The Great Bear

What's the small brass cylinrical thing on the running plate on the fireman's side by the front spasher?

Looking at photos some more I think the shorter front dropped section rebuilt when outside steam pipes were added only applies to the Court series.

As someone who struggles (well, indeed, has given up) with the fiddlyness of fitting the lenses to the Modelu lamps, I'll have to give this a go. You've probably mentioned it and I've missed it but do you do the same with the headlamps, any colour behind the varnish "lens"?

Thanks, Russ. There's 2 versions of the curved front original where start of the drop is tight to the cylinders vs revised with outsdie steam pipes where there is a gap. But, looking at the photos again it looks like I've pushed it a bit too far forward I, too much of a gap. Having just found this photo which is pretty much dead side on, I'll have another look. Similarly, I think you're right my steam pipes are a tad short. I didn't have any drawings of them, positioning or size. (I've drawn at 8.5" outside diameter.)

Some photos taken a while back of my "Pseudo Saint", an Ebay purchase of a Hornby Bachmann-bash, here paired with a couple of my home brew coaches. In the past month I've been playing around to upgrade this loco, putting a more accurate body onto it, details here.

Thanks for the compliments and encouragement, John. The mogul is a good loco, and was in my opnion a great choice for Dapol to do, being so commonplace. I have another (of the first batch) in a box somewhere to relivery from BR black to GWR wartime black.

Many years back from Ebay I bought this loco, an approximation of a Saint. It looks like it is a combination of a Bachmann Hall boiler/running plate, a modified old Hornby Castle chassis (the Ringfield motor type) and a scratchbuilt cab. I renamed it to Bilbury Court, as a Leamington loco that was a regular in my Oxfordshire patch of the GWR. The incorrect height of the boiler of course means it doesn't look like a Saint at closer inspection, not helped by the over long steam pipes I added. The wheels of the old Hornby Castle are undersize due to the chassis being shared with the Hawksworth County though this is made a bit less obvious by the smaller splashers from the Bachmann Hall. The chassis ran pretty well so I thought I would fire up the 3d printer and have a go at coming up with a better body. (Sorting out the wheel size too difficult for me for now!) Here's progress from a few days back. I have gone for a Court series one, probably staying as Bilbury Court. As my layout is post war, this one has short safety valve bonnet and outside steam pipes. I got dimensions from a GA drawing in a GWRJ and I bought a couple of drawings, including the No.1 boiler, including the No.1 boiler, from HMRS. The David Maidmont book has also proved valuable, lots of good photos and I've just remembered this Smugmug site. Niggles are the cab footsteps, break too easily and the dropped section at the front warping upward when curing, not too bad in this attempt. A few marks on the print as well, possibly due to the FEP being worn some marks on that. A few questions, if I may (there'll be more I expect) - Any idea what the size of the washout holes on the boiler are, possibly I've made these a bit small? - What is the thing in the centre of the curved section of running plate under the smokebox? - As a loco with outside steam pipes and rebuilt front end I read somewhere on RMWeb that the dropped section of the front end is further forward and a tad shorter, is that right? I think I can see that in photos but had to guestimate the dimensions as the drawings I have show the original without outside steam pipes. Hopefully what I've come up with so far is not too far amiss? I've done a bit more work since adding more detail. In doing that I also realised that the centre splasher on the fireman's side is wider due to the reversing rod. More to follow soon. All the best Jon

Some shots of a 43xx, this one being the most recent Dapol release, on a goods train. Taking photos as often reveals niggles. I used tracklay foam under the tracks whch with the thin C+L sleepers made ballasting really easy and neat. I used the same foam for the areas between tracks and cess too. Gaps have opened up, I have since filled most of these using normal diluted pva glue method. I've also sprinkled some ballast, filled gaps around the signal bases. Should have cleaned the dust off the van...

I like the pattern, the wear effect you've achieved. Can I ask how you did that, some filter? I've got Photoshop but I haven't found a convincing effect for canvas sides on a wagon.

The Andrews books says that in the early years flush headed rivets were used, A few pictures in that book show locos which rivets on the smokebox aren't visible - photos up to the mid 1920s perhaps, but all the others show visible rivets. So the flush finish looks to be correct only for a limited early set of prototypes I think?

For info of others if they have the same issue it looks like battery replacement has solved the problem. Because of the location of my gear it was easier (and safer, I am rather butterfingered, dropping the battery and shorting the unit was quite conceivable) to change the battery with the power unplugged keeping the PSU where it was. The unit held memory for the 30 seconds or so to change the battery, preserving my saved macros.

