The Taddington branch of the LNWR

[MarcD]

4mm GER wagons would be of interest to me as well. I'll have to find your website and get in touch!

 

You can get us as www.pregroupingrailways.com

 

Marc

[Argos]

I thought I'd just post a quick update as I've been quiet for a while.

 

I've not much to update..................

 

Work has been manic and the weekends have been tied up visiting relatives and early Christmas get togethers, all very enjoyable.

 

A trip to Reading yesterday expand the kit pile by a loco (Special DX that will be de-Specialised and built as a DX Goods) and couple of carriage kits so I've plenty to go at!

I've also picked up some point rodding bits which should enable the ballasting to get underway.

 

Off the set up the Christmas tree and deck the halls.....where's the gin?

Edited December 11, 2016 by Argos

[Northroader]

There were some very tempting LNW 6wheelers on the bring and buy which had me hovering for a long time. In the end I just had a reality check and got some more relevant stuff for my line, but it was very close!

[ChrisN]

There were some very tempting LNW 6wheelers on the bring and buy which had me hovering for a long time. In the end I just had a reality check and got some more relevant stuff for my line, but it was very close!

 

I never go anywhere without a list.  That way I never buy something I already have, eg paints, and it stops me buying stuff just on a whim.

Edited December 11, 2016 by ChrisN

[Argos]

To be honest I didn't dare go near the bring and buy stand.

 

I had already overspent on Ebay ( another coach kit) last week and the DX kit made a large dent in my finances.

 

Still managed to find a D297 6w all third coach kit at a price that couldn't be refused.

I did leave a similarly priced full brake un-purchased though...

[Northroader]

It's just a case of 'pot luck' with the executor & trustee and the bring & buy, generally I have been seeing what's around second hand, although I am seeing some sense in my old age and buying more new kits which are relevant, two wagons and a horse box yesterday. My "list" gets carried over, so next go is Bristol in January.

[Argos]

I'm going through one of those phases at the moment, I'm doing nothing exciting in terms of modelling but knuckling down to some of the essentials to getting the layout up and running.

 

The track is all painted and ready for ballast, although I still have to fix some of the point motors, and the platform front is cut to shape the back still needs trimming to the baseboard edge:-

 

 

 

I'm still not sure I've got the platform height quite right:-

 

 

There is still the platform edge stones to add which will increase the height another mm or so. I may need to plane off some of the bottom of the platform timber to compensate.

 

By the 1890 the LNWR seem to have standardised their platform construction. The brick built examples (using brick form the Crewe brickworks of course....) had the brickwork corbelled out at the top courses to support the platform edge slabs. 

This has meant a lot of cutting strips of various course thicknesses from some Slaters brick embossed sheets. This was surprisingly easy and can be done freehand by running a sharp scalpel along the joint in the brick. A few light strokes followed by deeper ones soon cuts through the plastic.

 

 

Once fitted they look the part:-

 

 

Just another seven batches to do to complete the platform front!

[Penlan]

Platform corbels fitted.jpg

 

Just another seven batches to do to complete the platform front!

... and level the buffer housings.....

[Argos]

Hi Panlan, the coach needs a wee bit more work than that to finish it!
I'm not entirely convinced the buffer housings are correct so they may be removed anyway.
Most of the Four wheeled sets I've seen photos of have long shank buffers on the outsides of the set and shorter buffers on the inside.
NMRS do the longer version, I've yet to find a source of the shorter ones so may have to start from scratch.
 
http://lnwrs.zenfolio.com/p309238320/h5bfb19f9#h5bfb19f9

 

The photo above shows the next coach onto the workbench with the short and long buffers.

 

I've obviously been a good boy this year as Santa was kind, first off I got a D16 brake van kit, a limited run available via the LNWR society.

When I say kit, the body comes ready built so it was the matter of a few hours work to get this point:-

 

 

Only handrails and couplings required prior to a trip to the paintshop.

Compared with the battle I had with the D17 van this build was quite therapeutic!

 

Also under the tree was this pillar drill:-

 

 

I'd had it on my Amazon wish list for a while. I've yet to try it out in anger but the reviews are mostly positive.

I don't need it to be really accurate as I have Proxxon mill I can use for accuracy.

At around a fifth of the price of the Proxxon it seemed to good to miss and will be handy for any repetitive drilling.

Being of Chinese origin the instructions are quite enlightening:-

 

The drill is apparently "of novel design, small and exquisite bulk, handy carry."

 

It is the Safety Warnings that really drew my eye:-

 

• In stallwith adjust  this machine current public affairs to cut off power supply necessary.
• Stand shaft surface and worktable use engine oil wipe, the in order to prevent rust, if longterm need not, use butter wipe.

and finally:-

• It for bids to wear gloves, do not bare the body not knot tie whilst operating.

No more naked modelling sessions whilst tying a tie to hide my modesty then..........Google translate has a lot to answer for!

Still it's a lot better than my Mandarin!

 

Happy New Year to all!

Edited December 31, 2016 by Argos

[Argos]

It being the last night before the return to the daily grind, I thought I'd post up what has been keeping me busy the past few days.

