Barber.hgw

Barber is looking good, I might have to get one to replace my scratchbuilt version! I'm trying to remember the colour I painted mine, it was a strange green. I'll try and track down the colour I used.

As requested. Its started looking the worse for wear. Just noticed that the plasticard has started to split on the tank side on the RHS. I think that it is over 15 years old though, so it's not looking bad for its age! It has been in a box in the garage for the last 5 years in Adelaide, so that probably hasn't helped either. With Spencer, did you swap the driving wheels round to transfer the drive from the middle to the front? I did this and it ran terribly. On my Minitrix chassis I found that the middle driver was slightly smaller than the outer ones and when you swapped them the chassis rocked. I seem to remember doing something like swapping the pins in the wheels that the valve gear fixes to in order to enable the drive to move to the front wheels while keeping the smaller wheel in the centre.

Yes, it's a scratchbuilt Barber lurking at the back, based on the old Farish inside frame chassis. I added outide frames and flycranks to the chassis and went from there using plasticard. Roof has sagged a bit with age and may need replacing, but will have to wait until I feel brave enough to do it as it is one of my favourite models. I've just started the RT Peckett and have been quite impressed with the quality of the kit. Which chassis did you use for Spencer? I used the Minitrix.

That hopper looks really good. I did hear a while back, before I left the UK, that someone was going to do a kit of the hoppers but I haven't seen anything yet. Have you heard anything? Have you got a copy of that book on the railway that was published a quite a few years ago? It has lots of great information in it. Attached is a picture of my HGW fleet.

Hi, hope you don't mind me commenting. I have recently got myself back in to UK railway modelling (not that I'm stopping any other kind) and spotted your blog on Bilton Junction. I've always had a soft spot for the Harrogate Gas Works railway that started when I lived in Harrogate (I've moved a few times since then!). I've gradually been building the loco fleet in 009 and I have three completed and I and just starting the last one with the hope of someday having a model of some part of the line - I think, like you, I will be doing Bilton Junction, but in the 1950/1960s to go with my 4mm stock. With regards to your Spencer model, which looks great, is it running smoothly? I had all sorts of problems with mine as I swapped the middle and front driving wheels round to change to having the drive on the leading driver, but I did get it sorted eventually. What are you planning to do about the hoppers?