Some closed and diverted, some technology added/upgraded eg miniature stop lights, others existing CCTV retained details here https://eastwestrail-production.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/public/Route-Update-Announcement/4c8cb5ea3b/Route-update-report.pdf

I have NCE system, a NCE power cab upgraded to power pro 5 amp system using the power cab handset as the throttle. The handset frequently loses signal from the power pro base unit. I can fix this by pulling out on the base unit the cab bus lead linking to the facia panel where I plug in the handset but after a short while, sometimes less than 30 seconds, the signal is lost again. It seems to be happening more frequently. I had thought it was cable linking to the facia pannel but I've tried a different cable and also plugging the handset directly into the base unit and same thing happens. Makes me think the problem is in the base unit, what to try? I haven't ever changed the battery in the 10 years I have hadit, could that be it or part of issue? Any suggestions much appreciated as it's getting quite frustrating it keep on losing connection. Jon

OK. I don't think I'll be threatening Messrs York. Wright and co for knowledgeable insight but here goes... Mine arrived with all bits intact. Packaging is good, like previous issue. Not in the Accurascale Manor league but a notch up from some others. Fitting a the next 18 decoder (Zimo MN180) was straightforward, the Dapol solution in the smokebox is a neat idea. It runs nicely, the slow speed control on dcc with no adjustment is good. At first I thought the original 63xx issue was no worse, but realised that I had adjusted the decoder settings to help low speed control. Having reset them I can confirm the new version is better out of the box as you might expect with its lower gearing. The top speed I reckon works out at around 90mph, still a bit fast but more believable than the 125mph plus of the first issue. The finish, the green is good to my eyes. It is richer and shinier than the previous issue and better for it in my view. The pony truck tracks ok...I think, my track is far from perfect, I did ease out the back to back a tad. The tender in my original issue one didn't run that well, first set of wheels lifting, could just be a bit of maintenance needed on my part of course. The new issue doesn't have that issue. Finally, a comparison between previous 63xx issue (left) and the new 43xx issue (right). The cab roof of the 63xx is noticeably lower. As for the accuracy of it, I'll leave that to the experts here to comment. Overall, I think it's a nice model. I may well get another... as the GWR's original "Swiss army knife" loco, they are a useful model to have for mine and other main or secondary line GWR layouts. (Mine, having to the tip from here they had landed, I got from Kernow Models. )

Pictures of one of the latest batch I purchased. As per the photos above in this topic, for this model the supplied smokebox door has the blank BR plate on it. I happened to have a spare already. It doesn't have the lamp iron on the door though, will need to add that for my modelling era, hence a goods train for its first outing. Runs smoothly.

247 developments do them in white metal I think. Come in three lengths if I recall, not sure which one would be best fit for 43xx.

What's the significance of the two sets of width measurements, Jim, not that in 4mm it will make a discernible difference, just curious. (Trying to compare against a proof of a plate I've got from Light Railway Stores.)

Thanks for pointing that out, Rob.

I was hoping the GWR post war one would have outside steam pipes... a lot, if not most, 43xx had them fitted by this period I think? Probably will succomb and fit ones from 247 Developments, though. Or get one in black and do in wartime black livery, the smokebox door I recall is a separate part.

Model Signal Enginering sold by Wizard Models do loads of signal parts, including GWR. You can make most signals using their stuff. But, if you find the Ratio kits hard, the MSE stuff will probably be harder not least soldering of some parts is needed. Patience and practice is needed. The only easy option, albeit at a cost is the Dapol signals I think.

At Kidlington which has been referenced in this thread (a particular interest of mine with layout largely based on that) the route to the main was deemed more important even though it only got a couple of through train movements to Oxford. Coming out of the bay the route to the down main (which was via a crossover just beyond the road bridge just north of the station) was also deemed more important though I'm not sure if that was ever used, pick up goods/shunting of yard would have kept on the branch track running parallel to the main I'd have thought. The signal at the end where the branch diverges, like Mike mentions the branch was deemed the main route and the route back onto the down main was on lower bracket. The arm was smaller too, unsual I think, but for space reasons it looks like so the signal post wasn't half way down the embankment slope.

Where would one find this info for panniers? Is this kind of info in the relevant Pannier Paper book?

Hi Duncan Thanks for the compliments and the interest shown in the layout. Not much has happened since the last post. I've rediscovered the shed but as usual a massive tidy is required to get things in the railway room in shape.Getting a train running by the end of the holidays was my target, not sure I'll make it... Having got the construction of the layout done a couple of years back now, getting trains running should be the priority but having got the layout building done I've lost impetus. (Do others have this, find the layout building more fun?) I think the lack of drive is also due to the realisation how much work is involved, that the layout is only 1/2 the work - obvious really! My aim was to more of less replicate services from a day in 1947 but there's a lot to that, it being a mainline. Not just acquiring stock, renaming and weathering but also the armchair modelling of researching what locos might have pulled which train. I may have to settle for a selection. There are a couple of projects on the go more on these soon, hopefully. I've also got a big stash of wagons, mostly from Rapido, many of which pre ordered a year if not more ago to get into service, weather and add loads. I've also got an Accurascale manor that will need renaming and weathering, but I'm too scared to get it out of the box and damage it! All the best Jon

That was my preferred approach when I've done older coaches, of the non-gangwayed coaches I did a C23 I think it was. Judging by the finishing of your Toplights I think you'd make a very good job of the C10 in a normal livery anyway.

I used 3dcompare.com a few years ago, the print came from China. Maybe now it doesn't come from China, judging by shipping cost on quote I've just done. Facfox is something similar and definitiely is from China.