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  1. 5&9Models
    SER ‘coffee pot’ no.126 was busy today with a little shunting. Well, at least that’s what I pretended it was doing since I don’t have enough track laid yet to actually do any shunting so perhaps we should call it a ‘photographic charter’!
     
    The loco was made at Bricklayers Arms in 1848 but not finished, (possibly due to a dispute with William Bridges Adams over patent infringement). Completed at Ashford in 1850 ( after Adams had gone bust) it made itself useful until September 1866 when it was withdrawn. It was converted to a stationary engine in Feb. 1877 and sent for pumping duties at Redhill. It was finally sold to a Newhaven scrap dealer in 1888 for £26-18s-10d.
     



     
  2. 5&9Models

    A complete whitewash

    By 5&9Models,


    Bricklayers Arms c1845
    Jonathan enjoys his job at Bricklayers Arms. Usually he is gainfully employed tending to the bovine guests arriving at the cattle yard. He couldn't say for sure what happens to them once they leave the yard, but given the profusion of tanneries in he area we can be fairly certain it is a one way trip. He makes their lives as comfortable as he can whilst they are in his charge.
     

     
    Occasionally there are sheep to manage but these are less rewarding owing to their irksome tendency to bolt. However, today does not look like it is going to be so enjoyable.
     

     
    He has been given the task of whitewashing the new cattle wagons arriving this morning, they are larger than the previous wagons. He thinks this is a direct result of two beasts jumping out on their journey through north Kent and being, as reported in the Illustrated London News, 'dashed to atoms' by a train passing in the opposite direction.
     

     
    The whitewash will no doubt end up on his clothes, his shoes, and on his hands and face. Jonathan is diligent but clumsy and we think he may need to move his tub much closer to the wagon!
     

     
    It was fun to build the SER cattle wagon with doors open for a change, something you don't often see. But perhaps I need to get out more...
     
  3. 5&9Models

    A London & Birmingham Novelty

    By 5&9Models,


    London & Birmingham Carriages
    I’ve long been entertained and intrigued by depictions of early railways of the 1830s and ‘40s. The period was marked by significant political and social change, the technology of the new iron roads symbolised these changes more than anything and the railway companies knew it. From the opening of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway onwards, artists such as Isaac Shaw, John Cooke Bourne, Thomas Talbot Bury and many others recorded what they saw, creating images that sought to commemorate and impress. From these illustrations lithographic prints were produced and distributed in quantity, in a way a form of propaganda, promoting the grandeur and unprecedented architectural and engineering achievements of the railways whilst at the same time demonstrating how harmoniously they would sit within the landscape, showing just how marvellous (and safe) it would be to travel by train.
     
    The detail and accuracy of many images is praiseworthy, Shaw was a skilled engraver, Bourne a talented artist and Bury a noted architect however, some images must be taken with a full chip shop’s worth of salt, and a few would not look out of place hanging in a gallery of work by Salvador Dali. Therefore, one must never rely on such pictures as a clear window into the past but in the absence of photographs or files full of detailed and fully dimensioned drawings, they are all we have. 
     

    Fig. 1. Detail of ‘The entrance to the tunnel at Watford’ by T. T. Bury, engraved by N. Fielding, published by Ackermann, London, 1837. 
     
    The subject of this article is an oddity I noticed many years ago in a charming painting by T. T. Bury showing an impressive cutting on the London & Birmingham Railway. The little engine processes gaily towards the Watford tunnel entrance blissfully unaware that it is on the wrong line pulling eight open carriages, little more than trucks with seats, four enclosed second- and first-class carriages bringing up the rear. Sandwiched between these is one carriage which appears to be another open third but with raised full-height ends. Not only that, two passengers, apparently a couple, stand at seat back height looking forward down the train to the locomotive and the approaching tunnel. Trains in this period seldom reached speeds in excess of 25mph or so, but even at this pace standing on the end of the carriage would seem to be an extremely hazardous thing to do. Momentary loss of footing could result in serious injury, even death. Surely a flight of fancy on the part of the usually reliable artist I thought - but no. Buried in the London & Birmingham Railway minute books held at the National Archives is a short sentence that goes a long way to confirm that Thomas Talbot Bury was not pulling our legs. Dated 17th April 1837, minute 81 reads ‘Ordered - that Mr Bagster be authorised to give additional height to the ends of one or more of the third class carriages.’ It seems that this instruction was indeed carried out and remarkably Bury recorded one of these rare vehicles. Those familiar with my modelling will know that this is all the evidence I need to produce a model and it proved to be more straightforward that one might think.
     
