rowanj

The last couple of posts, one from Tony and then from Eric (Merlin60027) prompted me to reply. I am a distinctly average solo modeller, with no background or training in engineering, painting, carpentry, electrical work, etc. I will never, with the best will in the world, reach the calibre of some of the posters here, Grahame's architectural work, for example, is jaw dropping, and the same can be said for Tony's locos, Andrew (Headstock)'s coaches, just as examples., I'll never be able to build to the same standard as the best RTR, especially locos, and I see no great point in trying to replicate them via a kit. Nor will I reach the modelling standard of those mentioned, and several others who inhabit this thread. However I do like to have a go, and therefore concentrate on things not available as RTR - locos being the main case in point, So I accept my locos or wagons wont look as good, though I insist they run just as well. I rename or renumber RTR locos to fit my prototypical location (though the cry of "Strangers in the House" is often heard) and I repaint stock to fit the location also. Because I chose a real location, I had to scratch build the signal boxes, and lay a 3rd Rail. I have also recently re-discovered the joy of wagon building, though don't go to the extent that many choose and fit added detail to the basic ,usually Parkside, kits. What is the point of all this rambling? It is to suggest that aspiring to do your best doesn't mean that, because your skills are limited, you should be ashamed to try to build or modify.If you choose to put your work out there for others to see, while inevitably there will be those who laugh or worse, there will be many more who will help or encourage. Some folk are so ham-fisted, they will never build a satisfactory model. Others will never enjoy trying . This shouldn't prevent them enjoying running trains if they wish to do so, and RTR makes this possible. But for those with sufficient resources - money, time, tools, workspace- who are prepared to have a go, try their best, want to improve, but RECOGNISE THEIR LIMITATIONS, supplementing RTR will normally greatly enhance the pleasure from their railway. To illustrate what I mean, attached is a photo of my short LOCO coal train, now complete. The rake is all kit -built, as is the loco. It passes a rake of tank wagons, re-painted Bachmann/Mainline/Hornby with new transfers, So kit built and modified RTR in harmony. The signal box is scratch-built, but largely Metcalfe sheets, The signals are Ratio, and that on the main-line is the correct 3-way splitting Distant showing the train will leave the ECML to head down the Blyth and Tyne. It wont win any prizes, but I made it all. How cool is that?

Hello Mike and Mick And he specifically mentions the "fat" 63A. Also the first confirmation of what I suspected re Dave Alexander - must give him a ring. John

Thanks, Mike. Always good to hear from you. The 52F kit, which I was lucky enough to see and hold- what a weight..- will be light-years ahead of the DJH model. I would be surprised if Peter doesnt provide the alternate boilers. I look forward to following your builds...as you know I have reserved a body kit to go with the chassis I already have once it is released, which I understand is imminent. I do think, though, that anyone wanting to build a DJH A8 for the BR era would be well advised to look at the options for replacing the boiler provided with the "thin" 63A, which was much more common and was present on all the locos still in service after 1956 (as far as I can see). The DJH boiler/smokebox is a one-piece casting, so, assuming you can either get a piece of tube of the correct diameter or roll a part for yourself, cutting the boiler from the smokebox and attaching the new one should be straightforward. Easy for me to say, of course.. John

I dont suppose I'm alone in having accumulated far too many locos over the years, particularly if modelling a fictitious location "somewhere on the ECML". Now my layout is centred on a real prototype just north of Heaton, I'm a lot more fussy, and have begun to dispose of RTR which would never be seen there. Of course, I'm hanging on to my kit- builds and RTR conversions... Among the RTR collection are some ex-LMS and BR Standard designs which made an appearance around Tyneside .For some reason, there was a 2MT 46xxx loco at Heaton, and several 4MT 43xxx in the area. Standard 73XXX .76xxx and 77xxx , as well as 80xxx and 82xxx tanks were also allocated to NE sheds. "Clans" were at Haymarket on a couple of occasions and were seen at Newcastle .I am currently in the process of checking their running, as it's a while since they turned a wheel. Incidentally, I also need to re-number my ancient J94 to the single class member allocated to Heaton. Quite why it was thought necessary to send one to a shet full of tank loco beats me, Perhaps for driver experience? I have never seen a photo of the loco in action. Some of the above, which I have, need re-numbered. However this is not the case with 42085, which had a short spell at Heaton, and then Darlington, where it spent a good few years. John

