RMweb Gold Popular Post checkrail Posted July 2, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted July 2, 2020 Brown and cream remembered trains, blue remembered hills ….. John C. 30 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold gwrrob Posted July 2, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 2, 2020 Nice to see your layout is going to this weekends BRM virtual exhibition John. 1 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold checkrail Posted July 2, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 2, 2020 1 hour ago, gwrrob said: Nice to see your layout is going to this weekends BRM virtual exhibition John. Thanks Robin. Must say I was rather chuffed to learn that it's been chosen to feature among such illustrious company! 4 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Popular Post checkrail Posted July 6, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted July 6, 2020 On the workbench at the moment in this 'year of the coach' is a Slater's E88 toplight composite. This will replace a Hornby Collett compo in the M set which plies between Exeter/Newton Abbott and Plymouth, adding a bit more variety to that stopping train. There's a little story here. A while ago @A Murphyof this parish let me know he had four of these Slater's kits which had been in store for a long time and were in need of a good home. Having liked my earlier stab at a couple of toplights he thought I might provide it. Mutually satisfactory terms were very quickly agreed, so now I have enough of these kits to fulfill my coach building ambitions, and no further need to spend hours searching and bidding on eBay! I'm grateful to Alastair for giving me first refusal, and hope he will think I've done justice to these lovely kits when he sees the results. John C. 17 1 1 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators AY Mod Posted July 6, 2020 Moderators Share Posted July 6, 2020 On 02/07/2020 at 19:20, checkrail said: Must say I was rather chuffed to learn that it's been chosen to feature among such illustrious company! Well deserved John! Thanks for allowing us to feature it. Thanks for the nice comments you left for other layout owners too! 5 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Neal Ball Posted July 6, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 6, 2020 1 hour ago, AY Mod said: Well deserved John! Thanks for allowing us to feature it. Thanks for the nice comments you left for other layout owners too! Great exhibition @AY Mod thank you 5 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Popular Post checkrail Posted July 7, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted July 7, 2020 These two were taken just before I got my teeth stuck into the current toplight build. King Henry V meets Knight of the Grand Cross. John C. 32 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold gwrrob Posted July 7, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 7, 2020 Nice grass ! 4 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buhar Posted July 7, 2020 Share Posted July 7, 2020 2 hours ago, gwrrob said: Nice grass ! I haven't heard that since the last Glastonbury Festival! Alan 1 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWsTrains Posted July 7, 2020 Share Posted July 7, 2020 Brilliant work and video John, I've long been a follower here and discovering more background to your setting has added value. I'm envious of all your achievements Colin 1 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold checkrail Posted July 8, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 8, 2020 Thanks Colin for kind remarks. John. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Popular Post checkrail Posted July 8, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted July 8, 2020 Having built a couple of Slater's toplights some time ago I'd learned some lessons, the main one being that they're far too sophisticated for a bodger like me! So first things that had to go were the bogies - I'd never get those put together and working in a million years. So I used some 8 foot American white metal castings I had in the spares box. I didn't find any bogie stretchers, but soon made a pair from layers of Plastikard, which also served as mounting for hook & loop couplings and vac/steam hoses. The buffers too went on the scrapheap in favour of some ready-made GWR sprung coach buffers from MRD. The next things were the gangways. Ingenious things of joy and beauty for a skilled craftsman but I don't want to spend a fortnight making a corridor connection. I was about to deploy a couple of those rubbery PVC-type ones from some old PC kits (a bit fiddly themselves) when a thought occurred, I had a couple of Keen Systems ends for Hornby clerestory coaches! The scissors gangway was sawed off the ends (easy, with the soapy plastic or resin from which they're made) and then attached to the coach with the floating end plates supplied. After a lot of adjustment to hooks and bars I got them to work well in the train with gratifyingly close coupling, and able to negotiate the inside radius of Peco curved points on the way in and out of the fiddle yard. So the aim was achieved - gangway connections with no 'daylight' and a representation of the scissors typical of these earlier coaches. Next - painting and glazing. I always find glazing the hardest part. John C. 13 2 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Popular Post checkrail Posted July 8, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted July 8, 2020 Forgot to add these two, showing the gangways within the train. The sprung buffers help on the tighter curves! John C. 22 1 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold gwrrob Posted July 8, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 8, 2020 I wasn't aware John of that option for doing a scissors gangway and to that end would be useful on the old Hornby/Airfix/Mainline Siphon G. 2 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium TrevorP1 Posted July 8, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 8, 2020 2 hours ago, checkrail said: Having built a couple of Slater's toplights some time ago I'd learned some lessons, the main one being that they're far too sophisticated for a bodger like me! So first things that had to go were the bogies - I'd never get those put together and working in a million years. So I used some 8 foot American white metal castings I had in the spares box. I didn't find any bogie stretchers, but soon made a pair from layers of Plastikard, which also served as mounting for hook & loop couplings and vac/steam hoses. The buffers too went on the scrapheap in favour of some ready-made GWR sprung coach buffers from MRD. The next things were the gangways. Ingenious