Rail Express - March 2014 - Sample Edition

Class 68 on test

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No. 68002 makes first UK outing

40 pages of models Essential reading for today’s rail enthusiast

Camera phone photography

RAIL EXPRESS No. 214 MARCH 2014 £4.25

Which one of these was taken on a mobile device?

Blaenau diesels

The full history of modern traction on the Conwy Valley Line through to

Weather wreaks widespread havoc!

0 to 60: Class 166

CONTENTS

Issue No. 214 March 2014

8

NEWS

Testing of No. 68002 begins; weather closes lines around the country; Class 700 mock-up goes on public display; more details of East Coast and ScotRail franchises; Bombardier wins Crossrail EMU contract; Class 73 rebuilds near completion; second freight on HS1.

18 BLAENAU DIESELS

Steve Morris concludes his trio of features looking at North Wales’ branchlines with the Conwy Valley Line to Blaenau and Trawsfynydd.

MODELLING Blue Circle Cement’s PCA wagons are covered in the D&E Files section.

Floods at Llanaber damaged and closed the Cambrian Coast Line on January 3, stranding two Class 158 DMUs at Barmouth. With the line set to be closed for some weeks, operator Arriva Trains Wales decided to remove the units by road and take them to Chester depot. As testament to the skill of the Allelys haulage firm, one half of No. 158831 is squeezed through the narrow streets of Barmouth town centre with just inches to spare on January 15. John Lewis

24 WANTED ON THE PHONE!

Can you take publishing-quality images on a mobile phone or tablet? Justin Richardson finds out what’s possible on these everyday devices.

26 0 TO 60: CLASS 166

The humble Thames Valley ‘Turbo’ providing a surprising result in Neville Hill’s latest test.

42 POWERSCENE

Our class-by-class loco review of unusual workings during January.

29 TIME TRAVELLER

50 SHUNTER SPOT

31 EXPRESS MAILBAG

51 UNITARY AUTHORITY

Looking back 50 years to the news in March 1964.

Freight lines needed rather than HS2; namings and liveries; foot crossings; marvellous Michelines.

32 RAILTOURS

Including a review of Pathfinder’s ‘Deviationer’ tour, which saw DRS Class 20s kicking off the New Year in style.

36 PRESERVATION

Vintage Carriage Trust to restore W&M railbus; Class 42 Greyhound to visit West Somerset; the Bluebell to stage its first-ever diesel day.

40 POWER BY THE HOUR

Colas rounds up Class 37s for repair; GBRf acquires Class 92s and orders more ‘66s’.

DB Schenker recasts its shunter allocations.

Final Class 377/6 enter traffic as ex-Southern Class 456s head to Wimbledon and Wolverton.

53 COACH COMPARTMENT

Stored mail vans used to provide Mk.1 spares.

55 WAGONS ROLL

Network Rail orders eight rapid-response units.

55 LU WORLD

Engineering works see Piccadilly Line trains at Ealing Broadway; ‘C’ Stock disappearing fast.

56 IRISH ANGLE

Storms cause havoc in Cork and Waterford.

MAIN COVER IMAGE: Camera technology in mobile phones and tablets is catching up with ‘proper’ camera equipment. In this test (showing Type 3 No. 37075 at Haworth, KWVR, on January 20), the image on the left was taken with an iPad2, while the one on the right is with a Canon digital camera.

Editor’s comment PRINT & DISTRIBUTION Newstrade & distribution COMAG, Tavistock Road, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7QE.

Paul Bickerdyke

Printed by William Gibbons and Sons, Wolverhampton

Rail Express Editor

This issue February 20, 2014

01895 433600 Published Third Thursday of every month Next issue March 20, 2014

Welcome...

D

ESPITE all the excitement of DRS’ first Class 68 arriving, another ‘70’ landing for Colas, Siemens’ Thameslink EMU mock-up going on show and Bombardier winning the contract to build the Crossrail fleet, it is the weather that has dominated the year so far.

The railways have been hit hard right across the country, and almost every day brings news of further lines being disrupted due to flooding, landslips or sea incursion.

Some of these are relatively easy to fix, although perhaps less so when rail engineers, plant and resources are stretched to cope with so many incidents all at once.

Others, however, are more high profile – not least the huge hole that has appeared in the line along the coast at Dawlish.

