South Worfordshire Railway (009)

[ian]

Having eschewed the Festiniog my newly liberated butterfly attention has alighted on a fictional 009 common carrier set in the late 1920s. Whilst the layout itself is no more than a gleam in the eye, the works has already started operations.

 

The loco stud includes two Naysmyth Wilson locos, one a 4-4-0, the other a 2-6-0. Both are Roxey Mouldings kits of Cyprus Railways prototypes o Farish (Grafar) chassis that were purchased from the 009 Society Members' Sales Service.

Both were tested on arrival to confirm they worked after which the 2-6-0 was dismantled so that it didn't! This was as a precursor to fitting a Tramfabriek replacement motor.

Meanwhile two other members of the stud will comprise Fourdees 'Jubilee' Pecketts. Now, in an ideal world it would be quite fun to have DCC sound in them but given that the oomph comes from a Minitrains F&C chassis and the motor and flywheel fill the cab it might be a bit tight on space. First off the two donor locos were run in on DC. Once disgraced itself by throwing a crankpin but that was rectified and the offender told not to do it again. The next job is to scope out the available space so that a decision can be made: sound or silent!

[ian]

The saddle tank for the Fourdees 'Jubilee' Peckett is a hollow 3D print with three compartments. A small DCC decoder, stay alive board and capacitors are shown alongside.

Not wired together but they all fit in the central section, leaving the two side channels for weight. Using the stay alive should enable me to dispense with the flywheel which will give a clear space at the top of the cab. Using the Tramfabriek replacement motor would make room for a speaker by the motor and possibly the two capacitors as well - so DCC sound is a go!

Meanwhile the C&W works have started work on the first of a large batch of Nine Lines kits ready to establish how to fit the NEM coupler sockets. I should only have built one really, but you know how it is...

 

If you fix the Peco NEM socket to the coupler mounting pad on the Nine LInes chassis it ends up too high - but only a little. Some plastic sheet between the chassis and the pocket should solve that nicely.

[ian]

Ignore my previous comment about Nine Lines kits and NEMs. The opens and cattle wagon couple happily with Peco stock with the NEM socket glued to the mounting pad. The brake van however needs tweaking.

 

The experimental goods stock has gained some paint and looks better for it. Lettering will have to wait until the wagon numbers are finalised. The Nine Lines models are awaiting brake bits and weighting.

 

In the background a sacrificial lamb has been subjected to some livery experiments. The body colour is Vallejo Prussian Blue, the panelling Ivory and the roof, like the goods stock, Neutral Grey. I tried various dilutions of the paint with water to try and get it to flow nto the panelling but with limited success. I think I might try the airbrush version of the paint for that. I also learnt that the blue coat needs to harden before trying to guide the ivory into corners with a cocktail stick! The blue isn't quite as light in person as it is in the photo but it does look suspiciously like BR blue. I think a darker shade is called for.

[Jon Gwinnett]

Did you strip the paint mule first? A note of caution from my own 009 experience is that the Peco factory paint can react with some others, so worth patch testing once you settle on a final shade.

[ian]

56 minutes ago, Jon Gwinnett said:

Did you strip the paint mule first?

 

I didn't strip it - I was impressed at the Vallejo's covering abilities used neat.

 

It didn't react with the Peco paint, I scraped up the paint that hadn't hardened with my prodder. (Ooh er missus!)

Edited September 8 by ian

[ian]

The Naysmyth Wilson 2-6-0 has received its heart transplant - all it needs now is DCC, stay-alive and sound.

 

The big lump of Blu-Tac at the front is holding a securing screw in place that normally fastens to the body and the strange orange glow to the rear is some Kapton insulation tape to stop an occasional short from the back wheel getting just too close to the chassis.

 

This bodgement is to check that it all works. The chassis needs to be fettled and reassembled properly in due course along with some of the bodywork.

[ian]

Chasing Unicorns

 

The perfect coupling is, like the unicorn, a thing of fable and legend but that doesn't stop railway modellers from going in search of it. When I was working on Minffordd, which was a continuous run exhibition job with no shunting, I decided that Tramfabriek's chopper couplings (https://tramfabriek.nl/couplings.html) would look pretty natty on the front and rear of the trains.

