A wild kitbash appeared!

[Johnson044]

I went to the Terrier weekend at Horsted Keynes yesterday and picked this little 00 Schools up for a fiver. Seems to be tinplate with commercial smokebox door, buffers and boiler mountings. Really lovely paint job. 30396 was "Cranleigh". 

 

Difficult to date but maybe late fifties? The boiler's been made from a tin which has a chequer pattern of red and gold with cats in the opposite colour. A coffee tin maybe?

[Johnson044]

...and from below, showing one of the cats. Footplate valances seem to be very fine bullhead rail. 

[RedGemAlchemist]

29 minutes ago, Johnson044 said:

Footplate valances seem to be very fine bullhead rail. 

Hmm. Clever. Very sweet little Schools, and hopefully we can see it running in the future. 

[33C]

55 minutes ago, Johnson044 said:

...and from below, showing one of the cats. Footplate valances seem to be very fine bullhead rail. 

Model archaeology!

[Johnson044]

Possibly RedGem - I stuck it in the post at lunchtime to a friend who is an avid collector of all things Southern and who couldn't go to Horsted Keynes yesterday due to plumbing crisis. I think it will probably just be cherished exactly as it is! 

 

I'd love to know what the tin was that was used for the boiler- it would help date the model.

[RedGemAlchemist]

I start my first post in quite some time with this little cutie:

This little 0-6-0T needs some touching up, but it is very cute. Definitely a good amount of Nellie in this loco's heritage. If you want it, click the image as always and it'll take you to the seller's listing.

 

Next up this beautifully made and painted GCR B2, a loco you definitely don't see represented much. If I wasn't trying not to spend money due to having a trip to London next month (and wasn't worried about wrecking the gorgeous paint job) I'd seriously be considering it. The layout the photos are taken on is also very nice indeed.

 

Next we have this modified Hornby 101 with custom chassis and ACTUAL SLIDE BARS, courtesy once again of the infamous gostude. My biggest pet peeve with the Hornby starter locos is how bad the cylinders look and this minor detail makes me smile so much. It just makes the entire loco look SO much better.

 

Number four is this gorgeous little GWR outside frame 2-4-0T, also from gostude. 

 

And finally another LETCI from the same guy with the actually nice layout that the last couple of LETCIs I did came from. In this case I will admit the face they chose actually kind of suits the engine, but still... Also what is that white plate behind the whistle and why is there an Elizabeth included?

Edited August 3, 2022 by RedGemAlchemist

[Johnson044]

10 hours ago, RedGemAlchemist said:

Next we have this modified Hornby 101 with custom chassis and ACTUAL SLIDE BARS, courtesy once again of the infamous gostude. My biggest pet peeve with the Hornby starter locos is how bad the cylinders look and this minor detail makes me smile so much. It just makes the entire loco look SO much better.

What a HUGE improvement these simple modifications make.  The Nellie conversion and the GWR 2-4-0 have a lot of charm too. Someone's taken the trouble to model the underhung springs properly. Nice finds, RedGem.

[The Johnster]

What he said.  Another offput of Hornby starter 0-4-0s is the driving wheels; where the loco has a prototype (Smokey Joe Nielson, 101, Dowlais) the prototype wheels are much smaller in diameter than what Hornby’s scale to.  Triang got it a little better with Nellie, and s smaller driving wheel on the Hornbys might have improved the slow running/curbed the stabbed rat tendencies of the older versions a bit.  

[RedGemAlchemist]

9 hours ago, Johnson044 said:

What a HUGE improvement these simple modifications make.  The Nellie conversion and the GWR 2-4-0 have a lot of charm too. Someone's taken the trouble to model the underhung springs properly. Nice finds, RedGem.

Thanks. I believe one of my friends on @BlueLightning's Discord server is after the Nelliebash.

[RedGemAlchemist]

A few not from eBay this time.

This interesting freelance 5in 4-4-0T is actually part of Bressingham Steam Museum's model railway collection. Not sure of its origins or how it ended up in their collection, but it's interesting. Part of the point of this thread was to also provide inspiration to peole, so I hope that stuff like this does.

My next find was this 3 and a half inch freelance 0-6-2T, which was listed on Station Road Steam's archive of past commissions. I do love my freelance tank locos so this sort of thing is right up my street. The larger gauges are an absolute goldmine of freelance designs just waiting to be scaled down to O, OO or N.

 

...

For those who may not be aware, the KLR (Kelsby Light Railway) is my own fictional railway and layout, and the passenger livery is an apple green very similar to this. This 7 and a quarter inch engine is another featured on Station Road Steam's website, built at some point prior to 2006 - aka a full decade before I first came up with my KLR. I don't know whether to be impressed by the coincidence or slightly worried that I was unintentionally influenced by this somehow.

