The Nutley, Crowborough and Groombridge Light Railway - Fictional Narrow Gauge in East Sussex

[BlueLightning]

Don't tempt me!! :jester:

 

Gary

[Annie]

Oh now I do like that.  If I was still building railway models I'd be getting my tools out to knock one up in 1/16th scale  

[sir douglas]

very believable, i actually thought it was real for a minute

[Nearholmer]

Clever fake, because it is very clearly based on a real design or two, probably mainly ‘quarry hunslet’.

 

Colin Binnie?

 

England and Co ceased to be a locomotive manufacturer about thirty years prior to the dates under discussion, so any England engine is going to be deeply secondhand.

[RedGemAlchemist]

Very charming, I think. I'd say go for it Gary!

DO IT! DO IT! DO IT! 

[Andy Kirkham]

Colin Binnie?

 

 

Yes, if you enlarge it you can see his signature.

[Nearholmer]

Very clever chap. His whimsical freelance things always looked plausible, if highly eccentric in some cases, because he had a very sound grasp of engineering. Peter Barnfield, who draws the wonderful ‘steam pencil’ series is similar: total whimsy, to the degree where they are set in Whimshire, but, if you were so inclined, you could probably build, and make work, every one of them (OK, quite a few of his contraptions would overbalance as soon as a light breeze blew, but ......). http://www.titfield.co.uk/Barnfield/PB_main.htm

 

Talking of whimsical railways of the imagination, I’m fairly sure that John Pudney, author and broadcaster who lived at Fairwarp, not far off of our route, just beyond Duddleswell (these are real place, should anyone doubt), wrote a book for children about a fictional ‘Hartwarp Light Railway’. Anyone else recall it?

[RedGemAlchemist]

Very clever chap. His whimsical freelance things always looked plausible, if highly eccentric in some cases, because he had a very sound grasp of engineering. Peter Barnfield, who draws the wonderful ‘steam pencil’ series is similar: total whimsy, to the degree where they are set in Whimshire, but, if you were so inclined, you could probably build, and make work, every one of them (OK, quite a few of his contraptions would overbalance as soon as a light breeze blew, but ......). http://www.titfield.co.uk/Barnfield/PB_main.htm

Just been looking at the Whimshire stuff. M8 looks very much like the sort of scene that might be seen on my own KLR

[Killian keane]

A very creative man was Mr Binnie, you can find a lot of his stuff on this site http://wfvr.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=46365937

[Nearholmer]

Above lies the secret. Three of those are real locos, and the top one is an adaptation of a Lewin design, to turn it into a practical live-steam model. The line between fact and imagination is almost non-existent.

Edited May 21, 2018 by Nearholmer

[ChrisN]

Gary,

You have already alluded to this but narrow gauge railways tend to be either small loading gauge, like the Talyllyn and Ffestiniog or larger loading gauge like the Vale of Rheidol or Welshpool and Llanfair.  The two sizes do not really mix, as the Ffestiniog found when the tried running the Welsh Highland Russell up their line in the 1930s.  It got stuck in a tunnel.

 

The locos you have chosen are all small ones so if you stick with those everything should be small loading gauge.  Your sponsor will have seen a George England locomotive on his trip to Wales as No 3 Matthew David is a Prince look alike.  I am not sure where it came from as it was bought after 1885, so perhaps there were one or two knocking around that just needed the rust cleaning off them, unless someone else built it.  He may have seen a Hunslett 2-4-0 or even one of these.   The Twll Du railway had a locomotive standardisation policy, no two locomotives from the same supplier. 

 

Depending on the year of starting Twll Du may have even lent you one.

[BlueLightning]

Hi Chris,

 

I have been looking forward to seeing your response to this, since your lines are included in the history. Yes the line in intended to be a smaller loading gauge line, as I'm sure you had worked out.

 

I like the Kerr Stewart you have linked too, perhaps I should find out next time I am at an exhibition where Roxey is attending and give Dave a ring so he can bring one along!

