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88C
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  • RMweb Gold

I have decided to start a new thread to complement my Llanforen layout thread. Since I spend far more time building models this is probably a more appropriate place for my efforts.

 

Before I start, I do not claim to be an expert modeller even though I have been doing it for a long time but I, usually, enjoy it and as has been said before, there is satisfaction in building something for yourself. Having an interest in the Barry Railway there is no alternative to kits or scratch building. Another point often made by kit builders is that you should work from a photo of your chosen loco at the appropriate period for your model, try doing that with the Barry.

 

The main source of Barry kits is Redcraft Models in Cardiff and over the years Derek Harris has been helpful in supplying parts for scratch build projects. The etches are designed for 7mm and date back to the late 80's/early 90's so they are not the easiest of builds but you do end up with something unusual, if not completely accurate they look the part. I tend to build in both Barry and GW form.

 

I am starting off with a project which is part way through so none of the early details. The Redcraft Barry B1 kit includes sides and rear for the GW style bunker as well as the original design so I am using the spare sides as a scratch aid and doing a parallel build. The two chassis are complete, for the GW version I decided to build my own rather than buy one. Both use Scalelink wheels, although for future builds I will probably bite the bullet and go for Markits.  The Barry loco has a Mashima 1424 motor with a Branchlines multibox 53:1 gearbox whereas for various reasons the GW one has 1420 couple to a High Level Roadrunner+ 50ish:1. 

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The B1s were the workhorses on the Barry and were build over several years by three different builders and as can be expected, details changed and I am trying to reflect this in my fleet, however this time the Barry loco will be as the kit with little variation. The GW one needs more work because a lot of parts need making mostly by using the etches to copy, the boiler I will deal with later. As you can see from the photo a lot of progress has been made on the bodies, Barry at the front and GW to the rear.

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The etch for the boiler is being worked on before I decide how to tackle the other one.

 

That's it for now, I will keep you up to date with progress but I do work slowly.

 

Brian

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  • RMweb Gold

I now have a boiler for the Barry loco. The etch is supplied flat so the boiler has to be rolled, long ago I decided that this job needs some rolling bars so my GW set has once again proved it's worth. There are a couple of overlays and a front to build up the smokebox.

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The top overlay needs a bit more forming and can only be rolled so far. The brass is 15th and quite stiff so annealing the ends made the job easier but still tricky to hold everything in place whilst soldering.

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The completed boiler was then test fitted to the body so that I could work out where to fix the etches for the frames. The backs of the splashers needed to be attacked with a file to get the frames in the right place. Since taking these pictures I have now cut away the underside of the boiler to clear the motor although as yet I have not fastened the two units together. Now that it is looking like an engine there is all the detailing to tackle but first I want to bring the GW version to a similar state.

 

Brian

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  • RMweb Gold
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An unexpected problem arose when testing the Barry chassis, the one with the Branchlines gearbox. The motor worked but nothing moved, closer inspection revealed that the gear which is an interference fit wasn't turning, see photo.

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There isn't enough space to get some Loctite in so another solution had to be found and after thinking about it overnight I wondered if it would be possible to pin the two adjacent gears together. I managed to do a partial dismantling of the gearbox and set to work. Using a new 0.5mm drill bit I put a couple of holes through the offending gear and by putting the two gears onto an old axle I could accurately drill into the other gear. I used 0.5mm nickel silver wire for the pins, secured with superglue.

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Once the pins had been cut back the gearbox was reassembled and without talking too soon, I think I have solved the problem.

 

These Branchlines gearboxes are very nice when working but it is tricky to get the one gear that is an interference fit right. Although the box worked when first assembled it is possible that the lubrication got into the joint, if I use one of these again I may well pin straight away.

 

Brian

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  • RMweb Gold

For some time I have been looking for an old Dean Goods body to use for this project and I finally found one at the Cardiff show in October. I had assumed that the boiler would be a simple job to add to the model. No, I hadn't done any measurements to check and when I had separated it and tried it was too short so what to do. More checking showed the actual boiler to be OK but it was the smokebox and firebox that were short. The front of the smokebox pushes out easily so if I could use a ring of plastic this would extend the smokebox, it was easy enough to ad plastic to the back of the firebox.

The components.

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Extension piece ready for trimming.

 

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More filler than I would like!

 

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I have since given the boiler a quick spray of primer to check how well I have cleaned up the filler.

 

At this point I must say that neither model will be completely accurate, for a start I know my limits, but they will look the part on a layout. As I mentioned earlier, the kit is an old design, things have come a long way since then but I do know that there is an up-to-date B1 kit proposed but it is not my place to give details here.

 

Brian

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I have got to a point where the detailing starts. Beginning with the GW version, the boiler has been test fitted but I will not fix it until I have finished soldering and this will be delayed until I source some more parts and this will probably be at York. If anyone knows where I might find some etched steps please let me know, I have some Mainly Trains and Comet which with a bit of work will be OK for the cab steps but the small front ones will probably have to be filed up.

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More progress with the Barry version. I think I have more or less finished adding the details which need soldering, I use epoxy to fix the chimney, dome and safety valves. There are other items which I make from plastic such as sand box lids.