 

...OK, I got nothing for this one. Same person from the same site. Let's move on before someone accuses me of plagiarism.

 

Ah, this is a cool one. This is an N scale version of the never-built Baldwin 2-10-2 that was designed for the Great Central Railway. One does wonder what the hell a railway in Britain would need a locomotive of this size for (especially in 1914 when this was proposed! In fact, it probably would've been built if not for a minor conflict called World War 1) but hey, it looks really cool. This was by a guy on FaceBook going by "PedanticMongrel". 

 

On a similar note is this video by Atlantic3279 depicting a OO scale model of the same loco which I assume belongs to them as they have at least two other videos of the same model. 

 

Finally is this almost as bonkers LNER 4-8-2 called "Overshot" (I swear there's a Transformer with that name...), which was formerly for sale on themodelrailwayclub.com but has long since been sold, with its current location and owner being unknown. It's a really nicely made and interesting model, and I'm not sure if this is made using bespoke parts of this is just so well cut-and-shut that I can't see the joints. Either way it's a really cool piece and must be a great talking point for its current owner.

[The Johnster]

1 hour ago, RedGemAlchemist said:

My next find was this 3 and a half inch freelance 0-6-2T,

 

There is an element of the Barry Railway's K class 0-6-2T about this, if it were rebuilt by the GW with a Dean Goods boiler instead of the no.2 that it was actually given, and a half-cab.  The dome is pure Rhymney Railway R class, though.  Boiler, top feed casing, safety valve bonnet, and cab are highly suggestive of the GW.  I'd suggest it was built by someone with a knowledge of South Wales locos!

[Paleopotato09]

@RedGemAlchemistI have drawings for the Baldwin 

[Johnson044]

Station Road Steam have had some very inspiring freelance locos over the years. Sometimes the builders in the "Model Engineering" scales are far less inhibited about freelance design- look at the designs of "LBSC". Sometimes locos were just designed around parts and castings that were available. 

 

This is on their website at the moment. 

 

https://www.stationroadsteam.com/vintage-3-12-inch-gauge-4-6-2t-stock-code-9687/fullscreen/1/

 

 

[RedGemAlchemist]

This post is entirely this little selection of O-16.5 narrow gauge locomotives, sold by barriesattic on eBay. I know if they were 009 they'd be snapped up immediately by various people I know who model that scale. But they're not, so we can look at them on here and maybe they get picked out by modellers on here, which is why I made this thread in the first place. I'm very much of the opinion that no matter what region or time or anything you model there is always room for something interesting and unique.

[RedGemAlchemist]

Right, let's do the proper post now. First up is this little scratchbuilt cottage, which honestly reminds me of... anyone here ever watch the 80s Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy TV miniseries? Reminds me of how Arthur's house was depicted in the first episode of that. This little place was built by pameltoon-0.

 

Next is this small pub by baxio3rod. Definitely very British. Not really much to say other than it's a nice pub. 

 

Next up is this beautifully built loader scratchbuilt by one Lyle Noah, being sold by itsallabouttrains on eBay. This is gorgeous. If any of you model logging in HO, try and grab this while you can.

 

...and this is a tank wagon made from a beer can. Okay then.

[Johnson044]

Morning folks- this is on Ebay at the mo. I suddenly realised that I knew that firebox - it's been made from a Hornby Nr 2 Special tank. Rather nicely done.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/115488974037?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908105057%26meid%3Da11f7d9c2bdb44a4889188291c6699aa%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D134091369237%26itm%3D115488974037%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2380057&_trksid=p2380057.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3A2a122bd6-1c62-11ed-809e-b6a59f1fb0ba|parentrq%3Aa027e6071820adb9309d7ebdfff995b0|iid%3A1

[Annie]

37 minutes ago, Johnson044 said:

Morning folks- this is on Ebay at the mo. I suddenly realised that I knew that firebox - it's been made from a Hornby Nr 2 Special tank. Rather nicely done.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/115488974037?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908105057%26meid%3Da11f7d9c2bdb44a4889188291c6699aa%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D134091369237%26itm%3D115488974037%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2380057&_trksid=p2380057.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3A2a122bd6-1c62-11ed-809e-b6a59f1fb0ba|parentrq%3Aa027e6071820adb9309d7ebdfff995b0|iid%3A1

What a magnificent old 'O' Gauge model.  If I still was doing coarse scale 'O' gauge I'd be tempted by it.

