Castle Aching

[Nearholmer]

Yes, very like that indeed.

 

They supply the loco with a different, more open, cab, and as a saddle tank too, and there are bogie "Costa" coaches too.

 

Am I to read that you already have that one, waiting to enter traffic?

 

Do Electrotren small steamers run OK?

 

K

[Edwardian]

Well, Kevin, many, many years in the Modeller's Armchair, years, ironically, when I had a reasonable modelling budget, have led to all sorts of stuff being acquired over time. 

 

From the inception of the WNR, I thought that I had 2 locomotives that I could use as a basis for conversion, the Hornby 14XX and the Electrotren 0-6-0.  That remains the plan.  BTW, I do like the new, open cab, version you mention.

 

I don't know if anything runs OK, as I have nothing to run anything on!

 

Discussion here, as is often the case, prompts new thoughts, however.  I realised that I had part-built D&S W&U coaches, somewhere, and that the GER connection might provide a pretext for using them on the WNR.  As you see, I found a little Spanish coach too!

 

While the Womenfolk were out this morning playing with horses, I got to work on a pile of boxes, at the bottom of one I found the W&U stuff.  Well, I don't know why I worried about  the smallness of HO models, adding height to my German 4-wheeler or its wheel-size, ride height or buffer height:

Edited February 20, 2016 by Edwardian

[corneliuslundie]

Those W&LL carriages were built for HO people. The real railway has some beautiful carriages built to the existing designs, as the GWR was most inconsiderate and scrapped the originals.

 

They look very nice but the seats are really somewhat small for 21st century humans, especially those over 6ft like me.

 

I imagine it was probably the same on the W&U carriages..

 

Linking your two interests, in the long term might this East Anglian byway have bought a surplus SRM from the LBSCR?

 

Jonathan

[cornamuse]

Those all look perfect - and I don't think the difference in scale will matter all that much - it is down to the loading gauges and so on. So, if the stock is borrowed, transferred or bought second-hand who knows what sizes they could have been. Could even be re-gauged stock, I guess! Personally, the more variety, the better, if your line is strapped for cash

[Nearholmer]

I'm with Cornamuse; look at photos of real light railways, indeed real pre-grouping railways in general, away from the posh-expresses, and many trains were quite varied in outline.

 

Second-hand horse-tram cars shouldn't be ignored as a source of passenger accommodation; I think that the Wantage had some, the Torrington & Marland certainly did, and the Oystermouth had its own thing that was basically a stage-coach.

 

And, as for W&LLR coaches,they are indeed quite titchy. I was really surprised when I first rode in the replicas.

 

And, of no real relevance whatsoever: there was a 750mm gauge railway in the Vendee, that had German-style locos, and coaches exactly like those of the W&LLR ....... I've never understood which line copied the other, but the resemblance was way too close for coincidence.

 

K

Edited February 20, 2016 by Nearholmer

[Welchester]

There was a 750mm gauge railway in the Vendee, that had German-style locos, and coaches exactly like those of the W&LLR

 

Whereabouts was that?

[Nearholmer]

Ah, I was hoping nobody would ask that, because I can't remember!

 

It was the subject of a series of several articles, with original drawings, maps etc, in "Voie Etroite" magazine, which I subscribed to from its start, and then sold all my copies for a pittance when I was having a clear-out.

 

I will rack my brains and the internet, and get back to you.

 

K

[uax6]

Two things come to mind here,

 

Firstly, never measure ride heights without your vehicles sitting on track, the flange depths can lead to all sorts to variations!

 

Secondly, why not go for secondhand 'big' railway stock? The Bishops Castle Railway had very early LNWR vehicles, right up to closure, the Highland Railway sold a fair few of its outside framed Jones 4 wheelers to a collery railway near Middlesbough, and the Col Stephens railways latterly always bought 'hand me downs'.

 

The Jones coaches could be made with styrene quite easily, they had slab sides, which makes it even easier!

 

Andy G

[Poggy1165]

The Bishops Castle had coaches from various railways - I have the LSWR and H&B in mind but I may be wrong. The Easingwold had an ex-GC (MS&L) brake third six wheeler. I think at one time there was quite a market for second hand coaches - and wagons. Colonel Stephens picked up all sorts of ancient carriages from various sources.

 

Just thought of a really obscure one - The Trafford Park Estates replaced their gas trams with partial electrification - but one section was changed to railway operation with some prehistoric GC (or possibly CLC) 4 wheelers.

[Nearholmer]

Well, your Right Reverendship, I mis-remembered the location.

