Stoke Courtenay

[checkrail]

As Winslow Hall heads away towards the tunnel she passes sister engine (and Newton Abbot shedmate) 4908 Broome Hall on a Newton to Plymouth stopping train.

 

 

I wanted a Hall with small tender to add a bit of variety, and I've found a number of 1930s photos of 4908 with the 3,500 gallon version.  This model started life as 'Rood Ashton Hall' as preserved, part of the 'Shakespeare Express' train set. (I sold on the other items but I've since seen the loco advertised separately.)  It's finished in a lustrous chrome green which is a shade different than its sister's.  Don't know how accurate that shade is but it looks attractive.  And though Halls do suit later, plainer liveries I think this early version with small tender looks nice and elegant in full pre-1934 rig, redolent of its Saintly forebears.  I think Bachmann have done a particularly nice job on the tender.

 

 

John C.

[checkrail]

The next few pics show Broome Hall easing in to its scheduled stop at Stoke C. with its 4-coach local set (van 3rd; compo; 3rd; van 3rd).

 

 

Those who've followed this thread recently may recall how the camera had exposed my skimping on detail that's out of sight at normal viewing angles.  It hadn't occurred to me when building the layout that I'd be able to get my camera into places where my head or eye wouldn't go.  I spent a couple of days or so last month putting this right.  What fun - standing on a chair bent double as if I was standing on my head at the back of the baseboard, painting the platform side of the fencing and adding advertising posters, applying lettering to the back of the running-in boards, and above all adding and painting the missing brickwork on the rear side platform faces and filling the cess between platform and track.  Glad it's over, with no damage (except a bit of acid indigestion from being bent double for so long!).  Not perfect, but it'll do, and allows some good shots.

 

 

Another thing I've been grappling with over recent weeks - without success so far - is trying to assemble Exactoscale GWR screw couplings and persuade them to adopt that characteristic GW arrangement whereby they're hung up to a hook beneath left buffer.  I'll come back to this in due course and have another go, but I'd spent so long at it that it was time to move on and get other things done.

 

(I note that the Hattons/DJM 48xx is said to have just such a coupling set-up included.  I've emailed both Hattons and Dave Jones suggesting that this be made available as a spare.  Otherwise, in the short term the only way I can see towards getting what I want is to buy ten 48xx models, keep the couplings, and throw the locos away.  Might be a tad expensive.)

 

 

I quite like this last shot, which I think shows Bachmann's nice finish to advantage.

 

John C.

 

 

[Limpley Stoker]

The next few pics show Broome Hall easing in to its scheduled stop at Stoke C. with its 4-coach local set (van 3rd; compo; 3rd; van 3rd).

 

Tale of two halls 015-min.JPG

Tale of two halls 016-min.JPG

 

Those who've followed this thread recently may recall how the camera had exposed my skimping on detail that's out of sight at normal viewing angles.  It hadn't occurred to me when building the layout that I'd be able to get my camera into places where my head or eye wouldn't go.  I spent a couple of days or so last month putting this right.  What fun - standing on a chair bent double as if I was standing on my head at the back of the baseboard, painting the platform side of the fencing and adding advertising posters, applying lettering to the back of the running-in boards, and above all adding and painting the missing brickwork on the rear side platform faces and filling the cess between platform and track.  Glad it's over, with no damage (except a bit of acid indigestion from being bent double for so long!).  Not perfect, but it'll do, and allows some good shots.

 

Tale of two halls 017-min-min.JPG

 

Another thing I've been grappling with over recent weeks - without success so far - is trying to assemble Exactoscale GWR screw couplings and persuade them to adopt that characteristic GW arrangement whereby they're hung up to a hook beneath left buffer.  I'll come back to this in due course and have another go, but I'd spent so long at it that it was time to move on and get other things done.

 

(I note that the Hattons/DJM 48xx is said to have just such a coupling set-up included.  I've emailed both Hattons and Dave Jones suggesting that this be made available as a spare.  Otherwise, in the short term the only way I can see towards getting what I want is to buy ten 48xx models, keep the couplings, and throw the locos away.  Might be a tad expensive.)

 

Tale of two halls 018-min.JPG

Tale of two halls 019-min.JPG

Tale of two halls 020-min.JPG

 

I quite like this last shot, which I think shows Bachmann's nice finish to advantage.

 

John C.

Well worth all that work to complete the illusion of reality. Stunning pictures!

 

I have grappled with the stowed front coupling issue on my resurrected Bachmann Manor, using a Smith's coupling which is clearly overscale. Perhaps a 3D printed coupling would sell well .

[Ardmore]

The next few pics show Broome Hall easing in to its scheduled stop at Stoke C. with its 4-coach local set (van 3rd; compo; 3rd; van 3rd).

