South Wales Valleys in the 50s

[The Johnster]

I've got to the the bottom of the meshing issue.  I've started to strip the loco down and my original assumption that it was a motor positioning matter proved incorrect as there is a foldup brass gearbox which should provide perfect meshing even if the motor is not fixed down properly.  The problem is a loose fitting worm, and rectifying it is simply a matter of tightening a grub screw, but at the moment I do not possess a screwdriver small enough.  That's the good news.

 

The bad news is that, because of the brass gearbox, I cannot reverse the loco's polarity by turning the motor upside down.  There is only one wire, from the pickup strip to the top motor terminal and the 'return' side of the chassis is live, so this will have to be routed to the bottom terminal, which is currently soldered direct to the chassis and will have to be isolated from it.  I'll then have to run a wire from the live chassis to the top terminal, which seems a lot of faff for what should be a simple job but I can't see an alternative other than replacing the live wheels with insulated ones and putting in another pickup strip which is even more faff!

 

O well...

 

In other pannier news, 9681 is now repainted and re-assembled and, after a wheel/pickup cleaning session, is running very well indeed, and looks much more the part with her new cab.  The only remaining job is to replace the yellow route indicator and C power classification transfers.  

[The Johnster]

I've been looking around for parts for the A31 project, and have found a source of buffer castings, and perhaps more importantly, fish belly bogies; Coopercraft list them, at very reasonable prices.  This means a rethink about prototype is possible.  

 

According to Lewis, 207, as W 207 W, lasted until the end of 1956, was a Newport Division coach (photographed twice at Monmouth Troy in plain crimson, or maroon as Lewis calls it, livery), had fishbellies, double 'Gloucester' doors, and, most importantly, plated over toplights by the time it was photographed, which has to have been between late 1948 and Dec 56, bang into my period!  Plated toplights is something I am keen to model as it radically alters the appearance of the coach.  Not only that, but it'll darken the interior, lessening the visual impact of whatever crudity I employ in scratchbuilding the seats...

 

I have no photographic evidence of this coach ever working out of Tondu, but Tondu is in the right division and it very probably did at some time in the relevant period; good enough Rule 1 evidence for me, anyway!  Lewis has a photo showing Diagram N no. 38 at Newport Godfrey Road, and another of it at Bridgend on an Abergwynfi working according to the destination board, so I'm happy to quote that as a precedent.  W 207 W is IMHO the best prototype to go for, and the coach now has an identity!  'Plating' the toplights with Milliput should be easy enough.  I will open a new topic in 'Kitbuilding and Scratchbuilding' for it.

 

Meanwhile, back in the 1854 project box...  I intend to do some further chassis stripping this evening, at least to the extent of desoldering the solid connection between the motor and the chassis in order to reverse the engine's polarity.  This project also needs to be moved over to Kits and Scratches.  

 

Back at Cwmdimbath, a gale has blown down the bracket inner home controlling the loop exit, which will need repair or, failing that, a new signal.  A replacement could be a single post placed between the loop and the platform road, but that would need to be done with care to ensure clearances.  The post appears to have rotted just at the point where it emerges from the black painted metal base sleeve, and nobody appears to have spotted it.  The '6 foot' is quite wide at that end, and the signal's moving further away from the baseboard edge might help prevent a repeat accident.  I have no idea what really happened to it, but one of us has obviously unknowingly knocked it over.  

Edited March 31, 2019 by The Johnster

[Nick Gough]

Be careful about ordering items from Coopercraft.

 

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/142494-problems-with-cooper-craft/

 

[timbowilts]

Johnster, can I echo Nick’s comment about not ordering from Coopercraft. That crook did me out of £40.

 

Tim T

Modelling Cwm Cynon in EM ( once we’ve moved to South Wales)

[The Johnster]

Hmm.  Thanks for the heads up , gentlemen!  This might need a rethink; I now need an alternative source for buffer castings whatever coach I model, and fishbelly bogies if I am to continue with W 207 W. 

 

 

[Ian Smeeton]

If  you can find Coopercraft at an exhibition, and aquire the parts there and then, you will be OK. I wouldn't bank on any after sales service, though.

