NeilHB

It would appear that the carriage and wagon works at Ulpha on be Broughton & Dunnerdale Light Railway are currently on a bit of a roll! The next project has entered the works tonight, and some good progress has made been already. This is a Diagram3D kit for an LNWR 21ft Passenger Brake Van. The kit is laser cut from MDF and card, and assembled in a number of layers to build up the requisite depth of panelling required for the sides, ends and lookout duckets. So far I have assembled the side frames, though I will need to get some wheels and bearings tomorrow from Telford, as well as some suitable buffers. I’ve also put together the inner carcass for the body And just to give you a look at how the sides are constructed - there are four layers here which make up one side of the Van - they clip into a handy jig which is supplied with the kit to enable easy alignment of the layers: Before I stick these together I’m going to paint them, which will make life easier in the long term. For anyone else wanting to have a look at their products, the link below will take you to the page for the brake Van: http://www.diagram3d.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=54 Unlikely to be much progress over the weekend, as I’m at Telford tomorrow, and then lunch with the outlaws on Sunday...!

They really do look superb Linny - very good work!

Ah the lesser known Erstwhile Hound - I believe this was the inspiration behind the Hound of the Baskervilles. Wasn’t there a mention in Conan Doyle’s journal about a visit to see his relations the Erstwhiles - during which the Hound put in an appearance?

Thanks David Duddon Bridge itself is 20’ x 2’8”. The home layout (Broughton Mills) will be somewhere in the region of 6-7’ x 2’ as space is very limited. Stock seems to run fine through the points, both by hand and on my test track (a point and some track laid on my workbench). Thanks - I’m enjoying working my way through the wagons at the moment, it’s a nice way to wind down after work.

Very good news Sam - at last an article that I can look forward to reading! Glad to see that Hestia is up and running very nicely now - a very good job.

Managed to get the worst of the old paint off the G&SW brakevan, so spent the hour or so cleaning up the castings and reassembling it. Much better now (or hopefully it will be after a coat of paint!) New axleboxes and buffers on the shopping list for Telford on Saturday - anyone else going there? Having not made it to Kettering this year thanks to the weather, my shopping list of parts is rather long!

Last months Trent Valley Area Group meeting in the Brunswick Inn resulted in me leaving the pub with more models than I’d entered with - a very good evening! Thanks to Phil (he of Port Wynnstay fame) I ended up with some of his reject castings with a ‘see what you can do with these’. The first of these ended up on the workbench tonight, and has resulted in a nice quick build: Not sure if the prototype (am sure Phil will be along at some point to remind me!), but it makes a nice addition to the fleet. Just need to source some etched brake levers at Telford this weekend and then it can enter the paint shop. The other project started tonight has seen my Meteor Models G&SWR brake van dismantled in order to rebuild it and do a better job than first time round. New axleboxes are on the list for Telford, along with some new buffers. I need to strip the old paint off as well, as it’s bubbled in some places. Hopefully as it’s acrylic a good scrub in the sink should do the job... It reallly is a very nice kit, though I am not sure who sells it now that Meteor no longer sells any of his kits. As Duddon Bridge is very much intended to be an exhibition layout (as neither Tim nor I have the space to set it up at our respective houses), I’ve been looking to build a small home layout which will enable me to run the stock for the main layout on when we are not exhibiting it. Currently working out the track plan, but likely to be a loop (or at least part of one - the other half willl be on the traverser), and a couple of sidings. This would be the Broughton Mills branch terminus - freight only so no passengers to worry about, and represents part of the yard that we have supposed was built to serve the village and its associated mills (bobbin, wool, corn etc.): Just a rough mock up so far, but gives you a vague idea of what I’m aiming for. Essentially an inglenook with an added loop to enable me to shunt some trains around in an evening. When I do get round to building it properly, I’ll use the Peco settrack points as they take up less space, and are what we have used in the main layout. There’ll be no more progress reports on Duddon Bridge itself for a while now, as we need to concentrate on getting our area groups layout, Sandy Lane Halt (Ashbourne) up and running. This is the replacement for our old Hennore Dale Light Railway layout (Ashbourne Park Road), which suffered from a severe case of gravity after its last show at York in 2013! We are due to have Sandy Lane Halt running at our open day at Mickleover in January 2019 (date tbc), but there’s a distinct lack of electrics at the moment... I’ll keep the topic updated though don’t worry folks, there is still plenty of stock and buildings etc. to build!

Excellent progress Dave!

Thanks brack - unfortunately can’t help you there - it didn’t survive the dismantling process! Plus the Mk2 body is on the Mk1 chassis...

Not sure if it is ‘King Haakon VII’ - that one is usually carrying a lighter green livery. This one looks like linked black (though that might be the light) which would make it ‘Norwegian’ from the KESR. Though I can’t recall if ‘Norwegian’ has ever been away from home. Lovely locos they are - the original locos are from a design by David Jones on the Highland Railway, and built by Dubs and Co. - if only they’d been built for this country! http://www.preservation.kesr.org.uk/steam-locomotives/no-19

The MkII Meat Van now has all four walls completed and attached - Some further bracing required inside, and then I can add the details etc. Spent today over at Tim’s working on the layout itself, sorting out the attachment of the scenic extension boards at the front of the layout: We had some fun posing various items of stock on the layout - just to make sure it all fitted obviously! LMS Jinty (one of many shedded at Barrow) is on hire to the railway here in this photo from the 1930s - returning the empty milk tanker back to the creamery at Ulpha further up the line. The Hudswell Clarke is readying itself for departure up the Broughton Mills branch. The fiddleyards will nicely hold an 0-6-0 and four wagons plus brake (coal wagon standing in here for the still to be built brake van!). Loaded coal wagons are a frequent sight on the line, being conveyed to a number of industries further up the line, including the paper mill here at Duddon Bridge.

