RedGemAlchemist

Well, this is a thing. A Hackworth "Samson"-esque thing. The tender looks shoddy because I accidentally painted it blue rather than pine green. Oops. Also, I know the footplate is a little messy. I actually don't have anything to fill in the gaps at the moment, or anything precise enough to cut the boiler off without destroying the splashers or firebox. God I'm disorganised. Still, this is definitely a step in the right direction.

As a long time stalker of this thread it's nice to finally see my favourite of Awdry's characters start to take shape. Always had a soft spot for Edward.

The three other coal trucks are now painted. My collection of goods stock now contains five open wagons (I have a red Charringtons one from the old Hornby Railroad starter box upstairs which I've partially painted but want to keep the writing on so have kept half-painted, and a repainted Thomas one in a similar grey-and-bronze to the one on the right), a brown GWR van from the same Railroad box that I painted into a slightly different brown, and a grey brakevan, also from the same. Solid starting collection. Also, cat. Nyx likes watching me work at the moment for some reason.

Ah right. I just have plenty of bits of plastic tubing lying around as I work in an industrial yard (I think I've mentioned this before) so I'll find a bit that's roughly the size I want.

"Wild Rover"'s smokebox is cut out and done. And it's... not exactly clean but I can clean that up in post, as it were. I've measured the diameter of the smokebox at roughly 22mm, so either 22mm or even possibly 16mm plastic tubing might work for the boiler...

Thanks. I'll have a look at that. I could try and adapt the dome from the 101 but I have no idea how I'd go about that without destroying the bottom of the dome and finding it hard to connect it to the boiler cleanly.

I have this very old book, the St. Michael Encyclopedia of Model Railways (published in 1979 by well-known British publisher Octopus Books), that I have owned since purchasing it when my old school's library were selling damaged stock back when I still went there about 9 years ago and is still my go-to repository of modelling knowledge. But I have never seen a copy this book anywhere else. Therefore I'm just curious: does anyone else have this book?

Hmm. Yes, I can see where you're coming from. And I agree, it really works. Anyway, next up is painting those wagons, finding a second pair of wheels for the crane, and painting the brakevan I still have sitting around. Then I can get to work to slowly building "Wild Rover". I already have the S69 base marked up. And here is the full list of the donor locos. The S69 will also be providing the firebox too because I can't find one to fit my intention. Smokebox from the green Hornby industrial and the chimney from the 101. The boiler I plan to construct from a length of plastic tube and the dome... well, I'll try and think of something.

Hmm. Does a little bit, you're right, unintentional as that was. Must be subconscious memories of reading/watching Thomas as a child inspiring that without my knowledge. And usually I will and as such I did think of that. But then again if I want to mix it up or come up with something else to add or want to change something (like say if I want a six-wheeler brake coach rather than the full-length one) I like to have the option of removing things or swapping things around easily. Still adore the brown mix they turned out in.

And that makes two for two on the "people I admire the work of" list. Wow. Hello Corbs. And yes, such was the idea. Most light railways had just that - rakes of stock just scratched together out of whatever they could find cheap. The KLR is no exception, in fact they're probably the epitome in that mentality.

The luggage van and the brake coach are now finished, which means this little rake of coaches is done. Doesn't perfectly match, but doesn't have to. I like the look, and hopefully "Bulldog" can actually haul them when the time comes. In case anyone's interested, I spray the undercoat but brush paint the rest.

My second postal order arrived about an hour ago and this is what I have to work with. Some old Triang trucks. Unfortunately as it stands only three coal wagons are actually usable. There were two oil tankers whose chassis were so knackered that they were unsalvageable and the crane at the back which is missing a pair of wheels which I can't find a replacement for. Not the best but could be worse and I knew they were damaged when I bought them so I've actually got more than I expected as I bought them for parts. Also another of those half-loop couplings. Why did Triang do these? The design isn't particularly solid in my honest opinion. Anyway, these will soon be modified and painted. Also some bonus pictures for you, showing you how bare-bones my work setup is.

Kind of a shame for such a handsome locomotive stuck on something like that. I'd use a solidly built shunting tank engine for that personally. Looking forward to seeing yours built though. That being said, as I noted earlier, the "Wild Rover" concept is just rough. The final locomotive, whenever I manage to complete it, will probably look markedly different depending on what I manage to get my hands on. First though I'll need some plastic pipe for the boiler and a new saw, amongst a couple other things.

Ah, the No.552 class. Interesting how I ended up with something similar to that. Probably my subconscious playing tricks on me. Anyway, glad to know I may have helped you with a loco you've wanted for a while I didn't know that some GWR locos ran on Norfolk rails. Interesting. Certainly sets some cogs turning...

