For those that have known me for many years know that I have always had an interest in the LNWR and some years ago I was the newsletter editor for the LNWR Society. I have now decided to have a pregroup period for the layout (freight only!) and have over the past few weeks built 8 LNWR wagons, all from ratio kits. I have also added a few GWR wagons as the Lilleshall Co who had many pits in the area supplied loco coal to the GWR, Cambrian and North Staffs. A few more wagons are waiting to be b
Although I have only started this blog recently I have been building locomotives and stock for the layout for many years, so I suppose I should post some photos of some of the stock I know have. The first pictures show my collection of 9 brake vans, why 9 i hear you sk, no idea I say I just started building them and then realised I had enough! The majority are Bachmanns latest offering but with P4 wheels, screw/3 link couplings, roofs repainted and given some weathering. The 2 ex Midland ones ar
I have been planning to build Trench Sidings for 20 years and have finally made a start. But first lets place where it is. In my teenage years I lived near Trench Crossing station which was a small station between Wellington and Donnington on the line to Stafford. The line was ex LNWR/LMS. Just down the line from Trench Crossing was an interchange yard called Trench Sidings where there was a curved line down to a canal basin which was bounded with a number of iron works. There was a small loco s
The only buildings on the layout are the loco shed and signal box here are 3 photos of the loco shed. These are the only photos I could find. The resident loco up to 1943 was an ex Caley 0-4-0 but when this was away for repair etc an ex L&Y Pug was used.
I dont have a model of either of the 2 resident locos, but after the formaytion of BR the responsiblility for shunting the yard passed to Wellington, and the usual shunter was a Pannier tank (of which I have modelled 3 of Wellingtons l
I recently (last week at S4 North) aquired an MPD 3F built in P4 and fitted with a sound chip from Digitrainsound Zimo specifically for a 3F with a sound file by Paul Chetter. Now whilst I have DCC/sound for most of my diesels I have never been impressed by the sound chips for steam locos, untill now! I was blown away by the sound and that when you turn of the power the loco coasts (no chuffing) before coming to a stop. I had considered just running the layout in Dc for the steam era and DCC f
The overall track plan I posted was a little crowded to see the detail. The baseboards were built with the help of my good friend and fellow NAG member Ken Kirk in his well equiped wooworking shed. The baseboards were constructed of 12mm furniture grade plywood which a NAG member put us in contact with. The photo shows Ken making sure everything was flat and square and the boards were screwed and glued with Gorilla glue.
Once the boards were built they returned to my garage, and here lies a
I recently bought in a Bachmann Pannier tank which had been converted to P4 using Ultrascale wheels. The paint scheme was not good so I stripped, repainted, renumbered (to 4693) to one of Wellingtons allocation. Just needs some light weathering. I was surprised how well the standard Bachmann chassis runs. This now brings my fleet of Wellingtons panniers up to 4.
I have for more locomotives than the layout requires but most of them are locomotives that I saw operating the line between 1962 and 1965 (the passenger service stopped in Sept 1964) but freight continued. The first locomotive is one I saw pulling into the Army depot at Donnington with a daily freight usually pulled by one of Burton on Trents newly aquired Jubilees and within a few months I had seen all of them. 45593 left Burton for Leeds and eventual preservation, but here she still has the St
I have been using a linning pen for many years but it is a slow process as you can only do one side at a time and only one colour at a time. However I have been experimenting with using the excellent lining sheets from Fox transfers. Attached is an example I used for 45593 Kholapur. I had already started linning out a Black 5 wirh a pen and decided to complete the job with Fox transfers and could not tell any difference! The cab side is linned out with a pen and the tender with Fox transfers.
This loco, allocated to Stafford shed and will be numbered 48755 had a Fowler tender so it will be a little different from my other 8F.
This model is well travelled and must be the ultimate in collaborative modelling. My friend David Borman built the chassis (Comet) and tender (Brassmasters) . Dave Holt detailed under the cab and modified the front pony truck. I then fitted balance weights to the drivers and the cylinder drain cocks (both Brassmasters) before painting the chassis. The body
I have always liked the re built Scots and currently have one partly built Brassmasters one. At last years Scaleforum I had the chance to buy a completed Brassmasters one which was well built and a good runner. The problem was it was painted in LMS 1947 livery ( as 46115 Scots Guardsman) and therefore out of period for me. However a re paint has now been done and the loco renamed and numbered, followed by a light weathering. Why 46148, well I saw it on the Stafford to Wellington line and was pu
Over the last couple of months I have been busy painting and linning, both for my own models and for other people. Attached is the current status of a Brassmaster Unrebuilt Patriot, (built by Len Cattley). This is a model of one of Nuneatons Patriots which were seen in 1961/2. I have always like the prototype so a model was a must have. Still some work to do, the footplate valance wants linning out and it then needs weathering and couplings, buffer etc adding. The linning is Fox transfers.