 

Fast forward to the revised plans for a layout that would feature lots of shunting and the fact that the chopper could be adapted for magnetic operation meant that the decision seemed to be a no-brainer: good looks and no hand-of-god uncoupling. So I started to lay in a stock in readiness for the rash of rolling stock coming down the line.

 

https://tramfabriek.nl/video/coupling-large.mov

 

 

Having got a selection of wagons fitted with NEM pockets it was time for a play (sorry - test). The couplings come in pairs, one with a chopper and one without. So, taking two Peco bolster wagons couplings were fitted and the guinea pigs placed on a length of track and pushed together. Fail. The hook butted up to other coupling and stayed there, not lifting and not engaging. There followed a long session of trying different couplers and stock with very little resulting joy.

 

An exchange of emails with Sven at Tramfabriek seeking guidance established that due to the design autonatic coupling was not guaranteed and that the fail-safe way was to lift the chopper with a magnet on a stick, which could also be used to uncouple. The coupling was designed to look good (which it most certainly does) and to stay coupled when running. Shunting is best done by hand rather than other means.

 

So, once again the unicorn hunt has returned empty-handed. I shall revise my plans and go with the Greenwich couplers which are far better matched to my needs, albeit nowhere near as good to look at.

 

By the way, if you know of anyone who is is need of 24 pairs of cute chopper couplings I know of some going spare.

 

The works are closing for a holiday so there will be little to report for a week or so.

[ian]

After the pause for some R&R the works are bodging away at full speed. No less than ten wagons are mostly complete, needing only(!) couplings, lettering and weathering.

The pride of the line so far is the first of the milk vans. This is a Dundas Tralee & Dingle butter wagon and is finished in passenger Prussian blue. The wagon is fitted with vacuum brakes and will normally run attached to a passenger train, hence the natty colour scheme.

&L wagons - one sheep and six opens. These have one brake shoe each in contrast to the four on the milk van. Needless to say they aren't vacuum fitted. One of the opens is sporting a set of removable greedy boards so that it can be used as a provender wagon. Two sheep wagon kits gave their lives to make that possible.

The other two are Peco bolster wagons. As supplied they have a vacuum cylinder (but no pipes) and four brake shoes. This seems a somewhat generous provision so the cylinder and three of the shoes got lopped from each of them to bring them in line with their colleagues. The deck was painted to remove the plastic sheen, grey added around the body and some almost black was splashed around on the chassis.

 

All of them have had some weight added in the form of Deluxe Materials Liquid Gravity and all have Peco NEM coupler mounts.

 

And further reading indicates that the sheep wagon needs battens across the floor whilst the opens need door bumpers...

[ian]

The sheep wagon has gained some battens so that the passengers don't end up doing the rumba everytime the train jolts. (Note to self for when I do the rest of them - Evergreen 134 30x80 thou strip).

 

Sneaking in to the picture is a Nigel Brooks 3D printed Snailbeach hopper. There is no way to add weight to that but fortunately they will work as a block train so won't be mixed with other stock and hopefully the light weight won't cause a problem.

[ian]

Yet more wagons. Two more hoppers, another bolster, two opens, a pair of Nigel Brooks 3D printed W&L catle wagons and one of his W&L vans with doors that actually slide. That takes me to about a third of the planned fleet.

In other news a first draft of the timetable has been prepared which can now be walked through on paper to see what changes are needed to the proposed station plans to accomodate the traffic.

[Keith Addenbrooke]

5 hours ago, ian said:

Yet more wagons. Two more hoppers, another bolster, two opens, a pair of Nigel Brooks 3D printed W&L catle wagons and one of his W&L vans with doors that actually slide. That takes me to about a third of the planned fleet.

In other news a first draft of the timetable has been prepared which can now be walked through on paper to see what changes are needed to the proposed station plans to accomodate the traffic.

I like the idea of drawing up a timetable before finalising the track plan  - I’ve noticed some of the layout ideas I’ve been looking at have attractive operating schemes, but not always great track arrangements, which had led me to that thought too.

 

Great work on the wagons - they do look like a fleet that belongs together, Keith.

 

Edited September 29 by Keith Addenbrooke

[ian]

Meet the gang.