 

Seeing the coaches in front of the part built platform gave me the appetite to complete the rake.

 

The current plan for the Taddington set is to have a composite sandwiched between two brake thirds with a full brake at the rear.

The first brake third and the full brake appear above.

The composite has been in the kit pile for a year and the 2nd brake third kit will be making an appearance for a birthday present later in the week  .

 

So I've attacked the composite. 

I had hoped to get this finished to the same point as the other coaches, but I'm probably a couple of hours short.

Still, I'm pleased with progress, no point in rushing:-

 

 

Contrary to what I said in the post above, the carriage is not the one in the photograph linked in the post.

It is in fact an ex-WCJS carriage built in 1862 as a 1st/2nd composite.

So, by my time period is 30 years old and has been returned to the LNWR (the two parent companies, the LNWR and the Caley, split the WCJS carriages on replacement. I believe this was done in line with the contribution to the build cost which was around 36% Caley and 64% LNWR).

 

One of these carriages was sold on to the Bishops Castle Railway and survived to 1935 so some photos are available (Mallard and Casserley's Register of West Coast Joint Stock contains one). By then it had been down-graded to a tri-composite.

I plan to replicate this giving two 3rd compartments, one second and one first.

 

Eventually I think I'll add another Composite to the set and use the full brake on the milk train (The LNWR used Passenger Full Brakes on vacuumed braked freight until the D93A brake van was introduced in 1906).

 

Edit:- Just found an on-line picture if the Bishop's Castle carriage:-

 

http://lnwrs.zenfolio.com/p309238320/h5bfb1994#h5bfb1994

 

and another:-

 

http://lnwrs.zenfolio.com/p309238320/h5bfb1994#h5bfb1995

Edited January 2, 2017 by Argos

[Penlan]

I think it's amazing the carriage could survive that long in it's original condition,

even allowing for the Bishop's Castle Rly being prudent with it's debts.

 

You may want to include a 21' Full Brake to from the 1850/60's.

An article by Bob Williams, with drawings,

was published in the LNWR Society's Journal many years ago.

 

My 4mm version....

 

 

[Argos]

Hi Penlan,

 

I already have one of the 21' brakes......We had a discussion about it back in post 32, it was over a year ago now.........and I still haven't got around to cutting out the windows on the guards door!

 

I do like your 4mm version.

 

I think the article you are referring to is in Volume 1 Journal 3.

I'm still trying to track down a copy though.

[Penlan]

Argos - see PM. 

[Argos]

I think it's amazing the carriage could survive that long in it's original condition,

even allowing for the Bishop's Castle Rly being prudent with it's debts.

 

You may want to include a 21' Full Brake to from the 1850/60's.

An article by Bob Williams, with drawings,

was published in the LNWR Society's Journal many years ago.

 

My 4mm version....

 

Early Brake Pass Van.jpg

 

Hi Penlan,

 

I've just a book on the Bishops Castle Railway for a few quid off ebay.

The Bishops Castle has always been of interest, it appears in Iain Rice's book on light railway design and I've always had a thing for 517 tanks (but don't tell anyone...)

What surprised me these carriages appear to have retained their Clarke and Webb chain brake through into the 1930s.

 

I had thought automatic braking became compulsory in the 1890s.

Edited January 5, 2017 by Argos

[ChrisN]

Hi Penlan,

 

I've just a book on the Bishops Castle Railway for a few quid off ebay.

The Bishops Castle has always been of interest, it appears in Iain Rice's book on light railway design and I've always had a thing for 517 tanks (but don't tell anyone...)

What surprised me these carriages appear to have retained their Clarke and Webb chain brake through into the 1930s.

 

I had thought automatic braking became compulsory in the 1890s.

 

Er, it was!

[Argos]

Hi Chris,

 

reading further it wasn't until 1924 when the Board of Trade introduced new rules that the Bishops Castle Railway introduced more modern vacuum braked stock (well, the newest coach was a 1897 1885 vintage six wheeled LSWR carriage, if you can call that modern....).

 

The LNWR chain braked carriages were parked up at this date.

 

I don't know how they managed to avoid the 1890s automatic brake standards but they clearly did.

 

Edit:- the LSWR carriage dated from 1885.

Edited January 6, 2017 by Argos

[ChrisN]

Hi Chris,

 

reading further it wasn't until 1924 when the Board of Trade introduced new rules that the Bishops Castle Railway introduced more modern vacuum braked stock (well, the newest coach was a 1897 1885 vintage six wheeled LSWR carriage, if you can call that modern....).

 

The LNWR chain braked carriages were parked up at this date.

 

I don't know how they managed to avoid the 1890s automatic brake standards but they clearly did.

 

Edit:- the LSWR carriage dated from 1885.

 

Not knowing anything about the railway really I Googled it.  Perhaps as it was in Receivership in the 1890s it got away with it.  It was never a light railway was it?

[Argos]

Hi Chris,

 

The line opened in 1866 so preceded the light railway act by quite a few years.

It first went into receivership in 1867 so never really came out!

Speeds were not exactly high either.

[Argos]

My modelling time this week has been spent building the second brake third.

