NeilHB

Belated Christmas wishes to all on here. 

I did good this year, and along with a few new useful tools for modelling, I received this from the husband - it’ll do nicely for transporting passengers onwards from Ffarquhar Road:

Today I made some good progress on Ffarquhar Road, and as well as getting the third and final board up, I also got the first of the fiddle yard cassettes assembled:

Ade, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and Lez. 

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you as well Annie. 

Today I got the point control/polarity change switches fitted.

These have been mounted in the baseboard surface, and will be hidden inside hollow buildings:

The one controlling across to the front siding will be hidden inside a small building, possibly a bothy for loco crews. 
 

The one controlling access to the run round loop will be hidden under/behind the farmers cooperative store on the front siding. The white plastic tubing which the brass control wire runs in will be buried in the ground surface to hide them completely. 

Now I know that they fit nicely and work well, I can screw them down and wire them in to allow them to change the frog polarity.
 

Lastly we see ETCo No.3 “Gerda” arriving with a goods tram. 

It may not look like much has changed, but the track is officially down. A fun couple of hours this afternoon getting everything just so and drilling lots of holes in the sleepers for track pins (oh the joy!): 

 

I may shuffle the rear siding back a bit, but I’ll decide on that for definite in the morning. 
 

I’ve even made a start on the wiring! Although I’m cheating for this and using Peco fishplates which come with wires ready attached. This makes life much easier, though the underside of the boards look like this at the moment:

Next step is to dig out the chocolate block connectors and connect it all up. 
 

Exciting times ahead at Ffarquhar Road!  

Wishing you all the best for Monday Mike. 
 

I look forward to seeing progress on the Dia.2 in due course when you are recovered. 

Skirting around the issue…or a progress report on “Sigurd”.

I’ve managed to adapt the saddletank to resemble the Bagnall design more closely using lots of plastic strip:

I’ve also sorted out the smokebox saddle, and found a spare stovepipe chimney to better match the other locos:

Sandboxes are from the spares box, and do the job nicely I think. 
 

The basic skirts have been added, and the next step will be to add the lift up panels to access the wheels and motion from 10thou plastic. 

1 hour ago, MarcD said:

A shame thatghe LSWR never built them. 

Marc

It was built Marc, but not by the LSWR. It worked at Wharncliffe at the rifle ranges there, and was sent to Nine Elms a number of times for overhauls etc. I'll dig out the relevant copy of the 'History of the British Steam Tram' later to confirm who it was built by etc. 

10 hours ago, Corbs said:

I read your backdating of the key historical events and I nodded sagely  

I thought you would appreciate it  

8 hours ago, hartleymartin said:

Was this one of the sources of inspiration for the tram motors?

No, although it is very nice! They are an amalgamation of various designs, but the main inspiration was the Markham Coffee Pot that was discovered in the wilds of Tasmania and restored for display purposes - that had side tanks and vertical boiler and I thought it would make a good basis for mine. 

I'm loving the Beyer Peacocks Corbs, they really do look excellent. Glad to see some more representation from the Sodor & Mainland too. Can we assume given the second tender that there is a further BP in the works...?

Is this the One Rule to rule them all Corbs? Does it find them in the darkness and bind them to the wielders will? 

Tonight I made a start on Elsbridge Tramway Company No.5 “Sigurd”. This is a standard gauge version of the Bagnall 0-4-0ST supplied to the 3’6” Wolverton and Stoney Stratford Tramway in 1921. My version will have been supplied to the ETCo in about 1896 or so, and so there will be a few differences! 
 

Having to borrow engines from the neighbouring Wellsworth & Suddery Railway in the early 1890s was becoming increasing problematic for the Directors of the ETCo, as the existing four locos struggled to cope with increasing traffic levels after the opening of the extension to Ffarquhar and the stone quarry at Anopha in 1892. Although Nos.3 and 4 were more powerful than the two coffeepot trams, a larger locomotive was still needed to help relieve the burden:

Its all very basic at the moment and just popped loosely together for the photos, but I think it’s starting give the look that I want for this loco. 
 

A couple of photos for size comparison with ETCo No.3 “Gerda”. No.5 as mentioned before is a much larger machine, also worth noting that it’s fitted with larger 3’1” wheels, rather than the 2’8” fitted to Nos.1-3, so sits higher to start with:

The chimney will be changed for a stovepipe in due course to match the rest of the fleet, and the saddletank needs a lot more work to make it match the prototype closer. 

A further bump to add in the following confirmed attendees:

Layouts:

West Midlands Area Group will be bringing one of their 7mm Narrow Gauge Layouts - TBC

Llanymynech - 0.16.5 (Arline Wilson)

Up The Line - O-14 (Kevin Hughes)

Trade:

GLR Bespoke Services

Demonstrations: 

West Midlands Area Group Modelling Demonstration

Not long to go now folks - stay tuned for further updates in due course!

Glad to see you’ve made it back here Marty, and I look forward to seeing progress in due course.