This iconic stretch of railway has been susceptible to erosion ever since it was built nearly 170 years ago. But the latest incident has seen an 80m section disappear into the sea, severing the only rail connection to and from west Devon and Cornwall.

Repairs will take some time, in part because work can only really be done while the tide is out, but also because the rough weather showed no sign of abating by mid-February. The incident at Dawlish has led to calls to reopen the

Advertising deadline March 7, 2014 ISSN No 1362 234X ©Mortons Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this

former London & South Western Railway line between Exeter and Plymouth, which closed in 1968. There is currently a 20 mile gap between Okehampton and Bere Alston that would need rebuilding. Estimates for this are put at several hundred million pounds, which communities in the South West say is peanuts compared to the £50 billion earmarked for HS2, support for which has divided the country.

While Network Rail has so far stopped short of backing a second route to Plymouth, its head of network operations Robin Gisby said there needs to be a general concentration on resilience for the future and an investment against climate change.

Camera phone photography

publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

Rail Express is pleased to consider contributions for publication Please do not send images which have already been sent to other publications. All photos are sent at the owner’s risk and must be accompanied by a SAE. All material is returned, irrespective of whether it is published. Please bear with us as hundreds of images are received each week. Although care will be taken with submissions, Rail Express assumes no responsibility for loss/damage, however caused. Submitted material may also be used in connection with other Mortons Media Group projects or as content on the Internet. Payment for material used will

On a completely different note, this month we take a look at using mobile phones for railway photography, asking whether they are good enough for a publishing-quality shot.

I must admit I was sceptical at first, but have been impressed with just what is possible from such tiny cameras in a range of situations.

Let me know what you think of the results.

Or better yet, have a go yourself and send in an example or two.

Paul Bickerdyke

be made promptly. Please send digital submissions to RailExpressEditor@mortons.co.uk or via CD or DVD to the editorial address. IMPORTANT: Images should be ‘ex-camera’ with no ‘Photoshop’ manipulation.

ADVERTISING Divisional advertising manager Sandra Fisher sfisher@mortons.co.uk Advertising Fiona Leak Tel: 01507 529573; Email: fleak@mortons.co.uk Production manager Craig Lamb

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Simon Bendall Editor Rail Express Modeller Power by the Hour Shunter Spot Name Game Spectrum

EDITORIAL

David Rapson Powerscene

Christopher Westcott LU World (with Piers Connor)

Editor Paul Bickerdyke RailExpressEditor@mortons.co.uk

Tel: 01507 529540 Editorial address Rail Express Magazine, Mortons Media Group Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ Member of the Professional Publishers Association

David Russell Preservation Railtours Unitary Authority Coach Compartment

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NEWS

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Railways devasted by winter Rain, high winds, flooding and rough seas sever routes across the country.

WINTER weather brought chaos to Britain’s railways, as weeks of storms and rough seas flooded lines and caused landslides across the country.

January was officially the wettest since records began more than 100 years ago, with many parts of the country seeing above average levels of rain. The West of England was particularly badly hit, with some areas under water since before Christmas.

The most significant incident happened at Dawlish on February 4.

Special Network Rail marine buoys predicted ‘black’ storm conditions, the first such alert since the system was installed in 2007. The railway was closed as a precaution at 15.15 as six-metre high waves lashed the sea wall, which was eventually breached and the railway undermined in the late evening.

Around 80 metres of track was damaged, with rails left hanging in the air as the foundations fell into the sea. The road adjacent to the railway and several houses were also damaged, along with track and platforms at Dawlish station and several other sites in the area.

Closure of the line severed rail services in West Devon and Cornwall from the rest of the rail network. Repairs are expected to take weeks to complete, if not months, leading to First Great Western cancelling the ‘Night Riviera’ sleeper service from Paddington until at least the end of February.

The famous line along the sea wall at Dawlish is regularly affected by

weather, a problem that goes back to its opening in 1846. With climate change potentially set to make weather-related incidents more frequent, there are calls to reopen the former London & South Western Railway main line from Exeter St Davids to Plymouth via Okehampton.

This closed as a through route in 1968, although only the 20-mile section between Okehampton and Bere Alston has actually been lifted. Local MPs and campaign groups say the cost of the Dawlish closure to the local economy of Devon and Cornwall could be about £500 million – or about the same as would be required to rebuild the line and provide a second rail route from Exeter to Plymouth.

