Blue Is The New Black

BR Blue that is. That is what we choose to model. Why? To us it's when engines still had some character, there is lots to choose from and it has memories for Matt, and some for me...though for me they are vague and dreamlike as in I am not sure the memories are real...if that makes sense. I come from Clacton On Sea, and the family never had much money so didn't use trains very often. But I am sure I remember seeing blue on one of our rare trips out, specifically a lifetime long journey (in the mind of a child) to Edinburgh where my dad hails from.

More than anything it's simply a nice colour! It also means we get to see the unfortunately named arrows of indecision, a logo so iconic that it is still used after all this time (perhaps they couldn't decide on a new one - bwhahahaha).

Trainee: "This way or that sir? - Manager: "Whichever is the most inefficient and expensive lad!"

I suppose as people are becoming nostalgic about diesel and BR blue it is becoming more popular and is being seen at shows more and more. Societies now exist to cater for this, try www.demu.org.uk. Of course there is not enough but time will pass and the interest will grow.

From my own painting perspective it gives me the chance to make them dirty, cos they were. Dirty, stinky, things (recently rode a class ... at ... railway, my god I had forgotten just how stinky!) but we love them all the more for it. They pissed oil and fuel at every opportunity, they smoked like yer nan on 40 a day Woodbines and they were workhorses, no airs and graces they just did what they did. As I describe these I expect the detail may be lacking for those who crave this, as I said I still get classes mixed up, I don't know what the detail is to know whether or not it is lacking (air horns are forever known to me as honkers) perhaps this blog is not for you....

Our Fleet...

We have many to choose from, alas at the present stage in all manner of stages of "finished" but there are a few I can show. As we like to be original some of these do not exist as RTR, again Matt being very clever in terms on construction we are able to have engines no one else does. Mostly fitted with sound (more on that to come).

Class 206 3R DEMU "Hastings"

Warrior Square - have you seen my inhaler?

I couldn't quite believe this when I was told but this was born out of need. Apparently a tunnel in the area was contracted out, and it seemed in this case the cheapest was not the best because the contractors had skimped on the tunnel thickness and this made it unsafe. So in true inefficient fashion more contractors went in to add further skins of bricks (why pay once when you can pay twice!).

However, this made the tunnel too narrow to allow safe clearance for standard sizes so what to do....make a completely new one that will fit (that's BR budgeting!). Actually, I jest they were not 'built' as such but rather re-formed from Class 201 and EPB vehicles for use on Reading-Redhill-Tonbridge (North Downs Line) services. Six three-car sets were created, numbered 1201-1206.

This is available from DC Kits but we decided to make our own. Using Bachmann EPB the underframe was the right size but the body and roof were not. A new body was designed by Matt on CAD (2D only) and sent off to the etchers, while the roof was split down the middle...some material removed and rejoined (cut & shut!). All new conduits and roof vents were then added.

Hope you like it.