ian@stenochs

Pity about the crossing gaps and switch clearance! Ignore them and it looks like real thing.

That looks good until you see that the brake shoes don't line up with the wheels!

Really? I have never heard it called a Swimming OOL Ian.

Hi, I describe how to turn a chimney and other components in my thread on western thunder, there are some photos which might be useful. Ian http://westernthunder.co.uk/index.php?threads/simple-loco-to-fill-a-space.5028/

The Sentinel, or chip cart as the drivers called it, was needed for the Burns & Laird traffic on the south side of the river Ayr. They had to cross the bridge over the river which had been downgraded and couldn't take anything heavy. Where the Peckett worked was the wet dock on the north side. The G&SW had a couple of the 266 class 0-4-4 dock tanks at Ayr for shunting. Ian

When the loco was in Ayr Harbour ownership it was painted in the standard Peckett green similar to Dodo. The late D L Smith, Locomotive historian of the G&SWR, described the condition of the engine when it took it over as deplorable with the paint faded to a sickly shade! The loco had worked all it's days in a seaside location and had only basic maintenance so it needed a lot of attention. I have never found out why the Sou' West gave it the full attention for a simple pug when there was a backlog of maintenance of front line locomotives. Ian.

Some of the main line companies had a few Industrial locos on their books. Either as a result of a takeover or because they needed something specialised and not worth creating an in house special. This Peckett was originally owned by Ayr Harbour Board but when the G&SWR took over the company when it went bust they also got the loco. When it came to Sou'West it was in a very rundown and decrepit state but it was overhauled and given a top class finish complete with polished Chimney cap and dome cover and they used it as works pug at Kilmarnock replacing a Barclay which also had a highly ornate finish. However the LMS painted it black, numbered it 16403 and sent it to Perth where it worked the Gleneagles Hotel branch for a while. My 7mm scale model was built from Pete Stampers Agenoria kit but the current RTR offerings could be used. Ian

Hi, On long wagons like this one there were sometimes tie bars across the top to hold the sides in. I built a similar cask wagon, but the G&SWR version, in 7mm scale and it has a steel bar from the top of each door post over to the other side. On the prototype it reinforced the sides and stopped the load bowing them out but on the model holds them in place and stops them bowing in which is a tendency with models built from plastic are. Ian.

Hi Ruston, If you found 25 "issues" with a kit for a small 0-4-0 tank one would seriously question whether the designer ever did a test build. Ian.

Hi Tony, Treat it as an aid to scratchbuilding! I have built and enjoyed the experience of many of the original, Pete Stamper designed, Agenoria kits. All went together easily and built an accurate model. However I won't consider any of the later, Mike Williams, designs despite the fact that some are on my wants list. Far better to start from scratch and save the cash! This is my WPR pug before weathering! Ian.

What an attractive prototype for a model! Lots of character, nice spindly wheels and polished brass work. I would love to have an excuse, and the time, to build one of these. Can I ask what colours the loco would be painted in the photographs above please? Ian.

Excellent example of the railway in the landscape. The only thing missing is the smoke as a train passes and we can all imagine that. Superb! Ian.

I bought my first car, Austin Mini, from Ayr Tram sheds when it was a car dealership way back in the late 60's. Ian

Hi All, Cattle vans are easy to load or even run empty as they did half of their time. Moreover they spent quite a while just sitting in a siding waiting so would look inhumane to have cows left marooned so better to leave them empty. However cattle vans take forever to build with all their slats etc. If you fancy something a bit less common the Glasgow & South Western Assn have released a limited edition multi media kit for a 6 ton van. It's 7mm scale and features resin body lost wax brakes and sprung axleboxes. Only a few left and they will be available from stand 119 (Scottish lines societies) at Telford this weekend. Sorry for the blatant plug. Ian.

John, Buffer Plank goes way back to the early days of railways when the buffer beam was indeed a plank of, quite thick, wood. Oak was frequently used and it was often sandwiched or 'fliched' between two wrought iron plates. The metals available at the dawn of railways were more limited in their variety and properties from that now common place. Steel was only just being developed. Cast iron was commonly available but will not withstand bending forces unless in very thick, and heavy, slabs. Wrought iron will take bending forces but was not available in thick enough plates. Wood reinforced with wrought iron made strong but relatively light Buffer Planks. Hope this helps. Ian.

