thegreenhowards

More progress at the club tonight. We glued the platforms down with just one section lifting on each platform at the baseboard joint. Rob has case several more resin retaining wall sections and we got them all painted in yellow filler primer which doubles up as base yellow brick colour. It’s starting to look like a station! Next week we will hopefully fill in the ballast along the platform edges.

Yes, I like the racehorses and they were the only ones named from new (I think?). I always think a Deltic looks strange without a name, so that’s a good reason to keep her as Pinza. Plus Accurascale provide nice etched nameplates to fit and it would be a shame to waste them. Andy

Hi Gilbert, I’ve now got mine and I’m very impressed. The loco is very nicely executed and I love the sound although there is a slight rattle as times. The packaging is comprehensive and very professional. Although the large box is a bit bulky for taking it to the club, so I may use a standard loco box for that. Despite the cushioning, mine had lost one of the bogie chains (a detail I don’t remember seeing before) which is slightly frustrating, but a smidge of superglue sorted that out. Here is a link to a video of it running on Gresley Jn. Regards Andy

Gresley Jn hasn’t seen much use recently as I’ve been concentrating on my garden O gauge during the warmer months. However, last week the postman brought a nice package in the shape of an Accurascale Deltic ordered over three years ago (at Ally Pally pre Covid). First impressions were very good. The packaging is impressive, if bulky, and the detail on the loco is a cut above other RTR versions. I had one bogie chain loose which had to be glued back but otherwise it was in immaculate condition. Having run it in on the rolling road, I gave it a run on the up Tees Tyne Pullman this morning. They have captured the Deltic drone well and I think it sounds magnificent under power. There does seem to be a bit of a rattle as it slows down (evident on the video) which I think may be the speaker cone rattling against something. I will have to investigate. He is the video so you can appreciate the sound. I will now add all the extra detail, investigate the speaker and need to decide which train to allocate it to permanently as it’s prodigious pulling power seems wasted on an 8 coach Pullman! More photos in due course. Andy

I’d echo the other responses on here that they work very effectively on rakes of 10-12 or more RTR coaches. However the big proviso is that they have to be set up carefully for the layout that they are going to run on. Tony may repeat stories of mine playing up chronically when I brought some of my rakes to photograph on LB. This was caused by turning coaches round inadvertently and thus changing the gaps between them. I find that I can use the short couplings provided only one corridor connection is used between coaches. But if two corridor connectors are together then this can force the coaches further apart on corners and cause the couplings to separate. Obviously this depends on the radius of the curves - mine are minimum 3ft radius apart from a couple of Peco curved points on which the inner radius is 30”. So, my advice would be to experiment with short, medium and long coupling lengths to get the right gap between your coaches to suit your curvature. Set up correctly, I have had 15 RTR coaches running happily with these couplings. I find them excellent for fixed rakes or for rakes where you want to swap coaches in and out in a regular basis in the fiddle yard. The magnets make this very easy. Andy

Morning James, Thanks for the images and your experience. That’s a lot of cuts. If I was trying that many, I think I’d have to use old Lima Mk 1s as the Darstead sides are brass (and expensive!). They only did a CK and a BSK so my options would be limited but I’m sure it’s do-able. Your windows look OK to me. I await with interest someone telling you what you’ve got wrong so I don’t make the same mistake! Cheers Andy

An interesting formation once we’d got past the first five!

I’m looking to create a Mk 1 BFK in O gauge for my early 1980s West Highland line layout. So I thought I’d reopen this thread to ask for thoughts. I’m wondering about bashing some sides which Darstead sell separately. Has anyone considered doing this by merging an FK and BSO. The BSO brake end seems to have the correct door configuration but is slightly too short (c. 2 feet I think). I’d be grateful for any thoughts. Regards Andy

Mine’s due today - the same version but with sound which is supposed to be very good. I can’t wait!

Hi Rob et al, This has proved an interesting debate and you do find some great photos on Flickr. I have looked at the excellent Robert Carroll PTMs. While they show the plan, photos suggest that it varied from day to do depending, presumably, on coach availability and demand. I plan to start with two rakes on my layout (O gauge is expensive!). One will be a typical 2 coach off season train which depending on the year could be almost any combo of brake and non brake, but I think BSOT-TSO is about as typical as I can get. Like this photo. https://scotphoto.com/product/class-370127-heads-a-two-carriage-mallaig-to-f-william-train-nr-mallaig/ A Mk1 or 2 BFK might be better for some years but they’re currently difficult in O gauge. The other rake will be the 1982 observation car rake with SC1999 Lochaber (which I have a cunning plan to build). I’m basing this on the 1983 formation minus the second observation car. So it will be TSO,BSOT,TSO,BSK plus the saloon. Any observation on that formation would be gratefully received. Looking again at your photos (and being slightly mischievous!), I’d say the other type of brake not evident in your photos in a standard BSO without the buffet. I think I can make out a feint red line on all your BSO contenders but could be wrong. I know they did appear, but I think the non buffet versions were one of the rarer brake vehicles. Regards Andy

Rob, You could probably leave off the boiler bands. If you’re going to line it, then that would be sufficient thickness and anyone who doesn’t want to line it could easily add them with tape. I wouldn’t compromise strength on things like the cab sides. You might just have to live with them slightly thick. Looking good Andy

