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Foxcote New Pit - formerly Highbury Colliery


queensquare
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  • RMweb Gold

No it's a GF general purpose tank, kind of related to a GE engine. I used to have two on my old N Gauge layout in the 1970's (Gouldby for Caldecote) coupled together for banking trains up the 1 in 37 incline. The noise they made meant that you needed ear defenders and they were also quite good at shedding coupling rods. They were superceded by my model of Big Bertha, converted from a Minitrix 2-10-0.

 

Tim

 

Hi Tim,

thanks for that. I didn't realise it was a general purpose tank. I thought it was one of their Holden tanks - that would explain why the dome is in an odd place. I think I have one of the Holden bodies in the odds box somewere. It will make a nice, quick, if slightly chunky, addition to the North Somerset Light's roster. Now I know it is freelance I think I will remove the cast dome and replace it with something a bit more attractive - brass and shiny I think.

 

Jerry

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  • RMweb Gold

After writing this post, I Googled the layout name and found the following link:

TrainLife - December 1994 - Page 36

Amazing what you can find not he web, quite forgot that I wrote the article.

Sorry for hijacking your thread Jerry!

 

Tim

 

No problem. I have a copy of the 1970's edition of the much missed Model Railways mag which featured the layout and a cracking photo of a very youthful looking Tim!

Will try to get the general purpose tank finished in time to make its debut at St Albans show in January although 'Kimberly' (see opening page of this thread) spent a number of years running unpainted before I finally got around to finishing it off.

 

Jerry

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It does look more to me like a Holden J69-style tank - the ones introduced when Farish first started in N gauge. They did appear in a range of liveries, which might account for some people calling them general purpose.

 

The one most commonly known as the Farish General Purpose tank was a much later, stretched Jinty-style design produced originally for a cereal promotion if I remember correctly. Your model is definitely not one of those.

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Guest Natalie Graham

Farish did two of those little engines didn't they? The GER one which was intended as a J-69 and was available in GER livery and the more 'generic' GP tank. The GER one had the stepped lip to the side tanks, the dome further foward and toolboxes on the tank tops. It was quite a nice little loco, except for the fork-ended coupling rods which regularly lost touch with the crankpins and the little plastic gears on the driven axles which used to split with troublesome regularity. Your loco looks rather good with a decent chassis under it.

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  • RMweb Gold

Hi Armchair (!), your picture does indeed show the later GP tank but the little one I have converted is much earlier and is different to the GE Holden tank as outlined in Natalie's post.

The picture below shows my little tank engine alongside a Farish, GE Holden tank in untouched condition, also sporting a new chassis, and they are quite clearly different locos. For the record they are sat on the train table/fiddle yard of Tucking Mill.

 

Jerry

 

post-1074-0-74552100-1322405242_thumb.jpg

 

Edit - forgot to add the picture!

Edited by queensquare
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Hi Armchair (!), your picture does indeed show the later GP tank but the little one I have converted is much earlier and is different to the GE Holden tank as outlined in Natalie's post.

The picture below shows my little tank engine alongside a Farish, GE Holden tank in untouched condition, also sporting a new chassis, and they are quite clearly different locos. For the record they are sat on the train table/fiddle yard of Tucking Mill.

 

Jerry

 

Yes - if you read my last entry in conjunction with my entry immediately above Natalie's you will see that I am simply confirming my own observations that your loco is not a general purpose tank, by showing what a GP tank actually looks like. :no:

 

I was trying to be helpful, that's all!

Edited by Armchair Modeller
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  • RMweb Gold

 

Yes - if you read my last entry in conjunction with my entry immediately above Natalie's you will see that I am simply confirming my own observations that your loco is not a general purpose tank, by showing what a GP tank actually looks like. :no:

 

I was trying to be helpful, that's all!

 

I'm bored of this now so it will be my last comment on the subject but as I and others have noted and the photo clearly shows it is a GP tank, albeit an earlier and different incarnation than the one you showed.

 

Jerry

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Guest Natalie Graham

Farish locos originally had a seperate motor similar to the old ECM ones. When they switched to the later type of chassis with the motor built in these didn't fit the existing GER and original GP tank locos so they discontinued them and brought out the larger GP tank loco.

 

Seeing that picture above I wish I still had my GER loco body which hung about for years after the chassis died. It would be perfect for a little project I have been mulling over. The GER blue one looks good. It will be nice to see the other one when it is painted.

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  • RMweb Gold

.

Your loco looks rather good with a decent chassis under it.

 

Thanks Natalie, it is a little chunky but does have a certain charm. It runs remarkably well and is surprisingly controllable considering it only has a simple 30:1 reduction off the Tenshodo motor.

 

Jerry

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I believe Farish originally did the 'Holden tank' in two different versions - one in GER blue & another in LMSR Crimson Lake. They were virtually identical (livery notwithstanding), except for the position of the dome & the tank-top toolboxes (or absence thereof), as shown in your comparison photo.

 

The Farish 'GP' tank has always been the 'super Jinty' as posted by Armchair M.

 

 

Hope this helps,

 

Kevin

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Whatever the origins of the loco body, it makes a rather nice looking loco. I think there have been a couple of articles in past issues of the 2mm Magazine on building locos using the Farish body - must have a look when I get home.

