Motorisation of GBL Caledonian Single (and upgrading of her coaches)

[RosiesBoss]

Disclaimer

This paper describes a kitbashing exercise to produce a nostalgic model train formation. Those who only wish to see fine-scale models, precise in every respect, need read no further.

 

Introduction

Once upon a time, a schoolboy drooled over the illustration of CR 123 in the latest Tri-ang catalogue (1963). What a strange (but pretty) little machine. Nothing came of it, for this modeller went down the path of modelling GWR and BR(W) prototypes.

 

In 1975, during a visit to the UK, I saw the original in the (old) Glasgow Transport Museum:

 

Fast forward to 2015 and another model of this loco appeared – the GBL static one. Things had changed for this modeller: a significant collection of locos supported by a well-stocked scrapbox. Among other things, there was a Dean Single chassis in full working order, salvaged from a sale of remnants from a closing-down sale of one of my local hobby shops. It was half of a pair of wrecks. The other one was used to motorise a Kitmaster Stirling Single, as described here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/67037-motorising-a-kitmaster-stirling-single/

 

The GBL model is not a fine-scale model of the prototype. Rather, it is a model of another model  – the original Tri-ang one, with all the same dimensional faults. The result is that the wheelbase of the Tri-ang chassis is a perfect fit into the GBL body moulding. As received, it is a very pretty thing:

 

Project Aims

1. Motorise this static model
2. Secure some appropriate coaches
3. Finish them to a presentable standard that will facilitate future use and handling by my grandchildren

Note that, due to the limitations and dimensional inaccuracies in the GBL product, this was never intended to be a fine-scale example, just a short and pleasant diversion from other modelling projects.

 

Parts List

1. GBL model
2. Tri-ang 4-2-2 chassis (minus the bogie)
3. Hornby front bogie frame (probably from an A4)
4. 14mm dia bogie wheels (probably Romford)
5. 16mm dia tender wheels (Hornby spare for a GWR Grange)
6. Blue paint for the wheels, chosen to match the body (Games Workshop “Citadel” Caledor Sky acrylic)
7. Humbrol black, gold and copper enamels
8. Scale brass couplings
9. Tri-ang Caley coaches
10. Lima bogies 9171 064
11. Jo Sonia folk-art acrylic paint (see text)
12. Hornby 12.5mm wheels
13. Hornby tension-lock couplings
14. Clear acrylic satin varnish (Lifecolor LC77)
15. Fox FRH4503 transfers
16. Peco card interior kits: two Composites and one Brake 2^nd
17. 0.4mm phosphor bronze wire (for corridor handrails)

Actions

The GBL model was completely dismantled to see what needed to be modified.

 

The Tri-ang chassis was checked for operation and found mechanically perfect:

 

All GBL chassis parts were discarded. Internal screw location posts were removed from the body and holes opened up at the base of the smokebox to be a close fit for the front mounting points of the Tri-ang chassis.

 

The smoke generator was removed from the Tri-ang chassis and the GBL body was fitted to it, secured by a screw at the rear, in the same way as for a Tri-ang body.

 

The body was removed and set aside. Driving and trailing wheels were removed from the chassis, de-greased and then all loco and tender wheels were painted blue and left to dry overnight.

 

Bogie wheels were fitted to their frame and a new mounting arm fabricated from scrap brass.

 

The loco was re-assembled and test run. It ran freely and easily first time: no adjustments necessary.

 

It was now time to work on the tender. I chose to modify the internal chassis frame in a similar way to that used to motorise my GWR City class: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/96216-motorise-gbl-city-of-truro/

 

Dismantled, the tender looked like this:

 

The dummy wheels were ground off the chassis and the central section was narrowed slightly. A hacksaw was then used to carefully cut slots in the dummy axles, then, using a mix of fine files, the bottom of each slot was opened up so that a 2mm dia axle would be a sliding fit. The Hornby 16mm wheels were then fitted and checked for free rotation and squareness. An 8BA hole was drilled and tapped at the rear of the frame and a tension-lock coupling fitted. The assembly was then screwed back into place, but upside-down from its original orientation. The axles were still in line with the dummy outside axleboxes.

 

With tender attached, the loco easily hauled a prototypical test load and ran smoothly.

 

Dummy screw couplers were then fitted to both buffer beams and black paint touched-up where relevant. Coal was added to the tender over the existing plastic moulding. Cab details, boiler handrail and smokebox fittings were also picked out and a crew fitted.

 

Coaches

The loco looked odd with either BR Mk1 coaches or (worse) GWR ones, so I sought out some second-hand Tri-ang CR ones. Unfortunately, all I could find were some of those horrible repaints: a Southern green one and an LMS red one.

 

 

The coach bodies were dismantled and their sides were given a base coat of automotive spray grey primer. They were then re-liveried using (mainly) Jo Sonia folk-art acrylics: Purple Madder for the lower half and a sprayed matt white for the upper half. Drop-lights and interior surfaces were brushed with Jo Sonia Burnt Sienna. Any blemishes on white surfaces were corrected with Jo Sonia Warm White. Handrails were picked out in Jo Sonia Silver.

 

The bogies were in very good order, so I removed them to the spares box. I chose to modify some old Tri-ang open axlebox BR Mk1 bogies by re-wheeling them with 12.5 mm metal wheels running in brass top-hat bearings and by removing the tie-bars from between the axleboxes. (This produced a look more in keeping with the bogies seen on the two preserved coaches.)

