RosiesBoss

Introduction I’m an “old-school” modeller, having been involved in the hobby since the 1950s. I’ve been working in plastics, balsa, card, brass, etc for many years. Some of my projects may be found at the references listed below. When 3D printing appeared a few years ago, I looked at it – in particular at a machine owned by a chap in my Bible Study group – and decided that it looked to complex a task to learn a new set of designing skills. A couple of months ago, my generous son gave me a surprise 70th birthday present – an Ender-3 3D printer and three 1kg rolls of black PLA filament. It took a few days to put it together and adjust it until I could produce a successful test print, but then I looked around for a couple of simple modelling projects. On Thingiverse, I found a freelance Manning Wardle styled 0-6-0T body (Ref.1), which could be mounted on the surplus Hornby Terrier chassis I had in my spares box. This was generally similar to “Matthew Murray” on the Middleton Railway (Ref.2). Plenty of images abound for this loco, so I printed the file and started to assemble the model. Construction 1st print: After cleaning up: The surface finish was still too rough, so it was rubbed back with abrasive papers and nail buffs and then roughly primed and painted. The plastic internal spigots were replaced by 8BA threaded rods, which located perfectly into the Hornby chassis. Test fitted to the chassis it looked like this: The finish was still too coarse, so further rubbing back was done. The body sat too high on the chassis, so clearances for the leading wheels were cut out. The motor was painted blue. It was obvious that it needed a firebox/backhead, so a very basic one was designed and printed: New handrails, buffers and a smokebox dart were then added: Just before painting, I realised that the safety valve vent pipe above the firebox was missing, so one was made from a piece of brass tube and fitted. Finishing The body was painted blue using Games Workshop “Citadel” Caledor Sky acrylic. Other colours were Humbrol enamels. Suitable transfers for a name and builder’s plate were added, together with Dapol crew and “coal”. She was ready to work: Reflections The model is still pretty basic, but it does work. It has been an interesting introduction to the joys(?) of 3D printing and made a nice change from other techniques and materials. I am grateful for the free availability of the files for the downloaded body. Parts List · Hornby/Dapol “Terrier” chassis · 0.4mm phosphor bronze wire for handrails · Misc. handrail knobs · Brass tube · GEM coach buffers · Dapol crew References & Further Reading 1. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3330401 2. http://c9425687.myzen.co.uk/MRT2/index.php/development-projects/95-general/museum/220-steam-loco-mw1601 3. https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/115437-gwr-ex-barry-railway-g-class-0-4-4t/ 4. https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/102076-motorisation-of-gbl-caledonian-single-and-upgrading-of-her-coaches/ 5. https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/77304-h0-scale-g-class-sydney-tram-construction/ 6. https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/82377-lner-61ft-6in-gresley-vestibule-3rd/ 7. https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/104199-liverpool-manchester-railway-replica-2nd-coach/ 8. https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/126196-gwr-ex-cambrian-railways-large-belpaire-passenger-4-4-0-94-class/ 9. https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/134586-gwr-stella-2-4-0-kitbash/ 10. https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/128181-tri-ang-dock-shunter-makeover/

G'day, spikey, I built one of these kits in 2001. I brush painted it with Humbrol matt enamels, but left the wires unpainted. I'm happy with the result and it still looks just as good today.. Regards, Rob

G'day, all, I had to do the same repair earlier this year and also found that there are no longer any genuine spares available. Here is the patient: Here is a summary of the job: 1. Hornby Grange parts used, as 61xx parts no longer made or in stock 2. Cylinders: X9349 3. Valve gear: X9348 4. Cylinder stretcher packed up and reinforced with card and wood 5. Original connecting rods re-used 6. Grange crossheads removed from coupling rods and drilled 1.4mm 7. Grange crossheads attached to 61XX connecting rods with M1.3 bolts, nuts & washers And here are the results: Not a perfect job, but it now works! Regards, Rob

G'day, all, EddieB is correct in respect of the NSWGR 0-6-0s. The E17 class did arrive here in the 1860s, with the A93 (later Z19) class from 1877. Both were long-boiler locos from BP. I have been toying with the idea of modelling one of the early GWR long-boiler locos, such as the ex-West Cornwall Railway's "St Just". With that in mind, I recently drove to the NSW Railway Museum at Thirlmere, to photograph preserved E18 and 1905. Here are my images, taken in the restricted museum spaces. They were taken to provide insight into the details I will need to add to my models. I hope they are of some interest to others. Regards, Rob

