Kernow GWR steam rail motor

[gwrrob]

13 minutes ago, Neal Ball said:

 

Thanks Graham. What's the situation with progress on the model?

 

Sadly I wont be able to get over to an exhibition this year to talk to you in person.

 

Thanks, Neal.

 

I'm going Neal and will report my findings on ANTB including the Manor and Siphon's from the Accurascale stand.

[Neal Ball]

9 minutes ago, gwrrob said:

 

I'm going Neal and will report my findings on ANTB including the Manor and Siphon's from the Accurascale stand.

 

Thanks Robin, look forward to the reports...

[Graham_Muz]

3 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

 

Thanks Graham. What's the situation with progress on the model?

 

Sadly I wont be able to get over to an exhibition this year to talk to you in person.

 

Thanks, Neal.

We will be releasing an update in the next couple of weeks, we are just waiting on a couple of things to be confirmed before we do. 

[gwrrob]

He's @Graham_Muz far to modest to say but he's gone to town with the interior detailing on these. Livery sheets were seen for all versions and little touches like different seat colouring for different periods etc were apparent. He will shew these in good time.

[Neal Ball]

3 hours ago, gwrrob said:

He's @Graham_Muz far to modest to say but he's gone to town with the interior detailing on these. Livery sheets were seen for all versions and little touches like different seat colouring for different periods etc were apparent. He will shew these in good time.

Sounds good Robin thank you.

[Neal Ball]

The artwork has been updated at the Kernow site:  https://www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com/pg/144/GWR-Steam-Railmotor?fbclid=IwAR0oEW-cgeRSX-R9i-Bc1Jph2G82oI8mpP03eHa0UZRE1CxhKou_k_n_OX0
 

This is going to be fabulous

 

[Kernow MRC]

Project update – 29th March 2022

Since our last project update work has been continuing behind the scenes to fully test and evaluate the 1st Engineering Prototypes (EPs) and compile the livery artwork from research and continued, grateful assistance, from the Great Western Society Steam Railmotor project team.
 

Following the testing and evaluation of the EPs we have been working with the factory to undertake some tooling adjustments to make some minor aesthetic, running, and manufacturing changes along with improvements to the lighting. Running is very quiet and powerful and far out performs what the full-size prototype could achieve. For those operating on DCC the specification has also been upgraded to include a Plux22 socket as standard.
 

The complex livery artwork, as shewn below, has been completed and approved. Externally, the artwork includes all the intricate panel lining, motifs, supporting logos, solebar lettering and power bogie number plates where appropriate and relevant for each livery. Internally, the seat colours will be relevant to those used depending on the time period; drivers controls in each cab along with the boiler, the copper / lagged pipework, and pressure gauge will be faithfully coloured / printed. The individual model artwork can be seen on each versions product page, click here for links to each version.

The artwork also includes the additional destination boards that will be included with each specific version, approximately based on their allocation appropriate to the livery period.

 

With the livery artwork now approved we anticipate receiving by the end of May (subject to any further Covid related restrictions within China) decorated samples of each livery to evaluate, and along with checking the minor tooling amendments, hopefully approve.
Only once we are able to fully approve the decorated samples and tooling revisions will we be in a position to confirm the production schedule.

 

 

 

Edited April 1, 2022 by Kernow MRC

[Neal Ball]

On 13/03/2022 at 19:10, Graham_Muz said:

We will be releasing an update in the next couple of weeks, we are just waiting on a couple of things to be confirmed before we do. 

That artwork looks great Graham thank you. I think I will be ordering no 97.

 

Is there an update on the delivery dates? Thanks

[Kernow MRC]

Apologies, our last post has been updated to include the missing paragraph regarding the next steps and schedule.

[The Stationmaster]

4 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

That artwork looks great Graham thank you. I think I will be ordering no 97.

 

Is there an update on the delivery dates? Thanks

Neal you definitely need one (or more?) as they were regulars on the Reading - Henley through trains at one time.

