The Saltport Saga

[Barclay]

14 hours ago, Ruston said:

I've never heard of stamped brass kits before. What, exactly, is the process to produce them, and in what state do you get them in the kit?

I don't know for sure but I assume that a powerful piece of machinery was involved, to form sheet brass into shapes as if it was car panels being made in a hydraulic press.  All the parts came 'cut out' and ready formed. The steps, for instance, are from a single piece, the middle step being folded back on itself. 

 

By the way, does anyone know where I can get a smokebox door number plate for this loco. - Narrow Planet do BR ones but not LMS as far as I can see?

[Regularity]

A manual “fly press” was probably sufficient.

[Barclay]

We have now reached the point where I started to contribute to RMWeb and therefore most of the subsequent loco's have featured in their own thread. Just a quick round up of these then and we'll finish the loco. fleet next time with a look at some of the more light-hearted efforts produced during the last year or so during the various lockdowns.

 

The never-built Manning Wardle Long boiler (scratchbuilt):

 

 

 

Neilson with bits of Hornby and a Branchlines chassis:

 

 

 

 

8750 Pannier Tank using a Comet Chassis and the body from my very first loco., much-modified Triang-Hornby:

 

 

 

Kerr Stuart Victory Class (Centre Models kit) - another attempt to change the livery (to Southern Light Olive). Looks OK but I decided to stick with GWR green in the end.

 

 

 

Beyer Garratt from a Backwoods Miniatures kit:

 

 

 

Hudswell Clarke & Rodgers saddle tank from an old K's kit with an Ambis chassis:

 

 

Edited April 1, 2022 by Barclay

[AlfaZagato]

I remember reading your build on the Garratt.   Excellent build.   I wish we would see either a replacement or renewal of the kit.   

[Sandhole]

As usual, great locos.
The Centre Models Victory is GREAT.
Regards,
Chris.

 

[Adam]

For some reason these latest shots have a much more accurate rendering of colour than the earlier ones - I approve!

 

Adam

[Barclay]

Thanks my layout photo's have always been taken with a mobile 'phone because my 'proper' camera is a mid-60's fully manual Pentax and even I as a complete Luddite admit that digital is a real boon when it comes to photographing model railways! I recently changed my 'phone and wasn't impressed with the photo's so I've been experimenting with an old but decent DSLR that a friend gave me when he upgraded. Long exposure with a tripod, then crop the image to get in close as you would with the 'phone. I'm still experimenting with the white balance - the layout is lit with daylight-balanced fluorescent lights and photo's can come out over bright, colour wise, as if the camera is trying to compensate for my attempts to portray dull cloudy weather - a bit like the Kodachrome effect I suppose !

[Barclay]

It's been a strange year or so hasn't it? It must have affected me because my loco. building has gone severely astray - up until 2020 I had only ever built one freelance loco. - a teenage modification of the Hornby Caley Pug. Now, I have three more:

 

It all started when I was reading about Tri-ang dock shunters in the 'vintage' section - I remembered that I nearly had one in the early 70's when I was about 5. We got home from the shop and it didn't work. Neither did the second one so I ended up with the Triang-Hornby '08' shunter instead. As a result of this I recently decided I really wanted one and bought a 'non-runner' off ebay for £16. It did run, after a bit of a clean up, and subsequently received some extra details and Ultrascale wheels - drop them in and you have an instant EM gauge loco! One day I would like to be able to alternate with a mid-1970's timeframe for the layout so this might have a role one day. It runs quite well, although seriously fast ! Since the photo was taken it has received an LED light.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Building this got me thinking and I soon had a couple more broken bodies from ebay. Some simple scratchbuilt bogies built around Mitsumi motors, small Romford gears, and Gibson wheels got this monster up and running. Bogie sideframes are Athearn. These loco's are in the style of W.G. Bagnall so I assumed that the Brush-Bagnall bogie shunters built in the 50's for the Steel Company of Wales looked like this, much better looking than the real ones ! I wasn't brave enough to paint this one orange...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And finally as described in its own thread I built this Hawthorn-Leslie - ish loco. by modifying a very old Stewart Reidpath cast lead body and putting it onto an etched chassis. I'm still undecided about the lettering so haven't fitted the works plates yet. It may yet receive a re-spray.

 

 

 

 

 

That's all for now. Lots more projects and bits in the drawer. I might even do some more to the layout one of these days!

