PGN's pre-grouping N gauge workbench

[PGN]

The locomotives currently in my paintshop are nearing completion. Once they are finished, I shall move back to my workbench and tackle three LSWR goods locomotive kits which I have waiting to be built. They are:

 

(1) Peco / Wills B4 0-4-0T. This is one of the simplest of all whitemetal kits, consisting of just six parts, but becoming devilishly difficult to find nowadays.

 

 

This kit was designed to fit the Arnold Hanomag chassis. Again, these are becoming difficult to find, but I just happen to have a couple in stock. The one pictured below is actually a non-runner. The motor runs perfectly well, but the gears are not meshing for some reason which I am currently unable to fathom. However, I have another one which is currently away with a 2mm etched kit manufacturer so that he can take dimensions and see if any of his kits can be adapted to fit. If I have not managed to make this one work by the time that one comes back, then I shall use that one to provide the motive power for this kit instead.

 

 

 

(2) Langley S15 4-6-0. A much more complicated kit, but if the examples I have seen are anything to judge by, it builds up into an excellent model. In LSWR days, of course, it did not have the smoke deflectors - so that's two parts I don't have to fit, in any case. This is a current production item, so no rarity value attaches to the kit itself.

 

 

This kit is designed to fit a Fleischmann chassis, and I happen to have one of those to hand too. I have had it running on my current project layout (which is up and running and provides a very useful test track) and it is an excellent little mechanism.

 

 

 

 

(3) N Brass Locomotives G6 0-6-0T. This too is a current production item. It will be the first brass locomotive I have built, so wish me luck! I have heard very good reports of this kit; so if it all goes pear-shaped blame me and not Nick Tilston!

 

 

This kit is designed to fit the Graham Farish GWR pannier tank chassis, and I happen to have one of those to hand, too.

 

 

 

Once these are all built and painted, I shall be well on my way to having the LSWR freight locomotive fleet I need to work my Shalford Junction layout (when It's been built - progress reports to appear on my blog from time to time). There will also be a ROD Robinson 2-8-0 (number 1733), and a Highfiled long-boilered 0-6-0 in Great Northern livery standing in for one of the J7s which were lent to the LSWR to help cover for the 50 0-6-0s which were shipped abroad to help in the war effort and never came back. Throw in a couple of Union Mills 700 class 0-6-0s converted back into LSWR shape (which I think probably requires no more than to shorten the smoke box back to unsuperheated length) and I reckon I'll be well covered for LSWR freight.

[Atso]

Looks like you've got a good selection to keep you busy! I've got a second hand Robinson L1 (GCR) to build at some point. It looks like most of the parts are there but its so badly assembled its untrue! Thinking of putting this on top of a Pannier or Jinty chassis as it looks better than the GP tank chassis suggested by Langley...

 

Looking forward to seeing how you tackle the N brass kit, looking at the picture you've posted it should be a corker!!!

[mike morley]

Beware of the poor gear-meshing with the Arnold 0-4-0 chassis. Mine had the same problem and it ended up with one of the gears shedding a tooth. Replacements are, of course, impossible to obtain.

[PGN]

Wow! Was this really six and a half years ago??? And I can't believe I didn't report the end result of the build!

 

All three models got built, and entered for the NGS model making competition (can't recall whether that was 2012 or 2013). The G6 got a Bronze award, the B4 got a Very Highly Commended and the S15 got a Highly Commended. Photos to follow shortly.

 

Since then, modelling has been focussed on an abortive attempt to build an N Brass SECR C class 0-6-0 (I was going to persevere, but now Farish have announced a forthcoming RTR there doesn't seem all that much point ... ); playing catch-up in the paint shop with all my locomotives waiting to go into their proper pre-gouping liveries; and providing a better selection of rolling stock for my locomotives to haul. 

 

Not that I've had all that much time to do much modelling, as the focus of my attention has been on running the NGS Era 1 & 2 section ... 