 

However, I later remembered I had a pair of Lima 6-wheeled bogies (part no. 9171 064) in my scrapbox. These NSWGR 3AF bogies are similar to the bogies on CR Grampian coaches, so these were adapted to one of the coaches, using Hornby 12.5mm dia wheels. These looked so superior that I then purchased another pair via eBay.

After a careful repaint but still awaiting one pair of bogies, transfers and varnish, the coaches looked like this:

 

 

New transfers (Fox FRH4503) were applied and then the sides were finished with “Lifecolor LC77” satin clear acrylic. Both coaches were numbered as CR Grampian coaches. (Yes, I know, the underframes and ends are still BR Mk 1s.) Unfortunately, the Fox transfers lacked any CR crests, so I will have to source these from somewhere else, another time.

 

Interiors were fashioned from Peco card kits (designed for BR Mk 1s).

 

The coach sides were then glazed, corridor handrails fitted and the coaches were reassembled.

 

Results

The loco now looks like this:

 

 

The coaches now look like this:

 

Composite (still awaiting 6-wheeled bogies):

 

 

Brake composite:

 

 

Reflections

Does this model fit into the rest of my collection? Well, yes it does, for the real CR 123 visited Cardiff Canton on tour in 1960, as seen here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/taffytank/5515909538. So it can mix well with my 1960s era BR(W) stock.

 

Did it meet the original aims? Yes, it did.

 

It did take quite some time to complete this “vintage train” formation – about 10 days of spare time for the loco and roughly the same for the pair of coaches.

 

I now have four 4-2-2s to haul “vintage trains” when the mood takes me: GWR Nos. 3011 and 3046 (Tri-ang), GNR No.1 (motorised Kitmaster) and CR No.123. Here is CR 123 arriving at Carmarthen Junction during a depot “open day”:

 

 

Yes, you can see GWR 3440 behind the “singles”. She’s a motorised Airfix one, briefly described here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/70438-gwr-4-4-0s-on-carmarthen-junction/

 

Happy days!

 

Further reading and references:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caledonian_Railway_Single

http://www.caleycoaches.co.uk/grampian.php

http://www.caleycoaches.co.uk/assets/pdfs/Grampian.pdf

[RosiesBoss]

G'day, all,

 

The CR composite now has her 6-wheel bogies and looks the better for it. Here she is, both posing and in service in my Caley "vintage train".

 

Regards,

 

Rob

 

 

 

[hayfield]

Rob

 

An excellent piece of modelling and an addition to a layout that many would like. I guess the one benefit of cloning an existing model is a much easier conversion to a motorised loco. Super piece of modelling

 

There is something quite pleasing building a kit (I do understand in this case it and the Triang loco were not kits) line the Kitmaster in the condition it was designed to be built as much as super detailing an old model. I do this with old Jamieson kits build some as designed others I bring up to today's standard.

 

Any plans of doing another replacing the moulded on details etc?

[RosiesBoss]

G'day all,

 

Thanks for the comments and "likes". I chose not to replace the moulded handrails on this one, as it would have required a full repaint - not just a touch-up of the modified sections, as the blue paint I used was not a perfect match. It was good enough for the wheels, but not the body. I'm afraid I'm fresh out of spare 4-2-2 chassis, so I won't be doing another. I'm more likely to go back to my GWR theme. On my "to do" list are a 655 class 0-6-0PT and an ex-Cambrian Beyer Peacock 4-4-0. These will have proper handrails, from my stock of 0.3mm dia nickel silver wire.

 

Watch this space.

 

Regards,

 

Rob

[RosiesBoss]

Hello everyone,

 

What a great community we have in this forum! Earlier this year, Sarah contacted me to offer some CR coach transfers to complete the two re-worked Tri-ang/Peco/Lima models described earlier. We agreed a "deal" and the transfers arrived on 3 March.

 

I've been a bit busy over the last couple of months, giving my old model of Earl Cawdor a makeover. Here she is, almost ready for primer:

 

In between various paint colours, I had time to fit the transfers to the CR coaches. They look much more complete, now:

 

 

 

 

Here they are, behind old No.123.

 

Thank you, Sarah, for caring enough to offer your very welcome help.

 

Oh yes (I almost forgot!) - I will be posting details of the aforementioned makeover soon......

 

Regards,

 

Rob

 

[shaun666]

What a superb collection. Well done, really impressed.

 

You have inspired me to have a go at building a Caledonian myself from parts on eBay.

 

Am I right in thinking the power is only supplied via the main driving wheels?

 

Surprised, and pleased they work like that.....

 

Cheers

 

Shaun

[RosiesBoss]

G'day, Shaun,

 

Thanks for your interest.

 

The old 4-2-2 chassis that Tri-ang used for their Caledonian and Dean single models has pickups only on the driving and trailing wheels. I understand that later Hornby Dean singles have pickups on the front bogie wheels.

 

I have modified both of my original Dean singles with pickups in the tenders and Bullfrog Snot applied to the driving wheels, so they can each pull an 8-coach set of modern Hornby clerestory coaches with ease.

 

 

The fourth chassis of this type that I have used is now part of my motorised Kitmaster Stirling single, which only has the Tri-ang style pickups on the loco, but has a brass channel inner frame under the tender to provide stability when running. Details of that project are here:

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/67037-motorising-a-kitmaster-stirling-single/

 

With a bit of care and experimentation, these old designs of chassis can be made to run surprisingly well.

 

Don't be afraid to have a go!

 

Regards,

 

Rob