Neal Ball

Back on topic then.... "Next Years Announcements (not wish listing!)" There is also the comment from Andy York on the first page.... that the announcement will be on Jan 9th, but it will also set out expectations about future announcements.....

I have the Railroad version, which has a 3 pole motor and "design clever" features. First few years of the Hall locos - later ones would not have run with the small tender at all. My preference is for the Hornby Hall - purely because its sound fitted. Leaving that aside, there isn't much to chose between the two locos.

I should have added.... we are not talking about the 1980's version "Albert Hall" or "Kneller Hall". However, if you fancy one..... it's at a price, but seems to be the only one at the moment: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/375148155941?hash=item5758929425:g:oh8AAOSwhRlld2r-&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4PpnDVL4XR0UQbqTu5JIZKkUynaDDOgySAhPy1zvEWXqX9s9GhtRTtToyTl0pboAwjpGvoRHKaobFDgLTtw2kAihqxhzZSRHVGV1ddcx7I8i3TqI7OC374dc49shYEiPFh8rUmAxESE68uD3ZK7sBvCBIamROACQ1siqkPoa%2F97jjilv9%2BRMvg2Vp5R67kBmKq0DPAsMb4XKQyuEikaM4FPqMWe47Kyqv%2FIAH1mB4nfv43w2zz%2F5lZL3D5yMxQZjt5tBWBH571MW59rKG0mT5rND1p12CJwh%2B%2F5VR7wdRWYV|tkp%3ABk9SR-iRjJmXYw Doesn't say if he will take an offer - bidding goes through to Wednesday 😠

Peters Spares?

I have a spare chassis for the tender.... SE Finecast included it in my loco chassis kit.

I thought we weren't wish-listing 😄 I suspect the 2024 announcements will be slimmed down from previous years - some stuff will have been in the works prior to Simon Kohler going and might from a cash-flow point of view be slowed down. It would be nice to see loads of items released, but I don't see it this year. I could add loads of items that I fancy being released... loads of Great Western locos and carriage stock that need updating etc. But on this occasion I doubt it. Instead, what we will probably see is the new direction for Hornby - lots of froth to assure the shareholders and hopefully the company returning to profit. That in itself, will then assure us that Hornby are back in the game and will be producing an even mix of locos and carriages over the next couple of years.

I am thinking that after the County 4-4-2T I might build a County 4-4-0.... thats after the 6 carriages of course!

I am sure you could justify a Saint 4-6-0 😎 Every GWR layout needs Saint 😎😎

Hi Graham, I have both the Hornby Hall and also a couple of the Bachmann Halls (not modified Halls as they are too late for our era). As others have said above both models have their plus points. The Hornby one, comes from their so-called design clever phase.... and as such, the outside steam pipes are moulded into the boiler barrel. I have some Crownline* parts to change the pipes and must get round to it one day. (*Crownline were a cottage industry company that retired ages ago. Its a shame no-one picked up the tools etc.) Despite being a Railroad model, the loco has tender pick-ups, which the Bachmann ones don't. Both Hornby and Bachmann models could do with being updated. I have fitted the Hornby one with sound, which was a squeeze in the 3000 gallon tender. I've not done the Bachmann ones yet. Lets hope Accurascale do the Hall class 4-6-0 ..... after of course they do a Saint class 4-6-0 😄

You are right Andy, there doesn't always seem to be a logical reason (I am sure there was back in the day). At Henley-on-Thames (not your average GWR BLT) Spear fencing was used on both sides of the line, from the station right down to Mill Lane - a distance of some 1 1/2 to 2 miles. The land either side of the running tracks were carriage sidings and part of the goods yard. It could easily have been fenced with a post and wire, but that didn't start until after Mill Lane over bridge. In those days there weren't houses running down to the railway - one side was a meadow running down to the Thames, the other side was allotments and scrub land. I wonder if the fencing arrangements were changed during WW2 as part of the drive for scrap metal. Certainly if it was at Henley, following the war Spear fencing went back. (You can still see it today on the meadow side of the tracks.)