 

Finishing latish last night I thought I'd put the rake onto the layout for a couple of photos.

 

I also wanted to check clearance for the run round loop (there's plenty), however, it was at this point I noticed I have some work to do to get the ride heights consistent and level on the brake thirds. 

 

 

 

 

 

I've placed the 5'6" tank at the head of the train, initially this will be used as the passenger engine but in reality would be above a working like this.

The plan is to replace this with a chopper tank in time.

I will also add another composite and loose the full brake from the rake.

The 5'6" tank can then be moved onto better things.

Edited January 16, 2017 by Argos

[Northroader]

That train does look really nice, love it.

[Edwardian]

My modelling time this week has been spent building the second brake third.

 

Finishing latish last night I thought I'd put the rake onto the layout for a couple of photos.

 

I also wanted to check clearance for the run round loop (there's plenty), however, it was at this point I noticed I have some work to do to get the ride heights consistent and level on the brake thirds. 

 

 

coach rake 1.jpg

 

coach rake 2.jpg

 

 

I've placed the 5'6" tank at the head of the train, initially this will be used as the passenger engine but in reality would be above a working like this.

The plan is to replace this with a chopper tank in time.

I will also add another composite and loose the full brake from the rake.

The 5'6" tank can then be moved onto better things.

 

Wonderful to see.

[webbcompound]

 

 however, it was at this point I noticed I have some work to do to get the ride heights consistent and level on the brake thirds. 

The photos I have seen of this stock in use on the LNWR do not show a completely consistent ride height even before it was sold off.

Edited January 17, 2017 by webbcompound

[Argos]

Thanks for the compliments gentlemen.

 

The photos I have seen of this stock in use on the LNWR do not show a completely consistent ride height even before it was sold off.

 

Thanks Webbcompound, the tilt on the carriages is quite considerable so I do need to sort!

[Argos]

Last Saturday was spent at the Stafford exhibition, a show that is always enjoyable.

This year didn't disappoint with a couple of large modern image layouts with superb town scenes, but it was a couple of o gauge pre-grouping layouts that caught my eye:-

 

Maristow:-

 

 

Being a GWR layout I obviously had to disguise my appreciation, fortunately sense prevailed and some plum and split milk appeared.

 

 

Wolf Lowe:-

 

 

This layout had a nice mixture of MR, NSR and LNWR stock, with the an odd post grouping train creeping into the mix.

I particularly liked the quarry scene with working stone loader, something I've contemplated for Taddington, but can't quite make fit.

 

 

 

 

Whilst watching this layouts a realisation did occur to me. Since cutting the timber for the platform at Taddington I've been unhappy with the way it dominated the station scene. What dawned on me was that I've made the platform too long. The intention was that passenger trains would back out of the platform to run round prior to moving back in to the platform prior to departure. I have created the platform full length of the loop so I need to cut it back 18" or so which will hopefully will make it less intrusive.

 

On the modelling front I've been working on the carriages adding the detail parts. Working on three coaches at once, this did start to get a bit tedious so I concentrated on completing one of the brake thirds. I'm not saying my work bench is untidy, but I've manage to mis-place the rooves of the other two coaches. 

 

Having got most of the detail added the underside of the coach looked bare. As originally built these coaches would have a Clarke & Webb chain brake, which would have had only a pulley wheel, by 1894 though they would have vacuum brakes. Using the detail in the LNWR Society's 30' 1" portfolio I've fabricated the Vacuum reservoir.

 

 

Which starts to fill in the gap on the underframe. As the layout level at Taddington is 52" high and the track is close to the front the underside is important as it will be more visible than usual. The next step is to create the Vacuum cylinder and levers.

 

 

which gets the coach to this state:-

 

.

 

It was at this stage I got a couple of old LNWR Society journals off ebay. one of which had a double page high quality print of this picture:-

 

 

The first carriage is the brake third I am modelling. In the journal picture grab handles are clearly visible by each door. These haven't been included on the kit. Knowing they should be there will bug me if I don't add them, but it would have been far easier to drill the sides when they were in the flat prior to assembly  . I need to add some of the interior, in particular the compartments, to add some strength to the side before drilling the locating holes.

 

The other thing that is bothering me is the roof. From the photo there appears to be other protuberances apart from the oil lamps, I'm just not sure what these would be? Roof ventilators didn't appear on LNWR carriages until the later part of the 1890s. It also looks like there is a roof light over the luggage compartment.

 

More investigation and kit bashing required! 

 

 

 

 

[Northroader]

Putting in an early shot of coach roofs at Crewe which you could already know, which shows the "clutter" The oil lamp dropped down inside an obvious 'chimney' with a lid, but there was also a wooden bung to fill the hole when there wasn't a lamp in place. This was perched on the roof close to the chimney on either a little stool or a spike to locate it, and the burg was on a retaining chain. So these items came together on the roof. Firsts and seconds could have a lamp above the centre of the compartment, thirds could share a lamp above the intermediate partition, which probably wasn't full height. You'll se the brake van has lamps, and a small skylights. Those coaches you're making look magnificent, so maybe you know all this already.

Edited February 6, 2017 by Northroader