ExETER IsoLATED

The situation in the West Country was not helped by the planned closure of Whiteball Tunnel in January and February for repairs (see story opposite), closing the Bristol to Taunton route. Things got worse on February 7 when flooding at Bridgwater closed the Taunton to Exeter line, leading to diversions via Yeovil.

Then that line too succumbed on February 8 when a landslip at Crewkerne closed the line west of Yeovil, meaning that Exeter was completely cut off by rail from the rest of the country. The problem was discovered around 09.00 that day, but deteriorated throughout the morning until engineers had no choice but to close the line in the early afternoon. South West Trains then ran

from Salisbury to Westbury for bus connections forward.

The Crewkerne line reopened the following day meaning some services could run under caution from Exeter to Waterloo via Salisbury and to Paddington via Castle Cary. However, the damage at Bridgwater was still to be assessed as Rail Express went to press, as the flood waters had still not receded

ARounD ThE CounTRy

Flood damage on the Isle of Wight halted all rail services just before Christmas, with damage at 20 locations including to the depot at Ryde St Johns. Nearly 800 tonnes of ballast was delivered to the island by ferry shortly after so that repair work could begin in early January.

Damaged track was repaired and reinforced over the first two weeks of the year, with the full line reopening on January 19. Two of the line’s ex-London Underground ‘1938’ stock required repairs after being stranded at Shanklin and sustaining flood damage. They are expected to be out of action for two months, although this should not affect the Island Line service.

The line between Horsham and Dorking in Surrey was closed from Christmas Eve following a landslip near ockley after heavy rains hit the area. A 40-metre stretch of embankment collapsed, sending more than 1000 tonnes of spoil down the slope.

The site required a temporary access road to be built, after which a

wall of sheet piles was installed forming a new base to the embankment. This then needed up to 5000 tonnes of new material to fill the gap.

A limited service of peak-hour trains began running over the undamaged line furthest from the slip from January 12, with the full line due to reopen in midFebruary.

The Cambrian Coast Line between Machynlleth and Pwllheli was completely closed in the first week of January after storm damage washed away sea defences and embankments leading to the loss of rail ballast to the sea and debris including rocks and boulders littering the line.

Multiple sites were hit, including at Tywyn, Criccieth and Llanaber. The line had already been closed north of Barmouth following damage to a bridge at Pont Briwet near Penrhyndeudraeth in Gwynedd.

The final cost of the work to reopen the Cambrian coast railway was estimated to be around £10 million. This includes removing thousands of tonnes of debris from the railway, replacing sea walls and other sea defences and relaying new track and ballast.

The section south of Barmouth to Dovey Junction reopened to traffic on February 10, but that north to Pwhelli is currently estimated to remain closed until at least mid-May. Further north, the Cumbrian Coast Line was closed for 10 days from January 3 after large sections of the railway were washed away during storms and flooding.

The famous sea wall at Dawlish is breached and then an 80-metre section of track is left hanging in the air.

All pictures Network Rail

An aerial view of the damage, showing how close the houses on Riviera Terrace are to falling into the sea too.

The track and platforms at Dawlish station were also damaged in the storms.

A close-up of the hole in the sea wall where the main line to the west of England should run.

Engineers begin the repairs by cutting the hanging rails.

The sea continues to lash the affected area, hampering repair work which can only be done when the tide is out.

8 RAIL EXPRESS March 2014

NEWS

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storms Sea defences and retaining walls were washed away at several locations between Sellafield and Maryport and more than 120 yards of track at Flimby.

More than 600 yards of ballast was washed away at Parton and Kirkby-inFurness and Braystones station was flooded. Some 4000 tonnes of rock was transported to the area to rebuild the railway, as well as new track, signalling equipment and other infrastructure.

The line between Barrow and Workington reopened on January 6, with the full route following a week later.

The Midland Main Line was closed at the London end on January 17 when high winds damaged overhead line equipment in the Hendon area. Two of the four tracks reopened the next day, allowing a reduced East Midlands Trains service to run from St Pancras, with the full timetable being resumed on the 19th.