 

Regards

 

Ian

[timbowilts]

Well, Johnster, your wait is nearly over!

The Bachmann 94XX appears in the May issue of Hornby Magazine. It looks good but at £125.00 a pop I think that I will stick with my rechassis-ed Lima and Wills ones!

Tim T

Modelling Cwm Cynon in EM (when we’ve moved to South Wales)

[The Johnster]

On 01/04/2019 at 15:39, Ian Smeeton said:

If  you can find Coopercraft at an exhibition, and aquire the parts there and then, you will be OK. I wouldn't bank on any after sales service, though.

 

Regards

 

Ian

Thanks for the advice, Ian; I'll check our where Coop are attending and try to be there myself.  

[The Johnster]

2 hours ago, timbowilts said:

Well, Johnster, your wait is nearly over!

The Bachmann 94XX appears in the May issue of Hornby Magazine. It looks good but at £125.00 a pop I think that I will stick with my rechassis-ed Lima and Wills ones!

Tim T

Modelling Cwm Cynon in EM (when we’ve moved to South Wales)

This is very good news if it means a release is imminent.  I am more or less obligated to buy one after all the fuss I've made here, and it looks like a lovely little model.  £125 will be the single highest price I've ever paid for any model railway item, but I was expecting it to be next year and to have to bear another price rise (this may happen yet of course!).  It should, in theory, be the last loco I buy but a 5101 at the right price is going to test my resolve and I am not even convinced myself by this rhetoric.  My Limbach will be retired on the new loco's acquisition, and the chassis might well find it's way beneath another 57xx body if 'Bay can come up with the goods, this time with the top feed removed.

 

I'm not unhappy with my Limbach, which runs well and looks tolerably like a 94xx, but the new loco will run rings around it.  It's main drawback is the plate over the cylinders below the smokebox, which identifies it as one of the initial 10 GW built locos with higher boiler pressure.  None of these was ever allocated to Tondu, and my chosen prototype, 8448 because it spent it's entire short working life at the shed, has the more common 'BR production series' arrangement of no plate and the tops of the cylinders visible between the plate frames above the footplate.  This would be a difficult piece of butchery to perform on an already weakened Lima body, and I have shamelessly bottled out of it, but I'll never be really happy with the loco if I know a better alternative is available.

 

If you need an excuse to buy yourself one of the new Bachmann's, feel free to quote the above paragraph and blame me!

[The Johnster]

Small items update; visit to Antics in town this avo has resulted in some Peco Scalescenes yard lamps, and a pillar box, which will sit on the opposite corner from the telephone kiosk.  The lamps will go near the goods siding, and maybe one further along the loop, and one for the Remploy siding.  They will be a considerable help to the staff on dark winter evenings. 

[The Johnster]

I've picked up an K's kit B set coach kit on 'Bay; arrived this morning.  It's a plastic kit with whitemetal castings for bogie sides and ventilators, and has, wait for it, fishbelly bogies!  It's a Collett flat ended design, and as the flat enders were split into individual coaches in their later lives, I'm gonna use it as such on Cwmdimbath; it'll make a good running partner for my Comet C66/75.  Never unpacked as far as I can see and all complete; only drawback is that the roof is broken in two pieces.  Good news is it's a clean break and should be easily repairable without showing.  

 

As the bogies have whitemetal sides, they may be more appropriate to use beneath the A31 project.  I have a pair of 3D print fishbellies on order which can be used beneath this coach; they'll have to be modified whatever I put them under so there is no loss there.  The coach'll need an interior, but after the working up of the Triang clerestories and the Comet C66/75 I'm getting a bit of experience under my belt with these (I'm also scratching one out of card for the A31) and am a good way up the learning curve.

 

Livery will be 1956 unlined maroon.  Won't make a start on this at least until the A31 is completed, but overall my intention to release the layout from the bondage of ex Airfix bowended B sets and A28/30 trailers is off to a pretty good start!

