South Wales Valleys in the 50s

[tomparryharry]

Could you justify a two/three coach set of Southern coaches hauled by a venerable Dean Goods on an enthusiasts special?

 

Tim T

Modelling Cwm Cynon in EM

Yes Tim, it was called 'The Leak'. Starting at Redhill, it worked down the Thames Valley, Severn Tunnel Junction, turned right at Llantrisant, Mwyndy Junction, Common Branch, Tonteg, and Pontypridd. Reverse at Rhondda Cutting, PC&N, then Newport. Turn right at Park Junction, west to Cardiff (again) Down the vale to Bridgend.

 

Over to Tondu, turn on the loco, then train down to Margam, and on to Camarthen via Swansea District. Carmarthen-Cardiff-Reading with a double headed  pair of Castles.

 

I've done this railtour many times, but only in my dreams....

 

Ian.

Edited January 14, 2019 by tomparryharry

[The Johnster]

There were some Bullied coaches in BR malachite transferred to the WR in the 60s that featured on a railtour with a 56xx that visited branches off the Rhymney.  But not in the Tondu area and out of period...

[jcm@gwr]

There were some Bullied coaches in BR malachite transferred to the WR in the 60s that featured on a railtour with a 56xx that visited branches off the Rhymney.  But not in the Tondu area and out of period...

 

Rule 1 applies?

[Budgie]

There were some Bullied coaches in BR malachite transferred to the WR in the 60s that featured on a railtour with a 56xx that visited branches off the Rhymney.  But not in the Tondu area and out of period...

If they were transferred to the WR was the prefix to their numbers changed from S to W?

[The Johnster]

I believe they were, as were some Staniers used on the Cambrian section. This was of course much more common practice on the Scottish and North Eastern Regions; the prefix letter didn't have to match the suffix one.  And of course the suffix one did not denote big 4 ownership, as many examples were built post nationalisation; it simply denoted big 4 design.

[Budgie]

And of course the suffix one did not denote big 4 ownership, as many examples were built post nationalisation; it simply denoted big 4 design.

I thought the suffix denoted which region was responsible for maintenance of the vehicle.

[The Johnster]

I thought the suffix denoted which region was responsible for maintenance of the vehicle.

 

Strictly speaking yes, but this corresponds to the region whose workshops hold the original drawing for the vehicle, which is effectively the same thing.  I assume that an ex Caledonian coach allocated to the Scottish Region, for example, might be branded SC xxxx SC, but I have never seen such a thing.

 

Cue avalanche of photographs proving me wrong...

[timbowilts]

I assume that an ex Caledonian coach allocated to the Scottish Region, for example, might be branded SC xxxx SC, but I have never seen such a thing.

 

Cue avalanche of photographs proving me wrong...

I would have expected the suffix to be “M” and not “SC” on the basis that the ex Caledonian C&W works had passed to the LMS at the Grouping?

 

Tim T

[The Johnster]

Which makes sense, but if the suffix denotes the region responsible for maintenance rather than the owning big 4 company, this would surely be the Scottish Region at St Rollox works in the case of an ex-Caledonian coach.  

Edited January 6, 2019 by The Johnster

[The Johnster]

Pick chers again.

 

First off, the new Maunsell Van B poses at the head of a short Class C in the loop; shunting is in progress and the outgoing taffic is in the platform road; Ashford has a definite influence on the proceedings!  It is yet to be weathered, only very lightly but I think it needs a bit of toning down, and I have found something to criticise about it; there is no white start on the solebar to indicate the vacuum brake isolating cord's position, but I have some on an HMRS sheet so that's ok.  An uninterested sheep noses around for whatever might be tasty in the undergrowth in the foreground.

 

Then U25 runs in with a loaded train from Cwmdimbath Pits to run around and take to Tondu, after the evening Miner's workman's has cleared behind 8448.  The weather is still dull and there will probably be more rain before the evening is over.

 

The trained buzzard is doing some good work with his box brownie!

 

[The Johnster]

I will be reconsidering my coach acquisition policy in the light of Hornby's announcement today of Collet bowended suburbans; the types H are going to make are not quite correct for Valleys work but close enough for Rule 1 to come into play.  At least one of each type will replace some of the planned Comet flatenders, though I will still be building an A44 auto trailer.  I have been caught out by this announcement and am relieved that so far my only actual Comet purchase has been the C66/75 all third that I have started building.

 

Having invoked Rule 1 for the new Hornby coaches, it'll be hard to resist a 5101 prairie, perhaps a Barry or Canton example working through.

[chrisf]

You do realise that the C66/C75 is a hybrid?  The sides are correct for a C66 but the body contour is wrong - the sdes should be as near as dammit vertical above the waist.  The C75's windows are 6 inches deeper than those of the C66 but the body profile is accurate if you use the ends supplied.

