M Wright

Hi, thank you for this suggestion Hal I will try it somewhere where a problem will not show! Another question that you or another might answer is, has anybody got a suggestion as to what green available in any paint range best matches the BR green used on the early BR Mogul models? I feel sure if I have a pot of green paint to hand the removal of the lining will go well. MW

Hi, Help! Has anyone found a good way to remove some of the lining from a tender of one of these mogul locos without removing the green paint below?

Hi, I have built many 16mm scale models of these locomotives and can only echo the information above on sources of information although I have additionally a photocopy of the Baldwin G A drawing and many photographs of the WD prototypes at various stages of restoration. Apologies for the poor quality picture. This is a photo of the GVT Baldwin that I made 30 years ago for the late Eric LLoyd a real enthusiast of the GVT. It still works well and is radio controlled, live steam. The best model available today (my opinion) is the Bachmann 009 GVT model. I bought one, it is quite superb and runs silently and looks very good on code 40 track. Valve gear not too overscale and the livery lining is not too in your face. (note I have no connection to the company) Rather than O gauge why not model part of the GVT in 4mm and get some of the delightful landscape of the Welsh borderland. I do not think the Bachmann On30 model would be worth looking at. I am sure in the last few years I noticed some one was making available an etch chassis in 7mm scale, wheels are probably a problem. You will notice on my model the hand made blind spoke wheels needed for the bogie. I am sure some has done a body for the loco, have you looked through Shapeways. In 16mm things are easier the frames are laser cut 1/8 thick steel, all the other parts are etched NS or casting made from my patterns. Interestingly the valve gear on the model was a scale copy from the works drawing rather than designed for the model. It worked (very well) when put together. Such a surprise that I nearly lost two finger tips when it first ran . Never have hand on moving machinery. I will not hold the chassis in one hand again in a hurry. luckily the air line was only at 20psi so it was blood everywhere rather than amputation!

Hi, interesting comments. Looking back at the weight drawing in Russel's Locos of the GWR I see the height of the loco to its chimney top was 13 foot 2 inches. Measuring the model loco from rail head to chimney top is 53mm ie 13 foot and 3 inches. Looking at the lovely photos in Barnsley's SMJR book, published in 1991 I think the error is in the height of the chimney's boiler flange I recon it is about 2inches too long. Still it was 1977 when it was built and there is more available today if you dig arround. I think the reason I liked the look of it was how very odd it looked what with the large outside cylinders and very odd cab. So I do not think it will be going back on the bench to have O.33mm knocked off the chimney after 44 years!

Hi, what a super job you are making of the MSWR 4-4-4T. Very nice NS etch you have drawn up. It is difficult to use the space on the etch so well. I to fell in love with the MSWR. At the time we lived in Oxford and a friend was keen to so we set off from time to time to explore the route, but apart from one of Harding Osbourne's sketch drawings in the RM and a weight diagram in Russel's GWR locos in 1977 there was not much that was available. Having collected what I could and a few photos I set about scratch building No16 in OO gauge. The end was reached at a model railway show put on by the Oxford Club in the town hall. I spent the exhibition turning the boiler fittings on my Unimat lathe as a demo of scratch building. The loco has a gearbox on the loco connected by a shaft to a can motor in the tender. The cross head pump works and the cab is reasonably detailed. For the last 42 years it has sat in its case with two outings recently where surprise, surprise after an oiling it ran very well on a friends GNofS layout. I would add what a poster above wrote, the 3 volume set of books on the MSWR is an interesting read and the loco drawings in volume 2 quite excellent. I have added a couple of photos of my No 16. I think I painted green because of an entry in Carter's British Railway Livery book.

Hi, thankyou both so much for the information. Next time I will not think about the purchase for too long. I will test run it a bit and then looking back in this topic strip the boiler and cab off plus the tender body, polish off the lining and totem with T cut and respray in black. I already have some suitable numbers and allocations for the engine to run on the line north of Radstock. Once again thank you.

I have purchased having missed out on an early BR black 43xx at £395 a BR early totem lined green example for £425. I have a simple question, in the period 1952 -1954 did this liveried loco exist or is it just a maybe? If a maybe it will have to be repainted in unlined black. If on the otherhand this livery did exist has anybody got the number of this locomotive(s). Thanks for any opinions / information.