Afternoon, Brian. You are correct - the help and overall tone on this thread has been a real inspiration to me. Glad you see the same thing from a visitor's point of view. I looked at Yeadon again re 69873 and Paul's suggestion - 69875. Re 69873, Mike, Yeadon has the loco transferred from Hull on 19/1/50 to Middlesbrough , then West Hartlepool (17/7/55),Durham (15/9/57 presumably for banking duty) then Sunderland (7/12/58 to withdrawal 8/2.60) It lost its' 63A boiler 14/9/56. 69875 was at West Auckland 20/2/49 then Sunderland 22/6/58. It lost its' 63A boiler 2/11/56. My speculation on a boiler from Arthur was based on obtaining it as a spare, cutting off the DJH version behind the smokebox and replacing it. Of course, the same thing would be achieved with 20mm external diameter tube! John

The posts on A8 boilers are tinely, as I need to decide on a number for my loco. Ideally, I want an example which got into Newcastle in the mid to late 50's -( though I doubt they got north of Heaton) The DJH kit supplies only the fat 63 or 63A boiler, and the bunker cage fitted to locos built after 1920. Yeadon seems to suggest that only 63B boilers were fitted at Works after 1952 or so, though some 63A fitted carried them until about 1955/6. 69873 carried a 63A. until 9/56 when it was shedded at Middlesbrough and Durham. This is probably as close as I'm going to get. For a BR loco, a 63B boiler is much mote prototypical, and this will be provided by the forthcoming 52F kit. Does Arthur supply it as a spare with his A6 kit? And yes, Mike, the con rod should be inside the coupling rod on the leading drivers - unlike my model, damn it !!

It certainly will. Mike - Modelmaster- so the black will be Halfords Satin rather than the Railmatch Weather Black I normally use -as per your suggestion - to help "hide "the transfer film.

Quite why people get so exercised about grammar and spelling on a thread about modelling baffles me. Posts are normally just "trains of thought" expressed electronically, often by non-typists on small screens - very small if using phone or tablet to make posts. so if a mis-spelling occurs, who really cares? I visit here to see and learn from experienced modellers, not to revisit my "O" and "A"level English lessons. Personally, I sometimes wish there was a lot less blather and more modelling here on what is probably the most-visited thread on RM. Just to put my money where my mouth is, here are a couple of photos of my DJH A8 on its' first test. The build was a bit of a struggle, not least to get it to go round bends, but also to find enough bits to bring the kit up to my BR-era timescale. The rake is the sort of job it was designed for. The leading coach is a Kirk lav/composite with the rest bog-standard Hornby. John

After a bit of a fight, the A8 has now been tested on the sort of working it was used for. The chassis does go round my curves, I'm pleased to say. I did add a few bits and pieces to the basic body supplied in the kit - notably on the bunker rear. I also added the pipework beneath the footplate under the tanks, and a few castings by the smokebox. I still need to fit balance weights and sanpipes to the chassis. I'm not sure what to say about this kit. You do finish up with a sort of A8, but a pretty basic one. in theory, this would suggest a decent entry -level kit, but the issues to make the chassis work will always be a challenge, and I doubt it would ever run if you simply follow the instructions - though there are a few dodges here and there on the Net to help. It' s now in the paintshop, and I'll post a couple of final shots with a list of my additions to close this set of posts. The leading coach, incidentally, is a Kirk Gresley Lavatory/composite - the rest of the rake is just bog-standard Hornby.

I have been fighting with the DJH A8 for some time, but it now runs, so here it is, on test, doing the sort of job it was designed for before going into the paint shop. The first coach is a Kirk Gresley lavatory composite, with the rest bog- standard Hornby. Another Insulfish from Parkside has now been completed, - it is the first wagon in the set - and so it too has been tested through the pointwork, headed by a Heaton B1 as it heads South. One more still to build, and that will complete the rake, John

Though you may be sick of the sight of the Aberdeen Fish, this photo was taken to test the front pair of wagons which I have just built from Parkside kits.They seem to be fine alongside the far too clean Hornby RTR versions. The A1 is just a re-numbered Bachmann. "Marmion" was the second-last A1 I saw, shunting a pick-up goods of all things at Chathill. Watching a massive A1 shunting the tiny goods yard was a sight to behold. The loco was at Tweedmouth at that point and presumably had little work by that point. The last one I saw was St.Mungo, running light without nameplates in, I suspect, June 1966. I was keeping goal for our U18 team, and was astonished to see it passing, just north of Heaton, I think it was already withdrawn by that stage.

