TRV 700

[33lima]

Inspired by enthusiast pics that appear on FaceBook every so often of an odd yellow thing motoring around the network, I recently made an impulse e-Buy of a Bachmann Amtrak-liveried Plasser EM80 (HO), intended as a track cleaner from the fitting underneath that looks intended to hold some kind of pad. After a certain amount of surgery - notably removing the cowcatchers and the roof detail and filling in the rooftop headlights, plating over the lower nose(s) and adding the arrays above the cabs (plastic card and strip), new front light panels (white lights got little adhesive jewels from Hobbycraft) and the exhaust(?) channels on the sides.

I also added the flat panel on one nose, plasticard buffers and the different-sized rectangular boxes under the buffer beams. So she emerged as TRV EM50 No.700. The ghastly blue glazing unit was removed and replaced with tinted acetate - strips either side and separate windows for the cab front. Some fettling of the mech was needed to improve running, including soldering back a detached wire. Getting the thing on the rails is a headache as there are three sets of tiny 4-wheel trucks that swivel when you want them straight, plus four larger fixed-axle wheels. The internal light bulb that used to illuminate the filled-in headlights (via a clear plastic channel which I removed) now just flickers intermittently. 

To do, add some figures in hi-vis vests to the interior and apply any suitable decals I can find. And some wipers. I haven't bothered with the streetview-like camera array currently fitted to one end on a prominent frame, as pics show this seems to have been an addition in recent years. One has to draw the line somewhere...

Edited 2 hours ago by 33lima