Sylvian Tennant

The previous ones didn't do much justice to the finished engines so I quickly took some thing morning whilst having the morning fag.

Hello hello hello I'm sort of back, kind of. I've been quite busy of late with a study that is going mental with stuff, a uni course who over aches my head and a girlfriend who is now a fiancée. Mental. But I still have time to model which is good. So here they are, first up is my beloved Q6 which I finished on Friday. Unfortunately the light in the pictures is a bit pants but I wanted to add something a bit different from the usual mucky engines. So, I painted the bottom half of the smoke as a "patch up job" even else is pretty much filth and I've even added the fireman having a tab as he looks out between shovel fulls ?Next up (and finished the same time) is my slightly battered WD which I now think looks a much more professional looking model that in it's previous guise. Again, I'm slightly bored of completely filthy WD look now so (along with my other WD with it's clean buffer) I want to add a clean or repaired bit ever WD I work on. This time, it was the smoke box which has seemingly went under repair and repaint in comparison to the rest of it. Obviously it was be unrealistic to just lap paint and be done with it so I, washed humbrol 62 & 33 over the smokebox. I then dusted the top of it and steam pipe with Humbrol 27004, 62 and 64 and using a white colouring pencil added stream down the door. Finally some umbral 64 was dribbled at the bottom of the smokebox front. ?Both engine have couplings with work with your typical mention locks and (hopefully) D&G couplings which our club use for shunting. Till next time my dear fellows. I hope you like, I like.

Some really nice work happening there. I ave complement you on the Thomas Layout too `

Hello, hi, good evening, who are you! Ah well never mind, you're here now and I suppose I should talk to you. Well, enough of these commissions and imaginative what if's, something relatively real now, for me. remember that Dave Alexander Q6 that I was relegating to the side due to my overly pessimistic opinion of doing something completely heinous to cause it to go wrong (of which I'm eternally shackled to) Well somehow it has managed to please the God's enough to work! So far I only have the chassis built but that is more or less complete saved some slight tweaks with the weathering which can happen once it's fully assembled. I'm quite pleased with it! I'm going to put it to one side as another commission has come my way and also I have this to work on. For £75 it's not bad but there's a fair bit of work and possibly a repaint on the way. I'll explain more later unless you would like to read my new blog update (warning contains strong language and opinions) http://sylviantennant.blogspot.co.uk

I was given these little Hornby fellows by a friend to paint up, I think one set is for his "Black Prince" or "Cock of the North" 9F (I can't remember which!) and the chaps in green at the front (which isn't that prevalent because my of cr*ppy camera phone)for his GWR project, which I can only describe as a bit of a beast. I also gave a quick slap up of the accessories he gave me too. Next up, my other rates rather knackered Bachmann 08, but firstly, I want to get my Q6 chassis motorised and working before I crack on with that.

RT models http://www.rtmodels.co.uk/rt_models_022.htm

I've managed to finally complete my BR Blue 8F, hopefully more locos shall be on the way in the future. Personally speaking, i would have liked to have seen this happen.

I would not expect any less on the question of my sanity mate! She's a bit of a beat I must admit. I all I ask is, if you're going to ruin history, and shred the rivet counter's nerves... do it in the most accurate and well modelled way possible

So, it's done. I have managed to finally create a monster. I messed with time an history and it brought me to this place. The dark and brutal world of British mainline steam in the 1980's. Many have scoffed that it was far fetched, and yes it because frankly steam didn't survive on the mainline after 1968 as a revenue earning arm of BR. But it's nice to dream. but anyway. After a major electical issue involving rewriting the driving wheels to the tender to get it working again it is complete. I promised a brief story on my world at 988 193 so here it is. It belonged to a batch of loco's built during the war, and spent most of it life in the midland region, that part of it's life I'm not to clear on. but the 1955 white paper smoke emissions called for steam to be eradicated by the end of the century and called for steam locomotives to provide a more efficient turn of economy and emissions. BR contacted L.D. Porter who had been working on modifying Agrentine steam locomotives and he proposed a series of improvements on a select number of locomotives to extend their lives. R.A. Riddles was successful in pushing for electrification and the pilot scheme diesel locomotives (which were fewer in number than reality) were pooled into the WCML & Southern with steam locomotives from those regions transferring or scrapped outright. The Western was the next to go with their favoured hydraulics with left the areas of the midland region, Wales, Yorkshire and the north east and Scotland until the 1980's when the Midland regions went fully with electrification and diesels. Wales eventually succumbed and the eastern side of England and Scotland were left until the end of the 80's. Steam still lingered on until mid 2000 with the final shunting, depot pilots and industrial locomotives were withdrawn. anyway the 8F in question was converted in 1976 from a 988/0 (an unmodified 8F) to incorporate a Lempor chimney, dual braking, radio equipment, electric lighting& mechanical stoker. A the end of midland steam she transferred from Toton to Thornaby along with a healthy number roof other locomotives from former midland Region sights. Here she worked mainly on Oil trains up to Newcastle and York, occasionally running coal trains up to Drax and also doing turns on steels runs to Redcar. She ended by as one of the last few surveyors lasting up until 2000 and eventually adopting a Loadhaul and finally an EWS livery before withdrawal and eventual scrapping in 2012. Anyone, daydream over. She wasn't done over night but would have been a lot sooner had the electrical issue hadn't occurred. Paining was done completely by hand, that also includes the weathering too. Transfers were from Replica Railways, Nairnshire Modelling Supplies and HMRS. The crew were modified Dapol track workers. The livery itself was Hornby rail colours BR Blue & Yellow, as mentioned, hand giant. the weathering was also done by hand. I have enjoyed it and I'm looking to build some more BR blue locos eventually as well as stock and maybe a small layout. But for now, I am going to stick to something closer to reality. If you have any questions, please just ask.

