Building an 0 Gauge GWR 30xx Locomotive and tender.

[M Wright]

Hi, this is a new venture for me.  In the past I have built many locomotives from scratch. Part of my income is from building small scale live steam locomotives. 

A common feeling I think at this time is trying to tidy up life and complete or realise day dreams.   One of mine is to build an 0 scale railway.  It will be a very strange beast - a 1950s BR line with running powers for 1917 Highland Railway stock!  Since time is limited some shortcuts will be needed for the ex GWR BR part.  It will be an attempt at a tiny part of the Radstock - Frome branch 1950 -1956.  To be precise a condensed realisation of Haydon (Kilmersdon) colliery.  The incline will be part modelled  exiting through the backscene to a loading (by hand) area.  What inspired me was a photo( a very poor one) obtained in a Flickr search many years ago.  Here was a scene of GWR perfection - signal box, signals, a very tight  site, with a wye shaped base to the colliery incline with interesting grade separation of the tracks and a very dirty, leaky 30xx coming into shot. The photo must have been taken from a field high up beside the incline looking down towards the incline base. Needless to say the image has gone from the site!

First question would the 30xx  have been shedded at Frome or would  it have been more likely a Bristol loco.  At some point all the 30xxs had the GWR top feed fitted I presume the GWR fitted the injectors under the cab.  Looking at photos of which at the moment I have very few  (Russel's locos of the GWR, Flickr and Google search) there is no sign of the injectors. The loco in my flickr picture has the 47xx chimney.  Can anyone suggest where more info might be obtained.  Good books etc.  Before cutting out the etches and starting the build I do want to try to do the model justice.  At present 3014 is in the running, shedded at Westbury ,I have two photos of the loco too.

When I have retaught myself how to post pictures again I will post some of the HR stock that will also share the tracks, and obviously I will be back as the 30xx takes shape. 

I thank everybody reading this and hope together I end up making a nice model with your help.  Keep safe.

Edited January 17, 2021 by M Wright
mis spelling

[wagonman]

Westbury is a good place for your 30xx as there were usually a few shedded there in the late '40s/early '50s. Frome's allocation was usually confined to pannier tanks.

 

Have you seen 'Through Countryside and Coalfield' by Mike Vincent (pub OPC, ISBN 0-86093-428-4)? It covers the history of the B&NSR – almost certainly out of print but you may be able to pick up a secondhand copy. 

 

 

[M Wright]

Hi, thank you wagonman I hav'nt seen that book. I will search for an old copy.  Thank you also for the information about where a 30xx might have been shedded.

[Bulwell Hall]

Hi Malcolm

 

Good to hear that you are still actively modelling - I haven't seen you in person since we both lived in Headington, Oxford all those years ago.  These days I live in Bristol and by the most remarkable coincidence I have just completed a model of a ROD - albeit in 4mm scale, EM gauge.  In answer to your query RODs working over the Bristol & North Somerset branch to Radstock were usually from Bristol St Philips Marsh shed.  They normally worked tender first over the branch from Bristol to Radstock with empties and returned to Bristol chimney first with loaded coal trains.

 

Those RODs that were taken into stock by the GWR - rather than running on loan - were quite significantly altered to bring them more in line with Swindon practice.  The injectors were between the frames underneath the cab which resulted in quite lengthy overflow pipes for the outlet to be beneath the cab steps - it can usually be easily spotted in photos.  Most of them had  47xx chimneys, GWR type safety valve bonnets on the firebox. the tenders were modified and I found it quite a problem finding information when I was doing my model.  I do have quite a few photos that I gathered together and in due course I will scan them and send them to you - I will also sort out the other information and references that I used.  My model used a Bachmann ROD which they claimed had been altered from the original O4 but Bachmann didn't do the full job.  But as you are building a 7mm scale kit this needn't bother you!

