thegreenhowards

1 hour ago, great northern said:

Your choice Andy. K3 early 50s, B1 mid to late and then 9F through into the 60s, when BR gave away all the traffic.

Well it’s nice to have an excuse to use a K3, so I think I’ll stick with my choice, although I may have to find an Immingham example in future. 

Didn’t Brits get involved with this traffic for a while in the early ‘60s?

Andy

Today it’s the turn of the up Grimsby fish heading by K3, 61826 (SE Finecast). I normally run my kit built locos for a while before weathering them, hence the ex works look. I’m not really sure of the correct traction for this train - probably a B1, but I don’t have any spare at the moment.

Today we have the late running 1735 King’s Cross Newcastle complete with its ex Silver Jubilee triplet dining car. Doing the honours is Gateshead A4, 60001, Sir Ronald Matthews.

Yesterday was a long final day on the railtour, hence no post. Today I’m on my way home, but rather taking the easy way and flying back from Madrid, I’ve taken the Talgo to Algeciras, which I think is mainland Europe’s most southerly railway station and I’m now back on British soil in Gibraltar ready for my flight home.

Back in the ‘50’s and hot on the heals of the Baldock train is the 1752 King’s Cross to Cambridge and Peterborough. This is similar to the 1700 service which I posted last week, but this one was definitely double headed, at least some years, with the two engines separating at Hitchin to take the two portions forward. Today we feature B1, 61138 and B17, 61646, Gilwell Park. I have not seen a picture of 61646 on the GN, but she was allocated to Cambridge for a while towards the end of her career and as a scout leader, I had to have Gilwell Park.
 

This is the only service train which I’m aware of which was double headed from King’s Cross. As such putting it together was the first time I’ve used the ‘consist’ function on my DCC controller. It took a bit of getting used to and I had to reprogram the B17 to accelerate more slowly, but once sorted it works superbly and provides easy smooth control of the pair. Only the B1 has a sound chip, so you’ll have to excuse the single exhaust beat.

The weather in Spain was gloomy yesterday and today started foggy, but has now come out with brilliant sunshine. So here is a picture of the superbly restored Alco diesels.

Back in the 1950s, it’s time for the 1735 King’s Cross-Newcastle, but that is running late today (i.e. I forgot to run and photo it before I went to Spain!) so today’s image is the 1739 King’s Cross-Baldock which was a standard King’s Cross outer suburban non corridor six set with three Thompson strengtheners (S,S,CL).

The video shows the service arriving and departing so as to show off the sound chip in this L1 which I’m quite pleased with (I had to use a B1 sound file and alter the chuff rate to match the smaller wheel diameter on the L1).

Today we feature an up coal train headed by WD 2-8-0, 90158. This is a DJH kit which has been temperamental so has been sat in the ‘to fix’ pile for a couple of years. But I dug it out again last week while I was having a DCC fitting session and did a bit of short circuit eradication and it seems to be working so here she is.

It has the worst Portescap ‘whine’ of any of my fleet but she seems to do the job. Sorry about the rather high speed - it’s difficult to control speed and the video at the same time!

22 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

 

Don't Ellen Sparkes' (Andy, The Green Howards' daughter) little gardens look lovely?  

Thanks Tony, I was thinking the same thing when I saw Gilbert’s shot. I’m away for a few days but will show Ellen when I’m back. I’m sure she will be chuffed.

Andy

18 hours ago, stewartingram said:

Doesn't anyone actually have a job making things any more?

 

Stewart

Of course they do. They just live in China and get paid peanuts!

3 hours ago, John Tomlinson said:

That's a fun video, and the NB type 2 diesel on those coaches seems quite surreal!

 

I hope you enjoy your tour. Back in 2012 I went with PTG to Latvia, lead by Phil Wormald and Marion Matthews, probably the best organised group trip abroad I've ever done.

 

John.

Thanks John,

I must be up to 20 or 30 PTG tours - probably spend more on them than Bachmann! I’ve known Phil since the ‘80s and agree that he’s very good. He’s leading this tour.

Andy

I’m in Spain for a long weekend of rail touring. Today I’m doing a Talgo run from Murcia up to Madrid with a 334 (similar to our 67s).

The real fun starts tomorrow with a Class 321 Alco on the PTG rail tour

Anyway I took some photos before I left, so back to the 1950s and on Gresley Jn we have another new addition to the fleet in the form of a Dapol NB Type 2. Here we see D6106 standing at Gresley Jn with the 1706 Broad Street to Welwyn Garden City. Whereas I choose to terminate at Gresley Jn those trains timetabled to terminate at Hatfield, anything which ran further north runs through on the down slow. So here is D6106 on a quad art rake.

And here is a close up of D6106. I’ve changed the number, removed the ’Eastfield’ shed plates, added the pipes etc. and weathered her, but otherwise standard Dapol.

Here is a video of her arriving.