    After the opening of the London & Birmingham Railway, the board were left with a significant number of open carriages used initially to show-off the line but really only suitable for a third-class fare. Given that they had no intention of carrying third-class passengers something useful had to be done with them. Thankfully, they were sturdy enough to be converted into covered second-class carriages with the addition of brakes, full height ends and roofs whilst others formed the basis for entirely enclosed carriages. Our curious carriage would appear to be a half-way house for the daredevil traveller. In my quest for a good variety of London & Birmingham carriages I had already produced a cast white metal ‘kit’ for the open carriage based on drawings published by Samuel Brees in his ‘Railway Practice’ of 1842.
     

    Fig.2. The raw castings for the London & Birmingham open third awaiting cleaning and assembly.
     
    The basic carriage was put together in the usual way, soldered construction with etched details and a set of resin cast seats which simply slot in place. Once completed, the carriage was thoroughly cleaned and given a coat of primer. The end extensions were then fabricated from styrene sheet and strip, and carefully glued in place. I decided that Bury’s suggestion that the two passengers were standing at the height of the seat back must be slightly incorrect. To do this would have required a substantial shelf at this height which would then prevent anyone from actually sitting on the end seats (unless the shelf folded up) and in fact standing on the seat itself would be sufficient to see over the carriage end and satisfy any burning desire to have one’s top hat blown off. 
     

    Fig.3. The assembled carriage in black undercoat with the end extensions made from black styrene.
     
    The building of this curiosity took a few evenings work but the novelty of the finished carriage together with the point that it brings to life an otherwise forgotten or even unbelievable detail from the early days of railway travel was well worth it. As always, I am very grateful to Tom Nicholls for finding this little gem of information in the archives and providing the excuse I needed.
     

    Figs.4 The completed and painted carriage just requiring a couple of standing passengers with a ‘Devil-may-care’ attitude towards personal safety.
     

     

     

     
     
  4. 5&9Models
    A motley selection of early wagon masters is the result of some time off work. Well, it keeps me off the streets....!
     
    The larger round end wagon with end doors (middle row) is a SER open by Joseph Wright c1850. A very interesting wagon and very similar to those built for the London and Birmingham Railway a few years earlier. The L&B wagons are unattributed however, since Wright made carriages for the L&B it's entirely possible that the wagons were supplied by Wright as well.I'll tackle an example of one next.
     
    The large slatted wagon (top right) is a London & Birmingham goods wagon helpfully described by Samuel Brees as 'another wagon'! It bears a close resemblance to Liverpool & Manchester goods wagons famously depicted in illustrations of the period. It is without sheet iron lining and canvas tilt frame which will be added later once the kit is cast and constructed.
     
    The three short wagons (top left and bottom row) are Birmingham and Gloucester Railway wagons, a single plank ballast, slatted goods wagon and a four plank mineral wagon which would have been a rebuild of a ballast wagon.
     
    There are quite a few parts conspicuous by their absence but these are duplicate components created once I've made the first mould in a couple of weeks time.
     
    More pictures of test kit builds to follow then.
     

  5. 5&9Models
    Well it's not every day you have the excuse to use the word triumvirate but today I'm feeling lucky!
     
    These three are a bit late for my own layout, but never too late for the glass cabinet screwed to my living room wall. The Beadle wagon is a recent addition to the range, crisp masters by Simon Turner, lettering transfers by POW sides.
     
    The Lime wagon and Booth Bros. wagons are revivals of excellent Woodham Wagon Works kits, masters by Burgundy many moons ago, but I made a new mould for the Lime Wagon and intend doing the same for the Booth Bros. at some point in the not too distant future. Lettering by my own fists of ham.
     



  6. 5&9Models

    Activity in the cattle yard

    By 5&9Models,


    Activity in the cattle yard
    Thankfully, in my case at least, lack of blog updates has not meant lack of activity. The past few months has seen slow but steady progress towards completing the cattle yard at Bricklayers Arms c1845 and therefore entering the final straight in terms of completing the first baseboard of this four baseboard exhibition layout.
     
