Brian Clarke models

[Killian keane]

Lets see your models by Brian Clarke, and information on the 'elusive writings ' referred to by Peter Jones

[Nearholmer]

Well done that man!

 

Photo will follow if/when I can find it, but 009 kits I recall:

 

- Gwen, an 0-4-0ST that went onto a Joe Works chassis. A definite success!

 

- a motorail 4WDM of the Leighton Buzzard kind. This had a typically BC drive, consisting of a motor glued upright to the cab floor, and worm drive to one wheel set. Wheels were the usual stub axles and paxolin bit in the middle. IIRC most of this one was plasticard, with castings for the bonnet, radiator, and possibly the headstocks. Quite a success!

 

- groudle glen train, all white metal, zillions of bits, absolutely minute. I did get the loco to work, but it wasn't really a success, and my soldering wasn't up to the coaches.

 

I've also got the castings from a 16mm "scratch building in a box" type loco kit somewhere.

 

Of publications, I've got several of the tiny 18" gauge booklets, one of which I contributed some drawings to, and the magnum opus "slate railway to church water", which caused a lot of arguments, because it is a full and detailed history of a fictional railway, which some people thought was a waste of effort, or even misleading (these were silly people). There are articles by Brian in old 009 news, merlins messenger etc, and he produced some really neat Christmas cards, too.

 

Then there were his own 6.5mm gauge confections, and the Bedsyde Nursery Railway ideas .......

 

It all seemed to peter out when he got into real 2ft gauge stuff, then years of silence, but I spotted a thread somewhere that confirmed his wellbeing, which I had come to doubt.

 

What a truly creative chap!

 

Kevin

Edited March 14, 2017 by Nearholmer

[decauville1126]

I've got (somewhere!) what I assume was a commission chassis for a Duffield Bank 'Muriel' to go on 9mm track. Really lovely. Perhaps one day I'll do a body for it.

[Nearholmer]

I think Muriel might also have been available as a kit.

 

A quick google found some others I'd forgotten: a waril, a de winton VBT, a gamecock (although wasn't that a joe works brass kit?).

 

When I think of the hours I expended attempting to make 009 kits of that period actually run satisfactorily - I should have spent more time on drinking and chasing women!

 

The pic below I found by googling, and is something that was sold by a dealer on eBay - I'd be prepared to swear that it is the one I built c1980, because I remember very well making the tarpaulin from a bit of wine-bottle capping! Not a brilliant bit of modelling, but ......

 

K

Edited March 14, 2017 by Nearholmer

[Nearholmer]

By great coincidence, at a TCS event today, on display was a Saltford catalogue, and some models! The catalogue is from 1986, by which time the range was not as wide as it had been, but was still very interesting.

 

The owner was kind enough to allow me to take some snaps, provide that I mention the narrow gauge railway at Leicester Abbey Pumping Station, which I'm happy to do, because it is jolly good! It has a nice simplex and a train of skips.

[Ruston]

In 1998 I met Brian Clarke on his Saltford Models stand, at Amberley Chalk Pits museum. I bought a 16mm loco kit from him. I say kit but it was more of a scratch-aid really. It consisted of 4xaxlebox castings, 4xcast whitemetal wheels, 1xradiator header tank, 1x fuel tank castings, 2xbuffer castings, 1xmotor and gears, plastic axles and a piece of expanded aluminium grille and a piece of plastic channel to make into a chassis. It was meant to make up a Lister-engined 16HP Ruston but I used the parts to make the later Ruston-engined 16/20HP loco.

 

I made everything else out of plasticard, except the oil pressure gauge, for which I used a 4mm scale loco chassis bearing, and the (cosmetic) Ruston gearbox, which I made fro miliput. On the bottom of the milliput gearbox I inscribed the build date of 14th of July 1998. I never had a railway to run it on, so after fitting some batteries and allowing it to trundle across the living room floor it was never used.

 

Some time later I visited Brian at his home to view his 2ft. gauge locos and I placed the model on his 16/20HP Ruston for a photo. I can't find that photo at the moment but here is the model, taken from the shelf where it has lain for almost 20 years and dusted off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 3, 2017 by Ruston

[Captain Kernow]

I've only just found this thread.

 

Brian and I went to school together and we stayed in touch thereafter. I haven't seen him for a couple of years, but I do have custody of a number of his models, including most of his personal 4mm/OO collection, some of which have seen regular use on my layouts 'Engine Wood' and 'Bleakhouse Road'. Some of you may be familiar with his lovely Barclay 0-4-0 diesel 'Buntie', for example.

 

I also own two 005 models built by him for my erstwhile 'Slate Railway to Churchwater' project, (yes, the subject matter for the book he produced of the same name), which in recent years have seen exhibition use as interesting 'loads' on flat wagons.

 

As far as I am aware, Brian isn't modelling any more (which is a huge shame) and has pursued other interests in recent years.

