The Lesdham & Hereford Railway - some freelance models

[Johnson044]

Thank you Sir Douglas- I must say that your thread has been a huge source of inspiration for me- your determination to see a project through, your originality- and, above all, your overtype geared locomotive!

[Johnson044]

I haven’t posted anything on the Ledsham & Hereford for a long time. Don’t know where the year has gone- not really had much of an appetite for railway modelling apart from tinkering with the coarse scale Spinner, which  graces the shelf over the door to my basement office. This is partly down to mojo, which hasn’t been up to scratch for a long time, but mainly eyesight- issues (which, in turn, do nothing for mojo)- not sure what the issue is but hopefully will know soon following MRI scan results. Imagine, if you will, a small, irregularly shaped object- purple in the middle, then concentric rings of green, yellow and white- always there in my field of vision- exactly where I am trying to focus. Only tiny but completely in the way and more prominent at the end of a day’s computer work and omni-present. Compounded by many floaters- green rings and frogspawn- although these don't bother me so much as they move out of the way for a while if I look to one side- so it’s like living in a rock pool at the moment. My daughter’s fiance, who is a professional photographer, with an interest in capturing the Milky Way showed me a greatly enhanced image of a nebula- and that is very, very close to the shape that obstructs my vision- although to me it also looks very like a Palethorpe’s Sausage logo from the side of an LMS six wheeled van….. 

But enough moaning. I’ve decided to get of my bum and try to get on with some long-stalled projects and see what happens.
 

[Johnson044]

Ages ago I made this Open Carriage Truck from bits. As usual, I have no photos taken during the making- I did take some and they ended up on Neil’s Elsbridge thread as we were discussing OPC’s at the time. The photos went on RMWeb before the great crash and I haven’t a copy, so I can only show the OPC as it is now. Neil, tragically, is not with us any more of course and I do miss our conversations although I sadly never actually met him.

[Johnson044]

Ok- so basically this creation is concocted from plastikard atop the mortal remains of a Slater’s Midland brake van underframe, with Gloucester axleboxes, Mansell wheels and bits of Jubilee brake gear- the lever and ratchet are Ambis as usual. Two buffers are Jubilee whitemetal ones and the other two are brass, so they don’t quite match but never mind. The pierced strips to hold the ends of the securing bars for the vehicle are also from Ambis wagon brake ratchet etches.

Just need to letter the OPC and provide it with a load. I thought I’d try a Brougham from Parliamentary Trains.
 

[Johnson044]

Another project that I've had at the back of my mind for many years is a freelance 0-4-0 VB loco with outside frames- something not unlike the broad gauge "Tiny". I have a pair of etched tender frames with a 6' + 6' wheelbase that I'll cut down (I think these might be Dragon Models- they came with a collection of other etched bits from Ebay), some 3'6" wheels, some 6' NS coupling rods (left over from my 8mm to 1' "resurrection of a Saddle tank" in the Industrial loco thread) and some Tri-ang L1 driving wheels, which I'll use as a basis for the outside cranks. I've ordered some Alan Gibson 1/8" sprung hornblocks and I've sundry other parts. I'm assuming the L&H wanted a loco for Severnbury Harbour and cut down an old Sharp-Stewart tender and put a boiler on top.

 

I have a cunning plan for the vertical cylinders and link motion using a 4mm scale Brassmasters 4F inside motion kit. All completely embryonic  at this stage.

[Johnson044]

Another little project that I've had in mind for some time is a pantechnicon on a suitable well wagon. My wife's from Louth in Lincolnshire and I found this local one in a book of old photos of the town. Eve & Ranshaw were an old-established firm, with a big street presence in the town- founded in 1781 and only closed this year, which is a terrible loss to the town. I wonder if they also had containers? Hard to tell the livery but I wonder if it's a slate background with maybe gold lettering- at least those are their most recent shop frontage colours...

[Johnson044]

Well- no progress with any of the above- I opened the Parliamentary Trains Brougham kit and, with the delicacy of the parts I thought for a moment I'd joined Caley Jim and the others in the world of 2mm fine scale. I've completely chickened out for the time being until I've bought an Optivisor or some other head-mounted magnifier.

 

I have, however, after much procrastination, plucked up the courage to get the soldering iron out and I've made quite a bit of progress with the tender for the double-framed goods. This is now not far from being ready for painting, having gained a rear toolbox, weatherboard stays and brackets and also the various threaded brackets and holes to enable it all to be bolted together.

