RedGemAlchemist

Maybe it's because we mentioned railway museums, even if it wasn't the one at York but the one at Bressingham. You will thus be given benefit of the doubt. Either way, both you and I kind of had a brain fart there.

Looking forward to seeing the end result Tony. The start you've made looks very promising.

Hmm, interesting. I wasn't aware this even existed. EDIT: Just seen runs as required's edit. Wow. This is awkward, especially after later events. Please ignore the next couple of my posts.

Wish the same could be said for a bl**dy Hornby L&Y Pug... And yeah. While for me it doesn't totally matter if the overall end result looks good, sem isn't working freelance so accuracy is kind of important.

Wow. That is one heck of a size difference! Yeah. That's the case with Hornby and Oxford in general though isn't it?

Hi. Been following this thread for a while. Just want to say all your models look fantastic. I want to invest in a laser cutter and a 3D printer now... if I had the money that is of course. Keep up the excellent work

Almost definitely. Right then, I have some things to say then, being someone who works entirely in freelance territory. Sounds good. You've done an excellent job working everything out, sem. Admittedly I've been working more to the Colonel Stephens mentality with my own Kelsby Light Railway but I like it. Also, I love the Manning Wardle tanks. I'll have to have a look at Shapeways when I get my next paycheck... Very nice little loco. Actually that brings up an interesting but slightly off topic point - has anyone noticed how many foreign locomotives are on our heritage railways? Not complaining, just find it interesting how that ended up.

Very much my sort of engine. Also, how the hell did I miss this thread?

Used to go there all the time as a kid. 68633 is one of the major inspirations for me using the GER design philosophy in my work. That and it being local.

Anyway, back on track, pun intended. Alnerwick so far. All that's been added is that little siding opposite the goods yard. Anyone think of anything I might need to add?

No.6 "Wanderer" Wanderer is very much an outcast amongst the KLR fleet. While the KLR's other locomotives are either privately made ones from various small lines that sold their stock, specially made by private companies for the KLR, or reworked locomotives pawned off to them by the LNER, Wanderer is not only none of those things but is not even from Norfolk! Wanderer is a GWR 4800 class 0-4-2 branch tank originally numbered 4875. The story of how Wanderer ended up on the KLR is probably the biggest scandal in the history of the railway. During the late 1930s and early 1940s the railway was having an issue with motive power as many of their older locomotives were becoming run down and stopping working, and many of them were scrapped. Thus, the CME at the time, who was known for not being a particularly scrupulous individual, purchased several locomotives through illegal backroom deals, and Wanderer was one of them, being purchased in 1938 and smuggled to the KLR from Swindon. The CME in question, James Donaldson, was eventually discovered in 1942, arrested on charges of corporate espionage, theft and tax evasion, and spent the remaining 6 years of his life in prison before dying of a stroke. However, while the rest of the locomotives were returned to their rightful owners, Robert Horne and the GWR for unknown reasons allowed the KLR to keep 4875. It was then painted in KLR black, and given the name Wanderer (reflecting its history of "going walkabout") and the number 6, going by KLR custom of reusing numbers of locomotives no longer in service. And it has remained at the KLR ever since, working on a rota for passenger work with Bulldog and Wild Rover.

Some more lore for you guys! No.5 "Geoffrey Lake" Built by the North British Locomotive Company as one half of a pair of locomotives for the same railway as Mastodon, Geoffrey Lake (originally just No.17) was built in 1930 as an attempt by that railway's head of copying the LBSCR's E2 class tank engines. It was used as a heavy shunter and also for running light passenger services before that line closed down. Like Mastodon, it arrived on the KLR in 1947 and immediately caught the attention of the 14-year-old Emily Bradleigh, the youngest daughter of the Bradleigh household (and later CME of the KLR from 1973 - 1996) who convinced her father, then CEO of the KLR Edward, the 4th Baronet Bradleigh, to purchase the two after their trial. Its name comes from Emily's maternal grandfather, who'd helped keep the railway open during the Great War by assisting the 3rd Baronet financially. Geoffrey Lake is, by all intents and purposes, a rather generic 0-6-0 mixed-traffic tank engine. While not especially powerful it is reliable and is very much the railway's "jack of all trades" locomotive, often running as a backup engine in case of emergencies or during days with particularly heavy traffic.

Wow. Been a while since I've seen a St. Trinian's cartoon anywhere...

