The Lesdham & Hereford Railway - some freelance models

[Johnson044]

This has given me a livery, the H being, of course, Hereford, County Town for a county that I’ve grown to love over the years, and I’ve generated some lettering on Autocad and had some transfers made. Here’s a typical L&H open wagon, which is from a resin casting of unknown parentage with brake gear from the other Jubilee wagon plus the usual Ambis parts.

[NeilHB]

I like the converted Jubilee wagon, that's a rather nifty idea!

 

I think the resin wagon body was by either HMRS (Historical Model Railway Society), or possibly Hobby Holidays. I have a couple of them somewhere, but I modified mine to remove the curved top plank. 

[Johnson044]

All Neil's recent work on Ffarqhar Road has encouraged me to start to think about getting my finger out and putting some thoughts together on the railway itself. I haven't dome any platelaying for many years and the L&H has existed for far too long as a few scrappy bits of paper. 

 

I took Iain Rice's advice from "An Approach to model railway layout design - Fine scale in small spaces" and have tried to set out what I'd like to achieve - and my thoughts are:

 

Setting
Herefordshire / Gloucestershire

 

Period
1880’s – 1890’s

 

Railways:
1. Ledsham and Herefordshire Railway - an independent company with a cross-country, secondary main line route and a couple of branches, similar in nature to the Maryport and Carlisle. Not light railway. Everything clean and well maintained but slightly penurious.
2. GWR- maybe one day. Just the odd visiting loco- a 517 or small 2-4-0 maybe – or something really obscure from a minor absorbed railway- or just the odd wagon or coach.
3. LNWR- as GWR- maybe a Webb 0-4-0 saddle tank or Allan Crewe type 2-4-0.

 

Type of subject:
Riverside town terminus- Severnside or Wyeside

 

Layout type:
Cameo layout- minimum space with off-stage traverser
3 dimensional – lots of changes in level. Height makes up for small area and adds interest.
Proscenium arch with stage lighting
 

Features:
Overall roof – small but commodious train shed (Banff Station, Haslem’s Creek Cemetery Station, Corris Station, Louth Market Hall, Zetland Hotel, Saltburn). Maybe low relief forming part of scenic break.
Victorian High Gothick architecture- polychrome brick and decorative stone / ironwork (again, Louth Market Hall).
Stone town walls with arches – York old station.
Segment turntable (saves huge amounts of space!) (Birmingham Snow Hill, Kerry station – relatively common in Germany) Bridge rail on segment turntable
McKenzie and Holland slotted post signals- have some Scale Signal Supply ones.
Quayside
Inset trackwork
Wagon turntable and capstan
Fishbelly rail on stone blocks on one siding- surviving relic from original Georgian early tramroad? Maybe inside building (Cromford and High Peak)-  have some Ambis rail.
Possibly upper reaches of tidal river- lots of mud
Trees and foliage- semi- urban
Ornate water crane 
Cranes / coal chute (Bullo Pill)
Edge of major river bridge as scenic break
 

Standards:
7mm “fine” scale 32mm gauge
Trackwork to be authentic- 2 bolt chairs, sleepers of scale 9’ x 9” at slightly wider spacing
Ruling radius of 7’ (where 4-4-0’s likely to go but tighter radii where track is inset)
Ballast to be convincing
Great care taken to conceal any baseboard or backscene joints.
Inset trackwork – cobbles, check rails etc to be convincing
Signals properly located and working
 

A lot to try to squeeze in to a small space.

 

Some hopefully less scrappy bits of paper soon!

[NeilHB]

Don't worry, it took me long enough to get going with Ffarquhar Road John, and that wasn't actually the first part of the ETCo that I'd intended to model either. 

 

This all sounds very interesting, and lots of scope for what I think will be a very nice layout. 

