Bachmann Class 37 with DCC sound

I am continuing with my program to detail some diesels and add DCC sound to them. It is a bit of an eclectic mix at the moment, just locomotives that I had already purchased some years ago but never got around to updating.  The latest one out of the workshop is a Bachmann Class 37, in railfreight livery.  This was the first locomotive I ever purchased with DCC sound on board and it was a game changer for me.  Hearing a locomotive with sounds changed the direction and goal of what I wanted to model in future.  It was factory fitted with a lok sound ver. 3.5 decoder and Bachmann sounds, which to be honest were a little naff.  I had also never got around to undertaking the weathering on this locomotive, so it has just plodded around in a pristine state for years.  The railfreight livery is a bit outside of what I intend to model now, but I thought as I had this locomotive I would finish it off.

The finished class 37 running on Charlton.

Running into the station - the start off and idle on the Howes decoder is spot on!

As per normal the chassis was fitted with a 3 link coupling and the ends were detailed.  I dismantled all the components, such as bogies,removed the glazing and sealed off the lighting units.  I initially applied an all over body wash and removed parts of this with a cotton bud, before spraying various  shades of weathered black, frame dirt and sleeper grime over the locomotive.  The finish came out a little heavier than I originally intended and there was one coat of weathered black where the airbrush clogged and the effect was a little heavier than I was aiming for.  However, it looks ok, although there are a few areas I am not so pleased with - it definitely sits in my I could do better camp!

The finished class 37.

And heading back to Barnstaple junction.

The decoder was removed and sent off to Howes for reblowing.  Following this being replaced the locomotive was reassembled and given a test run.  I also gave it a little outing at the Pevensey exhibition last week, although as I was running 1970s BR blue, I did it when no-one was looking!!!! A class 47 and a class 33 are now nearing completion and I will update these on here soon, although I head away with work for most of August, so it could be a little while before the next update.

Pevensey Exhibition

Today I am absolutely knackered after exhibiting Charlton at the Pevensey Exhibition.  This was a 'local' show, although for the first four hours it was non-stop and absolutely jammed.  Thankfully it did tail off a bit for the final couple of hours, which was nice I was fried from operating the layout solo!  For a small show I thought the standard of the modelling on show was extremely high.  There were some great layouts - although given that I had very little time to look about I did not take any photographs.  However, there were some excellent layouts there and it was a very friendly show.  Again I had a lot of good conversations with different people which makes the whole event really worthwhile.  Generally the layout performed faultlessly, although the class 22 needs a good wheel clean.  Other than this it was clean sailing, the only problems being when I failed to set a point properly, driver induced error!

The layout set up and running.

For this show I set the layout at the back of the trestle stands and put the front drape over the rest of the extension.  I also increased the height of the layout by about 8 inches.  This stopped people touching the layout and it also stopped them leaning on the layout  - so no repeat performances of last time and the demise of the class 45!.  So a great show, great fun but very tiring!!!  

Class 25 on the milk train.

Class 22 on the parcels train.

Pottering about

Since the exhibition I have been pretty busy and have only made a bit of progress here and there with tasks.  The class 45 seems knackered.  After considering what to do I think I am going to send it back to Bachmann to get fixed.  I replaced the bogie and the broken gear tower, but there is something else seriously wrong with the chassis.  Maybe bent drive shafts or a knackered motor, I am not sure.  The locomotive does have some sentimental value to me - it was one of the first things I ever managed to finish properly.  Whilst I am not overly happy with the finish on it now, it was a very reliable locomotive.  So hence I think I am going to cough up the money and be done with it!!! 

A new project is to fit lights to this CK in order to finish a 3 coach rake for the layout.

So with the class 45 out of the roster I ordered a Howes DCC sound decoder for a class 33.  I finished a Heljan class 33/2 years ago and never got around to fitting in the sound chip. So I have taken this locomotive apart and it is currently sat in the modelling boxes waiting for some time tomorrow to fit the chip in. I think the speaker might need to go in the fuel tank so it is a bigger job than I was expecting - but hey these jobs often drag out don't they!  Recently, I have been weathering a class 37 in railfrieght livery.  This locomotive does not really suit the time period I am currently modelling, but it was the first sound locomotive I ever purchased, coming prefitted with Bachmann sounds.  I have sent the decoder off for a reblow and the weathering is finished, so I will piece this back together tomorrow - ready for next weekend.

The layout at the Blubell exhibition.

The new fronts being placed on the baseboards.

Other than this I am tidying up the railway ready for its next exhibition in a weeks time at Pevensey.  I am fitting some new fronts to the baseboards.  These come with the Tim Horn baseboard kits, but I never got around to fitting them.  However, these will tidy up the appearance of the layout no end.  I have also ordered a couple of posters to fit over the fiddle yard boards, with the name and details of the layout on them.  I have also started work on detailing a class 47.  I have just stripped down a mk1 CK coach ready to fit some lights into it.  Alongside this I have nearly finished another SPV parcels wagon and a milk tanker.  So lots of small bits of progress.  

The class 47 during the initial stages of weathering with an all over body wash done.

The class 47 chassis stripped down ready for weathering.