 

Chris

[The Johnster]

I am using the ends supplied, Chris.  I will live with the compromises inherent in the kit; it is certainly no worse than the Airfix derivate A28/30 auto trailers I have.  Were the A43 intermediate trailers that match A44 'cyclops' trailers rebuilt from C66 or C75?

[chrisf]

I am using the ends supplied, Chris.  I will live with the compromises inherent in the kit; it is certainly no worse than the Airfix derivate A28/30 auto trailers I have.  Were the A43 intermediate trailers that match A44 'cyclops' trailers rebuilt from C66 or C75?

 

Both.

 

Chris

[The Johnster]

Both.

 

Chris

 

Which means I'll get it right whichever version I build; thanks Chris!

[The Johnster]

My intention (I never claimed it to be a resolution) to not buy any more locomotives in 2019 has lasted 11 days...

 

6642 is an old Mainline body on a recent Baccy chassis, and has been giving a little trouble.  I have intended for some time to upgrade the body of this to modern standards; lamp irons at the front, handrails by the front steps, and backhead detail. The trouble has been caused by the fit of the Mainline body to the Baccy chassis, which involved some cutting away of the keeper plate, which now does not fit properly to the front of the chassis block and sags a little.  This needs regular fettling to keep the coupling at the proper height and prevent the front edge from catching on switch rails and the like.

 

A visit to Lord and Butler today featured my usual perusal of the secondhand display case, and there amongst the 101s and Triang panniers was the answer to the issue, a recent production BR unlined black unicycling lion (same livery as 6642) 56xx, 5660, rather nicely weathered, for £55.  Test revealed perfect running and the money is now in Peter's till...

 

I have transferred 6642's etched plates to the new loco and withdrawn the old Mainliner from service; the chassis will be a spare.  Test runs this evening have revealed no problems and the loco can haul the 11 wagons and a van loaded coal train with a very satisfying slight suggestion of wheelslip, in other words performance is identical to 5633; the old 6642 wasn't quite up to the mark haulage wise!

 

The loco will, over the weekend, acquire my standard lamp irons and some mild additional weathering, and sooner or later another sheet of 86F shedcode plates will have to be acquired, as there are now 2 locos without these, this loco and 4557, still sporting her Neyland plates.  The new loco carries an 88D Merthyr plate correct for 6652.  I can probably paint out a bit of the second 8 to make a 6, but don't think I can manage converting a D to an F...

 

On the subject of locomotives, I am looking for a current 8750 body for 9681, which runs fine but has ovesized cab windows and no fire iron brackets as a result of being another Mainline, 57xx this time, converted to 8750 spec with a K's cab off an even older loco.   There is one on 'Bay but it's more than I'm gonna pay, so I'll play a waiting game for this!

 

The wallet is in a state of post traumatic stress disorder and needs intensive counselling and therapy.  It should have recovered by the time the Baccy 94xx and Hornby Collet suburbans appear...

[The Johnster]

Apropos the new 6642, here she is complete with Johnster standard lamp irons and the transferred numberplates, waiting to set of with the 08.25 workman's to Tremains.  The B set on this working is to be replaced with Hornby bowenders as soon as their availability matches the thickness of my wallet; I am considering using their bogies on an A27 conversion.

 

Sister loco 5633 is running in with the first empties of the day, duty U23, and the locos make a nice pair to compare.  I may give 6642's chimney cap a bit of a clean to match the safety valve cover, but she looks the part and is another very good and silent runner.  

[The Johnster]

Visited Cardiff 'Small' Show today, and 2 new items of rolling stock have been bought.  Well, only one is new and the other is very secondhand; the new thing is a Coopercraft GW Mica kit, and the 'pre-loved' item is a K's whitemetal A31 auto trailer.  This has seen much better days, and is missing 3 of it's buffers, but is square and solidly built with epoxy resin.  It's in GW post 1945 livery as 211, which according to my Lewis shouldn't have double doors or American pattern bogies.  An A31 is a bit of a Rule 1 thing for Cwmdimbath, but Newport Division certainly had some in the late 40s and early 50s so it's not impossible.

 

It has no interior, not even a floor, and these will have to be made up for it.  I will look into the possibility of chopping an old Airfix A28/30 interior about, but the saloons are different sizes to this type and it might not be possible, in which case I'll scratch build an interior out of sheet plastic.  It'll have to be done in sections and shoehorned in around the cross members which are the bogie mountings, and the only thing keeping the thing solid down there.

 

All in all it's another project, and as such will not be started until the current project, the Comet C66/75, is completed.  Initial thoughts are to keep the existing livery, but a change of bogie to 8' fishbelly type would open up the possibility of a crimson liveried one with the toplights plated over, a very different and distinctive look!  204 was the only one with American bogies and this had single doors instead of the double doors of the model, a difference inherited from railmotor days when otherwise identical units were built at Swindon (single doors) and Gloucester RC&W (double doors), so the Americans are wrong for my coach no matter what number I give it!

