CATEGORIES

Services scaled back for virus crisis

Both Northern Ireland Railways and Irish Rail have revised their timetables for the Covid-19 crisis.

North British Class 29

Further support for Scottish Region modellers has arrived in the form of the Dapol's ‘OO’ gauge 'Sad Eye' NBL Class 21 and Class 29 rebuild. No. D6114, modelled as a rebuilt locomotive, is the subject of this review which also covers the Class 21 model in essence, as most features are common to both.

Realtrack ‘N' PCA cement tank wagons

Realtrack Models has a reputation for some excellent ‘OO’ gauge models, including its ‘Pacer’ and Class 156. It steps into the world of ‘N’ gauge wagons with super-detailed modern cement tank wagons in three liveries.

Painting ‘N' gauge models: Centro livery

A stint in the paint shop completes the ‘N’ gauge Class 150/0 conversion based on the Graham Farish model as described in the February 2020 issue (REM190). The same painting techniques may be used to apply Regional Railways livery too, except dark blue replaces Centro green and certain markings are different. This article concludes the Class 150/0 No. 150002 project with livery application and its first introduction to service.

Bachmann ‘Bubble Car'

Pressed Steel Class 121 single car DMUs are the latest brand-new ‘OO’ gauge models to arrive from Bachmann. Employing its new low profile drive mechanism to clear the passenger compartment for seats and fittings, the Class 121 builds on the success of Bachmann’s new approach to multiple unit modelling first introduced in the Class 158 and Class 159.

Kit Corner: ‘OO' ZFV ‘Catfish'

Cambrian’s ‘OO’ gauge BR ballast hopper wagon kits are now decades old and the ‘Dogfish’ has since been produced as a ready-to-run model by Heljan. With no commercial model available for the ‘Catfish’, however, the Cambrian kit is the only way to model them. This article looks at the techniques and pitfalls of building this kit.

HSTease

Former 1990s Derby trainman Tim Helme considers the allure of HSTs.

Farewell to the ‘Slammers'

Ten years ago, the Lymington branch in Hampshire witnessed the end of mainline slam-door EMUs.

0 to 60!

Neville Hill gives a Class 700 the chance to show what it can do on third-rail power.

VOLVO XC40 Recharge Plug-in Hybrid T5

Fashionable Scandi-SUV meets potent hybrid technology – Volvo has good reason to feel confident about its smallest plug-in.

VOLKSWAGEN E-UP!

Now with double the range, is the e-up! the city EV you’ve been waiting for?

SILENT REVOLUTION

Traditionally known for loud tastes and louder exhausts, the global tuning community is quickly realising the performance potential of electric conversions. Alex Grant asked some of the pioneers what excites them most about the technology.

REAR VIEW

Will electric vehicles ever reach price parity?

MINI Cooper SE (Electric)

Electric power suits the MINI. But, let’s face it, it’s difficult to go wrong with an automotive icon.

Time for combustion to burn out?

The UK government has signalled plans to phase out the sale of combustion engine passenger cars within 15 years, firing the starting gun on the biggest shiftin the history of one of the world’s oldest automotive markets. But how achievable is that end goal?

DS 3 CROSSBACK E-TENSE

An odd, expensive cookie, that somehow works.

FIAT GOES ELECTRIC

Fiat stuns with third-generation of its popular 500 revised as a 200-mile range electric city car.

COVID-19

With the unprecedented effect coronavirus (COVID-19) is having on the world, our thoughts are with all those affected. We take a look at how to work from home, what tools are available to you and how to look after your electric car while it’s not being used.

1971 OPEL GT ELEKTRO

HISTORY

Project Yamaha TZR250 3MA part 2 Four-Into-One!

Jeff has the lucky job of turning four 3MA motors into one screaming two-stroke… he’s quite excited!

Yamaha YDS1 part 4 Nervous breakdown!

The Yamaha YDS1’s stripped back to the bare bones, but a nervy Scoop wonders what lies within!

Project BMW R1100 RS part 1 Don't start!

Or is it part four? Well, part four of our Kev’s missives and it’s the end of a very long road for his high-mileage BMW!

Sawing and welding

Allen is doing yet more sawing and welding on the motor of his Kawasaki ‘Super-Six’!

Conkers, lovely conkers!

Tuner, engineer, rider

Cog-swapping! Kawasaki H2C part 5

Seems like our Ralph is back with the terror that is the purple pain! What now, Un-Wreck It Ralph?

Project CRK Café Racer Triumph 1200 part 8 Crossed wires

Just when he thought that it would be plain sailing with the CRK 1200 Roadster project, Nutters hit the rocks!

BMW R1100S part 6 The comic strip!

Part six of the 160,000-mile Boxer and Ralph shouts from the workshop: “Will my German stripping ever end?” But in a Somerset-y, not Saxony accent!

Crimp my style!

Ralph Ferrand works with tools all day long – he sells them too at bikerstoolbox.co.uk. So he knows what works.

A Shaw thing!

CMM reader Malcolm Shaw is a self-taught spanner-man with a penchant for making specials…

Hybrid heaven!: Project Kawasaki Hybrid part 8

Or is it hybrid hell? Our own Scoop returns with tales of this 500/400/250 mish-mash! Will he survive such mental anguish?