Brassey

The full 360 degree roundy is now complete. There’s room for a 4 foot traverser fiddleyard. A lot of track laying now to follow.

In Sept 2021 I announced that I intended to extend the layout and bought some 6mm ply; how time flies. So after a lengthy hiatus, work is progressing, and stripped down the layout has been moved back to the living room where the initial baseboards where built. The curved board for the North of the layout is built almost to completion. Work on the scenic Southern extension has started. These two boards will complete 180 degrees leaving another 180 to produce a roundy. Hopefully it won't take as long as it's making quite a mess of the living room. The large mirror helps to give a view of the other side of the layout. All the curves are transitions but get down to 900mm which is a bit tight for P4 the minimum recommended radius being 1000mm.

After an interlude when other things have taken over, I'm now back on the workbench. Currently starting an LNWR C Class from the London Road kit. This is partly to see if I can get an 0-8-0 around the tight curves in the planned extended layout. This is going to be a multi=beam compensation affair so I cut the 4 beams out of the etch first (some time ago). As is my practice, I pre-cutout the slots for the hornguides but left the outer two intact so that I could insert top hat bushes in order to assemble the frames square with the aid of a jig. Before assembling, I created slots in the centre (firebox) spacer to allow the two side beams to pass through. This part is half etched to allow for riveting on the firebox which adds a nice touch. I assembled this slightly differently to the instructions to maintain some squareness after I'd removed a large part of the etch. Here's the assembled frame showing the spacer. The P4 AGW H spoke wheels do not have the holes for the crankpins drilled so these have to be drilled and counter sunk from behind. A job I approach with some trepidation however having built 3 coal tanks and a coal engine, none of which are finished, I have had some practice at this task that does need precision. I used my mini-drill in a press. Here are all 8 wheels complete with AGW crankpins inserted. One set is flangeless: Next up is to fit the High Level Hornguides in the slots that are already cut out.

On Martin Finney outside frame GWR kits, there are bushes that slide in the outside frames too (as per the prototype IIRC). These are etches that fold up to make double thickness. You could employ this technique and attach the outer springs to said bushes. It's quite a pfaff to assemble the whole chassis, particularly with one that is compensated, to line up 8 bushes but it can be done. It works best if the footplate and outside frames are not permanently attached to the boiler which helps in the handling. Peter

hi. Yes I mean the platform. I set mine to the platform clearance in Templot but long coaches foul particularly on the inside curves. I have some GWR 70’ toplights that I am working on as these will potentially be the worst. I also have a 65’ Caley break compo and a couple of LNWR 65’ dining cars. Unfortunately my inside curve platform has been fixed down.

Clearance looks a bit tight at the top end John. I have a similar problem and if you introduce a 65ft dining car then you have a real clearance problem. Peter

It was not unknown to load/unload horses on the passenger platforms too.

It's not hard at all. As mentioned earlier, the shed allocations are held in the archives at Kew and details of the locos, build dates - boiler changes etc., are in the RCTS volumes. Locos also moved around so there were many non-home shed visitors. Also the GWR was not confined to Devon; Bulldogs made it North up to Shrewsbury for example. A bit of research is quite fulfilling and can provide some interesting scenarios.

Well if they put some pictures up on here someone who actually built one might be able to help....

Is your "acquaintance" on RMWeb?

I have used the Brassmasters chassis on GWR stock and there were probably pictures on my coaches thread that have likely been lost by the RMWeb crash. They are adaptable to fit a variety of wheelbases. They don't leave much room for cylinders etc. underneath but with a bit of jiggling you can get these to fit. For LNWR I use the London Road Models 6 wheel underframes both 30' and 32'. I am currently converting a 32' to fit a postal/parcel van with a slightly different wheelbase.

Thanks for clarifying Martin. I didn’t mean you with my comment on the blank nose on V’s! My main source of info was the S4 Society Manual and Iain Rice’s book. If it was in there then I missed it. and it makes more sense to make knuckle bends with a round bar than with a sharp blow on a pointy screwdriver. I wish I’d known all this BEFORE I built my track.

This NOT the way to create bends in the rail as it creates far too sharp a bend. How do I know... For the same reason the crossing V has a blunt rather than sharp end (a fact often unmentioned), you don't want a sharp point in the opposite rail either.

Jol, Thanks for confirming that. I got my Whitworth when the 1224 was still available and I too have a RoadRunner compact ready for that. I've used the same configuration in my Special DX and Coal Engine having swapped out an LRM gearbox in the former. Both run very well. I also have an LRM Improved Precedent to build that has the same drive ready and waiting but having built the G Norton tender for the Whitworth, that is ahead of the queue. I really must build some carriages, but your build here is inspiring me to abandon that and get on with the Whitworth. Presumably yours has a fixed rear axle and compensation on the front driver and carrying axle? Peter

Jol Your tenders look better than my efforts and this reminds me that I must get on with my own LRM Whitworth. Which gearbox are you using? Peter

Great to see the progress Jol and glad you are back producing. Will both your and John's layouts be called "London Road"?

Thanks and Yes. London Road chassis. Scratch built Brass footplate and valance. new tool boxes and backhead from LRM too. Added handrails to cab and front of tanks. And blower valve on the left hand side. Missing the front footsteps and whistle though…

My K's LNWR Coal Tank. One day I'll finish the lining on the back of the bunker.

Talking of old Wills kits, here's my Small Metro. Now on its third chassis.

Thanks. I've wondered before where best to put those springs on LNWR kits. They're often included in LRM kits but IIRC never mentioned in the instructions. One of those things you find you've got left over at the end of a build!

Jol Thanks and that’s my other option. I do have the flangeless wheels too. Cheers Peter

I have an LNWR C class 0-8-0 to build. IIRC may plan is to have all axles moving: twin beams on the rear two driven axles with single beams either side of the gearbox and a sandwich central beam between the front two. That gives 3 point compensation. you have enough beams to do that too.

The chassis etch is odd in that it only includes one side on each etch but everything else is duplicated. Hopefully the chassis sides were mirror images!

Believe it or not, the carcass under these brass claddings is a K's GWR Dukedog! You can just see the whitemetal above the axles. I filed off all the rivet detail etc. and attached a set of outside frames for a Bulldog Bird class that came with a detailing kit for the Airfix City of Truro. The roof is also from the Dukedog. The rest is from a set of Falcon Brass etches for a Bulldog plus some scratchbuilt bits and other detailing from Branchlines for the Bird. Currently working on the tender using the chassis that came with the Branchlines COT motorising and detail kits. This has been sprung using High Level CSB components and will sit under the K's 3000 gal tender that came with the Dukedog:

That tender footplate etch is Mallard too. On the etch with the numbers you have the belpaire firebox and smokebox so almost a complete Mallard Dean Goods. I’ve built 3 from such etches…