Inspired by Brent June 1947

[The Fatadder]

7250 has ended up a little grubbier than I had originally planned, but other than those missing steps is now ready to go back out to the garage until I source the missing steps

[MrWolf]

I like it, it looks right for a well used but maintained freight engine. It's not too grubby, it's 1945 grubby, rather than 1965 grubby. I have seen a photo somewhere of one outside Swindon works with the bunker freshly painted in GWR green after repairs or modifications and the rest of the paintwork is absolutely hanging. My $0.02 is it needs nothing more.

[The Fatadder]

Seeing as my work's remote access has temporarily fallen over, I will post this now as opposed to after work...

 

Over the past fortnight there have been a couple of inspirational videos posted showing long coal trains, first on Facebook from the Pendon team showing the 28xx on its 70 odd coal wagons, and then @checkrail with a more achievable 20 odd wagons on Stoke Courtenay.  The latter being rather a lot closer to what I am intending to run on Brent (not entirely unsurprisingly given our fiddleyards are of similar length).  At present I have about 10 wagons, a mixed bag of kit builds, 1990s Bachmann fitted to Cambrian chassis and early 2000s Bachmann "Blue Ribbon".  A handful of which have had the private owner liveries suitably weathered with a mix of replacement planks etc added and general weathering, I havent decided yet as to whether I am going to model the rake loaded or empty (I suspect the latter as it leaves open the future possibility of removable loads to allow it to run in both directions.   

At the weekend I spotted an ebay bargain for 8 Bachmann wagons at just over a fiver a piece, which arrived today (to be promptly taken away to go under the Christmas tree).  So just a few more are needed (Im thinking at least one is needed with the coke rails), a very old Cambrian 7plank is upstairs awaiting build (likely to end up in unpainted wood) while there is a further Cambrian awaiting paint (curved end diagram).   A couple of this batch (plus a steel sided example from my last batch) are Bachmann collectors club editions in the livery of the builders.  So these will need rebranding with POW Sides transfers in due course...

I have yet to decide what I am doing with couplings on these, given there will not be any shunting I am erring towards fitting the same loop and hook through the headstock that I use on my coaches.  (A further handful of wagons will need to be sourced eventually for the branch goods / the local stopping goods...)

The bottom right wagon is a little odd (but will remain due to Sharpness being the next village over), A E Moody was set up as a coal merchant in Sharpness in 1907 and apparently only stayed in business for a couple of years.  Its a bit strange in that it states on the side "Empty to Oldminster Sidings Sharpness" as opposed to the more typical "Empty to xyz colliery" as seen on the North End and Thorne wagons.  (the F H Silvey & Co wagon just says "Empty to" without stating where which is equally odd, although looking at the photos in the HMRS collection it is correct.)

 

Another photo that has been posted on the GWR Modellers Facebook group but yet to appear here is 4292 which was completed earlier in the week.  After oiling the gears it now runs much better than it has ever ran before.  While the weathering has also been completed, in a dirtier condition than 7250 above.  I understand that 4292 was a Cornish machine in my period and would have rarely left clay country.  So to get round the fact that I would be unlikely to get a 42xx through Brent, my logic is to have it powering a Laira - Newton Abbot goods (in a pretty dirty condition).  As with 7250 it still needs the front steps (although I have now found a source and will order this evening).  Eventually it also needs the missing cab step adding back to the left hand side

 

Behind 4292 is one of my modified Bachmann O13 china clay wagons, I now have 6 of them completed with the various modifications to the sides and wagon sheets fitted.  They just need wheels (bar this one), numbers and weathering.

 

Edited December 9, 2020 by The Fatadder

[The Fatadder]

A fair bit of modelling achieved this evening, starting with a coat of primer on the L22 and L18 TPOs along with the K17 full brake (the latter will be sprayed brown tomorrow).

 

Focus then moved to some loco projects,

first up 4707.  This has been missing its boiler bands since I built it, so after painting strips of masking tape into GWR green they were applied (before finishing off the weathering).  A couple of minor repairs were finished, along with wiring up the chassis.  There’s not a lot more that can be done in this loco until I get some crank pin washers so that I can secure the rods.

 

Next up was 1004, this again had a couple of minor jobs on the body (reattaching a nameplate and adding G crest W branding on the tender.  The motor retention mount had separated causing bad running, so this was replaced.  This was followed by giving the mechanism a good oiling.  It still was running poorly, but thanks to some advice from Tony W that I shouldn’t push the wire onto the motor it started running really well.