    The following pictures are a collection of various cameos and scenes which hopefully go some way to telling the story of a busy (ish) mid 19th century yard in 4mm scale.
     

     
    The first scene shows a couple of chaps having some difficulty with a new chaff cutter. Chaff, or chopped hay/straw was an essential part of a horses diet. This particular model was Ward & Colbourne's Patent Chaff Cutting Engine, new in 1844. I scratch built it using brass scraps, following a drawing on the cover of Mechanics Magazine August 4th 1844. It's unusual in that it is a guillotine cutter and probably quite dangerous too! I modelled it so that it works. As you turn the handle the tiny crank turns and the blade goes up and down. Utterly pointless I know but fun all the same.
     

     
    The figures are modified ModelU 3D prints. I've fettled the clothing and hats a bit to take them back to mid-19th century labourers.
     

     
    Farmer Thompson is pleased to finally arrive at the cattle yard having driven his prize bull all the way from his farm just south of Peckham Rye. He got a good price for it so once it's on its way to Kent he'll reward himself with a pint in the Greyhound before heading back.
     

     
    The bull started life as a large white metal cow from the Dart Castings range. I cut the udders off, added some 'cahunas' and horns and beefed it up a bit with some judicious soldering before filing to shape.
     

     
    The characters are more modified ModelU figures.
     

     
    Of course a cattle yard would not be complete without a cattle wagon. This one is from my own range of kits, an early open South Eastern Railway type. Strictly speaking it's about 5-6 years too modern for the period I'm modelling but it's as near as I can get to an authentic vehicle.
     

     
    The characters hand-shunting are in fact me. I was lucky enough to be scanned by Alan Buttler from ModelU at the Severn Valley Railway a few weeks ago. He's done a fabulous job tidying up the scans and printing these out, and for once I haven't felt the need to modify them!
     

     
    It amazes me that even details such as individual fingers are reproduced. The only concern is the the painting does them justice, especially in 4mm scale.
     

     
    At the end of a busy day, Abraham is exhausted. He's diligently swept and shovelled to keep the cattle docks clean and is ready to go home to tea.
     

     

     
     

  7. 5&9Models

    An early carriage truck.

    By 5&9Models,


    Early Carriage Truck
    No drawings survive for these late 1830s carriage trucks but they frequently appear in contemporary illustrations and there are written accounts describing them together with references in company minute books. This one conforms to the dimensions given by Wishaw of a Grand Junction Railway carriage truck c.1837.
     
    ‘The carriage trucks are each 13 feet 8 inches long, 7 feet 1-1/2 inches wide, and the sides 1-1/2 inches high; the weight being about 43 cwt., and the price £130.’
     

     
    I should add that this is my interpretation of the scant historical information relating to these vehicles. That they existed is not in doubt, dimensions given by contemporary authors are as accurate as we’ll ever get. Such trucks were probably on their last legs by the time the LNWR was formed but some may have survived for a few more years. The London & Birmingham Railway board minutes record that the carriage committee should,

    ‘…consider the possibility of reducing the enormous weight of those in use on the Grand Junction Railway…’ 

    and Brees provided a drawing of a L&B’ham carriage truck of somewhat smaller and lighter dimensions, perhaps a direct result of this consideration.
     

     
    The truck and carriage, a ‘travelling chariot’ are 4mm scale, built entirely from scratch using a combination of brass fret off-cuts from the scrap box and my own whitemetal castings. I would also like to thank Tom Nicholls for sharing the results of his diligent research into such early vehicles.
     

     
    The truck itself is based on the ‘chassis’ of a London & Birmingham Night Second carriage (the subject of another kit and possible future post) which matches the dimensions given in Wishaw.


     
    The travelling chariot is based on photos and a few measurements of the real thing. 
     

     
    Thankfully such horse drawn carriages seem to have had a better survival rate owing to the fact that they can be stashed away in the corner of a barn unlike railway trucks…!
     

