Tom F

Nothing to apologies for Nick! Where was she allocated? I'm very impressed with the finish (a modelling friend recommended it to me). The plan was just to use it as a primer, but I'm impressed with how it highlights the rivet detail, so I'll be using it as a top coat. I don't think it's much more than halfords primers, so to work as an undercoat and top coat, kills two birds with one stone. Just awaiting the 5774 plates.

Now sprayed in Citadel Chaos Black Primer. I'm not going to bother with a top coat, really pleased.

Thanks, that has made me feel better! The Croes Newydd AA13 will be easier as a I’ll retain the GWR fittings with cosmetic body alterations.

Most kind of you maq1988 I just wanted to be able to operate the layout and feel I’m in the middle of knowhere. I’m already having thoughts on photographing the layout when it’s finished and achieving some atmospheric effects!

I think if knowing what I know now.....I wouldn have lived with the GWR axle boxes. Essentially I should have probably fitted an all new W irons. The bearings do not work inside the W irons as it makes it far too tight and pushes out the W irons. So they are glued to the outer edge of the W irons and the axle boxes drilled out (superb castings from Rumney Models). Refitting the footbaords made me realise that they must be sat lower on an AA19 as they were initially sat above the axle boxes on refitting. So I’ve had to alter the hangars. So what we no have is something that doesn’t run as freely as it did from the box. Is going to be incredibly fragile, but hey it will sort of look right!

I've been messing around the with now converted AA19 Toad tonight (photos tomorrow) with it's axle boxes now in place. All I'll say....if you want an AA19...I wouldn't bother with this method!

Thanks Nick, it does doesn't it. There were three that were on the Branch between 1955-1961. 5774, 9669 and 8791. 8791 along with 4645 worked the SLS special over the branch in January 1961 before closure. 9669 I believe had worked as far as Bala where 8791 took over.

Thanks CK! It's the Mainly Trains detailing etch (which I think is now sold by Andrew at Wizard Models). I carved off the moulded front ones too and replaced with those on the etch. Lamp Irons are Masokits, and the pull rods are RT Models.

Afternoon all! An update on 5774. She is about ready for the coat of primer. I've just realised I need to add the bunker top lap iron which is easy enough to do. I'm pleased so far!

Very much enjoyed the Ifor Higgin's Cambrian Diaries (primarily for the 3 photos of the Bala-Blaenau Branch I'd not seen). A title worth people keeping an eye out for (due at the end of the year) is a new book on the Bala-Blaenau Ffestiniog Branch by Martin Willams and Derek Lowe. If it's anything like Martin's previous book on Ruarbon to Barmouth (also by Black Dwarf Lightmoor Publications).....it's going to be a superb book!

Ha! Forgive me! Having one of those moments!

Thanks Mark! A couple of those aren't familiar. You have a PM! Some further modelling tonight. Etched Sanding levers are now in place, and the sand box lids have now been refitted. Since I took the photo, I've now added the bunker lamp irons (masokits). Front and side lamps to be fitted tomorrow, along with the new handles for the water filler caps.

Chris, I've found a photo of 'your' coach! Seen at Bala Town. Do you think there would have been more than one E167 on the line? Can't see it being the only one.

The Bala-Blaenau Branch was described by a former guard, James Roberts as being a an 'artery' between Bala, Trawsfynydd and Blaenau Ffestiniog. A fascinating interview can be found below. In my research over the last few years, I've been lucky to have met a former signalman who worked the majority of boxes on not just the Bala-Blaenau Branch, but also the Ruarbon/Barmouth secondary route. John has told me many fascinating tales from the line, which frankly makes me love the branch that bit more. One story John told me, was when he was travelling in one of the single coach trains between Bala and Blaenau. Not far after Cwm Prysor, where the railway burrows through rocky cuttings on the approach to the viaduct, one of the springs broke on the 58XX (either 5810 or 5811) which flew at speed from the loco, and ricocheted off the rocky cutting into the side of the coach with a hell of a bang! Another tale, was when the first class cushions disappeared on one service near Trawsfynydd. A gentlemen in the area had thrown them out.... as he fancied them for his living room!

