Graham_Muz

That's good to hear, I shall be there myself in 2013 either with Fisherton Sarum or my club's Hinton Parva depending on which layout he can fit in either 2013 or 14

I did fix them to the front steps knowing that it fixes the chassis to the body however doing the exhibtion circuit with Fisherton Sarum I was finding that I was knocking off the front steps more often than I needed to get the body off. When I do I will carfully separate the front steps from the buffer as it is only a couple of small points of contact. I have fitted them to all 10 of my Light Pacifics now.

Hi Tim I think Al must be thinking of your SWAG Taunton do last year when I was there with Fisherton Sarum, as I have not been to the Camrail shows yet.

Since the introduction by Hornby of the Bullied 'West Country / Battle of Britain' Light Pacifics I have always been meaning to get round to either making or sourcing a representation of the cyclinder drain pipework. Later Hornby models such as the N15 and Rebuiilt Light Pacific's have these supplied as part of the accessory kit but none of these are suitable for the original style Light Pacifics. As can be seen below there is quite an obvious gap at the fornt end without the pipes fitted when compared to the image on the Semg website here I had been either looking at commissioning an etch myself or convincing a small manufacturer of detailing parts to add them to their range. I then stumbled quite by accident on the RT Models website run by Robert Thompson (RThompson of this parish) and he has a simple little etch for the drain pipes for a couple of quid each. I have therefore purchased a few and fitted to my fleet of Light Pacifics and also one of my original Merchant Navy Pacifics. They also have the added advantage of providing extra strength to the front step, that can be prone to being knocked off, by gluing the drain pipes to the rear of the steps.

Just to show how effective the West County . Battle of Britain etches from Robert are hereis a picture taken at the weekend on my layout Fisherton Sarum. perhaps a further devolpment for these might be to do a combined drain pipe / front step etch to strenthen the front steps too as these can be very to knock off.

Nice work indeed Brian, the Roxey mouldings detailing kit certainly makes a difference. It is such a shame that Tri-ang decided to mould the plank lines raised instead of as grooves. I did one of these a while ago (and have a couple more to do) Technically these are neither Utility vans or just PMVs. In Southern days they were classed as GBL (Gangwayed Bogie Luggage van) and later classed as Cor-PMV

hehe Chris...but how many could you fit in a cauldron??? B)

I recently purchased a number of RT's simple little etches for Hornby air smoothed WC/BB cylinder drain cocks and have fitted them to my fleet, which also by attaching them to the front steps as well as the cylinders has the advantage of making the front steps less likey to be knocked off the model. I would also say that the service was great taking only two days from ordering to arriving in the post. I don't currently have any pictures on the Hornby models yet, but have a shot of them fitted to one of my Kit built Merchant Navy's.

Opps duly corrrected.

I can not reccomend the Illustrated History of the North Cornwall Railway (especially as my name is in the credits..) Chris's (2manyspams on here) section should definately assist you. As well as the Gould book on Maunsell coaches mentioned above his similar book on Bulleid coaches is also well worth being on your book shelf. I also confess that Mike King's tome has now become one of my first ports of call for information then backed up by the Gould titles.

Hi DesA THank you for you kind comment. I THink I know who you are...

Bulleid Merchant Navy pacific 21C6 will be seen hauling the Atlantic Coast Express on Fisherton Sarum at Ab-Rail 2011 on the 5th March. Further details about the show can be found here. In December 1941 Merchant Navy class locomotive number 21C6 was rolled out of Eastleigh Works, later to be named Peninsular & Oriental S. N. Co. after the famous shipping line. 21C6 was unique amongst the Southern Railway Merchant Navy pacific’s in that she spent her entire working life allocated solely to one shed namely Salisbury shed. She was also unusually paired with the same tender throughout too.It was therefore an easy choice of a model to be resident on Fisherton Sarum being based of course on Salisbury shed and also I am a member of the 35006 Locomotive Society (see below). The model built from an old Millholme Kit and using a few additional castings by the late Albert Goodall, represents here during the period that I model i.e. 1946 to 1949, still with original style cab, standard smoke deflectors and all other fairings in place. 21C6 being one of the first series MN’s had the sweep to the cab front, distinctive curved fairings in front of the cylinders and the side casing made from limpet board, hence the prominent rib horizontally along the middle of the side. She is paired with an original style 5000 gallon tender. Later series builds such as my example of 21C14 (a second series build 21C11-20) had a slightly higher bottom body side edge and was more angular exposing more of the driving wheels and was coupled to a revised 5100 gallon tender. 21C14 can also be seen in action on Fisherton Sarum at Ab-rail hauling my devon Belle Rake along with 34011 in the experimental British Railways apple green livery that she wore between May 1948 and September 1950. Picture curtesy of C Nevard and Hornby Magazine The third series 35021-35030 had the modified V shaped cab from new, were even more angular in the bodyside around the driving wheels and were paired with a 6000 gallon tender. 35021 is currently still on my workbench. Back to 21C6, she has been finished using Railmatch post war malachite green, lining and decals from the HMRS and nameplates from Fox Transfers. I have also fitted a Fox Transfers Atlantic Coast Express headboard for good measure. After Nationalisation in 1948 the real 21C6 was renumbered as 35006. All examples of the Merchant Navy class were rebuilt along more conventional lines, with 35006 and 35028 Clan Line being the last two examples to be modified in 1959. In August 1964 it was all over; due for a heavy general overhaul, 35006 was withdrawn and at first cannibalised for spare parts before her sale to Woodham Bros scrap yard at Barry in South Wales Thankfully she now is undergoing restoration to full working order by the The 35006 Locomotive Company Ltd based at Toddington, the principal station of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway. The company is supported by the 35006 Locomotive Society which has approximately 330 members. Hopefully the next 12 months or so should see her extremely close to completion. Society membership costs £12 per year (at the time or writing) and society members receive an excellent quarterly newsletter, which includes a full and detailed report on the progress of the restoration work. If you would like more details of the project, please write to: 35006 Locomotive Society 243 Botley Road Burridge, Hampshire SO31 1BJ Or email the membership secretary Pete Mason Further details can also be found on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway website.

