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  1. 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!
  2. 5&9Models
    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.....!

  3. 5&9Models
    Over the few years I've been a member of RMWeb, I seem to have erroneously created several blogs. My clumsy grasp of computers has been a bit frustrating as I never know where I've posted and have a horrible habit of posting new material on the wrong blog and so on. Therefore a little bit of belated Spring Cleaning is required and I have copied the info from my previous 'George England 2-2-2' blog to this one so that I can have it all in the right place. So, apologies to those who have read the first bit before and I hope that the new material is sufficiently interesting to make up for it!
     
    The Railway Chronicle for December 16th 1848, carries an article on 'a specimen of a light locomotive, called the 'Little England', which, with its tender on the same frame, will work the ordinary stock of a company. The 'Little England' and tender weigh together when roadworthy 9 tons 5 cwt. It has a 7-in. cylinder, a 12-in. stroke, and 4 ft. 6 in. driving wheels. The diameter of the leading trailing wheels is 3ft. The distance between the extreme centres is 14ft.'  The article goes on to describe the journey from New Cross to Brighton station with three first-class carriages containing 31 persons of note. Its sprightly performance was much praised and George England went on to produce several versions at his Hatcham Iron Works just off the Old Kent Road.
     
    In the Summer of 1849, George made his first sale of his little 2-2-2 engine to the Dundee, Perth & Aberdeen Railway. Before the year was out, a further example (named Dwarf) went to the London & Blackwall, and the following year six more were sent to a variety of destinations. Of these, three (named England, Samson and Hercules) went to the L&B, one (also named England) travelled north to the Edinburgh & Glasgow and another to the Liverpool, Crosby & Southport Rly. A further locomotive (named Little England) was prepared for the Great Exhibition, becoming exhibit no.509 and receiving a Gold Medal for it's efforts.
     
    A charming contemporary illustration apparently shows 'Little England' and is probably the Great Exhibition engine with a wheelbase of 15ft. Clark also illustrated one of George's engines with a 12ft. 6in. wheelbase, so there were different versions along the same theme sometimes with the same name. Finally, a photograph of 'Dwarf' on the Sandy & Potton confirms the 15ft wheelbase version.
     
    The aforementioned etches provide a good basis for what is essentially a scratch build. Motorising such a tiny loco is always a challenge and I chose to hide an H&S mini motor in the bunker and drop the gears down under the footplate, up into the firebox, to a 40:1 worm and pinion on the driving axle. The gears themselves were robbed from an old toy engine from my childrens wooden train set, (don't worry, the motor was burned out beyond redemption - I'm not that mean)! It all seems to run very sweetly and does the job at a total of 90:1. I'm going with the 15ft wheelbase for my model although I'd like it to be 14ft to represent the original 'Little England' I can't face 'cutting and shutting' the etches and it's not obvious where to loose the 4mm without making it look very odd indeed. I suspect I would need to steel 2mm from behind the drivers somewhere and 2mm in front which is just too much hassle!
     
    I appreciate this little locomotive has graced the pages of RMweb before thanks to the excellent contribution by chris p bacon, however, thanks to the aforementioned gent sending me a set of etches to aid the scratch building of my own attempt, I thought I'd share the progress here. 
     
    The Railway Chronicle for December 16th 1848, carries an article on 'a specimen of a light locomotive, called the 'Little England', which, with its tender on the same frame, will work the ordinary stock of a company. The 'Little England' and tender weigh together when roadworthy 9 tons 5 cwt. It has a 7-in. cylinder, a 12-in. stroke, and 4 ft. 6 in. driving wheels. The diameter of the leading trailing wheels is 3ft. The distance between the extreme centres is 14ft.'  The article goes on to describe the journey from New Cross to Brighton station with three first-class carriages containing 31 persons of note. Its sprightly performance was much praised and George England went on to produce several versions at his Hatcham Iron Works just off the Old Kent Road.
     
    In the Summer of 1849, George made his first sale of his little 2-2-2 engine to the Dundee, Perth & Aberdeen Railway. Before the year was out, a further example (named Dwarf) went to the London & Blackwall, and the following year six more were sent to a variety of destinations. Of these, three (named England, Samson and Hercules) went to the L&B, one (also named England) travelled north to the Edinburgh & Glasgow and another to the L.C&S.Rly. (although what that stands for I'm not sure - help me out someone)! A further locomotive (named Little England) was prepared for the Great Exhibiton, becoming exhibit no.509.
     
