Churminster & Stowe Magna, Southern Railway

[Tony Teague]

4 hours ago, Arun Sharma said:

It was very rarely photographed though there is a preservation era photograph of it at an open day in Brighton station.  The only pics I have are b/w ones from 1961 in John Gillham's book and all they show are the lettering S75 on the fwd valance. The only decent colour pic in BR days is the one you used as background in your post though there is one [which I can't currently find] showing the rear end and its brown wooden door taken on an enthusiasts' visit to the depot in the early 60s.

Whatever, a dirty shade of green is appropriate because it would always have been overhauled in the same place as SR/BR(S) EMUs and would have been given the same paint - not the brown with salmon pink lining of the LSWR.

 

 

Arun

 

Well as they say, "the thick plottens!"

 

I have researched my own library and I seem to have far more books about Southern Electric related matters than I had imagined, nevertheless this loco is as you say, rarely photographed.

 

In one volume I found the picture you mention at Brighton open day, whilst in another John Scott-Morgan says that it is now "preserved in SR brown livery" - which I had not previously heard of, but is the one shown in the image that I have.

 

Then in Southern Way Vol.19 there are two black & white images of the loco prior to its conversion from a central 3rd rail pick up to side pick up and without the two compressor boxes and other equipment located on the front, which it is suggested were added in 1940. This would pre-date my model, but at this point the livery is as usual unclear, however, there is an oval plate on the side of the cab which may say "75 S" or may just be a makers plate - there appear to be no other markings on the side.

 

So I don't think I am any clearer than I was a few days ago, and whilst I tend to agree that "a dirty shade of green is appropriate" I can't find a shred of evidence for that - or any other livery!!

 

Doubtless once I decide to go ahead with brown, green or perhaps pink, someone will of course come up with a perfect colour image of said loco.....

 

Tony

 

......BUT SEE NEXT POST.....

Edited February 25, 2021 by Tony Teague

[Tony Teague]

Having posted the above I thought I'd take a quick final look, only to find a further Southern Way reference to both DS 74 & 75 which is in a volume beyond the currently available index  - and this explains why I didn't find it previously.

 

Southern Way Special Issue No.12 is titled "A Third Rail Centenary" and was compiled by members of the Southern Electric Group; it contains a 3 page article on the two shunters, although there is only a single picture which shows DS74.

 

In the article, Laurie Mack says that the number "S75 / 75S, or DS75" was never carried, that research by the York Museum shows that the loco was painted brown AND WAS UNLIKELY TO HAVE EVER BEEN REPAINTED by the SR.

 

He further says that the works plate on the side shows that it was built by Siemens and shows an unclear number which may be 7 or 9.

 

My feeling now is that I should stick to brown but probably weather it to very dirty, but again, on the basis that someone will appear who actually worked for Siemens and personally painted the loco in 1898, I think I shall allow a further pause for reflection!

 

Tony

 

[Denbridge]

2 hours ago, Tony Teague said:

Having posted the above I thought I'd take a quick final look, only to find a further Southern Way reference to both DS 74 & 75 which is in a volume beyond the currently available index  - and this explains why I didn't find it previously.

 

Southern Way Special Issue No.12 is titled "A Third Rail Centenary" and was compiled by members of the Southern Electric Group; it contains a 3 page article on the two shunters, although there is only a single picture which shows DS74.

 

In the article, Laurie Mack says that the number "S75 / 75S, or DS75" was never carried, that research by the York Museum shows that the loco was painted brown AND WAS UNLIKELY TO HAVE EVER BEEN REPAINTED by the SR.

 

He further says that the works plate on the side shows that it was built by Siemens and shows an unclear number which may be 7 or 9.

 

My feeling now is that I should stick to brown but probably weather it to very dirty, but again, on the basis that someone will appear who actually worked for Siemens and personally painted the loco in 1898, I think I shall allow a further pause for reflection!

 

Tony

 

I saw this at a Brighton open day,.ive had a look through some albums of my photos,.but nothing showing this. I am sure i would have taken a pic. I'll have a look through a couple of shoeboxes full of unsorted photos. My recollection though was a rather grubby faded brown. But it was many years ago.

[Tony Teague]

4 minutes ago, Denbridge said:

I saw this at a Brighton open day,.ive had a look through some albums of my photos,.but nothing showing this. I am sure i would have taken a pic. I'll have a look through a couple of shoeboxes full of unsorted photos. My recollection though was a rather grubby faded brown. But it was many years ago.

 

Many thanks.

Grubby faded brown sounds extremely plausible given what I have found, however, it may well have been repainted to green or black in the BR era, which is of course beyond my modelling scope.