 

I'm also starting to group my stock into permanent trains so that they can be stored in ready-to-deploy condition. Here are the contents of a few of the "train boxes" that I have to hand right now:

 

LBSC Express Passenger: E5 class 0-6-2T in Marsh umber livery + horse box + 5 x bogie coaches all in plain umber livery

 

LBSC Local Passenger: D3 class 0-4-4T in Marsh umber livery + 4 x 6-wheel coaches + 2 x 4-wheel coaches + 4 wheel full brake in a mix of plain umber and umber/white liveries

 

LBSC Goods: A1X class "Terrier" 0-6-0T in Marsh umber livery + 3 x LBSC 5-plank wagons with various loads + LBSC 3-plank wagon with load + 2 x Corrall & Compy coal wagon + MR ventilated van + sheeted MR 5 plank wagon + LSWR van + empty LSWR 5 plank wagon + empty SECR 5 plank wagon + LBSC brake van

 

LSWR Local Passenger: G6 class  0-6-0T + 5 x bogie coaches

 

SDJR Passenger: 2P class 4-4-0 + 5 x SDJR 6 wheel coaches + Midland clerestory bogie dining carriage (Manchester - Bournemouth headboards) + Midland clerestory 6 wheel carriage + Midland clerestory 6 wheel full brake

 

GNR Express Passenger: K3 class 2-6-0 + 5 x bogie coaches + bogie full brake

 

GNR Local Passenger: J13 class 0-6-0T + 5 x 6 wheel carriages

 

NER Local Passenger: freelance 0-6-0T + 6 x 4 wheel carriages + 4 wheel full brake

 

NER Express Goods: R class 4-4-0 + 2 x bogie van + 6 x refrigerated van + birdcage brake

 

RR Passenger: P class 0-6-2T + 6 x 6 wheel coaches

 

ROD Tank Train: G2 class 0-8-0 + 6 well wagons with sheeted tank loads + continental-outline brake van

 

MR Passenger: "Flatiron" class 0-6-4T + 4 x bogie coaches (brakes with elliptical rooves; inside coaches with clerestory rooves)

 

FR Local Passenger: "Baltic" 4-6-4T + 2 x bogie coaches

 

It's kinda hard to explain why a Baltic is working a train of just two coaches (well, not really: I only have two Furness coaches at present ...) but I figure that the engine that was due to work the train must have failed, and the only other engine in steam that could be sent to work it was the Baltic. Something not too dissimilar happened in the 1950s, when Cambridge shed sent their only available locomotive in steam - an A4 streamilned pacific - to replace the failed yard shunter at Saffron Walden. 

 

 

[PGN]

Here's a load of pictures of the completed G6.

 

B4 and S15 photos to follow in due course.

[PGN]

And a few more train boxes with ready-to-deploy trains:

 

MR Goods: class 4F 0-6-0 (or whatever it was called in Midland days) + MR cattle wagon + MR 7-plank wagon with timber load + 2 x MR sheeted 5 plank wagons + MR van  + MR 7 plank wagon with coal load + MR sheeted 7 plank wagon + CL van + GC 7 plank wagon with timber load + LNWR van + MR brake van

 

GER Suburban Passenger: "Buckjumper" 0-6-0T + 9 x 4 wheel coaches

 

SDJR Passenger: class 4F 0-6-0 (the one in the incorrect blue livery) + 8 x 4 wheel coaches (I wanted this one to be a "pure" Graham Farish train, rather than mounting the coaches on the Fleischmann 6 wheel chassis which I usually use to make the Farish 4 wheel coaches look more realistic

 

CR Express Passenger: class 4P in Caley Livery (serving as a generic proxy for Caley 4-4-0s) + 7 x bogie coaches

 

CR Coastal Passenger Fairburn 2-6-4T in Caley livery (serving as a generic proxy for the big Caley tank locomotives) + 7 x bogie coaches

 

CR Branch Passenger: Manning-Wardle "pug" in CR blue livery (serving as a generic proxy for the little Caley "pugs") + 5 x 6 wheel coaches

 

 

That completes the 19 train boxes I have managed to make up so far.

