Noel

That's great news. Dave, your thread has been one of the best resources on the forum and it would have been a great shame to loose it. Well done and thanks for taking the time to reinstate the lost photo treasure trove from "Middle Brackenville".

Roof primed for first sand'n'fill. Trying to get the roof 'gubbins' looking vaguely similar to pics I have of actual GSV roofs. First prime coat before the vent and other roof bits are added New diesel tank, battery box, and louvers primed. Holes drilled for door grab rails. Every time I think I getting closer to the finish line I see more that needs to be done. At some stage I'll have to call a halt and be content with the Lima conversion. Louvers and water fillers need framing, and the twiddley bits for the roof need adding (air intake, exhaust, boiler overflow vent, etc).

One of the down sides to converting a Lima mk1 is the roof is made of plastic glazing and its a pig to cut compared to plastic. The photo is self explanatory. Taking a break, had enough of GSV, going to watch a movie. Lots more to do but there's no grass to cut this time of year.

Started on the other side. Some bits to add, surrounds, then more filling and sanding. Still to fit buffers and gangways.

Progress on GSV conversion is slow but on going. A bit of work on battery box, diesel tank and steps. Got the B5 bogie kits made up and new bogie swivel mounts made at the correct ride height. Finding this chipping away with plastic quite therapeutic. Holes drilled for wire hand rails at guards door. The lima bogie mount had to be drilled out and new swivel mounts added so the B5 bogies can easily snap fit in place for easy removal.

Went to see this movie yesterday. Despite being warned beforehand by some relatives it wasn't great, we both quite enjoyed it. Forgettable perhaps but great entertainment and stunning cinematography. Stellar cast and in particular Michelle Pfeiffer was superb. The fact the movie was filmed on a choo-choo train was an added bonus.

Some fabulous photos in your album Ernie. A treasure trove.

I recently joined Wexford model railway club. They seem to have a really friendly and active community down there in the sunny south east, and a fabulous club house right in the centre of Wexford. It's a bit far from me here in Co Wicklow to visit regularly, but hope to get down the odd Saturday. They are very active on the layout building front, have huge space, and build to a high standard. Their Easter layout exhibition is a seriously impressive event. Looking forward to hitching up with folk down there and learning from them.

Just Amazerballs. Eoin you should be heading up the engineering division of the next SST project. Your engineering talents, design intelligence and resourcefulness know no bounds.

Hi Seamus. Eoin @murrayec can supply superbly detailed white metal bogie sides for A class. Noel See here:

Resent? - Me too Jim. Thanks to Eoin's powers of persuasion @murrayec I have removed the ugly moulded plastic door grab rails, and drilled holes for proper wire ones. Fiddle, faddle, file'n'cut, fettle, fattle, cut'n'file, sand'n'paint, go back to go, do not pass go, be traped here for eternity. Or as Spook once said: "It's life, Jim, but not as we know it" Back working on the roof and under frame tweaks.

Hi Tony. Are you considering switching to N gauge for the layout?

Oh yes, we are very much on the same page JB

Very impressive so far Gerry. Will follow with keen interest. Very neat electrics too.

Hi Paul. Weight isn't a problem, the skeletal wagons run really well and never derail, even when running just the wagons without the containers on board. But your right I may add weight to the containers to make the rake heavier and run with less coupler snatching. The C-Rail container floors are snap fit and pop off easily, so adding a bit of weight is easy. The reason for my original post was to explain how I stopped the containers falling off the flats. Noel C-Rail container floors are snap-fit and come off easily.

Beet production. In the middle of other concurrent projects I've started on the first half of a rake of single beet wagons. Primed today prior to tweaking, painting and fitting to chassis. Having a few small projects on the go at the same time can be very productive because while you are waiting for bits, or glue, paints to cure, etc, you can swap between projects and keep things moving along. I understand CIE had over 2000 of these wagons in their 'heyday' when they were used as both general purpose open goods wagons as well as for beat traffic. They were also used instead of flats to transport CIE containers as well as transport agri machinery, tractors, cars, cable drums, etc.

Well spotted. I remember a few shamrock 747 skippers had number plates with 747 on them back in the old days pre year plates (e.g. wicklow had NI plates, etc)

These are the brass sides I'm using with a Bachmann BCK donor, rather than the Triang-Hornby in the pic (£12 from Mousa). They are for RPSI maroon 3173 GSV. They seem accurate but I'm just disappointed they lack any relief for the window frames, door hinges, handles, etc. I can stick that stuff on with plastic. One clever feature of these sides is they have multiple horizontal channels etched behind tumblehome to make bending into shape easy without need for specialist tools. Des will your sides have separate window frames or will you etch those in relief, etc?

It does indeed. I'm currently converting two Bachmann BCKs, one using brass sides and the other with plastic. Wish I'd knew this before I started. The brass sides I have are rather low on detail (i.e. flat), I suspect yours would be much better with relief for window frames, vent frames, hinges and door handles, etc.

Thanks. Hmmm! I might paint the GSV conversion RPSI blue instead of B&T and run it with the RPSI cravens.

Class job. Love the colouring and brick work. Like interior plans.

Impressive operation

IMHO the BGH livery is quite bland and rather dull looking. Even some delicate horizontal lining could have made it more visually appealing.

Fabulous picture as ever Finbarr. Great light and blue sky for the photos. Intercity 125 mk3 sets look even better than they did in 1974 when I first saw them under test.

Jonathan by any chance do you know when GSV 3185's overhaul is planned to be completed and more specifically what colour scheme she might end up with? I vaguely remember you or somebody suggesting she may be an all over blue livery, presuming the same shade of blue as used on the blue and cream Cravens?