Reddish ETD in 4mm Scale

[Sandhole]

There is an out of print Foxline book on this subject but there is one on ebay.This line is described in great detail with plenty of pics of Oxford rd before & after rebuilding.

 

 

                                            Altrincham.jpg

 

 

                                   Ray.

Time flies!!

One of my Manchester Bibles, even though my fictitious Manc terminal is on the L&Y/LNWR side.

I didn't realise it was out of print!!

                                    Chris.

[E3109]

Thought I'd post these on this thread, as Altrincham EMUs are being discussed. Didn't want to start a new thread on it!

 

Cheapo build Altrincham set, from some OO Grafar carriages obtained at a reasonable price.

Think I mentioned before that they're a foot short (i.e. 4mm), but I can live with that discrepancy. The only problem with that, is that there would then be no room for the cab on the DTS car without extending it.

 

However, fate has played a hand here, for one of the centre cars was rebuilt to a DTS and had only 8 compartments instead of 9. So that's the one I'm doing, and it got BR Blue too, which is basically my era. So that's one issue sorted.

 

What I did notice though, is that the Grafar carriages have perpendicular, vertical sides, the Alty sets didn't.

Sorted via a splice down the middle, as seen below.

 

Incidentally, I'm minded to motorise it and I've been considering using a Hornby 2-BIL power bogie. Does anyone know if that'll be a decent match? Looks all right from the photos online, although I'm not convinced about the wheelbase.

 

Cheers

 

Off doing a bit more on Reddish now!

 

E3109

 

 

 

 

[Michael Edge]

Thanks Michael,i bought mine from DC kits but there were no instructions with them,is it possible to put a set on here?.

 

                            Ray.

 

Are you sure they are ours? I don't think we have ever supplied them to DC kits.

[sagaguy]

Hi Mike,I think they were advertised on his website as such but I found him a strange person to deal with.

 

Ray.

[Michael Edge]

If the etch has "Judith Edge kits" on it I'll send you some instructions, one thing you definitely need is the template for drilling the four holes.

[sagaguy]

If the etch has "Judith Edge kits" on it I'll send you some instructions, one thing you definitely need is the template for drilling the four holes.

Thanks,I’ll have a look tomorrow & let you know.If they are not yours,can I order 2 from you please?.

 

Ray.

Edited May 3, 2018 by sagaguy

[E3109]

Hello again Michael. Just a quick query, I'm wondering if you'd be willing to produce a "Heljan EM1/EM2 Correction Kit", either as a commission kit or as an pack on general sale.

I'm thinking windscreen surrounds with proper radii and no visible rivets, the later marker light bezels that they had for most of their lives, and corrected cabsides.

From what I can tell the EM2s were identical in all of those respects, and I'm more than happy to wander off down to MOSI to take measurements/photos and confirm.  

[Michael Edge]

I'm slowly working on a proper kit for the EM1 at least, meanwhile the old DC Kits moulding is far better proportioned than the Heljan effort. However it is 5% too big all over because someone told me to make the pattern that much oversize to allow for shrinkage - of course I then found out that there is no significant shrinkage with polyurethane resins. The Heljan EM2 has all the faults of the EM1, the old Triang one is much better looking, shame about the moulded on lining on it though, it makes it impossible to paint in lined green.

[PaulCheffus]

I'm slowly working on a proper kit for the EM1 at least, meanwhile the old DC Kits moulding is far better proportioned than the Heljan effort. However it is 5% too big all over because someone told me to make the pattern that much oversize to allow for shrinkage - of course I then found out that there is no significant shrinkage with polyurethane resins. The Heljan EM2 has all the faults of the EM1, the old Triang one is much better looking, shame about the moulded on lining on it though, it makes it impossible to paint in lined green.

Hi

 

Will it cover the later MU fitted version?

 

Cheers

 

Paul

[Michael Edge]

Not for me but I'll bear it in mind.

[great central]

I'm slowly working on a proper kit for the EM1 at least, meanwhile the old DC Kits moulding is far better proportioned than the Heljan effort. However it is 5% too big all over because someone told me to make the pattern that much oversize to allow for shrinkage - of course I then found out that there is no significant shrinkage with polyurethane resins. The Heljan EM2 has all the faults of the EM1, the old Triang one is much better looking, shame about the moulded on lining on it though, it makes it impossible to paint in lined green.