[St Enodoc]

Here's a photo at the 1977 Brighton Open Day. Given that this is in the preservation era who's to say whether it helps or not? It's a nice photo anyway.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/12a_kingmoor_klickr/27376571140/

 

[Tony Teague]

7 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Here's a photo at the 1977 Brighton Open Day. Given that this is in the preservation era who's to say whether it helps or not? It's a nice photo anyway.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/12a_kingmoor_klickr/27376571140/

 

 

 

Yes, good image and probably the best I have seen of the front end detail.

As you say, colour is for a later era than my model.

Thanks!

Tony

[Denbridge]

7 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Here's a photo at the 1977 Brighton Open Day. Given that this is in the preservation era who's to say whether it helps or not? It's a nice photo anyway.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/12a_kingmoor_klickr/27376571140/

 

Well that shows my memory is failing haha.

[Mick Bonwick]

On 21/02/2021 at 18:55, Tony Teague said:

A few distractions have slowed progress over the last couple of days, however, the rain held off long enough for me to spray some undercoat with a rattle can.

 

Although I use a spray booth with my airbrush, it is one of those that has twin filters so that it can be used without external venting, but when it comes to rattle cans I feel that the volume of paint will just be too much for it - plus it clogs the filters very rapidly, so I do that work outside.

 

 

 

Outside is the best place to go with aerosol paints. Spray booths for hobby use are not designed to cope with the volumes produced by aerosols. As you say, the filters clog immediately, rendering the whole thing useless for its intended purpose.

 

I wish I could catch the person at the club who persists in ignoring this.

 

[Denbridge]

11 minutes ago, Mick Bonwick said:

 

Outside is the best place to go with aerosol paints. Spray booths for hobby use are not designed to cope with the volumes produced by aerosols. As you say, the filters clog immediately, rendering the whole thing useless for its intended purpose.

 

I wish I could catch the person at the club who persists in ignoring this.

 

I regularly use spray cans in my spray booth and i also currently live in a small flat. I tend to just mist light layers at a time rather than consistent spraying and the filters seem to cope. The flat certainly doesnt stink of paint

[Tony Teague]

2 hours ago, Denbridge said:

I regularly use spray cans in my spray booth and i also currently live in a small flat. I tend to just mist light layers at a time rather than consistent spraying and the filters seem to cope. The flat certainly doesnt stink of paint

 

Does your spray booth vent out of the window or does it just pass the air through filters and back into the room? It's the latter that I would be most concerned about.

Even when I use my airbrush with my re-circulating / filtered booth, I have the windows open and the airflow from the rear of the booth is directed towards it.

If I spray elsewhere within the room, e.g. track that is fixed in place, then I use a respirator mask.

 

Tony

[Denbridge]

9 hours ago, Tony Teague said:

 

Does your spray booth vent out of the window or does it just pass the air through filters and back into the room? It's the latter that I would be most concerned about.

Even when I use my airbrush with my re-circulating / filtered booth, I have the windows open and the airflow from the rear of the booth is directed towards it.

If I spray elsewhere within the room, e.g. track that is fixed in place, then I use a respirator mask.

 

Tony

Mine vents out of a window. I used to have a wall outlet, but at present it has to be the kitchen window. But most importantly, i have no obnoxiius smells even after a lot of spraying.

[Tony Teague]

A quick update to report an addition to stock:

 

 

Sadly not a "missing loco" but Bachmann's latest H1 Brighton Atlantic - No.2038 Portland Bill - good to see that they have copied it's livery from the paint on my Control Desk!

 

(Otherwise known as malachite).

 

This is straight out of the box and I'll post something more once it has all the fiddly bits added, plus coal and a crew etc.

 

Tony

Edited November 23, 2022 by Tony Teague

[Tony Teague]

2 minutes ago, Denbridge said:

Mine vents out of a window. I used to have a wall outlet, but at present it has to be the kitchen window. But most importantly, i have no obnoxiius smells even after a lot of spraying.

 

That's very good - I sometimes get obnoxious smells in my kitchen without having sprayed anything!

[Mick Bonwick]

58 minutes ago, Denbridge said:

Mine vents out of a window. I used to have a wall outlet, but at present it has to be the kitchen window. But most importantly, i have no obnoxiius smells even after a lot of spraying.

 

It's good not to have smells (like some people's kitchens), but better not to breathe in paint particles.

[Arun Sharma]

Some various bits of the C3 above the running plate appeared this morning including the two injectors and the sandboxes. All I'm waiting for now are the brass chimney, dome and safety valve bonnet. The main structural parts are cast in resin - two reasons:

1. Some of the boiler/firebox may need to be cut away by the builder depending on what motor gearbox is fitted

2. Many white metal foundries use a method of squeezing a master into a soft-ish mass of rubber and then heating/compressing it to produce the mould cavity. Thus some hemi-circle barrels become ellipses.  The method used by resin casters is to pour liquid silicone rubber around the part and that tends not to distort it. 