 

I have not got an exact date for the lines opening, I never got that far in the planning, but the act of parliament was obtained in 1899 so it would have been the early years of the 20th Century, the layout will be set at some point during WW1. I like the Twll Du's locomotive policy by the way!!

 

Gary

[ChrisN]

Hi Chris,

 

I have been looking forward to seeing your response to this, since your lines are included in the history. Yes the line in intended to be a smaller loading gauge line, as I'm sure you had worked out.

 

I like the Kerr Stewart you have linked too, perhaps I should find out next time I am at an exhibition where Roxey is attending and give Dave a ring so he can bring one along!

 

I have not got an exact date for the lines opening, I never got that far in the planning, but the act of parliament was obtained in 1899 so it would have been the early years of the 20th Century, the layout will be set at some point during WW1. I like the Twll Du's locomotive policy by the way!!

 

Gary

 

Gary,

By WW1 the loco will be about 30 years old but it is possible that it was hired out.  Slate traffic had been diminishing and although tourist numbers had been increasing the war had put paid to that so even a small income from a hired out locomotive would help.

[BlueLightning]

Chris,

 

That sounds perfect!! It means I can have my Little England without needing to find an excuse, and fits into our joint timeline quite well, as with the Canadians moving in the NC&GLR saw a temporary increase in traffic through WW1, buying a new loco would not have been economical, but hiring one from a friendly railway would have been the perfect solution!!

 

Perhaps I'll have to get a second one and paint it in Twll Du livery to depict the loco as it arrived!!!!

 

Gary

[ChrisN]

Chris,

 

That sounds perfect!! It means I can have my Little England without needing to find an excuse, and fits into our joint timeline quite well, as with the Canadians moving in the NC&GLR saw a temporary increase in traffic through WW1, buying a new loco would not have been economical, but hiring one from a friendly railway would have been the perfect solution!!

 

Perhaps I'll have to get a second one and paint it in Twll Du livery to depict the loco as it arrived!!!!

 

Gary

 

Gary,

Midnight Blue, Humbrol 15, with red buffer beams,and the name is Matthew David.  Although it was number 3 it did not carry a number.  My one I managed to burn out the motor but if I ever get back to my 009 layout, that is actually start it, it will have a complete rebuild.

[BlueLightning]

Thanks Chris,

 

I may even have some Humbrol 15 around!! How are your names done? I assume nameplates on the tank sides?

 

Gary

[ChrisN]

Thanks Chris,

 

I may even have some Humbrol 15 around!! How are your names done? I assume nameplates on the tank sides?

 

Gary

 

Gary,

Well name plates.  Lady Judith is red plastic with black lettraset, (I think).  Stephen is a cast name plate, the other two have not got them yet but probably cast name plates if I can get them.  Yes on the tank side.

Edited June 16, 2018 by ChrisN

[BlueLightning]

Thanks Chris,

 

I will make a note of all this so I can use it in the future!

 

Gary

[BlueLightning]

Good Evening (Insert other time period as required) Everyone!!

 

I hope this post finds you well?? Unfortunately I have not been, although my consultant now tells me I am on the mend!! :danced:

 

My illness has been making me rather tired recently, which has obviously had an effect on my modelling, however as I have recovered I managed to spend some time on the Small England, this work was prompted by finding a suitable donor chassis on eBay:

 

Once this arrived I quickly had the chassis out from under it and tried for size under the Small England, utilising the tender chassis from a GraFar Castle Class for the tender, the loco was posed with Skarloey to check size:

 

It could use with being a bit lower, but this is something I will look at once I have recovered a bit more!

 

Once I was happy with this some blue paint was put on the wheels and cylinders, followed by some black on the rest of the chassis. GIving the loco a much more complete look:

 

We can now see the loco posed with Skarloey again, showing the "finished" product:

 

I am currently lacking in any 9mm track so when setting the distance for the tender drawbar I drew a quarter circle of 9" radius on my workbench, now obviously this isn't the most accurate method, but I think it should be OK. I will have to get some track to test!!