The raised moulding can be removed, I've done an EM2 in plain electric blue. Posted a picture several years ago, away from home at the moment so can't re-post I'm afraid

[sagaguy]

This is a Triang EM2 that i restored from a very tatty original.I normally run Hornby Dublo 3 rail but i saw this loco at a very cheap price on ebay because it had a pantograph missing.Now it so happened that i had a spare pantograph thet i bought from Triang in about 1960 for an aborted emu project using HD emu trailer cars & a Kitmaster motor bogie.At last,after 50 years,i had a use for this pantograph.It was repainted in Humbrol Brunswick green & lined with orange lines from Fox transfers.Of course,i couldn`t run it or,could i?.I also have about 4 Trix EM1s & having a large quantity of Trix catenary,i got it operating on my 3 rail layout picking up traction current from the catenary.It wasn`t until i posted the pic on here that i realised it was 27006 Pandora,not Aurora but this has since been rectified.

 

 

                              

 

 

                  A short video of the EM2 under the wires.

 

                                  

 

                And a pic of my repainted Trix EM1

 

                            

 

    Now if i could make my Heljan EM1 run like that,i`d be very pleased.

 

 

                                                  Ray.

[Enterprisingwestern]

    Now if i could make my Heljan EM1 run like that,i`d be very pleased.

 

If you could make it look like that it would be a step in the right direction too.

 

Mike.

[Michael Edge]

The raised moulding can be removed, I've done an EM2 in plain electric blue. Posted a picture several years ago, away from home at the moment so can't re-post I'm afraid

 

I've painted them electric blue and lined black but I've never tried removing the raised lining.

 

 

I left the Triang pans on this one, would have been better with ours now but I did this one quite a long time ago. The raised lining isn't so obvious when the panels are lined out in red.

[sagaguy]

Excellent model,i like the compound catenary!.

[Michael Edge]

That's my electric test track, actually a bit of baseboard removed from Cwmafon in the last alterations. The catenary is made from steel wire, the idea being that it doesn't expand as much as more usual metals but it's rather heavy even for Woodhead OHLE.

[Dubaimike]

Regarding the traction that visited Reddish. Obviously 76s and 506s were a permanent fixture with it being their home depot, along with EM2s up until 1968.

Class 24s/25s, 40s and 47s were also extremely common there too.

 

Going off photographs, the following were also present from time to time:

 

08s (in for maintenance rather than pilot duties, these tended to be done with 76s rather than a borrowed Jocko. Even after withdrawal, 76015, 76040 and possibly others have been noted).

 

Co-Bos and Midland Pullman sets were maintained there for a time in the 1960s.

 

I've seen at least one photo each of a class 37 and a class 50 there.

 

Class 45s were occasional visitors, especially towards the end.

 

Class 87s (!) apparently every loco visited for power pack mods, these required the use of an overhead crane. According to form, Crewe Works didn't have capacity as it was busy with other work.

I do have an emailed photo of 87023 (named) outside the main shed, but don't know who took it thus cannot post it here.

 

 

Blue Square DMUs of classes 104, 108 and even 120.

 

304s and Bury 504s were also common visitors, presumably for the wheel lathe.

 

Merseyrail 502s/503s also went to RS from time to time (again, tyre turning?)

 

I think it was Charlie Petty of this parish, who said that Glasgow AM3s (303s) visited in the 1960s, for repaints.

 

So, clearly there was a lot more variety there than is commonly assumed.

 

Now I'm wondering about what other locos and units went there over the years.

 

It's not beyond the realms of possibility that the Departmental Claytons, which worked out of Longsight for a time may have attended.

 

I wonder if a class 56 ever went there? I certainly saw one undergoing exam in Longsight shed in 1984 (after the Reddish closure), which was unusual in itself.

 

Class 81-86 must surely have visited on rare occasions for the wheel lathe?

 

And perhaps 123/124 Trans-Pennine sets.

 

What about 310s, and thinking about it, I wonder if any 306s visited for component recovery for 506s, prior to breaking up at Horwich Works just down the road.

 

Clutching at straws now, but what about 10000/10001? If for no other reason than the fact that they shared similar bogies to the EM2s.