Hi, I must apologise for this late reply to you advice. Thank you and Simond for the considered reply about 4 foot 6inch radius and the lack of chance that a GWR 30xx would negotiate such a radius. I have looked again and there is little to be gained in narrowing the axle bush outer flanges- they are already only about 25 thou. So the way forward is I think build it as is but with a fully sprung shassis, see what it will go round. If it is no go I will puchase another two axle sets and remove the flanges and see what happens replacing first the second set and if necessary the third set as well. With luck I will have the best of both worlds a good scale model to look at and another with no flanges on the middle wheel sets that will get round the invisible toy curves. We are in the Dee valley near Balmoral. We needed to use the tractor to dig out the front of the house to get me to my covid Jab. I then responded rather too well to the jab putting me in the chair in front of the fire for a couple of days. My daughter, a doctor said this was really good. "A really active immune response in an old man is quite unusual!" So always look on the bright side.... Take care and thanks again.

Hi, great to see the Loch off to the paint shop. My kit for the GWR 30xx has arrived as have the wheels etc from Slaters. I would like to ask you for some advice. What would you do to this model's chassis and wheels to get it round 4 foot 6 inch radius curves. Looking at the kit (Gladiator) I do not think there is much scope for narrowing the chassis. Probably the axle bushes if I use them* can only get me 30-40 thou per axle more sideplay by turning the flange thickness down. Do you think a simple and visual solution might be to remove the flanges from a driving wheel set? Any thoughts much appreciated. *planned details for the chassis plus outline of the layout is in my post on this forum. Thanks

Hi, well at last to the topic heading GWR 30xx. It is a long time since I built an 0 gauge loco from scratch or kit (41 years) so I need some advice. How would you advise me to build the chassis? Should I make horn blocks and axleboxes and spring every wheelset, or piano wire sprung axle bushes? Should I forget springs and use compensation beams instead? The main problem I see is the 2-8-0 locomotive getting round curves. At the moment the readily available space for a layout is 9 feet 6inch by 22 feet does anybody think it is possible to get the loco round a 4 foot 6inch radius continuous curve? Help and advice required! Thanks in anticipation.

Hi, a bit of good news. I was starting to worry that the wheels etc ordered for the 30xx had not appeared. I rang Slaters and they told me the delay was due to no gears in stock to build the the motor/gear box I had ordered. There would be a month's delay! Well a worry gone but....something else would be needed to keep this post going, hence the HR stock. The next day they rang to say the order will be here tomorrow, some gears had turned up. What great service, I have got so used to the "we will ring back when it is in stock" and no phone ever ringing. So top marks for customer service in these difficult times. I have added to this post another Lockdown project. This was for a Lochgorm early HR Horsebox. The kit builds up quite well but there is a common problem in that the floors in many of the kits have fold up strips to attach the side to. If this is done the separation of the sides is too wide for the ends (which are to the correct size). The remedy is simple, break the fold ups off, clean up the fracture lines and solder the fold pieces on top of the floor edge. Tedious but by no means a killer problem. There does not seem to be any good photo of this truck but I think it still needs a single step to be hung from the solebar below the groom's compartment door. Perhaps someone can direct me to a photo?

First thank you Gerry for the information I see that you are still making exceptional models. Yes I am still making models although I think the business side of building commercially in 16mm is getting near the end. Standing for a few hours pulling and pushing handles on the Britan lathe to make a couple of hundered of bits is definitely starting to pall. I have got to a stage of ridding drawers of unbuilt kits, not as I should on e-bay but by building them. It is strange having spent the last 40 odd years building from scratch going back to kits and even RTR. But it does save time. Having purchased the book recommended by Wagonman the site of the railway model I was planning has moved north of Radstock to the other incline at Pensford. The track plan is more interesting and there is good photographic evidence for some lovely signals and operation off the mainline is easy with the long bi-directional loop with headshunts each end. But I still need that lovely 30xx. I had deduced the injectors were where you said since a photo in the book showed a drift of steam below the cab step. It would be very kind to receive some more photos and info. I am intending to photograph the model 30xx and post as it develops. I had hoped to start by now but an order from Slaters for the wheels and bits is slow to arrive. So this second post will see if I can attach a photo. This is one of eight Highland Railway kits I have built since the start of the lockdown. This 0 gauge model has been produced from a Lochgorm Kit that was drawn by the late Andy Copp. Over the last eight years we had become good chums. He refreshed my interest in the HR which grew as he released more new kits into his range. The kit is accurate and builds into the model above. It does require skill to make. The art work for the etches was realised in Photoshop - a difficult tool to use to produce what in effect is a technical drawing. So most of the rolling stock kits in the range take that little bit more work than might be expected. eg in this kit the solebars were short by about .75mm. But it is easily fixed with a saw, a file and a bit of solder! As long as you do not mind the opportunity to improve your skills I think a good and rare model results. I have not yet finished the model. A SER kit for a Landau has been purchased (very nice , Whitemetal). I have drawn up some etched parts for saddlery. The coach or latterly car was retained on the wagon using leather straps ( 5 thou plasticard stips with the etched buckles etc ) plus the wooden cross bars that were moved on the top bar racks. I have not found where the straps were stored on the wagons. I fancy a locker below the floor somewhere since they would have been useful for so many other tasks arround the Victorian station!