     
    The truck on the left is the London & Birmingham version illustrated in Brees. It’s smaller but fairly sturdy and I can’t imagine it was that much lighter really.
  9. 5&9Models

    Backscene diversions

    By 5&9Models,


    Bermondsey backdrop
    Just a small filler project to sit between the Stables and Greyhound Place at Bricklayers Arms. Bermondsey was the centre of the London leather trade chosen because it was sufficiently south of the Thames for the inevitable stench not to trouble the great and the good, notwithstanding the fact that at that time they had their own stinking cess-filled river to contend with. Apparently, at their peak, the tanneries of Bermondsey supplied one third of all the leather in the country.
     
    I chose to reproduce a section of Alfred Hunt's chemical works as it can be interpreted as such or perhaps the back wall of an actual tannery. Either way it plugs a gap and provides a relevant talking point. The building itself is embossed styrene or 'Plastikard', the dray and 'Old Sal' are Dart castings (excellent quality), and the figure is an old Airfix US Marine with his hat filed down and a tissue paper leather apron. The rope for the hoist typically runs round a small pulley and disappears inside the building. I can image it was then tied to a small Victorian boy or two depending on the load!
     
     

     
    There's still a bit of work to do in terms of bedding in the building itself, a bit of dirt and detritus to add. The only picture I have so far of 'Old Sal' the horse is temporarily posed in from of the stables so I've included that as well. A wider shot beckons when all is stuck down and weathered in.
     

     
    Better get those barrels in before it chucks it down...!
     

  10. 5&9Models

    Ballasting at last.

    By 5&9Models,


    Ballasting at last
    An opportunity presented itself to drag the baseboard outside yesterday and take some photos in the rather dull afternoon light. At last I feel some progress is being made, or in other words, what a difference a bit of ballasting makes!
     
    I took a few more photos to show how some of the areas are finally tying together after some further detail was added.

     
    Oooh look, ballast at last! This is my own somewhat unconventional technique since the ballast in the 1840s was all over with only the rails showing. This can be a bl**dy nightmare when it comes to keeping things clear enough for smooth running.
     

     
    A view under the bridge.
     

     
    The stables with the tall Greyhound  in the background.
     

     
    The tannery, with a little more detail added and some 'bedding in'.
     

     
    The somewhat neglected back yard between the Greyhound and the Tannery.
     
  11. 5&9Models
    I've finally completed my scratch built Bodmer single no.124 of the London & Brighton Railway. It's taken a year of blood sweat and tears, trying to be too clever and paying the price!
     
    Details of the project have been promised to the HMRS in the form of an article for their Journal, so rather than spoil that I'll just deposit a couple of images here in the meantime.
     
    Further details of this project can be found on a previous blog entry entitled 'Build a Bodmer Competition - not!', or a more comprehensive write up should be in the next HMRS Journal out this summer.
     

     

     

  12. 5&9Models

    Bricklayers Arms c.1845 - a recap.

    By 5&9Models,


    Bricklayers Arms c1845
    All this replacement of lost images on previous blogs has made me think about gathering some favourite images from my layout project and dumping them in one blog entry, so here it is. A hotch-potch of photos from around the first baseboard which is almost complete.
     
    The layout is 4mm scale and track work EM gauge. I initially set it in 1844 when Bricklayers Arms was completed and opened to the public. However, it has now turned into 1845 as this allows for a little weathering and I don't have to leave everything looking too new.
     
    Apologies to those who have seen it all before but I thought a summary was due before moving on to the next baseboard which will be the massive goods shed and lots of wagon turntables, (I'm not sure I'm looking forward to that bit)!
     
    Thanks for looking.
     

     
    The backs of the houses at Greyhound Place
     

     
    The stables at the back of the cattle yard.
     

     
    The Rat catcher.
     

     
    The Tannery.
     

     
    A dispute over the chaff-cutting.
     

     
    Preparing to lime wash a new cattle wagon.
     

     
    Delivery of a prize bull.
     

     
    Mr Rolls is late for work.
     
     
  14. 5&9Models

    Bricklayers Arms stables update

    By 5&9Models,


    Bricklayers Arms progress
    Well, not being a massive footie fan I decided to amuse myself yesterday evening fitting the cattle yard office and back wall to the baseboard in front of the stables. This has created a more Dickensian alley feel to the forecourt which is what I had hoped would happen. There is still much to do in terms of fitting the cattle docks, weathering the surfaces, adding muck and the assorted figures and of course, cattle.
     
