ossy5190

After seeing a photograph of ex-Southern Railway 34004 Yeovil at Perth in 1948 during the locomotive exchange trials I started thinking about how I could model the train. My main interest in the pre-grouping era so 1948 is a little outside my comfort zone! What would be a typical Highland Mainline train formation for this period? I have seen pictures of trains made of LMS and LNER coaches around this time but none are clear enough to make out the carriage types. I know pre-grouping dining cars and ex-Pullmans were used well into the 1950s but I'm not sure about the mix of pre-grouping/LMS stock in use. Many Thanks Ross

Those are some truly fascinating photographs, thank you for sharing them. I am currently working on a a model of the former LBSCR No37 Sandown as she was in admiralty ownership for use in Grangemouth docks. I should firstly point out that the model is 'semi-freelance' based on assumptions and best guesses rather than a photograph but it is at least one idea of how the engine might have looked. I have came across a couple of references which state the loco was branded 'Mine Depot, Grangemouth No. 5' but with no reference to the colour. One interpretation could be that the colour was not worth recording because it was no different to what would be expected for a Terrier of that period ie. LBSCR Marsh livery, either that or it was so dirty nobody could tell what colour it really was! The other embellishments are of course pure conjecture but are all plausible (to my mind at least). The spark arrestor and canvas(?) sheets over the cab sides in the above photographs should be noted, now to add them to the model! Ross

Thanks Simon, I'll send off an email.

I had a look at fitting the front bogie splashes this morning but the screws seem to be missing. The drawing in the instruction show the 4 screws and implies that they should already be fitted but mine does have any. I've looked in the bags of bits but can't find them there either. Any suggestions? Ross

Here is a couple of models I've recently been working on. The Caledonian Class 918 is from an old DJH kit I bought second hand. I repainted in from early LMS black and added a few details. The North British coal wagon is a 51L 'jubilee' type marked up for use by James Nimmo and Company. The lettering was from the HMRS Scottish pre-grouping wagon sheets modified to suit. The 'J' was made from a 'B' and the '&' was modified from a G&SW letter. Ross

The Caledonian hired around 180 which I believe were later sold to the LMS. The CR examples had bolsters fitted which indicates they were intended to replace some of the large number of 4 wheel single bolster wagons dating from the 1880s.

Presumably these were used to transport tanks from the factories to the southern ports for export or was that role reserved for the rectank wagons?

Thanks for the livery details, some excellent photographs there. I defiantly prefer the earlier versions of the livery, only just announced and already I'm thinking how I want to modify it!

A fine looking model, always good to see a bit of RTR pre-grouping. Doesn't quite fit my Caledonian layout but that won't stop me buying one! A few photographs online show H1s with 'LB&SCR' on the tender and cast numberplates, was this an earlier version of the livery?

Interesting about the tops of the running plate being body coloured on some engines, I assumed they would always have been black. Looks like the van is a Diagram 91 Road Van built in 1908. They would have been marshaled behind the engine on goods trains on the Callander and Oban section. Ross

Making good progess Steve. Humbrol 15 was the shade I used for my 439 tank which is pretty close to the blue Hornby used for their last Caley Single release. Slightly of topic, but is that a CR brakedown van lurking in the background? Keep up the good work. Ross

Starting to look pretty good Steve! I use Humbrol aerosols for locos, French Blue for the light blue and Midnight Blue for the dark blue. My understanding of the shades was that the dark blue was the blue of the Union Flag while the later livery was the light blue of the Saltire. The Saltire represents white clouds against a blue sky hence the 'Sky Blue' reference. For the frames I use the maroon/lake of the coaches. Here are a couple of pictures to show the range of blues of some of my engines. The unfinished Cardean is painted with Humbrols French Blue with the Oban Bogie alongside finished in the earlier livery by the previous owner. The Dunalistair and the Pickersgill were part of the Len Wood collection and were painted by Brian Badger. And finaly a comparison of the '55', '113' and a rebuilt '66' (also from Len Wood). The pictures also show how different colours look in different light. All were taken on a iPad in natural light. Happy Moddeling. Ross

I used a Bachmann Jinty chassis under my Wills 782. No height issues and it performs well. Ross

looks superb Steve, really do need to crack on with mine! Ross

The footboards were also a problem using clemenson underframes as the outer axels pivoted and the centre one slides. I mounted them to the floor using brasswire and cut out openings to allow the axleboxes to move freely. It makes them a little fragile but it works and the gaps around the axleboxes are not too noticeable. Ross

Thanks for that Steve. I went the opposite way with 6 coaches and put clemenson underframes on everything which I now realise was a bit overkill for most of them. Do you think having a compensated axle makes much of a difference? I've never really bothered compensating coaches and wagons. Ross

