5&9Models

A very capable looking little engine, you've done a great job! Looking forward to the action shots!

What a stunning piece of work. Very well done indeed, a fantastic job which inspires me to pull my finger out and get on with Bricklayers Arms goods shed. A very useful and inspiring post - thank you!

A valid point I'm sure but resorting to the credit card is not an option when you're as foolish as I am in choosing to model the mid 1840s! Oh well, slowly , slowly catchy monkey!

Such rich quality! Beautiful modelling, thank you!

Great tip, thank you. They certainly have a lot more character than embossed Plastikard.

4mm scale and EM to boot - bravo! An absolutely fabulous piece of modelmaking, thank you for sharing it with us. Lovely setts and I particularly love the old workshop doors, I bet they've seen some craftsmanship pass through. I take it they're still on their original hinges.

As a little side project to my current 'bete noire', (that being a kit for some Eastern Counties jointed carriages; more of which later), I have found space in one of the moulds for a diminutive c1850 coal wagon by William Alexander Adams. Born in Chile, W. A. Adams joined his father William Bridges Adams at the age of 15 in his carriage works in Drury Lane, subsequently becoming a partner when the workshops moved to the new purpose built Fairfield Works at Bow. He left for Fox Henderson in 1846 but by the end of the year he joined in partnership with George Alcock establishing the Midland Works in Soho. The partnership was dissolved in 1850 but Adams continued the production of wagons, writing several papers on the improvement of 'railway carrying stock' championing the use of wrought iron frames over the more traditional timber. The distorting effects of concussion from the solid elm buffers and the comparatively high cost of repairs rendered them no better than their ubiquitous timber framed cousins. However, Adams had his fingers in many pies and his scheme of purchasing and leasing wagons under the Midland Wagon Co. was very successful. The wagon is a very straightforward cast white metal kit, the pinpoint bearings sit in the axle boxes which are part of the outside frame axle guards creating a rigid chassis. I toyed with the idea of an internal compensation unit but with such a small short wheelbase wagon it hardly merits the extra effort. The model runs perfectly well without compensation although with such short buffers the coupling hooks almost touch!

Great work Mike. It's always good to see early locos being tackled. They're never easy but the effort is always worth it. Really enjoying this project! Chris

That's lovely, you've done a great job.....too good for sheep! Chris

Thank you. I'm pleased you like the Digest. I think Eric does a great job, we are very lucky in the Brighton Circle. However I have to say that as a BGS member I think Canon Brian Arman does a wonderful job with the Broadsheet. The last edition was fantastic!

Thanks very much.

Thanks. The display base wil eventually be glued onto the layout as part of the goods yard at Bricklayers Arms.

Thanks, and you're welcome. As you say there's some lovely pre-grouping modelling on the Digest. A great bed time read!

Thank you.

The London & Croydon Railway ran it's first trains in 1839, and typically for Railways of that period with no facilities to build it's own locomotives, the L & C turned to established engineering companies. Some of them, G & J Rennie for example had reputations forged in other industries but we're nevertheless keen to exploit the rapidly growing demand for engines to run on the newly created iron road. Aside from a later locomotive Coryndon designed by John Chanter and built by Peter Borrie & Co. to research coal burning, the L & C's stable of eight locomotives came from only two manufacturers; the aforementioned G & J Rennie, and the Manchester firm of Sharp & Co. even at this early stage, Sharp's had settled on what could be termed a standard design. A compact and reliable 2-2-2 with a large distinctive brass dome to the front of the boiler and gracefully curved outside frames. A sturdy four wheel tender completed the ensemble, and these diminutive but effective engines provided the first motive power for a good number of railways both at home and abroad. No.5 was constructed by Sharp & Co. In 1839. Sporting 13" x 18" cylinders and 5' 6" driving wheels it weighed in at 13tons 13cwt, the makers number was 25. Initially working on the L & C it was included like all it's stablemates in the 1842 Joint Committee amalgamation to emerge later as South Eastern Railway No.5 after the dissolution in 1845. Two years later it was overhauled at Deptford (possibly receiving steel cladding to the boiler and improved tender brakes) and sent to work the Greenwich line. Further postings were made to the Tunbridge Wells branch and finally the Maidstone branch before being condemned and dismantled around 1859. Further details of the building of the model can be found in the latest Modellers Digest http://www.lbscr.org/Models/Journal/LBSCR-Modellers-Digest-5.pdf which I highly recommend. You will find many more excellent articles on some fascinating modelling projects. Read on.....!

Hear Hear!

Well, they rode quite smoothly apparently but only whilst they remained on the rails! The joint was rigid with only India rubber dampers at the ends of the solebars. Curves were negotiated in the hope that the elastic side play of the bow springs and the fact that the axleboxes effectively floated between two open links would be sufficient. Needless to say it wasn't and the carriages were separated after only a few years and re-sprung with a more conventional set up. Fascinating history. The smooth running of the model will be a bit of a challenge too! Chris

Having just finished London & Croydon Railway No.5 'London', (details to follow in another blog soon), I've turned my attention to a long standing ambition to make a kit of W. B. Adams jointed stock for the Eastern Counties Railway. It's early days but the ends are done and the two sides of the composite section are almost complete. There's still plenty to do and I have a friend kindly etching some elements of the fragile bow springs. I had hoped that these masters would be suitable for the North Kent stock on the SER but on closer inspection the panelling is different so I will just have to model those next....busy fingers! So here's the next installment. The masters for the composite are set into the Chavant. Unfortunately I couldn't fit everything in. There a couple more seat backs and a second end but these will go in the next mould together with the second class side. I did manage to squeeze in a few axleboxes and a wooden buffer for an Adams wagon which will be made in the next couple of months. The next stage is to mix up, de-gass and cast the first half mould. More pics and an explanation to follow.....

Just email me and I'll do what I can to help. There is a current price list and plenty planned for the future. The website is just used as a gallery for kits etc. I tend to use RMWeb for updates. 5&9models has a staff of one (me) cramming it into spare time here and there, but I always reply to emails and will do what I can. Hope that helps. Chris

That's delightful! As always you've captured the woodwork so well. What's next? Chris

Hi, If you would like to PM me off group I'll forward an up to date price list. I'd be pleased to help you with any rolling stock for your project. Unfortunately Jenny Lind is not available as a kit as such but I still have the mould and all my casting is done to order so it might be possible. I can also cast a kit for the Parliamentary coach in the original photo if required? Kind regards, Chris

Beautifully modelled. Well done. I particularly like the treatment of the timber cladding, it looks very realistic. Will you be adding any leaky gutters and down pipes? Chris

That's great, what a lovely loco and a very creative bit of recycling! There can't be too many examples of condensing tender engines? I wouldn't have thought the arrangement was very practical in practice? Chris

Thanks for a very useful post. There seems to be so many options when it comes to layout lighting. I've been thinking about solutions to light my own layout and this post has been very helpful, thank you. All the very best for the show, I'm sure your excellent work will be very well received and much admired! Chris

Hooray! You're the first person I know who also uses the little round motors from a CD player drawer. They're great little motors. I crammed one into my Jenny Lind tender and concocted a spur gear drive with the other gears that came out of an old Apple computer. Well done, I'd love to see some pics of that one please? Chris