Edited April 11, 2019 by The Johnster

[The Johnster]

Inspection of the pillar box, which I unpacked to make up and paint this avo, shows it to be an 'E II R' item, and E II wasn't Queen until half way through my period.  The frets (there are 2) include mouldings for a free standing on a post small box, also current monarch, and a wall mounted one for G R.  The George one is probably more suitable for Cwmdimbath, not the sort of place where postboxes were replaced that often and George VI is probably considered very modern; it is anyway correct for the first half of my period and not incorrect for the second; Elizabeth II is incorrect for pre-1953 of course.  

 

But I haven't got a wall to put the G R one on except the station building, and I'd have to cut a rebate into the planking for that or it'd just look stuck on (well, to be fair and to paraphrase Mandy Rice-Davies, it would be, wouldn't it?).  So I'm gonna cheat and make my confession now to avoid comment later; I'm gonna use the G R wall box on a post as a free standing box, and not use the pillar box at all.  As an ex employee of Royal Mail, my shame is only slightly outmatched by my desire to provide the residents of Cwmdimbath with a G R postbox at the entrance to their station, so that they can post letters while they are running for the train.

 

One of the drawbacks of the railway running all the way to end of the narrow baseboard at Cwmdimbath is that there is no room to model any of the village, which is assumed to be up the hill and at the absolute end of the valley.  Apropos, it is time I gave some thought to a nameboard for the station and one for the signal box.  I could use the excuse that these were taken down during the war to confuse 5th columnists and have not yet been replaced, but it's a bit thin...

 

I've also taken the yard lamps off their frets and, when I've finished this screed and the cup of tea I'm currently supping. I'll crack on with painting them and installing them.  I've decided that one is needed at the 'country' end of the loop where brake vans are uncoupled and locos coupled after they have run around, but this is going to be a bit vulnerable to being knocked over if I'm not careful, and I'm famous for not being careful.  A bit of perspex frontage to protect it might be a good idea!

Edited April 14, 2019 by The Johnster

[timbowilts]

Johnster, around here (Wiltshire not South Wales) the wall mounted boxes appear in purpose-built brick pillars. Perhaps you could adopt that practse?

Tim T

[The Johnster]

Don’t think I’ve seen this, perhaps it’s a Wiltshire thing.  I’ve seen thinking about an end wall of a terrace across the road for it, but a brick pillar might do the job very well.  

[The Johnster]

The arrival of a sheet of ex-GW coach transfers from that nice Mr Isherwood of this parish has precipitated a frenzy of numbering of auto trailers to more suitable prototypes; repaints and my poor numbering skills had left a couple of autonomous ones. 

 

W 190 W, a known Tondu denizen (thanks ChrisF), W 222 W, and completion of the job for the A31, W 207 W, have joined the part built K’s E116 brake compo, a refugee split from a Bristol B set, in gaining proper identities.  ‘Trailer’ brandings have also appeared. 

 

These Cambridge transfers are very sharply printed and I am impressed with the quality; wouldn’t be surprised if some existing numbers are also replaced!  

[tomparryharry]

On ‎14‎/‎04‎/‎2019 at 15:49, The Johnster said:

Inspection of the pillar box, which I unpacked to make up and paint this avo, shows it to be an 'E II R' item, and E II wasn't Queen until half way through my period.  The frets (there are 2) include mouldings for a free standing on a post small box, also current monarch, and a wall mounted one for G R.  The George one is probably more suitable for Cwmdimbath, not the sort of place where postboxes were replaced that often and George VI is probably considered very modern; it is anyway correct for the first half of my period and not incorrect for the second; Elizabeth II is incorrect for pre-1953 of course.  

 

But I haven't got a wall to put the G R one on except the station building, and I'd have to cut a rebate into the planking for that or it'd just look stuck on (well, to be fair and to paraphrase Mandy Rice-Davies, it would be, wouldn't it?).  So I'm gonna cheat and make my confession now to avoid comment later; I'm gonna use the G R wall box on a post as a free standing box, and not use the pillar box at all.  As an ex employee of Royal Mail, my shame is only slightly outmatched by my desire to provide the residents of Cwmdimbath with a G R postbox at the entrance to their station, so that they can post letters while they are running for the train.