Hi, thank you wagonman I hav'nt seen that book. I will search for an old copy. Thank you also for the information about where a 30xx might have been shedded.

Hi, this is a new venture for me. In the past I have built many locomotives from scratch. Part of my income is from building small scale live steam locomotives. A common feeling I think at this time is trying to tidy up life and complete or realise day dreams. One of mine is to build an 0 scale railway. It will be a very strange beast - a 1950s BR line with running powers for 1917 Highland Railway stock! Since time is limited some shortcuts will be needed for the ex GWR BR part. It will be an attempt at a tiny part of the Radstock - Frome branch 1950 -1956. To be precise a condensed realisation of Haydon (Kilmersdon) colliery. The incline will be part modelled exiting through the backscene to a loading (by hand) area. What inspired me was a photo( a very poor one) obtained in a Flickr search many years ago. Here was a scene of GWR perfection - signal box, signals, a very tight site, with a wye shaped base to the colliery incline with interesting grade separation of the tracks and a very dirty, leaky 30xx coming into shot. The photo must have been taken from a field high up beside the incline looking down towards the incline base. Needless to say the image has gone from the site! First question would the 30xx have been shedded at Frome or would it have been more likely a Bristol loco. At some point all the 30xxs had the GWR top feed fitted I presume the GWR fitted the injectors under the cab. Looking at photos of which at the moment I have very few (Russel's locos of the GWR, Flickr and Google search) there is no sign of the injectors. The loco in my flickr picture has the 47xx chimney. Can anyone suggest where more info might be obtained. Good books etc. Before cutting out the etches and starting the build I do want to try to do the model justice. At present 3014 is in the running, shedded at Westbury ,I have two photos of the loco too. When I have retaught myself how to post pictures again I will post some of the HR stock that will also share the tracks, and obviously I will be back as the 30xx takes shape. I thank everybody reading this and hope together I end up making a nice model with your help. Keep safe.

Hi, this is a very quick ask for help. Have you built a Gwr 30xx or a LNER 04? I am sorry to bother you, I tried to use the seach feature on the forum but it is too clever for me. I am sure at some point I followed your post on building one. Great to see you building a Loch. The late Andy Copp was a mate of mine. It is nice to see a super build being done of this attractive Locomotive. Thanks, keep safe.

Hi, why are so few 800 type trains using the overhead supply in the up or down direction at Didcot station?

Hi, with the arrival of our first grandchild a lot of time over the last few days has been spent in Sainsbury's Cafe in Didcot regaining calm before returning to renew the roles of modern grandparents. Having finished the paper I started counting the trains passing through. Why is it that all the suburban trains in both directions have pantographs up (ALL diesel MUs having sensibly replaced) but I only saw ONE class 800 /802 train out of seven passing on up and down lines using its pantograph to collect power from the overhead. What secret explains this reluctance to use the overhead?

Hi, thank you all for the information. Do I detect that the ex Acme kit might be difficult to build and/or not possibly yield a pleasing model? Certainly Tony a manufacturer could not wish for a better endorsment of their product than the beautiful model you have constructed from their kit. Is there a choice of chimney in the kit? My " memory" loco sported one of those thin, tall stacks of a Darlington built engine. Once again thank you all.

