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Kelvinbank, a Caledonian Railway project.

Entries in this blog

An early CR horsebox, part 2

The 1870 horsebox is now painted and in service.  Once primed I liked the overall level of detail, the top hinges and the dog box end show a slight bowing out but not severe enough  to merit a substantial alteration.  I think it would be in plain coach brown by the 1900s, compartment interior off white and a simple bench seat added. Lettering is from the HMRS sheet.  Some light weathering to bring out the details.   A couple of posed pictures.        

Dave John

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An early CR horsebox, part 1

The latest kit from True Line Models represents a horse box built by Metropolitan in 1870 for the CR. This is a different method for TLM being a resin print. I have used 3d printed parts but this is my first go at a complete 3d printed wagon.   Removing the body from the supports taught me just how brittle resin prints can be. Since I want a practical layout vehicle I decided to reinforce the steps and springs with 0.3 brass wire. Wheels are on MJT internal compensation irons soldered

No. 583 , a condensing Jumbo.

The 83 members of the 709 Class 0-6-0 tender engines were built by McIntosh from 1895 onwards. They were the original Jumbos, all Westinghouse fitted for mixed traffic duties. Five members of the class Nos 583 to 587 were fitted with condensing apparatus for working the Glasgow underground lines.     The model dates back to the 90s, some of it from a secondhand djh kit, the rest scratchbuilt. Unusually for me it runs on Gibson sprung hornblocks. I noticed that it had developed a s

Dave John

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Christmas 2023, observing the signals.

Another year passes. At a first glance it might seem progress at Kelvinbank has been slow, a few wagons made and an old loco refurbished. However from the perspective of me enjoying the layout the major step forward has been the building of a lever frame and sorting out the signalling system. So some pictures on that theme.   1 class No. 2 heads east towards Kelvinbank. The home is off if a correct route is set out of the storage yard and the section switches are set properly. The dist

Dave John

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A CR pre-diagram furniture van wagon part 2

The furniture van wagon is now painted and in service. Slight weathering to bring out some of the detail. I do think that the masterclub bolt heads are better defined than a transfer rivet though from much more than a few inches away it is hard to see.   I added a pair of crossbeams pegged into the holes in the sides to which the van is lashed. The relatively new looking sheet may have had a few more ropes in practice, though that was fiddly enough.     A few posed pictu

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A CR pre-diagram furniture van wagon part 1

There is a photo in “Caledonian Railway Wagons” by Mike Williams of one of these wagons of which it it thought nine were built from 1878 onwards. No drawing but they were known to be 18’ long on a 11’8” wheelbase, enough to reasonably estimate the other dimensions.   Construction is from styrene sheet and section. Metal strips on the top of the sides had a series of holes for roping pegs, though I think they may have been threaded for an eyebolt. Perhaps a bar was pegged across the wag

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A Stevens & Sons lever frame, part 3, installation

Once I had the frame painted and assembled I made up a mounting plate from 3 mm ply. All the connections are via a 37 way connector from the spares box so that the whole module can be easily removed from the layout to the bench if maintenance is needed.   It was a bit of ply from Eileens, some brass sections arrived taped to it so I’m glad it got used for something constructive.         A front view. I have followed the Caledonian practice of fitting a des

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A Stevens & Sons lever frame, part 2

Some progress.   The nine levers have been cut from 2mm brass. The other parts are fabricated from tube and section. I used a pair of buffer springs to assist gravity on the stop block to give a positive feel to the action.       The frame made up from silhouette cut styrene, 3 ply. It will become stiffer as more is added but tests show that it is heading in the right direction. I chose a spacing of 15 mm for the levers. That gives about 28 mm as a gap for movi

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A Stevens & Sons lever frame , part 1

I have never been entirely happy with the control of points and signals on Kelvinbank. Three way switches allow a signal to be set to on, off or auto. Switches set the points, in auto mode they also control the signals via short timers. It is vaguely interlocked, but not perfectly. All workable but somehow not in keeping with the period feel of things.   So. Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire section of the CR during the Edwardian era. Built in the 1890s. Boxes would have a Stevens & S

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CR Diagram 16 pig iron wagons.

According to the 1907 wagon census the Caledonian had 1861 pig iron wagons, of which 1300 were to Diagram 16 in various build lots to either 8 or 14 tons.  Certainly the CR moved a lot of pig iron from furnaces to steelworks and foundries, but these wagons were used as a sturdy one plank dropside for anything that needed moved. One of those wagons that turned up everywhere and is very useful for forming short rakes on the layout.   These two are from the whitemetal 51L kit, they go tog

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Caledonian No. 263, a rebuild, part 2

The body needed a fair amount of sorting out, a lot of bits fell off when it was being stripped. It isn’t the best paint job, but painting is not my favourite activity. As ever with the CR a lot of awkward brightwork but I have tried to tone it down a little to give a practical in use look. I also simplified the lining a bit.                 The main reason for the rebuild was to improve running. So a bit of video showing 263 on a trip worki

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Caledonian No. 263, a rebuild, part 1

Drummond built two of these small 0-4-2 tanks in 1885 for working the Killin branch. The design ran well and formed the basis for the Caley pug. Superseded by 0-4-4 tanks in 1895 they travelled the CR network before settling at Dawsholm shed where they worked the North Clyde industrial lines and the odd passenger working. So my period and location. Last one withdrawn 1947.       I made the model mid 1990s I think. Some of the body is the old Jidenco etch made originally

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A pair of Caledonian D6 brake vans part 2, in service