Hmm don't tempt me....so not being up on such things were they in unlined or lined black with LMS lettering for the post war war period? Not that I think any ever ventured up from Templecombe as far as Salisbury!

Fisherton Sarum had a sucessful day yesterday at the Astolat show in Guildford. Even with the early start, due to the fact that exhibitors were unable to set on the Friday evening (unless you are a certain very talented modeller and photographer ) set up went well and other than one trouble some point motor on the double slip all seemed well. I really pleased when Bob Symes, you may remember him from such TV shows as "Model World" and "Tomorrows World" in the mid 70's on the BBC, had a good look at the layout and passed many favourable and positive comments. I actually at the time said to one of my fellow operators that his comments had 'made my day'. I can remember seeing him in person, when I was about 7, at an exhibition in Beaconsfield where he had some of his large gauge radio control trains on show, and getting his autograph! I was then very surprised when I was asked the Astolat club chairman asked me to come over and receive the best layout in show award from Bob! This was all the more humbling as the voting was carried out by fellow exhibitors and Astolat club members, especially when the standard of many of the other layouts was so high! A nice prize of an engraved glass tankard (which I am please to report was put to good use in the evening!) Many thanks indeed. I was running a number of locomotives for the first time at the show, as well as some locomotives from the Locomotive exchange trials (see my last blog entry) a couple of N15's recently repainted and a T14 'paddlebox' also made a sucessful debut. I didnt manage to get any pictures myself yesterday but I know a few people who did so I see if I get some copies. I must also thank my operating team of, fellow memebers of the High Wycombe andn District MRS, Alan, Simon (aka St Simon), Mark (aka GWMark), Daniel and Roger without whom I would not be able to exhibit the layout. Was also nice to see a few faces from here during the day too. The next outing is the Abingdon Show on 5th March, hope to see a few of you there.

Very neat Chris, I can already imagine the type of mechanics you have used. I look forward to taking a peak on Saturday.