Nice work Steve. How did you modify the roof profile of the coach ends to take the new roof? Ross

Nice work Andy, glad that you are finding the pictures usefull. Ross

Great work Steve. I thought that it would be too much work to convert the old triang coaches into the distinctive caledonian brake thirds but you made it look rather easy! I'm now tempted to go back and have a look at rebuilding some of my early conversion. It's surprising just how versatile these old models are. Were the 48' coaches essensialy just 45' with slightly larger compartments? Decent carriage pictures can be hard to come by, as you've probably noticed! You may be able to help me with something. Do you know what colour the raised window frames of the ex-WCJS coaches were? I've only ever seen one clear picture of an ex-WCJS coach in CR livery which showed they were dark coloured but whether this was the purple brown of the lower bodies or something more like usual LNWR/WCJS mahogany colour (or even something else) I'm not sure. Ross

Thanks for the replies guys. Progress has been a bit slow recently (been trying to stop the garden fence blowing away!) but managed to move things on a bit more today, using the Railway Moddler drawings as a guide. I removed the cab and rear bunker and shortened the frames by 4mm cutting just behind the bufferbeam so that the join would be under the new bunker to try and give it a bit of support. The rear bogie wheelbase was also 4mm too long so I took 2mm out either side of the mount and fitted new smaller wheels. The bogie needs to be mounted a few mm further forward so the bottom of the chassis had to be cut out (see pic) to accomodate the move. I've temporarly reassembled the model to see how it looks. The motor still needs put back in and pickups fitted to the bogie but at least its getting there. The M7 cab is not quite the right size so I think it would be easier to build a new one than to try and modify it. Those picures will be very useful Andy. I've struggling to find many decent pictures from those angles. I'm planning on finishing the model in a similar condition to the works photo that Steve posted. I'm not too sure when the coal rails were added but I have seen a picture of one fitted with them in CR livery. I've only ever seen pictures from that side of the engines in Caledonian days but I believe that both sides were mirror images of each other (westinghouse pump etc on both sides). It looks like the condensing equipment was removed at some point on 55124, can't have been any need for it if the engine moved to Edinburgh. Prototype information and decent pictures do seem rather had to come by for my chosen period of 1900-1914! Ross

For a while now I've trying to get hold of a Hornby M7 to to use as a basis for a Caledonian Railway engine. I've seen a few conversions of the older M7 into the classic class 439 (as preserved at Bo'ness) but I thought I'd try building the earlier class 19. Ten of these condensing engines were built in 1895 for newly opened Glasgow Central Railway. Originally painted in the normal blue passenger livery they were repainted black around 1900 due to the conditions in the tunnels which is the condition the model will be finished in. I can't find any freely avalible pictures of a class 19 but it similar to a class 439 but with lower side tanks and a full width coal bunker, but still the narrow cab inbetween. The main alterations to the M7 will be a new rear bogie (shorter wheelbase and smaller wheels), rebuilt cab and coal bunker, round off the tops of the side tanks and replace/add some of the fittings. I've been able to source most of the parts needed from the ever helpfull Caley Coaches but still require a dome and a few other small parts. I've made a start stripping the body and fitting a decoder, not as easy as it could have been! It would appear that Hornby have made a few changed to the model since its first production run. Instead of the side tank wieghts being held in by a screw under the filler cap, they are now glued in place making them rather difficult to remove to create space for the decoder. Despite this I still couldn't quite get the Hornby decoder to fit so ended up hardwiring it in instead. I've also made a start on building a new rear bunker from an old tender top (not sure where it came from) that I found in my scrap box. Ross

Made it out to Bo'ness today to get a few pictures. I have higher res versions if you need them. I was a little surprised at the colour of the saloon. I was expecting it to be a similar shade of green to the HR stock but it was much darker, almost looked like LNWR lake from a distance. Bit disappointing that the Caledonian coaches weren't on display but still a very interesting trip. Ross

Looking forward to seeing this one, was half thinking of building it at some point. Was it ever repainted into LMS livery or did it keep the green and white? I hope to make a trip to Bo'ness next week if you are looking for pictures of anything else. Ross

Interesting thread Andy, is it the large or small saloon you are building? Ross

Here is a pic of one of my horseboxes to illustrate the NPCS livery. I purchased it on eBay so I'm not sure what shade of brown was used but I think any sort of darkish flat brown would do. The van on the right is painted in the passenger livery for which I used Phoenix P428 Caledonian Purple Brown (Dull). This is also the colour I use for engine frames. Speaking of engines, what to you plan to haul your coaches? Ross