Thanks. I've been working on writing up histories for the other two locomotives I have at this time as well.

Agreed. As someone who has had his own Black Dogs to try and leash in the past let me say it's good to know you're nearing the other side.

Anyway, I have some free time to hand so let's update some lore. No.4 "Mastodon" Built by Hudswell Clarke for a colliery line in Wales, Mastodon was built in 1929 and was originally unnamed, just numbered as No.12. It spent years running along a line at the bottom of a valley, running dozens of coal wagons up and down the line, before being sold when the line closed in 1946 when the mine became too costly to keep open (the Berkham Museum has several photos of it hauling massive lines of loaded coal wagons along its old line). It, along with No.5 Geoffrey Lake (which originates from the same railway) arrived in 1947 on the KLR and the two locomotives immediately caught the eye of the 4th Baronet's youngest child Emily who took an immediate liking to them. It was her that then convinced her father to purchase them for the KLR and they then stayed. Emily's other interest (that of prehistoric creatures) inspired Mastodon's name. The two engines have remained there ever since. Mastodon is not an engine that will be winning any beauty contests. It is a monstrous engine, compact but gigantic, with the highest boiler pressure and largest boiler of any of the KLR's locomotives despite a wheelbase the same size as that of Geoffrey Lake. It towers over the other tank engines on the line, sitting high on its chassis (a trait shared by Geoffrey Lake; the line had a slightly higher than average running plate height for some reason) with low cylinders that almost scrape the ground and a very long cab which for some reason contains the entire of Mastodon's firebox. However, what it lacks in grace it makes up for in torque. Mastodon is almost surreal in its sheer pulling power, outperforming every single other loco on the KLR in haulage tests. Its high boiler pressure, massive weight and slow speed grant it strength that outweighs the KLR's other goods locos by a clear margin and even some heavy goods locomotives twice its size! To this end, it performs a similar task today that it did in its old stomping ground: it can usually be found hauling wagons of gravel and other aggregates from Alnerwick Quarry or returning empties to the Quarry for refilling. Mastodon was built as a beast of burden; it is only good at one thing, but that one thing it does very well.

My personal defence of myself in that situation would be to run away. Very, very fast.

I don't even have a line yet, so consider yourself lucky.

Does the Hornby Dublo starter tank count? In that case, my own No.4 Mastodon also deserves to be on here.

Makes me almost wish I had kids. But then again that would require a woman and my social anxiety has so far scared off any potential suitors. That aside, nice to see she takes an interest. Start 'em young! (Apologies for the belated reply)

Lots of delicious feedback I see! The door's that way, Ed. Aww, nice to see I have another fan! Yes, the breadknife. I'm working the barest of bones here, so improvisation is a good skill to have. Also, linking a tiny privately owned light railway in the middle of the Fens to ANYTHING is going to be hard, mate! But yeah, thanks. I've actually improvised a lot of this. The trick is to always keep an open mind and not have TOO strict a plan. That way you can easily work something that comes along and takes your fancy into your plan. To this end I never actually planned any of my locomotives bar Bulldog, Wild Rover and Wanderer. The difficulty I had with Mastodon and the difficulty I'm still having with Peter should make that clear. As someone who mainly uses GER building practice as their design manifesto, I fully approve of this!

And lo, Mastodon is complete. The body sits a bit high (no worse than Geoffrey Lake though) and the cylinders are very low indeed but I'm happy with it. It now sits atop the Spare Jinty's chassis, adorned with some of the cylinders and outside motion uax6 supplied me with, and it is still a colossus of a locomotive, especially compared to Bulldog, Geoffrey Lake and Wanderer, the KLR's other three tank engines at this time. The piston rods are separated from the coupling rods (despite not appearing like they are) - I used the tiny washers from the Airfix 2-6-2 chassis uax6 also gave me as the crankpins weren't long enough to facilitate the proper spacers. I do think this massive tank engine will look good hauling wagons of gravel and such along the KLR.

It's fine mate. Anyway, it now it looks like Mastodon may now have a chassis, namely a working Triang Jinty one with outside cylinders added. The hardest bit will be making the body fit properly.

Been fiddling around with some odds and ends. Having one of my days off early does have advantages. Noticed the tender connections for the two Lima drive tenders are the perfect height to use loops of hook and loop couplings to link them to unpowered chassis. Definitely gives me options...

Far from impossible unfortunately.