 

Tale of two halls 015-min.JPG

Tale of two halls 016-min.JPG

 

Those who've followed this thread recently may recall how the camera had exposed my skimping on detail that's out of sight at normal viewing angles.  It hadn't occurred to me when building the layout that I'd be able to get my camera into places where my head or eye wouldn't go.  I spent a couple of days or so last month putting this right.  What fun - standing on a chair bent double as if I was standing on my head at the back of the baseboard, painting the platform side of the fencing and adding advertising posters, applying lettering to the back of the running-in boards, and above all adding and painting the missing brickwork on the rear side platform faces and filling the cess between platform and track.  Glad it's over, with no damage (except a bit of acid indigestion from being bent double for so long!).  Not perfect, but it'll do, and allows some good shots.

 

Tale of two halls 017-min-min.JPG

 

Another thing I've been grappling with over recent weeks - without success so far - is trying to assemble Exactoscale GWR screw couplings and persuade them to adopt that characteristic GW arrangement whereby they're hung up to a hook beneath left buffer.  I'll come back to this in due course and have another go, but I'd spent so long at it that it was time to move on and get other things done.

 

(I note that the Hattons/DJM 48xx is said to have just such a coupling set-up included.  I've emailed both Hattons and Dave Jones suggesting that this be made available as a spare.  Otherwise, in the short term the only way I can see towards getting what I want is to buy ten 48xx models, keep the couplings, and throw the locos away.  Might be a tad expensive.)

 

Tale of two halls 018-min.JPG

Tale of two halls 019-min.JPG

Tale of two halls 020-min.JPG

 

I quite like this last shot, which I think shows Bachmann's nice finish to advantage.

 

John C.

 

 

The first three pictures are some of the best I have seen on RMWeb. I can visualize myself on that station watching and listening to that train arriving. Brings back all sorts of wonderful memories.

 

David 

[checkrail]

Well worth all that work to complete the illusion of reality. Stunning pictures!

 

I have grappled with the stowed front coupling issue on my resurrected Bachmann Manor, using a Smith's coupling which is clearly overscale. Perhaps a 3D printed coupling would sell well .

 

You've done a great job there.  After an initial experiment I decided that Smith's couplings weren't flexible enough in more than one direction to do this, but you've proved me wrong!  The Exactoscale ones certainly will do it, and will probably look really good, but I think you have to a jeweller, watchmaker or skilled finescale modeller to manage it.  I'm none of the above but working on the last one! 

 

I agree that a 3D printed one (or conventionally manufactured spare) would be very popular with GW modellers once the word got round.   

 

Thanks for kind comment.

 

John C.

[Limpley Stoker]

You've done a great job there.  After an initial experiment I decided that Smith's couplings weren't flexible enough in more than one direction to do this, but you've proved me wrong!  The Exactoscale ones certainly will do it, and will probably look really good, but I think you have to a jeweller, watchmaker or skilled finescale modeller to manage it.  I'm none of the above but working on the last one! 

 

I agree that a 3D printed one (or conventionally manufactured spare) would be very popular with GW modellers once the word got round.   

 

Thanks for kind comment.

 

John C.

 

Thank you for your comment, John, but I think the coupling shown is from my spares box and is not the current offering from Smiths, and I don't recall it's origin. I have several frets of the old PC models couplings which would work if the centre link is twisted through 90 degrees so if that works I will post a picture!

[Limpley Stoker]

Thank you for your comment, John, but I think the coupling shown is from my spares box and is not the current offering from Smiths, and I don't recall it's origin. I have several frets of the old PC models couplings which would work if the centre link is twisted through 90 degrees so if that works I will post a picture!

I've just placed a PC models coupling on my modified hall - by putting a 90 degree twist in the central. link it stows quite well. Similar etches are available from Roxey models.

Edited March 12, 2017 by Limpley Stoker

[checkrail]

I've just placed a PC models coupling on my modified hall - by putting a 90 degree twist in the central. link it stows quite well. Similar etches are available from Roxey models.

 

Looks good.  I think I have a pair of similar Shire Scenes etched coupling frets somewhere, which might lend themselves to the same treatment. But I will have another go with the Exactoscale ones - perhaps when I get round to tarting up King and Castle.

 

John C.

[checkrail]

A few more shots of 4908 'Broome Hall' as the down starting signal goes off and it pulls away towards Plymouth.  Looks like the leading clerestory coach hasn't had a repaint since the early 1920s!

 

 

John C.

[The Great Bear]

One word, three syllables - fab-u-lous!

[81C]

Those photo's are nice.

