Elsbridge Tramway Company: Elsbridge Town - NeilHB's layout

[NeilHB]

8 hours ago, hartleymartin said:

Whilst not close prototypically, I think you can do a fairly passable No. 1 "Thomas" based on the Dapol Jinty. I cite two precedents: 1. The Rev. W.V. Awdry himself used a Triang Jinty for one iteration of Thomas for his own layout and; 2. At least one Jinty has done a stint dressed up thus in preservation.

Thomas is underway - using that method. I’ve been working on him for the last few days on and off between work on the coffee pot. 
 

Again, it’s a fair bit of work to make the donor reasonably accurate, but it’s been good fun so far! 
 

 

New side tank extensions, removal of the cab and bunker rear, plus removal of the belpaire firebox - that was fun!! 
 

 

 

 

I’m trying to reuse as much of the donor as possible, so the door as been modified so that it’s not immediately obvious that it’s LMS in origin (Fowler and his method for holding smokebox doors closed - grr - they are a pain to remove!). 
 

Again, very much a work in progress. Still got to sort out the new cab for it so that it’s not immediately obvious that the donor was a Jinty. 

 

2 hours ago, Corbs said:

 

Knuckles sells a 3D printed E2 body which could fit the Jinty chassis....

https://www.shapeways.com/product/TZK4J4Q88/7mm-lb-scr-e2-extended-tanks-body-wsf?optionId=63393169&li=shops

 

Love the coffee pot!

 

Thanks Corbs - it’s been good to get back to working on the coffee pot again! 
 

This evening I’ve been working on the next two Ulfstead Mining Company dumb buffered opens:

 

 

Should give me a nice little set of these to run on the layout when they are done  

[Justang]

You've made some really nice models here and I like what you've done with that jinty. I have been doing some 4mm W&S modelling recently (partly inspired by your work) and I tried making Thomas from a Triang jinty a while back. My solution to making it look less LMS was to - as you have done - make the firebox round-topped and to also narrow the bunker and tanks to the width of the cab. I do like how you've extended the tanks forward, like on Thomas in the books though.

Edited February 2, 2020 by Justang

[81A Oldoak]

19 hours ago, NeilHB said:

It’s a bit brutal! You need to remove the last 13.5mm from the saddletank where it abuts the cab - basically the length of the rear tank supports/firebox sides. These can then be removed from the section that you’ve just cut off, and added back to the remaining portion of the tank: 

 

Underneath the tank.

 

 

I used two of the safety valves supplied with the loco - one was cut down severely to form the rear safety valves, and the taller Peckett type dome had the top filed down and then smoothed over with milliput to create the dome. Then then needed the base below the flange removing so that it sat flush on top of the saddletank. 
 

You can then fill in the hole where the chimney goes at the front of the tank. 
 

I then filed down the front of the tank to remove the recess where the smokebox wingplate was located. 
 

A new smokebox was then added from plastic tube and sheet. The door is the original, but filed down a lot at the rear to remove excess material where it should have located into the front of the tank piece. 
 

Cab wise there is also a lot of work. 

 

The firebox part needs to have material removed from the lower sides at the front so that it sits further forward, thus allowing more room for the bunker to be added. I also raised the height of the cab by approx 2mm by adding mircostrip at the bottom. The cab windows were opened out as well. 
 

The bunker is from sheet and strip:

 

As you can see I also modified the cab openings to make it more like the illustrations from Tramway Engines:

 

 

Its not perfect, and there is a fair amount of work still required including a lot more filler to smooth things over, particularly around the cab sides. 

 

This is quite painful to watch.

[Corbs]

Love it, top bashing!

[NeilHB]

6 hours ago, Justang said:

You've made some really nice models here and I like what you've done with that jinty. I have been doing some 4mm W&S modelling recently (partly inspired by your work) and I tried making Thomas from a Triang jinty a while back. My solution to making it look less LMS was to - as you have done - make the firebox round-topped and to also narrow the bunker and tanks to the width of the cab. I do like how you've extended the tanks forward, like on Thomas in the books though.

Thanks Justang. For mine I’ll be making the cab the full width of the tanks. Have you started a thread on here with your work? 
 

3 hours ago, 81A Oldoak said:

This is quite painful to watch.

So sorry Chris, a thousand pardons for the pain I’ve caused! The problem is that I do find Minerva models are very easy to modify! 
 

2 hours ago, Corbs said:

Love it, top bashing!

 

Thanks Corbs! 

A further update from the workbench tonight - it appears that the Ulfstead Mining Company wagons have been breeding in the stockbox! 
 

 

Three dumb buffered examples, built from Port Wynnstay rejects (Caledonian Pig Iron wagons), and two sprung buffered ones from Slaters Midland 3-plank dropside opens. 

Now comes the fun task of painting the ironwork black and adding the lettering...

[Justang]

They are some nice wagons! And to answer your question, yes I have started a thread to show my work. I have been mostly just modifying Triang models (quite badly), so nothing there is massively interesting.

