Weaselfish

Interesting thread. I've ordered some of the Mitsumi motors as a result. I've also just re-read the section on motors in Ian Rice's Locomotive Kit Chassis Construction. He recommended the Mashima 1628 for larger whitemetal locomotives such as Merchant Navies and 9Fs. Has anyone identified an equivalent to the larger Mashimas?

That's great - thanks Chris. Mark

Hello Chris. Can you point me in the direction of the threads you mention above please? I've checked the posts list on your profile and it doesn't seem to be complete - I know I've read a lot of yours which don't seem to be on there. Thank you, Mark

Thanks for the information and photos everyone. This is going to be a daily go-to thread. CHRISF: Thanks for the pointers about the roof. I'll check that out. I've picked up a few old Hornby 57' coaches recently very cheaply with a mind to try my first foray into weathering and detailing. MIKE G: That M set is lovely. What make and diagram are they? My reference source is an 'Birmingham Division Suburban Trains' by John Lewis in GWRJ 5, Winter 1993. Confusingly, in the Birmingham Division B sets were 4 coach formations of a variety of diagrams. The one I was looking at reproducing was D98 and E131 combination - there were 6 others. The 2x brake compo sets as per the Airfix /Hornby models were called D sets in the Midlands. Nothing around here was called an M set. I've seen a couple of pictures of trains at Henley-In-Arden that look your M set though: http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/gwrha1410.htm DARWINIAN: Thank you. I'll follow your progress with interest. I've got two options myself: Either hack about a couple of Hornby 57' coaches or fit the E131 sides to some BSL kits I bought on Ebay a while ago. Thanks again all.

Only just spotted this thread. Firstly a question for Darwinian: What's your plan for building up the complete coaches? I picked up two sets of the 247 E131 etches under the impression that they were overlays for the Airfix/Dapol/Hornby B sets coaches. However the etches are a scale 57' whereas the RTR B sets are 60'. The etches are a match for the length of the old-pattern Hornby 57' corridor stock but the roof curvature doesn't seem to match the non-corridor stock. I'll be following this thread with interest as I want to try to produce something that looks like a Birmingham area 4 coach set.

Great photo but parcels stock is new territory for me. What stock have we got here please? I think I might just recognise a Fruit D one vehicle from the end but that's as far as my 'knowledge' goes...

Congratulations and thanks to everyone involved in running the gala Castle. I spent all day there on Saturday and had a great time. 4144 looked wonderful. 3650 shunting the non-working locomotives about was a brilliant idea - very evocative of the last days of steam.

Just found this thread. Also in Birmingham was Thorntons, which was up a little alleyway by the Kings Arms pub. Got my Triang-Hornby GWR pannier from there in about 1972 for £3.99. I don't know when it closed.

Lovely job. What size Mashima motor did you go for?

Thanks for the links Dean - wonderful job.

This is hugely impressive. Are you going to do a 'How I did it' piece about the North signal box? It was a unique prototype that I've never seen modelled before.

It still is a gloomy and unwelcoming area, especially now that the new bridge span for the Midland Metro has been built on the east side of the railway bridge. The atmosphere isn't helped by the plaque on the railway bridge abutment that tells you that you are standing close to where the last public execution in Birmingham took place.

Useful link - thanks Horse. Slightly off-topic but still GWR - related, I see CSP have also got the Swindonised version of the Cleobury Mortimer & Ditton Priors Railway Manning Wardle engines scheduled for 2014. I've just emailed CSP to check if that's still the plan and to say I'd buy one.

This is very interesting. I'm building an old old K's Dean Goods at the moment. I was planning on using the original frames - the brass rectangle things - because I was too chicken to try building a third party chassis. How well do the Gibson frames marry up with the body on your model?

The second load looks more like curtains and fabrics to me. I've seen quite a few stalls on various markets that have the material rolled and folded like that.

Thank you Bill - that's very helpful and much appreciated.

Good evening. I'm looking into what motor to put into a K's Dean goods and have found this site: http://www.hollywoodfoundry.com/mashima.htm Based on the specifications quoted, it looks to me as if the Mashima 1024 motor is more powerful than the 1224. Am I interpreting the specifications correctly? Any advice gratefully received - thank you.

Impressive. The Great Central had some handsome engines.

I saw these while looking for GWR locos. The Great Central had some handsome engines. I look forward to seeing how you get on with these.

Lost for words to describe this one... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hornby-GWR-CLASS-0-6-0-00-GAUGE-OPEN-CAB-No-2744-CAB-CONVERSION-/261388655161?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item3cdbfa5a39 But we are assured that "IT HAS BEEN CARED FOR OVER THE YEARS BY BEING SERVICED REGULARLY USING THE FINEST LUBRICANTS". The photos illustrating his other items for sale are a little unusual too.

I've heard of the 'Just Like The Real Thing' range but this appears to be stretching things. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=201027696293&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:GB:3160

Please tell me I'm asleep and this is only a nightmare: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bachmann-Loco-The-King-Of-Rock-N-Roll-Elvis-Presley-Set-Hawthorne-Village-/301074294188?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item46196d25ac

His name is Keir Burgess and judging from the body language he stands absolutely no chance of copping off with either sister.

I agree with Miss Prism at post 39. The GWRJ article has a great photo of 6990 at Old Oak Common on 28/11/54 in fully lined out GWR green livery with the G (Crest) W insignia on the tender. I think it's safe to assume that the entire batch were painted in the same way. GREAT BEAR: RCTS Locomotives of the Great Western Railway part 8, Modern Passenger Classes p. 15 states that removal of the side window plating on the Castle class began 'about the end of May 1945, and, due to shortages, some engines had only one window replaced at first and the work was not completed until late in 1947'. On p. 30 it states that Halls had theirs replaced 'between 1945 and about 1948'. My own money would be on work starting on an ad-hoc basis after the blackout restrictions were lifted in April 1945.

There was a trader at Warley this year who was selling lots of unfinished 00 locomotive kits at various stages of construction and/or disintegration. He must have had about 60 or so on sale. They were mostly LNER or Southern and constituent prototypes with a few BR and LMS. (No GWR oddly enough). I think about 2/3 of the stock was Ks and it all seemed very reasonably priced. The most expensive thing there was a DJH A3 for about £95.00 and most the stock was priced at a lot less - an LBSCR Gladstone for £25.00 anybody? I'm kicking myself now for not getting his details just in case he ever got any GWR stuff in.