[Captain Kernow]

Here's a photo of Brian's Peckett 'Marcia' (as found on the Kent & East Sussex Railway):

 

 

And also testing one of the new points for 'Bethesda Sidings', along with a Hornby Peckett:

 

 

[Captain Kernow]

Here are a couple of photos of 'Buntie', taken on my layout 'Engine Wood'. Photos are by Chris Nevard and courtesy of Hornby Magazine:

 

 

 

[Captain Kernow]

I believe that Brian scratchbuilt this delightful little Barclay tank at the same time as he built 'Buntie', but unlike the latter, the Barclay isn't such a good runner and I've not used it as yet on any of my layouts. I do have it in mind, though, to completely replace the chassis (whilst keeping the original), and giving it a new chassis in P4. Both Buntie and the Barclay tank were built in the late 1970s, as far as I can recall.

 

 

 

'Sedgevole' is another of Brian's scratchbuilds, and is representative of a Manning Wardle loco. Unfortunately she also doesn't run too well now, so I have it in mind to provide another completely new chassis, this time in OO, so that she can also see use, possibly on my new 'cameo' layout 'Bethesda Sidings':

 

 

[Nearholmer]

Some real gems there, Captain. Thank you for 'exhibiting' them.

 

Kevin

[Captain Kernow]

Some real gems there, Captain. Thank you for 'exhibiting' them.

Kevin

My pleasure. There are more models, but I will need to get them out of their boxes in the next day or so, plus dig out a few more photos of other stuff.

 

I also have a few copies of his (very limited circulation) spoof preservation newsletter 'Parkdene Messenger', which related to his personal 4mm modelling project at the time and which was set in the very detailed fictional world he had created to contain it.

[Captain Kernow]

Of publications,          the magnum opus "Slate Railway to Churchwater", which caused a lot of arguments, because it is a full and detailed history of a fictional railway, which some people thought was a waste of effort, or even misleading (these were silly people)

That's interesting, because I wasn't really aware of many arguments about the book at the time.

 

In point of fact, virtually the entire 'back story' of the above book came from me, and Brian put it all into his more eloquent prose and arranged publication via Merlin Locomotive Works. Please note that there never was a publisher called the 'Buddle Press', that was another of Brian's inventive and entertaining fictions.

 

Back in the mid-1970s, when Brian and I were finishing secondary school, I was into all things 'Great Western', and the rural GW at that. My 'grand plan' for a layout at the time was a fictional (and highly improbable) branch line off the Golden Valley Line at Vowchurch, running down to the village of Longtown, via some rather difficult terrain (as I found out, when I eventually visited the area!).

 

I was also keen at the time to build an operational layout in 005, which was another of Brian's inventions of the mid-1970s - he was able to get 5mm gauge narrow gauge in 4mm scale (ie. representing 15" gauge prototypes) to work successfully.

 

To that end, I made up this comprehensive fiction about a 15" gauge slate railway from Churchwater (a completely invented place) to Lower Vowchurch Halt, which was the first station on the GW branch from Upper Vowchurch Junction (on the Golden Valley line) to Longtown. The narrow gauge would convey slate and general goods, and featured a small class of 0-4-0 saddle tanks, much influenced by Talyllyn practice, built by the well known Welsh engineering firm of Taffson, Evans & Jenkins.

 

Brian loved all this fictional stuff, as he had already invented a complete district 'somewhere in the south of England', where the railways would become the subjects of his own modelling projects.

 

I did start building an OO layout in 1976, but due to the confines of my bedroom in the family house at the time, I had to lay a sharp curve on the main line of about 2' 8" radius (in OO), most of which would be in tunnel, with the scenic parts of the 005 narrow gauge on the top.

 

Construction was interrupted by university, start of career with B.R., moving house etc., but some 005 track was laid alongside the OO track, and by 1984 a start had been made on the scenery. This was the scene in 1984, showing the fan of 005 sidings at the interchange with the standard gauge, and another photo showing the single line to Churchwater disappearing into the distance:

 

 

 

Further house moves followed, and work on the layout stopped completely in 1985. It was carefully wrapped up and stored away and didn't see the light of day again until the summer of 1994. By this time my modelling 'loyalties' had changed somewhat, and I was, by then, much more interested in the Somerset & Dorset in the 1950s and 1960s.

 

So, what had been 'Lower Vowchurch Halt' was unwrapped and examined. Most of the 005 track was removed and the rest of the layout was to become 'Engine Wood', which was exhibited for the first time in December 1994.

 

I did keep the single line of the 005 narrow gauge as it wound it's way up the hill, and portrayed it as a disused 15" coal tramway:

 

 

 

Brian built me two 005 locos for use on the Churchwater line in the late 1970s. 'Lucy' is one of the Taffson locos, of which there were supposed to be more (Brian actually built another for himself). Virtually the whole loco was scratchbuit by Brian, including the wheels, of course. This is 'Lucy' today, with a length of OO track behind for comparason:

 

The other loco Brian built was based on Black Hawthorn designs. He also made another one (in blue livery) for himself:

 

 

There were also some scratchbuilt wagons for the Churchwater line, including some slate wagons.