A major landslip occurred on February 4 near Whatlington Viaduct in Sussex between Battle and Robertsbridge on the main line between London and Hastings. Access to the remote site required a special access road to be built to bring in machinery and piling rigs. An estimated 10,000 tonnes of stone needs to be delivered by rail to repair the damaged line, which is expected to remain closed until the end of February. A smaller slip nearby at Marley Farm also requires 60metres of steel piles to be installed along with 3000 tonnes of stone to shore up the embankment. â– The Thames Valley was under threat from floods as this issue went to press.

The landslip at Crewkerne which almost, but not quite, undermined the railway, and services had to be suspended.

The devastation at Llanebar is obvious in this aerial view as the sea has overcome the Cambrian Coast Line and made it look more like a long forgotten siding, as well as flooding the fields on the right.

Flooding at Bridgwater hides the double track main line linking Devon and Cornwall with Bristol and London.

Damage at Ockley in Surrey, where the embankment needs rebuilding before trains can pass over it again.

Whiteball Tunnel upgrade completed DESPITE all the weather-related chaos in the West Country, Network Rail managed to completed a three-week project to refurbish Whiteball Tunnel on the West Somerset/ Devon border, writes Peter Nicholson.

The ÂŁ15 million scheme meant the line between Taunton and Tiverton Parkway was closed from January 18 to February 9.

Contractor AMCO (Amey-Colas) was engaged on three separate, but related, jobs to improve the line between Bristol and Exeter. In addition to renewing around three miles of track, including switches and crossings on various sections between Taunton and Tiverton, drainage was improved at the north and south of Whiteball Tunnel, the tunnel itself received major attention.

The 1094-yard tunnel dates back to 1844 and routine roof repairs with wire mesh were not keeping pace with spreading deterioration of the brickwork.

Therefore, several sections have been spray-lined with concrete. The spraying wagon was propelled by a road-rail track machine and the track covered with material to protect it from concrete spillage.

The bad weather was expected to result in the job overrunning slightly due to problems with the concrete not setting correctly.

A view inside Whiteball Tunnel on February 4 as work continued to renew the tunnel lining. Peter Nicholson

March 2014 RAIL EXPRESS 9

NOSTALGIA

Blaenau diesels In the last of three articles looking at diesel operations on North Wales branch lines, Steve Morris covers the Conwy Valley route from Llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog and on to Trawsfynydd.

A

lthough now worked almost exclusively by Arriva DMus, with the occasional loco-hauled charter to break the routine, the Conwy Valley line to Blaenau Ffestiniog has seen a surprisingly rich variety of diesel power over the last 50 years. this single track route heads roughly south for 28 miles from llandudno Junction, on the North Wales Coast, into the mountainous inland through picturesque countryside and steep-sided valleys.

It was built by the london & North Western Railway, with the first section opening in 1863 between llandudno Junction and llanrwst, followed by an extension to Betws-y-Coed in 1868. the lNWR then set its sights on the lucrative freight traffic generated by the growing slate industry at Blaenau Ffestiniog. So by 1879 – following the mammoth task of building the Ffestiniog tunnel under Moel Dyrnogydd – a temporary Blaenau station was

opened at the tunnel mouth. At two miles and 330 yards, the Ffestiniog tunnel is still the longest single track railway tunnel in Britain.

By 1881 what was to become Blaenau Ffestiniog North station had opened. Apart from passenger and general goods traffic, the line carried a substantial amount of slate, some of which was six-wheeled wagons conveying two-foot gauge slate wagons to a dock at Deganwy (on the line from llandudno Junction to llandudno) from where the slate was despatched by sea.

Trawsfynydd extension

the slate industry and general goods traffic began to decline in the 1960s, which eventually resulted in the end of general freight along the branch in 1984. however construction of a nuclear power station at trawsfynydd threw a freight lifeline to the branch. Building work on the plant began in July 1959, with the two reactors

A typical scene from the Conwy Valley Line, with picturesque countryside and steep sided valleys. This historic shot is the final ‘official’ flask working carrying waste material from the decommissioned Trawsfynydd nuclear power station on August 8, 1995. It was hauled by Type 2 Nos. 31255+31199 and is seen having just passed Roman Bridge station. As it turned out, there was one further working almost two years later. Ken Robinson

operational from March 1965, and construction fully completed in october 1968. the power station needed a rail connection to allow removal of nuclear waste from the site. luckily it was sited close to the ex-gWR line from Bala Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog, which had closed in January 1961.

