Holden E4 2-4-0 in O gauge

This recent purchase has ticked another item of my ‘wanted list’ and leaves just two! The E4 was a bit of a gamble as nobody was bidding on it! I thought I must have been missing something, but just did not know what, so it was mine on the opening bid of £320 !

At the price, this has turned out well, yes it is not perfect, but for the price its just what I wanted. It needs a complete repaint and a few bits upgraded, but it is very well made and runs OK after a quick cleaning of the wheels and pick-ups. I hope a full service will follow soon.

I intend to renumber it 62797, a Norwich Loco. This gives me the right cab and tender type combination, this Loco was withdrawn in 1958, one of the last. I saw this loco in 1956 at Lowestoft – great memories!

Next Batch of N Gauge weathering

This is the second batch of my sons weathering requirement. I must say that N gauge weathering is not as easy as it may seem, at least I find it so. A least they will now look better on his layout?

PNA Railtrack – 3 in rake

Salmon – 1 in Rake

Limpets – 3 in rake

RMC Bogies – 4 in rake

Seacows – 5 in Rake

RES BG’s – 6 in rake

Greyfriars Bobby in O Gauge

I have been doing this project for nearly six weeks on and off and today its almost finished, just varnishing then weathering to be done.

Greyfriars Bobby, 47711 in Scotrail variation of Inter City livery. The conversion is by an etched brass kit from ‘Protoneo’ to turn a 47/4 to a 47/7.

O Gauge J65 0-6-0T

This is a recent purchase, and fills a gap in my collection of Anglian locos. It is a well made loco with a few problems that should be fixable. It is at the moment numbered 68211 which was one of two taken into BR(E) service and renumbered in 1948. 68211 was withdrawn in 1953, 68214 lasted until 1956, so a number change is in order. To bring it to the correct spec. I will need to purchase some Ross-Pop safety valves.

Massive N Gauge weathering task.

At the recent Stowmarket MRC Exhibition at Elmswell, my son debuted our new N Gauge layout ‘Coopers Common’. When I made the layout it was completely weathered, but on the day much of the stock was out of the box. Over the next few months I intend to weather all the stock and locos, I am fairly sure I can finish every thing before the next Exhibition in the Autumn, but other work will have to take a back seat!

Network Rail Ballast/Spoil Wagons (11 in rake)

Ketton Cement (10 in Rake)

Carless Tanks- Gas Condensate (9 in Rake)

EWS Large Boxes (6 in Rake)

Class 86/2 Anglia OO Locos

I have already added these Locos to my Face Book Page, but I forgot to put them on here! These started off as three new Locos all being ‘The Round Tabler’! I have renumbered, renamed and weathered all three as I remembered them in 1998-2002. Sad to say that these locos do not feature in any future plans and as such are surplus to my requirements.

Two Class 20 ‘Depot Specials’

Hot on the heals of the new O Gauge 37’s, the Class 20’s duly arrived. Not much research to do on these ones as the candidates were few. Again these will be lightly weathered soon, these again will run in the mid 80’s slot.

20173 (TE)

20064 (TI)

Four latest 37’s from Heljan

After the arrival of the latest O Gauge Class 37’s from Heljan, much research was done to determine the identities of our chosen Locos. All will run in the 1984-8 era on my Sons Depot layout/Fuelling Point and at a later date on my unfinished stabling point. All to be weathered/re-weathered soon.

37052 (SF)

37011 (ED)

37013 (TE)

37068 Grainflow (TI)

Another Jinty – Early Livery

Yet another Jinty from Dapol and Box shifter low prices in O Gauge. It arrived in late livery with warning flashes – I moved it back 10 years or so. I removed all original livery apart from the smokebox number and shed allocation, retaining the original number meant that no new plates were required – a partial repaint followed by HMRS transfers and two coats of varnish. When dry I give it a medium weathering with a thin overall covering of grime – just as I remember shunting Engines.