    There are a few final touches, the steps to the office are too clean and there needs to be a bit of blending between the muck and the setts, perhaps the odd shovel or broom etc, but I couldn't resist a quick photo to mark the occasion.
     
    The headline image gives a pigeon's eye view and the somewhat 'too clean' cattle yard can be seen at the top.
     


  15. 5&9Models
    In 1845 the Swiss engineer John George Bodmer constructed a pair of 2-2-2 locomotives at his Manchester workshops for the Joint Committee of the Brighton, Croydon and Dover Railways. Born in Zurich in 1786 and later apprenticed to a millwright, the young engineer showed much promise and a strong talent for innovation. He moved to Lancashire in the 1820s but continued his connections with Switzerland and Baden in Germany. His particular invention was that of an opposed cylinder steam engine in which two pistons moved in opposite directions driving two crankshafts, a 'balanced' engine. He continued to expand this idea and the two locomotives for the Joint Committee were his most famous, or perhaps infamous, machines.
     
    Purchased for £2100 the Committee took delivery of the engines in July and December 1845 and numbered them 123 and 124. The locomotives each had a pair of double pistons, the conrod of one passing through the hollow conrod of the other. This complicated arrangement was powerful but very costly to maintain. The tenders supplied were carried on six wheels with a mechanically driven feed pump mounted between the frames to feed the loco via a substantial hollow pipe which also served as the coupling between tender and loco! Typically the loco itself had no brakes but the tender sported huge wedges of timber with iron shoes which when wound down, wedged themselves between the wheels and the rails which in extreme circumstances could lift the tender clear of the rails altogether. Predictably this had disastrous consequences and the engine allocated to the SER after the dissolution of the Joint Committee left the rails at Pluckley on the 23rd May 1846 killing the driver. However a subsequent enquiry proved that a large stone left on the line by errant youths was the cause of this particular accident. Unfortunately this did nothing to assuage the opinion that this 'foreign' locomotive was more trouble than it was worth and after some modifications and very little further service the loco was sent to Ashford where it languished until being dismantled in 1880.
     
    The Brighton engine had better luck although it was rebuilt first by Craven, then again by Stroudley who even saw fit to name it 'Seaford'. Thankfully a photo exists of it in this guise but it can be seen that not a great deal of Bodmers original design survived, certainly not his balanced pistons which did not survive the Craven rebuild.
     
    And so to the model. A friend of mine declared that he was going to build Seaford which prompted my response that i was intending to build the 1845 version. "Let's build them simultaneously and do a joint article for the HMRS" he said. "Great idea" I replied not fully aware of what I was letting myself in for.
     
    Nevertheless the short straw had been drawn and everything else put on hold to scratch build Bodmers 1845 balanced locomotive in 4mm scale to EM standards. Since nothing about it is conventional it has tried my patience to the extreme and progress in painfully slow, however I hope the following photos show that it is at least getting somewhere and I hope to be able to add to this blog in a positive manner in the not too distant future.
     
    If you never hear from me again you'll know it didn't go well!
     

     
    Portescap gears in a scratch built box to get them in the right positions.
     

     
    It fits, just!
     

     
    Haycock firebox. I hate doing these....!
     

     
    Frames and springs. The trailing springs were double coil springs hidden in the axle guide casting as per the tender.
     

     
    The story so far.....
     

     
    Thanks for looking!
  16. 5&9Models

    Bury goods 0-4-0

    By 5&9Models,


    Bury Goods 0-4-0
    This scratch build is something I have been wanting to do for years but have never quite plucked up the courage.
     
    There are several 'sticking points' in modelling a bar framed Bury loco, the obvious one being the distinctive wheels. All Bury locos had them so unless you get those right you might as well not bother with the rest. Thankfully, a friend very kindly drew some up and 3D printed the centres to be fitted into Gibson tyres of the appropriate diameter. However, I found the prints to be exquisitely detailed but not very strong. So I decided the best way forward was to use one of the prints as a master and cast a set in white metal. These came out well and are considerably stronger than the prints. The down side is that they are conductive so once cleaned up on the lathe and fitted with tyres, the centres had to be bored out and a tiny plastic sleeve forced in before being bored out again and secured to the axle.
     
