Darius43

Hornby chassis modified to fit. Cheers Darius

Bodies sanded and primed. I removed the rather coarse cast window bars. The plan is to replace these with finer bars pre-painted onto clear acetate sheet. This will be cut to size to flush glaze each window. Cheers Darius

Bodyshells assembled and joints filled. I’ll let the filler set overnight. Sanding and priming tomorrow. Cheers Darius

Started this morning. Plan is to adapt these Hornby chassis to fit the MTK bodies. Sides and roof parts joined together with plasticard reinforcement. Whilst gluing, I lined the roof edges and tops of the sides against a steel straightedge to ensure that these edges were true. Gaps have been filled at this stage and the bottom edges of the bodysides tidied up. Cheers Darius

Now it’s finished Cheers Darius

Interior painted and upholstered… …and fitted within the coach. Decals then applied. Cheers Darius

Ah yes, Traveller’s Fare… I also remember Casey Jones burgers from the mid 1980s - rather liked them… Cheers Darius

Chassis completed and glazing fitted. Cheers Darius

Primary painting completed. Spare Limby interior modified with a plasticard buffet area. Cheers Darius

Ironmongery fitted and primer on. Cheers Darius

My favourite train trip had a Stranraer connection. I had been shortlisted for a graduate civil engineering sandwich placement with BR in February 1982 and was provided with a cardboard return ticket from Belfast York Road to London Euston to attend an interview. The ticket included the Larne-Stranraer Sealink ferry trip and I made it as far as Carlisle before the trip went awry. The overhead wires were down in Cumbria and the London bound train was delayed. I spotted a train with aircon coaches that looked like it was departing, asked a BR person if it was going to London and jumped aboard when told yes. The train pulled out heading south and duly followed the Settle and Carlisle route - spectacular in clear blue skies and recent snowfall. We eventually arrived at Hellifield and stopped for a time before heading to Preston via Clitheroe. We pulled into Preston in the darkness (I had left York Road at 06.30 ish) and then headed south, arriving at Euston at 9pm. I didn’t get the BR job but enjoyed the train trip. My next and most recent trip over the Settle and Carlisle was in 1985 behind Lord Nelson and Flying Scotsman. Cheers Darius

Found this in the stash Looks like some cutting and shutting will be required… Cheers Darius

Decals and further details applied. Cheers Darius

Fantastic stuff. It’s great when older models are given a new lease of life. Cheers Darius

This week I have mostly been working on a DC Kits class 111 DMU… Cheers Darius