[Johnson044]

Brake gear still to do but should hopefully be relatively easy- it's all etchings and castings and tube and held together with ordinary dressmaker's pins with the heads turned down in the mini drill.

 

I went to the Alresford train collector's fair earlier in the year and the only thing I bought was a bag of lost wax LNWR lamp sockets, so I've put three of these on. I realise that I was trying to disguise an obviously Webb LNWR tender tank but then thought why am I doing so? Why could the Ledsham & Hereford not have used an old Webb tender tank? I will fit the lamp sockets to the loco front as well, instead of the conventional ones. 

 

 

I have plated over some of the holes in the tank top with some round, rivetted etched items that  came with a collection of odd ebay etched bits. The front buffers are actually white metal washout plugs from the Hachette A3, that have been lurking around for many years now. 

 

It's been good to be actively making something again- mojo perked up and hopefully will stay that way for a bit.

[Johnson044]

I've started some work on the loco again- coupling rods next. i had these laser cut by Model Engineer's Laser- from Autocad drawings that I did. Herein lies the issue- Autocad and laser cutting provide the most incredible precision- and when the human hand is applied it starts to go a bit wobbly- hence the drilling and filing are not as good as I'd hoped.

 

I managed to drill the first pair of 0.6mm holes for the bearing cotter bolts and then used the first ones as a guide for the rest by just placing the first rod on top of each one in turn and drilling them. Mild steel, which is lovely to work with.

 

I decided to form a simple half lap at the knuckle joint and I've just tapped the pivot 12BA. i'm going to just thread a brass 12BA bolt through and peen it over or centre pop it on each side and hopefully it will be loose enough to enable the joint to flex but not to un-thread itself- I'm well aware that this is poor engineering practice!

 

Next task will be to try to represent the oil corks and bearing cotters.

 

Here's the first rod screwed to a bit of oak flooring to enable me to shape the surface.

[Johnson044]

Uckfield show yesterday. So many of the models that inspired me in my formative years were on a single display stand. There was a fair bit of paper memorabilia too including some original Iain Rice artwork- plus, of course, several of his layouts. He was so prolific and talented.

[Johnson044]

Woken at 5.40 by Liz's car alarm. Some low life forced the garage door, broke her window, pushed her car across the road and stole my son Tim's two motorbikes. Beautiful, immaculate 1973 450cc Honda that he'd spent many, many hours on a complete ground-up restoration plus his 600cc Ducati. Some £12k worth of bikes plus the hours of effort put into them. It’s absolutely soul destroying. 
 
Awaiting crime scene people who will come within six hours. Liz’s Glucometer also taken (she is a Community Nurse who manages End of Life Care for people in south Canterbury) and her car and sterile things full of glass. Liz using my car today as her work is essential, so I’m doing what work I can from home. Absolutely SICK of living in Dover.
 

[Johnson044]

A quick update as I must try to get at least some work done today.  Paul, my daughter's fiance, found on local social media that someone seen pushing red motorbike on local street at 6.30 this morning. Tim & I found Honda (wet but seemingly undamaged) behind some bins two streets away and Ducati minus alarm, some wiring and toolkit in car park not far away. Have moved them both to a lock up which will hopefully be safe. Police are aware and will hopefully follow up. 

 

Just waiting for glass repair man to come and fix car. A stressful morning and feel a bit invaded but damage hopefully limited. 

[Johnson044]

Dear Gentlefolk

 

Also posted in the Obituaries section.

 

I am really sorry to have to pass on the sad news that Robert Fridd, Cardboard Wizard, painter and modelmaker of very great talent, blues musician, mentor and dear friend was "withdrawn with undue haste" at QEQM Hospital, Margate at 6am this morning.

 

John M

[Johnson044]

A tiny bit of progress with the double framed goods. Coupling rods now more or less done- I had a go at the security bolts, oil corks and cotters and pinned the two rod sections together. 

 

I need to do some fettling as there are a couple of tight spots but mojo improving as spring arrives so hopefully more progress soon.

 

I do hope I can get the handrails a bit straighter.

[Johnson044]

In odd moments I've started to cobble a break van together from scrap box odd & sods. Some 422 Modelmaking narrow gauge van sides, bits of Peco narrow gauge coach leftovers and the mortal remains of the Slater's Midland brake van that donated its underframe for my open carriage truck.

 

Horrible in close up- and the convex ends are largely lens distortion- at least they don't look anywhere near that bad to my eyes!

[Johnson044]

...and a little plug for the quite superb little Bishop's Castle Railway Museum which I visited the other day. Very much worth a visit. The staff were so friendly and welcoming.

