Oct 2017, wow long time to keep this anorak stored but that's how long my BR interests have been pushed aside and a lot has changed in the last seven years.....more changes to come.
The BR bubble has been bouncing back more and more this year and in the end I just gave in and embraced, I call this my Tardis rabbit hole, such a tiny entrance but a galactic void inside! It's like those old Kagools you used to get, the size of a loaf of bread when packed, but a five man tent when opened.
There's two main factions at play here, BR 78-84 (which was me era) and BR 58-62 (which was my fathers era, actually a couple of years later but the genesis root is there).
Anyway, DHL Santa turned up today and quite frankly, for the cost (cheapness) it was rude not to buy, I missed the black friday deal which I've heard had another £50-60 off
Note sure what the plan here is, if I keep it as a runner I'll have to put up with the big motor covers in the cab, though I think I can make some new ones that are a bit more prototypical in shape even if they do intrude. Rather than mess about with the brand new shell I picked one of these up at a show.....can't remember where or when, this year, last year?
Oh and a Class 73 shell as well, both have high intensity beam lamps so those will go but I can use the Deltic shell to work up a new cab interior and test fit over the running chassis; then work something out with the shell later, probably a full static model or maybe powered similar to a JLTRT bogie.
I also picked up this already built JLTRT 37, not a fan of sheet metal markers so will take them off and add glazing and dominos.
It's also had the buffer surrounds removed, never was a fan of that look but some were kicking around in my date period so it'll just have to stay like that, it has two JLTRT powered bogies with Delrin and thay'll stay the same. The body/roof/cab joints are a bit circumspect at the #2 end and I suspect once a primer coat goes on I'll see how bad they really are, lots of filing and smoothing to do there. The rad grill is also naff, it's been poked all over and pushed in and the etch is quite frankly, garbage, mis registered and junk. I'll do a new one of those in the new year.
There's been a rash of Heljan 37 shells on the market, they're stupid cheap and I'll probably pick a couple more up in the new year.
Two are for later versions so will need a little work to back date, the triple grey will loose the high beam (might need to check that as it's planned as a Scottish large logo repaint) and will check the sealed doors, it's also lost it's buffer shrouds so like the JLTRT will be one of the early SLEP engines. The middle one is pretty good but still sealed door and shrouds removed. The last BR blue one is from another model and the shell is from the first run with buffer shrouds and nose doors, the weathering and paint job are pretty good, maybe a few odd extra streaks or highlights to pep it up.
I actually swapped the last one for another triple grey one I had as the builder wanted a later body and I wanted an earlier one, everyones a winner baby....
I've also got a full JLTRT Peak to build as well as the parts mentioned earlier in the thread, now that 3D printers are pretty good I can now print a new cab to then make up two full bodies.
So, where do we plan all this to go, a big layout is out of the question but it's fun to see them go if you want, all be it once or twice a year at where ever, but if most of the time they're static then whats the point of all those expensive motors and compromises in cabs.
The other option is a diorama, or several, for example, one or two of the 37s could be stood on trestles in a works scene as background items, same for the Peak bodies, you're full detailed model being to the fore. Several large workshops also had the facility to do a full lift, Toton (obviously) but smaller depots like Willesden and Reddish (though I don't think Longsight could?) had the capacity to do a full lift. That opens the door to play around with super detailed 3D bogies and such like kicking around.
I suppose the train of thought is to bring military diorama techniques and scenarios into O gauge modelling, much like the Hunslet works model (very inspirational and thought triggering BTW).
Anyway, as noted above, no idea where all this will go, probably like all the other dreams, no where; but hey, dreams are free.
Still it's only all screwed together at the moment so easy enough to fabricate new ends in due course.
It really is worth contacting Mark to express your interest and he may well alter his schedule. I contacted him earlier in the year about the V2 wheels, and whilst I have no idea if I had any influence but by strange co-incidence the V2 wheels are one of the first LNER sets available. I got my set from Mark last week - hence the determination to clear the Midland 3F from the erecting shop.