Brassey

Hi Mikkel 2347, in the first image, received the S4 boiler in 5/04 so would have still been red at that time. The tender shown could have been a swap applied after that as Dean Goods originally came out with ex Armstrong Goods tenders. You can see that 2347 has the narrower footplate as it is narrower than the later build tender footplate. The weathering on the loco is interesting which shows that Edwardian goods engines were not always immaculate in service. The second image show 2579 which is a much later engine and the last but one to be built. It has the wider footplate (same width as the tender). This was built with an S2 boiler and received another S2 (as shown) in 6/09 and an S4 as late as 4/14. The date of the first boiler change suggests it is in the black frame livery in the picture. However, it has the dome on the front ring (S2) which I find less appealing. Peter

I would concur. There are examples of S4 boilers being retro fitted to stock that previously had belpaires as late as 1912. I am assuming that the livery would be redone following such a major rebuild so these would have the post 1908 black frames. Belpaires were fitted to Dean Goods from the early 1900's predating the black frame change.

And that despite there being no contemporary GWR pre-grouping goods stock or break van to run behind it apart from kits

The combination of over scale and over wide splashers would mean they would probably foul the boiler; so perhaps another compromise there. I am currently building a Dean Goods based primarily from an old Mallard kit and this suffers that problem. I reduced the splasher tops anyway as mine will be P4. Incidentally, from a photo of 2516 posted on RMWeb I thought I noticed that the front splasher tops where narrower than the middle ones on the prototype. This is probably to clear the firebox.

I built an M&L 517 in P4 when they first came out. IIRC it was fairly straightforward. Being a small tank engine, there's not much to it. I think the Gibson update was probably to include an etch running plate amongst other refinements which probably made it harder to build. I've acquired a High Level 14XX chassis that I'm going to put under mine when I get round to it. I doubt that anyone will be able to tell the difference.

Mallard/Blacksmith also did a 517 which occasionally come up on auction sites. I have seen the Mitchell one on David Geen's stand at exhibitions this year. Don't know if the SE Finecast one is the old Gibson one; it would not surprise me as they probably did the castings for that anyway

IIRC the centre is not a standard spoke as a tyre came off one I was working with and the thing came apart. I did get it back together again though but it was some time ago.

I am still using the cutlery given as a wedding present and all have square ends! But I never thought of a Swann Morton knife handle of which I have a few. Just have to remove the scalpel blade first. Peter

Thanks Larry that is really helpful. What I need to do now is find a knife with that shape handle. Cheers. Peter

"First job was forming a tumblehome, which I did my usual method in 4mm using a ruler and the back of a knife handle." Larry I can understand how a ruler would be helpful but the back of a knife handle? Any chance of a further explanation for this? Regards Peter

"Posted Today, 18:04 I suspect the eight ton outside framed van in the back row of your picture is Ian Kirk's product if that's of any help but I can't remember what diagram number it is to help with numbering it, useful wagon for something different In amongst all the other look-a-like gwr vans, I believe a modern kit is on the David Geen lists " I have one and I think it should have grease axle boxes

The ballast stock has yet to appear in the LNWR Wagons series and hopefully will be in vol 3 so there is no definitive answer yet. I have read that there was only ever a maximum of 2100 ballast wagons at any one time so the likelihood of any remaining into BR is unfortunately slim. Peter

Removing the upper raised stanchions from the ballast wagon produces a D3, 2 plank open wagon with fall doors. Some of the older kits do come up on a famous action site now and again. And etches of "LOCO" and number plates also appear courtesy of a member that has posted on this thread. (no connection just a satisfied customer). Peter

The LNWR wagon books do not yet cover coal wagons such as D54; these should be in the forthcoming volume 3. On the principal that there's a prototype for everything it is likely that the single brake survived on some upgraded wagons. The D9 actually predates the D4 and there is a picture of a D9 on page 83 of vol 1 in the condition you have modelled. This was photographed in 1923 with altered brakes and oil axle boxes but still in pre 1908 livery! Although a rarity again this proves there is a prototype for everything Peter