You're right, the concept mockup wouldn't look out of place on the WNR. My Photoshop skills aren't perfect, but I think I've got the idea across.

Rough Photoshop concept of KLR No.2, which I've decided to name "Wild Rover". It's a strange beast. A S69's cab, splashers and driving wheels with a cut-and-shut footplate and a much smaller boiler, giving it a gangly, slightly disproportionate look - which was intentional of course; in keeping with the KLR's story it's meant to look like it was cobbled together from odds and ends. Colours are not accurate obviously, and I won't actually be using a J15 boiler as I don't HAVE a J15 boiler. I'll be cobbling together something from odds and ends, as is my style. This should be fun to try, even if I fail. If I succeed, I'll have an unusual, fun little 0-6-0 tender locomotive.

Recommendation duly taken note of, thank you. I'll keep an eye out for it if I can find it. The book I have (the St. Michaels Encyclopedia of Model Railways) is pretty concise but it'll be nice to have a different perspective. Anyway, two of my orders arrived while I was at work and I have discovered another old locomotive from my younger days. You see my dad had a train set he built for me and my two brothers. A kiddy thing, Thomas the Tank Engine level, which is where the Nellie which is now "Bulldog" and the two coaches came from, as well as a truck that I have yet to show on here. This GER S69 was part of an attempt in my teenage years to replicate it that never came to fruition. I love the S69 but it's not... well, it's not weird enough. It's not me enough. I have a very odd idea for what to do with it, but as a nice little nod I'll keep its former life as an S69 in its story. I'll attempt at some point to Photoshop a concept of what I plan to call KLR No.2 (name pending, as I have two names but can't decide on which.) The orders were the remainder of my branch train to go with the two four-wheelers - a Triang LMS suburban brake coach with a badly painted rear panel and those weird half-loop couplings Triang did for a bit, and a Triang horsebox that I will be using as a luggage van. These shall be painted milk chocolate with a black roof to match the other coaches. But first I need to clean the red paint off the rear panel as I swear it's painted in poster paint and it's coming off on my hand as I look it over. Stay tuned.

Just got back from the cinema (Black Panther was awesome) and... wow. The amount of support is overwhelming, especially considering I mentioned at the start that I've not got a colossal idea of what I'm really doing and am just playing by ear. Well, by ear and with the aid of you guys, several issues of Railway Modeller and Model Rail Magazine and a half-destroyed book on railway modelling from the late 70s, but that's besides the point. Thank you all so much. Your faith in me, while possibly slightly errant, is certainly motivating. I already have a few plans on my workbench which will be posted about as and when I get the time. Work has been a real pain. It had to be the week I start talking about it online didn't it? And responding to the past few comments (once again forgot to quote) I am actually familiar with said area around Guyhirn and with said viaduct. I was actually planning to potentially construct something similar for Hewe Station.,, We shall see... (By that I mean "I'll consider it and it'll either not happen or look terrible due to my lack of technical expertise...") And I've noticed that modifying Nellies seems to be popular on here if Corbs' Pugbash thread and the amount I see on other peoples' workbench threads are anything to go by. Trying to fit an 0-6-0 or 2-4-0 chassis has been a backup option if I, being the rubbish electrician I am, can't get the original Nellie motor to work.

Thanks a bunch! Northroader too? Getting some real heavy hitters in here, my word. Good clean fun in a pleasant setting was entirely the idea. And sorry, but it might be a while before I manage to get No.1 tested. Haven't got any track and a teeny bit short on funds at the moment, especially having just bought quite a few bits of stock that are still floating in the ether of the Royal Mail as we speak.