Edited April 1, 2022 by Barclay

[Sandhole]

54 minutes ago, Barclay said:

It's been a strange year or so hasn't it? It must have affected me because my loco. building has gone severely astray - up until 2020 I had only ever built one freelance loco. - a teenage modification of the Hornby Caley Pug. Now, I have three more:

 

It all started when I was reading about Tri-ang dock shunters in the 'vintage' section - I remembered that I nearly had one in the early 70's when I was about 5. We got home from the shop and it didn't work. Neither did the second one so I ended up with the Triang-Hornby '08' shunter instead. As a result of this I recently decided I really wanted one and bought a 'non-runner' off ebay for £16. It did run, after a bit of a clean up, and subsequently received some extra details and Ultrascale wheels - drop them in and you have an instant EM gauge loco! One day I would like to be able to alternate with a mid-1970's timeframe for the layout so this might have a role one day. It runs quite well, although seriously fast ! Since the photo was taken it has received an LED light.

 

 

 

Building this got me thinking and I soon had a couple more broken bodies from ebay. Some simple scratchbuilt bogies built around Mitsumi motors, small Romford gears, and Gibson wheels got this monster up and running. Bogie sideframes are Athearn. These loco's are in the style of W.G. Bagnall so I assumed that the Brush-Bagnall bogie shunters built in the 50's for the Steel Company of Wales looked like this, much better looking than the real ones ! I wasn't brave enough to paint this one orange...

 

 

 

 

 

And finally as described in its own thread I built this Hawthorn-Leslie - ish loco. by modifying a very old Stewart Reidpath cast lead body and putting it onto an etched chassis. I'm still undecided about the lettering so haven't fitted the works plates yet. It may yet receive a re-spray.

 

 

 

That's all for now. Lots more projects and bits in the drawer. I might even do some more to the layout one of these days!

You know I LOVE your diesels. I have dug out my Dock Shunter, with a view to putting back in service for Manchester Steel.
The bogie version is a work of art and a lovely looking loco.
The HL 0-6-0 is great too. I think I'm in a minority, in that I like the battered lettering on it.
As always, 
Regards,
Chris.

[Coach bogie]

I was having a long phone conversation with Sandhole about your Triang dock shunter, which had us talking about what we described as the 'forgotten shunter', the Playcraft 4 wheel ...what ever it is. 

 

I went to find it last night. It still had not been unpacked from when we moved into this house. (we moved here when my son was 6. He is now 22 yr old medical student!). As a testament to the drive, it ran first turn of the controller and the deep flanges did not ride the code 75 sleeper chairs.

 

Mike Wiltshire

Edited June 12, 2021 by Coach bogie

[Barry O]

2 hours ago, Coach bogie said:

I was having a long phone conversation with Sandhole about your Triang dock shunter, which had us talking about what we described as the 'forgotten shunter', the Playcraft 4 wheel ...what ever it is. 

 

I went to find it last night. It still had not been unpacked from when we moved into this house. (we moved here when my son was 6. He is now 22 yr old medical student!). As a testament to the drive, it ran first turn of the controller and the deep flanges did not ride the code 75 sleeper chairs.

 

Mike Wiltshire

Quasi NBL shunter??

Baz

[Moxy]

2 hours ago, Coach bogie said:

I was having a long phone conversation with Sandhole about your Triang dock shunter, which had us talking about what we described as the 'forgotten shunter', the Playcraft 4 wheel ...what ever it is. 

 

I went to find it last night. It still had not been unpacked from when we moved into this house. (we moved here when my son was 6. He is now 22 yr old medical student!). As a testament to the drive, it ran first turn of the controller and the deep flanges did not ride the code 75 sleeper chairs.

 

Mike Wiltshire

 

It's supposed to be one of these North British DH

 

The cab on the model is too long, the radiator is vertical (should be slightly raked back), it's outside framed when it should be inside framed with jackshaft drive.  Apart from that it's fairly close

 

I suppose when Playcraft introduced it in 1963 it was no worse than what Triang was offering at the time.

[Sandhole]

6 hours ago, Coach bogie said:

I was having a long phone conversation with Sandhole about your Triang dock shunter, which had us talking about what we described as the 'forgotten shunter', the Playcraft 4 wheel ...what ever it is. 

 

I went to find it last night. It still had not been unpacked from when we moved into this house. (we moved here when my son was 6. He is now 22 yr old medical student!). As a testament to the drive, it ran first turn of the controller and the deep flanges did not ride the code 75 sleeper chairs.

 

Mike Wiltshire

Mike offered this to me for my eldritch fleet of industrials. I'm VERY tempted to say yes to that.
Thanks Mike.

[Barry O]

Judith Edge kit is available..

 

Baz

[ManofKent]

On 12/06/2021 at 05:39, Coach bogie said:

I was having a long phone conversation with Sandhole about your Triang dock shunter, which had us talking about what we described as the 'forgotten shunter', the Playcraft 4 wheel ...what ever it is. 

