mikemeg

Many thanks for the support and good wishes. Now, dare I make a foray into the work room; those B1 chassis' and the second B16/1 won't finish themselves!! Mike

Thanks John and all who wished me well, Last time I was incapacitated, I came back to the modelling via a 1/72 Lancaster, Halifax, Hampden and Blenheim, which were all done on the kitchen table. But I never did get around to the 1/72 Short Stirling and Dornier 17, so , tomorrow, perhaps …………, for I can do these on my lounge table!! Cheers Mike

Clive, Absolutely. John's thread, here, has been/is an inspiration for a lot of model makers. What comes across, loud and clear, is the enthusiasm, the innovative desire to solve the problems, the enjoyment of the builds and the satisfaction of seeing them run. For anyone doing this, there isn't much more to be derived, so keep em coming, John. Regards Mike

One or two folk have sent pm's, asking me 'where I've gone' as I haven't posted for a few weeks. Well, without wishing to bore anyone, I've had an unplanned spell in hospital. I've had abdominal issues for a few years, which have gradually worsened. Certainly over the last year, this has seriously affected the modelling. Three weeks ago I contacted the local GP for a phone consultation, as a result of which he ordered a number of the usual tests. These confirmed that I had a progressive deterioration of my kidneys. Events then took a much more accelerated turn, with an ultrasound scan, from which I was immediately admitted into A&E (which was just next door, so I walked there!). Apparently I was carrying around 3.0 litres of fluid, against the more normal 300 - 600 cc and the back pressure from this was progressively shutting down my kidneys. Anyway, I was gradually 'pumped out' before the renal team set about trying to restore my kidney function. Over the ensuing six days, the kidneys 'came back' such that I was able to return home. So I'm now recovering from the various procedures and the need to be monitored twenty four hours a day. I'm now recovering, reading the odd modelling magazine and planning a return to the workbench. I have been very lucky, for this could have been very much worse but the greatest piece of that luck was to be the beneficiary of the skill, expertise, dedication, care and love of the NHS. There are some positives to this; I went into hospital weighing 14 st 6 lb; I came out weighing 13 st 2 lb which is much nearer my 'fighting weight'!! Cheers Mike

The easy way to tell whether a particular D20 has the extended, superheated smokebox is to compare the length of the row of bolts, on the front of the upper mainframes, with the length of the smokebox. If the two lengths are the same, as originally built, then the loco is not superheated; if the smokebox depth is greater than the length of this set of bolts then the smokebox is extended for the accommodation of the superheater. Below is a photo of 62396, taken at Bridlington in 1957, its last year of service. This clearly shows the relationship between the depth of the smokebox and the row of bolts on the upper mainframes. The Gresley snifting valve, immediately behind the chimney, is another clue to the presence of a superheater. Cheers Mike

Simon, Thanks for this. Yes I'm just about sorted out with organising the new house and the work room now looks much more organised than it ever has. I found all sorts of things which I'd forgotten I had, including two Mashima 1628 motors, various gearboxes, etc.; all now fully inventoried and labelled. My challenge, now, is to maintain this level of organisation!! Your B16 really does look very good, capturing the essence of these locomotives beautifully; and your model shares the same era as mine April 1950 v June 1950, so we can both utilise the first BR livery - plain black with British Railways in full. At this time, the entire class of B16's, of all sub-classes, were based at York or Neville Hill, so a winter's Sunday shed bash at either shed would have seen many of them. I say winter's shed bash because Spring, Summer or early Autumn weekends would have seen dozens of them at Bridlington or Scarborough on excursion workings! So, once again, many thanks for the posting and congratulation on a very fine model. Cheers Mike

Just for clarification, regarding the two etched brass D20's shown in one of the earlier postings. I was unable to source 4 mm scale 6' 10" driving wheels, so used 6' 8" Alan Gibson wheels. Prototype locomotive driving wheels could lose up to 2 1/2" off their diameter, through wear, before they were re-tyred, so 6' 8" would represent 'reasonably well worn' driving wheels. The bogie wheels are Alan Gibson 12 spoke, 3' 11", which are only 1" less in diameter than the prototype. These wheels just clear the underside of the footplate, though with a white metal footplate smaller wheels would probably be required. The mainframes, on both models, have no bogie wheel cut-outs but the mainframes are tapered inwards to around .75 mm each side, to allow sideways movement of the bogie wheels. With this arrangement, the chassis' will traverse 3' 6" radius curves without any shorting of the wheels on the mainframes. Smaller radii would necessitate using bogie wheel cut-outs. Cheers Mike