The Diagram 6 brake vans are now in service. I tried to give them the look of vans approaching 20 years in service, used but still kept in decent running order.   The Caledonian often allocated brake vans to a particular branch or section and lettered them accordingly, several examples are shown in the wagon book. I have lettered one for the Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire section which is the line I model. Although I cannot be sure that is correct there are pictures of other vans lette

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A pair of Caledonian D6 brake vans part 1

The latest kit from True Line Models is for the CR Diagram 6 brake van.  Build dates range from 1883 to 1889 and cover three known body styles across possibly 55 vans.  Kits are available for two body styles, the narrow and wide panelled builds.   So  a pic of the bare etch.     You might think that these look very like the NB D33 vans. Well, the link is that man Drummond again. So since NBR developments do an etch for that it seems sensible that TLM asked them to d

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A CR D34 Trolley, part 2, in service

The D 34 trolley is now finished and in service. I think it captures the look of the original though without a drawing I cannot be sure it is dimensionally correct. Wheelbase and overall length are from the diagram.   I decided to fit a rather narrow load so as not to lose the open frame look of the trolley and an out of gauge load would foul the platforms. Well sheeted and chained down it gives some mass so that the springs do not make it all too bouncy.     Some photos

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A CR D34 Trolley, part 1

I’m not a very christmassy person, so it gives me a bit of time to make things. I decided to have a shot at this odd looking thing.   This photo has appeared on rmweb before, but if anyone has copyright issues I’ll remove it. Built 1868, scrapped 1917, lived in Glasgow. It is in the diagram book which gives basic dimensions but not much more. Only one built and had the number 1. Should save on transfers.   The original method of construction seems to be flitched. Four he

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Delivering the goods, Christmas 2022

2022 was the year in which the politicians told us it was all going to bounce back to normal. Instead we have production and supply chain issues which are affecting far more important things than model railways whilst the politicians bounce off into financially comfortable obscurity.   However the Caley staff at Kelvinbank continue to work day and night to get the goods delivered. A few pictures on that theme.   Coal from the Lanarkshire collieries to the north Clyde ports wa

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A pair of Private Owner wagons

These two are wagons built by Pickerings of Wishaw.  The bodies are in resin from True LIne Models, available through the CRA.  A straightforward build, my usual copperclad sub frame with compensation, mainly 51L parts, the buffers are correct RCH pattern in brass from Gibson.   I have good ex works photos of two suitable candidates, Wilsons and Clyde 2329 in a brown livery and Oakbank OIl Co. No 132 which looks to me to be a varnished wood finish. Could well be a yellow pine so some s

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CR D 35 Full brake, part 2, in service.

The painting and lining seems to have gone fairly smoothly with this one. I used the same double transfer technique developed for the Grampian Corridor stock which helps. Certainly not as sharp as an expert painter could achieve, but I know my limitations.   I have painted the interior in a simple fashion and added a guard and some parcels, mail bags and a tandem. Very little of that can be seen , but it gives the impression of use.   Anyway, a couple of posed pictures.

Dave John

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A CR D 35 full brake, part 1

I have had some Worsley Works etches in the kit stash for a while, so I thought I’d have a shot at building one. This is a 45 foot Diagram 35 full brake, first lot built 1897. Worsley Works only provide the basic body, though it is a very accurate and nicely etched set. Slots for the guards duckets do need widening a little.  The builder supplies the rest.   Bogies are Comet 8 foot SR pattern converted to Drummond style by removing the top flange and adding small inserts to give the cu

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Some CR ballast wagons.

As I mentioned in the last blog I have been building some CR ballast wagons.   These were built using my usual methods, styrene bodies, copperclad sub chassis to take the W irons. The outer pair are from the 1890 drawing, the middle one is a pre-diagram version from the photo. The drawing makes no mention of canvass covers for the axleboxes and without a reference photo I can’t tell whether they were so fitted. I added them to the pre -diagram wagon which did have them. I suppose if a

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A bit of an experiment.

Last year I needed some styrene sections and as it happened the only place with stock was Hattons. Oh well. Anyway having ordered the stuff I needed I had a look at the pre-owned stuff. Just for fun, honest. Anyway I saw a Hornby generic 4 wheel NBR brake which had been dropped. The end was well bashed, buffers and couplings broken, the whole thing bent, body off. But all the bits had been put in the box and it was a tenner. Add to basket.   But why ? A lot has been said about these co

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A CR 323 class part 6 , in service

Now things have settled a bit on here I am going to add a few blogs.   It has taken some time to get this painted and finished. A fair bit of messing about with transfers again, I do wish someone would do CR goods lining.  All looks a bit rough close up, but passable from a distance I think.     A couple of posed pics, the side on official portrait.           At rest in the yard.             They

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A CR 323 class part 5 , some details

Just a short blog, with the site being slow atm.   I have made and added some detail, all made up from various bits of brass and wire. The smokebox door is technically a GWR one, but it is the right size and shape. If you don’t tell Mr Drummond then I won’t.     A couple of pics all fastened together and wired up.       Runs pretty smoothly so I think it is time for a spot of primer.    

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A CR 323 class part 4 , body

A split blog , but there are quite a few photos.   The footplate made up.  Looking at photos I think that as built they had Drummond buffers. Later they had the heavy duty ribbed buffers fitted. It may be that the second lot had them from the start, but I am going for the early version so Drummond buffers it is.   Sitting here on the chassis, always a relief to find it is sitting slightly low. Sitting high can be a real pain. I’ll shim the compensation beam.  

Dave John

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