    A charming contemporary illustration apparently shows 'Little England' and is probably the Great Exhibition engine with a wheelbase of 15ft. Clark also illustrated one of George's engines with a 12ft. 6in. wheelbase, so there were different versions along the same theme sometimes with the same name. Finally, a photograph of 'Dwarf' on the Sandy & Potton confirms the 15ft wheelbase version.
     
    The aforementioned etches provided a good basis for what was essentially a scratch build. Motorising such a tiny loco is always a challenge and I chose to hide an H&S mini motor in the bunker and drop the gears down under the footplate, up into the firebox, to a 40:1 worm and pinion on the driving axle. The gears themselves were robbed from an old toy engine from my childrens wooden train set, (don't worry, the motor was burned out beyond redemption - I'm not that mean)! It all seems to run very sweetly and does the job at a total of 90:1. I'm going with the 15ft wheelbase for my model although I'd like it to be 14ft to represent the original 'Little England' I can't face 'cutting and shutting' the etches and it's not obvious where to loose the 4mm without making it look very odd indeed. I suspect I would need to steel 2mm from behind the drivers somewhere and 2mm in front which is just too much hassle!
     

     
    Having cobbled together a working gearbox the rest of the loco could be built up. It's a combination of etches and bits of brass and nickel silver. The copper firebox top, dome, chimney and other round parts were turned up on the lathe, an essential tool when modelling engines of this period as one can certainly never expect to find the correct size and shape from proprietary sources.
     

     
    The final chassis has wiper pick-ups to the leading and driving wheels, but the trailing wheels had to be cast from resin. An issue I hadn't foreseen was that the usual steel-tyred wheels ran so close to the sides of the motor that all they wanted to do was stick to it. The only solution was to make them from plastic and the resulting wheels work just fine... thankfully!
     

    Facing right.
     

    Facing Left, and not quite on the rails...!
     

     

     

     

     
  4. 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.
     
  5. 5&9Models

    In a stable condition...

    By 5&9Models,


    Stables for Bricklayers Arms
    I hesitate to call this 'Bricklayers Arms Stables' because that's not what they are. However, they are the stables for Bricklayers Arms which is confusing I know but I'll explain.
     
    Whilst Bricklayers Arms station building, goods shed, carriage and loco sheds and coke depot are recorded (some photographically, others as outline drawings) the original 1844 stable block is not.
    There appears to be no record at all of its appearance. Therefore I have chosen to model the 1856 stables at Camden (because I like them) and position them in a relatively useful position behind the cattle yard to form an interesting backdrop to what would otherwise be a rather dull open space. Much of these stables still exist and form part of the famous stables market which makes it easier to model as reference can be easily made to the buildings. I am indebted to a good friend who braved the elements on a freezing February day just before Lockdown to take some invaluable photographs for me.
     
    Since there were several identical 'bays' to produce I chose to model one and use it as a master to cast duplicates in resin and stitch them all together to form the full block. The cart lodge and office at the eastern end was constructed in the same way but not used as a master as only one was required.
     

     
    Cutting the masters from embossed styrene sheet.
     

     
    Completed masters.
     

     
    Rubber mould with resin casting.
     

     
    The kit of resin castings.
     

     
    Bit of a jump but this is the assembled resin castings primed and in the process of having roof slates applied, (card strips on double sided sticky tape).
     

     
    Another jump to the finished article. I really am rubbish at taking photos as I go!
     

     
    The rat catcher calls...
     

     

     
    Arty black and white shot to finish.
     
     
     
     
     
  6. 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.





  7. 5&9Models

    Merry Christmas everyone!

    By 5&9Models,


    Merry Christmas everyone!
    ‘Reflect upon your present blessings... not your past misfortunes ... fill your glass again, with a merry face and contented heart. Our life on it, but your Christmas shall be Merry, and your New Year a happy one!’
    Sketches by Boz, Charles Dickens.

  8. 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...!
     

  9. 5&9Models

    Tartan paint !

    By 5&9Models,


    Tartan Paint
    Continuing the theme with some ModelU 3D printed figures, I've been experimenting with 'Tartan paint'.
     
    Seems to work quite well on Rose's shawl as she has it out with Charlotte over some recent unladylike behaviour. I mean really! What is she doing out in the street without her bonnet on? Disgraceful!
     

     
     

     

     
    Apologies for the horrible model makers fingers!
     

     

  10. 5&9Models

    L&BR OCT etc.

    By 5&9Models,

    Why is it I always seem to build rolling stock in threes, does anyone else have this quirk?
     