50 minutes ago, FoxUnpopuli said:

 

@thegreenhowardsI do like your tourist stock set - any more action photos of them?  I don't know if their livery survived the war, but rule #1 would apply for me, I'd put them behind an apple green V2 and run a seaside special!  I think I'd be in a queue if they ever came up for sale...?

Thanks for your kind words, I’m afraid they’re not for sale!

I don’t have any other pictures as the layout is DCC but I haven’t fitted my pre war stock. I tend to just run it on the club layout. I’m away for a few days on a rail tour in Spain but when I return I’ll stick a chip in the V2 and take some video.

Andy

This afternoon we have the down Tees-Tyne Pullman headed by a new addition to the Gresley Jn fleet in the form of DJH A3, 60052, Prince Palantine (an eBay acquisition). 

This set earns its keep as it forms both up and down Tyne Tees Pullmans and (suitably shortened) the up Sheffield/ down Master Cutler Pullman.

4 minutes ago, jwealleans said:

Andy,

 

I think your tourist set is too long if anything - my understanding is that they ran in sets of 12 or 7 - so your set should be BTO - TO/TO - RB - TO/TO - BTO.   That was the formation of the set we ran on Grantham once or twice when Roy Mears had just built it.   I've heard that referred to as a 'half set', but I'm not sure that was the official term.

Yes, I think I’d heard that. Weren’t some built as 7 and some as 12? I meant short for a 12 set. Sadly it doesn’t get much use as it’s too early for my period. Do you know when the last of the green and cream coaches were painted into Crimson and cream?

Andy

15 hours ago, Headstock said:

 

Good evening Andy,

plywood panelled, not bodied, and have you considered pivoting deflectors that gently wiggle?

The tourist stock are quite interesting as quite a few people have produced models of them over the years. The old Mailcoach carriages, though not the most detailed, have surprisingly been the best of the bunch in terms of the general proportions. All of the brass etched versions have cocked up in one way or the other. I have a complete underframe and bogies that have been sitting around for years awaiting a suitable Buffet car body. A friend of mine etched me up some nice windows to modify and correct one of the brass kits but forgot to produce the beading required. I have never found anything suitable as a replacement as the beading needed to be half etched. By the time  the etches had been produced, I had completely backdated the train from 1952 to 1949 and the Buffet car became surplus to requirements.

Interestingly, the arrangement of the underframe that I mentioned above, looks to be identical to your Gresley Kitchen Buffet conversion. I could have sent you the underframe as it has been sitting about doing very little. I've considered rebuilding it as a conventional underframe, but it looks kind of nice and I may return to it one day.

 

When a friend and I were at York some years back, we extracted all the drawings that the NRM had of the Tourist stock. This is a quite considerable amount, everything from windows,  to beading, interior fittings, GA's etc. One that may be of interest to yourself, was the underframe drawing for the Buffet car. There was actually four gas cylinders arranged longitudinally between the queen posts. They were mounted in two pairs, each side of the centre line, close to the sole bars.

I have recently had a look on the Isinglass website, pondering if they produced the body or sides for the Tourist stock Buffet car. It is rather confusing. One section being a long list of things in production that could be by an older printing method, it is not very clear. What is more of interest is a second list that seems to be focused on new or up coming products, some nice goodies there. Then there is another page where you can order not very much from a group of drop down menus. I was left baffled by what is exactly available. I confess to being a little wary of this method of carriage construction, I wouldn't want something of less quality than I am happy with now. However, they may be offering some unobtainium on wheels, this has some appeal. I shall look forwards to the arrival of your giant Sleeping carriage and hope that you will be publishing some revealing photographs of it.

Andrew,

I agree that the Mailcoach kits made quite good models.

I didn’t make this make this rake and I’m aware that its too short, but I suspect they ran in shorter formations from time to time. My experience of Mailcoach kits that I have made (ex streamlined stock) is that they go together well but are an incredible fiddle to paint.

I was quite pleased with my (plywood panelled) tourist buffet car.

This is based on the RDEB etches. What is wrong with this?

I also have a set of Mousa etches for a twin TO in the to do pile. Are they not worth bothering with?

My understanding is that all of the Isinglass range is being produced by the new method and that, in theory, he can produce anything of which he has a drawing (which means most LNER carriages). But those not yet listed will need some work to bring them on stream, so if you want something, it’s worth speaking to him.

Andy

1 hour ago, FoxUnpopuli said:

 

Yeah...  I was looking at this too thinking 'that's not right...'

 

 

They should look like this:

 

 

 

Thanks, I’ll see what I can do. They’re superglued on so should be easy enough to reposition.

22 hours ago, davknigh said:

How have people been mounting their headcode discs?  Bachmann and Heljan have small pegs on the back so you can at least change assignments from time to time. I thought about blue tack but that seemed a bit, well, tacky...