[hayfield]

On 08/08/2022 at 19:49, RedGemAlchemist said:

This post is entirely this little selection of O-16.5 narrow gauge locomotives, sold by barriesattic on eBay. I know if they were 009 they'd be snapped up immediately by various people I know who model that scale. But they're not, so we can look at them on here and maybe they get picked out by modellers on here, which is why I made this thread in the first place. I'm very much of the opinion that no matter what region or time or anything you model there is always room for something interesting and unique.

 

 

I managed to win last night the second loco Melangell for my small but increasing range of 0-16.5 stock. I think I was looking at another 3, one of which went much higher than I thought it was worth, the other 2 I got out bid

 

With the one I won I thought the body was well detailed, but I will be looking to upgrade the chassis.

 

The Glyn Valley tram I had a punt at, as it has Romford wheels on a Triang chassis, but I have a couple and looking for a couple of cheap ones to kit bash into a double cab tram loco, but rightly it went for a reasonable sum

 

The last loco in the photos Juno, from another seller I got a Branchlines chassis for a Peco body kit I have, 

[RedGemAlchemist]

9 hours ago, hayfield said:

I managed to win last night the second loco Melangell for my small but increasing range of 0-16.5 stock. I think I was looking at another 3, one of which went much higher than I thought it was worth, the other 2 I got out bid

Glad it's gone to a good home then. Look forward to seeing it running then!

[hayfield]

On 15/08/2022 at 20:34, RedGemAlchemist said:

Glad it's gone to a good home then. Look forward to seeing it running then!

 

 

It arrived today and I am very pleased with it, the kit has been well built, detailed and painted. 

 

One issue which I knew it would have is that awful Hornby chassis. I have some recollection that someone makes a replacement chassis, initially I thought it may be Branchlines, but they do a replacement Pug chassis

 

As it happens I have a Merican models 0-4-0 T etched chassis, though its for an inside frame cylinders, however on two other etches I have differing cylinders which may work, the crossheads are hidden anyway so being under scale will not be an issue

[RedGemAlchemist]

Well, it's been a hot minute since I've done one of these:

To start off is this sweet little O-gauge 0-6-0T by fel_eng2020. @NeilHB, if you need a Thomas for Elsbridge Wharf, might this do? (Also, love your work.)

My next find was this little N-gauge station by ruty1147, which honestly reminds me a little of Salhouse station (about an hour north of my house as the crow flies). 

 

Next is this interesting little Bo-Bo diesel from mick1997fishing. Looks kind of like a Class 33. 

 

This little 4-4-0 comes not from eBay, but from elsewhere, namely it was Lot 168 of Dec 2020 on the Dominic Winter Auctioneers website. According to the page listing, it was built sometime in the 30s or 40s by one T. Smith and along with its tender came from a collection of stuff formerly belonging to Sir Barnes Wallis, the World War 2-era inventor.

 

Here's a fun one some of you might have seen before. This little G-gauge live-steam "cracker" is a screenshot from a YouTube video by former Mythbuster Adam Savage (whose arm you can see in the background). Can't remember the name of the bloke who made it though.

 

This one comes from Antiques Atlas, and... I have no idea what the hell it's meant to be. It genuinely looks like someone tried to turn a Gresley A4 into a well tank. It looks, in my opinion, dreadful. If you really want it, be my guest because I sure wouldn't.

 

And this one from the same site just looks like the Train from The Magic Roundabout. Not that that is necessarily a bad thing (I loved that show as a kid) but it's certainly unusual.

[ianmacc]

Bought this lovely little thing from a model shop this week. A competently made item based on a Bachmann power bogie. Is it some sort of track recording unit? If even has a high visibility jacket and a first aid kit in the fully detailed cab interior. 
 

Cannot claim the credit for making it but kudos to whomever it was. 

[ianmacc]

There’s a training day at the depot!

 

Gives me an excuse to display the rail oddities, have one of those brilliant Tiny HK Ford transit mk2 ambulances in St John UK livery, the EFE Bristol VR and Bob’s hot dogs models! Plus a nice fuller than usual car park for my Oxford Diecasts!

 

Edited November 10, 2022 by ianmacc

[Northmoor]

2 hours ago, RedGemAlchemist said:

Next is this interesting little Bo-Bo diesel from mick1997fishing. Looks kind of like a Class 33. 

 

It looks like an MTK Class 25 (not a Hornby chassis anyway).  As so often with kits of this era, the builder seems to have assembled it well then given it to a five year old to paint.

That GNR 4-4-0 is BEAUTIFUL.  The provenance behind it will put some £££ on the selling price for sure.

Edited November 9, 2022 by Northmoor
Knew the right number and wrote the wrong one.

[ianmacc]

The little Green bo-bo diesel is a kit of a late build class 25 diesel. 
 

Edit. Prior post now corrected by OP. 

Edited November 10, 2022 by ianmacc