    I first made a master for the bar frames out of styrene to use as a master for casting them in white metal but decided that the castings would not be robust enough so instead some brass bar was used to fabricate the frames. They're now plenty strong enough for the job as I made them slightly chunkier than the originals for peace of mind. Springs were made from some very useful etches, bearings added and a buffer beam built up from nickel silver and brass. 
     
    The buffer beam was soldered in position but a trial fit of the wheels revealed that the buffer centre height was too low by just over 1mm. Rather than unsolder and move the buffer beam higher which would look daft, I decided to unsolder the bearings and fit them lower down in the frames. This sounded like a horrible job, unsoldering the bearings whilst not accidentally disturbing any other soldered joints. However, it went well and before refitting the bearings I cut and fitted the footplate to ensure everything was square and spaced properly. This actually made it easier to get the bearing in exactly the right place. Lesson learned for when I tackle the Bury passenger 2-2-0 later on.
     
    The photo shows progress so far. The next job will be to scratch build the gearbox and ensure the motor sits at the right level so it can hide inside the boiler. Something tells me that this won't be particularly straightforward but I feel up for the challenge. Wish me luck...!
     


  17. 5&9Models

    Bury Goods loco, part the second.

    By 5&9Models,


    Bury Goods 0-4-0
    Having tackled the frames and being happy with those, I turned my attention to the guts that are hopefully going to make this wee beestie move. A rummage through the ‘tray of delights’ resulted in a selection of gears as follows: one 38:1 worm and pinion (Ultrascale), one 10t spur and two 20t spurs (Branchlines). The first of these is just an idler, the second will be the fixed drive gear on the axle.


     
    Today’s job was to drill and cut two gearbox sides ensuring everything was in the right place and meshing perfectly. Sounds like a nightmare but I actually enjoy scratch building gearboxes oddball that I am!
     
    The other task this week was to form some copper tubing into something representing a round top firebox so distinctive of these Bury engines. I turned a dome on the end of a length of brass rod to use as a former, heated the copper tube and gently beat it over gradually forming the dome, albeit with a hole in the top which would br covered by the brass safety valve bonnet. 


     
    All went well until I put it back in the lathe to clean it up. One tiny snag and in a split second the hand crafted copper dome was chewed up now resembling a piece of shrapnel. Disappointing to say the least. A second one was started, went well and then exactly the same thing happened. After the third time I gave up.


     
    Thankfully, I had some copper rod in stock and was able to turn a solid firebox that now needs boring out hollow to accommodate the gearbox. A few other brass fittings were turned up including a small batch of the tiny lock-up safety valves, one for this loco and a couple for passenger versions in the future.
     

  18. 5&9Models

    Bury goods, part the fifth.

    By 5&9Models,


    Bury Goods 0-4-0
    For some time now I have been working on a 0-4-0 Bury goods locomotive in 4mm scale for my EM gauge London & Birmingham Railway project. 


     
    Today I managed to apply the black undercoat and try a loose assembly. Although these engines were green (like the wheels) I have to admit it looks quite fetching in black.
     

     
    The model is built entirely from scratch, powered by a Portescap motor inside the boiler through a scratch built gearbox. The wheels are cast from 3D printed masters and the round bits lathe turned from brass and copper. It will at some point be joined by a couple of 2-2-0 passenger engines. There is still much to be done, and the tender is almost complete too but progress is very slow so the next update might be a while yet. Given that it’s only the size of my thumb it’s mighty fiddly!
     

     
    Happy Christmas!
  19. 5&9Models

    Bury goods, part the fourth.

    By 5&9Models,


    Bury Goods 0-4-0
    A little progress today, trying to keep out of the heat! Having now milled out the copper firebox to make space for the gearbox, at least nearly, (I still need to take a bit more out before it fits properly), I cut and soldered in place the boiler bands. These were cut from thin brass sheet, bent to shape and tacked in place. 


     
    The little turned brass lock-up safety valve cover was then soldered on after drilling an appropriate hole towards the front of the boiler. These little covered valves supplemented the spring balance on the firebox and provided a back up should the driver be tempted to screw down the spring balance to prevent any irritating hissing!



    A recent commission was a set of etched brass number plates. I had a set made for this (79) and also some made for the passenger versions to come.
     