If you want variety of engines what about the G&SWR or CR main lines between Glasgow and Carlisle. The loco builders of Glasgow, North British and its predecessors,Dubs, Sharps, Neilson etc. all delivered their products by rail to many Brittish companies so locos on their own or in a train could be seen. Of course they would also pass through Carlisle and further south too so even more variety. My only sight of Warship diesels, before preservation, was when they were being delivered by rail down the Nith valley line. I only saw two, Spartan and Steadfast. Cleanest diesels I ever saw! Ian.

I have now managed to get the 187 class model built and painted. I have given it the number and livery it would have had when it was rebuilt by Manson in 1901. I haven't been able to find a photo of one of these locos with the tender cab and carrying the early livery but have taken modellers license until someone proves me wrong! It's been a sunny day so I managed a quick snap on the shelf but it still needs a bit of weathering to impart that 'in use but cared for look' some coal in the tender and a proud crew. For anyone interested it is built to 7mm scale, 33 mm gauge, S7 wheel standards. The loco wheels are white metal castings I cast myself fitted with steel tyres while those on the tender are Slaters reprofiled. All the loco wheels pickup by means of split axles and are sprung with Slaters plastic axleboxes. There is a small Mashima motor in the firebox driving throuh an old fashioned 40-1 worm and gear. The model is almost all nickel silver plate work with some brass turnings and a few castings. Ian

A full train of cattle wagons are one of the few 'block' trains you can justify in the pre grouping period and include vehicles from a variety of companies. Add to that the fact that they are vans rather than opens, and we modellers seem to prefer vans, so a bonus. The down side from the modelling point of view is the complexity of the vans themselves. Here are a couple from opposite ends of the country, the M&GN was scratchbuilt by my son, and I built the G&SWR one from the G&SWR Association kit. Ian

I think that it will be 3/8" square. The US still use the imperial system! Ian.

Sandy, I do the same and stick the paper to the metal but using uhu glue. I tried double sided tape but had a devil of a job getting it off and it left a lot of sticky mess. Also on smaller bits they get distorted peeling the tape off. Any tips? Ian.

t-b-g, I totally agree with you re modellers drawings. I learned my lesson on one of the WHO drawings in the modeller in the 60s which were tagged as modellers 'sketchbook' but I did at least build a model which from a distance looked not too bad. Just like an impressionist painting, the further away you are the better it looks.

Thanks Poggy. It was a long shot as there were never all that many photos taken of the Sou' West. I have other photos of the class in the period I model but not with the tender cab. You are right about how neglected the G&SWR is especially by modellers but it does mean that those of us who do have unique models! The coach looks very like a James Stirling 6 wheeler probably getting very near the end of its revenue service. Ian.

This thread reminds me of the Railway Modeller in the 60s where almost every issue had an article on converting the Triang Princess into something else! I remember too that Gem did a white metal kit for the Cardean which used the B12 chassis. Ian

Hi Sandy, Those fingers splay out too much and it is very difficult getting the solder to fill the gaps. Plumbers solder is best but still leave a lot of fettling to get right. You have made a good job there. I have scratch built quite a few tenders with curved and flared corners, the Drummond brothers were particularly keen on them and quite a few pre group railways had examples. I have a little former made by turning a taper on a piece of steel over which it is easy to form a piece of sheet into part of a cone which can be soldered into the corner. This shows the former, the taper is easily found from your drawing or off the model. I use a piece of sheet slightly thicker than the side material, I usually use 15 thou for 10 thou sides, and fold it round with my fingers. I find that I can manage without annealing the nickel silver I use but with etched kits usually about 18 thou thick you may need to. While you have a bit to hold onto it is easy to file the bottom curve while held on the former. You will see that the end of the former is flattened off to the diameter you need. It is now just a case of offering the blank up to the corner and scribing where you need to cut with a fine piercing saw. Leave it over high while it is fitted and soldered in place, the extra makes holding easier. The extra thickness gives you a bit of leeway as you don't need to get it exactly in line with the side and some metal to file away for an exact invisible match. The inside is easily done with a small rotary burr or stone, you can get some conical ones which almost match the flare angle. The surplus can be removed with the saw or even a cutting disc. If the edge is beaded I usually leave it over large until I have added the beading. Hope this will be of use in the future. Ian