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Both engines have been tested as I progress but a short test track doesn't show up all the problems. So far the GW model has been fine but not so the Barry one. It has shown a tendency to derail when running bunker first. Adding more weight at the rear helped a bit but not enough.

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A bit more of my roofing lead was put in the bunker to go with the slabs in the tanks and plenty in the boiler. Some tweaking to the pony truck, giving the rear drivers a bit more side play seems to have done the trick, we shall see. 

 

Adding all the details is a slow process compared to building the basics but it has to be done. No rush as it is not fit to go into the garage with the airbrush even with the heater on.

 

Brian.

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  • RMweb Gold

Slow but steady progress with the detailing, not much more I can do until I can source some fittings, mostly from 247 but I also need buffers and some larger pony wheels from Alan Gibson.

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Looking more like engines now.

 

Brian

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  • RMweb Gold

There has not been much to report lately, most of my modelling time has been taken up building wagon kits and weathering wagons for a club project. As they need to be British Railways  as opposed to my usual BR I will be building up stock for another era but they will be useful when the 94xx finally appears.

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My next loco project is in it's very early stages but here is a hint as to what it is. A lot of thinking will be needed on how to tackle it.

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Brian

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Right first time. I am using a Redcraft H chassis, Derek Harris is very helpful, but the rest is down to me.

 

This will complete my collection of the Barry loco classes.

 

Brian.

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  • RMweb Gold

Hello Lloyd,

 

 The best that I can recommend is the recent book published by the Welsh Railways Research Circle, Barry Railway Drawing, you may also be able to find the Oakwood Press book of diagrams compiled by Eric Mountford.

 

Photographs of all Barry stock are hard to find. There is only one known photo of a complete Barry coal train and I suspect that may have been posed. 
 

Redcraft Models in Cardiff supply kits for many of the locos and the Barry coaches but the these date from the late 1980s and do not contain any fittings. As far as I know there are no wagon kits.

 

My comments about models refer to 4mm, if you want 7mm you are probably better off, Redcraft again and also Taff Vale Models.

 

Hope this helps but if you have any specific questions don’t be afraid to ask and I will do my best to answer.

 

Brian

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  • RMweb Gold

No trip into town today and no visit to the café so I have had chance to make progress on the D.

 

I have started to assemble the cylinders at least there is no outside valve gear to worry about. 

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A bit more has been done since the photo but you can see that I have removed the front wheels so that I can check that everything moves as it should.

 

Brian

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The better weather has given me chance to get into the garage and set up the airbrush. Several models needed priming, including a Comet coach, so I am giving the Phoenix two part etching primer a go. Funny stuff to work with and thanks to all those on here that have given tips. I used my old Badger airbrush rather than risk gumming up my newer one, time will tell before I decide if the extra work is worth it compared to going straight to a Halfords rattle can. Pictures will follow.

 

More work on the D, I have now put the covers over the cylinders, not very neatly I admit.

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Trying these in place with a mock up of the footplate just didn't look right. Referring back to the drawings it shows that the etches are too wide by about 1mm. After a bit of overnight thinking I decided to use a slitting disc down the centre and re-join the two sides this brought things back near enough to where they should be, this is not going to be an exact scale model, it will have to work. Looking back to my H class which has the same chassis I must have done something similar way back in the 90s.

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 The frame spacer showing is used to position the assembly correctly every time I need to remove it from the frames and much cleaning up to do.

 

The width over cylinders is a fraction under 9 feet and the few photos that I have of these engines clearly show the cylinders to be much wider than the footplate, remember they were built for Swedish and Norwegian Railway who couldn't pay for them.

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More spraying has been done over the last couple of days. Yesterday it was hard work, just could not get the paint to flow, serves me right for using an old tin. The airbrush was subjected to a thorough clean. Today was a different matter, it all worked beautifully, four models need painting and today they all got a coat, three colours in all with no problems. There will be pictures when I get chance.

 

The D is also making slow progress, the footplate has been made and fitted although there may still be some fettling needed.

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I have also made a start on the tender. Again the footplate, for the want of better word, has been made and a separate chassis for the wheels.

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Most of what I have been using, apart from the chassis, wheels and motor, have come from my stocks. Over the years I have acquired several sheets of brass which I use for the larger components but slimmer pieces, like buffer beams, have come from the left over bits on etched sheets. Don't throw them away, they will be useful one day, so far I have been able to find bits of the right width.

 

I must admit I don't have a plan of what to do next, I just do what I feel in the mood for and there are easier bits which can be done if I don't feel like tackling a more challenging part.

 

Brian

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  • RMweb Gold

Quite a bit of time recently has been spent with the airbrush and painting but I have also been making progress with the D

 

More detail has been added to the chassis.

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Wheels and motor fitted and testing begins.

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So far things are going OK, the track gauge gives a bit more weight to help the pick-ups. Now I have got this far I will do more running and testing on the layout before fixing the crankpin washers and then the cylinders, a quick check suggests that clearance will be OK but you never know.

 

Brian

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  • RMweb Gold

I have mentioned recently that I have been catching up with painting models, well here is the first to be finished.