Lubrication and Model Trains “What should I use to oil my favourite locos and rolling stock?” This is a recurring question, with a variety of answers and opinions. The following thoughts reflect lessons and experience including over 20 years as a professional chemist in the NSWGR labs, looking at such materials as paints, alloys, fuels, lubricants, cleaning chemicals, and occupational health issues associated with the use of chemicals, fumes and dusts. They also include over 60 years of railway modelling and maintenance. However, the following paragraphs are just one man’s musings: they are not the last words on the subject, by any means. Background First, one has to understand what lubricants do: · They separate moving parts to minimise wear · They provide a slippery interface between moving parts to minimise friction and facilitate movement. · Some lubricants also have anti-oxidising agents to minimise corrosion and/or conserve mechanisms during storage Historically, lubricants were based on natural oils and greases, such as lard, tallow and vegetable oils. These had several disadvantages: · They oxidise easily, forming sticky gums · They become less viscous (ie, they become thinner) when heated, permitting them to escape from bearings and so allowing metal-to-metal contact, resulting in seizure or excessive wear From the late 19th century, most lubricants have been based on mineral oils and (later) their synthetic derivatives. In automotive oils, they also contain additives which: · Resist oxidation · Keep contaminant particles in suspension, to eliminate blockages of oil passages · Maintain viscosity (“thickness”) over a wide range of operating temperatures, so the oils are not too thick when cold or too thin when hot · May contain special additives for extreme pressure applications (such as the odorous sulphur compounds in gearbox and differential oils) Some of these additives and the base oils may be incompatible with materials found in model trains. Modern industrial and automotive greases typically contain a mineral oil mixed with a water-insoluble soap, such as those based on lithium. It is unlikely that the mineral oil component is “plastic friendly”. Materials in Model Trains Model train locos and rolling stock make use of a wide variety of materials, which include: · Brass · Copper · Bronze · Zinc-based die-cast alloys · Aluminium · Lead-based white metals · Pewter · Steel · Polystyrene · ABS · Polypropylene · Rubber · Nylon · Card · Modellers’ timbers · Alkyd resin enamel paints · Acrylic paints Not all of the above are compatible with all lubricants (or the potential cleaners that may be used before re-oiling our models). For example, ethanol (“methylated spirit”) will attack acrylic paints. “EP” grade lubricating oils, although great for car gearboxes, will attack bronze or brass gears, causing them to wear out rapidly. Acetone will attack cyanoacrylate (“super glue”) adhesives. Most white spirit solvents, including “mineral turpentine” will attack polystyrene and ABS, due to their aromatic hydrocarbon content. In the same way, many common lubricants, such as WD40 and sewing machine oils, will degrade some components of our models. I had the sad experience of writing off two NWSL gearboxes due to the use of the wrong lubricants. Similarly, the plastic axle centres of some Mainline loco axles embrittled, cracked and fell apart after using the wrong oils. Expensive lessons! Isopropyl alcohol can be used as a general purpose cleaner. It is relatively safe to use, with minimal health issues, but is still flammable, with a flash point of just 13 degrees C. It should be used with plenty of ventilation. It is relatively benign to most plastics, but may affect some paint finishes. Applied with a syringe fitted with a 25 gauge needle, it can even flush out the driving wheel bearings of Hornby live steamers. Lubricating Tips 1. Don’t over-oil. Excess oil may contaminate the rails and degrade traction tyres, cause poor electrical conductivity and cause your locos to slip. 2. Don’t over-oil. Excess oil will attract dirt and dust, which will build up to a thick sludge that will cause bearings to seize. 3. Don’t over-oil. Excess oil will be thrown off rapidly rotating parts to contaminate areas that should remain clean. In some cases such oils may cause embrittlement of plastics and their eventual collapse. 4. Use oil that is fit for purpose. For example, Hornby steam cylinder oil is too thick for use elsewhere. Fleischmann wagon bearing oil is too thin for use in Hornby live steam cylinders. Suitable Lubricants My experience has led me to use the following: · Fleischmann 6599 oil: coach, wagon and loco axle and armature bearings · Labelle 102 gear oil: metal locomotive gears and gearboxes · Hob-E-Lube HL657 white grease: plastic/nylon gears · Hornby steam cylinder oil: Steam passages of Hornby live steamers Servicing tips 1. Test your models periodically to verify that they still roll freely. Those that don’t will be straining your locos and causing avoidable damage, especially to their motors. 2. Vehicles that show resistance to free rolling should be inspected. Any sludge in the bearings should be cleaned with isopropyl alcohol, while ensuring that no excess solvent goes where it is not wanted. Fine cotton buds may prove useful here, particularly to dry away all solvent when cleaning is complete. Look out also for wads of hairy sludge that may need to be removed with tweezers. 3. Use a fine applicator to place just enough oil to where it is needed. The Fleischmann oil has one supplied with it. Such applicators can be easily made from a cork and an old sewing needle. 4. Check that the model is rolling freely again. If not, check for other issues, such as misaligned axles, tight bearings, foreign matter, etc. I look forward to reading the thoughts and suggestions of other modellers. Regards, Rob

The St Luke’s 32nd Annual Model Train Exhibition will be held over the weekend of 4-5 May. This year’s display will showcase about fourteen displays, both large and small, including home layouts belonging to club members young and old – each one displaying different modelling techniques. There will also be a craft stall, jumping castle, Devonshire teas and other light refreshments. Details: Saturday 4 May: Exhibition 9am to 5pm Sunday 5 May: Church Service 9.00am – 10.15am Exhibition 12noon – 4pm Where? St Luke's Anglican Church 155-157 Galston Road Hornsby Heights, NSW, Australia For additional information phone 61-2-9477-3140

