Beatty 139

It's the one at Chasewater, ex of a pair at a tin plate works in south Wales of which one I don't quite remember, but they were different to the SCOW ones in that they were to BR loading gauge. Yes the 5 cylinder National is orignal, quite a lot of the 50's Bagnalls were national engined as the company was in the same group. for a start all the NCB Bagnalls were national engined, although Tilsley and Lovet made good trade out of droping Paxman RPH series engines, Hem Heath 4D WB 3119 had had thus done, but she pulled a liner so I know that's due to end up having a Dorman 6Q replacing the 4RPH. Almost appropriate when you consider that Bagnalls were purchased by W.H.Dorman just before English Electric Purchased Dorman Diesels for it's range of engines only to end up with a loco builder that id didn't really want... Funny how stories get retold the EE went out to take over W.G.Bagnalls.... Sorry if I let this drift even more off topic!

In my case it was the NBL built MAN, although when we looked closely at it, it was in very good order and like new. Someone did once say it had been rebuilt for the museum at great cost. As it is the engine has been trouble free but the final drive that gave the trouble with a crack in the casting that has needed attention. Chris who owns it also has the Brush Bagnall and that has a National in it, he has fully rebuilt that power unit and has had to source parts from across the world, had to have parts adapted from other engines etc. All possible but all at a cost that few are unwilling to spend on just a industrial.

I do wish my mate would put it back in NCB livery, he always said he would keep it as an NCB loco after I sold him it many years ago, it wasn't a loco I was particularly keen on but came as a 'job lot' from Nottingham sleeper company, Unfortunately, he sold it on and it ended up in the very odd shade of BR green, he brought it back again a couple of years ago so lets hope next repaint it goes back to proper colors.

Thanks for that and I have sent you a PM I don't think I would fundamentally change the construction, but it will have to change how it's powered, I would look at using three 'fosmotors' these are basically nose hung traction motors as per the prototype. The loco will also need to carry batteries and Radio receiver, one advantage will be that all the running gear will be below the footplate. I will post as it makes progress but to have it running for Warley should encourage me to make some progress also with the AGM show I will have a chance to stock up on all the supplies I might need. Andy

This is one of those threads I don't know why I missed before, just excellent modelling, only wish I could find my copy of the AW book! I think this might be my next G1 project, I just need to see if it scales up and how the thicknesses work out in the closest Rowmark thickness that can be cut on the laser. the 20thou will become 0.75mm and the 20 either 1mm or 1.5 as 1.25 isn't available or some combination of the two. Wonder if I can get it together to run at Warley!

Scottish engines are popular in Gauge 1 live steam thanks to the designs of Paul Forsyth. My Dad's NBR B class and My West Highland Extension Railway signal box Andy

For sometime I have been working on sourcing thin ply, 0.8-3.0mm more suited for laser cutting than the normal aircraft grade plys that's currently available, as I am sure you will know normal laser ply 3mm upwards cuts great with little burning etc but as soon as the resin glues in the aircraft ply gets involved the edge burning inconsistant cutting etc. From January Hanson plywood in Halifax will be stocking finish birch ply with interior glue, I am awaiting some samples to confirm the impovement in cutting, I should just say I have no relationship with them just thought it would be useful to share the information.

The OPC class 52 book on the westerns (sorry I don't remember the full title) has all the fonts, and correct spacings for letters, numbers back plates etc.

I was aware of the couplings on the Ironstone locos, It was the Hams Hall Power Station one that stumped me as I have worked with a couple of City of Birmingham Electricity Department locos in the past and no sign of anything like that.

Any ideas how these wagons were worked with the knuckle couplers at Hams Hall? No sign of special drawgear on the Peckett's or the big RSH's so did they have translator wagons?

If your not aware Trotec now do there Troply in 0.5mm thick which is there 'own brand' version of Rowmark it's handy as the 0.75 is a bit clunky, all us modellers could do with convincing them that they have a market for something a bit thinner still say .25mm

If you know of the access to the Enginner magazine via the Gracies guide web site there is quite a lot of information on this kind of plant. I would suspect there is a large gas engine somewhere nearby most likely generating electrical power, these large gas engines were not ideal for running off the mains gas supplies so most ran off suction gas plants. Without a date it's hard to match the technology on show. Most production of chocolate uses steam for the process in the various boiling pans etc. So I doubt such a gas plant would be used for anything other driving a gas engine. From what I can see the main large cylinder in the centre of the photo is the reactor the tall induction pipe rises from it with a water trap at the top, the pipe then drops and I suspect the large vertical cylinder on the left is a wet scrubber. Hope that all helps.

I think you will find that thus is a producer gas (or water gas) plant, with associated scrubber etc. Nothing to do with casting at all. Most likely to run a large gas engine, I understand that Cadburys generated there own plant voltage as the main boiler house was more than just steam production. Andy

Well that's it for doors they are all done, still need to make some hinges and door furniture up to finish them off, but other than the roof boarding then slates all the major work is done. The doors are just resting in the doorway, and need a bit of final adjustment once I have made up the hinges. As ever the inside shot, I have to say this is the first model I have made where the inside feels more impressive than the outside in appearance! I resisted making the wicket door opening, I know when I am about to go too far!

