Johnson044

A very fine piece of work- and completely within the spirit of this thread. As Mr Wolf says, thanks for the inspiration!

Thanks Goldfish- from the link you posted it really does look like a Read Maxwell. There is no manufacturer's lettering but only a number, which I can't recall- I'll check when I get home. Your link also very helpful with dating my EM gauge MR 4-4-0

Here are before and after tender sides. Unlike those on the loco, the axleboxes, which were not remotely fixed flat, came off really easily and I’ve cut off the wrong spring hangers, shortened the springs and made some very simple brass shackles from scrap etch. I also flattened off the front of the axleboxes to give a general impression of the MR ones- not a true likeness but hopefully enough of a caricature. The flat beading that is (to me) such a prominent feature on Johnson tender sides is just strips of ordinary A4 paper affixed with white PVA.

New driving wheels tapped 4BA and threaded on to the original axles. I need to bring the rear trailing axle about 3mm forwards and do something about the frame profile. I have also picked up – ebay as usual- a firebox back plate (I was going to say “Backhead” but I think I've heard somewhere the Midland didn’t use that term?) – not the right one but it does fit rather nicely.

A piece of 1/16” brass from an old door finger plate cut to fit the slot under the boiler and filed to a curve. Just Araldited to the bottom of the mass of lead inside the boiler and the gaps filled with car body filler and smoothed off.

If only it were, Nearholmer. No- construction is entirely soldered and mainly brass- and the parts have all been hand-cut rather than stamped out. The big slot under the boiler did, at first glance, possibly imply some sort of clockwork mechanism but no sign of a keyhole or holes for controls. I'd put it at 1940's at the earliest. I think I've probably done all the rubbing down and alterations now - no more clues as to history- and, unless someone can shed any light on the motor or recognize the model it's origin is going to remain obscure. I hope I can do it justice.

New axleboxes and springs from scrap box. Simple shackles bent up from scrap etch. They are not quite right but capture the general appearance, I hope. Rule 2 bit the dust when I saw that Laurie Griffin does a very nice casting for the driving axle springs. I've greatly reduced the thickness of the 3 nuts in the cab and I intend to hide them with the firebox back plate.

I picked up some 7’ driving wheels from Ebay – 2mm too small as the prototype had 7’4” but much, much better in appearance. The trailing and bogie wheels are all under-sized anyway. The iron is quite soft and the crank bosses were easily turned away and the remaining bits between the spokes removed with a piercing saw and cleaned up.

First mistake – there were some mould lines on the firebox safety valve, which I thought was varnished polished brass. I’m very cross with myself because the casting is plated white metal and I’ve irreparably damaged the finish with a few strokes of a file – once started, the plating just drops off.

Dismantled and rubbing down process started. I couldn’t bear the rear axleboxes and springs- they were very firmly soldered on and I have had to do quite a bit of cleaning up after all the cutting and tweaking.

Costa coffee stirrers are pretty good- if you can select some straight ones the width and thickness are about right.

Why not just leave well alone? Well- I felt the old girl had been fairly abused rather needed some TLC- the paint’s already been messed around with and I don’t think (sweeping statement) that the signs are there that the loco has much historic significance – so here goes. I thought I’d set some ground rules. 1. I’d re-use as much of the model as I could. 2. No components or materials (other than paint or transfers) that I felt wouldn’t have been available to the original builder- nothing from Slaters basically. 3. I’d keep the detailing simple and to a consistent standard. 4. I wanted to capture the essence of a Midland Spinner rather than worry too much about too much accuracy. So- here goes. A peek inside- anyone any ideas as to the make of the motor? This might help date the model.

The good bits: Generally well proportioned and sturdily made- the loco is extremely heavy. The basic parts have been neatly cut out and look about right. Boiler mountings look good – the dome and safety valve seem to be commercial castings and te chimney maybe home-turned. Certainly interesting, and someone has put their heart and soul into building it- using just what was available. Some of the lining not too bad. The bad bits: Truly horrible driving wheels- the right diameter but turned down Gauge 1 jobs with only 16 spokes. A very curious arrangement with a rear pony truck with lots of side play and a front bogie likewise- with the simple hook and bar loco-tender coupling it must have hunted about all over the place when running. Painted Sellotape or similar boiler bands (nothing wrong in principle but past their best). A big slot cut in the underside of the boiler. No cab interior – just three big randomly placed nuts. I can do something about all of these, as I can for the paint job- but – The ugly bits. Rather inappropriate trailing and tender axleboxes, and the driving axle coil springs are extremely crude and off centre. The off-centre smokebox door is beyond me, being very firmly soldered in place.

