43129@stainmore

Here are a couple of photos of the Trestrol EC behind the J27 that has prompted the replies in the thread. It was converted using some guidance in a Scalefour newsletter. Note I sacrificed a cheap 6" rule to give a strong joint between the two parts of the vehicle. I was concerned that it would be too weak in the centre of the vehicle and a rule was almost the correct length and more importantly thickness to be invisible. Since the photo was taken the rake has been reformed and now has two of Ian MacDonalds Trestrols in place of a couple of the plate wagons. Rich

Super, has it been built with the original fold up and squeeze to EM width chassis or the replacement with separate frame spacers Rich

The build is looking really great, I've been too busy with Barnard Castle to progress my LRM G5 in the last few weeks. I thought you were building 67286, have you had a change of mind? Richard Nice

Excellent work, its looking very well

Here is my LRM 521 series J6 effort, its Hitchin's 64175 built over 30 years ago in OO for Biggleswade. I also built an EM chassis for it and it ended up hauling the engineers train on Roy Jackson's Retford. It's looking a wee bit tired in this October 2019 view, it's last ever run on Retford. Happy days, I was very proud to have built a loco deemed worthy to regularly run on Retford! Richard Nice

On Stainmore Summit we used to bank loose coupled freights in both directions. All using DC control with matched loco performance. Here is a J21 arriving with a BR 2MT on the rear. Banking up hill and subsequent piloting down hill was the essence of the whole layout. My new creation of Barnard Castle will also feature DC banking of westbound freights using the same pool of DC locos. Here is a glimpse of Barnard Castle station forecourt- my lockdown project! Richard N

Thanks for your kind comments regarding our layout. Unfortunately due to Covid 69424 is incarcerated on the layout which is located in Middlesbrough. I have found one with it partly painted. After lockdown I will get up and take some photos. Its a pretty shy engine, I think I only had two available photos, one in Yeadons on the colliery incline at South (replicated here courtesy of Dave Dunn) and the one in RCTS 9A both of the RHS. I seem to recall I had incorrect buffers fitted at one time. Rich

I built the other N9 No 69424 whilst on holiday in Spain in early 2019, I don't have a photo to hand of it when completed, but here it is part completed out in the warm February sunshine. 69424 had the smaller side tanks and bunker, steam brake only and was the loco usually outbased at Pelton Level. The smaller tanks etc are catered for in the kit, there is a half etch line on the inside to reprofile to. My 'modification' notes for 69429 (my first N9 build) were, in no particular order: vacuum pipe below RHS valance steam heat hoses vacuum ejector pipe steam supply pipe to Westinghouse pump from spectacle plate to pump steam exhaust pipe from pump to smokebox globe lubricator on RHS of smokebox (should have been both sides I think!) worksplates shedplate fire iron and brackets coal rails plated behind whistle on roof rear cab window guards reservoir between frames under bunker rain strips new smokebox door (Dave Alexander) washout plugs If I recall correctly you shorten the kit footplate and frames at the front end for a N8. Rich

You are correct and that is why there is no Westinghouse hose on the loco just vacuum. Rich

I've built two LRM N9's (same kit as N8) for South Pelaw. Quite a straightforward kit, however by BR days that class is a minefield with different boilers, braking systems, safety valves, buffers etc. hardly surprising given the age of the locos by then (no doubt the N8s were similar). As the kit is very much geared to pre-grouping then a fair amount of substitute parts are necessary. Here is a picture of 69429 (my first build of the two) shoving some empty hoppers up the incline to South Pelaw colliery, she still had Westinghouse brake and Ramsbottom safety valves until withdrawn. Rich

Hi Richard I'm pleased to discover your thread and the admirable background to your G5 build. I have just started to build a LRM G5, this will be 67305 for my model of Barnard Castle in EM which will work a Darlington to Middleton in Teesdale push pull service. I was good friends with Ray Goad for many years and he helped me with research for Stainmore Summit that I built some 20 years ago. I didn't know that 67305 was his favourite G5, so that is a really pleasant surprise. I remember seeing Tees Castle in the late 1970s at a couple of exhibitions and it and Ray's enthusiasm instilled the inspiration for my Stainmore line interest ever since. Hopefully Ray is looking down on us from above. I'm awaiting the wheels for my G5 so hopefully you will keep ahead of my progress. Meanwhile here is a view of the almost finished Barnard Castle station building on my evolving layout. Richard N

The RCTS Volume 2 on BR Standard locomotives (table 59 Page 237) has full details of which locos were green, lined or unlined and when (all post 1957) which should provide any answers you need. 78000 was not green until 4/1961 and possibly reverted to black in 1964 by when it was on the LMR. Richard

That's the way to do it

Probably, it has been built as an exhibition layout, but it's a few years off and I am busy on the exhibition circuit with South Pelaw for the time being. There isn't a thread or blog yet, but the track is complete and I am on with wiring. Richard

In reply to some earlier posts, I've not seen any photographic evidence (yet) of 78010 running over Stainmore, 78010 to 78014 didn't hang around at West Auckland for that long unlike 78015 to 78019 which stayed for several years. However here is plenty of evidence of 78011, 78013 and 78014 running over the Stainmore route whilst they were at West Auckland so safe to assume the other two must have. On Stainmore Summit I had 78013, 78016, 78018 (all DJH kits) running over, so one or two more on my new layout of Barnard Castle wont go amiss. Richard