5&9Models

I thought as much, thank you. Will the layout be exhibited anywhere once it's finished? I'd love to see it, and I bet I'm not the only one! Chris

Absolutely stunning! Reading your blog always puts a smile on my face, it's such a pleasure to see such great work. Just one small question.....Do you have any plans to fill in the gap between the bottom of the station building and the platform? The building appears to be levitating.....! Chris

That really is lovely, beautifully modelled brickwork too. Well done! I've only just picked up on this blog but I'll be following it from now on that's for sure! Chris

Outstanding! And not a slug in sight, unlike my own garden.....! Very impressed indeed, well done!

Thanks Ian. I agree about the Cameo, unfortunately Bricklayers Arms in 1844 only had one 'goods' siding and that was for cattle wagons! However, there are plenty of opportunities in front of the goods shed with all those wagon turntables......

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.

Just a thought on the painting, I always use Humbrol paint applied with a brush. Humbrol satin varnish over matt is a good finish for coaches, not too dull and not too shiny. Stir it well though! Chris

I like the idea of that but I think they know me too well to pull that one off!

Nice work Ian, As you know, I'm rather partial to the London & Croydon blue! Regards, Chris

One more arty black and white shot!

Thank you. Lots of research and loads of work! There are some days when I wonder if I've bitten off more than I can chew, but the 175th anniversary of the opening of Bricklayers Arms is in 2019 so it gives me another three years to get it done which makes me feel better!

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!

Do you have a copy of 'Railways and the Victorian Imagination' by Michael Freeman? My copy arrived today so I've only had a chance to flick through but I can report that it has a lot of great illustrations. Plenty to inspire when it comes to capturing the ambiance of an 1840s railway. Chris

I have the Thomas book and recall laughing with incredulity at the description of the poor rope mens work! As the station on my Bricklayers Arms layout will sit against the back scene, I was considering making the four tracks under the station roof as a 'pull back' section so the first operator could fumble around forming a new train for departure whilst a second operator could distract the viewers with some action around the coke shed and turntable, or some shunting at the goods shed. It will either work well or be a comedy of errors! Incidentally, I hope to be making some kits for Birmingham & Gloucester goods wagons over the summer holidays. They'll be 4mm scale but once you've fitted smaller HO wheel sets they might be useful for you? I'll keep you posted. Chris

Fascinating stuff Ian! Your explanation of early practice regarding solutions to train formation within the confines of the station is interesting. At Bricklayers Arms the carriages were pulled as far as the 'Ticket Platform' which was outside the station itself. The loco was detached and driven to the coke shed to be re-fuelled and turned whilst all the tickets were inspected. The engine then returned (or a new loco rostered) to the rear of the train to push it into the station where passengers were allowed to alight. Carriages were then hand shunted over to the departure platform using small turntables at each end of the concourse and the train re-arranged for collection perhaps mixed with different carriages from the massive carriage shed. This must have been an immensely time consuming and exhausting procedure and all because engines were not allowed into the station. I haven't worked out exactly how I'm going to reproduce this ludicrous activity at exhibition but I'm working on it! Chris

Ah yes, my copy of Brees. If you go onto Abe Books website and type in Samuel Charles Brees 'Railway Practice', you get 94 results! The first page or so is all Ebooks but as you scroll down you get printed versions on offer. They all seem to come from Dehli in India, takes about 3 weeks. The print quality is not first class but it's perfectly acceptable for reference. Lots of them are individual volumes but somewhere in there you can get the whole 1-4 bound into one book like a telephone directory for about £20.00. It's quite handy to have the paper version for reference, mine is full of post it notes! Thank you for reminding me about the Birmingham & Gloucester wagons in Wishaw. I'm struggling with wagons for BA and might have to plump for some London & Birmingham and perhaps the B&G stock as representative, if somewhat foreign rolling stock for a railway south of the Thames! Regards, Chris

Hi Ian, I have to agree with you, I think my claim 'to the top of the rails' is a bit excessive. Have you read any of Samuel Charles Brees four volumes on 'Railway Practice'? A really good reference for early methods of construction for just about every aspect of railway engineering from tracks and turntables to bridges, buildings, rolling stock and a few locos too. I have all four in print and all the illustrations in PDF format so I'm happy to look up anything you want anytime. I would add T. T. Bury to the list of early illustrators of railways, again pretty accurate for the time. I'm laying my 1844 Bricklayers Arms layout in flexitrack but considering a fine piercing saw slot in the top half of the rail (the exposed bit) at regular relevant distances, (or I might just ignore it). Haven't decided yet! All power to your elbow though, I'll be checking your blog on a regular basis, great stuff! Regards, Chris

Enjoying the progress on this blog very much, lovely to see the 1840s being tackled. However, I can't help thinking that in the 1840s the track work was always filled (ballasted) up to rail top level so surely any fishplates etc would be obscured? Chris

Perhaps you mean where was it? There was indeed an incline on the London & Croydon Railway of 1 in 100 stretching 2 - 3/4 miles from New Cross to Forest Hill. Just as there was an incline on the London & Birmingham Railway out of Euston. The inclined section on the London & Birmingham had to be rope hauled, but this was as much to do with an act of Parliament which did not allow engines nearer London than Camden Town. This practice ceased mid 1844.

The construction of Rennie's 'Croydon' banking loco for the New Cross incline continues. Last night's milestone was managing to shoe horn a Portescap RG4 into the very limited space available. Next job will be to make the sub assembly of footplate/outside frames and cylinders. Mrs Rennie looks on wondering just who her husband expects to be polishing all that copper!

Hi Ian, Thanks for the comments. Full details of the building will be in the next Digest by Eric. Not much to show of the layout yet, baseboards are nearly done though. I'm tackling locos and stock at the same time, a sort of spinning plates trick! I'll post more as and when it gets done. Cheers, Chris

Finally completed the first building for Bricklayers Arms. The 'Coke Depot and reservoir for feeding engines' as described in 1844. More images available in my gallery.

Just completed my SER 1864 coal wagon kit in 4mm. Fiddly but fun hand lettering, the font is very forgiving!

Probably, although happy to take advance orders.....

Just finished the undercoat on one of my new kits; South Eastern Railway open cattle wagon. Next a coat of red, black ironwork and a generous splash of limewash to keep the foot & mouth at bay!