G'day, all, My original Airfix model had no daylight under its boiler and still lacked it when I first converted it to a 517 class. When its chassis died, I built a new one, as detailed here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/137953-gwr-517-class-no-848-–-a-tale-of-three-chassis/#entry3315390 As rebuilt, it now has daylight showing under the boiler and it now runs far better than it ever did. The new motor is perfectly adequate for its duties. My chassis replacement scheme would work just as well for an otherwise unaltered Airfix 14XX. I hope this helps. Regards, Rob

G'day, all, These BR diagrams may also be of help: http://www.barrowmoremrg.co.uk/BRBDocuments/British_Railways_Standard_Locomotives_JDF_Issue.pdf Regards, Rob

G'day, all, Here's a link to the writeup of my TVR brake van project, which includes some prototype info that may be of some use. Rob Regards

G'day, all, Introduction Like many others, I’ve been building, adapting and using Airfix/Kitmaster/Dapol plastic model railway kits for many years – beginning around 1964. The loco kits were made originally to just “gather dust”, but I had a long-term aim to motorise at least some of them from duplicate kits. Rolling stock kits were always meant to run, but polystyrene axles in polystyrene bearings did not work out well. Replacing plastic wheelsets with modern metal ones with pinpoint axles running in 2mm brass bearings made a world of difference. Here are pics of some of my collection. As you can see, some are now showing their age! The Models · Mineral wagon · Lowmac wagon · Cement wagons · Cattle wagons · Brake van · Meat van · Tank wagon · Interfrigo wagon · Prestwin silo wagon · Brakedown crane · Coaches · RFO · BSK · CK · SO · SK · FK · Stirling Single · Railbus · Diesel shunter · City of Truro · City of Truro derivatives: - 2251 - County - Earl Cawdor - Tre Pol & Pen - Saint class - Stella class - 388 class - Weedkilling train Reflections Construction these kits provided the foundation of the skills I have used and developed for more than 40 years. I can’t recommend them highly enough for new modellers. References/Links · Kitbashing Coaches: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/70799-kitmaster-fk-coach-kitbash/ · Motorising Kitmaster Stirling Single: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/67037-motorising-a-kitmaster-stirling-single/ · Motorising Kitmaster diesel shunter: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/59875-motorising-kitmaster-08/ · GWR 4-4-0s on Carmarthen Junction: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/70438-gwr-4-4-0s-on-carmarthen-junction/ · Stella 2-4-0: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/134586-gwr-stella-2-4-0-kitbash/ · 388 class 0-6-0: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?app=core&module=search&do=user_activity&mid=17793 · Track cleaning train: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/141543-track-cleaning-train/ · Carmarthen Junction Miscellena: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/70550-carmarthen-junction-miscellena/

G'day, AndrewP, Here's a link to the step-by-step instructions posted in my club's web page. http://stlukeschurch.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Wheel-Replacement-in-Old-00-gauge-models.pdf The bearings used in that approach were not top-hat ones, but those similar to those listed here: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Alan-Gibson-G4M63F-4mm-Flangeless-Bearings-x-40-00/401525926017?hash=item5d7ccf6881:g:8VYAAOSwPcVVln-q:rk:25:pf:0 The plain bearings were used to avoid the need to bend out the (possibly brittle) Tri-ang frames so as to insert the top-hat variety. I've had lots of success replacing old Tri-ang wheels with the modern Hornby equivalents - both coach and wagon. The only issue with them that I have come across is making sure that the back-to back distance between the wheels is 14.3mm. Check and adjust them if necessary. On my layouts which use Peco Code 100 track, 0.1mm can make a difference between a "troublesome truck" and a reliable one. I hope this is of some use to you. Regards, Rob

G’day, all, I am also not impressed with the design of the tender drive used for Mainline/Hornby 4Fs and Dean Goods. I have been slowly working through my original stock of three to either kitbash them into other models or replace the mechanism with something more reliable and smooth running. Nevertheless, I have found an interim solution which gets away from the original grooved plastic wheels that require the use of traction tyres or Bullfrog Snot to keep them on the track. Hornby make a suitable metal tyred 16mm dia wheel for their Grange: Part No. X9357, still available through Peter’s Spares. My upgrade follows this sequence: 1. Remove the original wheelsets from the tender. 2. Carefully take each wheel which has a gear moulded behind it off its axle. 3. Using a belt sander, grind the wheel away from the gear. (Try not to grind away your fingers at the same time!) 4. Clean up the gears. 5. Remove one wheel from each Hornby Grange axle, taking care to not distort the plastic centres. 6. Fit one gear to each axle, then refit the Hornby wheel, adjusting the back-top back distances to 14.3mm and check that each wheelset runs true, without any wobble. 7. Refit the wheelsets to the tender. This procedure results in a tender that runs much sweeter, but with greatly reduced tractive effort. I imagine that pickups could be added, as the Hornby tyres are metal. In my case, I still rely on the loco’s pickups. To restore the model’s tractive effort, I also apply a thin and even coating of Bullfrog Snot to the wheels on one side only and have replaced the plastic wheel keeper with a heavy metal one. For me, the best solution has been to make use of the loco body moulding and use a powered loco chassis. This has resulted in my collection now including a Stella class 2-4-0 and a 388 class 0-6-0. Links to those rebuilds are here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?app=core&module=search&do=user_activity&mid=17793 http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/134586-gwr-stella-2-4-0-kitbash/ I hope these ideas are of some interest. Regards, Rob

