OO Gauge Fenchurch Project

[LBSCRAlex]

A very well known preserved member of the LB&SCR A1 "Terrier" class, Fenchurch is a locomotive I've long wanted to create in OO scale, particularly in her early umber livery with the name applied on the side tanks and the wooden number plates located on the bunker sides (in short - as preserved).

 

The basis for the project was a Hornby A1X "Terrier" in BR late crest numbered 32636 (coincidentally also "Fenchurch"!) kindly given to me by a friend. As can be seen in the first photo however, the identity of the locomotive has been painted over in black, along with the white lining, which suggests that the engine was already being prepared for an identity/livery change. Perhaps even more notably though, no motor or any electronics what so ever were included!

Since the locomotive was already given to me as a "Fenchurch", it seemed that I would not be changing the identity, but simply pre-dating it!

 

 

The next step was creating the number plates for the bunker sides. I achieved these by carefully cutting out an oval shape from plasticard sheet (about 0.5mm thick) with a craft knife, followed by painting the plates satin black with gold edge lining. The numbers came from the HMRS SR Maunsell Loco & Coach transfer sheet as those were the closest font to LB&SCR numbers I could buy locally.

 

I photographed one of the plates next to a 5p coin for comparison (just for fun), and also photographed a test fit on the bunker side of the cab (still in base coat).

 

 

A nice surprise came a few days later! All of the parts required for motorizing the chassis again, along with some sprung buffers from a Hornby T9.

 

Prior to the parts arriving, I had painted the body of the locomotive in a brown base coat, which at first glance appeared way too light for umber, but this would tone down afterwards as I found out when varnishing the wheels...

 

I began to construct the front buffer beam using the same plasticard as I used for the plates. The T9 buffers were just the right size I was hoping for, and looked even better when painted. The coupling hook bracket came from a spare buffer beam which I had left over from a Cambrian wagon kit.

 

I decided to get on with other small details, such as cab crew and firebox backhead painting, which was then followed by the construction of the rear buffer beam. I used the HMRS SR Maunsell numbering for the buffer beams, which font wise looks correct for the model, with the only exception being the black shadow thickness.

 

 

 

[LBSCRAlex]

The next stage was probably the biggest risk I had taken with this model - hand painting the name on both sides. I originally created some transfers for the name (including the lining) on computer and then printed them off on transfer paper. After a disappointing result, I chose to paint the lettering by hand and apply the lining with HMRS transfers. I have performed hand-painted lettering on models in the past with some very satisfying results, which is what lead me to decide on applying the same method on this model.

 

I began the lettering on one side of the locomotive using Revell gold enamel paint, a very fine brush and a very steady hand. The result looked promising, despite some obvious tidying up that was required afterwards. I was even more satisfied when the black outlining was complete, but unfortunately I still had to do the other side..!

[Edwardian]

I very much like the conversion to an A1 with the wing plates.  it is a very charismatic little project.

 

You are a braver man than I, attempting hand painting. The shaded version is looking good.  if I were picky, I'd suggest more height to the last vertical line on the concluding H, adding to the stalk of the F.  Otherwise it looks pretty spot on.

 

What paints did you use for the 2 shades of brown? 

 

Would you mind explaining the reference to the "early" umber livery, for those of us too ignorant to know that there was more than one! 

[LBSCRAlex]

I very much like the conversion to an A1 with the wing plates.  it is a very charismatic little project.

 

You are a braver man than I, attempting hand painting. The shaded version is looking good.  if I were picky, I'd suggest more height to the last vertical line on the concluding H, adding to the stalk of the F.  Otherwise it looks pretty spot on.

 

What paints did you use for the 2 shades of brown? 

 

Would you mind explaining the reference to the "early" umber livery, for those of us too ignorant to know that there was more than one! 

Cheers! When I meant early umber, I was referring to the locomotive still retaining its name. I believe that the later umber liveries carried by the terriers didn't include the locomotive names, simply carrying "LB&SCR" or "LBSC" on the tank sides. I hope that makes sense to you!

 

I'm still occasionally trying to improve the lettering, but I'm a little scared of ruining what I've done well on the name!

 

I used Revell Matt 84 enamel for the base coat, and for the borders I used Citadel "Dryad Bark" acrylic paint, which I toned down slightly with Citadel "Abaddon Black".

 

Thanks again for you kind words.

[LBSCRAlex]

Despite having other projects, I did get round to doing the lining on Fenchurch. Here's the locomotive's progress to date...

[Edwardian]

Great! And nearly there. I love locos with wing plates. I assume this is an A1X to A1.  You shortened the smoke-box and added a new front with wing plate.  The only other change I spotted was the strip to the cab rear.  Were any other physical changes required? 

[LBSCRAlex]

Great! And nearly there. I love locos with wing plates. I assume this is an A1X to A1.  You shortened the smoke-box and added a new front with wing plate.  The only other change I spotted was the strip to the cab rear.  Were any other physical changes required? 

I added the condensing pipes from a Hornby Terrier accessory pack, but other than that and the ones you mentioned I suppose I haven't made any other major changes. I still need to construct a new cab footstep on one side and may add some more lamp irons but otherwise nothing else will be done particularly.