That is pretty on the ball mate.

A taste of things to come guys. I managed to hand paint the bodes ready for the transfers and gave chassis and uncleaned bits. I haven't yet added the separate parts and wondering if I should it before or after weathering. I'll give you a speculative history on this individual loco at my next post which should show the finished article.

I love mucky ducks. When i was working in nN I always wanted to have a go at one. You've done very well.

Well here's the part finished 8F I was working on. It does work too which pleases me a lot. I need to try and remember what I've put on now. All I really know is that due to the type of model it is that a lot more work went into it than I had originally envisaged. Saying that, I have really enjoyed this build and I've been itching to get the painting work started however that can wait as my Q6 kit is becoming impatient too. I have modified the tender bulkhead and added a very basic mechanical stoker to the cab but is this will be manned i have left the other bits of detailing out just for the sake of economy. In addition to the general updates. the modern fittings that you may see on the finished product are; AWS Battery and fittings Air braking equipment (westy-house pump, air tanks, brake pipes and plumbing) Stone generator with headlights Snowploughs Lempour chimney Roller bearing on axel boxes Radio antenna gas producing Combustion System Speedo Forward and reversing lights (non-working) I've removed one of the lamp irons as by the time the loco were modified the reporting numbers had come into use (though by the dated I'm setting my engine in the reporting numbers would have log since vanished too) The livery will still stand at overall Blue with yellow buffer beams and small double arrows and the number will be 988/193. i might add a strip of plastic over the smokebox number plate so it will fit. You might have noticed the dummy coupling on the loco is missing... well, I'm just waiting to add the modified one on to it after painting. Please, let me know what you think. Even rivet counters. Actually, i really want to hear the rivet counter shout out " If you finish this, I will stop modelling all together and stand make din front of the queen" stuff because i think it's funny and plus, I'll hold them up to it - at gunpoint if necessary. Oh look what came today!

I'm almost there with all the pipework and detailing bits now. Need to buy some other 8BA screws at the ones I got at York were a little short to secure rear the loco to the chassis. I'm deciding how far I'll go with the cab, I might just add the stoker and some cab seats. Currently the idea is to have it corporate blue with yellow buffer beams and numbered 988 193. I've also managed to rummage in my parents loft and found some old Hornby modern image wagons plus some I recently bought second hand. Two OAA's two TEA's and three TTA's which I'm deciding on how far I'll go into detailing those.

Yeah, I may have gone mental.... But I don't care, I promised I'd do and doing it I am BR Blue steam Rivet counters need not apply. I've also updated my blog hhttp://sylviantennant.blogspot.co.uk

As you've seen, it has been done and I'm building one as we speak

I very glad you share my observation Mikkel

Basically, I'm really angry steam wasn't around when i was partially or fully conscious, so I'm sticking my fingers up at reality and the purists . I got my self some old/second hand bits inc... Hornby tender drive 8F Hornby Railroad Black 5 Hornby tender drive 9F Mainline 4MT Bachmann Ivatt 4mt and some static models of 9F's, Black 5's and 4MTs from GBL and Dapol. Not the best or most up to date stuff... but that was the plan all along

Hello, welcome, good to see you all again. Yes, it has been too long, if not for you, then certainly for me. Well, I have been quite busy as of late, but not really doing slot of train lately. Firstly, a house move, into cottage, with my girlfriend! and her dog, and possibly new kitten. Secondly, UNIVERSITY! too much to do with so little irresponsibly spent money. But my new modelling room...ahem... I mean study is complete so I have been getting around to a bit of modelling. Arggh thar-she-blows. A railroad 9F converter to a Crosti toilet- I mean boiler with a Dave Alexander kit and Golden Arrow tender. Yes, I know I could have do more, no it's not my model. In fact it was a communions for a friend. He did all of the leg work for the conversion, I only did the weathering and finishing touches. Overall, everything is the same as before, the only major improvement on the weather was the use of artistic pencils for the patches of rust and to highlight the limescale along the boiler sides. I'm quite happy with her. and here she is with my 9F now the Q6.... actually, I've stalled with it, momentarily as I require some retaining compound foe the gears and stuff.... but over the Easter you may very well see one of these.... (I love annoying rivet counters) if you frequent the fictions locomotives threads then you might have seen earlier versions. The plan is to extend the time steam had by about 20 years and in doing so BR carried out a series of modifications under the direction of L.D. Porta and David Wardale. The Geisel ejector I originally had in mind has since been replaced by a Lempor one, the covered cab would have cost too much work to be of much substantial economy and the Gas Producing Combustion System has since been added. It was either BR Blue steam or LNER electrification with Apple green GG1's flying to York and back I leave you to ponder over that.

You think GBL will bring out a static model of it... i do hopes. it'll save me having to fart around shopping and changing a Bachmann b1/k3. Lovely model model though

Cheers for the advice. i'm just sorting my sulphate rake out. Again i'm using new parkside bogies but I have found Cambrian ones which look the part and are built square so i might invest in them if this still doesn't work. I really want to try and keep these running on the layout as A) Unusual B) Local and C) generally look really good. I don't think this is a ploughed field, i have a feeling they could be made to run right, but it's finding the solution.