Haven’t posted much for a while. Middle age has brought about the usual health issues- plus a strange and distracting new optical phenomenon which, until properly diagnosed and- hopefully- resolved- means I’ve rather lost the confidence to tackle anything that requires much in the way of accuracy- and the joints, cotters and oil corks for the coupling rods on my Lesham & Hereford double-framed goods are, rather depressingly, out of the question for a while. So. Something hopefully achievable to keep the modelling mojo going. A while ago I bought this coarse scale stud contact Midland Spinner. The East Kent 0 Gauge Group auctioned off their model competition prizes- I arrived late for the meeting and bought it entirely on impulse, not having a proper look first and probably paying far more than it is worth- still, the money went to the club. A bit of a pig in a poke, to say the least. No-one seems to know much about the history and it looks like it has had several re-paints and partial re-paints over the years. I thought I could do something to revive it and, although not a one for coarse scale it called to me. Having got it home I had a proper look and felt a little better- much older than I first reckoned and a bit of a curate’s egg.

Thank you Sir Douglas- I must say that your thread has been a huge source of inspiration for me- your determination to see a project through, your originality- and, above all, your overtype geared locomotive!

Canal Digger - are there any manufacturer's marks on the underside of the plastic princess?

It's really not a bad model of the Deltic at all. Far from crude. I wonder if it is a half-size Kitmaster in the same vein as the Lone Star half-size Tri-ang Princess. The carriages are curious- sort of cut and shut Lone Star with the guard's / luggage bit in the middle.

BernardTPM that has absolutely made my day!!!!!!!!! Bloody hell- nostalgia is such a powerful thing.

Now that is interesting - dancing about on the edges of my memory is a crude and simplified all plastic diesel of roughly N gauge representing the prototype Deltic plus a couple of BR Mk 1's very similar to the Lone Star ones that I had aged about 7 or 8. I think they came in a card backed clear plastic blister pack. Possibly from Woollies but by no means certainly. Bought in Northfield, Birmingham in the early 70's.

It would be really interesting to see if there are any maker's marks or lettering under the plastic princess- it's certainly a new one on me!

Interesting! Didn't realise how much the Princess had been re-tooled- mainly to remove the dummy valve gear. A thing that struck me whilst looking at RobinDL's Flickr page is the variation in Baldwin castings. My version too has a hole in the middle of the smokebox door- but no sign of any kind of bulb holder- I wonder what the intention was? Maybe a car headlight jewel might have been fitted or were some versions equipped with working headlights?

No- the plastic princess is completely new to me. The Baldwin is metal. BernardTPM is exactly right about the later Impy Princess, which used the original body casting (or a very similar one) on 9mm plastic wheels as opposed to the Lone Star Locos one, which was to 8.5mm gauge. The Baldwin was always to 9mm gauge, being originally equipped with a metal, motorized tender and metal connecting rods, then re-issued as a push-along loco without tender. RobinDL's Flickr page is excellent.

It really is an ug bug. Reminds me of what Bulleid did to poor old 32029 Hartland Point. I wish them luck getting £4,500 for it.

Words of wisdom indeed 33C. I do like the Chessie system idea. I've also contemplated (and dismissed!) the Ledsham & Hereford Railway livery. Becoming more likely is the possibility of adding some false front pony wheels and footplate (bolted above and below the front coupling bar to avoid cutting anything), a front buffer beam and painting it grey with TRANSPORTATION CORPS U.S.A on the tender.

Ebay is amazing! You can get absolutely anything (within reason). Thanks to LoneStarRoger the Baldwin tender has a replacement front bogie, new wheels and drive bands. What, oh what shall I do about the livery?