Brian, It might be worth mentioning that Mick Nicholson's photograph above - 62396 - shows the last survivor of the class, withdrawn in 1958, and the only D20 to carry the later BR totem on its tender. Also, this loco was fitted with Raven frames, identifiable by the straighter profile above the footplate. The difference in the shape and size of the mainframe extensions, above the front of the footplate is due to a number of locomotives being fitted with new mainframes, under the auspices of Vincent Raven. In my posting, above, the first of the two photos of the completed locos shows the original mainframe profile, as built, the second of the two completed loco photos shows the later Vincent Raven mainframe profile. Reference to dated photos is probably the best method of determining which frame profile was fitted to which locomotive at which date. That said, by British Railways days and LNER days, no further replacement of mainframes was undertaken. Cheers Mike

Brian, Re the posting above, and the reference to the building of a couple of etched D20 kits (North Eastern Models), the photograph, below, shows the arrangement of the drive train. Both of these chassis' utilise a High Level gearbox and a Mashima 1420 motor. Both chassis are built to P4 gauge, with Alan Gibson wheels. The photo was taken before the rear part of each of the motor shafts was cropped off, which then allows the entire drive train to be accommodated within the firebox and boiler, such that no part of the drive train is visible with the loco superstructure added and there is no interference with the firebox backhead and cab internal details. Cheers Mike

John, Looking good! Have you now abandoned building 67340 - the one with the tank extensions - or are you still planning to model this loco? Here's another photo of a G5, this one from Hull Botanic Gardens (53A), taken in 1958, during its final year of service. As always, the photo is courtesy Mick Nicholson, whose photo collection is rapidly becoming a very significant collection. Cheers Mike

John, Re the G5 Ugly Duckling, I never did find a drawing showing the dimensions of the tank extensions, so I made a 4mm drawing from various photographs, including the one shown above. Of course the apparent lack of an official drawing of this modification does mean that no one should criticise the dimensions as being incorrect. Worth noting the large curved bracket which fixed the front of the tank extension to the boiler and smokebox. This is clearly shown on some photographs. Anyway, you've shown the prototype so here is my interpretation of what this loco looked like. This modification, seemingly made to extend the range of this locomotive, was never rolled out, so 67340 remained unique until its withdrawal. On a white metal loco superstructure, I too would be inclined to use plasticard, which would allow some 'fine tuning' of the tank extensions prior to attaching them to the tank fronts. If I can help, in any way, with this then please just PM me or ask the question on here, just In case anyone else is modelling this loco. Finally, a photo of the ugly duckling and a mid way complete picture of the three of them. The push and pull gear, shown on the first photo and eventually fitted to two of the three of them, is a Dave Alexander product and is one of the best pieces of white metal casting that I've ever seen. Regards Mike

I've made reference, from time to time, to my upcoming house move. Well it 'upcame' this Monday past - 23rd March - just one day before the new regulations re key workers, travelling and isolating came into force. So I seem to have just made it 'by the skin of me teeth'. Timing or what? No, entirely good luck rather than good management! Now, once everything comes out of its boxes, the modelling can continue. Cheers Mike

John, Perhaps your ex NER coach was found in the same place - languishing at the back of a long closed and forgotten loco and carriage shed - as my ex NER Tennant 2-4-0, the ex LNER B15 4-6-0 and the ex-LNER Q5/2; all still extant in June 1950, the timescale of my layout! Early railway preservationists (is there such a word) eagerly leapt at the opportunity to rescue, restore and preserve these hitherto undiscovered vehicles, long before the preservation movement achieved its present level of membership, ambition and achievements. With such a rationale, then the result really does look appropriate. Anyway, it's your railway and no-one should criticise! Regards Mike

Firstly, thanks guys for the ad blocker info; I'll give it a try. In one of the postings, above, re the 52F Models T1 4-8-0 tank, I did say that I would fit this loco with a Mashima 1630 motor, if I could find one. Now I've mentioned before that I am about to move house and, of course, that entails packing everything up which needs to move. Part of this exercise obviously also entails checking all of those odd boxes, tins, etc. which contain 'things which might come in handy, but haven't yet' . Things which have been accumulated over and have lain around, for years, and which I might be able to discard or at least cull the contents. So, in one such cardboard box, long since forgotten and laid at the back of a shelf, I found this; unopened, unused and, on checking, in perfect running order. It's not a 1630 but it is a 1628!! Serendipitous!! Needless to say, every other modelling 'container' is now being rigorously searched and inventoried, to see what else may be lurking there!! Oh and I also found around a dozen HMRS transfer sheets, including five No 14's - British Railways steam era numbers and emblems - and all of them, methfix!! Cheers Mike

And now a question. Is there a way of viewing the postings on this site without the adverts appearing down the right hand side. Yesterday, the postings were the full width of the screen; today we have these damned adverts, in which I have absolutely no interest. So can I view the postings without the advertising? Cheers Mike