Did you get any further with your laser cut KA Tramcar? That looked like a very interesting project.

ETCo Nos.1 and 2 have now had their nameplates added (Narrow Planet/Light Railway Stores as they are always excellent quality): 

Following a suggestion on another forum, I’ve acquired a couple of ancient Hornby Dublo water cranes for use on the layout. With the bag shortened, it works out at the right size for filling up the tanks of the tram locos when they’ve reached Ffarquhar Road:

It will need a taller operating wheel, and I shall probably add a chain to enable the operator to move it around easily. I’ve also got a second one to use for when I get around to modelling some more of the tramway in the future.

Later on, we see ETCo No.3 “Gerda” on test, double heading on a passenger tram with No.2 “Sigrid”:

Hopefully she’ll enter service soon and be able to relieve some of the pressure of the the two coffee pot tram locos. 

5 hours ago, Annie said:

Lovely work on your latest tram engine Neil.  I like the way that you've developed a unique company style for your tram engines that allows for the individual differences between them, but still identifies them as ETCo engines.

Thank you very much Annie, that’s much appreciated  

I’m pleased to report that ETCo No.3 “Gerda” has now left the workshops, and will be entering the paintshop tomorrow:

Four days from start to finish - not too bad! I’m really rather pleased with how she’s turned out. 
 

No.4 “Sigmund” definitely needs a rebuild now to bring him in line with the house style, but I haven’t broken the news to him yet…or that he’ll be getting a different livery as well when the rebuilds over. I don’t think he’ll be too happy! 

Yesterday saw rapid progress on ETCo No.3 “Gerda”, and only the roof remains to be completed along with some final details:

Early this morning she was spotted on test at Ffarquhar Road with the early morning up passenger tram, this bringing with it an empty milk van for loading:

It’s looking likely that No.4 “Sigmund” will be next through the works for a full rebuild, as he’s looking a bit tired and there’s a few modifications I want to make to bring him in line with the other locos. 

A very productive stint at the workbench after work this evening has seen the main bodywork for ETCo No.3 “Gerda” completed:

Size wise she sits nicely between the other two designs:

Next step is bufferbeams and beading.

Sometimes you have to take a step or two backwards before you can go forwards. 
 

This afternoon the original bodywork for ETCo No.1 “Godred” was consigned to the scrapheap. It was the first ETCo VB tram loco that I built, and since then I’ve refined the design and backstory quite a bit.

The sound fitted chassis that was under No.1, has therefore gone under the bodywork for No.2, which was become the new No.1. No.3 now becomes No.2, and a new No.3 is under construction to a slightly different design. 
 

Is anyone confused yet?! 
 

No.1 (the second) on the left, with No.2 (formerly No.3) on the right. This evening I’ve cracked on and got the roof sorted for the new No.1, and it’s now ready for the paintshop and for the last of the lining to be added. 

The new No.3 will be an intermediate design, size wise being between the two coffee pot tram locos, and the larger more powerful No.4:

Like No.4 it has a locomotive type boiler, and will be fully enclosed etc. like the other locos, although it will remain as a four-coupled loco unlike No.4 which is (supposedly) an 0-6-0.

L-R Nos.1-4: “Godred”, “Sigrid”, “Gerda”, “Sigmund” (currently carrying incorrect plates at the moment). 

Yep that’s fine Steve, I’ll send it over tomorrow when I’m back at the laptop. 

1 hour ago, steves17 said:

Where would these be from if I might ask? I know a Smelter drawing by Iain Rice is in the June 78 issue of Model Railways but having trouble pining down his 0-6-0ST depiction of Miner.

 

Steve

Practical Model Railways March 1984

issue. If you want a copy Steve let me know. 
 

Hang on a minute, the three-plank opens have been breeding. Another dropside has appeared! 
 

And a little shot of the current ETCo wagon fleet as of this morning:

Eight wagons built so far, five three-plank opens (of four different designs), a van, sheep wagon, and a two plank dropside.

I’ve got enough wheels spare to build another half dozen or so wagons over the next few weeks, so that should give me enough stock for the time being. 

A productive evening has seen another three-plank open emerges from the ETCo Carriage and Wagon Shop at Elsbridge, this time one of the lesser spotted dropside variant (only a handful were built):

Another simple exercise in plastic sheet and strip, I’m finding building wagons quite therapeutic at the moment:

Having a common chassis design across all of my ETCo wagons means that it’s fairly easy to crack on and batch build them:

I’ve got the basic chassis parts for another two opens also cut out tonight, so I can progress those tomorrow. 

PM on its way Marc with the relevant articles attached. 

Marc,

I shall follow this one with interest, I’ve long had an interest in the R&C and have been mulling over ideas to model it one day. 
 

Iain Rice produced a set of drawings of the Box Tank locomotives as part of his Tregarrick series of articles in the late 70s/early 80s, and there was also Wheal Louise from Practical Model Railways in the early 1980s. I’ve got scans of all of these if you want a copy of them.