[Neal Ball]

34 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

Neal you definitely need one (or more?) as they were regulars on the Reading - Henley through trains at one time.

 

I am hoping Kernow @Graham_Muz do a matching trailer as well, then I can update my autotrain working as well. There was a regular Reading - Henley-on-Thames to Maidenhead service as well.

 

I will definitely be ordering No 97

[Graham_Muz]

36 minutes ago, Neal Ball said:

 

I am hoping Kernow @Graham_Muz do a matching trailer as well, then I can update my autotrain working as well. There was a regular Reading - Henley-on-Thames to Maidenhead service as well.

 

I will definitely be ordering No 97

No plans as yet to do the trailers I'm afraid,  but multiple purchases of the railmotors is possible and actively encouraged...

Edited April 1, 2022 by Graham_Muz

[Miss Prism]

37 minutes ago, Neal Ball said:

I am hoping Kernow @Graham_Muz do a matching trailer as well, then I can update my autotrain working as well. There was a regular Reading - Henley-on-Thames to Maidenhead service as well.

 

Not sure that trailers were used on Reading-Henley. This is, I think, a service towards Reading, with a clerestory 3rd in tow. If the clerestory was included in the return trip, one of the Reading pilots probably helped with the shuffling, which would have been less of a faff than running round.

 

[melmerby]

57 minutes ago, Graham_Muz said:

No plans as yet to do the trailers I'm afraid,  but multiple purchases of the railmotors is possible and actively encouraged...

Definitely a market for an early panelled trailer IMO, some lasted into BR days, so a long life and plenty of livery choices.

 

The Airfix/Hornby trailer is too long in the tooth now and the Baccy offering was a BR built one.

[Neal Ball]

1 hour ago, Graham_Muz said:

No plans as yet to do the trailers I'm afraid,  but multiple purchases of the railmotors is possible and actively encouraged...

 

I'm sure they would be encouraged 🙂

 

51 minutes ago, Miss Prism said:

 

Not sure that trailers were used on Reading-Henley. This is, I think, a service towards Reading, with a clerestory 3rd in tow. If the clerestory was included in the return trip, one of the Reading pilots probably helped with the shuffling, which would have been less of a faff than running round.

 

 

Thanks Miss Prism, you certainly have a stock of great photos.

[The Stationmaster]

17 hours ago, Miss Prism said:

 

Not sure that trailers were used on Reading-Henley. This is, I think, a service towards Reading, with a clerestory 3rd in tow. If the clerestory was included in the return trip, one of the Reading pilots probably helped with the shuffling, which would have been less of a faff than running round.

 

I'm certain that the railmotor is running towards Reading on the Down Relief Line - however a lot of further delving I think that it might be  just west of Sonning Sidings.  Not that any of that tells us where it is from or, to be strictly accurate, precisely where it is going although Reading is a good bet for the latter.  

 

If it had come from Henley it could readily have run round the trailer at Twyford but that would have taken a few minutes so without checking any timetables it is difficult to consider that possibility.  The only older times I can find are for non-motor trains and they were booked 5 minutes at Twyford which would have been sufficient time to run round.

 

At one time I did wonder if this photo was just to the west of Twyford but after very careful study the background and a barely visible signal are wrong for Twyford but both fit for Sonning Sidings as does what can be seen beyond the railway boundary immediately behind the train

[Miss Prism]

Thanks. As I noted, I wasn't sure it was a train from Henley, but then, if it didn't come from Henley, where else might it have come from? The runround at Twyford would have been fun, but I'm not sure how it was achieved. (https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/html/gwa/S148.htm and https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/html/gwa/S147.htm)

 

I can't imagine the service lasted for long. For anyone travelling between Reading and Henley, a bus was a lot quicker.

 

[KeithMacdonald]

Did rail motors work the Brent - Kingsbridge branch?