[Johnson044]

Another project which hung around for many years, largely complete but with no interior and in white primer was the inspection saloon that trundled around with Witch.  Sometime in the late ‘90’s a chum of mine who worked at East Kent Models in Whitstable alerted me to a plastic kit which was in stock- £14 changed hands (wish I could get another for that price now) and this amazing cornucopia of useful bits became mine.

 

The kit is an absolute boon to the freelance builder in 7mm scale. In fact it’s slightly small for 7mm and narrow gauge to boot, but nevertheless… I used some of the carriage sides, the axleboxes and a few other bits as a starting point for a small inspection saloon, on an underframe from hardwood strip with peco 0 gauge GWR buffers, some IKB models etched brake gear parts and plastikard for the remainder. I made up some compensated inside bearings for the wheels, which are turned steel with whitemetal Mansell inserts- so plenty of weight to start off with. 
 

[Johnson044]

The interior was a very long time in gestation and I eventually made up some very simple seating, which for some reason I fixed in place to the body, which has the roof integral with the sides. The floor as a Persian carpet – just googled that object and printed one of the images that came up. The body is held to the underframe by the stove chimney, which is a length of brass tube with a section of 10BA bolt at one end and a shortened Slater’s axle bearing for the top.

 

Humbrol Nr 73 has become the flavour of choice for L&H coaching stock and the lettering was home-generated using Autocad and, after various unsuccessful attempts at printing onto decal paper I had the transfers printed up commercially from a pdf of my artwork.
Lots of bits left over, some of which made a brake third and went under a horse box, of which more anon. I still have many of the loco parts which I cogitate over from time to time.

[Johnson044]

Some of the interior (mirrors & things) came from the rather useful Connoisseur Models cardboard interior kit that has provided all sorts of parts for my carriages. The lamp shades are pencil erasers. Grab rails and lamp brackets etc are brass strip and wire. the roof was built up plank-by-plank from Plastikard and felted with fine wet and dry paper painted white.

 

I think the seats may have been maybe Slater's mouldings. A bit wonky in the end compartment but not noticeable when the body is assembled.

 

[NeilHB]

The inspection saloon is quite delightful John, a lovely piece of work. I rather like the Persian carpets, they had a nice touch to it. 

[Andrew Young]

The inspection saloon is a super model. Have a couple of those kits stashed away as they were too good a price to refuse back in the day! Must do something with them one day. 
 

Andrew

[Johnson044]

Being a bit thick yesterday - I didn't say which kit the cornucopia was! ...but it's pretty well known. Worth getting hold of if you can.

[Johnson044]

And here is the inspiration for the inspection saloon- a fine product of the Gloucester Carriage and Wagon Company for the Severn & Wye & Severn Bridge Railway. Obvious significant differences are the tumblehome and upper foot plates rather than a continuous foot board - and, of course, mine's only got the one verandah. 

[Andrew Young]

Hadn’t seen the S&W&SBR carriage before @Johnson044 that’s a cracking example of the carriage builder’s art. For me, your inspection saloon reminded me of the Padarn Railway’s Director’s saloon, also a Gloucester built vehicle. 
 

 

Andrew

Edited July 29, 2022 by Andrew Young

[Metropolitan H]

The old "Gakken" - now Minicraft kit has been around for a long time. Although not Standard gauge the following shows my O16.5 4-4-0T "Richard" and the 4-wheel brake coach / guards van - built circa 1978 using the same kit parts. Last seen in public on the Worton Court layout at the "Narrow Gauge South" in Eastleigh in April this year.

 

 

I do have another kit in hand, should I want to increase that part of the fleet.

 

Regards

Chris H

[Johnson044]

16 hours ago, Metropolitan H said:

The old "Gakken" - now Minicraft kit has been around for a long time. Although not Standard gauge the following shows my O16.5 4-4-0T "Richard" and the 4-wheel brake coach / guards van - built circa 1978 using the same kit parts. Last seen in public on the Worton Court layout at the "Narrow Gauge South" in Eastleigh in April this year.