 

Seeing those Clerestories on your layout which makes a nice variety of coach stock in the train made me indulge in buying a couple of S/H one's, they are in bits at the moment being smarten up and detailed then they might get a light weathering as per photo's 

they alway seem to appear dirty where they must have sat in sidings most of the year. 

[checkrail]

Those photo's are nice.

 

Seeing those Clerestories on your layout which makes a nice variety of coach stock in the train made me indulge in buying a couple of S/H one's, they are in bits at the moment being smarten up and detailed then they might get a light weathering as per photo's 

they alway seem to appear dirty where they must have sat in sidings most of the year. 

 

Yes, they do add variety - and of course variety was the keynote of GWR stock formations.  I sometimes wonder if there was an unwritten rule that no two similar vehicles should be marshalled together!

 

I vaguely considered re-painting them in a slightly less antique livery but immediately realised that I'd lose the faux-panelling in the Hornby finish.  And it's better than nothing  - as one look at the slab-like sides of the Hornby version in post-1934 livery will attest! 

Edited March 28, 2017 by checkrail

[81C]

I'm not going to be heavily weathering them just a very light spray of tan on the underframes and darken the roofs down as you say you would lose too much panel detail if the sides were done, they now both sport Comet corridor connectors and buffers and some roundels have been applied just to update them a bit, if I could lay my hands on a trio of Slater ones I'd be more than happy but these will have to do for now.

 

Your photo's of the layout have inspired me to get a move on and start the point rodding, signal wire runs and ballasting so keep them coming. 

[checkrail]

Following Captain Kernow's tip I went back to the small prairies and improved or replaced the chunky Bachmann lamp irons.  

 

 

The front irons are actually a separately applied brass item, with spigots fixing them into the footplate.  A tug with pliers will usually bring them out, leaving the spigot slot ready to accept new irons -  or the old ones filed down, which is easy to do off the loco, by holding the spigot with pliers and using a needle file.  Trouble is that on occasion the spigot snaps off and stays cemented into the footplate, so I used 0.75mm ns strip to form new irons as CK recommended. 

 

The improved lamp irons now work as intended, with lamps easily removed or positions changed, and I've been able to dispense with glue, tacky wax etc.

 

The same story applies to the Bachmann Halls, though the Bachmann iron on the smokebox door is susceptible to very careful filing down, resulting in it also accommodating removable lamps.

 

So thanks Cap'n!

 

John C.

 

 

[Limpley Stoker]

Following Captain Kernow's tip I went back to the small prairies and improved or replaced the chunky Bachmann lamp irons.  

 

Tale of two halls 029-min.JPG

Tale of two halls 030-min.JPG

 

The front irons are actually a separately applied brass item, with spigots fixing them into the footplate.  A tug with pliers will usually bring them out, leaving the spigot slot ready to accept new irons -  or the old ones filed down, which is easy to do off the loco, by holding the spigot with pliers and using a needle file.  Trouble is that on occasion the spigot snaps off and stays cemented into the footplate, so I used 0.75mm ns strip to form new irons as CK recommended. 

 

The improved lamp irons now work as intended, with lamps easily removed or positions changed, and I've been able to dispense with glue, tacky wax etc.

 

The same story applies to the Bachmann Halls, though the Bachmann iron on the smokebox door is susceptible to very careful filing down, resulting in it also accommodating removable lamps.

 So thanks Cap'n!

 

Those lamp irons are a huge improvement as is the vac pipe, much better than the puny Bachmann effort, which is now forty years old- First appearing on their Manor.

 

Mike

 

 

 

 

John C.

[checkrail]

Today it's a tale of two panniers.

 

 

8709 is a recent incarnation of Bachmann's venerable 57xx pannier.  I bought it merely because it had the livery I wanted, with a view to re-numbering. But having discovered that 8709 was at Newton in the late 1930s, then later at Laira, I decided to keep the number.  In the event I had to re-build the front buffer beam with filler and apply new transfers anyway, as I'd made a right old mess removing the Bachmann coupling hook.  (Subsequent ones have come out more easily thank goodness.)  Brass number plates, crew, real coal (bit of drilling & carving in the bunker for that), and front lamp irons from 0.75mm ns strip completed the job. Just needs some fire-irons now.

 

There's a good pic of 8709 shunting at Newton, c. 1936, in Beck & Copsey's 'The Great Western in South Devon' (one of my bibles!).  It clearly shows a polished safety valve cover, so on this occasion I didn't follow my usual practice of painting it over in line with the old mantra, 'Model the typical, not the unusual'.