 

One of the drawbacks of the railway running all the way to end of the narrow baseboard at Cwmdimbath is that there is no room to model any of the village, which is assumed to be up the hill and at the absolute end of the valley.  Apropos, it is time I gave some thought to a nameboard for the station and one for the signal box.  I could use the excuse that these were taken down during the war to confuse 5th columnists and have not yet been replaced, but it's a bit thin...

 

I've also taken the yard lamps off their frets and, when I've finished this screed and the cup of tea I'm currently supping. I'll crack on with painting them and installing them.  I've decided that one is needed at the 'country' end of the loop where brake vans are uncoupled and locos coupled after they have run around, but this is going to be a bit vulnerable to being knocked over if I'm not careful, and I'm famous for not being careful.  A bit of perspex frontage to protect it might be a good idea!

 

E VII R perchance? That should put your box straight back 50-odd years.

[br2975]

10 minutes ago, tomparryharry said:

 

E VII R perchance? That should put your box straight back 50-odd years.

And in some parts of 1950s South Wales, that would still be quite modern !

[The Johnster]

Or I could file off the ‘II’; that’d take it back another 400 years...  

 

 

[The Johnster]

It’s well over a third of the way through my ‘year of coaching stock improvements’, and I’m indulging in a retrospective; no harm in stepping back for a holistic view now and then!

 

The plan was for a program of replacing unsuitable RTR stock with Comet kits and  renumbering of auto trailers to Tondu coaches.  Some of this has happened, but there have been some interesting diversions as well.  Remember that Hornby has not announced their Collett suburbans at the start of the year. 

 

First off was a Comet A66/75, which could be used as a non-driving auto trailer post 1955.  Before I’d done much to build this, a two month job, Hornby announced!  The Collett suburbans are not correct for South Wales, but some sets of very similar outline were; there was no way I wasn’t going to have a couple as soon as they were in the shops.  My antediluvian Airfix B set, overtly incorrect for Tondu and showing it’s age, was promptly re-allocated to the spare bits drawer. 

 

Then I picked up a restoration project K’s A31 auto trailer at the ‘small’ Cardiff show.  This was an unplanned impulse purchase.  I had the discipline not to do anything to this until the C66/75 was complete, but it is in progress now and has taken me down some odd byways, which have included the acquisition from ‘Bay of a K’s E116 as a bogie donor.   After some faffing with regard to bogies, I decided to make it up and put it into service despite it not being really appropriate to the location or correctly used (the E116s were Bristol area B sets, and this is a Rule 1 refugee single coach).  It has progressed almost accidentally alongside the A31, and is more complete at the moment. 

 

Overall, the coaching stock situation has improved, in that all my auto trailers are now appropriately numbered and the Hornby Colletts are less inappropriate than the Airfix B set they replaced.  I have a panelled auto trailer which almost certainly ran at Tondu in my period, though it’s not finished yet.  But I have been a bit derailed in my original plan.  

 

I think things will take more than the planned year.  Priority is now to finish the E116 (easy) and the A31 (proving harder), then the next project is a Comet ‘cyclops’ A44 auto trailer, followed by another pair of Comets, a flat ended E147 B set, which is correct for Tondu and should arguably have been  the first out of the blocks, but it’s a while since I’ve undertaken a brass kit of this sort and I thought it advisable to get my hand in with the all-third before committing to this.  It might be a good idea to batch build these 3 coaches. 

 

I will be using Stafford Road Works/Shapeways 3D printed bogies in future; I am very pleased with these over the cast whitemetal alternatives. 

 

While we are being holistic, longer term future plans for the layout abound, but anything major must hang fire until the Bachmann 94xx is bought and paid for.  After that, relaying with Peco code 75 chaired track (this must be done as quickly as possible so that the branch can re-open, so all the track must be already bought before I start), Dapol working signals, some lighting.  These are all expensive projects for a poor pensioner that will have to planned and budgeted for. That’ll probably do me for the next decade or so.  I am more convinced with time that I built the right railway for my needs, and I am enjoying both operating it and modelling for it. 

