A quick re-numbering job for another engine for Hengoed. BR Std cl 4 tank - my second favourite engine.
This has been converted to P4, but not by me. I'm not that clever, this was done by Robin Whittle, to whom I am very grateful. I did'nt fancy building another DJH model, especially when the Bachmann model is so good. The engine has a chip for DCC control and is a very smooth performer.
There's still a lot to add. Proper screw coupings (Masokits), steam and Vacuum pipes front and back. Talking of which, trying to get hold of these lovely brass turned affairs is turning into someting of a treasure hunt. The one's I want are from Markits. But my usual sources, Roxey, 247 Developments are out of stock (247 have been waiting for an order of these since June!). The reason I don't go direct, is I've suffered from first hand experience of the owner. But, he does produce some wonderful accessories for model engines and our hobby would be the poorer from his absence.
I'm short of one of each for the rear of the engine, so if you know someone who has a sellable stache, please let me know.
I bought the engine secondhand and one of the buffers had broken off. Thank goodness Bachmann do sell replacements for these.
If you go to YouTube and search for Hengoed High Level, you'll find a video of 80133 coming into Hengoed heading for Pontypool. The one I found is in colour, what a state this engine was in. It's going to be huge fun trying to replicate that!
Transfers and Smokebox numbers are from the Fox range. I have to admitt to be slighly surprised at the size of the shed code. At the time the video was taken 80133 was shedded at Swansea East Dock. You have to ask yourself how the hell did it get to be a regular on the Vale of Neath? Yes I know Neath is the other side of Swansea, but it just seems a little odd. Something I shall have to explore to satisfy my curiosity.
So COVID is well and truly alive in Wales. My son in law became infected from meeting a parent in school. Mike has gone down like a sack of potatoes; sweats, cold and clamy and very high temperature. Really poorly. The worse thing for my wife and I is that we can't see our wonderful Grandson, Harry, who's just 9 months old, the fact that they had to isolate as a family is really scary, especially for a 9 month old. It's just over a month ago that Mike completed the London marathon in under 3.5 hours, but he admitts to feeling completely exhausted all the time. This meant my daughter - another teacher- was / is also off work.
Just to add insult to injury, one of the lads in my office also tested positive, which meant the whole office had to go for a PCR test (6 of us spaced out over 20 meters) - I have my follow up test tomorrow. It's about 3 weeks ago when we had a family zoom meeting that we all acknowledged how lucky we'd been to avoid the damn virus.
Stay safe people, it's still out there!
Mike