Well, enjoyable but very frustrating project – but lack of spare parts and even the correct paint has made it stall. It will now be put to one side and hope Ebay or a future swap-meet will come to my rescue.
Anyway, this is as far as I got, pictures below, enough said!
I store layouts in a shed in my back garden – when I had a look on Monday the curtain over the large window had fallen down and direct sunshine was on some of the layouts! I put the curtain up again, but have no idea how long it had been down – the direct Sunlight heat must have been tremendous as when I checked the layouts two of them had a degree of track buckling and will need quite a lot of re-engineering.
Due to this happening, I am withdrawing all my layouts from Exhibitions for the rest of the year. This includes at least one that I was letting someone else take out – sorry but that’s life!
Now a little bit of good news – the two Exhibitions I had booked for Blythburgh and the O Gauge Meet up at Bury St Eds will be done by my Son with his layouts. Grubb Lane at Blythburgh and Ashwell Moor at O Gauge BSE. Thanks JB.
This was very upsetting especially after my ‘mould’ attack a couple of years ago. The shed is over 25 years old and needs an update and new roof or complete replacement.
We have now heard from Colin’s wife Margaret and she has asked us to post the details so anyone wishing to attend is aware of what is happening.
04/08/2026 at Ipswich Seven Hills Crematorium at 2.15PM
Afterwards at the ‘Limeburners’ in Offton.
Colin has requested, no ‘black’ mourning clothes – come in whatever you are comfortable with. This is a celebration of his life.
More work on the O Gauge Heljan Bodyshell. I have now added all the hand grips on the roof and given it a coat of roof grey, very time consuming, but has to be done!
I have removed the lamp brackets I originally fitted and replaced them with less steam engine looking ones. I then gave the Warning Panel another top coat of yellow..
I have come to a couple of conclusions about this conversion – I put the roof cab grills in the same position as the Skytrex ones on the donor loco – I now feel that they are slightly too big and should have been a bit higher on the cab. To late now – but we live and learn – even when you are 77 years old.
I have some spare Headcode Disc’s – so will fit them. As far as getting a complete Heljan window pack and a Heljan roof fan and grill – I have no idea!
More work done on the O Gauge Skinhead. Cab handrails added and the front handrails on both ends completed. This was then airbrush sprayed warning panel yellow after masking as needed. I then touched up with a brush as necessary, both top coat and some undercoat.
I will probably rub down the warning panels once more before adding the discs.
The next job is to make and fit all the Roof handrails and then paint the roof.
I can get a replacement Roof Fan Grill, but the glazing could be difficult to obtain! Help!
It is with much sadness I have to record the passing of my dear friend Colin last night. He passed away in a Hospice after being diagnosed with a very aggressive form of cancer less than a month ago.
My condolences go to Margaret and all his Family.
Colin was a true Railway Enthusiast, both Modelling and Preserved Railways. Colin used to Drive and Guard on the Mid Suffolk Light Railway and before that as a Driver for Bressingham Railway Museum.
Colin used to help myself and others to organise fund raising Model Railway Exhibitions over East Anglia, This included for First Responders Medical Teams as well as Preserved Railway.
Colin was a top modeller in O Gauge, his renowned Micro Layouts were top class pieces of modelling and he often called them ‘Pointless Layouts’ as he managed these shunting layouts without turnouts (points). He always said that every one has room for a layout – he proved this many times and would chat to everybody about what could be achieved in small spaces
I knew Colin for over 30 years and it was an absolute pleasure, but calling him a friend was one thing that I will cherish all my life.
I continue to work on the bodyshell for the O Gauge Skinhead. I have to admit it is slow going at the moment. The original plan was to have two useable bodyshells for one chassis, then it moved on to finding a donor Chassis or cheap complete loco. As my body is an un-refurbished one, the donor parts or chassis must be the same.
I would still like the two body option, but after searching high and low spares seem to be non existing! Anyway the below photos show the progress.
I ordered some more straight wire for the new front handrails – delivery Thursday – still not here!!!!
47212 was a loco I saw quite a lot in East Anglia. As modelled it used to work the North Walsham Condensate Carless tanks and when it was transferred to Freightliner in 1995 it worked to Ipswich and Felixstowe regularly.
Again weathering to follow – thanks again to Accurascale/Heljan for reasonable prices and great service.
Here is one of our local engines during late 80’s – early 90’s. 37144 was based at Stratford and had been equipped with the East Suffolk line onboard signalling systems.
The Loco was purchased from the Heljan/Ultrascale Sale. Another Loco for my ever increasing ‘to be weathered’ list.
This is an excellent Dapol Model. Although the prototype was made by the Southern Region, they seemed to travel a lot and I saw them quite often in East Anglia. In fact I think there is still one ‘marooned’ in the remains of an old siding in the Fens of Cambridgeshire. It is now in awful condition!
Just a medium weathering here ensuring that everything was done!
