Mike 84C

All this talk of rates of pay is interesting, back in the '90's I was running a small fleet of bulk tipping lorries for a national agricultural merchant and two sayings stood out for me "you can be very busy going bust", a few did and "charge what the market will stand". I once contracted our own lorries to work for a rival because they were paying more per ton. That really put the cat among the pidgeons made my point though. But to run from the midlands to Avonmouth discharge, reload aggregate in the Bristol area and discharge Oxon/Bucks areas five days a week would gross if you were lucky £1000/1200. Not much left after costs taken out.  Sorry I'm ranting!!!

Kirley, you are a master and an artist with a razor saw. Brilliant!

Well, Oldddudders that's a rhyme from the past! and not what I'd expect to see here! I worked with one or two, at both ends of the train, who fitted the description perfectly.

  I was taught the guard is in charge of the train, how would the Driver know his load (train weight/ length) if the Guard had not worked it out? And the driver was in charge of the engine, he could ask for a weight reduction if the engine would be overloaded.

I have the 2P version of this loco which has the "steamroller" wheels. Whose wheels did you use? I want to run mine on Peco code 75.

   Thanks in advance

          Mic

I, have a vision----- and it a'int you with the cape and pointy hat on!!!! Broom for sweeping or a Junction? 

Your recollections of DJH & Keysers are spot on G. But DJH did have a shop and workshop at North Bar on the left going North, handy for parking. They borrowed one of my American Bowser 2-8-0 kits to see how the Yanks did it.

 I left the are about 30yrs ago and rarely go back.

  Mick

Waretis my beauty?

Deffo' put the inspection pits on the east end of the shed and they do not need to be deep. Think rails at chest level on Mr Average and limboing under the engine. Ash pits right to the coal stage, one long pit, the man filling the tubs would not put much coal in the pit. It was b----- hard work and they were not daft men.  If you have the room I would bring the three tt roads into one before the tt  giving  one engine length before going onto the tt. I like the idea of 6 wagons on the coal stage  4/5 being visible 1/2 inside being emptied and 1/2 empty on the "downward" side.

I like your weathering and the detail improvements on the class 4. The cab would be improved by giving the crew seats with a tool box underneath to sit on. From my experience the only comfortable way to drive any standard is to sit down on the seat! Then the right handed fireman could stand in a far more comfortable position or sit on his seat. take a look at a standard cab interior they were all quite similar.

     Mic

Sorry about my incorrect spelling of the incorrect word to describe the brown finish on the cylinders, frames and wheels of 73068 but we all seem to understand where I was coming from.

73068 what stunning weathering, if it was stood on a shed/pit scene I could almost believe it was full sized. About the only thing missing I believe is the ash pan door opening lever which went between the middle & rear LH drivers. The mud/brake block brown verdigree  is about the best I have seen.

Yeh!,that's the stove I  remember the loco cabin one had a piece 6"+ deep between the two chambers  with some holes in it but not very many maybe 4? and a sliding chimney damper.

  Its a lot of stove for £400, not sure the memsahib would go for it in the front room and it would double or treble my winter fuel bill!

Funnily enough I was mooching around the village of Clun earlier this year, our third visit in about 10yrs so we must like it and the area very much. For the caravanners on here theres a lovely little site just outside the village. PM me if you want details. No more hijacking, promise!

   Mick

AS a total aside, Clun was the last Castle of not very many! that I fired during my BR service. From Shrewsbury back to 84C on a TRPS special, I believe Pat Whitehouse gave my driver and I a bottle of beer and 10/- each. I know I b----y well earned mine, still think that engine is the dog's!.

The Flat Top Romesse, now that is a name from the past which conjured up a vision and a tale. When I was a teenager I foolishly went to work at 84C, always wanted to be an engine driver, the engine man's cabin which had been part of the pump and valve house for the oil burning scheme. So was quite a big building and had one of those stoves as its sole means of heating. Stove, cast iron flue, about 15ft long through the flat concrete roof. This stove was big enough to hold 11/2-2 wheel barrows of coal. On night shift some fireman would be told to stoke up the stove which would glow a nice warm red from bottom to top. All in the know would disperse to tables and benches around the walls of the cabin to play cards, dominoes, read or sleep. This left the benches and tables right by the stove vacant for visiting crews. Who were soon in their shirt sleeves and often could not stand the heat so vacated the cabin, which caused much laughter. The participation was much funnier than the telling.

  Keep posting it all reminds me of Bloxham, our house backed up to the playing field by the station, on the Kingham branch.

My word thats a beet train and a half! and a really nice photo shot with the train receding into the distance. To much experience of real containers to get excited about them but yours are really good models, the side door is a little" Vieve la differance" !

An attractive prototype and model Tony but could you please hang that injector feed pipe up under the footplate? It looks odd just hanging there!

  Regards Mick

I have a vision of a 7mm Harry Reynolds, who was a fitter at 84c back in the days of snowy winters and hot summers, doing 7mm brake block changes! The 29 looks rather good, showing rather a lot of her long legs but you did choose a mini-skirted version! Incidentally 84c was pretty much a N-S orientation which made it a b---y cold place to work in a wet pit, don't ask!!

Mic

Ref; Black 5 tenders, I seem to to remember disc or spoked wheels on the std LMS 4000 gall tenders.

I also have a friend who claims never to have fired a Black 5 but he was at Kings +!

That is looking rather good. I'm looking forward to the completed build which so far is very neat as is your workbench! Whose chimney did you use?

From the footplate, if the lubricator stopped working (not unknown for a clevis pin to wear and drop out or bend the drive rod) then that small bar with the bent ends told you straight away. If it was rotating all was well as it was atatched to the plunger drive shaft.

Have a look at Corbs "of this parish" Railway Mania 3D printed Kits, he is also on facebook. He and Adam FW sell a very nice printed kit for an Avonside 0-6-0t to fit the Hornby 0-6-0 Pecket chassis. Ruston has done the build of one on his thread.

I had a look at a photo of 4154 at Banbury in the twilight of its life. The photo is on Flickr.  The Hornby model looks like 4154 so it does it for me ; I'll also add its one of that class I fired a number of times. 

    Mick

Hello John,

    Albion Alloys are good for bar and sheet stock in brass/ aluminium.

Useful books; The Compact Lathe by Stan Bray. pub; Special Interest Model Books. ISBN 978 185486 227 3.

Unimat III Lathe Accessories  by Bob Loader. W.shop practise Series No32 pub; Nexus Special Interests. ISBN  1 85486 213 8.

The Book of the Unimat  by D.J.Laidlaw- Dickson pub; MAP technical publication . ISBN 0 85242 591 0 

  Looks like you have the full set of kit there! with quite a new machine, mine is much older and I have fewer accesories.

  All three books have been useful in parts and there is overlap in what is covered but there are hints and tips in all three. Two of mine I bought s/h the Book of the Unimat cost £3!

   I cannot give you guidance as I am just a novice with such a small machine and my turning is limited to 2ft gauge wheels!. I have had fun with mine and you will with yours.

           Mick

A lovely build of a very distinctive vehicle. Cracking!!

A J19? it looks like a bitza this and that. I'm sure someone will tell me all about them 'cos it's a new one to me.