 

In the offing are:

 

LBSC Cattle Train: K class 2-6-0 in Marsh umber livery (there is some debate as to whether they ever appeared in this livery; but it looks good so I'm sticking with it) + 6 x LBSC cattle wagons + 2 x LSWR cattle wagons + LBSC brake van. I will be able to complete this train as soon as my latest transfer order arrives from Fox.

 

LSWR Navy Ammunition Train: S15 in LSWR goods livery + 2 x barrier wagons (LSWR 5 plank wagons) + 6 x LSWR gunpowder vans + 2 x barrier wagons (as before) + LSWR brake van. I need the new Fox transfers to complete the barrier wagons, and I also need to organize a suitable LSWR brake van.

 

ROD troop / horse train: Robinson 2-8-0 + continental outline brake van + a rake of "8 horses / 40 men" vans + continental outline brake van. I just need to acquire and paint a few more suitable vans to make a worthwhile train. (I may also switch engines with the tank train ... I haven't decided on that one yet.)

 

MR coal train: 4F 0-6-0 + a dozen or so MR coal wagons + MR brake van. I need to renumber one of my Farish MR 4Fs before I can make this one up; but I shall probably use the un-renumbered locomotive (3848) on this train to use it as a demonstration of a "pure RTR" pre-grouping goods train, using the Farish locomotive from the "Landship Train Pack"; the NGS 50th anniversary special edition wagons from Dapol; and a Peco MR brake van

 

LSWR motor spirit train: 395 class 0-6-0 in LSWR goods livery + 2 x barrier wagons + as many tank wagons in Class A volatile livery as I can muster + 2 x barrier wagons + LSWR brake van. I need to repaint a Union Mills 395 class (I have two of them waiting to go into the paint shop) and provide 4 more barrier wagons + a LSWR brake van for this train

 

LSWR cattle train: 395 class 0-6-0 in LSWR goods livery + about 6 LSWR cattle wagons and perhaps a GWR cattle wagon or two + LSWR brake van. I need to put the 395s through the pain shop and organize the cattle wagons and brake van before I can make up this train.

 

 

Once I have all of these completed (and there isn't really all that much work there, other than the LSWR brake vans) I shall have 25 fully formed and ready-to-deploy N gauge pre-grouping trains.

 

Longer-term projects include LSWR express passenger; SECR passenger (using repainted N Brass RTR L class 4-4-0s rather than Farish N class moguls to haul the Farish "birdcage" sets - 2 sets per train - when they arrive); GCR passenger (when Etched Pixels has the bogie coaches back in stock); GCR goods; NER express passenger; NER goods; SDJR goods; GNR goods; GWR passenger and goods; more ROD trains; HR passenger; MGN passenger and goods; and possibly another RR train exploring the possibility of kit-bashing an outside-frame 0-6-0ST from a Farish 08 chassis and a GEM LYR 2F ST kit ...

 

... so plenty to look forward to on this thread. Sometime. Maybe.

Edited February 19, 2018 by PGN

[PGN]

And here are some pictures of the B4, which was awarded a Very Highly Commended. 

 

Despite having only 6 parts, it proved a very difficult kit to put together satisfactorily, because the footplate consists of three parts and getting the alignment on these right is essential.

 

I also decided to attack the Arnold chassis and trim down the motion a bit to make it look more prototypical. This was not the easiest of tasks by any means, but I think the outcome is worth it!

Edited February 20, 2018 by PGN

[PGN]

And last but not least (well, according to the judges it WAS least, as they only gave this one a Highly Commended ... ) the S15:

[PGN]

Hmmmm ... the lighting wasn't great for the pictures of the S15. I'll have to try to get some better ones at some point ... 

[PGN]

I've been wondering for some time what my next project ought to be. I've been looking from time to time at the Planit Engineering white metal kit for the NSR New C / New F class 0-6-4T, but if I ever were to get it built I'd have nothing for it to pull. I did buy a couple of the etched brass 6-wheel coach kits way back in about 1990, but back then I lacked the skills to build them. Somebody at the Norwich club said he'd put them together for me, but he didn't do a great job; they don't have underframes or roofs; and in any event there are only two of them and neither is a brake coach. So they've been sitting reproachfully in my "stalled projects" box ever since, too.