    Firstly I completed my Norwich & Brandon Railway corn wagon kit. This one was from a lovely drawing in the HMRS collection of a frankly very rare beastie. An act of parliament authorising the construction of the N&BR was passed on 10th May 1844. The contractors were Grissell & Peto, consultant engineers Robert Stephenson and George Parker Bidder. Officially opened on 29th July 1845 the railway had already lost its title to the Norfolk Railway following a merger with the Yarmouth & Norwich Railway a month earlier. In the meantime the Eastern Counties Railway was making great progress and eventually swallowed up the NR in 1848, the assortment of Eastern Counties lines amalgamating to form the Great Eastern Railway in 1862. Thanks to Simon Turner for making the excellent masters for this and the next two kits as well.
     

     
    The second is a Midland Railway end door goods wagon of 1847. The drawing reputedly originated from Derby works and is dated 1847 but beyond that we know very little. The wagon is certainly typical for the period with wooden head buffers, a simple drop lever wooden brake and doors in one end pointing to a period when wagon turntables were plentiful and turning such a vehicle before or after loading was commonplace. Often loads would be sheeted over and the high round ends provide support for a canvas.
     

     
    The third is a little different, an open carriage truck of the London & Birmingham Railway. This one has a delivery to make, a cabriolet by James Braby of Lambeth to his 1837 patent no.7279. The patent document shows several vehicles including a very charming omnibus, Shillibeer style, which I may well be tempted to model at some point. Braby started out as a road carriage builder but found himself drawn into railway carriage building like many of his contemporaries and supplied several early railways with carriages.
     

     

     

     
    They're photographed at Bricklayers Arms. Please don't ask how on earth they came to be south of the Thames in 1845...!
     
    Now I have to find three more things to make!
     
     
  11. 5&9Models
    I had a chance (or was it that I finally got around to it?) to finish these three, two for the GNR and one little wagon with no owner (hashtag sad face).
     
    The first two are the Horsebox and Open Carriage Truck designed by Archibald Sturrock and built by Joseph Wright for the Great Northern Railway. Horses were conveyed in this box three abreast with their heads in the overhanging section above one of the dog-boxes. Hinged removable partitions separated the horses, and left the animals a width space of not much more than 2ft, quite a squeeze. The livestock conveyed in the dog-boxes themselves require no further explanation, although in the absence of suitable canines, they may have been used to carry extra feed or even tack. Almost identical horseboxes were made in 1855 for the New South Wales Railway. Fortunately a very clear photograph of one of these exists, providing a good general impression of the appearance. These boxes had two extra vertical ribs on the outside framing at one end. The vents in the side doors were also more generous but perhaps that is a reflection of the warmer climate for which they were destined. A simple wooden brake and lever is also evident on the NSW version but such a fitting was almost certainly not on the vehicles supplied to British lines. These would have had no brakes at all, requiring a scotch block or bar when stationary. Horseboxes of this pattern were built for other lines but evidence is sketchy. Photographs suggest that the first horseboxes for the LCDR were to this design and possibly the SER as well, although that might just be my own wishful thinking! The jury is out on colour, some say varnished teak, others say painted brown, I've gone for brown. The same applies for the OCT, a good photo of the NSW version also exists.
     

     

     
    The little wagon below is something of a mystery, it was built by Smith & Willey of Liverpool but it is not known if this was for a specific customer or if this was simply a 'stock' design for anyone who required such a sturdy little general purpose wagon. Early details of this company are sketchy, however Smith & Willey were operating from their Edge Hill & Windsor Foundry at Smithdown Lane, Liverpool from the mid 1830s. It was gutted by fire around Christmas 1845 but restored, and by 1847 the arrival of the iron merchant John Finch brought much needed capital. Further works were established at Seville Place in Dublin as The Irish Engineering Company. In 1849 the retirement of Henry Smith caused the partnership to be dissolved and henceforth it was known as Finch & Willey. The firm continued to enjoy some success supplying a wide variety of ironwork and machinery, railway trucks, wagons and carriages but by 1851 the company was in such financial difficulty that a stock sale was held and the business much reduced. However, the company were able to claim some fame in the construction of a bridge designed by I. K. Brunel to carry the South Wales Railway over the river Wye at Chepstow, a model of which was exhibited at the Great Exhibiton of 1851. The Seville Works also supplied the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway in excess of 800 tons of ironwork for the extension of their station at London Bridge. Final closure and sale of the remaining plant and premises in Liverpool came in 1853, but the Irish side of the business continued. By 1860 the works had turned their hand to the manufacture of bedsteads and an advertisement of 1863 once again promotes wagons and rolling stock to be built both in Dublin and at Goswell St., London. Who knows what colour they might have been, I was in a SER mood so it ended up red.
     

