Little Didcot

[Mike 84C]

I think the 2900 was the best looking of all the GW 4-6-0 classes.  I do hope Lady of Legend is a real flyer, some of the drivers I fired to who were in their 60's in the 60's , reckoned they were the fastest things on rails! So I live in hope.

     Mick

[RJS1977]

Talking of the railmotor a couple of posts back, what's happened to its shed? When I went to Didcot for the signalling weekend, it didn't seem to be there any more, apart from a few sections of wriggly tin lying around :-(

[Castle]

Hi RJS,

 

The Railmotor Shed is perfectly well and healthy and where it always has been! I think said wiggly tin are the spare sections.

 

All the best,

 

Castle

[Mr Brunel]

If you are looking for something to do this weekend - a big shunt has be done to set the scene for Didcot’s ‘Engine Shed Experience’ over the Bank Holiday Weekend. There are other cameos around the shed including the rarely outside No. 5900 Hinderton Hall!

 

I'm glad to hear that because I was at Didcot a week ago and I spent a lot of time getting "up close and personal" with No. 5900! It was looking very dusty and a bit sad so I gave the loco a thorough clean. It's nice to know that my efforts were worth it, given that it will be outside with everybody getting a good look at it...

[RJS1977]

Hi RJS,

 

The Railmotor Shed is perfectly well and healthy and where it always has been! I think said wiggly tin are the spare sections.

 

All the best,

 

Castle

 

Thanks, Castle

 

Looking at Google Maps, I think I'd remembered it as being nearer the Halt than that, and the new signalling centre was hiding it from view!

 

Richard

[FraserClarke]

I'm glad to hear that because I was at Didcot a week ago and I spent a lot of time getting "up close and personal" with No. 5900! It was looking very dusty and a bit sad so I gave the loco a thorough clean. It's nice to know that my efforts were worth it, given that it will be outside with everybody getting a good look at it...

You'd perhaps be surprised quite how quickly things get dirty in there - one of the authentic steam shed aspects I guess :-\

 

There is a group, which I'm a member of, who do look after the engines in there. We clean and lubricate them on a monthly basis, do assorted 'conservation' jobs, and try to keep things looking nice for the public and as accessible as possible.  Still, they always look a bit grubby the next month.   You'd be very welcome to join and help out if you'd like -- we even have proper cleaning equipment... PM me if you're interested.

 

The engines probably looked particularly dusty a week or so ago -- we'd been rubbing down and repainting 5572. It turned everything else in the shed green!! Unfortunately there was no option but to do it in the shed...

 

edit - smiley killed most of the message first time!

Edited August 26, 2018 by FraserClarke

[Mr Brunel]

You'd be very welcome to join and help out if you'd like -- we even have proper cleaning equipment... PM me if you're interested.

 

Ah, I should probably explain that I've been a member of the group for about a year now! I'm Sam Sheppard - you may have seen my name on the Yahoo group from time to time? When I last came, I was keeping the normal cleaning jobs going while 5572 was being worked on, hence I spent most of the day cleaning No. 5900 and No. 3822.

 

I'm not sure when I will next be able to visit Didcot, as I'm starting postgraduate education in September. I might try and come in this weekend to do more cleaning - I meant to have a go at No. 6998 some time.

[FraserClarke]

Apologies Sam! Trouble of matching forum names to real world names

 

You did a good job -- I was back in on the Sunday, and things were again only looking green in the right places

[Castle]

The Good(s), the Bad, and the Ugly?

 

Hi All,

 

Well, here is a quick chat about a little weathering project I have just done for a friend. There has been much talk about the pros and cons of the Oxford Dean Goods model but in hand it looks very refined and is very well made. Let’s see what happens when we throw a bit of dirt on it and hope for the best...

 

The Dean Goods needs no introduction. There were 260 of these machines between 1883 and 1899. It was an early purveyor of the inside framed look and although built without domes and other boiler improvements, they received all sorts of updates throughout their epically long service life. They are famous not only for their longevity but also as providing vital military service in both world wars. A number saw service in foreign parts and not all of them came home again.

 

By the time nationalisation beckoned, there were still 54 left. They still found use on the Welsh lines as their light axle loading was useful on the lightly laid lines of the area. The final cull due to their replacement by such machines as the BR Standard 2 2-6-0 was complete by May 1957 with No. 2538 being the last in service.