But since the route to Bala Junction was now blocked by a new reservoir at llyn Celyn, the waste had no option but to travel the seven miles into the former Blaenau Ffestiniog Central. From here a new section of line was built to connect with the town’s North station (the ex-gWR and ex-lWNR lines having never been joined before), which allowed the waste to be transported away via llandudno Junction. the new route opened for freight on April 20, 1964, and initially only served the power station. But later explosives traffic was moved from a loading point at the former Maentwrog Road station, which is about a mile north of trawsfynydd.

In 1982, passenger services from llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog were relocated to a new station built on the site of the former gWR Central station, and this became a joint station with the narrow gauge Ffestiniog Railway to Porthmadog.

NOSTALGIA

The first diesel loco to work to Blaenau Ffestiniog was on February 19, 1961, when Class 20 no. D8036 (20036) hauled an out of gauge transformer destined for a local power station project. The train is seen at the mouth of Ffestiniog tunnel with a Standard Class 4 steam banker at the rear about to be removed. The 123 ton load had to be manually traversed several times to get it through the tight bore. This was also the first visit of a Class 20 to North Wales, and it would be 17 years before another one visited Blaenau. Steve Morris collection

The explosives traffic to Maentwrog Road ceased in 1988.

The following year a temporary platform was built there for a number of Sunday DMU services from Blaenau. The idea was to allow people to visit the power station, transferring to road coaches at the temporary station. However, as most passengers only wanted to travel along the line, the temporary platform was not used the following year and the DMU specials ran through to the end of the line at Trawsfynydd, although it was not possible to alight there.

The power station closed in 1991, which led to a two year break in waste services while it was prepared for decommissioning. Nuclear waste services then restarted and continued through to 1997. The final flask train ran out of Trawsfynydd on April 29, 1997, behind Class 31 No. 31308 – bringing to an end all freight traffic along the line.

Closure of the section between Blaenau Ffestiniog and Trawsfynydd followed at the end of October 1998 following the running of two charter services during that year.

Dieselisation

Dieselisation of passenger services along the Conwy Valley came as early as 1956 when, in common with the branches to Caernarvon (see RE June 2013) and Amlwch (see RE November 2013), original ‘Derby Lightweight’ diesel multiple units were introduced – although some steam-hauled goods trains continued until 1966.

The first diesel locomotive to visit the line was as early as February 19, 1961, when Class 20 No. D8036 (later No. 20036)

›

A final drive failure on both vehicles of No. 101676 on June 29, 1995, resulted in No. 31275 heading a round trip to Blaenau Ffestiniog. The return 2D11/19.56 departure from Blaenau is seen during the token exchange with Llanwrst signalman Rupert Hatton. Dave Trains

March 2014 RAIL EXPRESS 19

PhotograPhy

Wanted on the phone!

Can you take publishing-quality images on a mobile phone or tablet? Justin Richardson finds out what’s possible.

H

ere at Rail Express we pride ourselves on showcasing the best in modern traction photography, which is often taken using high-end digital cameras.

However, we always judge images based on their individual quality and merit, and never on who took them or what they were taken with. Which got us thinking – if you don’t own a digital SLr or compact, what then?

The chances are most people do have at least one sort of digital camera in their possession. It could be on a tablet, MP3 player, or – most likely – a mobile phone, and the quality and pixel resolution available of these products is improving all the time.

So can you use a camera phone to take magazine quality photos?

THE bASICS

ACTION (Samsung S5830i): No sign of shutter lag here as ‘Pacer’ No. 142033 heads east from Retford with a service for Lincoln on a sunny July 19, 2013. Mick Tindall

200%

NIGHT TIME (iPhone 4s): Pre-dawn at King’s Cross on February 16, 2013, finds Skyfall-liveried No. 91107 (as 91007) awaiting its next turn of duty. The camera copes reasonably well with the mixed lighting conditions. Chris Milner

24 raIL EXPrESS March 2014

The only way to answer the question is to experiment.

Seasoned photographers will know the basics already, but before diving in it is worth taking a little time to get to know the camera in your phone, as it may differ in use from that of a regular camera. Note that pixel count is not the be all and end all, as the quality of the lens is far more influential in getting a decent shot.

Creative composition can give fantastic results, and a handy tip is to remember the ‘rule of thirds’.