  12. 5&9Models
    Just to demonstrate how much better the well-to-do had it in the mid 19th century, these three 1st class carriages would have conveyed the wealthier passenger, often with their own road carriage on a truck and their horses in a box at the end of the train.
     
    The first is a coupe carriage of the London & Brighton Railway. An extra fee was charged on top of the first class fare for those who wished to travel in the end compartments. This was more for privacy than the view (and if running behind the engine then privacy went out the window anyway as the driver and fireman would have a pretty good view in)!
     
    The second is a more standard three compartment first from the London & Brighton and the third is a conjectural kit-bash to represent a first of the London & Croydon Railway. We don't know exactly what these looked like but this was made from three compartments of the coupe carriage and is probably not far off what might have been.




  13. 5&9Models
    In 1850 (or thereabouts) the LB&SCR under the direction of J. C. Craven constructed some very large open thirds on a 13ft wheelbase. These carriages were essentially enlarged versions of the little 7ft 6in wheelbase open carriages of the early 1840s with their distinctive outside framing. The Brighton did not appear to be in any great rush to provide more comfortable accommodation for their third class passengers but gradually these opens appeared with roofs, some with individual pillars in line with the seat backs, and some with more dainty wrought iron supports. 
     
    A braked version also appeared with a guards compartment and lantern lookout at one end, and in some cases a luggage compartment at the other. 
     
    A fully enclosed second with the same familiar framing provided a bit more comfort. 
     
    In the meantime the mid 1850s first class passenger could travel in luxury in one of Mr Cravens very modern six wheel carriages. The keen eyed observer will note the oval roundel. This is wrong, it should be round but I scratchbuilt this carriage about 15 years ago and have never quite got around to changing it. I really must get around to making that braked version of the open-sided third too!





  14. 5&9Models

    Livestock stock

    By 5&9Models,

    A short entry to illustrate two different approaches to cattle wagon design, and how much cosier horses had it!
     
    The first constructed by Charles Cave Williams c.1851-52 for the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway who numbered them 1751-1790. They were well made vehicles and in some cases saw a good twenty years of service, but when William Stroudley took office he introduced his own design and by the 1880s they were being broken up and replaced. All had apparently gone by 1884. The copious use of lime wash was to disinfect the wagons and prevent the spread of disease between cattle.
     
    The second is the South Eastern Railway's version dating from c.1854. Probably built by Brown Marshall initially without a roof but later received some cover for the livestock. The BM wagons were numbered 1826-37 and lasted for a similar period to the Brighton versions. This one could do with a good lime washing.
     
    The third is the dinky little horse box of the LB&SCR and in fact the SER too, since their early horse boxes were almost identical. Some had extra diagonal bracing on the outer two panels of the lower half of one end, possibly to prevent distressed horses shoving their hooves through the boards, such incidents do not really bear thinking about! The boxes were for three horses and are quite similar to the GNR and LCDR versions except for the fact they do not have dog boxes either end. I will post a picture of the GNR version for comparison when I finished painting it.
     
    The first two are my own kits, the third a lovely old Woodham Wagon Works kit. 



  15. 5&9Models
    I'm beginning to feel like a bus,  I don't post anything for ages then a string of posts one after the other. I'm keeping the posts minimal to provide a bit of bite sized interest and to avoid boring you all with the same background for all the photos. Please bear with me, it's all I've got at the moment!
     
    A few images of some early London & Brighton Railway stock. The open sided second coupe break (surely far too many titles for such a basic vehicle?) appears to be waiting for an engine of some description. The conductor (that's what they were called in those days) remains calm but his patience is wearing thin! The carriage lacks a few passengers, or perhaps the weather is so good they've all booked an open third, which conveniently leads on to the second picture. The third pic shows the roofed version of the same open third and there is an enclosed second version too, although I haven't photographed it yet. Perhaps a little job for this weekend. 
     



  16. 5&9Models
    Ok folks, here’s a little challenge.
     
    How many of you still have your very first scratch build from all those years ago that you could dust off and post on RMweb?
     
    I’m prepared to start things off with my little GWR saddle tank made from balsa wood well over forty years ago. It doesn’t even have wheels, just dowel rollers hence the need for the 25ton machinery wagon. I couldn’t tell you how old I was when I made it but it would definitely have been single figures. I’m surprised at the hand lettering given the quality of the rest of it!
     