I really enjoyed the brief flurry of posts on wagons a few pages ago. I was very good this Christmas and restricted my spending to a few Parkside kits, which are fun to build. This is my short LOCO coal rake - I'll add a couple more wagons in due course. The first couple still need transfers applied. The wagons are a pair of LOCO coal wagons and a 21T and 24T mineral wagon,one of each, which were used to supplement the purpose built LOCO types. The brake van is ex-Airfix, converted to the earlier LNER builds, The Dave Alexander Q7 is probably overkill for such a short rake, so I assume it is being used just to get it back to Tyne Dock.. As this is my first post here for 2019, may I wish eveyone all the best for the New Year. John

I took these photos for another purpose, but thought I would also share the here. The Dave Alexander Q7 is really "superpower" on the short LOCO train. heading towards Heaton. The train is made from 4 Parkside wagons, - 2 ex-LNER LOCO coal wagons, a 21T mineral, and 24T mineral pressed into service, prototypically, for this traffic. The Airfix Brake van has been converted to the earlier LNER build. The shot of LB North shows the compromises I had to make at that end. But the long sidings do come in handy - I need every bit of storage I can get.

Just to show I do run these things from time to time. the Dave Alexander Q7 is "superpower" on a short LOCO coal headimg for Tyneside from the SE Northumberland Coalfield - probably the Backworth Colliery complex.

Thanks for the info on the A8.and for the PM from Arthur. John

Those pictures of the G5 are really helpful. Can anyone point me to a similar picture of the LH above the tank top of an A8 ?..I'm trying to track the run of the steam pipe/ vacuum pipe. On all the pictures I have it disappears just as it passes the tank front. I assume it goes into the cab just below the spectacle plate?? Best wishes for 2019 to Mike and all who follow this thread. John

I dragged out my Nu Cast K2, built many years ago, and put it into works. The chassis is the original whitemetal lump, which I had filed out to fit a Comet/Mashima gearbox, but it is still an erratic runner. I have now fitted brakes and draincocks, but fear a return to works to have the gearbox looked at will be needed, as it is STILL an erratic runner. K2's were not regularly seen on Tyneside, and when they were they were usually en route to or from Cowlairs for servicing, They could be used on running-in trips, or working light, or, infrequently, on service trains. I've just come across a splendid photo of an Eastfield "namer" 61789 heading through Little Benton for Tyneside on a fitted freight in April 1957. My K2 moved between Colwick and New England, and I have photos of Colwick K2's on Heaton shed. So I have an incentive to get it running properly other than the nostalgia of having one of my earliest kits still in (occasional) use. In my world, a trip to Cowlairs has seen it purloined to take a short" fish" north. All the best for 2019 John

I;m checking the "cornering" of the DJH A8 after every important step - on this occasion after fitting the RH crosshead. I removed some metal from the cylinder block covers, front and back, where they will be replaced in plastic, and I'm going to have a stab at the distinctive NE draincocks, The photo also shows the replacement smokebox door. For all the faults of this pretty old kit, the whitemetal body does serve to illustrate the bulk of these locos, By the time I started spotting, though they were still around, their days of getting into Newcastle were almost over, as DMU's dominated the suburban services via Sunderland and the coast lines into and from Teesside and Darlington.

B16 rebuilds from York occasionally ventured north, and there are a couple of pictures of them on trips to Edinburgh. 61439 even got across the Forth Bridge, presumably borrowed by Haymarket before returning south. The usual reason for progressing to or beyond Newcastle seems to have been York-Edinburgh passenger or parcels, plus the odd excursion. My B16/3 is returning south on a relief using my rake of LMS stock, which was a regular occurence during summer months,There is plenty of photographic eveidence, though none of a B16/LMS combo (until now) The Elizabethan heads north behind "Seagull" with its' cropped tender, adapted for use on the SR durimg the 1948 exchangs. The rake, which needs some tidying up, is Southen Pride sides on Bachmann Thompson donors, with a couple of Mk 1's at the rear for the Aberdeen portion. It is my only 10 coach rake, and running it is a squeeze , but I was pleased enough with it when I built it. In the passing loop, 5 locos wait to return to their home sheds - a J71, two varieties of J77, a J72 and J27. Best wishes to all who read this for Christmas and 2019. John