G'day, Neil, There's a wealth of photos of suitable prototypes here: https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/wrdeptcoach Happy browsing and regards, Rob

G'day, all, I've just completed a project to convert an old K's Dean tender into part of a weed-killing train, whose real function is to clean my layout's track. Details are here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/141543-track-cleaning-train/ Regards, Rob

Introduction How does one keep railheads clean on large permanent model railway layouts? Over my more than 50 years of railway modelling, I’ve tried several systems, including: Tri-ang track cleaning wagon, with lighter fluid (eg “Shellite”) Cotton cloth rags soaked in white spirit or lighter fluid Peco and Fleischmann track cleaning rubbers In my experience, some solvent based systems are aggressive to the plastics used in 00 scale models, dissolving some (such as polystyrene) or embrittling others by leaching out their plasticisers. Lighter fluid, which is gentler to most plastics, is a significant fire hazard, so I have shied away from it. Track rubbers have been satisfactory for most uses, although not fully effective on rails covered in Hornby live steam oil. These still require some solvent based follow-up and are awkward to use in tunnels and under signals and footbridges. As I get older, I am also finding it harder to lean over my baseboards to reach some of my tracks to hand clean the rails. A fellow club member recently showed me a track cleaning wagon of US origin, but modified to be a NSWGR model to fit in with the rest of his H0 collection. This relies upon an abrasive pad mounted below a heavily weighted bogie wagon. It functions in a similar way to that made by Roco: http://www.omnia.ie/index.php?navigation_function=2&navigation_item=%2F2024904%2Fphotography_ProvidedCHO_TopFoto_co_uk_EU048516&repid=1 As my friend’s experience with his wagon was very positive, I looked around for something compatible with my 1930s period GWR layouts Gennigael and Carmarthen Junction. I discovered nothing RTR that I found appealing, so decided to cobble together something suitable. So, what was in my collection of bits and pieces? In 1973, I built a model of Tre Pol & Pen (see Ref.8). To improve traction, I utilised a second-hand K’s Dean tender that its previous owner had heavily weighted and adapted to lean on the coupling to the loco, thus increasing tractive effort. It wasn’t fully successful, so it was replaced in due course by the plastic tender now in use. The K’s tender was slowly stripped of anything that would enhance other models and sat, wheel-less in a cupboard for over 30 years! It was really too heavy to use in the usual way. Light-bulb moment!! Why not re-fit two axles and mount an abrasive pad between them, with foam rubber providing the resilience needed to keep it in contact with the rails? The model could be adapted (in combination with other vehicles) to resemble a weedkilling train, as shown in the images in Refs.1 to 4. No particular problem, as I had at least one other Dean tender available. I could use an existing all-brown Ratio 4-wheeled compo (part of my breakdown train) to be the mess coach and include an existing GWR Toad brake van. It was never going to be a fine-scale model, but would look more in keeping with the rest of my collection than most RTR track cleaning wagons such as https://www.Dapol.co.uk/shop/model-accessories/track-cleaning/b800-ooho-gauge-Dapol-motorised-track-cleaner-1039. Please note that nothing was bought in for this project. Everything came out of my scrapbox or parts bins. In some ways, it was inspired by the old British TV series “Scrapyard Challenge”. Parts K’s Dean tender, with supplementary lead weights Foam rubber Fleischmann track rubber (trimmed to size) Airfix City of Truro tender (body only) Tri-ang Hall class tender frame Hornby buffers (X6206) Hornby X171 couplings – chosen for robustness Hornby Dean tender wheels (X9652) Ratio GWR 4-wheeled compo coach Bachmann Toad brake van 8BA & 10BA screws & nuts Miscellaneous brass rods for handrails, small piping and brackets #10 aluminium knitting needle for large piping Brass fishing line spinners for large valve bodies H0 wagon handbrake wheels – for valves Braided electrical insulation for hose Dapol figures Construction/Modifications Apart from fitting the abrasive pad to the K’s tender, modifications were minimal, including: Fitting/refitting buffers and tension-lock couplings to both front and rear of the tenders Removal of former coal loads and fairing over the coal space with card Installation of suitable “piping”, inspired by that shown in Refs. 1 to 4 and 11 Installation of appropriate handrails, valves and control valve wheels Repainting the upperworks gray and frames black (see Ref.9) Lettering in a similar way to the tenders shown in Ref.10 Before painting and lettering, they tenders looked like this: The frames were painted Humbrol 85 satin black and the bodies and fittings Humbrol 67 matt grey. Bodyside lettering (fictional!) was achieved by printing complete panels in a dark grey, with white lettering in Calibri font. After cutting them to size, the edges were coloured grey with a felt marker pen. The panels were then affixed with PVA glue. Each model was then completely varnished with Humbrol 49 matt clear. The “canvas” hose was coloured brown with a felt pen. Results I’ve made up a train with only two tenders, as that’s all I had in my scrapbox. Should I find another, it will be simple to convert it to the middle one shown in Ref.4. The modified K’s tender is too heavy for most individual locos. It can be propelled by my Wills 1854 class double-heading with my kitbashed 1076 class. My Centre Models Victory class (No.2161), fitted with Portescap motor/gearbox is up to the task. The completed train will happily go around the 3 ft radius curves on my home layout, but was unhappy with the 3rd- and 4th-radius curves on my club’s layout. Time will tell whether it will be as effective for me as my friend’s wagon is for him. Even if it isn’t, the track cleaning tender can easily be restored to be a 6-wheeled vehicle and I will still have an unusual (and different!) train formation to operate from time to time. References and Further Reading http://www.omnia.ie/index.php?navigation_function=2&navigation_item=%2F2024904%2Fphotography_ProvidedCHO_TopFoto_co_uk_EU048526&repid=1 http://www.omnia.ie/index.php?navigation_function=2&navigation_item=%2F2024904%2Fphotography_ProvidedCHO_TopFoto_co_uk_EU048518&repid=1 http://www.omnia.ie/index.php?navigation_function=2&navigation_item=%2F2024904%2Fphotography_ProvidedCHO_TopFoto_co_uk_EU048540&repid=1 http://www.omnia.ie/index.php?navigation_function=2&navigation_item=%2F2024904%2Fphotography_ProvidedCHO_TopFoto_co_uk_EU048516&repid=1 http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/67522-carmarthen-junction-engine-shed/ http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/70550-carmarthen-junction-miscellena/ http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/83929-gennigael-a-fictional-mid-wales-branch-terminus/ http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/70438-gwr-4-4-0s-on-carmarthen-junction/ John Lewis et al: Great Western Way (2nd ed., HMRS, 2009) https://www.mediastorehouse.com/steam/planes-trains-automobiles/rolling-stock-weedkilling-trains/weedkilling-train-tenders-12100242.html D.A.Sackett: “Here comes the weedkiller” (Railway Modeller, Sep 1990)