     
    With the numbers in place and a trial fit of the chimney (which is too tall at the moment) it’s actually beginning to look like an engine.
  20. 5&9Models

    Bury goods, part the sixth

    By 5&9Models,


    Bury Goods 0-4-0
    It occurred to me yesterday that it had been a while since I visited RMWeb, "Oh, it must be a few weeks now..." I said to myself. However, logging on to view the fascinating, entertaining and sometimes stunningly inspirational projects on show I was utterly shocked to discover that it's been many months and that my last blog entry was before Christmas last year! What the heck have I been doing?
     
    Thankfully the answer is quite a lot really and therefore an update on the Bury 0-4-0 is a good place to start. As I may have mentioned before the Bury goods is one of many 'components' that will make up a small exhibition layout of London & Birmingham Railway Coventry station set in 1839. My good friend Tom Nicholls has been hard at work researching until his fingers are numb, and building a website https://coventry1839.org to explain the history of Coventry station thereby creating an opportunity for me to describe all the modelling involved. In fact, that's where all my blogs have been disappearing to so please do visit and catch up on progress.
     
    In the meantime the Bury goods has received its coat of green which has made a big difference. 
     

    The wires poking out the front were to test the motor and gearbox in situ with everything in place and thankfully it runs very sweetly,
     

    However, once I connected the finer wires from the pick ups and separate ones from the motor (it will be DCC) it still ran smoothly enough except for an irritating wobble on the left front wheel. I've traced this to a slightly skewed fit of the nylon bush between the hub and the axle.
     

    Fixing the wobble will require the whole thing to be dismantled which is not as bad as it sounds as it's designed to be taken to bits if required, and re-set the wheel straight. I might check the distance between crankpins again just to be sure there's nothing weird going on there too.
     

    The loco is really small in 4mm scale but weighs in at 95g thanks to stuffing every last gap with tungsten putty which I find a very useful way of adding necessary tractive weight in such tiny locos. No.79's job at Coventry will be to run from one end to the other pulling half a dozen or so small wagons which it should manage quite easily. I have since painted a driver and fireman who will find a semi-permanent home on the footpath once the tender is coupled and the DCC chip plugged in.
     
     
     
  21. 5&9Models

    Bury goods, part the third.

    By 5&9Models,


    Bury Goods 0-4-0
    A two week break has given me time to ponder a couple of tricky areas regarding the Bury goods and this weekend has seen some progress, the most obvious being the smokebox and boiler.
     
    I toyed with the idea of producing the smokebox as one cast lump to provide a bit of tractive weight and to balance the weight of the turned copper firebox. However, since this is a one-off scratch build I felt that might be a waste of mould space and also I was too impatient to go through that process when I only need one.
     
    Therefore, I cut a front from 12thou brass sheet and then soldered one length around it from one flat side, around the circular top half and down the other side. This was then laminated with a sheet of thin brass foil with rivet detail pushed out from behind. To do this I use a natty little homemade tool made from an old plastic scalpel handle and a cog from an old mantle clock. This cog was clamped in a nut and bolt through the centre, secured in the lathe (a drill chuck will do), and sharpened with a file. Once fitted to the handle in makes a sort of pin roller. Run along a straight edge it’s ideal for creating long lines of evenly spaced rivets in styrene or thin brass foil.



    Once this laminate was soldered in place I formed the distinctive Bury smokebox door surround (which were originally polished brass) and a couple of brass washers were conveniently exactly the right size for the cylinder covers so they got soldered on as well.



    The boiler with its lagging strips was rolled from flat sheet first scored with lots of evenly spaced lines to represent the gaps between the strips. It was a bit of a pain keeping this round as I rolled it as it kept wanting to kink along the scored lines but we got there in the end.