MkII Meat Van started today - back to my standard method - sort out the basic side (marking out, scribing etc.) and then adding the framing - much easier and it’s flush(ish)! Only sent me slightly mad doing one side and end, hopefully I’ll be able to get some more done tomorrow morning before I head over to Tim’s to do some work on the layout itself.

Looks good Sam. Think I may have to try your method of cutting out the W-irons - I always struggle to get them lined up accurately first time round.

Rob, I noted yesterday that there was a message on the front page - the recent heatwave has caused them a few problems - quote below taken directly from their homepage: The very hot weather we are currently experiencing is disrupting our transfer production as the manufacturing process is adversly affected by high temperatures. Consequently, delivery times for most transfers and pre-lettered kits are taken longer than normally expected. We will be resuming normal production as soon as the weather breaks. That was posted on the 20th July, so hopefully things will be up and running normally again soon.

Sorry to read Argos about the ongoing damp problems and the demise of the Taddington branch. However I am very glad to see that Three Shires Head/Taddington Exchange Sidings have survived and are making a reappearance as a layout in their own right - it really is a lovely little layout! Shall look forward to more progress as and when.

What a little beauty! I shall try not to drool on it too much at Telford - in all seriousness it looks great so far. The Broughton & Dunnerdale Light Railway will be very happy with their No.1 when she arrives

I had a look first thing this morning at adjusting the panels on the Meat Van as they were glued between the framing rather than behind. I managed to adjust one side before I had to go to work (it just always gets in the way!). Having returned home at lunchtime to let the dogs out, I took another look at it - the bodywork has now gone to the great model railway scrapyard in the sky. I decided it was just easier to start again, rather than trying to bodge it to look right. It also means I can correct the couple of errors that had crept in, so win win in the end. The chassis is still usable, and has survived the destruction unscathed; well all expect for the brake lever and guide, they are sadly history... There is what I think a photo of one of these, or rather part of one, in Issue 19 of Railway Archive (page 44 for those of you that own a copy), lurking in the background of a photo one of the Furness' oh so lovely Fairbairn 0-4-0 tender locos (9A to be precise - what a beauty!). It appears to have recessed panelling on the ends, and ventilator hoods, rather than louvres, but as I can't see any of the bodysides, it might not be a Meat Van, but something else entirely. Oh for a time machine and a decent camera to go back and record it all!

I think the phrase must aptly suited to this is oh b*gger! Have also now found a photo of what I think could be the end of one of these vans, showing that they were fitted not with louvres, but with hoods. Pants! All may not be lost with the sides - the planking is fitted between the framing, so there may be a way to salvage this easily...or at least I really do hope so. Wish the chuffing drawings were clearer!

We get all sorts in our takeaway containers! Incredibly useful when you can buy a pack of 8 for a couple of quid from the local supermarket...saves my waistline from consuming actual takeaway! Thanks - glad the louvres and the brake lever look fine - was a bit worried that they were a bit off looking. The drawing has the diagonals going on to the planked sections of the bodywork - not clear though if they angle down over the framing, or if there should be a supporting fillet underneath them. I’ll probably do something along the lines of the latter, as that’s easier. Here’s the original drawing - http://www.cumbrianrailways.org.uk/drawings/FR%20Ventilated%20meat%20van%20-%20drwg.pdf As you can see not entirely clear...

The department of cunning planning has been out in force tonight... One end sorted, or near as darn it! I also found a spare brake lever too, the joys of having about 15 Chinese taakeaway tubs of stuff...not sure if it looks in the right place or not. What do people think please?

Well the Meat Van is coming along nicely. Door framing added, along with wheels and brake gear, though I’ve run out of spare levers, so will need to source some more. I’ve assumed, given the lack of clarity on the drawing (I.e none drawn) that this was fitted with brake gear on both sides. Brake gear is the usual Slaters Midland Railway spares from their 9ft w/b kits - very handy. As can be seen I’ve also started to add the detailing, though only on one side so far. Shock horror as well it’s from brass, courtesy of a pack of wagon strapping obtained from the Guild show at Telford last year, can’t remember who from though as I’ve mislaid the package... Still yet to tackle the ventilated ends, but a cunning plan is forming, albeit slowly. More progress as and when.

Made a start on the Meat Van bodywork tonight: Plenty of filler required in places, but overall not too bad. Need to tackle the ventilated tops to the end next, which should prove fun as on the drawing it looks like lots of thin bars, or possibly mesh! Think that will definitely require some thunking about... Next task is to sort the side doors out, and then I can start the fun task of sorting the ends out and the detailing. Not sure if it should be fitted, and therefore requiring vacuum brakes, or whether it might just have been through piped? Suggestions would be welcome please folks!

Vintage Carriages Trust register says it’s a Siphon G chassis: http://www.cs.vintagecarriagestrust.org/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=6017

Think I’ve definitely found my modelling get up and go now. Made a start today on the next Furness wagon - a ventilated Meat Van: Trying a different construction technique with the body for this one, building up the framing first before infiling the sides and ends with the planked sections. Will see how it goes.

Further progress on the Furness Gunpowder Van over the last day or so. It’s coming on rather nicely now and hasn’t proved too problematic. Last few detailing bits required, and then I need to sort out some suitable single shoe brake gear and paint it...