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Ok might not look much but this is the home made headlamp. It started life as a Hornby axle bearing, four other brass pieces soldered to it glazing represented by superglue… The other photo bearings being added to the standard djh frames, also showing the templates I’m using to decide on gearboxes.

The contents displayed on dining room table

On January 14th 2016, I commenced this thread with the arrival of the DJH big Bertha kit. The DJH U1 has just landed complete with wheel set. The usual DJH mixture of etch brass and white metal . There is no headlight included,so yesterday’s work wasn’t in vain. I will photograph the contents in due course. The first task after checking everything ,is present and correct , will be determining the appropriate gearboxes from High level.

I’m still awaiting arrival of the garratt kit, in meantime have received the 1219c motors from High Level. I’m still undecided which gearboxes, although using Chris’s templates against the correctly sized drawing supplied by Mike, I’m pretty sure it will be the loadhaulers. Whilst waiting for the kit, and working on the theory, it won’t contain the headlamp which was fitted by the second time it visited Bromsgrove. I’ve spent the afternoon crafting one from a Hornby bearing and bits of brass, all carefully soldered together. I purchased a photo from transport treasury, which can’t be posted here giving a clearer view. The lamp sits on a shelf, this in turn fixed to the bunker rear. I think i will replicate the glazing using superglue. I will photograph in due course….and if one is included when the kit arrives…

I’ve motorised three garratts, including the kit master version, using comet Fowler 264t chassis adapted. High level gearboxes and their 1219 motors.The kit master one is shown with a scratch built straight bunker added

And here they are…

My “ I’ll gotten gain” namely my eBay purchase 18000 arrived today. I believe rather than the body line kit, it is the RTR version offered by Silver Fox. In any event it is very well done on a Bachmann chassis. I will photograph in due course, probably double heading the EM2 en route to the exhibition of modern traction that was held in the old Bingley Hall in Brum back in the day….( slight historical misinformation alert)

I have followed Barry’s advice and contacted Mike. He has kindly replied to my request for information. He replied, the two garratts on his layout are motorised differently. The first as DJH recommend with a solitary motor in the rear assembly. This loco wasn’t built by Mike. He advises whilst a good runner, it can have a tendency for the unmotorised chassis to “ slide” occasionally. This is what I found with my LMS garratt before fitting the second motor, which became the norm for my other two when built. The second loco, which he built, is powered by two DS10 and Romford gears mounted vertically. I confess I have never managed the silky smooth operation using these in the past. He did however , kindly send to me, U1%20garrattt.pdfa down load showing an arrangement using high level motors etc which will be the method I shall adopt. Mike also touched on another of my concerns, the arrangement for the pivot of the chassis. He confirmed that DJH have located it correctly .

I’ve just been checking my library, sure enough I’m lucky to have a copy of the LMS and LNER Garratts by Bob Essery and G Thoms . I’ve just been reading up on this loco. The oil firing was completed in 1952 and that is when the spotlight was added to the rear bunker. This was the preferred way to bank a train using this loco. The book contains line drawings. I just used them to mock up the front tender, and using one of my LMS garratt assemblies gained an insight as to how it might be fitted into the LNER version. It looks possible but with some loss of the daylight through the cutout. The other concern is the amount of swing a 280 chassis is going to have with the boiler etc mounted. We shall see.

Thanks John, I thought they might be there for a reason, not just an artistic flourish by Sir Nigel and his team.

Thanks John, I have motorised the three LMS garratts, now with dual motors, and am very happy with the results. I think however that this beast will only have the one in the rear bunker, and therefore I will endeavour to make the front chassis as free wheeling as possible. I’ve just watched a YouTube where an American modeller motorised his with a large canon motor in the loco, feeding two gearboxes in the chassis via universal joints. A little beyond me…my motto …K.I.S.S. best wishes Brian

I have been studying the real loco whilst awaiting delivery of my kit. I really have a dilemma where, to fit the gearboxes and motors without showing in those side gaps. The front tank seems to have too little to hide, them . The rear with its higher bunker might be the answer, and having to settle for one powered chassis.