Hi, I want to build a well detailed model of the an Ivatt 2MT tender loco. The reason for the build is nostalgia. One of these engines was the last working BR steam engine I saw. It was pulling a couple of vans and a brake van through Pencaitland, probably heading to the Glenkinchie Distillery. The loco is to be O gauge. I think there is an available kit that used to be available from Acme Models. Does this kit build into a model that is accurate. Has anybody made one from this kit, have you got any helpful tips? Thanks.

What is he best way to model telephone lines in &mm to the foot scale? It needs to be greenish or coffee coloued and 0.3-0.5mm. I will have to be elastic??? But at the same time it would be nice if it drooped???? It needs to be strong, not too easily caught and broken when dusting. Any ideas? Thanks.

I will also follow this build. Like Shez I have an enthusiasm for the NB and recently purchase a kit to build a NB Atlantic in O gauge. Looking at the layout of castings in the first post I think the kit I purchased is more of a scratch building aid. These Atlantics must have made heads really turn in the 1900s with their large belpaire boilers and decent cabs. In photos of the time they look massive and must have been real publicity gifts to these companies. They certainly worked for the NB by putting the Aberdonian on the public map. Indeed I suppose the Gresley 2-8-2s were a later response to sharp timings over a difficult route. The GCR Atlantics were machines of beauty. I am sure this model when built and liveried in the GCR express livery will caputure the perfection of the design. I will be interested to see how an expert builder balances the loco and deals with the bogie and trailing wheel clearances. The instructions in my kit rather gloss over the problem.

Hi, I like your laser cut coaches. I have had some success using the same technique to build tumblehome coaches (see on this forum in the laser cutting section "Starting out with a Chinese laser cutter". I cut in 1mm mount board too. To form the tumblehome I made a press tool from 2 bits of 1/8 aluminium. The inner and outer cards are glued with full strength PVA using the base and of end of the laser cut as a datum. This is then placed on the base of the press tool. The top placed on top and the whole lot held together with bulldog clips. Next day the part is removed, the tumblehome is permanent. I have had problems in forming the tumbehome without the shaped press in the past with the face of the card slightly creasing when rolled to form the tumblehome. The press is used again to assemble the detailed interior sides and the panel frets to the preformed side. My coaches are in 16mm scale so your press would be easier to make. Just grip the aluminium by its edge in the vice and pull it to get the curve( my bits being larger I bent in a press brake but that is bye the bye) You do need to make them carefully. Ideally the top and bottom plates will match shape and allow for the thickness of the card. I plan to make a few coaches so the effort of the tool was worthwhile. Really worthwhile if you wanted to turn them into a kit, since then you could preform the sides and fairly ask a higher price.

Hi, at last back in the workshop. My mum died( aged 99) a couple of hours after I posted the above so this strand has a bit of a sentimental value to me. The latest project using the laser was to build the first of a rake of coaches supplied to the Gwalior Light Railway in the late 1890s. The first problem was that there are no known drawings that survive so it had to be drawn. There are however just enough photos and one known measurement a width of 6 feet 3 inches. A working drawing was produced and tweaked until it "looked right". The drawing also became the origin of the cutting files for the laser. The photo of this coach is in Railways of the Raj by Satow and Desmond It is an odd coach, only being entered from one end. It had no glazed windows only venetian shutters. Like many coaches on this period in India it had permanent sunshades and a double roof. The coach body is in 1mm laminated card, the tumblehome formed in a press made from thick aluminium, The frame is cut in thick perspex and detailed with lace pin rivets. The double roof is made from aluminium and perspex. The shutters are made from laminations of thin card stepping the layers by 0.4mm to get the impression of slanting slats. The bogies are Swift Sixteen and are of a near identical type to those fitted to the coach. Painting was a few coats of car primer and finish coats of acrylic sprayed at the finish with Gamesworkshop "purity seal" satin varnish. SInce the basic design was used for all the coaches Kerr Stuart supplied it should be easy to alter the cutting tools to build the additional coaches in the prototype photo I have included. The side sunshades have been made and fitted since I took the photos.

To return you to bucolic Norfolk can I suggest for a halt " Aching Parva" . This suggests the terminus might be "Aching Magna" or if the council is packed with non-conformists and the local landowner keen on land reform it could also be "Aching Town".

Hi, Farnell listings are never the best, but bits are not £23 each, In very small print above the bit prices it does say "pack of 10"! Obviously they need a Plain English consultant to charge the earth to make their listings clear. Regards.