 

But then ... on Ebay ... I saw a lot of part-built etched brass coach kits and they looked familiar. I put a bid on them, and bought them for just a tad under £25 including the postage. When they arrived ... every one of them was a Planit Engineering NSR 6-wheel coach, and two of them were brakes. All of the major parts are there; not so sure about the minor parts but no worries: I'm not intending to use the etched underframes in any event (still beyond my skills) and will be looking to mount them on continental RTR 6-wheel chassis. Not all of the roofs are there but that's not the end of the world either. As I recall, Mike Bryant never even used to include roofs in his etched brass coach kits, as he reckoned there were better ways of making them. 

 

So ... here are the major parts of what I bought (none of the construction to date is my work ... ). I now have a project to work on; and when it is finished I shall have a rake of coaches for the 0-6-4T to pull and no excuse whatever for not getting on and building it!

Edited March 4, 2018 by PGN

[LNWR18901910]

On 18/02/2018 at 11:15, PGN said:

Wow! Was this really six and a half years ago??? And I can't believe I didn't report the end result of the build!

 

All three models got built, and entered for the NGS model making competition (can't recall whether that was 2012 or 2013). The G6 got a Bronze award, the B4 got a Very Highly Commended and the S15 got a Highly Commended. Photos to follow shortly.

 

Since then, modelling has been focussed on an abortive attempt to build an N Brass SECR C class 0-6-0 (I was going to persevere, but now Farish have announced a forthcoming RTR there doesn't seem all that much point ... ); playing catch-up in the paint shop with all my locomotives waiting to go into their proper pre-gouping liveries; and providing a better selection of rolling stock for my locomotives to haul. 

 

Not that I've had all that much time to do much modelling, as the focus of my attention has been on running the NGS Era 1 & 2 section ... 

 

I'm also starting to group my stock into permanent trains so that they can be stored in ready-to-deploy condition. Here are the contents of a few of the "train boxes" that I have to hand right now:

 

LBSC Express Passenger: E5 class 0-6-2T in Marsh umber livery + horse box + 5 x bogie coaches all in plain umber livery

 

LBSC Local Passenger: D3 class 0-4-4T in Marsh umber livery + 4 x 6-wheel coaches + 2 x 4-wheel coaches + 4 wheel full brake in a mix of plain umber and umber/white liveries

 

LBSC Goods: A1X class "Terrier" 0-6-0T in Marsh umber livery + 3 x LBSC 5-plank wagons with various loads + LBSC 3-plank wagon with load + 2 x Corrall & Compy coal wagon + MR ventilated van + sheeted MR 5 plank wagon + LSWR van + empty LSWR 5 plank wagon + empty SECR 5 plank wagon + LBSC brake van

 

LSWR Local Passenger: G6 class  0-6-0T + 5 x bogie coaches

 

SDJR Passenger: 2P class 4-4-0 + 5 x SDJR 6 wheel coaches + Midland clerestory bogie dining carriage (Manchester - Bournemouth headboards) + Midland clerestory 6 wheel carriage + Midland clerestory 6 wheel full brake

 

GNR Express Passenger: K3 class 2-6-0 + 5 x bogie coaches + bogie full brake

 

GNR Local Passenger: J13 class 0-6-0T + 5 x 6 wheel carriages

 

NER Local Passenger: freelance 0-6-0T + 6 x 4 wheel carriages + 4 wheel full brake

 

NER Express Goods: R class 4-4-0 + 2 x bogie van + 6 x refrigerated van + birdcage brake

 

RR Passenger: P class 0-6-2T + 6 x 6 wheel coaches

 

ROD Tank Train: G2 class 0-8-0 + 6 well wagons with sheeted tank loads + continental-outline brake van

 

MR Passenger: "Flatiron" class 0-6-4T + 4 x bogie coaches (brakes with elliptical rooves; inside coaches with clerestory rooves)

 

FR Local Passenger: "Baltic" 4-6-4T + 2 x bogie coaches

 

It's kinda hard to explain why a Baltic is working a train of just two coaches (well, not really: I only have two Furness coaches at present ...) but I figure that the engine that was due to work the train must have failed, and the only other engine in steam that could be sent to work it was the Baltic. Something not too dissimilar happened in the 1950s, when Cambridge shed sent their only available locomotive in steam - an A4 streamilned pacific - to replace the failed yard shunter at Saffron Walden. 