Thanks for that Chris! I’ll make sure my E167 is numbered as W7082W in your honour!

Progress has gone well on 5774 tonight. More detailing to add but she should be ready for priming by the weekend.

Coaching stock was a real I opener when I began looking into modelling the branch. I was rather naive (not originally being a GWR modeller) and thought the humble B set would do. From 1955 onwards, stock was primarily a single Brake Composite of two variates. I should add this information was kindly given to me by chrisf of this parish. E157 Brake Composites were of a Collet design, on a 57' under frame. E167 was the Hawksworth version of the Brake Composite. These are seen in the majority of the late 1950s photos on the branch, often coupled to a BR all 3rd Suburban as part of the Saturday Only working. The E167 was quite a bit longer than the E157 with a 63ft under frame. Both coaches seen in this photo are E167. Copyright Ben Brooksbank Creative Commons Attribution Share-alike license 2.0 So, my number one headache when I came to modelling the branch....was that both of these coaches are not available, RTR or kit form. Thanks to chrisf pointing me into the right direction of where to acquire plans for both coaches. I commissioned Worsley Works to produce etched sides for both diagrams. The E157 of mine was built by Jonathan Wealleans, using comets E147 kit (it's practically the same mine one a first class compartment). I run an E147 as they were used in Wales and look very similar to the E157. The issue has been that the E167 has ends unlike other GWR kits available. It's sparse of detail, but with very little to know tumblehome. I have been waiting on Worsley Works to produce the ends for it for 2 years. Anyhow I've now sourced someone else to produce one, and hopefully next year one will be joining the layout, built by Messr Wealleans once again. The kit will use comet components to complete.

Yep they are all HOD! They do some screw links, but I prefer masokits. I’ll be interested to know how you get on

Ade, it's 8.01 you want from Masokits. Ambis CH1-2, CH2-2 and CCE1, CCM1 and finally CCL1 They are what I use anyway.

Very nice work Paul. You should set up a Workbench thread, I'm sure many of us would appreciate seeing your work step by step.

This should prove some interesting reading for you.

For those interested, the photo above's location is about a quarter of a mile past Arenig and about a couple of miles from Cwm Prysor, with the hulk of Mochowgryn beyond. The small road in the background is the Arenig Road, about to join the old Bala-Ffestiniog road. Today there is a junction for the old road and the bigger A4212 carries on to Trawsfynnyd. Back in the late 50s...there was only a small single track that pottered across the moorland to Cwm Prysor and Trawsfynydd beyond. Bleak, but stunning landscape.... must have felt incredibly isolated up there. I often imaging being a guard on a late train, the light of day failing fast, the winds getting up....heavy rain thundering down....and all the guard can think is 'I'll be glad to get to Bala'.

That’s another one I’ve got planned to do 8727 with riveted tanks, which I believe is the loco in PGH’s photo of this parish (this is one of my favourite photos of the branch). It’s clearly a 57XX but I’m pretty sure i can see the horizontal line of rivits on the tanks, plus it has a top feed which rules it out being 5774.

Yeah, it's something I'd thought about and like you say, you'd notice the difference.

That's a nice photo Simon. Also worth noting is that the side lamp irons (storage lamps) appear to change location in some cases. Most times they are on the locos left hand side at the rear of the running plate in front of the cab, but in some cases (my 7431) the lamp irons are located near the first splasher on the left hand side. Speaking of Panniers, I was busy on the work bench last night! My favourite out of all the Panniers is the 57XX/8750s. I already have a few modelled, 4645, 9793, and 5742. In my period however, two ran with earlier boilers without top feeds, 5774 and 9669. I had always wanted to model at least one of these. However I never felt I was a good enough modeller to do the scalpel work that is required to removed the pipework and topfeed (and plug the hole left from the removal of the toppled). 5774 is born! I removed the rear lifting loops as I'd nicked them with the scalpel. I've made up some replacements with 5 amp fuse wire, which I'll be re adding later today. It will look better with the primer on, and appearances can be deceiving, as I've now used the fibre brush and sanding sticks on the body and its all very smooth. Feeling rather pleased so far!