 

Best wishes

 

Gerry Beale

[M Wright]

First thank you Gerry for the information I see that you are still making exceptional models.  Yes I am still making models although I think the business side of building commercially in 16mm is getting near the end.  Standing for a few hours pulling and pushing handles on the Britan lathe to make a couple of hundered of bits is definitely starting to pall.  I have got to a stage of ridding drawers of unbuilt kits, not as I should on e-bay but by building them.  It is strange having spent the last 40 odd years building from scratch going back to kits and even RTR.  But it does save time. 

Having purchased the book recommended by Wagonman the site of the railway model I was planning has moved north of Radstock to the other incline at Pensford.  The track plan is more interesting and there is good photographic evidence for some lovely signals and operation off the mainline is easy with the long bi-directional loop with headshunts each end.  But I still need that lovely 30xx.  I had deduced the injectors were where you said since a photo in the book showed a drift of steam below the cab step. It would be very kind to receive some more photos and info.  I am intending to photograph the model 30xx and post as it develops.  I had hoped to start by now but an order from Slaters for the wheels and bits is slow to arrive. So this second post will see if I can attach a photo.

 

This is one of eight Highland Railway kits I have built since the start of the lockdown.  This 0 gauge model has been produced from a Lochgorm Kit that was drawn by the late Andy Copp.  Over the last eight years we had become good chums.  He refreshed my interest in the HR which grew as he released more new kits into his range.

The kit is accurate and builds into the model above.  It does require skill to make.  The art work for the etches was realised in Photoshop - a difficult tool to use to produce what in effect is a technical drawing.  So most of the rolling stock kits in the range take that little bit more work than might be expected. eg in this kit the solebars were short by about  .75mm.  But it is easily fixed with a saw,  a file and a bit of solder!  As long as you do not mind the opportunity to improve your skills I think a good and rare model results. 

I have not yet finished the model.  A SER kit for a Landau has been purchased (very nice , Whitemetal). I have drawn up some etched parts for saddlery.  The coach or latterly car was retained on the wagon using leather straps ( 5 thou plasticard stips with the etched buckles etc ) plus the wooden cross bars  that were moved on the  top bar racks.  I have not found where the straps were stored on the wagons.  I fancy a locker below the floor somewhere since they would have been useful for so many other tasks arround the Victorian station!

[M Wright]

Hi, a bit of good news.  I was starting to worry that the wheels etc ordered for the 30xx had not appeared.  I rang Slaters and they told me the delay was due to no gears in stock to build the the motor/gear box I had ordered.  There would be a month's delay!  Well a worry gone but....something else would be needed to keep this post going, hence the HR stock.  The next day they rang to say the order will be here tomorrow, some gears had turned up.  What great service, I have got so used to the "we will ring back when it is in stock" and no phone ever ringing. So top marks for customer service in these difficult times.

I have added to this post another Lockdown project.  This was for a Lochgorm early HR Horsebox.  The kit builds up quite well but there is a common problem in that the floors in many of the kits have fold up strips  to attach the side to.  If this is done the separation of the sides is too wide for the ends (which are to the correct size).  The remedy is simple, break the fold ups off, clean up the fracture lines and solder the fold pieces on top of the floor edge.  Tedious but by no means a killer problem.

There does not seem to be any good photo of this truck but I think it still needs a single step to be hung from the solebar below the groom's compartment door.  Perhaps someone can direct me to a photo?

[M Wright]

Hi, well at last to the topic heading GWR 30xx. It is a long time since I built an 0 gauge loco from scratch or kit (41 years) so I need some advice. How would you advise me to  build the chassis?  Should I make horn blocks and axleboxes and spring every wheelset, or  piano wire sprung axle bushes?  Should I forget springs and use compensation beams instead?  The main problem I  see is the 2-8-0 locomotive getting round curves.  At the moment the readily available space for a layout is 9 feet 6inch  by 22 feet  does anybody think it is possible to get the loco round a 4 foot 6inch radius continuous curve?  Help and advice required!  Thanks in anticipation.