 

 

That is quite a roster. Too bad you've hardly any LNWR locomotives on it and not much Midland Railway locomotives.

[PGN]

I've assembled quite a few more trains since then ... and I'm currently working on the LNWR goods, headed by a Coal Tank and brought up by a Newman Miniatures 3D printed LNWR brake van.

[PGN]

Here's my latest project: an ex-Highfield Models kit for an NER O class 0-4-4T passenger tank (LNER class G5) ... the moulds and masters are now owned by B H Enterprises and they will happily supply the kit, but without instructions as Peter Middleton never wrote any.

 

I've got mine running on a Dapol M7 chassis, and here it is presented in primer (it's currently in my paint shop receiving full NER livery ... photos to follow when complete)

 

 

Edited January 3, 2021 by PGN

[PGN]

And a while back (QUITE a while back) someone was bemoaning the paucity of Midland locomotives in my roster.

 

So here's the kit-bashed "Yankee Mogul" which I finished just before Christmas (still running with a part that I fashioned from scrap brass to replace a missing piece of valve gear ... I have a second-hand non-runner on its way which I will cannibalise for a "proper" replacement part ... 

 

 

[PGN]

And here's the (nearly) finished O class 0-4-4T in NER livery. I still need to add coal to the bunker, a locomotive crew, and possibly a reversing lever from N Brass Locomotives. Number plates will have to wait until Narrow Planet are accepting orders again.

 

The panel edging is brush work, whereas the lining out has been done with Modelmaster lining transfers. I am not sure it is an altogether happy combination, and I think for the second build I will use the lining transfers throughout. This was the first time I had used them, though, and I was in two minds about trying them at all until after I had done the panel edging.

 

The compromises in the kit design meant that the lining could not be applied in a strictly true-to-prototype manner; but all in all I am very pleased with how this one has turned out.

[LNWR18901910]

On 03/01/2021 at 09:57, PGN said:

And a while back (QUITE a while back) someone was bemoaning the paucity of Midland locomotives in my roster.

 

So here's the kit-bashed "Yankee Mogul" which I finished just before Christmas (still running with a part that I fashioned from scrap brass to replace a missing piece of valve gear ... I have a second-hand non-runner on its way which I will cannibalise for a "proper" replacement part ... 

 

 

Wow! How did you make that model? I could make the Midland Yankee Mogul 2511 Class using a GWR 43xx model and such. Would it be possible?

[LNWR18901910]

I have purchased a Union Mills T9 which I intend to use as an SECR E Class 4-4-0 as it is mostly not too far off. The only things worth changing are the cab, the chimney and safety valve in place of the whistle which would then be mounted on the cab roof as well as the Belpaire firebox scratch-made and the cab front windows altered. Is a conversion of this sort possible even in this scale?

[LNWR18901910]

Here I am back with an N Gauge conversion which is the SECR E Class 4-4-0 made using a Union Mills LSWR T9.

The chimney has been replaced, the dome has been moved forward and the firebox has been constructed from scratch. She still runs well in both directions and the cab windows will be drilled out as the original ones have been filled in. The cab has been modified to represent the SECR Wainwright style akin to its predecessor, the D Class.

 

Also coupled behind her are two repainted Graham Farish Four Wheel Coaches made for the layout. They are also hauled by the Graham Farish C Class 0-6-0 which also doubles as a good locomotive but as a mixed-traffic locomotive, too. An SECR Dancehall Brake Van was made from a Graham Farish LMS Brake Van and it wasn't an easy conversion, but then again, never say never and believe me, I never once did.

Edited October 12, 2021 by LNWR18901910