thegreenhowards

Today it’s time for the 1905 Parcels from KX to myriad destinations. I don’t really understand what this train should look like as for a period in the Summer it was a selection of vanfits and then on 1st September switched to B’s and BG’s. So I’m running one of my standard parcels trains. If anyone knows of a photo of this train, please let me know. Here it is approaching the station. And a broadside shot of Gay Crusader. And now on gasworks curve. And a video today as it was the only way to show all of the train.

Indeed. But there’s lots a mythology about chipping anything without a DCC socket - some people even struggle when there is a socket! The only loco to have defeated me so far is a V2 I bought off ‘sir’ with a live open frame motor. I will need to replace the motor at some stage but it’s a shame as it’s such a good runner. I’ve had it pulling 25 coaches at a scale 200 MPH on the club layout!

Thanks Manna, I was believing Yeadon which suggests they were lined up to the war. I’m planning to use mine for suburban workings into a ‘Minories’ type station in London, so I was assuming it would be lined as a passenger loco although if they were all used interchangeably I suppose that’s debatable. It would save me some hassle if it was plain black but I quite fancy the lined out look. In any event, the question is still relevant as my N2 will be next if the N1 goes OK. I’m starting with the N1 as that is unlined BR black, whereas the N2 is in lined BR black and will therefore need more stripping back first. Andy

We’re back to suburban trains this evening with the 1849 KX- Royston headed by B1, 61027, Madoqua. This was a long term resident of Hitchin, presumably spending most of its life on workings like this. This is my only Bachmann split chassis loco. I have been put off them by horror stories about their longevity and the problems in converting them to DCC. I bought this at a toy fair not realising it was split chassis so it was a bit of a shock when I got it home. But it was was pretty easy to convert - certainly easier than a DJH kit! I think it was virtually unused before I bought it, and it still runs very smoothly. We’ll see how long that lasts, but at a couple of circuits of my loft per year it should outlast me! The train is made up of a a standard outer suburban corridor six set with a couple of strengtheners on the front as per the diagrams. I think the juxtaposition with the baby Deltic is reasonable in this case. Third time lucky! Now rounding ‘gasworks curve’ And finally a going away shot.

I will also go for the Needles as I’ve sailed past them many times.

Can I ask what may be a stupid question? I am trying to backdate my O gauge N1 to LNER livery and want to know what to use to line it. I believe that they were lined with single red lines but double lines round the boiler bands. However it’s quite difficult to be sure as on the black and white photos of the era the red fades into the black. Hornby and Bachmann seem to use a single think red line on the boiler bands but I think that’s wrong. Looking at the Fox website they don’t do any specific LNER red lining. So I’m think of using their 0.35mm general purpose red lining for most of the loco and BR double red lining for the boiler bands. Does that seem a reasonable approach or is there a better answer out there (short of a bow pen which I’ve tried with no success)? Thanks for any help. Andy

Jonathan, I couldn’t answer immediately on the droplights as it was their fitting which drove me mad before Christmas and caused the kit to be put away. However, you spurred me on to fit the BT this morning and I seem to have exactly the right number of droplights. I found the door hinges attached to the drop lights were pretty useless and I had the file them all down to fit through the etched holes in the bodyside. Many fell off in the process - a right pain in the neck! As for stepboards, this is what I’m using with six left on the etch after fitting two. Have I got this wrong? Andy

Hi Jonathan, Good to see the Masterclass D.210 nearing completion. I put mine away before Christmas as I got fed up with soldering the sides up. But I dug it out again a few days ago and I’m making progress. However I’ve made a right mess of the foot boards which run right along the sole bar. There seem to be eight of them in the kit, so are they supposed to fold double? When I did fold them over I could get them in the holes so I put mine in singly but they waver all over the place as you can see. Did you encounter any problems and, if so, how did you solve them? Thanks Andy

Today I feature the 1640 Doncaster- KX which was a short semi fast working. It was formed of six coaches which seemed to be a mix of Mk 1 and Ex LNER stock but the exact mix varied from year to year. Today it is headed by 60063, Isinglass in its final ‘smoke deflectors’ guise so this must be post August ‘61. Another photo featuring the baby Deltic in the background. This one is also suspect date wise as I suspect the baby Deltic had been sidelined for rebuilding by the time Isinglass got her deflectors. Only two photos today as the others I took had even worse focus issues than the one above and the train’s now packed away again.

We bring ‘em up tough round ‘ere!

And for me. I currently live a couple of miles away and my kids learnt to ride their bikes on the runway!

An engineers’ train today headed by J3, 64140 (Ks). The train is mainly a mix of Cambrian and Parkside kits with the Dolphin (2nd wagon) being an A1 kits brass kit which was a real pig to build! Now a slightly incongruous mix of J3 (withdrawn 1954) and baby Deltic (introduced 1959) but I like the composition. ...and finally pulling away from the station.

My formative years were spent on holiday at Woolacombe (well Rockham Bay to be precise), so I’ll vote for 34044.

Another cop for you tonight! This is 61142 on 1845 KX-Cleethorpes. Here it is passing through on the down fast. I’ve just renumbered this loco from 61138. It still needs weathering and probably some Immingham ‘embellishments’ such as bulled up smokebox door hinges. Here is a view from the back of the baseboard. I apologise for the scantily clad out of focus girl in the foreground. I think the difficulty of finding a camera position for this shot has brought home to me how over populated my platforms are! The trouble is that removing them will leave lots of white marks on the platform! Here’s a view on gasworks curve. The most interesting vehicle in this train is the rebuilt D.16 RKB which was a feature of this train through the late fifties but had been replaced by 1960 so is definitely one for the B1 era on this train. I built this from cutting and shutting Kirk sides. It’s accompanied by a Gresley SO. The video shows the train heading through the station area. I quite like the different view....although it does show up the weakness in my track laying!