 

Another double doored alternative is to use Collett 7' bogies, and I will have 2 sets spare when the old Airifix B sets are retired when I get new Hornby compartment suburbans, and 203 and 209 are suitable, but I am unsure of livery for my period.  Fishbellys and plated toplights are my favourite option at present, but my mind is not made up; 201 and 207, photos in Lewis at Monmouth, are candidates.

[Miss Prism]

a Coopercraft GW Mica kit

 

Cooper-Craft never did a Mica.

[The Johnster]

Cooper-Craft never did a Mica.

 

You are quite right, Miss P, another senior moment to add to my already impressive list.  It's a Parkside, of course!  I might make it up later today.

 

It is interesting that I am moving into kits now that I have all the RTR I need, for variety and modelling satisfaction; my modelling is entering a new phase.

[The Johnster]

I am currently having a tea break from what is proving to be a very pleasant and satisfying evening's modelling building the PARKSIDE not Coopercraft Mica.  I've just put the wheels on and pushed it up and down the layout; it runs fine, and has so far almost fallen together; my only very minor issue was a few moments during which the idiot building the kit had not realised that the floor goes in from the top...  I've not put the roof on yet, as there are still plenty of stages at which the van is best off upside down and it is easier to hold steady on a suitably sized box this way and the roof can go on when the underparts are finished; I've also put some ballast in, bits of an old whitemetal bogie from the scrap box.  It won't be quite finished tonight, as I reckon I can do better than the kit buffers for it and need to buy NEM cranked Bachmann couplings, excuse for a trip into town tomoz, but it should be all over bar the shouting before going up the pub time.  Gonna finish it in fairly clean BR livery with XP branding from the HMRS sheet; it'll look well with my existing 'white' vans, a Hornby Insulfish, Baccy BR standard insulated, and refrigerated containers.

 

I have wanted one of these for very many years, ever since a childhood chum had one on his Hornby Dublo 3 rail layout; they are very distinctive and full of character.  Shame the chassis is not a completely separate unit though, as the buffer beams are integral with the end mouldings, or Parkside would have been a good source of donor 10' chassis for my 'mothball fleet' of vans and opens.

[The Johnster]

Not quite finished but broken the back of it; I need to buy some drills to open out the locating holes in the ends for the steps and handrails, another thing for tomorrow's shopping list.  Should be ready for a photo and in service tomorrow evening.

[31A]

 

I have wanted one of these for very many years, ever since a childhood chum had one on his Hornby Dublo 3 rail layout; they are very distinctive and full of character.  Shame the chassis is not a completely separate unit though, as the buffer beams are integral with the end mouldings, or Parkside would have been a good source of donor 10' chassis for my 'mothball fleet' of vans and opens.

 

 

Some of the Parkside chassis kits sold separately do include buffer beams (which are superfluous when sold as part of a complete wagon kit).  PA16 from memory (but don't quote me on that) would include all you need for a 10'wb wagon.

[The Johnster]

PA 16 looks very much like what I'm after as suitable for the mothball fleet, half a dozen older Mainline bodies which are still perfectly acceptable whose original chassis have been binned in the interests of eliminating moulded brake handles from the layout.  The picture shows (apparently) parts for 2 underframes for £3.50; can't go wrong at that.  But there are no buffer beams as far as I can see, unless they are attached to the floor sections in the pack.  There are buffers, not very good plastic ones, however.  At this price, it's worth ordering one just to see what's in it; the bits will come in handy even if it isn't suitable as a full chassis.

[31A]

PA 16 looks very much like what I'm after as suitable for the mothball fleet, half a dozen older Mainline bodies which are still perfectly acceptable whose original chassis have been binned in the interests of eliminating moulded brake handles from the layout.  The picture shows (apparently) parts for 2 underframes for £3.50; can't go wrong at that.  But there are no buffer beams as far as I can see, unless they are attached to the floor sections in the pack.  There are buffers, not very good plastic ones, however.  At this price, it's worth ordering one just to see what's in it; the bits will come in handy even if it isn't suitable as a full chassis.

 

 

Sorry, guessed the wrong number!  Just had a look in my stash, and PA09 is the one I was thinking of, which includes buffer beams with the buffer bodies (Oleo type) moulded on.  Otherwise a piece of 1/8" channel section Plastruct will make lots of wagon buffer beams!   With suitable buffers from, for example, Lanarkshire Model Supplies or Wizard Models.  I usually replace the plastic buffer heads with turned metal ones; again Wizard Models, among others.  PA16 as you say includes two sets of solebars; one set has long springs of the type used on LMS and some BR vac braked wagons.  PA36 is also useful ....

Edited January 28, 2019 by 31A