 

Thankfully, No. 2216 of 1897 vintage is preserved in the collection at Swindon’s Steam museum. An amazing silent reminder of the fact that there was a Dean Goods on the Railways of the UK and in service in many other parts of the world for nearly three quarters of a century. It’s one heck of a record in anyone’s book.

 

I haven’t done any updates or extra detailing to the outside of Little No. 2532. The project has been inspired for Harry by this picture here of the real thing taking water on Goring troughs on the 15th April 1953:

 

https://www.rail-online.co.uk/p679214033/h8ed6b97d

 

The basic instruction I got from Harry was “make it REALLY filthy please!” So I did... It has been fitted with our usual Gaugemaster DCC chip and firebox flicker LED. My usual go to is the Youchoos 2 pin plug to add the wiring to the tender and DCC socket. I usually go in through the drag box on the driver’s side. The construction of this tender doesn’t allow this however as it is solid metal at this point. I had to open out one of the securing screw holes forward of the middle wheel set in order to add the wiring and have it ‘unpluggable’ when removing the tender. Not the best solution but it looks ok if you don’t look too hard.

 

 

The firebox doors were opened out by chain drilling a series of holes with a 0.7mm (ish) drill bit in a pin vice. Of you get the holes close enough then you can gently use the drill bit in a sawing motion to link up the holes. The LED is mounted on a small piece of ‘L’ section styrene and there has been a light shaving away of the material at the rear of the firebox back head to allow clearance for the LED mount. The wires were arranged to go out the same way that the existing wiring does. Not much room in this model...

 

 

Then it was my usual application of brass plates and a coat of matt varnish. All masking was done with Blue Tack and the wheels were removed and done separately. A couple of coats of weathering powders of the right colours in the right places and then another shot of varnish in between each layer. Here are the results!

 

 

 

Well, that’s enough of that. I have been reliably informed by two more of the Little Didcot gang that they too have a Dean Goods and they have suggested that it would be great if they all looked like this wouldn’t it?!

 

There is and 8F and a Wickham Trolley currently awaiting dirt applications and I’m out of matt varnish so a trip to the model shop is on the agenda...

 

All the best,

 

Castle

[M.I.B]

Wonderful weathering and brilliant picture from Goring.

 

Many thanks.

 

Was sat with M.I.B Snr last night, down in the land of the Withered Arm, and we are both in agreement that when the big lottery win comes, we'll "new build" a Dean Goods, And a crew coach, BTK, with a kitchen fitted somewhere discrete, complete with a fridge for keeping refreshments chilled............................

 

What are you doing when Pendennis is finished?

 

(:

[Castle]

Hi Tinker,

 

Thanks for the kind words! It is a rather nice picture isn’t it? There is some lovely stuff on that website.

 

What we shall be doing after finishing Pendennis will be looking after Pendennis until it needs another overhaul. Then guess what? A steam nerd’s work is never done...

 

All the best,

 

Castle

[Mikkel]

Lovely work Castle, you have completely transformed it.

[jcm@gwr]

The Good(s), the Bad, and the Ugly?

 

Hi All,

 

The Dean Goods needs no introduction. There were 260 of these machines between 1883 and 1899. It was an early purveyor of the inside framed look and although built without domes and other boiler improvements, they received all sorts of updates throughout their epically long service life. 

 

All the best,

 

Castle

 

Great job, but I think I might need introducing to that version!  

[Castle]

Hi All,

 

Thanks Mikkel!

 

Jeff - I know! The first twenty were built that way but converted afterwards. If you search on line, the occasional picture pops up of GWR engines of this period built this way. It would sure make for an interesting model no doubt!

 

All the best,

 

Castle

[57xx]

Did I spot most of the Little Didcot stock trundling around on the TV last night?

 

I could have had a bingo card ready - Pooley van - tick; Pollens - tick; T12 sleeper wagon -tick etc 

[Castle]

Hi Ric,

 

That you did! It was mostly Little Didcot’s collection or at least stuff owned by friends that has passed through the Little Didcot Railway Works for friends (the ROD, 97XX and Grange at William Street Shed or the WD on Fawley Cutting / William Street Marshalling Yard for example).

 

Hope you enjoyed it and that I came across OK - I haven’t watched any of it at all!

 

All the best

 

Castle

[Castle]

PS: I must get off my virtual backside and get a few posts done in here - I have a finished 8F and some coaches to discuss! Oh, and a 47XX and a Brittania to finish. And No. 18100... It’s been a while but I have been a little busy! Sorry to all Little Didcot fans!