It's frightening how long it's been since an update. After I said I was using a Mainly Trains chassis for this project, Mainly Trains promptly announced that they were no longer going to be trading. I thought using the chassis for a vehicle that might not see much use might be indulgent so I made other plans for it. But I also sourced alternatives from Haye Developments as standby. Mainly Trains then continued to trade and made their chassis available again so I acquired a few. In the meantime, I had Araldited the Cleminson underframe to a Ratio chassis: Although the marshalling of trains on my layout will feature many 6 wheelers, I discovered via the working timetable that the Tenbury & Bewdley branch line train would have passed through the station on its way to working the branch all day and that would have featured 4 wheelers. That gave me an excuse to use all the Ratio GWR 4 wheel carriages I'd been stockpiling over the years married to the above mentioned chassis. So I have not been totally idle. Apart from getting on with the layout, I have 2 x 4 wheel chassis in hand; one Mainly Trains the other Haye. Here is a shot by way of comparison, the Haye one is in the foreground. Astute readers will note that I have not added the brake linkages. For the 6 wheelers with Cleminson workings I think they would get in the way so I will have to leave them out. To be consistent I have left them off the 4 wheelers too. Also the lower footboards are missing. I am constructing IKB 6 wheel chassis with the Brassmasters cleminson under frame and managed to knock both the lower footboards off these (see below). I find the method of fixing the footboards in these IKB chassis very fiddly so I will have to work out an alternative method for fixing. I've left them off the 4 wheelers till I have cracked the solution and to prevent damage via handling: Herewith a shot of an IKB 19' 6 wheel chassis under construction amended to have the Cleminson baseplate soldered in place.

Alan Gibson does the safety valve as well as the dome

Some of the 247 range is duplicated in Stevensons LNWR range but not all most notably the 12 wheel dining car (thankfully I have one). There was talk of the range moving to Stevensons but I understand the original owners want far too much for the rights which the previous owner of 247 never acquired.

Are you going to make this etch generally available?

If anyone is wondering about the pasting up of the o/s map to produce the layout, Templot conveniently produces and outputs A4 sheets of the track plan and any background images that have been added as explained earlier on in the thread. The individual sheets are numbered and include trim marks that allow you to line them all up next to each other - very clever. I just stuck them down onto large sheets of ply to produce templates for the baseboards to cut them to shape etc. As can be seen, after almost 3 years and a certain amount of abuse such as being thrown into the loft, some of the A4 sheets stuck on the templates are lifting and looking worse for wear but I trust the ones now stuck under the track work will hold! I just used slightly diluted PVA to stick these down and so far, so good. Now I need to build more stock to fully test the track work before I am confident enough to ballast it having added any cosmetic chairs required beforehand. There are also a couple of point blades still to be secured but the layout does run in both directions. The layout is non DCC as, according to the 1912 timetable, only one train was ever passed through the station at one time so it will not take too much to control. Only 4 local goods stopped each day: one for each company in each direction. So not a great amount of shunting either but my aim is to watch the fascinating mix of train formations go by.

The Methfix is supposed to give a cleaner end result. I have no LNWR sadly but plenty of GWR so I will give those a go to compare. The HMRS have continued the GWR in methix too.

A brief update. The third and final scenic board has long had the track laid and wired. Trains can now run successfully from each end of the layout though I have not fully finished the fiddleyard cassette systems. Appended is an image of this board with a template overlaid which has a scale enlargement of the o/s map stuck on it. This shows the location of the station building in relation to the track plan and the road over bridge. A friendly member on here who lives in the locality has kindly made contact with the current owner of the station building and taking some measurements. These, along with pictures I have collected will help in the accurate construction of the building. Some of the earlier photos confirm how close the siding actually was to the rear of the building.

I don't know if HMRS ever did they LNWR in Methfix but they only do them in Pressfix now. Peter

Any progress to report as I have also recently acquired a Mallard Duke kit? It might be me but, should the tender brakes not be behind the wheels rather than in front?

I have a couple of these tenders to build too. I got mine from the Broad Gauge Society as they go with their whitemetal BG Rover kit but sold separately; they also sell the springs separately too which are nice lost wax castings. I am building mine in P4 as converted to standard gauge of course. Regards Peter

I'm minded that the interior of LNWR cabs was indian red even in LMS days but I could be wrong