. These are the last 2 of a batch of pre grouping wagons built in the last few weeks. I posted a request elsewhere on RMWeb about loads for single plank wagons and got some interesting replies. The BR wagons have been hanging around for months in the nearly finished state so I have had a finishing purge and these are the result. Mostly Parkside (what would do without this range!)
David
I am still beavering away on building locos for the layout when I should really be building the layout! The Black 5 is a converted Hornby model built by my late friend Colin Wrangles. I have renumbered it as one of the two fitted with double chimmneys and fitted a double chimmney. The standard front bogie is not very good so am in the process of building a Mosokits bogie (thanks to Robin Whittle for the suggestion) still needs weathering and the tender converting to a part welded one.
The C
The remaining 2 panniers are Bachmann bodies with Comet chassis, one with a Portescap motor and one with a Branchlines gearbox. The issue with fitting a scale chassis under the Bachmann body is there is no boiler bottom as on the Bachmann chassis this is part of the chassis. I have made up a boiler botton for 9774 but remains a job for 5712. 5712 is also an early style cab. I have a High Level chassis to build so this may well end up as one the Panniers sold to the NCB such 7754 and painted bri
I now have a collection of 4 Pannier tanks, all of which were at one time allocated to Wellington and would regularly work down to Trench sidings and beyond with pick up freights.
9630 has an interesting heritage, being a Korean brass loco built by Samhongsa and comes with sprung hornblocks. I bought it for £25.00 out of a box under a traders stand with a very poor paint job. I think the trader thoiught it was a backmann one, hence the chaep price. Now converted to P4 (by my friend Tony She
Whilst I am currently painting and linning out Dave Holts excellent Caprotti Cl 5 I have been painting some of my own stuff, including this Bachmann Class 40. The body was built for me by Dave Room has Bachmann noses fitted to a Lima middle section. It has been sitting around unpainted for a few years so I thought I had better get on and finish it. Still nees weathering before I put the glazing in last.
I intend to use the loco on Trench Sidings and it has already had P4 wheels fitted. Th
The majority of the trains working through Trench were of ex LMS origin or BR standards, the only exception being some of Wellingtons Pannier tanks working trip workings. have no photos showing any of the other classes at WEllington working the line but the working instructions for the route allows most of the ex GWR classes including Castles and Halls over the route. Wellington had a small stud of the ex GWR 2-6-2 tanks for working trains to Much WEnlock and Crewe with freight workings to Oxle
A couple of photos of some of the locomotives for trench sidings. The first is D5083 which turned up one day on the Granville Colliary coal train from Donnington to Buildwas Powere station instaed of the more usual 8F. This is a Bachmann Class 24 and has been modified with Shawplan glazing and a Brassmasters circular exhaust port. The handrails have been thinned down and it is fitted with Branchlines P4 wheels. The second loco is another Bachmann Class 24 with Brasmasters headcode boxes (comple
A few more wagons for the layout. The 2 Cambrain wqagons are Cambrian Models kits. I think the grey I have used is a little to dark, but I had painted them a lighter shade but putting on some Klear to reduce the shadow of the waterlside transfer has darkened the colour. The LNWR Ballast wagons are Ratio.
This is an official LNWR track plan showing the interchange sidings and the line down to the various Iron works. The need for a small 0-4-0 tank loco was the presence of a weighbridge just after the line crosses the main road and this had a weight limit. The only change I have made to the track plan is to add in another siding parallel to the one marked for the Lilleshall Company. This will allow me more shunting movements on the layout.
I have made some progress with the *F, some details added (smokebox door handle, whistle etc) and have now painted and numbered it. Still a little work to do (glaze cab, fit rear steps etc).
I have also been workingh on some Pre group wagons, all Cambrian Models. The transfers for the Hanwood wagon are from Coast Line Models and the Cam Rys are from the Welsh Research Group. I commissioned the Lilleshall ones from Alan Jones at Coast Line models and they are now generally avaliable.
The opertion of the layout will trains arriving into the exchange sidings and being shunted into the connection into the canal basin and for this I can use a number of locos. One of my favourite classes of locomotive is the ex LNWR G2. Some 25 years ago with my late friend Jim Barnes we created a 4mm brass kit for this class and started Brassmasters so this class will always have a place in my heart. The arrival of the excellent Bachmann model meant that I have never finished my personal Brassma
A few more of my wagon fleet, this time tube and plate wagons, mainly Parkside.
My reasoning for the layout depends upon the steel fabrication company (it was called Summerfields) which occupied the old ironworks sit was larger than it actually was and would justify incoming trains of steel plate and sections hence the number of plate wagons. Trains did work into the site but by the early 1960s were on an "as and when required" basis. Trains of plate wagons would also justify the appearance
Have finally got round to finihing a few more pre group wagons. The LNWR Brake van is a London Road models kit. This has used up nearly all my HMRS LNWR diamonds, I have enogh left for 2 more wagons but I have 6 wagons to finish! The HMRS has been out of stock of this transfer sheet for months and seem not ba able to find a printer to make some more. Coast Line Models do a sheet of diamonds but they are noticably bigger than either the HMRS ones or the Ratio wagons ones. I have lettered the brak