Many modellers believe erroneously that that method is the one used by white metal foundries and get confused when thin walled masters get distorted.

Edited February 27, 2021 by Arun Sharma
addnl info

[Tony Teague]

Again, looking very good Arun!

[Denbridge]

23 hours ago, Mick Bonwick said:

 

It's good not to have smells (like some people's kitchens), but better not to breathe in paint particles.

I wear a mask, but have never noticed even the slightest odour. My booth is homemade with a big, powerful extractor. 

[Denbridge]

10 hours ago, Arun Sharma said:

Some various bits of the C3 above the running plate appeared this morning including the two injectors and the sandboxes. All I'm waiting for now are the brass chimney, dome and safety valve bonnet. The main structural parts are cast in resin - two reasons:

1. Some of the boiler/firebox may need to be cut away by the builder depending on what motor gearbox is fitted

2. Many white metal foundries use a method of squeezing a master into a soft-ish mass of rubber and then heating/compressing it to produce the mould cavity. Thus some hemi-circle barrels become ellipses.  The method used by resin casters is to pour liquid silicone rubber around the part and that tends not to distort it. 

Many modellers believe erroneously that that method is the one used by white metal foundries and get confused when thin walled masters get distorted.

The mould making process involves heating up the mould blank then pressing the two halves of the sandwich together with the masters between them as well as locating pegs. There are all sorts of dodges to set masters at particular angles. Although a simplification, thats basically it. The real skill is making the feeds for the molten metal with their 'gates' and vents.  I made lord knows how many centrifugal  white metal casting moulds in a previous life.

[Denbridge]

Just now, Denbridge said:

The mould making process involves heating up the mould blank then pressing the two halves of the sandwich together with the masters between them as well as locating pegs. There are all sorts of dodges to set masters at particular angles. Although a simplification, thats basically it. The real skill is making the feeds for the molten metal with their 'gates' and vents.  I made lord knows how many centrifugal  white metal casting moulds in a previous life.

A good mould maker can prevent oval or egg shapes when they should be round

[Arun Sharma]

All the castings for Stowe Magna's C3 are now here.

The large bits of the boiler furniture have been added:

There is an irritating cut-out to clear the inner rear driving wheel splasher - This comes from the fact that this chassis is 4mm-16.5mm gauge and thus to avoid unnaturally narrowing the lower firebox a small compromise has been made. However, once the boiler is glued in place, some filler applied to the area will hide the gap. In fact, I would probably advise removing the inner frame splasher associated with the rear driving wheel as it is barely visible anyway.

Next job is to fit the Westinghouse pump, sandboxes, clack valves and injectors with their associated pipework - and apply some filler!

That will be followed by finishing the tender and completing the internal cab bits. I'll give the tapered cab handrails a miss though I might do them when I do the 7mm version.

 

Edited March 13, 2021 by Arun Sharma

[Arun Sharma]

The rather strange looking safety valve bonnet is because it has the whistle bolted onto its left side.

[Tony Teague]

As before Arun, this is looking very good, and more and more like a loco!

Thanks for all of your efforts.

Tony

[Jack P]

That looks excellent Arun. Looking forward to seeing further progress!

[Tony Teague]

Hardened followers of this thread will have noticed that once again, it is at least three weeks since I last posted an update, and I'm afraid that it is again down to that unreliable mojo, which continues to go AWOL whenever it feels like it; I do, of course, also have other calls on my time!

 

Last weekend I took some inspiration from the RMWeb / BRM / World of Railways virtual exhibition, which made me realise that given the scope of the task that I have set myself, I am not really doing too badly, and whilst I do get help on various fronts from time to time, this is essentially a one-man layout.

 

In my first RMWeb posting back in December 2016, I showed this picture of the railway room - albeit taken a few years before that:

 

 

So today I took the same shot in an effort to convince myself that things had moved on, and I think the results are pleasing on the whole:

 

 

What I won't show you is how much effort it took me to clear the place up before I took the shot - it is amazing how, in the course of getting jobs done, stuff just gets dumped on scenery, the running lines, and on every available bit of space - and one thing that is very different now from a few years back is just how little empty space remains!

 

Perhaps in the course of the next couple of posts I might give a more detailed look at some areas, to show what has been completed, the number of simultaneous projects that are currently in hand, and just how much remains to be done!

 

I am certainly looking forward very keenly to the end of lockdown when certain people who have helped with scenery, signals, wiring and the like, can once again return and help me to pick up the pace a little!

 

Tony

Edited November 23, 2022 by Tony Teague

[Mick Bonwick]

That really is a marked difference.

 

I'm impressed with the lack of 'dumped stuff.' Was it all stacked behind you when you pressed the shutter?

 

Looking forward to the next few posts . . . . . .