[Johnson044]

11 hours ago, Johnson044 said:

A tiny bit of progress with the double framed goods. Coupling rods now more or less done- I had a go at the security bolts, oil corks and cotters and pinned the two rod sections together. 

 

I need to do some fettling as there are a couple of tight spots but mojo improving as spring arrives so hopefully more progress soon.

 

I do hope I can get the handrails a bit straighter.

The top photo might explain why the coupling rods are binding! Couldn't see it until I looked closely- the washer on the LH crankpin is fouling the little pieces of brass rod that represent the security bolts.

[Johnson044]

A little diversity. All 32mm gauge (obviously!).

 

7mm, Standard gauge "Wrekin" my Manning Wardle class F- basically a Slater's kit that I picked up half-built and finished off. Some extra detailing here and there- to my mind, the most noticeable omissions from the kit are the rivetted angles between the tank and the smokebox, the oil pots on the slide bars and the "splashers" over the front wheels behind the slidebars.

 

8mm 4' gauge "Chilham" built in about 1971 by Bob Fridd from card and rescued from behind a pile of books and memorabilia. A new, motorized chassis I built from bits. This is all on the Standard Gauge Industrial thread "Resurrection of a saddle tank". Something of a treasured possession and will one day, hopefully, be a part of a Kent cement works railway diorama.

 

9mm 3'6" gauge New Zealand original class A. From Ebay - I couldn't resist it. Massively built from thick metal. Looks quite accurate but a bit simplified. I'm stumped so far as to how it is assembled- 1/8" thick frames and everything soldered together, with what looks like maybe an old (Pittman maybe) motor inside. No idea how to dismantle for servicing. Wheels are turned from iron castings. Absolutely no idea what I'll do with this one. Maybe detail it and repaint and plonk it on a small Kiwi diorama as a small tribute to my dad, who came from Coromandel.

 

 

[Johnson044]

1 minute ago, Johnson044 said:

This is all on the Standard Gauge Industrial thread "Resurrection of a saddle tank".

Obviously not Standard Gauge!!!

[Johnson044]

Another little work in progress. For several years I've had this Admiralty gun barrel on a pair of shaped hardwood cradles- bought from an EGOGG bring and buy event. I thought I'd make a pair of twin bolster wagons to carry it around. I realised tat I had most of the bits kicking around so I shortened a pair of Slater's Gloucester underframes to suit the ABS 7' brake gear sets which I have. 

 

I also had a pair of buffer beams that I made a while back for another, aborted underframe- some whitemetal buffer stocks and Coopercraft coupling sockets and lengths of Peco sleeper strip. I made the inner, bufferless headstocks from more of the same.

 

So- an afternoon's work and I was quite pleased with what I'd done. The corner strapping is from some scrap etch which had some convenient rivet heads on it (yes- I know, they should be bolts).  

[Johnson044]

Something didn't look right- the solebars were too far in from the sides. It all looked a bit narrow gauge.

 

At this point I lined up one of the ends with a Slater's Midland wagon and realised (a) the headstocks I'd used as a starting point were 3mm too wide and (b) so were the buffer centres. I was not pleased. I seem to be making a lot of elementary errors like this at the moment.

 

I was just going to leave it and started looking for photos of wider-than-normal wagons. Clutching at straws, being lazy- and the Prototype For Everything Dept was, on this occasion, not of much help.

 

So- the rather strongly made solvent joints were carefully cut apart this morning and here we are- back to the loose components again without too much damage for narrowing and reassembly.

[Johnson044]

I don't think I could have visited Airnimal's S7 page again if I'd left it 3mm too wide!

[magmouse]

Look on it as re-enacting the broad to standard gauge conversions carried out by the GWR in the early 1890s….

 

Nick.

[Johnson044]

Some progress with the twin bolster. Successfully narrowed and sat on wheels (one set are turned down from coarse scale, the others are as Mr Slater intended). The gun barrel and cradles just loosely placed in position whilst I figure out what kind of pivots & rubbing plates will be appropriate. It's been lovely to get back in the shed and actually make something.

[SirBud]

Hello Johnson 0-4-4.  I have been having a sort out today and came across an article on these gun barrels at Coventry Ordnance Works including 4 pages of photos of the bogie "Gun Trucks" used to transport them in Railway Bylines Vol 23 Issue 12 Nov 2018.  Thought it may be of interest to you if you are not aware of the article. Best regards, Trevor