Modelling the M&CR's branch lines in EM gauge

[CKPR]

It's been built for OO but the wheels are Romfords and there appears to be the necessary clearance for changing the axles to EM.

[CKPR]

Reading Vol 2 of the HMRS Journal over a leisurely breakfast before the arrival of the rest of the family from Manchester, I found this charming article from 1957 by Ross Pochin. It's part of a series of pieces about the LNWR's claim to be the Premier Line and he rather cheekily but  convincingly puts forward the M&CR as THE Premier Line - you know that I'm not going to disagree with this assessment !

Edited November 19, 2023 by CKPR

[Compound2632]

Well said, Mr Haves.

[CKPR]

At Solrail and suggested to @SteamAlethat as we have similar M&CR stock, we could combine his 7mm Aspatria with my 4mm Mealsgate using perspective and some deft timing of the trains on the Bolton Loop...here's the fiddle yard on Aspatria.

Edited November 18, 2023 by CKPR

[CKPR]

A lovely meeting with @Citadel at Solrail and a chance to see those marvellous M&CR coaches he's been working on -  I think my rake [Trevor Charlton bodies with DIY underframes and a ropey Halfords'n'Humbrol paint job] might be going into the shops for  refurbishment as a result !

Edited November 18, 2023 by CKPR

[SteamAle]

A very good turnout from the publc today so here's hoping for an increase tomorrow as well.

Lots of networking with fellow M&CR modellers, too many to mention by name, and some excellent models were to be seen, even some very nice Furness ones as well!

Aspatria was on its first outing since a rebuild was started many years ago, which was paused due to health and family issues, but in the last few months great strides have been made. The incentive now is to get some etched coaches in O gauge, so that the stock levels can increase. A couple more locomotives, that will run, is a must as well.

Thanks to CKPR and Citadel for their kind words and lots of encouragement.

Philip

[WFPettigrew]

12 minutes ago, SteamAle said:

Thanks to CKPR and Citadel for their kind words and lots of encouragement.

Spatry looked great today - your M&C stock is just gorgeous (and as for the FR Pettigrew 0-6-0T... 😍)

 

Sorry I cannot be with you again tomorrow. 

 

Neil 

[CKPR]

@SteamAle's Spattry with everyone's favourite 

M&C engine No.26 0-4-4T on a goods train heading west to Maryport. Ever the inverterate borrowers, the M&CR have somehow obtained a G&SWR brake van for this train, probably from the adjacent Sou' Western yard at Currock in Carlisle !

Edited November 19, 2023 by CKPR

[Compound2632]

2 minutes ago, CKPR said:

Spattry with everyone's favourite M&C engine No.26 0-4-4T on a goods train heading west to Maryport. 

 

Midland D357 viewed and approved.

[sir douglas]

Other night i was looking through old magazines for brake van drawings and skimmed past an article for building an M&C Crampton in 4mm, i'll try to go back and find it again

[CKPR]

3 hours ago, sir douglas said:

Other night i was looking through old magazines for brake van drawings and skimmed past an article for building an M&C Crampton in 4mm, i'll try to go back and find it again

I think it's in Model Railway News sometime between 1967 -1968 [currently in a motorway service station on the M6 otherwise I'd could be more precise].

[lezz01]

There are a full set of drawings for the M&PR Crampton in Mike Sharmans book on the Crampton Locomotives to 7mm scale pages 19-21 including the tender.

Regards Lez.

[lezz01]

Now I love a Crampton myself and indeed the Midland had 2, it had ordered 6 but they were so woefully inadequate that the other 4 were cancelled and they couldn't even sell the 2 that had been delivered Summerson indicates that after languishing in a siding at Derby for some time they were rebuilt although I suspect they were broken up except for a few parts and so it could be claimed that they were rebuilt for accounting reasons. The point is that as they didn't last very long anywhere so unless a layout is to a very specific time period there isn't much point in building one no matter how much you might like them. Now I like a Jenny Lind and 5&9 models did a kit for them that pops up every now and then for stupid money on eBay but in the period I model they had all been turned into 0-6-0WTs or broken up so the same rule applies as the Cramptons I'd love to have one but I can't justify either of them.

Regards Lez.      

[Northroader]

I had a go at a Crampton, and got a chassis going that functioned OK and could pull a small train. What messed up completion for me was doing the outside Stephensons valve gear with the large eccentrics.