G'day again, Among many early published pictures on books in my own library, I did find one showing lining on a Barnum in the pre-WW1 period. On page 31 of Roger Carpenter: "An Edwardian Album of Great Western Passenger Classes" (Wild Swan, 1983) there is an image of 3207, with round-top boiler, taken in 1904 heading a local train to Didcot. Other images of Barnums in that book do not clearly show any lining. Lining of this class seems to have disappeared during the pre-WW1 period. I look forward to comments from other contributors. Regards, Rob

G'day, p8kpev, I've been gathering data on the Barnums for some time, as I prepare to scratchbuild my own 00 model. One of several images I have found on the Web is this one, taken in 1910, which does show lining clearly on the tender. http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/gwrkd1602.htm I hope this helps. Regards, Rob

G'day, HowardGWR, I have mentioned in other posts that I printed my own number plates. Here is how I did it: 1. I scanned the GWR's number fonts in the 1st edition of Great Western Way. 2, Using the MS Paint programme, I coloured every number gold and saved each one separately. 3. Again using Paint, I prepared 1, 2, 3 and 4-numeral blank plates. 4. To make any plate, I opened one of the blank plates, then "pasted from" whatever number file I needed, one numeral at a time. 5. Once the new design was to my satisfaction, I saved it as a jpg file. 6. I copied the selected file (several copies) into MS Word and adjusted the size until it was just right, then printed it onto photographic paper in my inkjet printer. 7. I cut out each plate with a scalpel, then coloured the edges with a yellow felt pen. The new plates were then ready to be mounted. Here is a copy of the file for 1195: Now that I have a library of blank plates and numbers, it takes me less time to make each set than it did to write down this account. I hope this makes it clear. Regards, Rob Edited to correct tenses to make them consistent within the numbered section.

Thank you, Brassy, for your comment, but the 2361 class wheelbase differed from the 388 class more than the Dean Goods: 388 class: 7'4"+8'4" 2301 class: 7'3"+8'3" 2361 class: 7'9"+8'0" In addition, the 2361 class springs were below the axles, not above. It was generally similar, but not the same as the 388 class, which I modelled. Regards, Rob