This coming Saturday (15/01/11) at the Astolat model railway Exhibition in Guildford Fisherton Sarum will be hosting some of the locomotives seen on the Southern Railway (yes I know technically it was a region by then) during the locomotive exchanges held during April and June 1948. In the immediate aftermath of the formation of British Railways the newly formed Regions were generally allowed to continue the locomotive build programmes that had already been approved and put in place by the previous railway company up until the end of 1950. In the meantime it was decided to compare a number of engines from the previous big four in order to consolidate designs and good practice for the future locomotive development of the new organisation after 1950. The exchanges were to trial locomotives in three categories: Express Passenger, General Purpose and Freight Locomotives. The intention was that each locomotive in each category would be trialled on each of four selected routes, although due to some restrictions, explored later, this was not always the case. Locomotives and their crews from each region had a small number of runs on each route, the week before, to gain limited route knowledge (although generally recognised as not enough) prior to the main test runs for which dynamometer cars were attached. The trials took place from April 1948, commencing with Express Engines on the Kings Cross – Leeds route, and concluded in September 1948 with the Freight engines on the Eastleigh – Bristol route. With the absence of water troughs on the Southern Region and therefore no water Scoop equipment on either the ex Southern Railway Merchant Navy or West County Class locomotives it was required to provide different tenders to enable either water to be collected on route for the ex SR locomotives and to increase water capacity for the ex LMS locomotives when operating on the Southern Region. The ex LNER A4 pacific’s used on the Southern Region already had 5000 Gallon tenders so ran with their own but lettered “British Railways†in full. The ex SR locomotives were therefore paired with Stanier 4000 gallon tenders, whilst the Duchess and Rebuilt Scot classes gained ex Ministry of supply (WD) 5000 gallon tenders when working on the SR metals. The Stanier tenders fitted to the ex SR 4-6-2s (that also all gained extra long smoke deflectors for the trial) unfortunately were not painted in malachite to match the engine but remained in black with British Railways in full in white lettering on the side. The 5000 gallon tenders WD tenders as fitted to Duchess Class 46263 “City of Bradford†and Rebuilt Scot were curiously lettered LMS in cream with maroon line rather than British Railways even though the locomotives had been renumbered with a 4 prefix in white on the cab sides. On the Southern it was the Waterloo – Plymouth route that was used with locos changing and being serviced at Salisbury (and therefore in my world Fisherton Sarum) The locomotives appearing on Fisherton Sarum representing some of the crew training runs (as I haven’t built the correct dynamometer car yet!) will be as follows: Duchess Class 46263 “City of Bradford†Rebuilt Royal Scot Class 46154 “Hussar†A4 Class 60033 ‘Seagull’ (Complete with modified slightly cut down tender to enable the water cranes to be used at Euston) (She is so hot of the workbench I do not even have a picture of the finshed model yet!) West Country Class 34006 “Bude†with Stainer tender. Although not actually used for one of the trial runs on the Southern in this condition she did run at least one service train from Waterloo in this condition. The show is open between 9.30 and 17.00 at the Guildford Methodist Church in Woodbridge Road, Guildford, Surrey GU1 4RG and further details can be found at the clubs own website here or on the RMweb show thread here. I look forward to seeing a few Rmwebbers on Saturday.

To summarise with respect to the front pony truck I would recommend the two following points: 1) Ensure that the chassis baseplate screws (the ones that also held the packing brackets in place) have been fully re-tightened after the bracket removal. If this is slightly loose the front pony fixing system will also be loose. 2) Check that the back to back of the pony wheel is correct (it is likely to be too narrow). This does appear to be a regular issue with many items from China I hope this helps

Roger The only refences I have found are those you quoted above, the Bradly RCTS book provides the most detail, and have not seen a drawing myself either.

Totally agree I always give a light coat of Halfords plastic primer on the resin bodied kits I have built so far.

Matt They are called clack valves (basically a non return valve to allow water to enter the boiler but not pass back out) Some kits have them as white metal castings but some nice turned / machined brass brass ones are available from Markits.

If you have read my last couple of entries, you will know I have been working on three projects at the moment (well perhaps that should read three that I am actually working on at the moment!) Firstly the black..... The first one was to repaint a Bachmann WD tender to pair it with Royal Scot 'Hussar' as she ran on the SR duiring the Locomotive Exchanges in 1948. Well the paint work and lettering is now complete and she is shown below posed on Fisherton Sarum Also now finished and like 46154 is just awaiting some light weathering is N15 455 'Sir Launcelot' in SR Bulleid black livery that she carrried between October 1942 and May 1948. The model start off life as the latest Pete Waterman collection N15 30452 and includes the new moulding for the 4300 gallon watercart style tender. Like the WD tender I gave the model a light coat of Halfords plastic primer before a top coat of Halfords satin black and then Presfix transfers from the HMRS. Thats a Maunsell version of the N15 number 785 'Sir Mador de la Porte" lurking in the background which has been repainted and lined as Hornby to date have only produced one N15 in Malachite which was a Urie version. and the blue continues... Also from the Locomotive Exchanges, I am modelling 60033 'Seagull' in the condition that she ran at that time on the SR which was in garter blue livery but without valances and also with the rear of the tender raves cut down (this modification was carried all three of the A4 tenders involved with the Exchanges due to the watercranes at Euston not being tall enough to clear the top of the tenders) I have stripped the Bachmann model of all decals and filed down the raves at the rear, using the photograph in Yeadon's register vol 2 as a guide (I can not post a scan here for obvious reasons). A new hand rail has also been fitted from 0,5mm wire. Before and after shots of the rear of the tender are below, see if you can spot the difference.. Next job will be to fit the replacement double chimney to the locomotive, which I will pick up from Gary of 247 Developments at Warley in a few weeks.

Hi, I do not remove the boiler backhead or any fittings inside the cab I simply roll and fold a piece of kitchen towel or a use a piece of foam and stuff it in to the cab to mask the area from paint spray. Its simple, quick and seems to work for me.