Last chant for the slow dance 3
Entry posted by Sylvian Tennant
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So, it's done. I have managed to finally create a monster.
I messed with time an history and it brought me to this place.
The dark and brutal world of British mainline steam in the 1980's.
Many have scoffed that it was far fetched, and yes it because frankly steam didn't survive on the mainline after 1968 as a revenue earning arm of BR.
But it's nice to dream.
but anyway. After a major electical issue involving rewriting the driving wheels to the tender to get it working again it is complete.
I promised a brief story on my world at 988 193 so here it is.
It belonged to a batch of loco's built during the war, and spent most of it life in the midland region, that part of it's life I'm not to clear on. but the 1955 white paper smoke emissions called for steam to be eradicated by the end of the century and called for steam locomotives to provide a more efficient turn of economy and emissions. BR contacted L.D. Porter who had been working on modifying Agrentine steam locomotives and he proposed a series of improvements on a select number of locomotives to extend their lives.
R.A. Riddles was successful in pushing for electrification and the pilot scheme diesel locomotives (which were fewer in number than reality) were pooled into the WCML & Southern with steam locomotives from those regions transferring or scrapped outright.
The Western was the next to go with their favoured hydraulics with left the areas of the midland region, Wales, Yorkshire and the north east and Scotland until the 1980's when the Midland regions went fully with electrification and diesels. Wales eventually succumbed and the eastern side of England and Scotland were left until the end of the 80's.
Steam still lingered on until mid 2000 with the final shunting, depot pilots and industrial locomotives were withdrawn.
anyway the 8F in question was converted in 1976 from a 988/0 (an unmodified 8F) to incorporate a Lempor chimney, dual braking, radio equipment, electric lighting& mechanical stoker. A the end of midland steam she transferred from Toton to Thornaby along with a healthy number roof other locomotives from former midland Region sights. Here she worked mainly on Oil trains up to Newcastle and York, occasionally running coal trains up to Drax and also doing turns on steels runs to Redcar.
She ended by as one of the last few surveyors lasting up until 2000 and eventually adopting a Loadhaul and finally an EWS livery before withdrawal and eventual scrapping in 2012.
Anyone, daydream over.
She wasn't done over night but would have been a lot sooner had the electrical issue hadn't occurred. Paining was done completely by hand, that also includes the weathering too.
Transfers were from Replica Railways, Nairnshire Modelling Supplies and HMRS.
The crew were modified Dapol track workers. The livery itself was Hornby rail colours BR Blue & Yellow, as mentioned, hand giant. the weathering was also done by hand.
I have enjoyed it and I'm looking to build some more BR blue locos eventually as well as stock and maybe a small layout.
But for now, I am going to stick to something closer to reality.
If you have any questions, please just ask.
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