Introduction The GWR 388 or Armstrong Goods class was a long-lived design of 0-6-0 with distinctive outside frames. A brief history of the class is in Ref.2. More details are in Refs.8 and 9. Some years ago, I re-motored a Mainline Dean Goods 0-6-0, as detailed in Ref.1. This worked well enough, for a “quickie” conversion – certainly better than any Mainline/Hornby tender drive example. Last June, I purchased an uncompleted K’s Dean Goods at a “bring and buy” stall, finished it and mated it with an existing K’s tender. This made the re-motored example redundant, so I decided to rebuild it again – to a 388 class. Ok, the boiler barrel is slightly shorter (by 7” – see Ref 3.), but most of the major details above the footplate are much the same as the Dean Goods. Importantly, the wheelbase is almost the same (2301 class: 7’3”+8’3”; 388 class: 7’4”+8’4”). I could use the same chassis and wheels, but with extended axles and cranks. Wheel splashers could remain in place, unaltered. I decided to make dummy outside frames in the same manner as those fabricated for earlier projects. (See Refs.4 & 5) Just to add a bit more variety, I chose to mate the loco with a short wheelbase 2500 gall tender, made from a battered old 2nd-hand Kitmaster City of Truro example, as detailed in Ref.6. (This model came from the same “bring & buy” as the K’s Dean Goods.) The loco would be numbered 1195, one of the last survivors, as illustrated as the frontispiece in Ref.8. Parts List (for those choosing to do something similar) Body from Mainline Dean Goods Tender from Kitmaster/Airfix/Dapol City of Truro Wills/Finecast 1854 class chassis block (which has a suitable wheelbase!) and coupling rods Suitable Romford wheels and gears Romford/Markits deluxe cranks for extended axles Tri-ang X04 motor frame with 5-pole MRRC armature and neomidium magnet Hornby X8074 Ex-Dapol Castle/County tender wheel/axle set Peco brass axle bearings Brass strip (for tender ballast/reinforcement) Copper sheet (for dummy outside frames) Dummy leaf springs Sprung buffers and scale couplers (New, old stock H0 NSWGR spares) Misc. BA screws, nuts & washers Humbrol & Precision Paints enamels Construction Construction began with the tender. It had been heavily painted and still had the moulded lining, so it was dismantled to facilitate stripping. Once the lining and excess paint had been removed, all surfaces were rubbed back. Slices were removed from each side, from between each pair of axleboxes, as described in Ref.6. A similar amount was removed from the top. Once these pieces were trimmed to size, they were re-assembled. Peco brass bearings were inserted to the axleboxes and the body was dry-asssembled. Internal measurements were taken and a piece of 1mm thick brass strip cut to just fit inside. The body and wheels were then re-assembled and the brass glued in place. The model was placed on a perfectly flat surface on its wheels so that, as the glue dried, all wheels would be in the same plane to minimise future derailments. After a couple of days, the wheels were removed and the body was primed and rubbed back. A coupling strip was made and fitted to the front of the tender and a small tension-lock coupling fitted to the rear. Buffers, a vacuum brake pipe and the scale coupling were then fitted. The missing handbrake lever, tool rest and handrails were then fabricated and fitted. The main item to be made for the body was the pair of outside frames. To facilitate this, 4mm scale paper prints of the JNM drawing in Ref.7 were made – one as shown below, and the other a mirror-image. Although this shows a 388 class with round-top boiler, the frames are still correct for my model. The paper frames were cut from the images and glued to copper sheet. Rivet details were punched in and then the copper frames were cut out, using the paper as a guide or template. Slots were cut for the extended axles. The Mainline body was stripped below footplate and its buffer beam was removed. The dummy frames were then trimmed and attached. New buffers and a scale coupling were attached to the original buffer beam, which was the re-attached to the front. New, larger sandboxes were made from ¼” square-section brass rod, with lids cut from plastic sheet with a leather punch. Springs and their hangers were assembled from commercial whitemetal leaf springs and narrow brass strip left over from some old etched kits. These were then super-glued to the footplate, next to the wheel splashers. Rubber spring dampers (seen either side of each axlebox assembly) were fabricated from short lengths of single-cored 240V house wire, with just 1.5mm of insulation left on. These were glued to the inside surfaces of the outer frames, with just the insulation visible from the outside. The outside cranks were fitted, quartered and lock-nutted into place. The connecting rods were then installed and the mechanism tested and adjusted until everything ran sweetly. Only then were the 14BA nuts soldered in place on the cranks. The loco now looked mechanically complete: The loco and the tender now were ready for painting and lettering: The model was brush painted with Precision Paints pre-1928 green and a mix of the usual Humbrol enamels. HMRS Pressfix transfers were used for the tender letters and buffer beam numbers. I printed my own cabside numbers. When the paints and transfers had cured, the model was sprayed with Tamiya TS80 matt clear. Unfortunately, that reacted with some of the paint on the boiler, so it had to be rubbed back, repainted and refinished with Humbrol matt clear enamel. Results It makes an interesting contrast to my K’s Dean Goods: Reflections It’s not a “museum quality” model, but I’m happy with the result. To my eyes, it captures the “look” of the prototype. This project would not have come about without the pre-loved items bought at “bring & buy” sales or on such websites as eBay: Wills/Finecast 1854 class chassis kit Kitmaster City of Truro Mainline Dean Goods New, old-stock NSWGR H0 buffers and coupling hooks MRRC 5-pole armature Neo magnet for X04 motor It pays to buy potential spare parts when they become available! References and Further Reading Post 11, here: www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/69067-dean-goods/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GWR_388_class https://www.devboats.co.uk/gwdrawings/gwrstandardboilers.php http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/107593-gwr-1076-class-double-framed-pannier-tank/ http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/134586-gwr-stella-2-4-0-kitbash/ http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/1405/entry-14843-a-tale-of-two-tenders/ J.N.Maskelyne: “Locomotives I have Known” (Percival Marshall, 1959) J.W.P Rowledge: “Locomotives Illustrated 157 – Great Western Railway Armstrong & Dean 0-6-0s” (RAS Publishing, April-June 2005) Anon.: “Locomotives of the Great Western Railway – Six-wheeled tender engines” (RCTS, 1956) http://www.gwr.org.uk/no-tenders.html

