On shed for Brent

9018: GWR Green

Background Not a lot to say about this, it is the Bachmann model pretty much as it comes (bar the renumbering with Narrow Planet plates). It was even DCC fitted so I haven’t even needed to do that. Usage At present I only have the one Bird in the fleet, realistically I need several Bulldogs to cover both the assistance of express services as well as use on local freight. For the moment the Dukedog will be filling in for these locos (particularly as the Bird does not curre

March 12, 2021

7804 Baydon Manor

Background: This loco was a very long term resident of my workbench, it is a Mitchell kit build for the body (using one of the last sets of etches / castings Malcolm had left over) along with a heavily modified Comet chassis which has been fitted with the Mitchel detail overlays, a PDK chimney and a set of Markits insulated wheels. It has been coupled up with a Hornby Churchward 3500gl tender which was resprayed to match the loco. From memory the tender has been fitted with a Dingham cou

December 9, 2020

7427 - GWR Green

Background This is another of those projects where the end result isnt really needed, but seeing as I had all the bits I figured I may as well build it. The body was purchased years ago intended for a High Level chassis, after finding a Bachmann chassis at a reasonable price it was an easy decision to get the loco commissioned into serviceable condition. Finding an identity was fairly straightforward, a 74xx was a lot more useful than a 54/64xx given I dont need anything auto fitted. So

November 16, 2022

7250 GWR Green

Background 7250 started off as a Great Western liveried example from the last batch of Hornby 72xx (after they changed the chassis design to use brass bearings & added a separate smokebox door dart.) The printed Great Western logos were carefully removed using the Microsol method, although they did put up something of a fight. New replacement transfers were added from HMRS along with a set of Narrow Planet etched cabside plates. The Brassmasters bunker fender etch was added to the re

December 9, 2020

6971: Aethelhampton (Modified) Hall

Background Bachmann's Modified Hall was a bit of a disappointment when it appeared, having sorted out the firebox shape issues from its predecessor, but supplied with the footplate front of a standard Hall. In addition they have only ever supplied it in BR livery. Starting with the most obvious error, Brassmasters came to the rescue offering a brass conversion fixing the front end (with a new footplate, frame extensions and smokebox saddle.) Moving on to the body it needed to be rebran

December 14, 2020

6829: Burlington Grange GWR Black

Background: For some strange reason Hornby have only ever sold the Grange in Great Western liveries with the Churchward 3500gl tender, while the BR versions have been offered with the Collett 3500gl version. This is a shame as the Hornby 3500gl Collett tender is rather nice, and I think the Grange looks a lot better with the bigger tender. As I wanted a GWR black loco, and 6829 had the aforementioned Collett tender in 1947 the best option seemed to be buying a BR grange and rebrandin

March 5, 2021

6808 6808 Beenham Grange

Background This loco started off as a Hornby Grange in "shirt button" livery, the 3500 Churchward tender was rebranded to G W R with my usual Microsol / HMRS transfer approach (which is nice and easy on a shirt button loco.) It gained a new identity with a set of Modelmasters' name plates / cab side plates, along with the HMRS numbers for the bufferbeam. 6808 was intended as a guinea pig for improving the colour of the Hornby GWR green, as a result it was sprayed with Simons clear lacquer

December 9, 2020

6027 King Richard I GW Green

Background: The model started as a Hornby King in Great Western livery, it has been rebranded to G crest W removing the original branding with Microsol and repainting the black areas. The missing double red route indicators were added with HMRS transfers, along with a set of Modelmasters etched plates. A Lenz Gold decoder is fitted in the decoder, the loco needed some rewiring as the 8 pin socket was incorrectly wired by Hornby. Usage: Naturally this will join the other

March 10, 2021

6013 King Henry VIII GW Green

March 8, 2021

6000 - King George V

Background The first of 3 Kings in the fleet (and my favourite of them), King George V was re-branded from the latest generation Hornby model in Great Western livery using my usual Microsol method. In the process of renumbering all of the lining has been removed from below the footplate, partly with Microsol and partly sanding / repainting. It has been renamed/renumbered using Modelmasters nameplates, modified to cut the name away from the mounting bracket in order to be directly overlai

December 10, 2020

5798 GWR Green

Background: This started off as a Bachmann model already in GWR livery and DCC fitted to boot, it has been renumbered to Newton Abbot's 5798 with a set of Narrow Planet plates and some HMRS transfers. A set of RT Models sandbox linkages were added to the front. The moulded rear lamp irons were replaced with the Finney etch, while the missing front / side lamp irons were added also with the Finney etch. A Hardy's Hobbies crew was added, and the loco was weathered / coaled. Finally the in

