Mike 84C

Can I throw my hat into the J17 ring? Bearing in mind that all the posted photos are from different angles, I think that looking at the preserved one and using that as a basis to compare. I think the whole smokebox boiler unit on Tonys model sits too low. My reasoning stems from looking at the r/h sandbox and to me the curve of the smokebox goes several inches above the sandbox before it starts the major curve of its diameter, the boiler also seems to have more space underneath it. So raising the whole unit 2mm? brings the firebox top closer to the cab window frames. As a confessed fan of GW locos I shall take cover!

I didn't expect to see 6911 Holker Hall rolling through LB it gave me quite a lift in these strange times. Shedded at 84C when I started on BR back end of '62 I cleaned it many times and fired it quite a few times. I seem to remember the tender had no snaphead riviets I think it was welded, so DJH got it wrong, for the '60's at any rate.

I have the Digitrains Crossley sound file in my CIE A class. Very happy with it and when all is back to normal will get the the same sound file in a C class. And I do know the C had a smaller engine.

A really good model and the process well described, thank you. You are illustrating the potential of 3d printing and the way the hobby can go for modellers with niche interests, just wish I was a tad more computer savvy!! Keep it up you could be a trailblazer!

Having read all these posts it has confirmed my view, that leaving the railway in the early 70's, redundancy, was the right thing to do even though I loved the job and had always wanted to be a driver. You guys make it sound like a ball ache of frustration and poor management decision. Afterwards I worked for a national agricultural merchant where departmental recharging was the order of the day, all it caused was mountains of paper work, kept an accounts dept; very busy and acrimony between managers . Not great for creating profit, costs down and a smooth running company.

In honesty I have little experience of ER locos but have fired on 2/3 B1's and I would say the fireiron tunnel would be behind the firemans seat on the RH side. That seemed to be the rule on every loco I worked on except those with B stupid Midland tenders with coal rails. Little wonder most of the fireirons finished up at the back jammed around the tank vents!

Hi Colm. Others have said it but I also like the back story it gives the line so much more reason to be there. I am also looking forward to more on the build and it heartn's me when I see and read that I used the same baseboard construction as you. Be safe distancing works, be happy. Regards Mick

Oliver, I found the 0-6-2 I was refering to its a Barry rly Class K 0-6-2t built by Cooke . A class of 5 locos built 1899 and scrapped between April 1927 and May 1932. Numbered by the GWR 193/197. 194&6 were Greatwesternised. If you are interested there is an article in Back Track Vol 18 No 6 for June 2004 which has a small write up on most of the "modern"American steam types that ran in Britain . One side view photo of rebuilt 194 ( NRM/BTC 2717/64 and a 3/4 view from the TJ Edgington Collection. Hope this helps and if you cannot get the info you need pm me and I can do you a scan.

Didn't the Barry rly have some American Rogers built 0-6-2's with outside cyls that were Swindonised? I think they were all scrapped by the mid '30's. Cannot remember where I have seen pictures , sorry.

Kirley you are a hero! and a braver man than me. I bought one of those brake van kits to do what you have done and decided that I could not cut out the parts to satisfy myself. I did practise on one of those GSWR convertible vans; I binned it and the coach is still a set of plans! So much kudos to yourself and take a bow!! Keep healthy and safe and maybe say hello again at the NEC one day. Mick

Yes be fine, keep it sort of flat on a level just below the top of the tender sides. Under the top of the curve. Some 9f's had that divided tender nothing but agro; and a serious tripping hazard in the dark. Great British design! If the loco was going a long way like S.Wales where they didnt always get much of a servicing before coming back to the midlands, the front of the tender would have an enourmos pile of coal on it and that was after filling the firebox. So much for scientific firing!

Coal divisions in BR tenders, I remember them well, they seemed to get filled up with spillage from the front compartment, which never got dug out between shoppings, firemen walked over the coal so it finished up as a load of slack which was very difficult and hard work to dig out and pitch over into the front compartment. A pointless modification modification in my book.

Alien, now that is a film I can't watch twice! it scared the living daylights out of me and I'm not much of a jumpy sort of person. Now the mumbling actors, with you all the way there but I was told to get a hearing a hearing aid you deaf old person. So Tony off to Specsavers for FOC NHS ones (only so so) or payout loadsamoney for private ones. My modelling fund took quite a beating, had to sell some stuff! Mic

One of the shift foremen at Banbury,Bert Mallard had been a fireman at Saltley and could give chapter and verse about firing on the Carlisle's But he said Crabs were regulars on that job. Rather him than me!. Regarding things to read on 8f's I believe Irwell press do a series with all you will ever need to know about them.