 

It was CF Economiques Forestiers des Landes, between Roquefort and Lencouaq-Jourets, which according to W J K Davies was the only public railway of 750mm gauge in France.

 

And, I mis-remembered to magazine too: it was early editions of "Voie Libre", where ideas were discussed for modelling the line using Eggerbahn or Fleischmann Magic Train kit.

 

K

 

There is a website about this piece of obscuranta! http://reseau-train-ho-de-paquito40.e-monsite.com/pages/la-compagnie-du-cfefl/roquefort-lencouacq-jourets.html But, the link to the rolling stock page at the end seems broken.

Edited February 20, 2016 by Nearholmer

[Welchester]

Thanks; I didn't think it was the Vendée, having spent many summers there and not having come across it.

[BlueLightning]

For some cheap easy to modify Pre-grouping coaches that also tie into your other interests with "Umber is the new Black" you could always consider the Bachmann "Stoudleys" from the US Thomas range. I have some that I got from towerhobbies.com

 

Despite being H0 they are about the right size for 00 and come with tension locks. They don't need much modifying to make look good. and as an example of how they look behind a Terrier see the sneak peek of the update for my thread below. (Mine haven't been modified yet)

 

[Edwardian]

Thanks, Simon.

 

I found the Oakwood Portfolio book going for about £4 from an Amazon trader.  The drawings are to 7mm scale.  They have a scale.  I understand that if I reduce to 57%, that should be 4mm scale.  I have the scale to check against.  There are 3 drawings of T7s, 1 of the small-tank version, and 2 of the large tank version.  These are side views only.

 

Thanks to you I have the Ian Rice 4mm drawings, which do include front/rear views, and a lot more information about the CVR engine.  I have yet to print any of the drawings to the correct scale.  Doing so and laying the 14XX over it will be the moment of truth!

 

I hope that, with this many drawings, plus several photos, I ought to have enough information.  Famine to feast in a fairly short time.

 

What concerns me is the huge cast engine block.  If the tank tops are lower than a 4800's that will be a problem.  If the boiler is significantly smaller (seems it's not) or at a lower pitch, that could be a problem.  The need to shorten the boiler/smokebox, could also be a problem.  There could be a lot of filing and sawing of this block!  We shall see.

 

If practical, I would drill right through the damn thing to allow some daylight under the boiler barrel; that, cosmetically, is likely to trouble me more than millimetre discrepancies in the wheelbase; as you say, I think we could get away with that.

 

I wonder (I have not tried) if it is possible to remove that huge hunk of metal completely and add liquid lead or some such to the inside of the remodelled body?  Knowing me, I will probably break the thing trying!

 

Bluelightening, I remember seeing pre-release shots of these coaches.  It struck me that the representation of the beading was essentially sound, unlike, say, the Hornby 4-wheeler (which has an atrocious under frame anyhow).  I am happy to see a picture of them with an OO locomotive, looking so convincing.  I had not appreciated quite how Stroudley-esque those duckets were.  I agree, they would make fine light railway coaches, probably without surgery and with just detailing required.  As such, I would certainly like some, but I am working to a minimal budget at the moment, so cannot indulge.  I expect that the situation will ease up within a few months at which point I must remember to order these (and Skarloey!).  In the meantime, any further pictures you have of these 'HO Stroudleys' in service on your layout would be good to see.  Something to aim for!

Edited February 20, 2016 by Edwardian

[Metropolitan H]

Edwardian,

 

Since I first commented on the two-tone green effort, I have looked more closely at your pictures and the Elettren catalogue pictures. I now believe your coach to be one of the Elettren ones, with the middle vertical window bars removed between each close spaced pair. Interesting. My suggestion re. lifting the whole body with a packer still stands - but first I think you need some paint stripper.

 

Thanks for posting the further pictures of your fleet of four-wheelers. Something struck me as slightly odd regarding the Wisbech and Upwell coach, so I went looking at drawings and photos of the real ones - which confirmed my suspicion. Sorry to be a nuisance, but on your W&U coach the body headstocks / bufferbeams are set too low - on the real ones the buffer beam / buffers sit just above the floor level, while yours are fitted so the top edge is at floor level. The extension bracket bits on the underside of the W&U coach buffer stocks were in reality to transfer the higher level buffing forces down into the ends of the underframe longitudes - otherwise one heavy shunt would split the bufferbeam from the u/frame at floor level. If the buffer beams were set at the right height it would very neatly match the height of the other two four wheelers in your pictures.

 

I still think the ideas are good and like the green / white coach. Keep at it.