 

 

[CKPR]

Having obtained that lovely Caley 4-4-0T, I obviously needed a Caley goods engine... "metal working skills required " is putting it mildly. This proper no nonsense old-fashioned manly Jamieson kit was waiting for me on my return and to be honest, the fit of the sheet metal and cast parts is rather impressive. Not sure about the Alan Gibson chassis sideframes that came with it though, as they are for an LNER J72 ! Now, is it feasible to convert a CR Lambie 0-6-0 into a CR ex-Solway Junction Rly. 0-6-0 ?

Edited November 21, 2023 by CKPR

[CKPR]

More arrivals in the soon to be model railway room - here are Mealsgate and High Blaithwaite, which I brought down from Cumbria after going to Solrail. I'll be rebuilding High Blaithwaite to update the electrics and take account of the third photograph that has come to light and then it will be mounted on the back wall. Mealsgate is going to be modified as per previous posts and will sit atop some Ikea Kallax units. In the meantime, our Fred is keeping an eye on things.

Edited November 20, 2023 by CKPR

[SteamAle]

Ooooo that looks promising.

Thinking of all the people who turned up at Workington MRE this year it was actually a brilliant weekend. Wore out three sets of gears in different locos, so was very thin on the ground come Sunday afternoon. Turns out the problem was steel worms on brass cogs, which were out of alignement. Not my doing! Anybody need some brass shavings?

I've got lots of repair work to do before I even think of moving forwards, especially to get some more coaches, that might come from a very nice person who I met at the show for the first time!

[CKPR]

The heavy gang have already taken possession of both Mealsgate and High Blaithwaite. On the former, the sidings to the goods shed and carriage shed have been carefully removed for relaying and the old ballast sanded back to the cork. The latter effect was so pleasing, I carried on between the tracks on both stations. Definitely better than the initial black paint and a good basis for some later scenic work (never my strong point). The R/H point into the sidings is going to be directly replaced by a L/H one, thus retaining the original TOU and wiring below the baseboard.

Edited November 20, 2023 by CKPR

[CKPR]

Not giving too much way but I'll be attempting some finescale 4mm modelling on High Blaithwaite...using a 30 year old Black & Decker power saw. The station building and ground frame were cantilevered out and seemingly on stilts at the rear, so that rather solid piece of ply is going have to be cut back and the embankment reformed. I also need to remove some of the framing in order to accomodate the point motor / TOUs, all without affecting the track and scenery. Luckily, it was built using various offcuts and is of the  battleship school of carpentry.

Edited November 24, 2023 by CKPR

[CKPR]

Progress as per this morning - the new pointwork for the carriage siding and the truncated goods shed siding has been laid and needs to be, well, fettled. I'm using the same crude-but-effective methods and materials as in the original build and the previous  standard of running was pretty good, so I'm not worrying too much about appearance as that can be sorted out later. I've cropped the photo to illustrate the intended narrowing of the baseboard, which I'm hoping will emphasis the gap between the line to High Blaithwaite [ and onto Aikbank Jct.] and the run round loop and line to Allhallows colliery. Probably at a low point in model railway enthusiasm now, so off out for the day on me tod (Mrs CKPR- to-be and her not-wayward-daughter are travelling near the Caribbean - Jamaica ? No, she's gone to Costa Rica of her own accord). 

Edited November 25, 2023 by CKPR

[CKPR]

Hmmm, power re-connected to Mealsgate and to fair, some of it works...Right, I just need to be systematic and after tea, I'll work through the circuits starting from the inputs. Good job all the rather untidy wiring goes via screw connectors and isn't neatly soldered up solid. I've also got spare NOS Fulgarex point motors if the worst comes to the worst.

Edited November 26, 2023 by CKPR

[CKPR]

I got all the point motors working last night and identified a small fault in the 12v  DC supply to them, which was easily rectified with two pieces of wire. The link between the external 16v AC supply to the on-board DC rectifier was missing, which sounds grand but was taken from the cheapest S/H Hornby controller I could find. Today's focus is on making the Christmas cakes, the usual bakers being in San Jose. Once the cakes are in the oven, I'll re-lay the sidings and 'main line' and then take the saw to High Blaithwaite before making some custom TOUs. 

Edited November 26, 2023 by CKPR

[SteamAle]

Must be a nice feeling to be making progress after so long away from the right thing!

[CKPR]

More good news from the rebuilding of Mealsgate. The white card is the maximum length and average width of the station building and by abandoning the old "cassette yard", it will go in it's correct position vis-a-vis the track plan.

[CKPR]

Selling off unwanted stuff has raised the paltry sum required to purchase this rare beastie off the Bay of E. If I ever exhibit Mealsgate again, this will be my revenge for all those DCC sound chip equipped diesel depots ! Human operated analogue synthesized pre-grouping sound effects - the future sound of yesterday today.

Edited December 2, 2023 by CKPR