Edited April 27, 2019 by The Johnster

[The Johnster]

New coach. 

 

W 7510 W is a K’s plastic kit E116 B set coach, worked up a bit to include a floor and interior, and finished in 1956 BR unlined maroon.  It has Shapeways 3D printed fishbelly bogies, and close inspection will show that it isn’t finished yet; there are no seats though it has compartment dividers.  

 

Work still to do is the seating, and it will look a bit more convincing with better underframe detail; order off to Wizard/Comet tomoz. I already have some whitemetal lighting cables which are better than the not very good moulded plastic ones on the ends.  And the doorknobs and grab handles need picking out in brass paint. 

 

It’s a sort of semi-unintended thing, picked up on ‘Bay as a bogie donor for the A31 auto trailer, which I decided to make up and which took on a life it’s own.  It’s pushing Rule 1 again; AFAIK no such coach ever ran in South Wales, and I don’t really know if any of them ever left the Bristol area they were originally built for, ran as single coaches, or carried 1956 maroon livery.  They were originally close couples but the kit included buffers for both ends. 

 

It it runs well but doesn’t like the no.3 curve entering the ‘goods roads’ in the fiddle yard.  Doesn’t have to, though...

 

Here it is running in behind 9681, Annie to the Comet C66/75’s Clarabelle!

 

Photos also show show the new yard lamps. 

[The Johnster]

In the continuing bogie saga taking place over this and the A31 and E116 topics, I have sent an order off today to Shapeways for more bogie prints.  I decided in the end to have another set of fishbellies for the A31, which I’ll cut the footboards off.  Included in the order is a pair of 9’ Americans which I will put underneath my old Mainline Siphon H, renumbered to W 1439.  

 

The purpose here is to increase the biodiversity of the layout’s bogies, as there will be examples of fishbellies with and without footboards and the Americans.  I like a bit of variety...

[Happy Hippo]

I've just picked up on the thread after a short absence.

 

Regarding the loco polarity problem:

 

Take the wheel sets out and switch them over so they are now on the opposite side of the chassis.  Now do the same with the pickups so they are connected to the insulated wheel sets which are now on the opposite side of the loco to when you started.

 

Or am I missing something electrical I don't understand?

Edited May 6, 2019 by Happy Hippo

[The Johnster]

Bogies arrived, painted, and wheels fitted; Americans attached to Siphon H which looks very good with them and runs nicely, and fishbellies with footboards cut off to the A31, which also runs well.  Photo of the Siphon when I've renumbered it, but I'm not doing any more tonight!  A friend has presented me with some dark green Woodland Scenics foliage, or foilage as Marge Simpson calls it, so this will be appearing in various crooks and nannies soon, and the splitting home has been relocated closer to the loop turnout on the station side of the bridge, with a Bachmann Scenecraft banner repeater assisting the drivers who now can't sight it properly if they're too close to the bridge.

 

I've also ordered some Parkside Dundas kits from Rails/Sheffield, a couple of opens (BR and GW 5 plankers) to help redress the dominance of vans for my general merchandise traffic and a 21ton BR all steel mineral, which will release a coal wagon for general duties.

[The Johnster]

On 06/05/2019 at 19:18, Happy Hippo said:

I've just picked up on the thread after a short absence.

 

Regarding the loco polarity problem:

 

Take the wheel sets out and switch them over so they are now on the opposite side of the chassis.  Now do the same with the pickups so they are connected to the insulated wheel sets which are now on the opposite side of the loco to when you started.

 

Or am I missing something electrical I don't understand?

My decision is to build a new SE Finecast chassis for this loco, which will have new pickups and a new motor.  

[The Johnster]

W 207 W is finished enough to have been put into service; it needs Dart Castings cab improvements, and more work on the rather crude cab front, especially s new bell.  Not exactly fine scale modelling but I reckon it captures some of the essence of an A31 in it’s declining years. 

 

The first photo also also shows the new bogies for the Siphons, surplus ex Mainline Collett 9’ for the old Lima G and Stafford Road/Shapeways 3D print Americans pfor the ex-Airfix H.