[MickY G]

Hello again

I just got me an N Gauge Dapol Class 73 in South West Trains livery (and getting me the InterCity livery tomorrow as well). I believe it is one of the older Dapol models (about 2004?) but I live above the Signal Box Model Railway shop in Rochester, Kent and they had three different liveried Class 73's in a sale reduced from £49.99 to £34.99 so I thought I would get me one as I run anything on my layout, although it is predominatly a preserved steam line so that then I can also run modern image as well. What I would like to know is, what liveried carriages would the SWT Class 73 haul or is it a mixed traffic loco? Goods wagons should not be a problem as I would think it would haul most modern image stuff but as far as carriages it would haul, I don't have the foggiest idea? Any help would be much appreciated. Many thanks.

Regards
Mike

 

[Grahame]

When in SWTs livery that class 73 was their 'Thunderbird' rescue loco and spent most of it's time parked up in the bay platform at Woking station until required to rescue a failed SWTs EMU - so you really need something like a class 423 4-VEP or 421 4-CIG unit for it to haul.

However class 73s are very versatile all round locos and were used on all sorts of trains; passenger, freight, engineers, etc.

G.

 

[MickY G]

Hi Grahame

Many thanks for that advice. Now I know that the loco did practically bugger all, I wish I had not bothered purchasing it now if thats all the prototype did? LOL! However, I have an old Dapol Class 73 Dutch livery body and my mate is excellent at airbrushing. He is going to airbrush the spare class 73 body into the Pullman livery for me and then hopefully I can get some transfers from Fox or somwhere else and make it into either 'The Royal Alex' or 'The Brighton Evening Argus' (I think that's what the Pullman 73's were called anyway)? So long as the paint job is good, then if the transfers are not exactly 100%, then that is fine by me as I am most certainly not a 'rivet counting anorak'! Hehehe! I know CJM do the 73 in Pullman livery but at around £400 for a loco, I think that is quite out of the question! For that price, I would want the body made of solid Platinum and all the gears etc in solid gold! Those prices really are 'extracting the urine' as far as I am concerned and even if I was a millionaire, I still would not pay those silly prices! I dont think any N Gauge loco is worth paying £400 for, not matter how good the paint job and detailing are? I should imagine that if one is good at airbrushing, it would be quite easy to do our own livery change etc? Anyway, thanks again for your help.

Regards
Mike

 

[Edwin]

I think Dapol did the 73 in the Pullman livery too.

There are lots of 73s around at very low prices, as it seems Dapol produced more than the market warranted, but I've a feeling the Pullman was one that actually did sell.

There are quite a few 73s in preservation, several in the Forest of Dean and one at Ruddington. So perhaps you could say that in your parallel universe one of the SWT ones has also been preserved?

 

[MickY G]

Hi Edwin

Yes, I remember Dapol producing the class 73 in Pullman livery but unfortunately, I wasn't modelling N Gauge much then as I was in hospital for a year, so missed out on my chance of getting one. I have seen some selling on eBay but they want such silly, astronomically stupid prices for them, I would rather go without or at least get a body shell repaint. I did manage to find some colour pictures of the actual class 73109 that I just purchased, in varying liveries and one picture was actually in the SWT livery that Dapol produced. Many thnks for your advice.

Mike

 

[steam-driven boy]

QUOTE (Edwin @ 8 Jan 2009, 16:27) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>There are quite a few 73s in preservation, several in the Forest of Dean and one at Ruddington. So perhaps you could say that in your parallel universe one of the SWT ones has also been preserved?

Hi all,

One of the planned 'specials' for Solsbury Hill is a SWT/Pullman Class 73 double-headed rake of Mk. 1 Pullmans (ducking for cover now

).

Regards.

 

[MickY G]

What or where is Solsbury Hill? And why would there be a SWT and Pullman liveried class 73 there?

from
Confused of Rochester

 

[steam-driven boy]

QUOTE (mickelmass @ 9 Jan 2009, 10:20) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>What or where is Solsbury Hill? And why would there be a SWT and Pullman liveried class 73 there?

from
Confused of Rochester

Hi mickelmass,

Sorry for any confusion, you'll find Solsbury Hill on the 'On My Layout' section - it's my parallel universe (thanks Edwin

) layout under construction.

They'll be there because I say so

I try very hard not to confuse, but at 52 I guess I'll have to accept it as an integral part of my mindset and say "sorry" when it gets out of hand.

Regards.

 

[MickY G]

52 and you are confussed! I'm 55 this year and I can't even say the word! Hehehe! Plus I am dialysis three times a week, so even more mid-blowing confussion! Going to take a look at your layout now. Thank you.

 

[MickY G]

I took a looksee at you layout and I must say, I am very impressed to say the least! Did you use a CAD program for the design stage? I tried to find a free program for designing layouts but alas, I couldn't find one, with the exception of the XTrkCad Program which is free but I am afraid I couldn't get to grips with that at all although it's quite a good program? I have so much stock and not enough layout at the moment but I hope to extend very soon. It's only at the experimental stage at the moment and it will most definately be a flat layout with no high lever tracks as I am no good at all with designing and making that type of layout, so flat it shall have to be. Anyway, seeing as it will be based very loosly on Didcot, with preserved GWR in the centre but modern image on the main, it should be OK as the Didcot area is very flat anyway owning to it being that massive junction. Anyway, your buildings look magnificent and I can't wait to see the finished layout! Thanks for you help.

Regards
Mike

 

[steam-driven boy]

[quote name='mickelmass' date='10 Jan 2009, 11:10' post='74136']
I took a looksee at you layout and I must say, I am very impressed to say the least! Did you use a CAD program for the design stage? I tried to find a free program for designing layouts but alas, I couldn't find one, with the exception of the XTrkCad Program which is free but I am afraid I couldn't get to grips with that at all although it's quite a good program?

Thanks for your kind words Mike,

I resorted to good old fashioned pen and paper as a starting point, then scanned that into 'Microsoft Paint' to colour it in, the same again with the digital camera shots to get the visualisation of where I wanted to go - all very basic compared to the design software available but it's about the level my brainpower can get to grips with.

I have so much stock and not enough layout at the moment but I hope to extend very soon. It's only at the experimental stage at the moment and it will most definately be a flat layout with no high lever tracks as I am no good at all with designing and making that type of layout, so flat it shall have to be. Anyway, seeing as it will be based very loosly on Didcot, with preserved GWR in the centre but modern image on the main, it should be OK as the Didcot area is very flat anyway owning to it being that massive junction.

I moved to this location just over a year ago and couldn't help myself speculating about expanding the design to the available space, and came up with this rough notion:

... but quickly thought better of it as the original design with just three boards is taking forever to work on with the back injury I have, another two boards would have resulted in madness, no doubt about it

so I didn't do any detail design. If you're going to be modelling a realistic traffic flow then you can't do better than follow Grahame's comments above, but this is what I meant by my earlier comments if you are going to invoke 'Modellers License':

... the front portion of 'The (Leyton) Orient Express'

Anyway, your buildings look magnificent and I can't wait to see the finished layout! Thanks for you help.

Again, thanks for your comments, it's good to get a more thorough idea of what you're working towards - good luck with that. I can't wait to see my finished layout either

Regards.