gubbins." Robert