 

Regards

Chris H 

 

P.S. - I've got a D&S 7mm scale kit for one each of the W&U four-wheel and bogie coaches - still awaiting build many years after acquistition.

 

P.P.S. - The W&U coach wheel diameter was small 2ft 6in - 2ft 8in - so you want 10mm - 10.5mm diameter wheels in 4mm scale - try "Low-Mac" wagon wheels)

 

CH 

[Edwardian]

Chris H,

 

Many thanks for that.  I purchased the D&S coaches in the state you see them.  I don't know how successful I would be in removing and re-siting the buffer beams, but, clearly, it needs to be done. I will check the size of the wheels fitted.

 

Andy G made the sage point "never measure ride heights without your vehicles sitting on track, the flange depths can lead to all sorts to variations!"  My problem here is that I don't have any track!

 

What I have done, is replace the Hornby or Bachmann coach wheels on the 4-wheeler the same (smaller) Dapol wheels that I have fitted to the bogie coach, so, at least with this comparison, the problem spotted by Andy G does not arise.  This comparison now makes me think that the body height on the bogie coach is not such an issue, but would still benefit from a little more height, and I consider that the waist is still too low. 

[BG John]

My problem here is that I don't have any track!

I've just bought a circle (8 pieces) of Peco Setrack for not much more than the price of one new piece, plus postage, on eBay. It's for experimenting in O-16.5, not because I'm giving up the serious stuff and going back to a train set! There's cheap track out there to get you started if you're on the lookout for it.

[Nearholmer]

If you don't have any track to hand, cut two strips of stout card, about 10mm wide, then glue them to a larger piece of stout card, 16.5mm apart.

 

Very rudimentary track. But, possibly sufficient to check ride-height.

 

K

[BG John]

If you don't have any track to hand, cut two strips of stout card, about 10mm wide, then glue them to a larger piece of stout card, 16.5mm apart.

 

Very rudimentary track. But, possibly sufficient to check ride-height.

 

K

Then get a roll of self-adhesive copper tape, and stick it to the card rails. Add power!

[Edwardian]

OK,  not a lot done this weekend, due to visit by the In-Laws, but I did add steps to the coach, and started to plan the continuation of Bailey Street, trying to bring the houses towards full size.  

[CKPR]

The Bishops Castle had coaches from various railways - I have the LSWR and H&B in mind but I may be wrong. The Easingwold had an ex-GC (MS&L) brake third six wheeler. I think at one time there was quite a market for second hand coaches - and wagons. Colonel Stephens picked up all sorts of ancient carriages from various sources.

 

Just thought of a really obscure one - The Trafford Park Estates replaced their gas trams with partial electrification - but one section was changed to railway operation with some prehistoric GC (or possibly CLC) 4 wheelers.

 

...from the H&B via the B&M. That's the Brecon & Merthyr, not bargains (although they probably were). Talking of S/H coaching stock, Ratio MR low roof coaches would also  be in order on your line, as the Shropshire & Montgomeryshire had these.

Edited February 22, 2016 by CKPR

[ianLMS]

Looking very good there. Feeling right at home! very impressed with the different styles all fitting nicely together to look just like a real street in Norfolk!

[johnarcher]

...from the H&B via the B&M. That's the Brecon & Merthyr, not bargains (although they probably were). Talking of S/H coaching stock, Ratio MR low roof coaches would be in order on, as the Shropshire & Montgomeryshire had these.

I'm pretty sure that the Bishop's Castle (up until about 1924) also had some very early LNW coaches, and London Road make kits for very much the same type (built 1860's).

 

I like the street, nice to see a layout with some real townscape.

Edited February 22, 2016 by johnarcher

[ChrisN]

Finally caught up.  Life and a trip to Cornwall got in the way.

 

I do like the townscape, both the idea and the execution.  It is good to see layouts where the railway has to fit the scenery.  I am not sure that I can add anything to the coach discussions etc, but it all looks interesting.  Isn't Skarloey 009?  If not he should be.

[Stubby47]

Finally caught up.  Life and a trip to Cornwall got in the way.

 

I've been there.

[uax6]

What I would be tempted to do with the bogie coach is this:

Remove the roof and narrow down the eves panel slightly (it looks very tall), then cut the matchboarding from the lower side off completely and replace with Slaters styrene version, which will allow you to get the lower sides deeper.

 

Then there is something wrong with those bogies as well.. Remove the lower beam and they will look a bit like fox versions. What you could do with is a nice pair of US style equalised beam ones...

 

Andy G