 

Going forward I have ordered a smoke box door and boiler back head for Skarloey, so when I have the strength I will be working on that conversion as well. I have also been given another 009 loco (OK it's actually HOe) which is to Germanic for me, however if anyone knows of a suitable body (kit or 3D print) for this please let me know!

 

The small England project has cost me less than £30, and I think proves the method I have used does work!! When I am feeling up to it I will do a write-up revealing how it was made, and how many other 009 locos could be made for similar expenditure!!

 

Thanks for looking, hope you enjoyed,

 

Gary

[ChrisN]

Gary,

Looking good.  I see you have ordered the bits for Skarloey.  I was going to tell you about a conversion kit for it from Narrow Planet which is in the region of £24.00.  I do not know if you know about CWRailways?  I have not looked at their stuff recently as I am trying to focus on building a Cambrian standard gauge layout by building GWR coach kits and MSLR coaches from Silhouette cuttings.  :-)

 

Hope you feel better soon, still praying for you.

[BlueLightning]

Thanks Chris,

 

I have seen the Narrow Planet conversion kit before, but decided that as I am not doing a conversion to Talyllyn that I could live with the cylinders for now, I got the smokebox door and backhead for £8 on Shapeways, and as I was ordering more stuff as well the cost of postage isn't too bad.

 

I think I have seen CWRailways before, but had completely forgotten about them, The prices seem very reasonable, so I think I shall take some pictures and measurements of the chassis to fire off and see if they do anything suitable!

 

Gary

[Nearholmer]

Good progress, Gary.

 

I hope you are feeling fully fit soon.

 

Kevin

[Edwardian]

Wishing you all the best, Gary, and hoping you'll be in fine fettle and back at the work bench soon.

[BlueLightning]

Welcome to another instalment of "Trying not to overdo it, with Gary!"

 

In this episode I have been playing with my Pugbash not seen since post 1. I have made quite a few changes to it, and I don't think it resembles an Airfix Pug any more. However as I am not great at this loco design malarkey I want some input as to weather this is any good! and some tips on how to improve it.

 

Once I have decided on a design I will start work on cleaning up and actually sticking the parts together and building a footplate.

 

So changes that have been made include:

 

Chimney replaced, with parts from a Dapol Rocket and cap from a GWR something from the Great British Locomotives series

Boiler has been extended, with parts from a second kit

Moulded handrails removed

Cab replaced, with one taken from a Bachmann Skarloey

Coal bunker added at rear

 

 

 

Any advice greatly received,

 

Thanks for looking,

 

Gary

Edited July 22, 2018 by BlueLightning

[ChrisN]

Welcome to another instalment of "Trying not to overdo it, with Gary!"

 

In this episode I have been playing with my Pugbash not seen since post 1. I have made quite a few changes to it, and I don't think it resembles an Airfix Pug any more. However as I am not great at this loco design malarkey I want some input as to weather this is any good! and some tips on how to improve it.

 

Once I have decided on a design I will start work on cleaning up and actually sticking the parts together and building a footplate.

 

So changes that have been made include:

 

Chimney replaced, with parts from a Dapol Rocket and cap from a GWR something from the Great British Locomotives series

Boiler has been extended, with parts from a second kit

Moulded handrails removed

Cab replaced, with one taken from a Bachmann Skarloey

Coal bunker added at rear

 

2018-07-21 22.15.27.jpg

 

2018-07-21 22.22.52.jpg

 

Any advice greatly received,

 

Thanks for looking,

 

Gary

 

Gary,

Everyone will have their own ideas so you will just need to take what is said and do what you want to in the end. 

 

I think the chimney is too short and fat.  The bunker looks tacked on the back so there are two thoughts, 1) put a bunker across the top of the boiler and down one side, or two, shorten the boiler and move it all forward..