 

Cheers,

 

David

I used superglue for both the discs and the buffer beam detail. It worked well but I’m stuck with inner suburban workings.

Will just have to buy another one if I want express or ECS headcodes!

Today I feature the 1315 Harrogate - King’s Cross. This was a slightly strange train in that it was long distance but had no catering provision. It’s not the most interesting formation being all mark 1 and I struggled to put it together as it requires three CKs and three BSOs as it had portions from Leeds and Bradford. So I had to rescue a BSO and a Thompson CK  (as the nearest I could do) from the ‘stored serviceable’ cardboard box.

Sorry about the soft focus at the rear. I find I get this when I go for low shots and my iPhone is not sophisticated enough to have manual focus. I might have to dig out the big SLR for some of these shots.

Final addition to the fleet (for now) is one that has had a very long wait - a Dapol class 21. I sold my old Hornby class 29 in anticipation about 3 years ago, but its a fine model and worth the wait. 

I bought D6120 and have renumbered it as D6106 as I needed one of the pilot scheme locos which were allocated to Hornsey. I chose D6106 on the basis that my Modelmaster transfers had ready made D6100 and D6106 of the pilot scheme locos and the first three or four had the BR emblem in a different location so D6100 would have required it moving. I also removed the Eastfield shedplates (which were applied quite crudely with superglue which was oozing out of the side) and gently rubbed the paint finish back with T cut. I decided not to put Hornsey shed plates on in their place as all the photos of them while allocated to Hornsey show no shed plates.

The detailing pack went on very easily and all the pipes seem to be designed to work with the tension lock couplings which is an improvement over Heljan’s diesels. Look out for her on an inner suburban working on Gresley Jn.

Andy

Hello Peter,

I’ve just read through your thread from page 19 (as you suggest on p1). Sorry to hear about your health problems, but it looks like you have a good (railway) solution going forward. I’d echo Phil and Gilbert’s thoughts on cassettes - they allow variety on an occasional basis and also allow us to do what we all love - buying more trains than we have space for!

I look forward to hearing about progress.

ATB

Andy

19 hours ago, Clive Mortimore said:

Yo Andy dude

 

Get out your craft knife and the plastic card.  Or try making some from off cuts of an etched kit. You are more than capable to do so. 

Maybe so, but I was looking for a lazy man’s solution!

3 hours ago, Headstock said:

 

Good evening Andy,

 

there were four twins built to dia 307, along with two brake thirds to dia 308, all at York in 1939. They were not similar to the tourist stock, they were tourist stock, the last set to be built by the LNER. The bodies were not made from steel, they were wooden bodied with steel panelling, the underframes were steel but of welded rather than riveted construction. The carriages were not the only steel panelled tourist stock, many of the original plywood batch received steel panels over the course of their lives. I look forward to seeing the quality of the finish on these, the second, not yet available, batch from isinglass may contain some things that I may be interested in. Have you tried or seen any of the teak panelled carriages that they are producing?

 

P.S. The smokebox deflectors on 60061 should lean inwards not outwards.

Evening Andrew,

You are, as always, Correct! I think most people think of the tourist stock as being the green and cream plywood bodied stock (I certainly do) and what I meant is that these D.307s are similar to the plywood bodied stock. 

This is my first Isinglass kit, although I have some 65ft sleepers on order from him. I suspect the teak panelled stock will be more difficult because the beading will get in the way of rubbing down. These are better than most 3D printed kits I’ve seen, but will still need some smoothing. I’ll report again after I’ve painted them.

Andy

7 minutes ago, bigwordsmith said:

 

No doubt when I get Waverley Route V2 up  and running it will give you an awful sense of Deja Vu - I suspect our collections of stock and locos are very similar, although I've not gone DCC - I don't think I could cope with the operational complexities, and hearing the horror stories of folks like Phil the Duck, I'mnot sure I want to go there!

DCC has its moments but I wouldn’t go back. I love the sound and the sense of controlling the loco rather than the track. Wiring would be easier if you had a small fleet of DCC ready locos but with my fleet I actually think dc would be easier as all the hardwiring of chips takes a long time.

I suspect a lot of ECML modellers have very similar fleets, but it’s still fun recreating all those iconic trains.

Andy

...and finally I’ve finished off my two horse boxes - a Parkside d.5 (with the toilet window) and a D&S d.4. They will need weathering in due course, but I will run them like this for a while.

I’ve also finished off 60061, Pretty Polly which is my own conversion from a standard Hornby ‘St Gatien’. I know the wing deflectors weren’t successful but they’re an important part of the ECML story, so I thought I needed one A3 with them on. This time she’s got the correct double chimney!

6 minutes ago, davidw said:

60108 needs a double chimney. That and front steps can be got from Graeme King. He regularly contributes on Wright writes.

Good point - Why didn’t I notice that! I have some in stock so will remedy before she makes her debut.