When lining up the shot, imagine a grid over the image consisting of two horizontal and two vertical lines that divide the screen into nine equal boxes like a game of noughts and crosses (some smartphones have this feature built in). Place strong lines (such as the horizon or walls) against the grid lines and allow depth and interesting shapes to fall into the boxes.

There is a lot of technology crammed into the small plastic shell of a mobile phone these days, and usually the focus setting is automatic. This means you won’t have to worry about it in most cases, although devices like the iPhone or HTC One offer you the ability to tap on the object you wish to be in focus on the screen.

200%

200% CONTRAST (iPhone 3GS): The phone has to work hard coping with bright sunshine and dark shadows, as Freightliner Class 70 No. 70007 has an admirer at Ipswich on August 14, 2013. Paul Bickerdyke

Exposure is one of the more common areas of downfall. You can adjust the exposure or ISO on some models in the phone settings to allow more or less light into the camera. A low ISO means better quality images but needs more light or a longer exposure; a high ISO takes in light more quickly but has the disadvantage of increasing digital ‘noise’ or grain in the photograph.

The best lighting you can use will be natural light, though even this might not be sufficient. If you do have to use artificial light then make sure to adjust the white balance accordingly, otherwise the photo will have an unnatural blue or yellow hue depending on the type of light used.

Most smartphones have settings for ‘incandescent’ or ‘sunlight’.

OTHER TIPS

Smartphones can often be affected by ‘shutter lag’, once a common drawback in digital cameras but now largely eliminated there. This is where there is a short delay between pressing the shutter-release and the photograph actually being taken.

There is no way around this if your phone is affected, so it is important to remain still for a few seconds to avoid blurring the shot as you move the camera away from the subject.

Moving subjects need a little practise at anticipating the right time to take the shot so that it is in the right place when the camera fires.

Many camera phones have builtin functions to eliminate camera shake, though try not to rely on this.

Unlike a digital compact or SLR, smartphones are usually thin and smooth – so if you cannot hold it steady, try resting the phone on a steady surface to avoid a blurry image. ›

200%

200% DETAIL (iPad2): There is much detail to try and capture in this shot of Ruston-Hornsby 0-6-0 diesel shunter No. 425 Venom (registered on TOPS as No. 01507) at the Crossley Evans scrapyard in Shipley on August 26, 2013.

Harry Wilson

INDOORS (Samsung I9300): The phone copes well with the mix of natural and artificial light illuminating preserved Class 52 No. D1023 Western Fusilier at the NRM, York, on September 30, 2013. Tom Bower

March 2014 RAIL EXPRESS 25

First look at Hornby’s new air-conditioned Mk.2 coaches

Su pp No lem .1 en 19 t

This month Blue Circle Cement PCA wagons profiled

DIESEL AND ELECTRIC ERA MODELLING

COLAS EXPANSION

Modelling the new batch of General Electric Class 70s

Flying Scotsman Class 91 arrives

New range of 2mm scenic dioramas

Bullion coaches from Britannia Pacific

Heljan unveils new ‘O’ gauge Class 60

Serial

A ‘Hoover’ in 7mm

The building of the Just Like The Real Thing kit continues as alex carpenter adds the body detailing.

THIs month it is time to move on to detailing and modifying the bodyshell to the required specification. This includes altering some of the original ‘as built’ parts of the kit, this principally being smoothing over all of the sandbox fillers and plating over the rheostatic brake louvres recess at the No.2 end of the roof.

Picture 1 shows all of the parts required for this stage of assembly which, although not as many when compared with other areas, is certainly enough to keep you busy for a couple of evenings. As stated last issue, once you are happy with the fit of the main body components and everything has cured rock hard, certain areas will need to be given some filler. This normally includes the join between the bodysides and roof, and, on this model, a little around the

No.2 end cab where it met the roof on the very corner.

Humbrol Model Filler is fine for this as it is fully dry in around 10 hours and it is extremely easy to file and sand as required. Be aware that it does not stay workable for very long, and you pretty much have to apply it straight from the tube on to the required area, working along in a circular motion to fill the gaps.