 

Ex Port Talbot 811.

IMG_5636.JPG.1c75a500c6408f741665130613da5090.JPG

This has been built from a CSP kit and I can thoroughly recommend it. Just a note on the livery, generally speaking it seems that GWR saddle tanks weren't lettered but there is a photo on the 813 fund website which clearly shows 811 lettered. On a test run it seems that the pickups need a bit of a tweak.

 

Brian

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  • RMweb Gold

Steady progress with the D class, the chassis is virtually complete and being tested.

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Assembling the cylinders and connecting rods required a fair bit of thinning down the crankpins on the second set of drivers, I had already reduced those on the front pair. I have great admiration for those of you who work in EM P4 let alone 2mm. I will fix the connecting rod when I am fully satisfied that things are OK.

 

As well as working on the D the two B1s are being painted but I will be reluctant to risk the Precision satin varnish.

 

Brian

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Steady, if slow, progress on the D.

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The cab sheets are now fitted, not without a problem of my own making and taking the wrong measurement from the drawing meant that I had to remake the front. You would think that I should know better at my age. 

 

This time I decided to fit the handrails first because of that awkward right angle bend. I got round it by holding the shaft of a handrail knob in a pin chuck with a piece of wire through the hole as a guide and the carefully filed a flat on one side. Using a scriber I made a small indent on the flat and again using a pin chuck I drilled a small hole to locate the rail. Once in place and soldered up it all worked better than I was expecting. 

 

Before I go may I thank all involved with the virtual meeting, especially Andy, and by not going I got some modelling done. A grand total raised for a good cause.

 

Keep safe and keep modelling.

 

Brian

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  • RMweb Gold

Work is progressing on the D albeit slowly, I have got to be in the mood otherwise it is a waste of time.

 

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Since I last posted I have cut out the chassis frames and fitted them. Had I been more careful I wouldn't have missed the other cut-out near the front. I have done it now, needless to say it was trickier than doing it before fitting. The basic tender body has been made but I don't have suitable brass to make the flared tops. Looking at how other people have tackled them I will need to make a jig and have a bit of practice. Currently I am working on the boiler, I have done one in plastic to check measurements an have marked out some brass ready for rolling, again, I will have to be in the mood to do that.

 

Brian

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Slow but steady progress, the D is starting to look like an engine now.

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The plastic boiler in place, It was certainly worth the effort as I made a couple of minor tweaks to the measurements before committing to brass. 

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The brass version, not finished by any means but placed on the footplate once clearance had been created for the motor. A good investment years ago was a set of GW rolling bars which made this job so much easier and smoother. The hardest part of making the boiler that I find is fitting the smokebox front, no matter how carefully I mark and line up it is never quite right so I am going to have to adjust the position of the handrail holes slightly, not too serious as I deliberately drilled them under size.

 

Brian

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  • RMweb Gold

Still making steady progress with the D, it might not look much but working out the best order to do things and searching through all the saved bits from etches does take its time. Please remember that this build will not be a super accurate model but, I hope, a reasonably good representation of a loco for which I do not have a lot of information. There are some drawings for the class which give the basic dimensions plus a Sharp Stewart blueprint from the NRM, however the details don't always agree. We are told by many modellers to use a dated photo for reference, fat chance! I have only been able to find 10 pictures of this class of four engines, only 3 with this style of cab. I have plates for number 35 and two photos, one dated 1906 and the other as GWR1387 after having a bit of a rebuild and that is dated 1927. My stock really fits the 1919 - 1921 period.

 

Back to the model. I found some etched springs which I have modified to use as the ones prominent on the first two axles. Scrap etch has been filed up a bit for the equalising bar(?) and the reversing lever simply more left over etch of a suitable size.

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Some time has been spent fitting the boiler, not attached yet but it now clears the motor and a short test run didn't show up any problems.

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I have just purchase another BR loco, later period! and when I saw it alongside the D I realised that the D is really quite small, I should have realised because one of my photos shows the crew posing on the footplate and the top of the heads are about level with the top of the boiler.

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I will have to start trying to buy some more supplies, I have plenty of handrail knobs but of course not the size I need, some tender springs and axle boxes and a tank filler. I also need some brass for the tender flares, that is going to be a challenge to make.

 

By the way, some of my time has been spent building some wagons for use on a club layout set in the 60s so although not WR  I will need something to pull them at home.

 

Best wishes to all,

 

Brian

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  • RMweb Gold

As I mentioned on my Llanforen layout thread I was not happy with the tender when on test, it derailed far too often. The wheels are mounted on a subframe which I think was too flimsy and distorted when screwed to the body so I decided to make another. Searching through my scrap box I could not find any suitable remnants of etch so I decided to try some single sided copper clad, that should be more rigid. I tried to be more careful this time, drilling the side frames as a pair and using my Chassis Squared jig when I realised that it also had 2mm fixings.

148504955_IMG_5675(2).JPG.1203cadaa4036847b3d93f33bf858c64.JPG

 

Pleased to say this seems to have done the trick and as a bonus it will be fairly easy to fit tender pick-ups should I think they are needed. What wasn't so clever was putting the fixing bolts under the axles!

 

Brian

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