 

I'm surprised I've never seen any shots of the old DC Altrincham sets on there, surely as Manchester Area EMUs they must have visited on occasion, bearing in mind other 'foreign' Manchester EMUs did, as well as the Liverpool sets.

 

If anyone can assist here, I'd be very grateful and especially so if there are any photos.

 

Cheers

E3109

On Sundays in the mid 70s I regularly used to ride my bike to Reddish. I was always given permission to go round the shed and I don't think I ever saw anything move, except on the 1973 open day.

The only loco classes I saw were 24, 25, 40 and 76, again apart from at the open day. Class 506 EMUs were regulars of course, I'm not sure if I saw any other types. The Longsight class 24s were stored there for a long time before and after withdrawal and these included a couple of interesting examples in 24005, which was originally  D5000, and 24021, which carried the BR lion symbol on its' blue livery to the end.

 

I'd like to share an "if only" moment from one Sunday in 1975 when I was delighted to find 40171 on the depot. This was one of a handful of class 40s still in green livery at the time. It was outside the shed, perfectly posed in the sun to show off the terrible condition of the paint, which was worn away to the red undercoat in many places. I took lots of pictures, then moved into the shed building where I found 25043, the only remaining green class 25, was there as well, again well placed for pictures. This was amazing luck and multiple frames were exposed on it. 

 

So what happened? The slides came back from processing to show the budget conscious 15 year old why some "own brand" films were so cheap. With dreadful colour balance and totally unusable, they all went in the bin. An unfortunate lesson in why cheap is not always good. I only used Kodachrome from then on, but of course I never encountered these locos again. At least I did get good Kodachrome shots of the two class 24s I mention on a later visit.

 

Thanks for bringing back memories of Reddish and I confirm that in the 1970s there was still a painted notice on an external wall of the depot saying "Pullman Oil Only"!

 

Cheers

 

Mike

Edited May 14, 2018 by Dubaimike

[sagaguy]

On the Model Shop Forum on here,there has been a lot of chat about the Heljan EM1 & the frankly bloody awful pantographs which should be working versions on a model of this price,anyhow,iv`e checked dimensions & have found that the Trix EM1 pantographs are a very near fit to the insulator base.You have to be a member of the TTRCA to order them  & i`ve ordered 2 today.These do work under my Trix catenary as the have a rounded top like the old Triang type.I`ll post on here when i start to fit them.If they work,i wouldn`t mind an EM2 from Hattons as they are at an attractive price at the moment.

 

                                  Ray.

[E3109]

Time I posted some updates, so here we go.

 

 

[E3109]

Better with some engines though.

Spot the interloper... which in real life might not even fit through the doors!

 

 

 

[sagaguy]

Well,here she is,Heljan EM1 fitted with Trix EM1 pantographs.They are not wired in at the moment but at least,it will look right under my catenary.Very fragile roof detail which i have slightly damaged.It will now look better under my Trix OHLE.The wire is a bit thick,i may cut it off at a later date & solder the wire to the pan baseplate.

 

 

                          

 

 

                      Ray.

 

[E3109]

A little bit of work from yesterday. Still plenty to do though!

 

 

[E3109]

Just to add, the vertical RSJs in the above pic have now been removed awaiting replacement, I got them wrong...

As depicted above, the angled 'lintel' RSJs that span the shed would've rested on top of the uprights but in fact they were fixed to the uprights at the sides. D'oh!

Back to the drawing board.

 

Incidentally, I bought a can of Rustoleum 'Terracotta' spray yesterday and I can't praise this product enough, it really brings out the proper brickwork effect. It has a real texture to it, subtle enough to represent real masonry but rough enough to be able to smooth it off as necessary just with a finger. Spot on for colour too.

[E3109]

A bit of progress yesterday, finally got the main baseboard done, and the pits positioned, albeit temporarily.

 

The pit road assemblies still need the Lego studs covering over of course.

 

Incidentally, I'm posting via an iPad and for some reason the photos often seem to be upside down, like here, no idea why and dunno how to correct it. Any advice appreciated...

[E3109]

Some more pics. I'm able to correct their orientation via my laptop I think, not yet though as I've lost my dongle. Rather that than losing my mojo...