Coleshill (Forge Mills ) layout and stock

[46256]

All the main parts as supplied with the kit, with the exception of cab roof have been added to the model. The roof will be added after painting to allow glazing and painting inside the cab. There is still work though to be done. The photos of the real locomotive circa 1955,  reveal assorted pipework and bits and bobs which I will need to model. More soon

[46256]

Handrails pipework and other bits and pieces added as per the photos I have accumulated. A thorough clean then primer .

[46256]

The locomotive is now in primer, decided to paint weathered black. I don’t think I can replicate that used look by starting with the gloss black.

 

Edited March 17, 2023 by 46256

[46256]

Painted just awaiting transfers glazing cab roof added, couplings ( three link) front pony truck on water tank after securing body to chassis

 

Edited March 18, 2023 by 46256

[John Tomlinson]

5 minutes ago, 46256 said:

Painted just awaiting transfers glazing cab roof added, couplings ( three link) front pony truck on water tank after securing body to chassis

 

 

You started this on February 23rd. So I make that 24 days. Quite remarkable for something of this scale!!!

 

John.

[46256]

Hello John thank you, of course now I’m a senior citizen officially, I have the time to dedicate to a model . Wintertime has also meant less calls from my family for assistance! I think I have averaged four hours per day most days. I will do the math …about 96, more like 100 plus hours.  It didn’t help, having to make replacement pieces, and yes I found the missing valve gear, in my wires spares box. Still no sign of the smokebox door.
 

I do love it when a model gains its identity

Edited March 18, 2023 by 46256

[manna]

G'Day Folks

 

Yes that was a quick build, but I believe you've built one before !!

 

Now I have to ask, have you enough wagons for it to 'Push or Pull' ?????

 

manna

[46256]

Gday Manna

 

Yes I have. I suspect, like most of us who have been in this hobby a while , I have more wagons and coaches than my layout requires. When it travelled through Water Orton, in real life, it was light engine. The prodigious loads were tackled on its native lines. I am tempted though, to recreate the time on the Lickey, when Bertha, a LMS garratt, and 69999 were coupled together.

 

 

[46256]

69999 complete en route to the Lickey

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by 46256

[46256]

The view many a guard would see prior to being banked

[46256]

On its way back to Yorkshire…and it’s fate

 

ive just had it running with 26 wagons…I’m sure it can handle at least twice as many courtesy of the high level double motor assembly 

[46256]

On its test train

[rowanj]

Ex Lner U1 on test train.

 

https://youtu.be/dqWIJvYzycM

[46256]

Thank you John

 

I thought I had put 50 wagons behind it, on counting on the video it’s only 48! In any event it can haul even more

[manna]

G'Day Folks

 

200 wagon hauler there. really should have tried her out on the ECML. ( I know, the refuge siding weren't big enough).

 

manna

[mark axlecounter]

On 20/03/2023 at 22:14, 46256 said:

On its test train

That is some loco Brian, well done buddy. 
I’ve been to busy for modelling at the moment due to house work and life getting in the way, but reading your progress has got me chomping at the bit to pull my finger out lol 

keep up the good work bud 

[46256]

Thanks Mark good to see you on here again, I appreciate how life can get in the way of modelling!

[farren]

Lovely work on the U1, it’s definitely an impressive looking model, and worth the effect. 

[46256]

Bertha meets the U1

[46256]

Recreating the legendary meeting on the Lickey…Lms garratt, u1 and Bertha….albeit some 30 odd miles north east

[46256]

Back to more mundane matters, my last royal scot body 46126, gets its comet chassis, Hornby wheels, high level gears and motor. I havnt recorded it visually, however I have just added comet cylinders and motion to a Hornby Stanier 264t. I had been unhappy with the pick ups. I replaced them by glueing copper clad strip to the underneath of the chassis. Phos bronze pick ups soldered in place on the strip touching all wheels.  Since then I have seen a video on YouTube, by OO Bill.  John (R ) sent it too me. Bill rectifies the poor running, on these and similar Hornby chassis,   by adding a small dab of solder to the pick up plates, which improves the mating with the small contact points in the chassis wired to the motor. I think I had tried this,  prior to my more  drastic remedy, without Bill’s success. I would try this again, in any future work. In respect of the current loco, I managed to damage the flimsy motion bracket assembly. The spares are like hens teeth. I therefore purchased a full comet cylinder and motion set. It requires a lot of the chassis block being removed . ( One rotary tool motor burnt out in the process…tool now replaced) The assembly added to the chassis. The metal gear retainer was removed, and old lubricant replaced with new, transforming the running on the tank locomotive. I’m  Pleased to say the retainer when put back in place ensured the gears stayed meshed. This is not always the case with this design, which was shared with other types, hence for example, why so many Royal Scot bodies are available…which is where this particular post started..

Edited March 29, 2023 by 46256

[46256]

The real locos at Bromsgrove

[46256]

Still working on 46126. I have just watched a brilliant piece of film, outtakes from the film, Train  of Events.  This and other YouTube snippets have been posted on Iain’s (92220) stunning recreation of Camden shed and environs. ( Layout Topics thread) 

46126 was the “ star “ of the film. The sequence shows it being turned on the table at Willesden. The narrator notes that for some reason the identity of the locomotive was changed slightly removing the six, thus becoming 4612. There appears to be no explanation other than to recreate an appearance of a pre nationalisation locomotive, but as he says with British Railways written large on the tender, or why not remove the four thus 6126. He does mention it may be superstition, given it’s fate later on in the film?

 

on that theme D 326… 40136, diesel class 40…. 

[46256]

Portrait of a claughton. I purchased this and an unrebuilt Royal Scot also in LMS livery, some time ago from my local model shop for a really good price. It is not my era etc, but both were well built and painted, and at the price. One omission by the original builder were the brakes. I took the claughton of the shelf and examined it with a view to adding these. I’m not that knowledgeable about Ex LNWR locomotives. A view on internet produced a number of photographs including the one attached. It clearly shows walschaerts valve gear….oh dear had the modeller omitted this ? 
 

I have a copy of Bob Essery and D Jenkinsons book on LMS locos western and central divisions. The answer lay within. 5908 Alfred Fletcher, along with some others was converted to Caprotti valve gear. Later that year it was fitted with a large boiler. The modeller, had modelled this loco correctly for the short time it had its original small boiler, and the new valve gear circa 1928. It is powered by a small DS10 motor and Romford gears, and runs very well, indeed better than I have ever managed with this combination. I toyed with the idea of replacing with high level, but for a locomotive that will spend most of its time in a display case, I decided against it, and fitting the brakes. The deep valances hide most of this anyway.

[rowanj]

Those brakes look very like the Slaters plastic moulded ones, Brian, and so I wonder if simply glueing them to the chassis would be an easy job. They do look very prominent on the prototype photo.  Just a thought.

As always, all the best.