 

Thanks to eBay there are now three of the Roxey Mouldings Naysmyth Wilson Cyprus Railway locos in the fleet. Two 4-4-0s and one 2-6-0 (in the middle).

 

The story is that the two 4-4-0s were delivered when the line opened to its half-way point. The line worked one engine in steam and one spare and opening with only half the main line built was so that they could start running trains from a quarry to the standard gauge interchange and get some money coming in.

 

A year later when the main line was completed the 2-6-0 was delivered along with a couple of tank locos built by Peckett.

 

There will now follow a bit of knocking about and paint splashing. The big colonial lamps have already been removed and are lying in the scrap pile on the left. If anyone wants them free of charge PM me.

Edited October 1 by ian

[ian]

So, let's play pretend trains.

Even setting out the stock on the plan has resulted in three amendments to the draft plan. No doubt more will be needed as things progress. There are just shy of 60 wagons of various sorts and a quick traffic analysis suggests it should be many more.

 

Monday is cattle and general market day at Worford so most passenger trains will have a full compliment of coaches and a livestock train will run to and from the market. Friday saw empty wagons appearing at various stations ready for loading.

 

The branch railcar can't cope with the demands of the day so there is an early start for one of the Ottertown crews as they have to take a loco, brake coach and a brake van up to Spragg End.

 

By 5:25am the branch train has arrived at Spragg end whilst the Ottertown and Worford pilots have assembled the early morning passenger and milk trains.

 

And I have already realised that I have forgotten to draw in a vital siding!

[ian]

Decolonisation

Two of the Naysmyths have had their double-skinned roof removed. The cab window shutter needs to go as well - that is just a case of filing down. Ignore the red panel - that is a failed livery experiment in search of a suitable red.

 

Meanwhile...

The branch loco has made up its mixed train and run down the branch to the junction. It consists of a brake coach, milk van, cattle van and an unfitted sheep wagon which mandates the brake van. It now needs to run round and move to the bay platform.

 

Meanwhile the two main line trains now have had their locos attached and the station pilots have taken refuge. The train from Worford is five minutes into its journey and the train at Ottertown has just got the right away. In reality eddies in the space-time continuum would see the train from Worford run on to Duckford to wait.

After the passengers alighted the branch train ran-round and shunted into the bay platform ahead of the train for Worford arriving on platform 2. Milk churns from Spragg End for Worford are transferred across the platform.

 

Meanwhile the train for Ottertown has left Duckford where churns for Ottertown were stashed in the guard's compartment and is now bearing doen on Guildstead Carbonell.

 

Over at Ottertown the pilot has assembled a meagre livestock train consisting of one wagon of bored sheep and a brake van.

[ian]

Whilst deconstruction of the Naysmyths continues the C&W shop is continuing to produce wagons. The latest batch includes two opens, a flat and a hopper. The sheep wagon has also made a return visit and had one plank taken off the top of the door which changes its appearance considerably - not quite so W&L as it was and the ramp is now similar in length to the ones on the cattle wagons.

A couple of subtle changes on the diagram - the Worford cattle dock has moved and Duckford has gained one. As the sheep wagons only have a door on one side - which would be the side facing the running line if the wagon was on the goods siding the facilities are now on the sawmill spur.

 

Both milk trains have arrived at Guildstead Carbonell and the branch loco has added the milk van from Spragg End to the rear of the train from Ottertown. The churns loaded into the guard's compartment at Duckford are now being moved into the van along with the churns on the platform.

 

In the meantime the branch loco has put the cattle and sheep wagons from Spragg End in the Guildstead goods siding for collection by the main line livestock train, deposited the brake van on the branch interchange siding and gone back to the bay.

 

With the line now clear the train for Worford will be soon able to get underway.

Over in Ottertown the pilot has taken a couple of coal wagons fron the trans-shipment sidings and delivered them to the works/engine shed coal road - one load each, and returned to collect five loads to go forward on the early goods.

 

It looks like I need to lengthen the loops at Guildstead by another 6" or so to accomodate three coach trains. I think the works and engine shed need to swap places at Ottertown so that the larger, less trafficed works is behind the engine shed rather than in front of it. And given the lack of work for the Worford pilot at this hour the milk train loco should assemble its own train and leave the pilot to slumber peacefully a while longer.