Great photos Rob, I take the point about two brake vehicles, although I’m looking at the extension to Mallaig where one was the norm I think. From the PTM docs it seems to vary a lot from year to year which sort of brake is the favourite. BFKs were often on the extension in 1983 which is a pain because nobody makes one in O gauge! Interesting comment about the ratio of opens to compartment stock. Your observation fits with the PTM docs but my memory is of snuggling down in compartment stock. I would have deliberately chosen compartments over opens, so my memory is biased but, even so, I think they were more common than the PTMs would suggest. This is not helped by my inability to tell the difference between an SK and a TSO from photos unless the roof is very clear! What are other peoples memories of the ratio of compartment stock to opens and when did the move towards opens start? This photo from the galleries that you pointed me to yesterday is one I could see myself modelling. This has an SK and BFK/CK (I think!), although from a later year (1987). https://www.flickr.com/photos/deepgreen2009/7159221751/in/gallery-190808970@N06-72157716654499327/ Regards Andy

Tony, Just to add to what Gilbert has said, some of these sets were originally used on semi fast KX- Leeds services. I forget which time period you model but pre war you could certainly run them through Wakefield. Post war they tended to lose the D.190 as Gilbert said which was replaced by a Thompson or Mk 1 CK and the remaining artic twins were mainly used on KX-Peterborough semi fasts and the East Lincs. Later they seem to turn up on relief services so you could justify a twin on such a train through Wakefield. Steve Banks has a write up of them here https://www.steve-banks.org/prototype-and-traffic/422-lner-steel-quintuple-sets I hope that’s useful Andy

Recently we had another test running session on the layout. This was the longest running session that we’d had and, I think, the most successful. Trains behaved themselves more often than not and derailments were much less frequent than before although there’s still work to do. Having platforms and the beginnings of our resin cast retaining walls made a difference as did having the over bridge and mocked up warehouse in place. Here are some photos. The C4 and N2 wait to depart on their respective trains. Wagons on display in the gap between overbridge and warehouse. Rob’s impressive 3D printed 6 wheelers taking centre stage. Milk tanks being reversed into the milk dock in front of the new retaining walls (as yet unpainted).

Fantastic Rob, having seen it in the flesh on Monday night I don’t think these photos do justice to the fine detail like the key holes above the windows which are exquisite.

Thanks Rob, I’d found the BSOT thread before based on a previous post and based my model on this photo. https://www.flickr.com/photos/153712773@N08/44110140224/in/gallery-190808970@N06-72157716639194312/ However, I Hadn’t seen the rest of the Scottish galleries - the mixed train one looks particularly interesting. So I will look forward to browsing them at my leisure. I agree that it would be easier to avoid BSO-Ts but my impression from pictures and particularly from the CWN is that they were the most common brake vehicle on the WHL in the early ‘80s so I feel that at least one is required. It’s a double pain in O gauge as, not only does the conversion need to be done, but only Darstead make the BSO, and the different makes of Mk 1s don’t really mix (the Darstead ones are too high - they look fine on their own but silly in a train with others). Therefore, I will need some more Darsteads to go with this one. I’m thinking an SK and a couple of TTAs will make a good mixed rake! Andy

Many thanks for your replies. I should have thought to look in Parkin! Anyway, I have what I need to give it a go now. The Darstead coach interior is very nice with proper moquette and lighting to show it off, so I’m slightly loath to cut into it but it has to be done. Andy

Hi Rob, I hope you don’t mind me piggy backing on your thread but some time ago on here there was a discussion about the BSO-T Scotrail mini buffets which were regulars on the line. I’ve managed to persuade Steve at Railtec to scale up his 4mm decals for 7mm and have converted my Darstead BSO to this stage. However, I’m stuck on the interior. Have you modelled the buffet itself on your vehicles? If so do you have any photo sources you could share? Many thanks Andy

For me the Banks and Carter book was really inspiring. This is possibly because I didn’t know enough about the subject when I read it to spot the errors. But even with hindsight, it is well written and I found it a ‘can’t put down’ sort of read. Reading it was one of the key events which started me modelling exact formations (along with this thread and Peterborough North). So, I’m very grateful that it was written and it will remain the definitive text on the subject, warts and all, unless it’s superseded by something better. There’s certainly a lot more right in it than wrong. As mentioned many times over the last few pages, one needs to check facts with as many sources as possible and this book is surely one of those sources. I still refer to it frequently - especially when looking for photos of a particular service as too many other books are organised by loco number rather than the train they’re on.

Super videos, thanks for sharing. The first reminds me of how much I missed of the 27s on Edinburgh Dundee’s while chasing 37s up the West Highland. I regret not having devoted a bit more time to the McRats! Andy

This is my one and only Brit, 70036, Boadicea- because it had to be one of the Immingham ones and I liked the name! It’s pretty standard Hornby with my weathering. David, it depends where on the ECML you’re thinking of. They’d have been rare at LB, but they were regular on the Grimsby/ Cleethorpes - Kings Cross services for a year or two in the early sixties (which is my excuse) and I believe also did the Grimsby - London fish trains. So south of Peterborough for a couple of years there were plenty. Andy

I like the 3 cpt Thompson BSK on the rear. Southern Pride presumably? Was this actually shown in the CWN? I’ve always struggled to find a role for mine. Andrew Neale told me that they were regulars on the Norseman but I’ve never found a supporting picture.

It’s great to see a view of the layout as an operator would see it. Both stations look very impressive from this angle.

Bootiful! Can’t wait to see a print.

That would be the club layout?! The coaches look great. The transfers bring them to life.