 

There were also a few 'man riders' for the quarry staff and a general goods open wagon:

 

Although I built the wagon bodies, their running gear was built by Brian. It did all work, although it was incredibly fiddly and much of it was way beyond my own modelling skills at the time, hence the help that I received from Brian.

[Tim V]

Some pictures I took of your OO5 work Captain, circa 1977. All suffer from lack of depth of field. What happened to Saffron?

 

[Tim V]

I built one of Brian's 16mm "kits". I never finished it.

 

 

[Captain Kernow]

What happened to Saffron?

 

 

As far as I know, Brian still has her in his possession.

[Nearholmer]

More marvellous stuff.

 

I would never have dreamed that Engine Wood had roots in the Churchwater saga. I recognise all those locos and wagons from the book, and from seeing some at a 009 AGM several decades ago.

 

Kevin

[Captain Kernow]

A few more photos of Brian's work, this time in 009. I only have these few items, which I officially have on extended loan, for use on the short 009 section of 'Bleakhouse Road'.

 

A Ruston diesel, from one of Brian's own kits. It runs quite nicely:

 

Some of Brian's skip wagons, again from his own castings:

 

This is a little gem. It's a working model of a skip frame Lister type loco, the prototype of which I believe Brian may have found on the Somerset Levels peat workings. It's clearly been raining, which would account for how shiny the driver is:

 

 

Some scratchbuilt open wagons:

 

All of the above have seen some use on 'Bleakhouse Road', my other S&D layout, which is set on the Somerset Levels.

 

I'm not sure of the exact provenance of this next model, although I think they are Brian's own castings again, on a proprietary chassis:

 

Edited June 12, 2017 by Captain Kernow

[2mm Andy]

A few more photos of Brian's work, this time in 009. I only have these few items, which I officially have on extended loan, for use on the short 009 section of 'Bleakhouse Road'.

 

I'm not sure of the exact provenance of this next model, although I think they are Brian's own castings again, on a proprietary chassis:

20170611_100341.jpg

 

Fantastic photos Tim.

 

I believe the saddle tank loco is a 'Merlin Midget' on a Joe Works chassis, presumably dating from the time when Brian worked for Merlin Loco Works in Llanfair Caereinion (and when they produced some 009 models as well as the live steam). I have a loco that I picked-up years ago from the 009 Society secondhand sales stand (although it's in bits at the moment pending a rebuild).

 

Andy

[Captain Kernow]

Here is one of Brian's lovely drawings, showing a Quarry Hunslet 'on shed' somewhere:

 

 

[Quarryscapes]

Here is one of Brian's lovely drawings, showing a Quarry Hunslet 'on shed' somewhere:

 

20170703_204815_irf.jpg

 

That's Red Damsel sat outside Lernion Shed, Dinorwig, A scene I'm slowly recreating in 16mm scale http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/119294-red-damsel-a-super-detailed-slaters-quarry-hunslet-in-16mm-scale/

[chris stockdale]

Brian is, as they say, 'alive and well and living on Facebook'. He is a member of a number of Groups there and often pops up to post.

 

Loving the photos and stories in this thread BTW. I liked his style so much that I got hold of all the 16mm Today magazines with his articles. I'm also a proud owner of 'Slate railway to...'

 

You can see one of his Saltford catalogues here:

 

http://mdlr.co.uk/saltford01.html

 

Cheers,

Edited July 6, 2017 by chris stockdale

[chris stockdale]

Some of his models in use on a layout here:

 

https://sites.google.com/site/myoldlayouts/home/the-16mm-years

[James Hilton]

I've only just found this thread...

 

I've been collecting examples of Brian's printed works over the past 6 months, and have exchanged a few messages with him about the possibility of making them available again at some point.

This is documented on a thread on NGRM forum (Narrow Gauge Railway Modellers)... http://ngrm-online.com/forums/index.php?/topic/17997-drawings-by-brian-clarke/

 

Initially my intention was to just collect and record these but there was demand to make them available more widely - something I've discussed with Brian - as yet no plans, either through a new booklet or digital, to make these available again...

 

What it has done though, is inspire me to go back to my passion of sketching and drawing - which is what proved a catalyst for 'jameshiltondraws' my new side line!

His models have also inspired a few of my own including a Black Hawthorn in 009, and a small Hunslet in 006.5...

 

Currently I've got copies scanned and archived of the following:

 

Books/Booklets:

• Slate railway to Churchwater
• Peat cutting tramways of the Somerset levels
• Gunpowder railway at Waltham Abbey
• Brede Waterworks tramway
• Bedside Nurseries
• Metropolitan Water Board, Hampton
• Knowles Clay Mine
• Royal Arsenal Woolwich

 

Instructions:

• Bagnall Peckett Saddletank
• Static Saltford Saddletank
• DeWinton
• Hudson Hunslet
• Hunslet Well Tank
• Saltford Simplex
• Saltford skips

 

Other:

• RM August 2000 article.

[Nearholmer]

Do we think that there should be an article in NG&IRM Review?

 

RCL Has done some 'history' items before, and BC's work strikes me as being worthy of, and interesting to, a wider audience.

 

Kevin