brianthesnail96 Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 Not strictly BT&S, but the tanker fleet should be running on "Berkeley Junction" at the Swindon Steam Museum exhibition this weekend. Will be bringing the MW for it's first outing and potentially the Fowler as well, although since it's technically main line they will be in a backup role (i.e.the branch operator has pilfered the Lionheart 64xx back for an autotrain). Doubtless it'll be complete chaos since we've never run the schedule before, haven't all operated the layout together and don't really know what we're doing, so do come and see us if you fancy a laugh. Chances are I'll be front of house shunting the yard. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post brianthesnail96 Posted October 13, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted October 13, 2015 Good news! Have finally moved BT&S into it's new home- and it fits! For the first time I can have the layout set up in it's entirety at home. Previously the two shorter boards were in the spare room and the longest (RH end) board had taken up residence on the dining room table as it was a pain in the proverbial to cart upstairs. The new place has a "garden room" which is long (about BT&S long in fact- the left hand wall tapers, it won't go any further back towards the window than this before it wedges!) and narrow, so not much use for anything else- so it's become my hobby room and a general storage room. There's a little box room at the front of the house which again would be useless for anything else which has become Laura's painting room (she does narrowboat type art, roses and castles and such)- although it's smaller it gets much better natural light in the evenings, so domestic harmony is maintained... Excuse the clutter, I need to have a tidy up of the workbench (opposite the layout) which has been used as a dumping ground pre- sort. I also need to build some risers (OK, cut a fence post up into 20" long chunks, we don't do technical here) to lift the layout up so I can get to the wing nuts and electrical connections underneath! 21 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hartleymartin Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Do you run the layout on DCC or DC control? If I ever come to England, I'll give you a loan of a few locomotives at a show or an operating session. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianthesnail96 Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Digital, for locos anyway- currently a Multimaus. Points are all old fashioned solenoid and switches- the switchboard hangs off the front of the layout. Won't be doing loads of shows with it, it's not the easiest to move after all (it was never designed to go on the road) but guest operators and stock more than welcome when we do! I need to be brave and learn the wonders of brass kitbuilding and get a bit more variety in the loco fleet. I'm in the nice position of being fairly well off for wagons (I need to build/ finish a few more, and could do with a couple more open wagons) but am a bit short on locos, which seems to be the reverse of conventional wisdom. Maybe next year... this year has mostly been learning about DIY! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hartleymartin Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Minerva Peckett E class on your shopping list? If things go well, there should be one in my Christmas stocking (I have big feet) 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hartleymartin Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 By the way, the Tower Models barclay is a doddle to put together. Lots of cleaning up of castings give you a much better finish, but it does make into a nice model. My only complaint is the chassis. Really, the U-channel they used should be 1" wide and not 3/4" but I imagine that it must be difficult to find the right size at 19mm high and 25mm across. I started scratch-building a new chassis for it, but ended up moving house, so it's still in the box after 6 months. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruston Posted October 13, 2015 Author Share Posted October 13, 2015 Nice to see it set up properly now you've moved house. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianthesnail96 Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Cheers Dave, nice to have it. I did measure the room before we made an offer on the house! As for locos, we've got the Fowler, the Manly Waddle, and a Peckett on pre order, all with noise care of EDM. I've resisted a Terrier though! The Tower Barclay is a bit big really, quite fancy something a little different. The Agenoria RS&H would be a nice starting point. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barnaby Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 BT&S has a new home and well suited it looks too. Looks not too stressed for having been uprooted again and moved in. Best 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjcampbell Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 Nice railway room, though I'm not sure what to make of "Domestic Harmony" being in separate rooms on opposite sides of the house... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianthesnail96 Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 Couldn't possibly comment! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 Nice railway room, though I'm not sure what to make of "Domestic Harmony" being in separate rooms on opposite sides of the house... Sounds ideal to me. In our house Sue has the small backroom upstairs as a study for her artwork and I am either downstairs in my workroom or in the roof. We meet for meals! Chaz 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osgood Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 I couldn't help but notice there is not a tree in sight at Bury, Thorn & Sons. Then again, I couldn't help but notice the orange Latil timber tracteur on the window sill (lovely model isn't it?), so it isn't really surprising I suppose. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianthesnail96 Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 (edited) Missed that post Osgood- tiz a rather nice model, was a Birthday present from my boss- he's spent the last couple of years trying to convince me I need a 12" to 1' scale one to keep his Unipower & Scammells company. Having said I wasn't going to buy a Terrier, I may have given in to temptation when I saw the blue ones. Given the price it was tricky to resist really. That and the MW isn't quite right and I'm not sure I'll have the time or skill to get it fettled before Yate in February. The Terrier should be a nice easy project at least... famous last words. Sound, a repaint, removal of the condensing gear and fitting the later brake gear (available as a spare from DCC Supplies, as are lots of bits at what I considered very sensible prices). As arrived; looks a little out of place. And in it's current state... Still undecided on livery, I quite like the idea of light green but I'm struggling to find suitable transfers "off the shelf". Edited December 1, 2015 by brianthesnail96 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hartleymartin Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 What transfers would you be looking for? I repainted a black hudswell clarke into green and didn't use any transfers. Just the supplied builder's plates and I'll be using one of the etched number plates. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 Really looking forward to seeing this at Yate, Dave and Matt have done a lovely job on this layout. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianthesnail96 Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 All the hard work has been Dave's doing, although there are some very minor tweaks I want to do before Yate. As for transfers, I'm not a particular fan of etched name and particularly numberplates on everything, it comes across as a little twee to me (possibly to do with my 16mm/ ft modelling days, where nearly every loco is spotlessly clean with large brass plates)- although I'll concede the Ixion ones are very nicely done. I'd much prefer company lettering, ideally white shaded black on light green paint- sadly there isn't time before the next show to get custom ones done so I've been looking for suitable lettering/ alphabets for either B.T.S. or BT&S on the tank sides and No3 on the cab. Another option would be straw shaded red and I'll paint the loco black. Most likely though it'll end up sand with a BTS roundel as the Fowler, which I can do with self (or Tim!) printed transfers (as on the Fowler). The Minerva Peckett will definitely be getting this treatment. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruston Posted December 3, 2015 Author Share Posted December 3, 2015 There must have been a change of management at BT&S. Old Mr. Bury would never have allowed a such a soft southern engine onto his sidings. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianthesnail96 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 (edited) Old Mr Bury is a cantankerous old whatsit, typical grumpy Yorkshireman who wouldn't consider any loco not made in his home county. Mr Thorn is slightly less cantankerous and spent some time working in Bristol in his younger years; this gave him a slightly broader view of the world and as such, he allows his Yorkshire instinct for thrift to overcome his Yorkshire instinct for only buying things from Yorkshire on occasion. This doesn't stretch as far as buying things from Lancashire of course, but when he found out via a contact from his Bristol days who had moved to the big smoke that the LB&SC were selling off some of the Terrier fleet, the opportunity to snaffle a couple of small but powerful tank locomotives at a bargain price was not to be missed. Some years later with both being somewhat worn out the decision was taken to refurbish one with the best bits of the pair, it taking the identity of No. 3, originally LB&SC 51 "Rotherhithe", the other engine (BT&S No. 4) was LB&SC 66 "Hatcham" As penance, Mr Bury insisted the next loco after the Terriers was from one of the Leeds manufacturers, but Mr Thorn got his way again later, ordering a new Peckett Class E to replace the scrapped No. 4 as the Bristol firm was able to offer a shorter lead time than the Northern manufacturers while at a competitive price. Obviously, by the time of our visit, the early 1960's, both the founders have passed away and it's Mr Thorn's two sons running the business (Mr Bury never married). They have inherited their father's thrift however, hence the locomotive fleet continuing to be somewhat eclectic. Can you tell it's a quiet afternoon in the office? Edited December 4, 2015 by brianthesnail96 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianthesnail96 Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 No. I've not decided yet, should be 7 but might actually be 5, will depend on what transfers I have already printed, has now been delivered- ahead of schedule. Big beastie, but looks at home. There were a few class E built later than the Fowlers but not many so it should be a lower number in the fleet than the Fowler really- I shall have to amend the history above; perhaps Mr Thorn with his eye for a bargain was better at convincing Mr Bury than we thought... This is turning into a box opening thread, sorry... will try and amend that in the new year, although current priority is to build loco & stock levels sufficiently for me to be self sufficient and not have to borrow stock (although I'm lucky to have a friend with a good fleet who is happy to loan suitable stock and indeed weathered and sound chipped his Ixion HC specially for us to run at Hardwicke exhibition). Still some bits and pieces to do to the layout though. Happy Christmas to all who follow mine & Dave's ramblings here 18 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianthesnail96 Posted January 26, 2016 Share Posted January 26, 2016 BT&S will be appearing at Yate Model Railway Show on the 13th of Feb- see here for details. Feel free to say hello if you are visiting, bring something (small) to run etc. I'm the one in dire need of a haircut (unless I have, in fact, had a haircut by then)... Hoping to get the Terrier "done" by then, frantically painting and weathering wagons at the moment. The Peckett will be running in it's out of the box state as I've run out of time to repaint it, but it's too good fun to not play with! 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianthesnail96 Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 Bit of progress on the Terrier- bufferbeams and frame weathering still to do. Nowhere near as pleased as I am with the Fowler, but it looks more in keeping than it did and provides a useful extra locomotive. This is my first attempt at weathering a steam locomotive. The Fowler was much easier! Think I might clean the tank front slightly looking at that (possibly the cab front too although access is a pain, which probably makes it a bit more excusable). 18 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev_Lewis Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 (edited) She looks great. Edited January 27, 2016 by Kev_Lewis Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giles Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 It would never have occurred to me in a month of Sundays to use that colour for locos - but it's great! It takes lettering and weathering beautifully..... A little more in the join between tank and boiler, the buffer beams and your soot over the boiler top, and you've got something rather special. I think it (and the Fowler)'s absolutely super. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianthesnail96 Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 Thanks folks.Giles, in case you hadn't guessed it was done in pieces and then put together- hence missing grubbying the joint between boiler tanks. I'll have to attend to that. I did attempt to dust the top of the boiler but I couldn't get anything I was happy with and polished it off. I'll try again with a softer brush as it's a little too shiny now! It actually looks slightly pinkish in those photos, it doesn't in reality. Was pleased with how the lettering came out though- although it is a bit heavy. Peckett next (once I've finished the vans, and repainted the cupboard door mineral that I've inadvertently painted blue...). Same treatment, lots of nice rivet detail to snag dirt on Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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