Tony, I find it fascinating. There’s little point in changing the nameplate on a loco and then getting all the other distinguishing features wrong. I also find the research interesting.... if frustrating at times. I think more than anything, I know I will never have the technical/ artistic skills to produce museum quality models, but this is one thing I can get right (with help from my friends on here - thank you all). Regards Andy

Yeadon has a photo of 13 with the coat of arms. The photo Is dated to between ‘51 and ‘55 based on it hauling a non corridor tender.

I was only teasing you! Mine has been converted from another loco. It’s neatly done and I hadn’t realised until the discussion about the coat of arms and works plate. I’ve found pictures online of Hornby models with the coat of arms. No. 9 did lose its coat of arms at some point as the pictures of her working on Aberdeen -Glasgow services don’t have it. Regards Andy

The numbering itself is a minefield and I’m sure that the rake I have is too uniform. It could be Gills Sans or LNER shaded letters, at the right or left end of the coach and with or without an ‘E’ suffix. I don’t know whether you follow my Coulsdon Works thread but, if not, you might like to read a few posts from the link below where Headstock of this parish gives a masterclass on early BR coach numbering. Andy

They are as supplied by Hornby in limited edition packs. They took some collecting (which I quite enjoyed even though I don’t think of myself as a collector!). Three (BCK/SK/SK) came in a pack with Kingfisher in BR blue. Two (BCK/SK - different numbers) came in the London Olympics pack with an N2. And the buffet, sleeper and FK were done as subsequent individual items. I’m not sure whether they were collectors club specials or main range but I don’t think they sold very well as they were sold off cheap later. I got mine for £25 each. Here is the FK. It may offend the purists; clearly the teak graining is overscale and the ends are too fat but that doesn’t notice side on which is how they’re normally seen. I think they look good in a rake but probably better not mixed with other coaches. My Isinglass buffet stands out as a bit different. If and when I sort this rake out, it will probably be Hornby at one end and Kirk/ Isinglass at the other to avoid too many transitions.

I can’t believe that ‘Sir’ is recommending that I copy another model, let alone one from Hornby! Seriously, I agree that it would be waver thin in 4mm but it is noticeable in prototype photos, so worth including even if it has to be slightly over scale to be noticeable. Maybe the transfer backing sheet would service the purpose as you suggest. Hornby seem to stick the transfer straight on although my 60013 (bought second hand) has builders plates where the coat of arms should be so I can’t check close up. I was aware from your previous posts which are bookmarked and regularly referred to. My donor has a single chimney but I’ve still got to work out how to apply the tender base strip to a Hornby tender. Regards Andy

Today its an up Cambridge Buffet Express heralded by D16 E2524. I’m afraid this whole train is in the ‘to be worked on’ category. D16s did work these trains in the late ‘40s/ early ‘50s - there’s a nice picture of one in Steam Memories 42 (p43). But I don’t have a CWN from that era, so I need to try and work out a formation from photos and copy it. They did tend to have an ex GN buffet car (as here) or a Tourist buffet and I like the all teak and ‘British Railways’ look. But, apart from the buffet (isinglass), the rake is pure Hornby and probably needs a couple of EV vehicles and a BSK to replace one BCK. Any thoughts on the formation would be welcome. Here are a couple more shots.

Many thanks Eric, that’s very useful confirmation I will have to get some transfers from Fox. I have the Sprinbok plaques in my Modelmaster pack but not the coats of arms. How do people model the coat of arms on the cab side as it was mounted on a plaque? The plaque seems to be painted green as per the rest of the loco, so I’m thinking of using a very thin sheet of plasticard or even a square of paper painted over with an attempt to match the Hornby green. I'm aware that it only worked four times (Sir has already made me well aware of the facts!) but I model the 1957 Lizzie and as I have the rake in maroon with a buffet car there’s not much choice about that. I know 60012 was the regular Scottish engine that year, but I want an excuse to run 60009 because it’s my favourite A4 and as I model the south of the ECML, it’s the only real excuse (apart from a works running in trip). Four trips is better than none - I have 60013 on the train at the moment! Andy

Agreed. I’ve just spent a happy half hour reading the article. I love the digital bonus shots at the end which show the whole layout from the air. It really shows how you’ve fitted it all in. The 9F comparison shot with the prototype is pretty impressive as well. Though it does suggest you need a bit more clutter on top of your ballast in between the running lines.

Thanks Tony, Don’t go to any special trouble on my behalf - I thought with your encyclopaedic knowledge you’d know the answer straight off. I have checked my main A4 books ( ‘Power of’, Pirt’s ‘Gresleys A4s’ and Tuffrey) but don’t have the Irwell book. Does that have dates for detail changes? If so, I’ll have to invest. Looking for a picture of the loco in Summer 1957 is quite hard. Especially difficult having chosen a preserved one, as putting 60009 Elizabethan into google throws up a multitude of railtours - even if I add the date it seems to ignore me! All the best Andy

Good evening Tony, On a similar theme, I'm about to start a #9 conversion (for my Lizzie). I can’t find anything definitive about when she carried the coat of arms on the cab side. I’ve found photos with and without and it looks like she lost the coat of arms in the late fifties and regained it later. Does that sound right? Can anyone help with dates? Regards Andy