 

I won't continue this blow-by-blow account any further but thought it would be an interesting exercise, starting with the Madder Valley plan and then showing how and why I adapted it. I shall continue working my way through the timetable adapting the schedule, layout and stock to produce something that should work. It will then undoubtedly change as soon as it comes into contact with reality!

[St Enodoc]

20 hours ago, ian said:

I shall continue working my way through the timetable adapting the schedule, layout and stock to produce something that should work. It will then undoubtedly change as soon as it comes into contact with reality!

Why bother with the layout?????

[ian]

51 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

Why bother with the layout?????

What, and not have to tussle with recalcitrant couplers, elusive gremlins, dust, derailments, sudden shorts....

 

Actually, now you come to mention it....

[rovex]

I couldn't see the Handyman Brewery on you plan, I hope you're not missing out on this famous source of traffic.

And I do hope you're not planning on running that line through the Cleene Gorge that would certainly cause trouble with a certain landowner and be a Blott on the Landscape. :-)

[ian]

7 hours ago, rovex said:

I couldn't see the Handyman Brewery on you plan, I hope you're not missing out on this famous source of traffic.

And I do hope you're not planning on running that line through the Cleene Gorge that would certainly cause trouble with a certain landowner and be a Blott on the Landscape. :-)

 

The brewery is at Spragg End - the long siding on the left .  Fortunately to get from Ottertown to Worford you don't have to go through the gorge, although you might be able to glimpse the hall in the distance. The quarry is near the gorge - but not in it.

 

Congratulations on being the first to spot the inspiration. Give yourself a virtual pint of Handyman Very Special, because you are very special!

Edited October 8 by ian

[St Enodoc]

9 hours ago, ian said:

 

The brewery is at Spragg End - the long siding on the left .  Fortunately to get from Ottertown to Worford you don't have to go through the gorge, although you might be able to glimpse the hall in the distance. The quarry is near the gorge - but not in it.

 

Congratulations on being the first to spot the inspiration. Give yourself a virtual pint of Handyman Very Special, because you are very special!

Ah, too long since I read those books. Perhaps I should go back to them (although, between you and me, I preferred Porterhouse Blue).

[ian]

On 08/10/2024 at 22:34, St Enodoc said:

between you and me, I preferred Porterhouse Blue

But Worfordshire is a far better location for a railway.

 

Some Tender Words

I have decided that the six-wheel tender is un-necessary for the work that the locos will be called on to do. No long runs, stiff climbs or heavy trains so the 4-wheel tenders are perfectly adequate. Thus the larger tender haa been intrduced to the razor saw and is being cut down to fit on a modified W&L wagon chassis.

 

Meanwhile the now surplus 6-wheel chassis has been appropriated to go under a rail mounted crane and a further W&L chassis has become the match/tool truck. A railway employee is looking on the resultant creation with complete disbelief.

[ian]

Now In Colour

Both still works in progress but a Fourdees tramway coach demonstrates the passenger livery of Prussian blue oand off-white alongside the mortal remains of the Naysmyth 2-6-0 sporting the locomotive scheme. There is some way to go with both of the models!

 

The Naysmyth is now proudly setting 009 back 20 years having joined the ranks of the Pugbashes as I have shamelessly stolen Mick Thornton's idea of using an Airfix/Dapol Pug cab front to replace the Cypriot one it arrived with.

[ian]

Elswhere in the pile of works-in-progress is the Drewry railcar. This is a Dundas VoR coach with VoR brake van sides grafted in. It has also been widened by 2mm to suit the wider gauge.

 

I acquired a Bachmann GP50 to act as the motive power but have since discovered a Dapol Class 86 in the strategic stores which has the great advantage of being DCC ready. The GP50 is thus now surplus to requirements and will be in search of a new home.

 

Actually, I found two Class 86 locos; I wonder if I could find a use for a second railcar?

 

The other end of the railcar alongside the Naysmyth 2-6-0 tender after its weight-loss operation. A test assembly of the loco showed that all the DCC gubbins would fit in the loco so there is no need to run wires to the tender and install bits in it. Instead the tender body has had some waste white-metal (a cut up cab roof) shoved in it to give it a bit of weight.

[ian]

The railcar lives!