9f's always keep the back corners filled right up then fire around the box and spread a few across the middle. Set the exhaust injector as fine as possible down to 1or2 on the handle scale, keep the water steady in the glass and 240 on the clock. Brilliant loco! Mind you I do have to admit that a 9 was the only loco I stopped for a blow up with. Fosse Road loop with a Washwood Heath Banbury coal train, had to stand on the bucket to see the water and my mate wanted to keep going! And it was his own fault as he would not wait for the tube cleaner when we prepped the loco at Tysley. Oh! the smell of the barmaids apron and he did'nt get his pints in the Bell that Night!!

Fired quite a few balanced and unbalanced 8f's in my youth. Either could be quite a violent ride but deffo would not want to go much faster than 50mph but often did! But I do remember "starred " 8's being sent on the York Bournemouth from Banbury when the equelly decrepit Black 5 failed at the last minute. Usually with injector problems.

Jessie; talking of tradies, one of my long term mates is still plastering houses, tiling bathrooms, laying concrete floors and he is 73 . We were teenage pals so we go back a long way! He was mixing concrete, I was shovelling coal, maybe we were just hard old boys back then.

Excellent! I would never have recognised its origins. Real lateral thinking.

Short trousers in '63! could'nt wait to dump mine but in '59.

Thompson Pacifics must be the most discussed LNE loco, would he be smiling or spinning in his grave? I understand the engineering rational for the design and layout but the front end does look strange. That smokebox could have held a huge amount of char! I wonder if Hornby picked up on the love/hate interest in Thompson's Pacifics and thought these will sell? I do hope so. 9f's; a good boiler which needed a deeper firebox, in my experience, because burning welsh coal or ovoids you need depth of fire and on a 9f the back corners always full. I felt as if you were firing up hill to keep a good fire at the backend. The deflector plate must have been the least used bit of kit on a WR 9f, never used, made a good footrest. This treatment did the brickarch and tubeplate no favours. And for some reason made working in front of that firedoor even hotter! I know this because I have used a deflector plate but only when using hard coal. But those engines could devour some coal when worked hard/ running fast like on a fitted train. At Banbury we worked the Handsworth to Hoo Juct; Presflows. It was the worst job at the depot. Rlf Oxley men at Banbury sta, right away OOC yd via the new line. Leave train at OOC yd, light engine to Greenford turn on the jct; light engine back to OOC down yd and await the loaded Presflows from Hoo Jct; just to fill your time in you cleaned the fire filled the tank and shovelled as much coal forward from the back of the tender to the front and had your snap. The two!!Southern men rolled up with the train on their Sulzer diesel, me or my mate made another can of tea and we back on the loaded train, blow up the vacuum do a brake test, the blower is on coal is going in the firebox and we get the road. Good stir with the pricker of the fire shut the doors both dampers up and see how she go's!! Usually nonstop back to Banbury,it was a night shift and pull more coal forward for the crew who relieved you at Banbury. I have to say I never did a full week or had a 9f on that job only class 5's but the routine was the same. Often too tired to ride my bike the six miles home! A class 8 load for Hatton bank was 22 = 76 wagon units. One thing about loaded Presflows was they never seemed to roll freely, shut off and the train just seemed to slow down! And the vac brake on these wagons was fitted with direct admission valves where the train pipe acts as a messenger. Once they opened at about 15" of vacuum you were lucky if the train did'nt grind to a halt. One more 9f detail, they had a most appalling insensitive regulator which would stick open, never jam shut and just a little tug would often be enough. Just reread this post gosh it ambles on! But it wernt all beer and skittles.

If you guys who build stuff are interested in Branch Lines Midland coach kits and SEC etched chassis kits please pm me . Other wise they are on the bay of e's.

Not so much kissing of buffers but complete compression. It made getting the loop of the shackle ( thats what we called them) over the coach hook much easier underneath the corridor gangway with maybe a hanging buckeye. Shackle, vacuum, steam and reverse order to uncouple. It always seemed much easier to roll up to the train at 2/3 mph than to stop and do a controlled( hmm) reverse onto the train. H&S is in my view a double edged sword in many instances. But how do you argue against it? So lets just ignore it and use our common sense.

On the Western, a shallow pit perhaps 4ft deep and it would be emptied by a man with a shovel. Lots of pictures out there. Look on Flicker Banbury 62 to 66 is I think the title.

So Tony, allowing for your present work rate to continue unabated, stash of kits should be built in just over six months! Wish I could build at that rate! The calculation only came into my head because at Sleaford club on Wednesday night we of the Bantry group were asked will it be ready for a May debut? No of weeks x hours in the evening = less than a week. Do they still sell Midnight Oil at hardware shops?

A cornucopia of J15's, like the pacing shots really good. Have you left the roof's loose for loading later? Must get my track working again, got train envy.