[Edwardian]

I am a bit of a Brighton novice, and this is a large class, no doubt with a complex history.

 

I understand from Russell's Survey, one of the very few SR loco books I have, and, which, I managed to pull out of a box of my books today, that the main visual differences between the A1 and A1X rebuilds was the position of the domes (which subtlety eludes me), a different boiler (which wasn't visually apparent), a longer smoke-box, and the removal of the splasher sand boxes. 

 

EDIT: Looking at your pictures more closely just now, I just spotted front sand boxes under the footplate as well as splasher boxes.  That cannot be correct, surely? It's not logical, for one thing.

 

I had assumed that the donor model was an A1X with an extended smoke-box, but, if I understood correctly the point about the splasher sand-boxes, that would not be the correct conclusion. I had assumed that the short smoke-box and wing-plates were common to all A1s.  Is the Dapol/Hornby model actually a hybrid, or am I simply not well enough read on the subject?

 

Certainly, the only pictures I have so far found of Terriers that show locos with both a longer smoke-box and splasher sand-boxes are those on the Isle of Wight.  Coincidence, or a different treatment to mainland examples?

 

I have the Dapol in umber, no. 662 (ex-no. 62, Martello), which, Russell states, was rebuilt to an A1X, but Russell does not give dates for the rebuild.

 

What date does yours represent? 

[LBSCRAlex]

I am a bit of a Brighton novice, and this is a large class, no doubt with a complex history.

 

I understand from Russell's Survey, one of the very few SR loco books I have, and, which, I managed to pull out of a box of my books today, that the main visual differences between the A1 and A1X rebuilds was the position of the domes (which subtlety eludes me), a different boiler (which wasn't visually apparent), a longer smoke-box, and the removal of the splasher sand boxes. 

 

EDIT: Looking at your pictures more closely just now, I just spotted front sand boxes under the footplate as well as splasher boxes.  That cannot be correct, surely? It's not logical, for one thing.

 

I had assumed that the donor model was an A1X with an extended smoke-box, but, if I understood correctly the point about the splasher sand-boxes, that would not be the correct conclusion. I had assumed that the short smoke-box and wing-plates were common to all A1s.  Is the Dapol/Hornby model actually a hybrid, or am I simply not well enough read on the subject?

 

Certainly, the only pictures I have so far found of Terriers that show locos with both a longer smoke-box and splasher sand-boxes are those on the Isle of Wight.  Coincidence, or a different treatment to mainland examples?

 

I have the Dapol in umber, no. 662 (ex-no. 62, Martello), which, Russell states, was rebuilt to an A1X, but Russell does not give dates for the rebuild.

 

What date does yours represent? 

Dapol cheated with the terrier a little bit - they gave the model both sandboxes, probably to save money on re-tooling the model.

 

My Fenchurch represents how the locomotive might have looked at about the time D. E. Marsh was first appointed Chief Mechanical Engineer of the LB&SCR, so this would've been 1904 onward.

[Nick Holliday]

As other threads are finding, the Terrier story is quite complex, and the Bluebell Railway has managed to muddy the waters further.

Regarding the umber livery, when it was applied the general rule was that the name disappeared. There were a few examples of express locos named after dignatories kept them, but the only tank loco to do so was D1 Upperton, which was the first to trial umber. Initially the letters L B S C R were applied, later reduced to L B S C. The Bluebell management decided to give Birch Grove its name, although inappropriate, and repeated this indiscretion when the retro converted Fenchurch back to A1 from A1X.

As for Fenchurch in LBSCR days, it was sold to the Newhaven Harbour Company in 1898, keeping its name and livery, but losing its number and Westinghouse brake. I assume it retained Stroudley IEG until 1910, when it returned from Brighton works in lined black, but still retaining its name. It was reboilered as A1X in 1913, and, according to Middlemass, lost its name in 1917 when it came out in unlined black, and a year later received Newhaven Harbour Company on its tanks. By 1926 the Westinghouse brake was restored, but it still was in unlined black, and numbered B636.

As for the general development of the class, a number of them were sold off around the turn of the century, as A1, to various minor railways, including the Isle of Wight lines. Subsequent conversions to A1X, when they were carried out at Brighton Works included the removal of the above footplate sandboxes and their replacement below the footplate. Brighton supplied new boilers to these minor lines, and when they carried out the work themselves left the sandbox arrangement unchanged, but it should be noted that several Terriers were sent to the island after grouping, already converted by Brighton.

All those sent to the island ended up with the extended coal bunker, losing the tool box in the process, and one mainland example ended up with one of these, acquired from a scrapped Island Terrier.

For more information I would recommend Middlemass's Stroudley and his Terriers from Pendragon, or the first volume of Bradley's LBSCR Loco histories from RCTS, essential for a Brighton enthusiast.

[LBSCRAlex]

Fenchurch has now been fully varnished in enamel gloss, with very minor parts to be added now (coupling hooks, replacement footstep etc). I am very pleased with the way the model has turned out, especially when I look back at what I started with.

 

Added a couple of photos of the engine on the layout as well (the route discs are temporary).