Here's the link:

 

[81A Oldoak]

15 hours ago, NeilHB said:

Thanks Justang. For mine I’ll be making the cab the full width of the tanks. Have you started a thread on here with your work? 
 

So sorry Chris, a thousand pardons for the pain I’ve caused! The problem is that I do find Minerva models are very easy to modify! 
 

 

Thanks Corbs! 

A further update from the workbench tonight - it appears that the Ulfstead Mining Company wagons have been breeding in the stockbox! 
 

 

Three dumb buffered examples, built from Port Wynnstay rejects (Caledonian Pig Iron wagons), and two sprung buffered ones from Slaters Midland 3-plank dropside opens. 

Now comes the fun task of painting the ironwork black and adding the lettering...

 

Neil,

I rather enjoy bashing our locos around as well. Here is what happened to an Ixion Fowler 0-4-0DM, a Minerva Kerr Stuart Victoryt now masquerading as an RSH loco and a Minerva Manning Wardle K. 

 

Regards,

 

Chris

 

[NeilHB]

They do look very nice Chris. I have the parts to do a similar conversion to the Fowler as you have done, and the full cab conversion of the MW looks very tempting! 

[Guest Isambarduk]

17 hours ago, NeilHB said:

the full cab conversion of the MW looks very tempting! 

Or how about a conversion of the Kerr Stuart 'Victory' class :

 

 

or conversion of the Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST:

 

 

David

Edited February 4, 2020 by Isambarduk

[NeilHB]

Thanks David. Both of them look great. 

 

I think the Victory may be a bit too big for Elsbridge as I'm modelling it (NWR No.1 will probably be too big as well, but Rule 1 applies there!). 

 

Your Hudswell Clarke conversion is lovely. I have a pair of them, of which one is destined to become the MSLR side tank version. On the other one I've done like you and replaced the smokebox door hinge, plus fitted different buffers (though in my case I've used Slaters ones as I they were what I had to hand). I'm still debating though about moving the sandboxes up on to the footplate at the front, but it does make a big difference to how the loco looks. 

[81A Oldoak]

I tarted up one of my Ixion Hudswell Clarkes, but nowhere near as much as David has done. The main differences are screw couplings vacuum pipes and larger buffer heads from, er,  drawing pins. 

[NeilHB]

With many thanks to @Andrew Young for the newest addition to the motive power roster for the branch  

 

 

Looking forward to getting this one up and running! 
 

In my version of Sodor, Duck arrived on the Island much earlier than in the books, and was therefore an 850/1901 Pannier, rather than a 5700. He’ll be finished in the earlier ‘Great Western’ livery, rather ‘GWR’ as the books. Plus as some of them were auto fitted later in their lives I can therefore run him with one of the Dapol autocoaches. 
 

I’ve got to decide on a suitable number for him still - can anyone recommend some decent reference material for the 850/1901 Panniers please? 

[TheLocoLover]

Sorry for the late response for numbering! This account’s brand new, but I’ve been following this forum for a little while, it’s really been interesting!

 

If you plan on making Duck a 850 Class, one of the locomotives built as a 0-6-0ST later converted to a 0-6-0PT, the numbers could be as follows:

• 93-94
• 850-873
• 987-998
• 1216-1227

 

However, if you plan on making him a 1901 Class, which first started being built a few years later as 0-6-0PTs since the beginning, the number could be anywhere between 1901-2020.

[81A Oldoak]

On 13/02/2020 at 08:15, NeilHB said:

With many thanks to @Andrew Young for the newest addition to the motive power roster for the branch  

 

 

Looking forward to getting this one up and running! 
 

In my version of Sodor, Duck arrived on the Island much earlier than in the books, and was therefore an 850/1901 Pannier, rather than a 5700. He’ll be finished in the earlier ‘Great Western’ livery, rather ‘GWR’ as the books. Plus as some of them were auto fitted later in their lives I can therefore run him with one of the Dapol autocoaches. 
 

I’ve got to decide on a suitable number for him still - can anyone recommend some decent reference material for the 850/1901 Panniers please? 

What is the provenance of this kit?

 

Regards,

 

Chris K

 

[NeilHB]

3 hours ago, 81A Oldoak said:

What is the provenance of this kit?

 

Regards,

 

Chris K

 

Hi Chris,

 

It’s the Eric Underhill kit.

 

Cheers,

 

Neil

[81A Oldoak]

20 hours ago, NeilHB said:

Hi Chris,

 

It’s the Eric Underhill kit.

 

Cheers,

 

Neil

Thank you, Neil.

[NeilHB]

Some progress to report on the first coffee pot: 

 

 

 

Really quite pleased with how it’s turning out so far. I may swap the dumb buffers for sprung ones, but will see how I feel. It may be that No.1 was purely for hauling freight, and that later locos were fitted with sprung buffers for hauling the tramcars. Next task is to sort out the motor and gearbox and then I can tackle the bodywork detailing. 
 

Just a bit on the small side compared to North Western Railway No.1! 