 

 

3603 started life as one of Bachmann's bloopers.  Having damaged my first 57xx body shell back in 2012 I saw a Bachmann pannier body for sale on eBay, and after a cursory glance ordered it as a replacement.  On opening it something looked a bit wrong.  Then it registered that it was in fact a model of an 8750 series loco, but weirdly numbered 8715 and sporting the full pre-1934 'Great Western' lettering.  Until then I hadn't realised that Bachmann had produced both variants.

 

So this one got a new identity as 3603 (at one time resident at Exeter shed), a painted-over safety valve cover and a smart shirtbutton totem to add a bit of contrast to its elder cousin.  Once again, getting rid of the original lettering proved difficult and required some repainting of the tank sides (and there's an ugly little T-cut scar on the side you can't see!)

 

I did give some thought to carving off the top feeds of these locos, which I understand weren't added until the 1940s , but having looked at all the associated pipework that would need careful removing and making good (and the adjacent unrelated pipework that would need to remain in situ undamaged) I got cold feet.  I'll live with it.  

 

John C.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Coach bogie]

I had the same dilema regarding the topfeed/bunker steps. In the end I went down the K's route, partly topfeed, partly haulage requirements as my line has hills and the Bachmann panniers were not up to the challenge.

 

Mike Wiltshire

[checkrail]

Nice loco Mike.  And nice toplight too.  (Have some kits in store for stage 3!)

 

John C.

[checkrail]

In the hope that Granges are almost as inoffensive as small prairies in these parts here are some pics of 6801 Aylburton Grange on a west bound parcels and perishables working.  

 

 

 

 

 

I rather like the plain livery as a contrast to my other fully lined out GW 4-6-0s. I also think the Granges looked good with the small tender. This was one of Hornby's better models of recent years, and didn't need much messing about with before re-commissioning it back into traffic.

 

John C.

 

 

 

[checkrail]

Here's another view of 6801.

 

 

The motley assortment of Siphons, Fruit Ds, Bloaters etc. are on the list for attention.  They'll need close coupling, gangways where appropriate, weathering, and above all a brake van to add to the consist. I've got an ancient unmade K's 40 foot Dean brake van kit which should do the trick when I find the time.  As expected, Phase 2, 'Tarting up the trains' is taking quite a while as I'm on a bit of a learning curve.   Phase 3 will, I hope, involve the construction of kits, of which I already have a number in store including local PO wagons and a handful of toplight coaches. 

 

John C.

[81C]

That brown vehicle train looks superb, have you considered "tarting" up some of the old Hornby P.O.wagons like Teign Valley Granite, Stoneycombe quarry, Candy of Heathfield.

 

The one's in the photo parked in the FY will be heavily weathered and battered, one thing I have done is renumber them and they will at some stage get loaded I've to find out what colour the stone they extracted there was. 

 

 

[checkrail]

have you considered "tarting" up some of the old Hornby P.O.wagons like Teign Valley Granite, Stoneycombe quarry, Candy of Heathfield.

 

The one's in the photo parked in the FY will be heavily weathered and battered, one thing I have done is renumber them and they will at some stage get loaded I've to find out what colour the stone they extracted there was. 

 

Thanks 81C.  Yes, those brown vehicles don't look too bad from a distance!

 

I have a Teign Valley Granite wagon, but a whole bunch of them looks great.  I'd love to see pics of them after weathering.  I've also seen the Stoneycombe wagon and vaguely wondered whether to buy.  Think I'll now will look out for it.  But afraid Candy is a new one on me. 

 

As to the stone colour wouldn't the granite tors of Dartmoor suggest the right shade?  (Though I suppose newly cut stone could look different.)

 

John C.

[81C]

this one R 6073, Dapol do one but the printing is naff both models come up from time to time on ebay

 

 http://www.hattons.co.uk/173626/Hornby_R6073_LN01_Candy_Co_Ltd_5_Plank_Wagon_No_111_Pre_owned_Like_new/StockDetail.aspx

 

 

I'm in Devon in July hob nobbing on the SDR Ocean Liner Express dining train it's just up the road so I will stop by to see if I can get a sample.    

Edited March 28, 2017 by 81C

[gwrrob]

I have some weathered examples of the Teign Valley wagons on ANTB.

 

 

Edited March 28, 2017 by gwrrob

[checkrail]

5000 Launceston Castle on a Plymouth - Paddington express.

 

 

As it approaches Stoke Courtenay it passes 6801 Aylburton Grange, whose fireman appears to be taking a quick breather..

 

 

I'm quite pleased that I finally got round to detailing most of the current crop of locos - it does make a difference. 

 

Crews are once again from Modelu - lovely 3d prints.  But I must confess my painting didn't match their finesse, especially on the last few which were destined for the more enveloping Collett-style cabs.  By the time I'd painted a dozen and a half of the little b*ggers I was getting bored and wanted to move onto something else!

 

John C.