G'day, Compound2632, You are correct. 908 is an ex-CR loco, taken over from the Mid-Wales Railway (their No.5). I have modelled her as she was in the mid-late 1930s, when attached to a Dean tender. This allowed me to use a Mainline powered tender (from a Dean Goods). The loco chassis came from a Lima H0 4F. The wheels were spares from a Hornby J94. The superstructure was scratchbuilt. Here's another image: I started to gather information about this model in 1966, while still at school. I gathered components over several years, as they became available. I completed the model in 2009. It pays to be patient in this hobby! Regards, Rob

G'day, all, Thank you for all the "Likes". This project was always going to be a "cheap and cheerful" one - with minimal surgery to the donor toy/model. I do not have any information about BG to SG conversions of B&E coaches. I'll leave that questions to others. I guess the body could be lowered on the frame, if the top of the frame was shaved down suitably or the floor removed from the body. I chose not to do this, as I was aiming at a quick conversion. I take the point about brakes on the central wheels and may cut them off later. This model was never meant to be exhibited static, in a glass case, but to be used and handled on an exhibition layout in a mixed rake of 6- and 4-wheeled coaches, where reliability was paramount. (See final image, above.) It has achieved that goal. Regards, Rob

Disclaimer This article describes the construction of a “cheap and cheerful” model, approximating the actual U9 coach. “Rivet counters” need read no further! Introduction Diag. U9 composite coaches were mid-19th century 6-wheeled vehicles which were introduced in 1876. Some would have finished service on various branch lines. Most (if not all) would have disappeared by the early 1930s (Ref.5). I have been gathering a few older design coaches, as may have been found on ex-Cambrian Railways lines, so as to be able to put together a passenger train representative of those running in the late 1920s to early 1930s period, as illustrated in Ref.2. These include: Diag. U28 luggage compo No.6873 (ancient K’s whitemetal kit): Diag. D15 brake 3rd No.2864 (see Ref.7): Ex-CR Composite No.6324 (see Ref.8): I also had some assembled Ratio 4-wheelers: Diag. C10 clerestory 3rd No.3015 (kitbashed from two Tri-ang brake 3rds): I decided I wanted more 6-wheelers and realised that one could be cobbled together from a Bachmann “Emily” coach, in a similar manner to those I modified for use behind my Stirling Single (see Ref. 6). These toys/models run superbly – even through Radius 1 curves. Comparison of the donor model with the drawing in Ref.1 indicated a reasonable match, with virtually no surgery required other than replacement of the roof. Only a new paint job and transfers, plus new glazing, seats and passengers were needed. The underframe was already acceptable. As received, the coach looked so: And dismantled: Construction The underframe only needed a respray with a flat clear coat. The body was repainted into 1927-34 livery (Ref 4). HMRS transfers were applied, then the body was sealed with Humbrol satin clear. A new roof was cut from card and ventilators made from 3/4” flat-headed nails. This was then sprayed dark grey. Compartment walls were cut from card, sprayed cream and fitted, together with clear glazing material and balsa seats. Passengers were then added. Results Before fitting the roof, it looked like this: And after: Purists will find lots of discrepancies between model and the real thing, such as: Window shapes Grab irons Minimal underframe detail Regardless, the finished model is acceptable to my eyes – moving within a train of other hand-me-down coaches, behind such locos as 1043, 908 or 3515. What do you think? References and Further Reading J.H.Russell: “A Pictorial Record of Great Western Coaches including the Brown Vehicles – Part 1 (1838-1913)”, (Oxford Publishing Co., 1972) C.C.Green “Cambrian Railways -2” (Ian Allan, 1981 E.R.Mountford: “A Register of GWR Absorbed Coaching Stock 1922/23” (Oakwood Press, 1978) John Lewis et al: “Great Western Way” (2nd ed., HMRS, 2009) http://www.penrhos.me.uk/Udiags.shtml http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/67037-motorising-a-kitmaster-stirling-single/ http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/117198-cheap-and-cheerful-gwr-d15-brake-3rd-coach/ http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/91150-cheap-cheerful-cambrian-railways-composite-coach/