 

 

I do have another kit in hand, should I want to increase that part of the fleet.

 

Regards

Chris H

I've seen many conversions from this kit over the years but "Richard" convinces me the most. That's truly delightful. Something of the Cavan and Leitrim definitely - and also shades of "Caledonia" of the Manx Northern Railway. Very inspiring.

[Johnson044]

20 hours ago, Andrew Young said:

Hadn’t seen the S&W&SBR carriage before @Johnson044 that’s a cracking example of the carriage builder’s art. For me, your inspection saloon reminded me of the Padarn Railway’s Director’s saloon, also a Gloucester built vehicle. 
 

 

Andrew

I hadn't come across this- what a wonderful survivor. I love the blue and gold etched glass top lights.

[Andrew Young]

1 hour ago, Johnson044 said:

I hadn't come across this- what a wonderful survivor. I love the blue and gold etched glass top lights.

You’re welcome. Have visited Penrhyn Castle and can confirm that the carriage is as stunning close up. 

[RedGemAlchemist]

Always nice to see a new freelance thread pop up, especially from someone I enjoy talking to like yourself Johnson. I shall continue to watch his with great interest :)

[Johnson044]

Thanks RedGem- and I've a post for your excellent Wild Kitbash thread for later today!

[Johnson044]

On 30/07/2022 at 20:12, Andrew Young said:

You’re welcome. Have visited Penrhyn Castle and can confirm that the carriage is as stunning close up. 

The Nidd Valley Railway had themselves a rather nifty little saloon as well - by Hurst Nelson- again, with some etched glass. The brake van is pretty inspirational.

[Johnson044]

Witch and the saloon together.

[NeilHB]

3 hours ago, Johnson044 said:

The Nidd Valley Railway had themselves a rather nifty little saloon as well - by Hurst Nelson- again, with some etched glass. The brake van is pretty inspirational.

 

The Brake Van looks quite similar to those supplied to the Rother Valley Railway (before it became the K&ESR) along with their 4-wheel coaches. I must get on and build up the pair of coaches I've got to run on Ffarquhar Road. 

 

That Nidd Valley saloon is really rather delightful! I feel a new scratchbuilding project coming on 😄

[Johnson044]

Some more parts from the Minicraft kit (sides, axleboxes/springs, lamp tops) were used as a starting point for a 5 compartment brake third. The underframe pretty much a longer version of the inspection saloon, and the red brake end is identical. This time, having recently visited the Chemin de fer de la Baie de Somme I decided to make some simple slatted timber seats from scribed and folded brass sheet.

 

Please excuse the poor photos - the top of the coal bunker, my usual works photo location, was in searing heat at lunchtime. Hopefully soon I'll put together a "Sir Douglas" type diorama for photo purposes.

[Johnson044]

I must admit that I’m stuck for a prototype standard gauge tumbleholme-less vehicle with sliding doors- (or one with a tumbleholme and sliding doors for that matter) but otherwise possibly by Ashbury or Brown Marshall or somesuch? I like them though and I’m assuming a cancelled order for an overseas railway. That’s the joy of freelancing!

[Johnson044]

Jumping ahead a bit I used the last of the axlebox assemblies from the Minicraft kit under a one-compartment brake first. I first made up a longer underframe many moons ago complete with two rows of footboards, buffers and draw gear, intending to put it under an ersatz Highfield-type vacuum formed kit of the K&ESR Royal Saloon. However, every time I got the kit out and looked at it I was put off by the really poor mouldings, which were vague and full of minor blow holes. So, having shortened it to go under a horsebox body I’d been given (more of which later) and realising that horseboxes don’t usually have two rows of footboards, I bought a resin body kit from 422 Modelmaking and shed two compartments, making the beastie shown here. 

[Johnson044]

The kits are very easy to assemble, cut about and paint and are tremendous value for money. The biggest improvement, I think, is letting in some small strips of glazing material after painting the guard’s ducket windows black.