Do not worry about applying too much as it comes off without fuss, just make sure it is worked into the joints. Once thoroughly dry, I used a flat large needle file to do the majority of the tidying up, finishing off with fine wet and dry paper used wet (Picture 2). Be careful to avoid damaging the rainstrips and cantrail grilles as they are fragile.

adding the details

When you are happy with the filler, a start can be made on the roof detailing. The first job is to fit the four cab roof ventilators using the existing drill starts, fixing them in place from the inside with a touch of superglue.

The same applies to the raised cover over the scavenger fan, this being a modification made during refurbishment to help draw air through the engine room. This item lacks a drill start due to the roof tooling covering both incarnations of the class. It should be positioned on the roof centreline, centred in the panel above the cantrail grilles.

Next, the roof recess needs to be plated over, which was another alteration made upon refurbishment in

Part

5

the early 1980s. The kit contains a handy brass etch for this which, after rolling it to the exact roof profile, can be fitted in place using superglue applied to the inner edges of the roof recess (Picture 3). Take your time test fitting this part; I had to file a very small amount of brass to get a perfect fit so it simply drops into place. Any glue residue should be cleaned up before proceeding to the next stage.

Moving to the lower bodysides, there are eight cast-brass body lifting eyes to fit in place, these locating in the corresponding slots in the tumblehome, two above each bogie sideframe. Use sparing amounts of superglue to attach these after filing away the casting feeds on the back of

body detailing componentS

1

Scavenger fan cover and receSS blanking panel

roof joint after filling and Sanding

2 M24 rail eXPreSS Modeller March 2014

3 Supplement No.119

Serial

lifting EyEs and fillEd in sandbox fillErs

4

profile beforehand to give a good ‘stress free’ fit so it does not ping off.

The radiator fan itself is a little more complex but is worth the effort. It builds up in the same multi-layer way as its 4mm cousin (Picture 6).

Another Extreme Etchings’ upgrade that is very beneficial is to fit the etched cab front window frames.

EE upgrade for EE This again is a relatively For this build, it was decided to use the straightforward job, simply requiring new Extreme Etchings roof fan and the existing moulded ones to be filed grille from Shawplan. Well up to the down and the new etches glued in usual high standard for the company, place. A small amount of material the parts were developed from needs to be removed with a scalpel or measuring the real thing. Although a file to cater for the slightly relatively simple modified window opening. modification, it makes a Clean up any excess glue huge difference to the TOP TIP with a scalpel and wet overall appearance of it is best to fit and dry paper if needed. the Class 50, with the smaller parts and The etches slightly alter new grille being 5mm handrails after the ‘face’ of the model larger than the original, painting is completed and really help it look like thereby bringing it up to as it makes the a ‘Hoover’; subtle but well the correct size. masking easier. worth it (Picture 7). The The grille is fitted in final item to go on was a much the same way as pair of NRN radio pods on its 4mm counterpart by the cab roofs, these being DJH Class 31 first marking and then filing out the opening to just under the size of the items from the spares box (Picture 8). new etch. Once test fitted, glue the mesh into place over the hole, this leave it off being correctly larger than the hole as As with all kits, there are parts which per the prototype. This is then are best fitted after painting. This is followed by the grille surround (Picture usually because they will get in the 5), which has to be bent to the roof way of masking and prevent a smooth

5

ExtrEmE Etchings’ fan grillE

the parts. Note the thicker end of these faces downwards. At the same time, the filler can be got out again to deal with the sandbox fillers (Picture 4), these being another item that was dispensed with during refurbishment in the case of most of the class.

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6

ExtrEmE Etchings’ fan with dEtailEd cEntrE

tape edge being applied, so the less things in the way the better. Also, a bonus of this is that the parts in question can be pre-painted and fitted when the model comes out of the paint shop.

This is particularly useful for the orange-painted multiple working equipment on the cab fronts as these can be tricky to paint once fitted without smudging. The other parts that will be fitted after painting

include handrails, all the bufferbeam details, buffers, bogie tie anchors and cab interiors. In some cases, whether parts are fitted before or after painting depends on the chosen livery and positioning of the masking tape.

The bodyshell will go into primer next issue and a start will be made on the painting. While Network SouthEast is known for not being the easiest livery to paint, at least the larger scale helps on this occasion.

ExtrEmE Etchings’ cab window EtchEs

8 Supplement No. 119

nrn radio roof pods and cab vEntilators

March 2014 rail eXPreSS Modeller M25