In between other jobs this evening, I managed to get the side doors and tracks cut that designed last night and put them in place I think I am quite pleased to date although the moment of painting is approaching and that's the bit I always hate with a passion, some can make a right dogs breakfast look fantastic with filler and paint while all I seam to do is make a nice model a disaster zone! I do think the whole shed has the feel of the real thing and it will be nice to get it on a railway as opposed to occupying my coffee table.

162 1.6mm x 0.6mm cover strips that were originally fitted to each 9" board joint, adding them has just about driven me to despair! But they are all done after 2 evenings work and now I can move Hunnington Goods shed on to the last few laser cut detail parts to be drawn and cut, Overall I am quite please and think it has been worth the effort, last real jobs are to the roof boarding and slating, roof lights for which all the glazing bars are already fitted and will only need the 1mm acrylic panes adding, sliding door frames and to fit the rail access doors, I think I will do a small sheet of etch for the door hinges and fittings to finish the job off. Sorry about the images the light isn't great and my smart phone isn't so smart as it used to be!

Chasewater was another recipient of ex Cadbury wagon and have an 8 Ton L&Y van they have in the museum building. I am aware that the museum have a number of Cadbury drawings including the engine shed, they may not be museums but a private members, but if you contact Barry Bull the museums curator he should be able to advise. Andy

Some projects just hang around for years and I have always had a fascination for the Halesowen Railway as I have lived close to it for over 30 years and my farther has may memories of it. Well sometime ago I came across a drawing for the Goods shed at Hunnington, and having previously built Rubery signal box the temptation to build it was to great, Cad work made great progress and that's where it stalled, the other day I was looking for something else and came across the laser ready files, so I got busy and this was the result. Just need to finish it off now with a few feet of 1/32 ply cladding roof etc. Watch this space..... now I wonder if anyone has any drawings of the stations? another project?

I should say I have a vested interest in these locos as I used to own the one now at Chasewater, having purchased it from the Nottingham Sleeper company who had acquired it at the Chatterley Whitfield disposal auction some years before, its been through a few hands since, but I know the current owner for many years. The Judith Edge kit looks a grand job as usual but my chosen scale is 10mm/ft and although Michael has done a couple of kits for me in the past from 7mm up to 10mm i don't know if 4mm up to 10mm would be feasible as a simple job. I am sure Michael will comment if its possible and I will be digging deep into my pocket! As I am just finishing off my little SCW 18T Planet (another loco I used to own) the NBL would make another nice project for my railway, especially as it has plenty of space for the batteries and on-board radio control. I was even so rash yesterday as to have gone and ordered the wheel casting! Andy

Some time ago Railway Modeller had a drawing of 330 hp NBL, but I have not been able to track a copy down, could one of you good gentlemen point me in the direction which issue it was so I can try and track a copy down? Many Thanks Andy

As a quick aside on this same area, what I remember as the MEB shop on the corner (I work in Moseley but avoid the traffic hell that Kings Heath High St is so can't say for sure what it is now) had for many year one continuous linked ownership. It was the original steam tram waiting room, which then got purchased by the Corporation at the end of there lease, as it was no longer required as a waiting room it passed to the City of Birmingham Electric Supply department as did all the private electricity generation plant from the tramway companies, then on Nationalisation of the Electricity industry it passed to the MEB, which when privatised and the yet another historical asset of the City was stolen from its rate payers and given away to foreign utilitys, it became something like an npower shop. Its only in the last few years that store has lost that historic link back to its start...... isn't history great!

I just had a good nose through the various maps on www.Old-Maps.co.uk the 1:2,500 are normally quite useful. I would say that the WC's stand a chance of being contemporary with the Trams they are very much in the same style as those opposite the 'knob' at Alcester Lanes End. But I would say that when any thing else ends at that site. following the sequence of maps you can see that the site is cleared then redeveloped with the church and hall. I do agree that the gates are most likely where the depot access lines where. What is interesting on the 1916 1:2,500 map a rough fan of sidings are shown off the end of the turning triangle head shunt, on the meadows at the side of the river Cole, a few years ago I could have asked great gran what that was all about but with the march of time those who would know are no longer with us. Any one else have any ideas? Andy

Sorry to add some more! Walsall Depot, looks like the Tram shed may still be there, now as an industrial Estate since West Midlands travel shut it as a garage. and a gem of the West Midlands, The 'South Staffordshire Electric Tramways Generating Station' on the Darlaston Road, Pleck, Walsall, for many years the Chateau Pleck wine merchants, which always made me smile when passing the sign on the M6 if you know 'the Pleck' its main claim to fame are the Gas works and the young ladys who stood on the street corners around it! I think that's my west midlands tram relic knowledge exhausted for a bit, although it keeps appearing out of the ground when road works are going on, I noticed quite a bit coming to light when the A38/Longbridge Lane junction was being done a couple of years back. Andy