Introduction GWR No 848 was a member of the very long-lived 517 class. She was built in 1875, rebuilt and modernised several times and finally scrapped in 1945. For fuller details, check out the reference list (below). My model started life as an Airfix 14XX class, bought new around 1980. Never a brilliant runner, its plunger pickups failed after a short while. I did attempt to upgrade the pickups with home-made wipers, but with little success. Eventually, it contributed parts to keep another of its class running. In the mid-2000s, I bought (via eBay) a Dapol chassis which fitted the body perfectly. (The current Hornby design appears to be the same as Dapol’s.) When new, it ran very sweetly. Around 2009, I took the opportunity to convert the model to a 1930s period 517 class which ran in the Mid-Wales area that many of my collection are focussed upon. I briefly described the conversion of the model in Ref.1. It still ran sweetly. In recent times, the model’s running became very rough. The causes were traced to: Tired wiper pickups making intermittent contact Warped plastic chassis bottom (Hornby Part X8065) which allowed too much vertical movement of the driven axles in the die-cast chassis block Traction tyres preventing good power pickup and also not running perfectly smoothly I tried a few fixes, which did not work too well: Adjustment of wiper pickups. (Reassembly was more challenging than a Chinese puzzle!) Replacement of traction tyres with Bullfrog Snot (Difficult to get a perfectly smooth tyre.) Replacement of rubber-tyred wheels with a pair recovered from the old Airfix chassis (Better power pickup, poor traction, and still ran roughly. The driving wheels were not quite square on the axles and could not be corrected.) Replacement of Airfix/Dapol wheels with Romfords. (The chassis still ran roughly, with too much slack.) Application of shim plastic sheets to take up the slack between the chassis bottom and the diecast block (It still ran roughly!) I decided to make a new brass chassis. I thought about using a Comet chassis, from Wizard models, but found that, while the list price of a kit was acceptable, the airmail charges to Australia quoted on the Wizard website were simply exorbitant – more than doubling the list price. I therefore scratchbuilt a new chassis from another offcut of the same piece of brass channel that I used for the project described in Ref. 2. Construction Channel was cut to the same length as Dapol chassis. Paper overlays of frame were prepared from copies of Fig 1, page 22 of Ref 3 glued to brass channel as a guide for drilling. Driving wheel axle holes were drilled undersize, then opened up carefully, ensuring that the axles were parallel to each other and vertical to the chassis. The lower side of the channel was sculpted to represent the outline of the prototype’s frames, using the paper overlays as guides. A slot was cut for the vertical movement of the rear axle. The plastic dummy rear axlebox assembly was cut from the scrap Airfix chassis bottom and trimmed to fit the new brass chassis. The rear wheelset was installed with my usual springing system, as detailed in Ref. 2. The motor and worm gear from the discarded Dapol chassis was mounted on top of the new chassis, driving on the second axle, and mated with a suitable nylon gear from my spares box. The motor was kept in place by a bespoke sheet brass fitting. The Romford wheels were drilled and tapped 10BA for the crankpins and new connecting rods made from car windscreen rubber steel reinforcing metal. Pickups were made from PC board and nickel silver wire and screwed to the top of the chassis. The inner vertical surfaces of the front wheel splashers were cut away to make room for the pickups. Lead ballast weights were made and fitted to the insides of the smokebox and both side tanks. Tension-lock couplings were screwed to front and rear, set to avoid buffer-locking with Autocoaches on 1st radius curves, as found on my Gennigael layout (Ref.10). Before painting, the completed chassis looked like this: Results The model works and is no longer the rough runner that it was! I don’t have to just look at it longingly on the shelf! It no longer has the fine brake detail seen on Airfix, Dapol and Hornby chassis, but who cares, if it works? (They are hard to see when the model is moving, anyway.) It has a good speed range and can pull and shunt suitable loads. It looks fine with a short string of 4-wheelers or an autocoach – especially on Gennigael. Parts 12mm brass C channel 20mm dia Romford wheels & 1/8” axles Romford crankpins Steel strips recovered from old windscreen wipers Scrap Airfix 14XX chassis bottom (similar to Hornby X8065) Dapol motor & worm from 14XX 0.010” brass sheet 0.4mm nickel silver wire 8BA screws, nuts & washers Lead weight offcut from Rivarossi 4-4-0, as used in Ref.11. Offcuts of lead-based linotype strips References Post 22 here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/64173-gwr-14xx-to-517/ http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/132253-gwr-ex-cardiff-railway-kitson-0-6-2t/ Model Railways, Jan 1980, pp 22-26 Model Railways, Feb 1980, pp 92-97 Railway Modeller, Oct 1997, pp 454-456 GWR Journal, No.74, Spring 2010, pp 63-80 GWR Journal, No.75, Summer 2010, pp 122-145 Mike Romans: “Great Western 0-4-2Ts”, Locomotives Illustrated No.60 (Ian Allan, Jul-Aug 1988) C.C.Green: “Cambrian Railways Album – 2” (Ian Allan, 1981) http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/83929-gennigael-a-fictional-mid-wales-branch-terminus/ http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/134586-gwr-stella-2-4-0-kitbash/

G'day, VicZA, Welcome aboard! I agree with the recommendations of 88C for info on all things GWR. If you are looking for something to do with your ex-LMS Jinty, you might consider the conversion/rebuild that I completed some time ago and uploaded here: http://www.gwr.org.uk/nomswjr7.html Feel free to pose more questions: if you are trying to learn, no question will be regarded as silly. We all had to learn sometime. (We weren't born with any special knowledge.) Happy modelling and regards, Rob