Gilwell Park

I have been watching this for some time. Here are my 3. 1. The original Borchester. Looked and worked like a real railway. 2. The Berrow Branch. Somerset & Dorset branch line. Often wish I had kept up my S&D interest. 3. The Gresley Beat. Very evocative for a Londoner used to watching trains in cuttings, under bridges and by retaining walls. Roger.

34c. Hatfield? Thanks for your comments. I do agree that the tanks should be bigger and that the rear quadrant is wrong. However I have tried to follow the description in the RCTS book as closely as possible. This says it resembled the W but with a lower running plate and less deep front buffer beam. I took this to mean that ther was no front quadrant. I am also puzzled by the use of 2 cylinders of N,W,Z type. According to diagrams in Holcroft's book the three cylinders were cast in two parts because of the small foundry capacity at Ashford. The inside and LH cylinders were cast together and the RH cylinder separately. However the join was not at the frame but approx half way between the frame and the loco centreline. Therefore if used in a 2 cylinder loco a new pattern would be required to enable the cylinder to bolt to the frame or a large casting or fabrication would be required between the two outside cylinders. This could of course explain the need for the high running plate at the front. Can anyone advise if the drawings are likely to be at York? Thank you. Roger

Hi. Thanks to all those people who came up with suggestions about this proposed loco. I attach a picture of my interpretation. It is based on the description in the RCTS book, ie resembles the W with smaller tanks, lower running plate and less deep front buffer beam. 2 cylinders of W design. Boiler based on Z but with a Belpaire firebox and a superheater. The model is based around a very old Kitmaster GWR 2-6-2T. The wheels being correct size and the wheelbase very close, the cylinders also slope inwards. The tank sides are cut down Airfix, assembled with all the rivet detail inside leaving onlt the moulding pips to file off. The boiler is from a Triang L1, shortened. I left the larger dia smokebox to make room for the superheater header not present in the Z. Although intended to be a quick trial I did remove the lower slide bars, modify the cross head and fit outside valve gear from Airfix left overs. The number 31940 is in a convenient gap. I put it in the Ashford series because it used Ashford cylinders and boiler. Deliberate mistakes. 1. I did not cut side windows ahead of the cab opening, the plastic being very thick here. 2. No hand rails fitted. 3. Buffers, tank fillers etc are from the scrap box. Accidental mistakes. 1. The curved drop in the running plate below the cab is too large a radius, this makes the rear buffer beam too low and leaves insufficient room for trailing wheels. 2. The side tanks may be too small. Although holding only 1400g, less than the Z, they do not look right. What happens next. 1. Somebody says a drawing of the loco is published in some easily available publication. 2. I try to motorise it. I think a Bachmann N chassis will fit. Suggestions/comments will be gratefully received. Thanks Roger

Hi. Thanks to all those people who have provided information, especially the picture of the Irish 2-6-2T which I have never seen before. According to the RCTS book the coupled wheelbase of the proposed 2-6-2T is the same as the W, the total wheelbase being 4' 1" less. The boiler is 2' 3" shorter and the firebox 1' 10" less. The boiler has to placed in the frames so that the firebox does not foul the centre axle, this results in a fairly long smokebox. I realised that the wheelbase is very similar to a GWR large prarie so I intend to construct an unpowered prototype using Kitmaster/Airfix components, the coupled wheels being 1mm too small, to test the design. Hopefully a picture will follow in due course, although it will not be a quick process as there are several other projects ahead in the queue. Roger.

Hi. Can anybody help with a drawing of the proposed Maunsell 2-6-2T? I have found numerous references to the design, RCTS, Robin Chacksfield's biography, Steam World articles etc, but no drawing. It is reported as looking like a scaled down W, and indeed had two cylinders of W design, with a parallel boiler & Belpaire firebox. It sounds like an interesting " might have been " project. Thank you Roger.

The later version also has the raised cover on the firebox. Roger.

Ed The real ones are small, only 5' 2". Smaller than the average suburban tank. Roger.

Hi Would be interested in a picture, would be interested to see one in green. Thanks. Roger.

According to the RCTS none of the English Directors ever ran in brunswick green. However several of the Scottish Directors ran in LNER apple green with BR numbers and lettering. Roger.

Pictures will follow when; 1. the model is presentable and 2. I have found out how to attach pictures. Roger. Picture attached. NB: I know the tender is wrong but it is all I have at the moment. Proper GCR tender will follow in due course. Roger

Too late, I already have a cut up V1 body which I had planned to fit to the Ivatt 2mt chassis. However I lost all enthusiasm for the job months ago and was relying on the entries on this site to get me going again. I always said I would never start a new kit or conversion in the run up to Christmas just in case Hornby introduced a RTR version. I have been slowly collecting components for a K1 conversion similar to those described on this site until about a month ago when I suddenly decided to start work on an O1. The chassis is a very old Hornby Dublo, pre ringfield 2-8-0 fitted with romford wheels. It has previously seen service under a GWR 2800 which was replaced when the Hornby version came along. Cylinders & valve gear are Hornby B17 and the body is Bachmann B1. This conversion suffers from the same difficulty as the K1 in that the B1 boiler centerline is too close to the running plate to be accurate for either conversion but by lowering the running plate/ boiler assembly and raising the cab a reasonable compromise can be achieved.The drop at the front of the running plate has to be reduced and the frame extensions modified. It is currently in the paint shop and waiting a tender. Does anybody know where I can get an O1 chimney? Thanks Roger.

Hi. Just a query. Does the set of fittings include the tie bar which connects the axle boxes below the bearings? It looks a little bare in the pictures so far. Roger

The afternoon Clapham Junction to Exeter milk empties also carried a passenger coach, usually a BCK, at the front so that it could become a passenger train between Salisbury & Templecombe. The coach made the whole journey but was empty except between Salisbury & Templecombe. Both pictures I have show an unidentifiable bogie vehicle at the rear of the train. NB: This may have been a Sundays only occurence. Roger.

A beautiful model but definitely modelled in current condition. In the late fifties the frames were much browner in colour so it looks as if my motorised Airfix kit will have to soldier on. However that should give me time to save up! Roger.

Simon Sorry but I think the 2mt has the better proportions but the cylinders & valve gear are wrong. The N has better cylinders & valve gear but the proportions are wrong. Be careful, the B1 slide bars are double, the L1 single. Roger

Sean Yes I can confirm N wheelbase as 7'3" + 8'3" = 15'6" or 2' longer than the L1. It seems a lot but if you put the drawings alongside each other it is obvious. Shame because wheels, cylinders & valve gear are fine. Roger

Hi. My first comment on a blog. To summarise; L1 5'2" wheels 6'6" + 7'0" N 5'6" wheels 7'3" + 8'3" 2mt 5'0" wheels 6'9" + 7'0" However Bachmann N wheels = 21mm or 5'3" Bachmann 2mt wheels = 20mm or 5'0" Therefore the N wheelbase is 2' too long but wheels are almost the right size & the valve gear is ok. The 2mt wheelbase is 3" too long and the wheels 2" too small but the valve gear is way out. I will carry on with the 2mt chassis as I already have one in stock but will not do anything irreversible to it until Hornby make their announcements at Christmas just in case. Regards Roger.