Popular Post chaz Posted July 17, 2017 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 17, 2017 (edited) You will have to forgive the show backgrounds that appear in some of my posted snaps (in the case of the photo above the brick wall). I could spend a session or two at the computer with Photoshop but I'm sure you will understand that I would rather spend the time doing some modelling. I have to say that I am finding posting photographs much easier now that I no longer use Photobucket. I use Lightroom to manage my photography and I "export" a resized copy of any photo that I intend to post into a dedicated folder. Having opted for "reply with attachments" the "choose file" and "attach file" chain works very smoothly with Finder in my Mac to get to "add to post" without drama. Chaz Edited July 17, 2017 by chaz 21 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted July 17, 2017 Author Share Posted July 17, 2017 Three snaps featuring Hitchin's B1 61027 Madoqua. I leave you to imagine what loco crisis led to Hornsey sending the B1 to handle a trip freight. The rail enthusiast seems more interested in photographing the Peckett than the unusual setting for the B1. Chaz 18 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr2 Posted July 17, 2017 Share Posted July 17, 2017 Cracking pics again Chaz, thanks for posting! I have to admit I don't even notice the backgrounds in most of your photo's, there's far too much of interest in the foreground! Keith 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb67 Posted July 17, 2017 Share Posted July 17, 2017 More great pics. I really like the class 31, looks great. Steve. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted July 17, 2017 Author Share Posted July 17, 2017 More great pics. I really like the class 31, looks great. Steve. Thanks Steve for the comments BUT it's not a class 31, not back in '62 when they first appeared on the ECML. Back then they were Brush type 2s and green. Didn't the TOPS codes come in with the blue livery? Chaz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb67 Posted July 17, 2017 Share Posted July 17, 2017 You're correct Chaz. Whatever it's called it's a fine looking loco. Although I grew up in the 70's/80's I do iike green diesels. Steve. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted July 17, 2017 Author Share Posted July 17, 2017 I wonder if there is any interest in a look at "the Locos of Dock Green"? Each one to have a posting with a few snaps with prototype notes and details of the model. What do you think? Chaz 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted July 18, 2017 Share Posted July 18, 2017 That would be good Chaz, and a potted history of the build, and reasons for that particular class. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb67 Posted July 18, 2017 Share Posted July 18, 2017 Good idea Chaz, I'd like that. Steve. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted July 18, 2017 Author Share Posted July 18, 2017 That would be good Chaz, and a potted history of the build, and reasons for that particular class. OK that's possible. Of course the potted history could get out of hand. Good idea Chaz, I'd like that. Steve. I'll see what I can do. Chaz 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted July 18, 2017 Author Share Posted July 18, 2017 The Locos of Dock Green 1 - No 68973 Pictured here on my old home layout and with 3 link couplings fitted. It's a J50/3 and was the first brass model I ever built. I know that all the advice is to build a wagon first - but when did I ever listen to advice? I reasoned that if I couldn't build a loco then O gauge wasn't for me - luckily this first essay was one of the excellent Connoisseur kit range. I originally built the model with a rigid chassis but later put in sprung hornblocks to improve the electrical pickup. The last picture shows it arriving in Dock Green yard with a coal train. The J50s did not arrive in London until 1938 when some came south to Hornsey shed to replace the ageing J52 saddle tanks. Ironically I chose the number 68973 for my model - oops - not one of the Hornsey engines! I don't have any photos of the build of this model - I think it pre-dates my first digital camera - but it went well enough to encourage me to carry on with O gauge. Chaz 18 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb67 Posted July 18, 2017 Share Posted July 18, 2017 Great stuff Chaz, look forward to seeing more. Steve. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted July 18, 2017 Author Share Posted July 18, 2017 (edited) The Locos of Dock Green 2 - No 68824 The second brass kit loco that I built was 68824, an ex-GNR saddle tank, classified J52 by the LNER. The first picture shows it posed on my old home layout. The real loco was built for the GNR by R. Stephenson & Co in 1899, the last of a batch of ten. It was allocated to 34B Hornsey from 1953 until 1959 when it was sent to Ardsley in Yorkshire. This last allocation was probably a notional affair to get it closer to the scrapyard as it was withdrawn a month or so later. Next are four photos taken during the build. The frames, like those of the J50/3, were originally assembled rigid, an arrangement that I later changed. The kit, from Walsworth Models, was quite a challenge (in fact it was pretty awful). I replaced several parts and had to adjust the fit of others. The cab had tabs that were meant to fit into slots in the footplate - but the latter were incorrectly positioned placing the cab too far back and over to one side. I filed the tabs off, filled the slots and soldered the assembled cab into the right place. There was lots more of this sort of correction needed. Assembly nearly complete, so almost ready for paint. The turned brass chimney supplied in the kit was obese - there was an accurate GNR chimney hiding inside it which I revealed by turning it down on a lathe. I finished the loco and ran it for a couple of years until disaster struck. The mix of lead shot and PVA which I had put into the water tank had expanded (as is now well known) and had pushed the front of the tank out, shearing the solder joint. I repaired the loco body by unsoldering the smokebox from the footplate and the tank from the cab front. Soaking the tank in a bucket of water for a few days softened the PVA so that I could remove the ballast. I also took the opportunity to rebuild the frames, putting in two beams to compensate the leading two axles. The last two pictures are of the J52 in service on Dock Green. When the yard pilot at Dock Green is a steam tank it's often 68824 that takes the duty. I think the next loco portrait ought to be a diesel. Chaz Edited July 19, 2017 by chaz 16 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr2 Posted July 18, 2017 Share Posted July 18, 2017 I think the next loco portrait ought to be a diesel. Chaz Excellent - a dark green Dock Green loco portrait! Really enjoying these posts Chaz ! Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted July 19, 2017 Author Share Posted July 19, 2017 Excellent - a dark green Dock Green loco portrait! Really enjoying these posts Chaz ! Keith Nope! This one is black - but very clean for a change. Chaz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted July 19, 2017 Author Share Posted July 19, 2017 (edited) An interlude before the next loco portrait. I rather like the occasional monochrome snap - gives a bit of fifties atmosphere. Chaz Edited July 19, 2017 by chaz 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted July 19, 2017 Author Share Posted July 19, 2017 (edited) The Locos of Dock Green 3 - No 11135 11135 is a Drewry 204bhp 0-6-0 shunter. When the class were introduced in 1955 they were given five-digit numbers in the “1” series and painted black as all the early diesels were. 11135 was later renumbered D2229 and repainted green. It was allocated to 30A Stratford but in a crafty move I have re-allocated it from 30A to 34B Hornsey, not an impossible move to contemplate. Although this class were given the TOPS code 04 none of them lasted long enough to carry it. The model was bought RTR, snapped up at a show as one of the last of the run. It's from Bachmann Brassworks who, at the time, made a few RTR items in O gauge. It was painted in black and red but unglazed and un-numbered. Actually it wasn’t RTR but RTL - ready to limp! It’s progress along the track was initially stiff and jerky which I traced to poorly quartered wheels. Fortunately the wheels are a very tight push fit on the axles and can be turned on them with carefully applied force. Not easy to get right but after much fiddling about, looking at one side and then the other and laying straight edges on the crankpins to check alignments I eventually got it to run smoothly. Also in the Bachmann Brassworks range was the very similar 03 which I also owned for a time before selling it on. You might be interested in this photo showing the 03 broken down into sub-assemblies with the removal of quite a number of screws. 11135 came apart in similar fashion. I painted the inside of the cab a cream colour, glazed the windows, put on the transfers (Fox waterslides) and added a driver. He is in there but seems very camera-shy - can just be glimpsed in the odd picture. I fitted an ESU sound decoder to complete the modest amount of work I carried out on the model. I suppose a bit of light weathering would improve the model but I actually like it clean like this. It is often the Dock Green yard pilot and has been a reliable machine at every show. It doesn't look out of place sharing the rails with 0-6-0 steam tanks. Chaz Edited July 19, 2017 by chaz 17 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb67 Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 Loving the 'Locos of Dock Green' series. A couple of questions about the couplings you use. Are they Dinghams and when pushing stock, do they rely on the buffers or would the coupling prevent any buffer locking? I'm looking at 4mm couplings and I'm sure I've seen these around. Steve. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted July 19, 2017 Author Share Posted July 19, 2017 Loving the 'Locos of Dock Green' series. A couple of questions about the couplings you use. Are they Dinghams and when pushing stock, do they rely on the buffers or would the coupling prevent any buffer locking? I'm looking at 4mm couplings and I'm sure I've seen these around. Steve. Yes Steve, they are Dinghams and yes the buffers touch when pushing (so buffer locking could be a problem - but isn't on DG!). 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb67 Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 Ok, thanks Chaz. Steve. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted July 19, 2017 Author Share Posted July 19, 2017 (edited) The Locos of Dock Green 4 - No 69727 69727 was an N7/3 built at Doncaster in 1928 and originally numbered 2625. It was withdrawn in 1960. Although the majority of the N7s worked on former GE lines they were not unknown on GN metals. A dozen or so were at 34C Hatfield to work on the branches to St Albans, Luton and Hertford and I have seen photos of the class at “The Cross”. I built my model from the excellent Connoisseur kit. The following six pictures show some aspects of the build. One modification I made to the kit was to articulate the coupling rods - essential as I was intending to spring the leading and centre axles. The rods were to be laminated from three layers of nickel silver. By careful cutting of the etches they could be assembled with an overlapping joint on the centre crankpins. On the left of the photo are a pair of rods soldered up and ready to have the edges filed smooth. The piece of paxolin is an assembly jig with steel pins set at the axle spacings to hold the pre-tinned laminations correctly while the soldering iron is applied. I wanted to make the cab roof removeable so I made parts for a frame which I soldered up with it clipped in place, inside the top of the cab. Once the frame was done it was slid out of the cab and soldered to the underside of the roof. A well designed, accurate kit goes together well and Connoisseur kits certainly do that and produce accurate models. This one was a real pleasure to build. The photo above shows my use of jig axles with the coupling rods on their outer ends to set the axle bearings at the correct spacing. With reasonable care this arrangement works well and produces free-rolling frames. Assembly complete and ready for paint. After a couple of false starts with the paint I decided to get someone else to paint it - I wanted it in BR lined black but I didn’t fancy doing all that lovely lining. When the painter phoned me to tell me it was done he said I couldn’t have it back. It looked so nice he wanted to keep it. When it arrived I had to agree, it does look rather special. I like the model so much it often does a duty as yard pilot. All for now, maybe a green diesel next time. Chaz Edited July 19, 2017 by chaz 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted July 20, 2017 Author Share Posted July 20, 2017 (edited) Another interlude, three snaps of the coal train. When the coal train arrives it's shunted across to the transfer siding. One of the estate's locos takes the loaded wagons down the grade where there must be a coal yard...... Later the empties return and are tripped back to Ferme Park. That last shot makes the case for focus stacking. Part 5 of the Locos of Dock Green will be next. Chaz Edited July 20, 2017 by chaz 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 I personally do not like focus stacking. I find it looks unnatural. When you look into the distance you can see what is close but it's not in focus. Nice pictures of great details. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted July 20, 2017 Author Share Posted July 20, 2017 I personally do not like focus stacking. I find it looks unnatural. When you look into the distance you can see what is close but it's not in focus. Nice pictures of great details. Thanks Peter. Your point about focus stacking is a valid one but the very narrow depth of field that you get when focussed close does sometimes give rise to results that really shout "model". With a standard lens at a dozen or more feet away you can expect everything to be sharp. Chaz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 2ManySpams Posted July 20, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 20, 2017 No stopping you posting photos now Chaz, looks like finding the RMweb image load was a positive. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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