Yes Andy they are my preferred motor gearbox provider, I’ve just sent a text to Chris asking what he would recommend . I’m being lazy really, he does provide a planner sheet on his site

Studying more photographs, and spotting the blinking obvious…unlike its LMS counterparts, it has blooming great cut outs in the tender sides…hiding motor and gearboxes will be interesting.

John I’ve just found this showing the top of the plates over bunker. The spotlight is interesting as well

Thanks John for the information. On looking at those photos earlier one of the captions mentioned it has been converted to oil firing , it stated in 1952. On reading that, and confirmed by your post I thought it would require the coal area being plated over. The DJH model of Bertha as recounted earlier on this thread required a major reworking of the tender to represent it in BR days.I’m hoping this kit won’t need that sort of reworking. My main problem with Bertha, which may be a problem with this is sideplay on the driving wheels to get around my relatively tight radius corners. We shall see…My eight coupled comet 8f and 28 xx chassis manage it, but anticipate less clearance because of the thicker brass used by DJH in their chassis sides. I’m really looking forward to its arrival .

Just to whet the appetite three photos of 69999, the first at Bromsgrove, on its initial visit in1949…. numbers on tenders and British railways on its side. The second, at Kings Norton, when on it’s subsequent tour in 1955. This is how I shall model it, cabside numbers and early totems on tenders. The third in company of big Bertha…the loco kit that started this thread a few year’s ago

And just to confirm my madness, DJH U1 garratt just purchased on eBay for a great price….kit and wheelset included! I will be putting high level motors, in , the same as my LMS versions. I will be showing the build here on this thread, thus justifying it being in kit building section for once. Now how do I inform my wife of this great news….mmmm

Thanks John, I recall reading, how the late David Jenkinson ( one of my modelling heroes) justified all manner of strangers in his collection. The sheer love of locomotives and stock . One beast that tempts me, and ironically did travel through en route to Bromsgrove , is the U1 Gresley garratt. To buy one from DJH together with wheelset and motor….£500 plus. Of course if I stopped buying inappropriate ones and saved my pennies, or sold some of my carriages, most of which never get run. I’ve never been accused of being sensible mind, as my wife will confirm.

In correspondence with John R , touching amongst other things on my latest, totally inappropriate, additions to my locomotive fleet. A Heljan EM2… ( birthday), a silver fox body, Bachmann chassis 18000 gas turbine ( eBay auction fever) and lastly on order E2001 . I seem to recall woodhead electrics being dragged through by western gas turbines on a regular basis….or is my memory playing tricks? I’m in the process of converting my coaching fleet ( 200 plus) to magnetic couplings using the hunt elite system . I had standardised on small tension locks, but whilst working fine on my goods stock, they fail regularly on my coaches. I get fed up of hearing the clunk of a loco running into the back of a discarded portion of its train .

In respect of my last post thought it appropriate to show the results

Finished the etch window replacements on class 40 Lima bodies, shown for the record. One has a CD replacement motor, added lead and even more powerful than the other shown, which has the excellent Hornby railroad chassis. They have also had etch wipers, and specific lazerglaze. These are all great products from Mr Hanson, excellent service as well…usual disclaimer. To fit glazing is a problem, requiring removal of a lot of the window plastic. I read the work of the Mostyn P4 group…”barrow more times” article on improving these locomotives. I confess I only altered the windscreens, and added screw links and some pipe work. To fill gaps and secure the glazing without fogging requires use of the superglue accelerator. This allows sanding when dry. I am very pleased with the result.

John I remember being told by an ex driver he once got a western up to York.

I have fitted the shawplan windscreens to two Lima class 40s. They are the same etch as class 37. I found to allow fitting of glazing subsequently quite a lot of the plastic has to be removed . This in turn can leave some gaps between etch and body. I read the article barrowmore times by the Mostyn P4 group. They recommend the use of superglue accelerator and then the glue to fill these gaps. These in turn can be sanded and filed as well as securing the etch. I then used lazerglaze securing again with a small amount of superglue added to the glazing via thin wire, to secure, after treating the etch with accelerator . This prevents the fuzzing that can occur when using superglue. I am very pleased with results especially after etched wipers added to finish off. Brian Hanson’s products and service are first class…usual disclaimer.

Some more class 24 and 25s…the former class being allocated to western division lines were rarer through the station