[melmerby]

2 hours ago, KeithMacdonald said:

Did rail motors work the Brent - Kingsbridge branch?

According to Lewis's SRM book, not normally, as the Plymouth SRMs were allocated to other services with the Brent-Kingsbridge service using Auto Trains.*

But as they say "nothing is impossible". Maybe on a Sunday service in lieu of an Auto Train?

 

SRM use in Devon ceased early on with not much after 1912.

 

Correction

*One trip down to Kingsbridge on Sundays only

Edited April 2, 2022 by melmerby

[Harlequin]

1911: One 70ft SRM duty to Kingsbridge on Sundays Only. (But none of the Laira SRMs at that time were diagram O or R.)

 

P.S. SRMs from Exeter worked the Teign Valley line into the 1930s and the last SRM left Exeter in May 1935.

 

[gwrrob]

12 minutes ago, Harlequin said:

1911: One 70ft SRM duty to Kingsbridge on Sundays Only. (But none of the Laira SRMs at that time were diagram O or R.)

 

 

What diagram was No.45 as I have a photo of her on the short lived Saltash- Kingsbridge service.

[Harlequin]

15 minutes ago, gwrrob said:

 

What diagram was No.45 as I have a photo of her on the short lived Saltash- Kingsbridge service.

No. 45 was diagram "M1, M". M1 was the original diagram and there are two versions of a revised diagram "M", one revising the windows and one showing a gangway connection at the trailing end - complicated stuff!

 

[The Stationmaster]

1 hour ago, Miss Prism said:

Thanks. As I noted, I wasn't sure it was a train from Henley, but then, if it didn't come from Henley, where else might it have come from? The runround at Twyford would have been fun, but I'm not sure how it was achieved. (https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/html/gwa/S148.htm and https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/html/gwa/S147.htm)

 

I can't imagine the service lasted for long. For anyone travelling between Reading and Henley, a bus was a lot quicker.

 

Actually the 'bus was not as quick as the train - and still isn't.  The old through trains could do the trip in no more than 30 minutes (actually 12 minutes on the branch, 5 minutes reverse at Twyford, 11 minutes Twyford - Reading) whereas the most direct 'bus route goes off the main road to serve a couple of villages so takes longer - still 38 minutes nowadays and it used to take longer in Thames Valley Traction days.  Overall rail journey times nowadays vary somewhat but some offer a 22 minute journey time in either direction between Reading and Henley.  However the basic journey time on the branch hasn't changed for over 110 years - e.g. a Class 165 DMU runs in the same times as a Metro tank,  although one minute quicker than a 517 but no quicker than a 48/14XX.

 

The runround at Twyford was simple - arriving train runs to Up Relief platform, cut-off, engine forward to the trailing crossover at Twyford East 'box. cross to the Down Relief then back on the Down Relief to the Relief Lines crossover nearest the branch junction at Twyford West 'box where it would cross back to the Up Relief and then drop onto the train; train then departs from the Up Relief  platform to either the Branch or Down Relief Line.  GWR Absolute Block Regulation 10A (later BR Absolute Block Regulation 11) 'Engine Running Round Its Train' - facilitated an engine running round its train between any two signal boxes irrespective of the distance between them (unless, unusually in my experience, specifically prohibited for some reason, e.g. very severe gradient).    The same Regulation would be to deal with a train which was simply reversing in the Up Relief platform at Twyford.  The 'boxes at Twyford were 462yds apart

[Neal Ball]

According to the shed allocations shown in the Wild Swan GWR engine sheds book for the London division, the following SRM were allocated in 1930:

 

Southall nos 74 and 96

Slough nos 55 and 64

Reading no 88

 

In the book of Henley-on-Thames SRM no 39 is shown at Platform 1 in 1931.

 

I need to do some research as to the particular diagram numbers of the above.

[Miss Prism]

I am duly chastised on my ignorance of the bus times!

 

41 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

then departs from the Up Relief platform

 

Ah ha! That's a bit sneaky.