 

I went to find it last night. It still had not been unpacked from when we moved into this house. (we moved here when my son was 6. He is now 22 yr old medical student!). As a testament to the drive, it ran first turn of the controller and the deep flanges did not ride the code 75 sleeper chairs.

 

Mike Wiltshire

I must get over to my parent's loft. I had one of those (secondhand early 70's) (along with the Triang shunter). It ran like a racehorse and the motor sparked like anything. I wonder whether it's still there.

[5050]

I love the Bo-Bo version.  How many bodies -2?  Any photos taken during the build?  When (ha!) we get back to 'normal' (double 'ha!') I'll have to start digging around in the 'pre-owned' boxes at shows.

Edited June 15, 2021 by 5050

[Barclay]

Hi just 2 bodies - the colours show how they are arranged. The front one is reversed so the 2 roof hatches are together. Front steps and buffer beams from Plastikard and a 60 thou square section strip from Evergreen to deepen the running plate. It would look better with 14mm wheels but I wanted to use the Athearn side frames and couldn't be bothered to hack them about.

 

The buffer beams have overlays from riveted 10 thou brass. Plus of course, both horns and a light !

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 28, 2022 by Barclay

[Barclay]

Saltport Estates no.5 (Hawthorn Leslie 3676/1927) drifts past the engine shed on its way back to the Industrial Estate. This loco. has been shunting over the weekend and has a strange aversion to the Pentroller, which all of my other loco's love. It twitches and hesitates, whereas on the Gaugemaster HH feedback it is OK, and on my ancient AGW 'electronic Controller', which uses PWM at low speed and pure DC further up the speed range it is very good indeed. The motor is one of the square 6 pole Minebea type that seem to be quite widely used now. Unfortunately single ended so no possibility of a flywheel, which would surely sort it out. The Pentroller uses feedback I believe but I don't have the knowledge or equipment to work out what it is that the motor doesn't agree with.

 

 

 

Edited April 1, 2022 by Barclay

[5050]

I wonder if a chassis from an American small Bo-Bo switcher (SW11 style) would fit the 'Double Dock Shunter' ? I've got a couple of them 'spare' and they MAY be P4-able by changing wheels and axles.

[Barclay]

I reckon they would - I have a friend who has used US chassis to build EM gauge loco's. The wheelbase of this Athearn SW7 is about 9mm longer though.

 

Edited June 23, 2021 by Barclay
Edited to add photo

[Regularity]

There's another idea: translate the spare Dock shunter cab to an Atherna SW7 for something unique...

[Sandhole]

2 hours ago, Regularity said:

There's another idea: translate the spare Dock shunter cab to an Atherna SW7 for something unique...

Now that's my kind of thinking.
Love that idea.
Chris.

[5050]

On 23/06/2021 at 12:26, Regularity said:

There's another idea: translate the spare Dock shunter cab to an Atherna SW7 for something unique...

Yes, it has a flavour (or flavor) of an Alco RS2/3 about it.

[Barclay]

The cab/bonnet assembly of the extended Tri-ang loco. is all but the same length as those on that SW7 so it could also be possible to keep the complete US chassis and running plate with steps etc. and just mount the Tri-ang parts on top.

[Barclay]

Having done a proper number on my back a couple of weeks ago working on a loco. I still can't spend any time hunched over the workbench so have turned to things I can do in more civilised surroundings, hence I have finally more or less completed the new warehouse structure. 

 

First thing was to make the building a proper box with plain plasticard at the back and to paint the inside of these pieces matt black so you can't see it through the windows. These have been glazed with a product I got from my local model shop. I can't say if it's perspex or clear styrene but it's very nice and crystal clear, except where there's one of my fingerprints on it... The roof is cheap black glasspaper, sprayed with a mixture of greys and browns. The building remains in two section to enable easier removal if required. Last job will be rebuilding the ground cover to meet up with it, while still allowing removal. I now think I should have weathered it more but I was less confident with the airbrush when I originally did it. I could have done it yesterday before the glass went in but now it would require masking off - we'll see.

 

Apologies for the roof structure - the size of the building precludes fully scenic shots!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm still thinking about how little interior I can get away with doing - certainly something is needed by the openings on the ground floor, where I have put in loading bays of a diamond pattern blue brick. I think some crates and other bits and pieces would look nice, and help the structure to blend in with its surroundings. When all this is done I can actually consider linking up the layout to its cassette fiddle yard, and remove that screw that marks the limit of shunt at the moment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 1, 2022 by Barclay