things of joy and beauty for a skilled craftsman but I don't want to spend a fortnight making a corridor connection. I was about to deploy a couple of those rubbery PVC-type ones from some old PC kits (a bit fiddly themselves) when a thought occurred, I had a couple of Keen Systems ends for Hornby clerestory coaches! The scissors gangway was sawed off the ends (easy, with the soapy plastic or resin from which they're made) and then attached to the coach with the floating end plates supplied. After a lot of adjustment to hooks and bars I got them to work well in the train with gratifyingly close coupling, and able to negotiate the inside radius of Peco curved points on the way in and out of the fiddle yard. So the aim was achieved - gangway connections with no 'daylight' and a representation of the scissors typical of these earlier coaches. Next - painting and glazing. I always find glazing the hardest part. John C. Very nice indeed John and some good lateral thinking there to help a bodger like me too! If these ever get re-introduced I'll be trawling my library to see if any lasted into the 1950s. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium TrevorP1 Posted July 8, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 8, 2020 1 hour ago, gwrrob said: I wasn't aware John of that option for doing a scissors gangway and to that end would be useful on the old Hornby/Airfix/Mainline Siphon G. Now there's an idea... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium St Enodoc Posted July 8, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 8, 2020 3 hours ago, TrevorP1 said: If these ever get re-introduced I'll be trawling my library to see if any lasted into the 1950s. Yes they did... although whether they were the exact same diagram I don't know. There'll definitely be a few running in Mid-Cornwall (one day). 1 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold checkrail Posted July 9, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 9, 2020 8 hours ago, St Enodoc said: Yes they did. Yep, loads of pics in the Russell volumes of toplights in BR red & cream with W prefixes. 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium St Enodoc Posted July 9, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 9, 2020 9 minutes ago, checkrail said: Yep, loads of pics in the Russell volumes of toplights in BR red & cream with W prefixes. That's right John. What I haven't done (yet) is to check which are the same diagrams as the Slater's kits and, of those, whether they are in the same condition e.g. panelling, blanked-off toplights, etc. If anyone already has, then please share the fruits of your labours! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach bogie Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 8 hours ago, St Enodoc said: That's right John. What I haven't done (yet) is to check which are the same diagrams as the Slater's kits and, of those, whether they are in the same condition e.g. panelling, blanked-off toplights, etc For BR (and post 20's GWR) it is a nightmare. Over 180 toplights came back from the war and rebuilt from Panel to Steel sided, no toplights, electric lighting etc. Thirds were rebuilt as brake thirds etc . Here is one of my ex ambulance toplight rebuilds. After returning to the GWR Swindon rebuilt it as steel sided brake third with bollections. Mike Wiltshire 8 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Neal Ball Posted July 18, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 18, 2020 Ah! I was only looking at my Slaters Toplights today..... and promptly put them back in the box! Need to get them finished.....The bogies are the issue, I think I managed a couple of corridor connections..... tbc! 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles Dog Posted July 19, 2020 Share Posted July 19, 2020 Hi John, I've just spent a very enjoyable day working through your site. I now need to go back through in slower time and absorb all the detailed content, and take another look at all the photos. My initial reaction is that I don't know whether to be inspired, or just give up ! Your layout is everything I would like to achieve. I moved out to Oz a couple of years ago, and have not modelled for ages. Masses of models/kits, but work and then ten years as a carer left no time for hobbies. At 78 I'm wondereing if it's too late to start. One question for now, please. Have you added any elevation/cant to your curved main line ? Looking at the photos I'm not sure - in some there does seem to be a cant to the track, but it may just be an optical effect of the curve. A wonderful layout, and a joy to browse through everything you kindly share. Geoff 1 2 1 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglian Posted July 19, 2020 Share Posted July 19, 2020 It's never too late to start. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold checkrail Posted July 19, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 19, 2020 9 hours ago, Biggles Dog said: Masses of models/kits, but work and then ten years as a carer left no time for hobbies. At 78 I'm wondereing if it's too late to start. Thanks @Biggles Dog for kind comments. No, it's never too late. And you say you have masses of models and kits, which gives you a flying start. I started the layout with no stock whatsoever and gradually acquired models of suitable prototypes as opportunity allowed. Having completed the layout I'm enjoying myself retrospectively bringing them up to an acceptable standard. (Acceptable to me, that is. Others have higher standards I know!) So go for it and let us know on this forum how you get on. Best wishes. John C. 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Popular Post checkrail Posted July 19, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted July 19, 2020 Here are the 'official' photographs of the latest addition to stock, E88 composite toplight coach 7567. There's a photo of this vehicle in Russell, Appendix Vol. 2 at Kingsbridge in 1950 in GWR livery, riding on 8 foot American bogies. I don't find these easy to build to a satisfactory standard at all, and the final close-up no doubt reveals a lot of flaws, but I do think my results are slowly improving. Anyway, usual disclaimer re 'normal viewing distance' applies! The last photo also shows the Dart Castings/MJT bogie steps, which are very nice little fold-up brass items. I've also added them to the Shapeways 10 foot Dean bogies on my C22 toplight third, and will retro-fit them to siphons etc. with American bogies. I won't bother painting the bright metal buffer heads. Within the coach rake and with close-coupling they can't be seen. John C. 14 16 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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