I'm not doing anything elaborate with the DJH A8 while I wait for the 52F version. In the main, I've concentrated on making sure it will get round 3rd radius curves. which are tighter than anything on the layout. Some metal has been removed rrom the trailing bogie to give a bit more "swing". On the leading bogie, I've used the Comet/Wizard fret, as commonly found these days on Hornby RTR.As supplied it is very flexible, which helps when setting it up, but also allows it to easily go out of shape. The fret contains a pair of pivot plates, and I wonder if soldering them together to form a single pivot might be better. A bit of metal was also removed from the bogie top to allow a bit more movement. For the cylinder block, I deviated from the instructions and fixed the cylinders to the top, rathe the underneath, the fixing plate. This gives a bit more clearance for the wheels, and brings the cylinders closer to the footplate, which is as it should be. I'll probably have to do a bit of filing to adjust the loco ride height. I also removed the metal cast fronts from the cylinders, which I'll replace with plasticard to reduce the chance of shorting. Finally, I've amended the cab spectacle plates to represent the later "one-piece" version - I did this front AND back, which may, in hindsight, have been a mistake- and have replaced the smokebox door with one from the spares box, which, while not quite accurate, looks better on a BR loco than the NER version in the kit. As I see some of our Christmas dining table has snuck onto a photo, can I wish those who read this a Happy Christmas and happy modelling in 2019. John

A bit more trainspotting at Little Benton North, The J25 is a Heaton loco, built from an LRM kit and is on a short trip working to Blyth. The D20 from DJH heads for Newcastle on a commuter train from Morpeth, consisting of 4 Hornby Gresley Suburban with a Couple of Kirk Gresleys at the end. The whole rake can be seen representing a later train behind a renumbered Bachmann V3.That shot could have been taken from Scottie Bridge. Heading north, 60060 "The Tetrarch" has a Car Carrier. I always seemed to see a couple of these vehicles outside Central, and of course, took no notice of them. Likewise The Tetrarch which was as common as muck when all we wanted were "cops". For all its; compromises, this is why I'm enjoying this little layout... it brings back memories.

That's really helpful, I'll certainly look it up, as I'm picking away at the A8. I wasn't going to bother posting much as the kit has been around so long. The basic body is completed, and I'm already finding snags. For example, the recommended AM10 motor is shown in the instructions running off the rear axle, but if I fit it there it fouls the cab interior (such as it is) It wont fit the centre driver as there is a spacer in the way. It does fit the leading driver, which is fine, but I needed to cut away the boiler stub between the tanks. It now fits well, But would a "learner" have persevered with that, or just given up and done what I suspect the previous owner did and stick it on Ebay? Only 1 smokebox door is supplied- the original NER one - and I need a later version for my BR period. You also only get the bunker cage,- most locos lost this and got 3 rail coal rails, but I found a Sunderland loco which will fit that particular bill. I took others advice and bought a 52F chassis, and it is coming along, but I've decided it's too good to waste on the DJHbody, so I've put myself on Peter Stranger's list for when his A8 body is ready, and in the meantime I'll try to get the DJH chassis to run. Thanks again for the build reference - any more gratefully received. John

Though not, strictly speaking, kit - building, here is the Mainline J72 converted to a J71 using the Mainly Trains conversion kit now available again from Wizard Models. The work I did can be seen in the Converting RTR Forum. There is rather more to do than is supplied in the kit, but the result is sufficiently different from the J72 donor to make it all worthwhile. J71's were all over the NER until the late 50's , so having one is a useful addition to the loco stack roster.

The photo shows my J71 68264, converted from a Mainline J72 running on the Mainly Trains conversion kit/chassis with a short rake of Parkside meat wagons. The 3-way splitting distant by the 'box does work, but , at this stage, only when I put my hand under the baseboard. Re. research, the train is a short trip working from Whitley Bay, where there was and is a large abattoir, to Heaton Yard where it will be attached to a longer rake for the journey south. And if you believe that, you will believe anything. John

Just to complete this thread, 68264 passes Little Benton North with a short rake of ventilated meat wagons from Whitley Bay, where there was. and is, a large abattoir, They will join a larger rake at Heaton Yard for onward movement south.