There is however a major issue with one of the cross heads, which has  been cut to short and will need an extension soldering in place.

Finally was 4318, which was proving very strange.  It would work perfectly upside down , but put it the right way up and it would jam.  After looking some more I pinned it down to the compensation on the centre axle.  So one hoping that gluing the horn block in place Will

do the job

[Bluemonkey presents....]

Nice work, both locos look excellent

[The Fatadder]

A brief follow up, my attempted bodge to fix the 43xx was a failure, in that I have now secured the troublesome hornblock in the wrong place so now it just wont work at all (and while testing it threw off crank pin nut into the carpet.)  Going to need to do some rebuilding, but I suspect the end result will be that it needs a new set of frames.   Which makes me start to wonder if I could get away with using the Mitchell cylinders and rods mounted to a set of Comet frames.  I am of course rather regretting using Gibson wheels on a chassis with quite so many issues...  First I think dropping a message to Malcolm to see if he has a scrap set of 43xx frames in the workshop clear out pile (that is gradually appearing on ebay) would be worth a shot.

 

Thanks to Tony I have a fix to try on the County cylinder, while 4707 is currently sat on the rollers running in.  There is something not quite right as while its happy running once you get it going it rather stutters at the start.

 

 

[The Fatadder]

It didnt take long, but the short crosshead has been sorted on 1004 with the addition of a washer on the front of the cylinder.  However solving one problem just highlights another.  I hadnt noticed when I was testing previously that I was testing the loco in reverse, something which is most unlikely to happen with any of the 460s on the layout.  Once the chassis had been reassembled it ran very well in reverse with both rods fitted (this is a first for me as I usually end up cheating and only fit the crosshead/drive rod to the visible side).  In forward it was very jerky and temperamental  (right up to the point that the motor retention bracket failed.)  So the motor bracket now needs to be refitted before I can investigate further as to why its not working.

 

One good thing is that after running in 4707 I have set 1470 on the rollers (running for the first time), amazingly it is actually a very good runner (even with my very old Hornby test controller). 

 

Moving on, I have started a new page on my Blog "On shed for Brent", I have long needed a proper record of my locomotive fleet.  I have been doing this as a series of blog posts for my Modern fleet and its about time I did the same for the steam fleet.  With each loco getting a blog (along with an Index) describing what has been done, what needs to be done and what it will be used for on the layout.   Eventually each passenger and freight formation will also be shown.

Just need to bring a few more locos inside to photograph (or get some grass down on Brent...)

 

[The Fatadder]

Sometimes things just fall into place, it took all of 5 minutes to identify and resolve the remaining issues with 1004 (although I may have caused another while sorting it.)   

 

Issue 1 was that the motor had broken loose of its mount, this time I started from scratch adding a plasticard seat under the motor and a 5mm cross brace between it and a chassis cross member.   The driving rods were removed and the chassis tested in both directions, passing the test.  

The crosshead / cylinder assembly  was then refitted after which a knocking sound could be heard, running slowly it was apparent that the left hand cross head was hitting the end of the cylinder.  So approx 1mm was filed off the end.  So on this loco I had one crosshead too short and the other too long, with the average of the two being exactly right...

 

With that done I wanted to make a little prep work for the new pickups.  The originals had been epoxied to the frame spacers, however when trying to adjust one of the original pickups I ripped the copper off the PCB.  I tried pushing it out from inside (as pulling off with pliers didnt work), which ended up braking the solder joint.  Retesting it clearly hasnt distorted the frames as it still runs true, so I have bent approximately back to shape.  Over the weekend I want to get the new pickups made and fitted, and given I have a decoder ready to go on the workbench this could be running round Brent by Christmas.

[drduncan]

Rich,

 

Just spent the last few days of rmweb time reading this thread.  I must say I’m in awe, not just of your modelling, but also your energy levels with a young family.  I too have toddlers and by the time peace and quiet descends for an all too brief period, the last thing I feel able to do is climb into the attic and get modelling.  That said this is probably helped by my beloved wife not quite insisting that a cycle to work 4 days out of 5 on the grounds it’s good for me. I disagree as I spend most of the day in the office recovering from the cycle to work and when I feel better I have to cycle home and feel worse for longer!

 

In my corner however is no 1 son (aged 6) who has his own model railway (n gauge to make sure there is no confusion between his and mine - doesn’t work; he has modellers megalomania too and wants a steam engine he can ride on).  The cloud to this silver lining is that he has plans for his layout that I end up making real! Still less modelling time...