Edited November 10, 2018 by Castle

[gwrrob]

I think you did your team proud on the show Drew and it would be nice to see some photos of last night's layout in due course including that gorgeous stock you had.

[Castle]

Cheers Rob!

 

I will get a few sent through from my fellow Fawley types! The main layout has been dismantled sadly as we don’t have space for two but the shunting yard section is going to be converted tomorrow into a small exhibition layout. Watch this space...

 

Perhaps as it is now mobile, Little Didcot should Visit ANTB?

 

All the best,

 

Castle

Edited November 10, 2018 by Castle

[57xx]

Yes, enjoyed it a lot. I was very impressed with the modelling done in the time allotted and you came across just fine.

[RJS1977]

Cheers Rob!

 

I will get a few sent through from my fellow Fawley types! The main layout has been dismantled sadly as we don’t have space for two but the shunting yard section is going to be converted tomorrow into a small exhibition layout. Watch this space...

 

Perhaps as it is now mobile, Little Didcot should Visit ANTB?

 

All the best,

 

Castle

 

And I'm always on the lookout for small exhibition layouts ;-)

[Castle]

Hi RJS1977

 

Did a bit of work on it today and it is now cradled in a new, much stiffer frame (it was designed originally to be fixed to the main baseboard of course) and it is now not warping and I am confident it can be manoeuvred and up ended so that the rewiring can begin. I’m having a bit of an issues with the servo control that I need to get to the bottom of as well. As soon as there is news, I will let you know!

 

All the best,

 

Castle

 

PS: It’s not exactly small - the yard layout itself is 8’ long and we need to build a new fiddle yard to feed trains coming in and out and to act as the headshunt. It’s probably going to be at least 15’ all told!

Edited November 12, 2018 by Castle

[Castle]

To me, it’s like Rammstein - foreign heavy metal...

 

Hi All,

 

Well, here we are again! The loco we have on offer today is a little unusual for the Little Didcot collection. It is one of very few non GWR designed pieces of rolling stock that is even vaguely suitable for my collection so let’s dive on in shall we?!

 

Sir William Stanier was a product of Swindon training and engineering prowess but after being head hunted (as we would put it today) took the technology in a new direction and revolutionised locomotive development on the London Midland and Scottish railway (LMS). The 8F (originally 7F) was introduced 1935 and, in accordance with that classification, were used mainly for heavy, long-distance freight trains. Some regard it as simply a freight version of the Black 5 4-6-0 locomotive but that is to denigrate the massive achievement that this class achieved. 849 locomotives of this type constructed, of which 666 (the engine of the beast?!) passed into service with British Railways. The engines, as the art of the war effort, were produced in a total of 11 different locomotive works over the uk: LMS Crewe Works (137), LMS Horwich Works (75), North British Locomotive Co. (208), LNER Darlington Works (53), LNER Doncaster Works (50), GWR Swindon Works (80), Vulcan Foundry (69), SR Brighton Works (93), SR Eastleigh Works (23), SR Ashford Works (14) and Beyer, Peacock & Co. for REC and MoS orders (50). Not only that, they were also used extensively in WWII and after, with examples serving with not only across the UK and with the War Department but also with the Trans-Iranian Railway, Palestine Railways, Egyptian State Railways, Iraqi State Railways, Ferrovie dello Stato, Türkiye, Cumhuriyeti Devlet Demiryolları and Israel Railways. The design was a classic and was one of the GWR last steam types in main line service in the UK.

 

 

No 48518, formerly LMS 8518. Built in 1944, was the only surviving LNER-built example. Unfortunately, despite being a resident at the South Wales Home for retired steam locomotives, it never found the saviours that so many did find and remained at the yard until the project to rebuild a number of lost classes found the last few in the yard - the so called Barry Ten - saw some of them dismantled them and a number of their major components will live on in such creations as the New County 4-4-0, 4-6-0, 47XX, Patriot as well as providing spares for a number of other members of their classes. The end for No. 48518 finally came when the frames were scrapped at Bury in mid 2013. Not the best end we could of hoped for but at least a certain amount of Phoenix like rising from the ashes will be the result.

 

The model comes, unsurprisingly, from the Hornby stable. I got hold of this one as an absolute bargain so I couldn’t say no(!) but the only issue is that No. 48518 never carried a Fowler tender. Guess which one this model came with?

 

So - what to do? A quick trawl round on the Internet showed that a Hornby item was available and it had all the pickups and so on attached too! Great! Then, post order, I found out about the Hornby offering’s shortcomings in the tender frames area. Bummer. Back to he eBay and as luck would have it, a Bachmann item was also available. To paraphrase Postman Pat:

There’ll be knock,

Ring,

Tenders through your door!