    I’d love to see what other ‘first efforts’ might be tucked away in a box somewhere. Come on, be brave!


  17. 5&9Models
    Another vehicle to add to the London & Birmingham Railway layout I will never have! However, that’s never an excuse not to make a model of whatever you fancy is it?

    This little van is from a drawing by Joseph Wright of a water ballasted ‘break waggon’ pre1845. The drawing gives his London address which makes it a very early vehicle, so just right for Bricklayers Arms (if it wasn’t for the fact that it’s for completely the wrong railway), but let’s not worry about that.
     
    Excellent masters (as always) by Simon Turner and cast as a kit. Went together well so I might just have to make another one...


  18. 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.
     



     
  19. 5&9Models
    I’ve wanted one of these for ages so I’m pleased to be able to complete this tiny L&BR horsebox this weekend.
     
    The excellent masters were made by Simon Turner from a drawing published in Samuel Brees’ magnum opus. The kit is very simple and went together well. 
     
    Also took the opportunity to photograph a couple of other ‘bits’, my 0-4-2 banking engine, again from a drawing in Brees who claims it to be ‘Hercules’ of the London & Croydon railway. Unfortunately we now know this to be cobblers as ‘Hercules’ was a 2-2-2 by Rennie looking very similar to Sharps locos of the period. This engine looks rather too continental to be a British engine, but all the more interesting for the mystery surrounding it’s origins. Runs very sweetly thanks to the Portescap squeezed up front, and is one of my favourites.
     
    The SER coffee pot loco pulling a load of London & Croydon Railway atmospheric tubes was cast at Ashford and constructed at Bricklayers Arms where it served as a shunter. It’s a bit late for my period at BA but I couldn’t resist it. After all, it’s more relevant than the London & Birmingham stock which we can be absolutely sure never ventured south of the Thames in the 1840s!



  20. 5&9Models
    Thanks to some great work by Simon Turner who has been supplying me with excellent masters, I have managed to start to add a few new kits to the range.
     
    They’re not ready yet but we’re up to the primer stage with the GNR horsebox, GNR open carriage truck and a general purpose 2 plank wagon by Smith & Willey of Liverpool c. 1845.
     
    A London & Birmingham Railway horsebox is in the final stages and I’ve a L&BR ‘break waggon’ to build as well.
     
    I have been told that masters for a L&BR open carriage truck will be in the post soon to go with the horsebox. It seems I need to order more rubber...again!
     
     


  21. 5&9Models
    I appreciate this little locomotive has graced the pages of RMweb before thanks to the excellent contribution by chris p bacon, however, thanks to the aforementioned gent sending me a set of etches to aid the scratch building of my own attempt, I thought I'd share the progress here. 
     
    The Railway Chronicle for December 16th 1848, carries an article on 'a specimen of a light locomotive, called the 'Little England', which, with its tender on the same frame, will work the ordinary stock of a company. The 'Little England' and tender weigh together when roadworthy 9 tons 5 cwt. It has a 7-in. cylinder, a 12-in. stroke, and 4 ft. 6 in. driving wheels. The diameter of the leading trailing wheels is 3ft. The distance between the extreme centres is 14ft.'  The article goes on to describe the journey from New Cross to Brighton station with three first-class carriages containing 31 persons of note. Its sprightly performance was much praised and George England went on to produce several versions at his Hatcham Iron Works just off the Old Kent Road.
     
    In the Summer of 1849, George made his first sale of his little 2-2-2 engine to the Dundee, Perth & Aberdeen Railway. Before the year was out, a further example (named Dwarf) went to the London & Blackwall, and the following year six more were sent to a variety of destinations. Of these, three (named England, Samson and Hercules) went to the L&B, one (also named England) travelled north to the Edinburgh & Glasgow and another to the L.C&S.Rly. (although what that stands for I'm not sure - help me out someone)! A further locomotive (named Little England) was prepared for the Great Exhibiton, becoming exhibit no.509.
     
    A charming contemporary illustration apparently shows 'Little England' and is probably the Great Exhibition engine with a wheelbase of 15ft. Clark also illustrated one of George's engines with a 12ft. 6in. wheelbase, so there were different versions along the same theme sometimes with the same name. Finally, a photograph of 'Dwarf' on the Sandy & Potton confirms the 15ft wheelbase version.
     