 

So please keep doing what you’re doing (and tell me how...One day there will be progress on Nampara)

 

Duncan

[drduncan]

Incidentally, I think Bodmin Road/Parkway in 2mm is a good idea. (But then I think broad gauge and pregrouping is a good idea...) I keep looking at no 1 son’s n gauge and thinking ‘hmmm Plymouth area... that might be possible. Yes Saltash to Mutley plain will fit somehow.’ (don’t know where he gets his modellers megalomania from...)

 

Duncan

[The Fatadder]

I have been having a go at the Weathering on 1004 (as well as adding pickups which are not currently working)

 

As I often do I have used a colour photo of a pretty clean 1004 in BR days as a reference. Which has a clean lower boiler, greyish firebox, and a lot of dirt build up on the tender.  The latte has been tricky as the lining has attracted the powder more than the side, so it has ended slightly dirtier than I planned trying to blend it in.  However the large dirty patch on the right hand side is as per the photo. 
 

pickups were added from 0.45’brass as opposed to nickel  silver (as id ran out of the latter).  I think there must be a short somewhere given as far as I can see each wheel is touching a pickup.  Will try and find the multimeter later and confirm 

[The Fatadder]

The county is rapidly becoming one of those locos where there is always something going wrong.

 

 

this evening I set to work finishing of the pickups, before another test on the rolling road.   So far so good...

 

next up the body and chassis needed to be reunited, this has been done several times through the work on the chassis.  Only this time it stopped working. The cause appeared to be a metal plate between the motor and the back head (heavily glued into place either by the previous owner or Hornby.  With this prised out it now fitted, but the motor immediately decided to destroy yet another motor retention bracket. Lesson learnt for the future, never paint the inside of frames until the loco is running!   I can’t solder the plate to the chassis (as it’s painted and there is no access without removing the motor, wheels and rods). So I’m stuck with glue.  It looks like the damage caused when removing the old pickup pad has damaged the motor mount...  Every time it brakes I can hear Tony Wrights voice in my head saying solder don’t glue...  Lesson learnt for the future!

 

I also had a random jam of the crosshead caused by the assembly  shifting slightly (now secured properly in position )

 

finally i have refined the loco to tender connection adding a 2mm ID brass bush to the bolt on the rear of the frames which much better matches the hole on the Hornby drawbar.

 

Given that i added the missing cab handrails last night, the only remaining jobs are to add glazing, brakes and a final test to prove that the mk10 motor mount will hold.  (I’m thinking I might add some lead into the void above it as a fail safe...)

 

tomorrow I will hopefully get the loco tested on the test track as opposed to the rollers, before maybe even adding the brakes and a decoder....

But my modelling time is currently being wasted trying to get an old (but quite valuable) computer steering wheel to work after the calibration sensor failed).  The aim being that I can sell it to find the remaining parts needed for the TPO plus some brass sides for the sunshine composite I need for the CRE

Edited December 13, 2020 by The Fatadder

[The Fatadder]

2019

 

in 2020 

-More than half the layout has been ballasted

-The first buildings have been painted

-The footbridge was finished (even if it is far too big and needs work to remove a panel from the steps

-The other key buildings have been designed 

-The hill at the Plymouth end has been reprofiled

-Three more signals installed 

 

key aims for 2021:

-Finish ballasting

-Get the Exeter double slip

working (should just be a slight realignment of a tortoise)

-Weather track

-Add bank along back of platform

-Add the real goods shed

 

[checkrail]

Good progress Rich.  Best wishes for your 2021 plans.  This is one of those layouts where one waits in anticipation to see the trains running through a fully scenic-ed environment.  It's going to be good.

[kandc_au]

1 hour ago, The Fatadder said:

 

key aims for 2021:

-Finish ballasting

-Get the Exeter double slip

working (should just be a slight realignment of a tortoise)

-Weather track

-Add bank along back of platform

-Add the real goods shed

Well that's January sorted.....what's after that????? 

 

Khris

 

[The Fatadder]

4 hours ago, kandc_au said:

Well that's January sorted.....what's after that????? 

