GCR Loco - Beginner

[Haggerleases]

Hi all. 

 

After floating around at the periphery of the hobby, doing a lot of reading and making a few false starts, I'm ready to jump in and make a real start. 

I have a 9' X 18' garage attached to my house which is warm, dry, well-lit and entirely at my disposal, and I've constructed two 4' X 2'  baseboards to allow me to start laying track.

I'm a member of the EMGS, so track will be EM gauge, and period will be pre-grouping. (year yet to be decided, but certainly pre-WW1).

Company will be Great Central.

My question is: Can anyone suggest a loco to put together from a kit? or even scratch-build?

I'm an engineer (working for the Fire Brigade) and I have a good lathe and a drilling machine at home as well as the usual hand tools, so I'm reasonably technically adept, though lacking experience in model locomotive building in 4mm scale. I think it's important to maintain the momentum and get something up and running fairly sharpish, so a kit may be the way forward. I just want something to shunt a few wagons about on a shunting plank while I develop the main layout and build track. 

I visited Tony Gee a couple of years back and had a little operating session on Buckingham, and that really whetted my appetite. Thanks Tony! 

 

Regards

 

Stew.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

The Parker/Pollitt 0-6-2T (GCR 9C, later classified N5 by LNER) would be a good choice for the last twenty years of the GCR's existence. Relatively simple for a first attempt, roomy inside for the mechanism, and ubiquitous on their system.

Edited September 14, 2023 by 34theletterbetweenB&D
typo

[Steamport Southport]

GCR kits? Just off the top of my head and currently available.

 

DJH J10 0-6-0

 

https://www.djhmodelloco.co.uk/product/k32-kit-gcr-9h-later-lner-br-j10-0-6-0-4000g-tender/

 

Judith Edge J63 0-6-0T

 

and N4/N5 this is a "scratch aid" rather than a full kit, maybe just what you are looking for? 

 

https://www.ukmodelshops.co.uk/catalogue/judithedge.html

 

PDK do the D10 and D11 4-4-0s

 

http://www.pdkmodels.co.uk/

 

 

There are a few more, but most aren't currently available and must be sourced second hand. Usually quite easy to find such as Little Engines J11s and Nucast C13s.

 

 

Jason

[Nick Lawson]

16 hours ago, Steamport Southport said:

DJH J10 0-6-0

DJH kits are designed specifically for OO gauge - so need some more work to adapt to wider 4mm gauges. I have an unbuilt one which I started a while back - off the top of my head:

 

the brass screw-together chassis is a bit basic; OO gauge; and has a slightly incorrect wheelbase. You can get a better replacement from Alan Gibson with "EM gauge spacers". Note that there isn't a standard EM gauge spacer width. Farmer Dave on ebay, (also of this parish) makes EM spacers which are wider than the Gibson product. It's up to you!

 

Back to the J10 - secondly the front guard irons are part of the whitemetal buffer beam. For EM you'd need to cut these off and move them outboard, or make replacements and attach to the frames.

 

So although DJH rate the J10 as an easy kit to build, it may not be quick to do.

 

Over on scaleforum, Will L has an old thread on doing a full P4 job on this kit which may give you other ideas to consider, even if you don't adopt all of them.

 

Have fun!

[t-b-g]

Hello Stew.

 

You could do a lot worse than a 9F (N5 to more modern folk!). There is an etched scratch builders aid from Judith Edge or a complete cast kit from SE Finecast.

 

Until SE Finecast was taken over by Squires, you used to be able to purchase the fittings like chimneys domes etc separately but I don't know if you still can.

 

As the GCR used them for shunting plus local goods and passenger trains, they are a really useful thing to have.

 

There are two on Buckingham, the original Denny one from 1947 and a much more recent one built by me from a Millholme kit that hauls the Director's saloon.

 

Cheers

 

Tony 

[Haggerleases]

Hi chaps. Thanks ever so much for that information. It's a great help. I've just placed an order for the Judith Edge N5 'scratch aid' kit, so I will see what I can make of it. It's my first ever loco build so goodness knows how it will come out, but it's a start. I need to order wheels, motor and gearbox next. 

 

[Pebbles]

Has anyone mentioned the Judith Edge GCR Class 9L / LNER class C14.

[Steamport Southport]

6 minutes ago, Pebbles said:

Has anyone mentioned the Judith Edge GCR Class 9L / LNER class C14.

 

I didn't know whether it was currently available since the change of etchers as it has disappeared from the website along with the other etches.

 

 

Jason

[Haggerleases]

Well the etch for the Judith Edge GCR N5 arrived this morning and it looks very nicely done. I do hope I can do it justice.

I have to be kind to myself and bear in mind that I was going to scratchbuild entirely, but I went for the available etch to try and save time getting something up and running.

I bought an old Skinley drawing, but when I compare it to the etch that's just arrived it is many a mile off. 

 

I'm sorely tempted to build the kit as the MS&LR version and base my layout in that period (And it would save me trying to construct a Belpaire firebox)..

There is a really brilliant quality photo of the loco in that period and livery in the second volume of the Nigel Digby Pre-Grouping liveries book which I purchased some time ago.

It would be easier to paint too!

 

Stew.

 

Edited September 19, 2023 by Haggerleases

[Haggerleases]

Tony. You mention 1947 as the year Peter Denny built this loco. That was the year my Dad was born and he's 76 this year. Crikey, I wonder how many miles it's done since then! 

[Steamport Southport]

3 hours ago, Haggerleases said:

Well the etch for the Judith Edge GCR N5 arrived this morning and it looks very nicely done. I do hope I can do it justice.

I have to be kind to myself and bear in mind that I was going to scratchbuild entirely, but I went for the available etch to try and save time getting something up and running.

I bought an old Skinley drawing, but when I compare it to the etch that's just arrived it is many a mile off. 

 

I'm sorely tempted to build the kit as the MS&LR version and base my layout in that period (And it would save me trying to construct a Belpaire firebox)..

There is a really brilliant quality photo of the loco in that period and livery in the second volume of the Nigel Digby Pre-Grouping liveries book which I purchased some time ago.

It would be easier to paint too!

 

Stew.

 

 

ISTR reading that some Skinley drawings aren't particularly accurate.

 

 

Jason

[Barclay]

I'm looking forward to seeing this being built, as I have the etches myself, they are so beautiful they could go in a frame on the wall. 

[Haggerleases]

Yes it's almost a shame to remove the parts from the etch frame!

Just put my name down for an London Road Models RSU to go alongside my trusty Antex 25W iron. I've been foaming at the mouth for one for quite a while. I think the build will take a while, but I have plenty of research to be going on with while I'm not burning my fingers. 

 

Stew.

[t-b-g]

I started one of these as an N4 with round top firebox a few years ago and for some reason, as happens with many of my projects, it got put on the back burner and was never finished. I did find the rivetting quite tricky as there are so many that are really close together, which gave no room for an anvil or support for a rivetting tool. So I cheated and only did every second rivet.

 

I am not saying that everybody should do it but it might be a useful tip if anybody struggles like I did.

 

The round top firebox version lasted quite a long time and is quite appropriate for a GCR period layout.

[Haggerleases]

That's good to know Tony. I had a look at the rivets and yes there's a few lines where they are eye wateringly close together. 

I'm at the stage of contriving some kind of riveting tool. I will practice before I let loose on the etches. 

I'm fortunate in having a lathe and being able to knock up special tools for such tasks. (I remember seeing one or three lathes dotted around your place too!) I'm trying to convince my other half that I need a small milling machine for my 50th in a couple of months!

 

looking forward to getting stuck in. 

 

Stew.