[NeilHB]

I had a play around tonight out in the garage. With the closure of Duddon Bridge, I’ve stripped the track off the two main boards, which will be reused for Elsbridge. 
 

I wanted to see if my trackplan posted on the previous page (19) fitted on the available boards. Alas, it does not! So back we go to Plan A from many many pages ago...

 

Left hand end of the layout - at the rear will be the station (platform to the rear) with the overall roof where the tramcars are sat. Middle road is the general goods siding, and at the front is the coal siding.

 

Right hand end of the layout. At the rear we have the dairy/loading bank siding - the far end of the siding will be gated off just before the milk van to form the private siding of St Pedroc’s Dairy. There will be a loading/cattle bank where the short dumb buffered open is. There is unexpectedly some room to fit in a loco shed siding (where the coffee pot is), which is an added bonus  

The line to the right exits off scene to Toryreck, Dryaw and Knapford...

 

I think this plan has the potential to have some good vantage points from ground level:

 

Looking across to the dairy. I’ve got a couple of 8” wide scenic boards which can be added to the front of the layout - this will give me room to add the tramway cottage which will act as a nice view blocker where the railway exits off scene.

 

And across the yard to the station at the rear.

 

Where it appears that K&E No.1 is waiting to depart with the next passenger service to Knapford. 

[BritishGypsum4]

That coffeepot is the dog's danglies!! Really enjoy seeing the progress that you are making and way it is all coming together. 
That last photo of the coffeepot and the rolling stock just looks "right", which is obviously what you were going for look wise.
Are the coffeepot parts 3D printed then? 

[NeilHB]

Thanks BG4. The coffee pot is a mix of plasticard and resin cast parts. The resin parts came from a Smallbrook Studios ‘Etna’ kit which is based on an Alexander Chaplin coffee pot:

 

http://smallbrookstudio.co.uk/kits-parts/4569521214/'etna'-vertical-boiler-locomotive/3771543

 

I bought a full kit for this one as I wasn’t sure which parts I’d be able to use, but for the next one will probably just order the boiler, cylinders and water tank as they are what I’ve used. I did some more work on K&E No.1 today, and swapped the buffers for some a bit smaller and more in keeping with the rest of the loco. It’s also gained a nice toolbox on the running plate courtesy of S&D castings:

 

 

Having mocked up the plan with the boards and the track last night, I then drew it out and worked out positioning of buildings etc:

 

 

Which were then mocked up using handy boxes from the garage - I couldn’t resist taking some stock out with me to see what it looked like  

K&E No.1 departs from the station, passing Wellsworth & Suddery A1 “Edric” who has arrived with a goods train of mostly W&SR stock. 
 

I really do like this viewpoint from between the stables and the warehouse  

 

Looking through the entrance gates to the station, between the tramway cottage and the loco shed, we see “Edric” resting on shed, having completed its shunting from earlier. It must be later in the day as K&E No.1 is back in the station with the next passenger service...

 

Some of the wagons from ”Edric’s” good train have been shunted into the coal siding. The box behind is the goods shed. 

 

 

[81A Oldoak]

That looks like a Minerva bucket on the coffeepot. 

[NeilHB]

14 hours ago, 81A Oldoak said:

That looks like a Minerva bucket on the coffeepot. 

It is indeed Chris - the tool sets are very useful. You may recognise the buffers on the coffee pot as coming from the Ixion Hudswell Clarke.

[81A Oldoak]

3 minutes ago, NeilHB said:

It is indeed Chris - the tool sets are very useful. You may recognise the buffers on the coffee pot as coming from the Ixion Hudswell Clarke.

I hadn't noticed the buffers. I have boxes full of spare bits from our locos so it's always worth  dropping me a PM to see what I might have. 

 

 

[hartleymartin]

I really like that coffee-pot. Might have to dig up that project box of mine and get a crack on with building my own!

[NeilHB]

Up until the last couple of days I’ve barely done any modelling. 
 

Husband and I took on an allotment two weeks ago, so we’ve been busy with that getting it sorted out and planting stuff that we want to grow.
 

We lucked out quite nicely as the plot we’ve taken on was well maintained, and has lots of established fruit plants/bushes (gooseberries, blackcurrants, red currants and strawberries), plus rather a lot of rhubarb! We’ve since planted raspberries (normal red ones and some golden varieties for a mix), plus pear and plum trees. 
 

Having lots of fresh rhubarb on tap has been lovely (especially as the allotments back on to the new house, so only a short walk away), so we’ve been calling in most nights when talking the hounds out to pick some - it’s never ending at the moment.

 

 

 

With all the current craziness going on we’re both now working from home, which does mean that as soon as works over, I can play trains for a bit. So I’ve taken full advantage of that and started to work my way down the list of projects which need finishing off! 
 

This evenings quick project has been to start lettering up my scratchbuilt Furness Railway gunpowder van that I started a couple of years ago:

 

 

Rather pleased with how it’s turning out. 
 

Stay safe folks and keep modelling.