 

Andy

Edited by 2mm Andy
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  • RMweb Gold

Whatever the origins of the loco body, it makes a rather nice looking loco. I think there have been a couple of articles in past issues of the 2mm Magazine on building locos using the Farish body - must have a look when I get home.

 

Andy

 

Thanks Andy, as I said I am going to make it look a bit more pretty with a new dome and possibly replace the stovepipe chimney. I,ve not decided on a name for it yet but I don't think it will be 'The General'... :D

 

cheers Jerry

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Thanks Andy, as I said I am going to make it look a bit more pretty with a new dome and possibly replace the stovepipe chimney. I,ve not decided on a name for it yet but I don't think it will be 'The General'... :D

 

cheers Jerry

 

What about Saunders?

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • RMweb Gold

Morning all, a quick progress report on the new loco which I am still hoping to have ready for St Albans in january. All the excess detail has been carved off and holes for new hand rail knobs and lamp irons etc have been drilled. The new chimney and dome are simply balanced in the photo and need a bit of bedding in and fettling yet. Quite pleased with how well the motor is hidden in the side view but I must tidy up those wires!

 

Jerry

 

post-1074-0-91343200-1323509481_thumb.jpg

post-1074-0-25755300-1323509500_thumb.jpg

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Hi Jerry,

 

I've only just discovered this layout/thread - and I must say that it is great, I especially like your Hudswell Clarke-esque 0-4-0 "Kimberly".

 

Excellent work on the new locomotive, and it looks much better already for the new chimney and dome!

 

All the best, and happy modelling

 

Paul A.

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  • RMweb Gold

Looking good Jerry. I think these make a nice chunky little tank loco and it all else fails, you can paint it blue and stick a face on the front.

 

My version is very similar but I mounted the motor much further back and filled the area inside the tanks with lead sheet.

http://www.zen98812.zen.co.uk/060chas.html

060_2.jpg

 

 

It also later gained a J69 body in preference to the "GP" version.

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  • RMweb Gold

Hi Mark,

I had forgotten that you had one of these. Your chassis is a nice design and should have a more realistic top speed as you have got a doble reduction gear train in there. Mine is much simpler with just a single 30:1 reduction - slow running is good although it does have to be driven as the top speed is quite lively!

 

Jerry

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Looking good Jerry. I think these make a nice chunky little tank loco and it all else fails, you can paint it blue and stick a face on the front.

 

My version is very similar but I mounted the motor much further back and filled the area inside the tanks with lead sheet.

http://www.zen98812....uk/060chas.html

060_2.jpg

 

 

It also later gained a J69 body in preference to the "GP" version.

 

Just to let everyone know, a replacement chassis for these bodies will be included in the second wave of chassis to be made available through the Association. I picked up three of these bodes at an avaerage price of 3 quid on ebay, so it makes a nice cheap loco.

 

Anyone got any comments on just how accurate it is to the dimensions of a J69?

 

Chris

Edited by Chris Higgs
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  • RMweb Gold
Just to let everyone know, a replacement chassis for these bodies will be included in the second wave of chassis to be made available through the Association. I picked up three of these bodes at an avaerage price of 3 quid on ebay, so it makes a nice cheap loco.

 

 

Thats good news Chris, I have another of these bodies stashed away.

 

Anyone got any comments on just how accurate it is to the dimensions of a J69?

 

No idea I'm afraid as I'm attempting to make mine into a more generic 'typical' tanky. That said I suspect its a bit chunky all round.

 

Jerry

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  • 1 month later...

Highbury Colliery was flying the 2mm flag at the St Albans Exhibition this weekend, and the Brummitt twins were helping during Sunday. Happy/silly hour saw a few GWR visitors:

 

post-10888-0-36779200-1326655581_thumb.jpg

The two 14xx locomotives were struggling with the GWR freight train - partly because they were too light (or the trucks were too heavy), but mainly because they were wired in opposite directions, so one was pulling forwards and the other was pushing backwards (or was it vice-versa?).

 

post-10888-0-75726700-1326655610_thumb.jpg

An additional locomotive was added, and with the aid of a downhill slope and a following wind the train eventually made its way off the layout.

 

post-10888-0-42693000-1326655635_thumb.jpg

A flying banana made an appearance - wandering through the sidings which provided better lighting for photography.

 

post-10888-0-44092200-1326655652_thumb.jpg

Three siphons - those miners must drink lots of milk!

 

post-10888-0-59811700-1326655669_thumb.jpg

Backlighting means that the chocolate and cream livery is barely visible, so avoid upsetting the sensibilities of the locals.

 

post-10888-0-10274500-1326655685_thumb.jpg

The caravan is reputed to be a visitor from Highclere - through a timewarp from the 1960s to the 1920s?

 

David

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A flying banana made an appearance - wandering through the sidings which provided better lighting for photography.

 

No. 19 seen before the advent of Satnavs. That must be the explanation of how that rail tour got so badly lost.

 

The caravan is reputed to be a visitor from Highclere - through a timewarp from the 1960s to the 1920s?

 

It was eviction time at Dale Farm?

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