    The aforementioned etches provide a good basis for what is essentially a scratch build. Motorising such a tiny loco is always a challenge and I chose to hide an H&S mini motor in the bunker and drop the gears down under the footplate, up into the firebox, to a 40:1 worm and pinion on the driving axle. The gears themselves were robbed from an old toy engine from my childrens wooden train set, (don't worry, the motor was burned out beyond redemption - I'm not that mean)! It all seems to run very sweetly and does the job at a total of 90:1. I'm going with the 15ft wheelbase for my model although I'd like it to be 14ft to represent the original 'Little England' I can't face 'cutting and shutting' the etches and it's not obvious where to loose the 4mm without making it look very odd indeed. I suspect I would need to steel 2mm from behind the drivers somewhere and 2mm in front which is just too much hassle!
     
    I've assembled the boiler and firebox, lathe turned the necessary round bits, and am now starting out on the rest of the chassis and bodywork. More to follow in the next post.
     




  22. 5&9Models
    A bit of fun in the garden today trying to find an area that had a bit of natural light, not too shady, and with a bit of sky in the background. Not easy, and I was a bit concerned at one point the diorama was going to blow away! However, a few photos taken on my phone (since I don’t have a fancy camera) which seemed to have come out ok. Really must leave this lit alone now and move on to completing the bridge and making the stables.





  23. 5&9Models

    Greyhound Place

    By 5&9Models,

    I think I have finally completed the buildings at Greyhound Place, Bermondsey. This is the collection of buildings next to the Greyhound Pub at the Eastern end of Bricklayers Arms c1845. I've slightly tweaked the date of the layout by a year as I want things to show signs of settling in, and it allows a bit more artistic licence when it comes to the rolling stock.
     
    These images show the back yards, there are only a couple of children to add and a few bits of general domestic 'stuff' then we're about done. A couple of tin baths would look about right, and maybe a basket of more washing, although I have to admit, I don't think the maid at no.3 has done a very good job!
     
    The next step is to complete the Greyhound Bridge and then move west with the cattle yard and stables.
     
    I'll post some pictures of the fronts once I've given No.7 a front step.
     
     






  24. 5&9Models

    The Greyhound

    By 5&9Models,

    A bit of history
     
    The earliest record of a tenant in The Greyhound public house was a Mary Stiff in 1822. The Upper Grange Road (now Dunton Road) Bermondsey was likely a relatively quiet lane leading off the Kent Road before the arrival of the Bricklayers Arms Extension Railway in 1843/4. At first it was suggested that the railway should cross the road on the level, but the contractors Grissell & Peto constructed a bridge to carry the road over the four running lines. The inconvenience to the occupants of the Greyhound and the neighbouring houses in Greyhound Place is well recorded in the Committee Minutes of the BAER held in the National Archives at Kew. Significant amounts of compensation was paid out for the inconvenience of having a large brick structure right outside the front of the dwellings. The owner of the Greyhound, William Rolls received £2310, a huge sum in 1844. The tenant at this time was William James Peirse and his four daughters.
     
    The Greyhound itself was significantly altered as a result of the rising road in front of it and the public rooms were moved up to the first floor on a level with the new road. Thankfully one photograph exists taken at the end of the 19th century which just about shows this unusual arrangement. Access to the six houses further along was via a walkway underneath the frontage.
     
    The model
     
    The basic shell of the building is in 3mm perspex which I find very robust and resistant to warping over time. Brickwork is embossed styrene, windows in clear styrene with fine strips of styrene overlaid to produce the window frame. The sash windows at the back actually work, a completely unnecessary indulgence! It is not known what the back yard looked like. An aerial photograph taken in the 1930s gives a rough idea but it is so indistinct as to be of no real help. I added a stable block which is rather unlikely but in studying the history of the Greyhound and it's tenant W. J. Peirse, who left the tenancy in his will "to my four dear daughters", I grew rather fond of him and thought he deserved such a luxury.
     
    The figures are from scratch, perhaps William's eldest daughter Martha is telling the potman just how queer the rocking motion of the carriages on the new railway made her feel on her recent trip to Croydon. The yard surface is decorating filler with the cobbles scratched in. There are further buildings to come, particularly those of Greyhound Place, and of course the Upper Grange Road Bridge itself which is in the process of construction.
     


  25. 5&9Models

    Tonight I made a chair.

    By 5&9Models,

    Once the children were safely tucked up in bed and with an unexpected hour to spare and not really fancying tackling anything big, I decided to make a chair. Scrap brass for the seat, a bit of wire, some solder and a lick of paint.
     

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