March 7, 2021

5108: GWR Green

Background This started off as a cheap ebay find which turned out to have ruined cylinders, these were eventually replaced and the loco resprayed in a better shade of GWR green before adding Narrow Planet plates and weathering. The plan was to sell in advance of the Hornby model’s arrival, but it didn’t sell and remains in the fleet. It lacks a decoder and more likely than not will end up on ebay once again to raise funds towards a Hornby or Dapol replacement. (If anyone would be interes

March 8, 2021

5071 Spitfire GW Green

Background The final Castle in the fleet (for now at least) is 5071 Spitfire. As with 5029 the start point was a Hornby Wellington, although this time there was no convenient other loco with which to swap the Hawksworth tender. Instead this time I ended up buying parts from eBay to cobble together a new tender from a Hornby body and chassis with scratch built frames (utilizing a set of Finney castings). This tended then ended up being swapped with the BR tender from my Star and was rebra

March 18, 2021

5029 Nunny Castle GW Green

Background The second Castle in the fleet is 5029 Nunney Castle, chosen because it was the location where I got engaged. The start point was the Hornby Wellington release, swapping the tender with Berkeley Castle to get a 4000gl Collett tender. This needed to be rebranded to G crest W (with the lower lining removed), modification to the loco – tender coupling was required given differences between the different Hornby releases. The loco was renumbered using a set of Modelmasters plates,

March 9, 2021

4923 Eynsham Hall GWR Black

Background: The loco was a purchase from the estate of the late Comet owner, consisting of a Bachmann body / tender on a Comet loco chassis, and is an excellent runner (with a boiler stuffed full of lead). I immediately rebranded it to G crest W without realising that as far as can be determined only Modified Halls were in lined green. Eynsham Hall was chosen having recently stayed at the locomotives namesake. Further research showed that 4923 was painted black in 47. As well as the reb

March 16, 2021

4855: GWR Green

Background: The model started as a Hornby 38xx which I had previously renumbered and fitted with etched plates and rebranded the tender to G W R. It has now been fitted with a 3d printed (shapeways) oil tank on the tender along with the associated plumbing scratch built with various grades of brass tube / wire. The cab has been modified to add the side sutters (etched parts found in the scrap box) and roof vents (scratch built from plasticard), along with a new identity as 4855 with some

March 5, 2021

4707 from the PDK kit

Background Ive always been a big fan of the 4700 class, whats not to like about a big 2-8-0 that looks like an express engine? So it was always a matter of time until I got one. I had a pre order in place for the Heljan model in this livery (if I remember rightly also as 4707 out the box), but spotting a PDK kit complete with wheels and motor for less than the price Hattons were charging for the Heljan one I snapped it up. The build was enjoyable (and is detailed on my Steam Workben

December 11, 2020

4582 GWR Green

Background: This is a standard Bachmann release of the 4575 class which has been renumbered to 4582 (HMRS transfers and Narrow Planet plates). Unfortunately the bunker area is a bit of poor design, with the rear fairing, coal load and the lower back of the cab interior are all moulded as one piece. This means to remove the moulded coal load you have to remove the cab roof first, once out it was split into 3 parts (with the fairing and interior glued back into place. With the roof off the

February 12, 2021

4547 GWR Black

Background Small prairies dominated the traffic on the Kingsbridge branch, so I have tried to keep a little variation within the fleet. I haven’t done a great deal to the Bachmann model other than a respray into GWR wartime black. Transfers and number plates are the usual from HMRS / Narrow Planet, which the couplings are of course Dinghams. I find that black engines need weathering a lot more than green ones, so as well as being the first to get couplings it is also the first of my

December 11, 2020

4292 - GWR Black

Background 4292 started off as an eBay rescue job, originally described as a pre-production Hornby sample (believed to be for testing the chassis). It arrived unpainted, missing detail castings (including the chimney) and generally in a very sorry state. Since then the loco has been fitted with a PDK models chimney, Brassmasters etched cab back, vacuum pipes from the scrap box and Mainly Trains tank vents. A Gibson smokebox dart replaced the moulded Hornby effort, while the handrai

December 9, 2020

4085 Berkeley Castle

Background: This originated with parts from two Hornby Castle releases, with the body originating with Tintagel Castle and the tender from Wellington (with the other parts used on my model of Nunney Castle). This gives the correct loco body and tender to model Berkeley Castle in 1947 condition, although the frames are incorrect in that they should be of the “joggle” type. Unfortunately I think Hornby have only done one release in that condition (as the NRM edition Caerphilly Castle) whic

January 29, 2021

4025: A nameless star

Background The arrival of the Hornby Star was something of a disappointment, what with the combination of a full fat price but with detail to 1990s standards. Thankfully the second hand market was priced accordingly and a BR Green example was sourced a year or two after release. The original intention was to do a loco in unlined green, the typical livery for a Star in the late 40s. However after coming across a photo of 4025 ex works at Swindon dated 1948 in plain green with British Rail