 

Khris

 

My problem tends to be that i am quite lazy, the work bench is upstairs while the layout is in the garage.  
 

so at 9pm when my modelling window tends to start, I normally end up taking the easy option and go upstairs to build a kit etc

[BrushType4]

Rich aka Fatadder has commissioned me to lasercut Brent Goods Shed for him, so I thought I'd post my journey here and Rich will pick up the building and painting once he receives his kit. So first off, Rich passed me a load of photographs and a drawing he had started. Also the prototype is still in existence (as a dentist I believe) so it makes it a bit easier to check details that can't be gleaned from the photographs.

 

Unfortunately Richs original CAD work was corrupted but luckily he had produced a PDF, so I took this and my software was able to backward convert to a dxf file that my CAD program could read. Lucky first step. Ive sent this back to Rich so he has his own copy.

 

Next step, was to check sizes. Rich drew his plans by counting bricks and using the assumption that each brick was 1mm high by 3mm wide. This is usually a good reckoner but one needs to be careful as many older buildings and particularly victorian builds, they did not use standard brick sizes or use the same thickness of mortar between bricks. Surprisingly a quick check on the local planning authority didn't produce any architectural drawings. I'll have a further look as there should be something as the building has had recent modifications thats would have required planning consent. But as I said, the building is still standing and google earth has captured some good pictures of it that combined with the resource file passed to me has built up quite a comprehensive pack of material to make a reasonably accurate model. I counted bricks and used the standard brick size and mocked up the following;

Richards drawing top, and my first draft below.

 

 

A little difference but broadly speaking my design is close to Rich's mock up. I've added the bricks and they match the pattern I can see from the photographs. I'll try and find out the actual brick size, I may ring the Dentist surgery and persuade them to go and measure up for me! If the bricks are different, it will be easy in the CAD to resize width and height. 

 

Updates soon but let me know what you think so far.

[BrushType4]

This New Year is a funny one so instead of going out, its lockdown in front of my computer with a beer. So fixed an error or two on the first side and added the goods office which is situated on the right hand side. The current building has a window in this section. I'm pretty sure this is a later addition, so I have taken it out of the plan. If Rich wants this, I can add in later. Confident that this is now correct to brick count (actual size might be amended once actual brick size is known) and the brick pattern is correct, I have CAD the opposite side. Nor forgetting  the window sections are equal size making it necessary to increase the width as per the prototype of the pillars at each end.

 

So we now have this. Hopefully you can the see the closures, queens and headers are all as the prototype brick.

 

 

On with the end views and then on to the interior.

 

Edited December 31, 2020 by BrushType4
Spelling

[The Fatadder]

Looking really good so far, I hadn’t spotted the window on the goods office as a later addition. But now you mention it the mortar on the brick arch looks a lot newer and the evidence of cutting of the bricks.

 

very much looking forward to building it in the new year. 

 

[gwrrob]

Always late to the party and look what I've missed. Following with interest.

[gwrrob]

19 hours ago, BrushType4 said:

I may ring the Dentist surgery and persuade them to go and measure up for me! If the bricks are different, it will be easy in the CAD to resize width and height. 

 

RMweb member and all round top man @Captain Kernow actually lives in the village and might be a better option to ask .

[MrWolf]

I've been following this with interest because of my odd fascination with railway architecture and the drawings are something that I have been used to producing in the past for engineering jobs. 

Having taken a look at the photographs of Brent shed, I would have to disagree and say that the store room window in the office extension is probably original. The brickwork to the vertical faces has probably been damaged in the removal of the original window frame.

 

 

The upper window in the end elevation of the extension is an odd one. The window head looks like an original, despite not being a brick soldier arch, but it was likely to have been no deeper than the window in the side face.

 

 

Obviously the gable end and lower windows are modern alterations.

 

The office / valuables store extension seems to have been common to many sites, such as Culkerton, below.

 

 

[BrushType4]

54 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

 

Having taken a look at the photographs of Brent shed, I would have to disagree and say that the store room window in the office extension is probably original. The brickwork to the vertical faces has probably been damaged in the removal of the original window frame.

 

 

No, I'm sure it isn't as the header bricks are incorrect and importantly if you look at the plans, there is no window

 

[The Fatadder]

52 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

Obviously the gable end and lower windows are modern alterations.

The lower windows were slightly changed from the originals, but were pretty similar (all be it with brick arches above them) as per this photo extract 

 

unfortunately the only photo I’ve seen of the village side of the shed is focused around the door (very useful it is to) but for the walls and the office side all I have only got post 2000 images to work with.

 

[MrWolf]

I stand corrected, if it's a modern addition, they've at least gone to the trouble of making it look something like. They probably cast another cill to match the originals.