    A quick test assembly and photo before calling it a day.
  22. 5&9Models
    It's been a very long time since my last post (which I think was a 4mm scale chair!) but I've nearly completed my latest build: Canterbury & Whitstable Railway, Taylor 0-6-0 goods loco, no.121,  c1847.
    The bulk of it was constructed whilst convalescing with a broken left metatarsal. What a tragedy to be signed off work and have to sit there day after day with my foot up, drinking tea and model making, life can be so cruel!
    A friend offered some Portescap motor/gearboxes in exchange for kits so one of these formed the basis for this engine. The gearbox had to be dismantled and reversed so the driving axle sat under the motor and the wheels were some old Romford ones from the scrap box.
    One of the biggest challenges was the haycock firebox with it's brass beading around the corners. The box itself was build up from two strips of scribed 10thou brass bent into an 'n', cut and soldered together, then the brass corners cut from 5thou, bent and beaten into submission around the curves, a horrible job and much learned in the process but it doesn't look too bad. It hasn't put me off doing another one anyway.
    The tender was rest was gradually scratch built using good old fashioned measure, bend and cut techniques, as was the rest of the loco, a refreshingly 3D print free zone! It still requires some water feed pipes under the footplate and there is an annoying little short every time it goes left which I must sort out. Of course some crew will be required before it moves 'off shed' but they can wait.
    The photographs leave a bit to be desired, I find the low sun at this time of year a bit tricky, our house faces due south and not casting a shadow over the photo at midday requires some degree of contortion. Hopefully they will do for now, next up is an 1845 Bodmer Single but as usual it will take me ages!
    Thanks for looking and please feel free to ask if you need to know more.





  23. 5&9Models

    Coke Shed cobbles

    By 5&9Models,

    The coke shed at Bricklayers Arms is now 'fitted' to the layout, wired in place from the underside instead of being glued so if it ever needs to come off again just undo the wires and 'voila'! At least that's the theory.
     
    The cobbles are laid and weathered and I've posed the recently completed London & Croydon First to give an idea of scale. In reality passenger stock would not be on this part of the line and anyway, the footboards rub on the base of the pillar brickwork!
     

     

  24. 5&9Models
    In the Summer 2016 edition of the Brighton Circular I posed a question regarding the identity of a loco illustrated in Samuel Brees' 'Railway Practice' 1846. His claim that the drawing was of London & Croydon Railway locomotive 'Croydon' was clearly an error and thanks to the perpetuation of this mistake by E. L. Ahrons and others, it's identity has never really been queried.
     
    Thankfully my article sparked a bit of debate and some excellent responses were written in subsequent Circulars. Unfortunately the conclusion was that we know what this loco was not, but who built it (if it was ever actually built) and the Railway it was built for remain a complete mystery.
     
    When I started the model, I was happily convinced it was 'Croydon' built by Rennies for the New Cross incline, and on that basis I determined to complete it. However, now it's somewhat enigmatic and I think I like it even more!
     

     
    The model itself is in 4mm scale to EM standards. Power is by a slightly modified but very sweet running (thanks to the benefits of running it in long before installation) Portescap RG4. The motor is a sliding fit inside the brass tube and veneer boiler, with the gearbox hidden inside the smoke of driving the leading axle. The second axle carries flangeless wheels as per the drawing and the trailing axle and tender wheels are wagon/coach wheels since these are appropriately more dainty than loco/tender wheels: all wheels are Gibson.
     

     
    The frames are cut from brass with 5thou styrene overlays to allow for rivet detailing etc. I confess I struggled a bit with the construction of the motion, the first incarnation was chopped off and started all over again as it never ran smoothly however much I swore at it! The assorted round bits were turned in the lathe, I wouldn't want to tackle a loco like this without one.
     

     
    It all dismantles into sub units; the boiler with motor and gearbox which can be slid out if required. The outside frames with motion and smokebox etc. And the inside frames with the final drive gear, wheels etc.
     

     
    The tender is entirely conjectural. There is no tender illustrated with the original drawings so I made one up (which was great fun by the way) based on standard practice for the period including a lever operated brake which I imagine was almost entirely useless! Sprung buffers and a bunker full of real coke complete the model.
     

     
    The smokebox front is very odd indeed. I've kept to the original drawings which show a convex front bolted all the way around. Either this is a very early attempt at streamlining (unlikely) or simply another error. Surely the cleaner was not expected to undo 48 individual bolts just to brush the tubes?!
     

     
    I completed the model on the last day of 2017 so 2018 is clear for the next loco. This will be a Bury Goods 0-4-0, watch this space....!
  25. 5&9Models
    Well, it's been a useful fortnight in the sun, took some plans, Plastikard, tools etc with me and have managed to almost complete the masters for three new kits. In the pic attached is a W.B.Adams luggage van with sledge brake 1850s, an SER open cattle van, and an 1840s London Brighton Railway enclosed second. The contrast in size between the cattle van and the second is ludicrous. I think the cattle had the better deal, at least they could stand up!
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