 

 

It was just as well this happened as it seems that the tender that was assigned to No. 48518 was a riveted example. This lead me to and interesting thought. The insides of the Hornby one are mechanically better, having a set of pickups.

 

 

The frames however have a large problem. The lower Hornby example has the spurious hanging bar and the Bachmann example doesn’t. The other issues Is the placement of the rear buffer beam. It’s part of the frames of the Hornby example and not on the Bachmann one. Hmmmm... I won’t ever have a use for both genders and I now own them both. What if we took the aesthetics of the Bachmann one and added it to the operational superiority of the Hornby version. Out with the razor saw...

 

 

First job was to separate the more accurate frames from the Bachmann chassis. They were then stuck to the tender body.

 

 

The Hornby frames then had their outer frames removed along with all the electronics and the mounts for the body screws. Some of the holes in the frames were enlarged to allow it to be attached to the new body.

 

 

A light tickle with the glass fibre brush gets rid of the LMS paint scheme. The superior Hornby front handrails were also installed.

 

 

Under the body, a few sections of styrene strip were added and drilled to accept the mounting screws. The metal weight was added to the inside of the tender.

 

 

On to the body. I bought the detail kit for the 8F from Brassmasters. I enjoyed doing the one for the 72XX for a friend and I used parts of another on my ongoing PDK kit build. First stage is to clear the running plate to accept the etched brass overlays.

 

 

Like these!

 

 

A little light detailing to the rear of the tender...

 

 

...and a start of the detailing on the running plate. There are LOADS of options to choose from and, as always, consult a picture! I bet I’ve got it wrong. Not my area these LMS machines, but they do have a purposeful look don’t they?

 

 

A bit of front end fettling! The Hornby steps are on there too. The blutack is there as a mask.

 

 

The other side of the running plate, now finished. The reverser reach rod comes in two flavours and the straight one is correct for our subject.

 

 

A little light wiring! Actually a little light is in there. My much maligned flickering firebox LED! I never thought that would be controversial...

 

 

The cylinder drain cocks and pipework are also in the Brassmasters kit.

 

 

As with all these projects, there comes a time when all the different colours makes it look really weird. A coat of paint always makes you feel better! Primer and matt black are from Halfords and the gloss black to accept the tender logo is from Humbrol.

 

 

The same is also done with the loco body. The windows are blanked out with Maskol on the outside and tape on the inside.

 

 

Most of the transfers and etched were from Fox - except the front numberplate. This one wasn’t available from Fox so I got this from Narrow planet as a special order. Along with a pair of Doncaster works plates. The shed code plate is for 87K Swansea Paxton Street (Victoria). I usually put an 81E plate on all the Little Didcot locos as you really have to be looking to see it and it’s nice for them all to be acknowledging their home shed today. However, it didn’t feel right for this one so I looked up where the real No. 48518 called home during my time period and in 1950 she was remarkably on the Western Region. Too good to pass up frankly!

 

 

 

The last thing to do was to apply copious amounts of dirt, real coal and all the other usual stuff I slap all over a model.

 

 

With that, one of Little Didcot’s more unusual residents is completed and a tribute to a valuable machine that, in its demise, sparked so much regrowth, is completed.

 

 

 

I hope that I have done ok buy my fellow RMWEB members that follow the LMS way. It’s nice to dip into things you don’t usually deal with once in a while. I have to say a big thank you to all of them that helped me when I asked questions on the thread I set up (http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/135425-stanier-8f-no-48518/&do=findComment&comment=3229645) to get some help to do this and what I got right on little No. 48518 is purely down to them. The mistakes however are all mine...

 

All the best,

 

Castle

[Castle]

Public Service Announcement: This beastie will be on show this weekend only finished in plain black livery. If you want a colour shot that you can photoshop to your hearts content of just want to stand in the presence of this beautiful machine, come and see us at Didcot Railway Centre. No. 2999 Lady of Legend is on display all weekend and the No. 4079 team and I will be on shed and working on our steed on the Saturday. I hope you can make it!

 

Edited November 15, 2018 by Castle

[The Fatadder]

Nice job on the 8f, the Brassmasters bits certainly make a difference

 

 

I keep thinking about doing one of the locos built as Swindon and loaned to the GW during the war, the addition of bufferbeam numbers and blue dots make a big improvement!