Hmm. I had forgotten about that point. Interesting, I will have to think about that. The KLR has gone through several liveries through the years. The original was just a base pine green. The current livery (ies) are pine green with steel blue, steel blue with white and solid black. No.1 up there will use the pine green. Right... the history and positioning of the KLR is complex. I'm finding it hard to find a map that I can use to make it clear where the KLR runs, either now or then. But originally it ran from Kelsby in Norfolk and to Telham Fen in Cambridgeshire. The bit I'll be modelling is the first couple of stops - Starting with Kelsby, then Hewe and finally to Alnerwick just on the Cambridgeshire side. The modern KLR extends a little further, although with the Fens now being protected rebuilding the line past stop 5 (Berkham) isn't really an option. The line is not astonishingly long really, probably about eight miles at its very maximum and about six now. The original KLR opened in 1903 to a rather lukewarm reception (there is a story I have written about the opening day which I will probably include later) and was really the brainchild/personal plaything and folly of the local peer, Baronet David Bradleigh (Hewe Hall, the Bradleigh family's home, is clearly visible from the line between Hewe and Alnerwick) and being the community minded sort decided to build a line to serve the local villages. He'd planned to extend it further than Telham Fen but died in 1913 before he got the chance. By this time though his son took over and the locals all had grown to regard the railway with affection. The nicknames for the locomotives (two by this point) even became their official names (one of these - the original opening day locomotive, No.1 "Bulldog" - still exists and still is regularly used on the line despite being over 110 years old). The railway kept running through the Great War, but when the Grouping happened all hell broke loose as the Bradleighs did not want to give it up. Eventually a deal was made and it became an odd joint ownership between the Bradleighs (who had more than enough money to make it work) and the LNER, who would occasionally dump excess locomotives, usually barely working ones that it was not practical to repair, onto their hands. The KLR would then repair these using whatever they had, not really being in a position to turn down the extra motive power, or dismantle them and cobble them together into something else for the same reasons, and soldier along as always. In the BR days however, the railway began to suffer and eventually the Beeching Axe fell and hit the line. However, protests led by the Bradleigh family and the locals managed to save the line - just. However, they were now totally on their own, and powered by a fleet of cobbled together and failing locomotives. Somehow, the line survived, even struggling past the official death of steam, and continues powered by its little fleet of largely unique, often bizarre self-constructed locomotives, a clumped together collection of stock consisting of whatever the Bradleighs could get their hands on, and a never-say-die, can do attitude that has allowed it to survive - although now assisted in part by English Heritage. Far from being purely tourist, this is still a working railway thanks to the very isolated nature of the villages it serves, often moving around livestock between markets, aggregates to the small quarry in Alnerwick, or odds and ends from all over the place. It remains truly a curiosity amongst the many railways of Great Britain. Whimsical, I know, but a man can dream. I shall be modelling it as it exists now, and the current fleet at that.

Hmm... I'd expect Kelsby, sitting as it does by along the Cambridgeshire border, may be a way away from the WNR, plus maybe a teeny bit small to be running anything major on it. Still we shall have to see... I agree. Imagination and the ability to invent something unique and interesting are in short supply elsewhere, but nice to see they are in some abundance here. Also not really looked at NeilHB's work or the Great Southern Railway, I'll have to check it out. Could be some interesting inspiration... Thank you for making a young man feel truly welcome.

(Forgot to multiquote) Norfolk, so really they should be facing backwards

Wow. Edwardian is replying to my thread. You can't see this but I am grinning like an idiot right now. One of the RMWeb members I admire the work of most acknowledges my existence. My day is officially made. Also, not quite. That's when you go to Thetford and towards Suffolk. King's Lynn is shotgun territory Personally, I like to think that Kelsby and its surroundings exist in the same "universe" as Castle Aching, unlikely as it is, only in (roughly and slightly fancifully) modern day rather than the Edwardian era. Of course this is purely personal opinion and one is free to disagree with my personal canon if and when they wish. Which I expect will be plenty. Trying really, REALLY hard not to fanboy at the moment. But I'm failing miserably I expect.

Hello. I am RedGemAlchemist, but you can just call me Red. New here, long time reader but only just joined. I've been modelling for years as general (Warhammer 40k) but only now been able to start building a model railway despite having wanted to for years. Well, living out in the middle of nowhere (aka mid Norfolk) gives me plenty of peace to do so (though sharing a house with three cats and my mother doesn't) and I've finally gotten round to at least attempting to build one. It's a freelance route, in the vein of my favourite members of this forum. Corbs, Nile and Edwardian have been big inspirations to me and thus that gives you some idea of what I'm probably going to be doing. In other words hacking apart RTR locos, bodging them into something interesting (or in my case probably incomprehensible - I'm a caretaker of an industrial yard, not an engineer) and probably failing to get any work done and procrastinating by going off topic or rambling as I am wont to do. So, without further ado, welcome to the badlands of Norfolk and Cambridgeshire and welcome to the Kelsby Light Railway, my probably borderline nonsensical fictional railway. Here is what I have so far, as I didn't think of actually making this account earlier. KLR No.1 (a slightly modified Triang Nellie, no idea if the chassis works and still not completely painted yet as I don't have the paint necessary to actually do the livery atm, so un-numbered works grey it is at the moment. Yes I know I forgot to remove the sculpted handrails before undercoating it, but I'm not removing them now and ruining a perfectly good undercoat and I personally can live with them just this once.); and two of these old Hornby four-wheelers which I've painted into... something. Chocolate brown and bronze, which I quite like but I'm not sure about you guys. Judge me kindly please as I'm kind of playing by ear. EDIT: I've tried but the pictures do NOT want to go the right way up, despite how I edit them. Not the flawless start I'd hoped for. SECOND EDIT: Fixed it. Apparently converting it to a different file type works.