I have got used to building Comet carriages, but the GWR range is limited to (mainly) Collett carriages. In order to get something different, you need to look at the Worsley works range...... You could look at Slaters (Toplights & Clerestory), but these are currently not available.... There is however good news that the Blacksmith range has recently been bought, so hopefully a few carriages will be available soon. In the meantime, here is the 8 compartment C22 46ft 6" Clerestory all third, 40 of which were built from January 1903. By the 1930's these carriages were used as a "strengthening carriage" on services. Which is what it will be used for on services into Henley-on-Thames. _______________ In buying a Worsley kit, you get the following etches: Floor pan with solebar. Sides and ends. Roof. Clerestory roof. Roof supports. Window droplights. Everything is etched to a high standard, but its all flat, so the tumblehome and roof shape will need to be formed. Notes: Door handles & grab handles are pre-drilled. The door hinges are also pre-drilled.* There are no underframe details. What you are buying here is a flat etched kit - anything beyond an etch, you need to provide. Seating and interior partitions are to be scratch built. *This will be a first for me - I haven't worried about hinges before now! Shopping list: Door grab handles*; door handles* and door hinges** Clerestory roof vents** Underframe details: Truss rodding (to be scratch built) Gas cylinders* Dean Vacuum cylinder** Dean 8ft 6 bogies** Dean buffers** *From the spares box **to be sourced from Dart castings. At the time of ordering, I missed off the gas roof lamp tops! https://www.dartcastings.co.uk/mjt/2945.php and don't have any in the spares box, only normal roof ventilators. They need to be ordered. The assembled parts, ready for the build. Step 1: Form the tumblehome and the curve of the roof. Step 2: solder the sides and ends Step 3: solder the roof together Step 4: fit the insides - seats and partitions. Step 5: build the underframe Step 6: build the bogies Step 7: spray several coats of primer and then main coat; add lining and lettering etc. the final coat will be varnish and its finished. _____________________ Worsley Works: http://www.worsleyworks.co.uk/4mm/4mm_GWR.htm - the purchase process is quite straightforward (unfortunately there is no basket option). Select your particular model kit or just sides to add onto another carriage and then send an email to Allen. He will tell you the amount (incl p & p) - send him the £ by PayPal and shortly after you will receive your model - ready to be built. At the time I ordered the carriage it was out of stock and had to be etched to order. It took a couple of weeks before it arrived, which I think is pretty good going. ____________________ The build - Saturday 11th May 2024 The first rule of a build such as this: Change the blade on the knife. Then everything gets cut out, below are the parts for the floor folded up, which includes the similar "box type" arrangement that Comet use. Using my trusted section of skirting board the sides and roof are bent into shape. A very productive day - the morning was spent cutting everything out - this afternoon it has all been soldered together. The roof is not yet fixed on - the curves on the roof sections proved a lot harder to do than the tumblehome. The roof doesn’t have the nice curve I want to see. The roof for the clerestory top has not been as easy, being a smaller section. Bending bars would have made it easier, hopefully with more practice I will master the roof technique. Notes: Don't forget the ends also need a slight tumblehome. (I forgot) In cutting out the MJT door hinges and put them into the pre-etched holes.... They fall through! Although to my mind they actually look too big! Clearly I cant leave the empty holes, so I think small hinges will need to be made from Plasticard, or maybe wire. It’s a clever way that it goes together, the clerestory upper, fits into slots in the roof to keep it nice and straight. There are then formers that also fit into slots to keep the roof in profile…. However, some of these slots clash….. the tab for the clerestory upper, is at the same point as the roof former on 3 occasions. The former has been duly filed to allow clearance. The almost completed clerestory roof: There are three clerestory supports that do not fit into the tabs properly. These just need to be filed down so they fit in the space correctly. two are shown in the shot below. Tuesday 15th May 2024: Further work on the roof today, following advice from Mike @Coach bogie Thanks Mike. The bogies are "accommodation bogies" to help sit the carriage on the bench. I have now started work on the Dean 8'6" bogies which will be right for this carriage. Thursday 16th May 2024: Today work has concentrated on the bogies and saw a start being made on the underframe. This is the etched fret for the Dean 8ft 6" bogies: Previously the MJT / Dean casting bogies I have made up, have very nice etched holes, the right size for the bearings. This time though, the bearing hole is elongated to cater for different positions. The instructions don't say why you would need this. i chose the lower holes and that has produced some very free running wheels. The castings are to a very high standard and simply fit onto the etch - they have all been superglued. (The bogie frames were soldered.) This is the casting and etch for the Dean vacuum cylinder brake fitting (It is a very easy build): There are no truss rods supplied with the Worsley Works kits - I have fabricated my own from scrap brass and at the moment fitted them to one side only. They are so shallow, you can hardly see them. These two next photos are shown with the Dean bogies. Thurs 16th May remaining jobs: Fit second truss rods Fit Dean vacuum brake cylinder Fit gas cylinder Finish the bogies - add scroll irons etc. Fit door hinges - what do people use for hinges on here - the MJT ones fall through the holes! Fit out carriage with partitions and seating. Paint! Fit Door furniture Saturday 18th May You won’t see under the floor again! Couplings have also been fitted - using the MJT fitting for NEM couplings. These make adding couplings to your new carriage very easy, although I have fitted a medium Kadee and it probably needs to be a small. https://www.dartcastings.co.uk/mjt/2580.php I have also fitted the scroll irons etc. for the Dean bogies - the first one they were glued direct to the bogie frame, the second bogie, I ran a “plank” underneath and fitted them to that. The latter being what the instructions say…. Although the MJT photo is very dark, it’s hard to make it out. In fact all photos of the era are dark when it comes to underframe and bogie details. The carriage is seen here with a Toplight that has had a change of bogie - MJT American bogie. Next stop will be the spray booth. We are away for a few days, so it will be done when we get back. Overall it’s been an enjoyable build…. On a scale of 1 to 5, it’s probably a 3 or 4…. It's definitely not for a first time builder. The hard bits being the roof profile (I’m sure a Toplight would have been easier for my first Worsley carriage) and the clerestory sections. I have come a long way since I built my first two Comet carriages, now they just fall together very easily. I am sure future Worsley kits will be like that as well. If you have built brass carriages before, give it a go. My next carriage will be a Comet / Worsley model of a H26 restaurant carriage.

Afternoon Kevin, I assume you are talking about the weedkiller train(s). Have you seen the Western Times issue 3? I am not in front of the magazine at the moment, but my index says "Western weeds; weed killing on the Great Western Pg 19 WT3" hope that helps.

Thanks for that, there are some interesting “older” people there.

Thats interesting Bill, I was looking at those the other day.... my thoughts were to order them as HO, rather than OO - in a similar way to Mark @MAP66 at Tylteford Halte with his recent Autocoach. To get a good loading, you will need a few packs.... the Pendon people would be good to mix into the carriage as well.

I see just before Christmas more ships were being routed away from the Red Sea down to the Cape of good hope. That will add around 2 weeks onto a journey time. I wonder if any of our model railway items are on board the affected ships? https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67738792 Ypu would have thought the Steam Railmotor and the Dapol Mainline and City carriages would be closer by now, but you never know.

I think “officially” my to do box is now too big 🤣 I’ve still got odd jobs to finish on the railway…. Have a good Christmas everyone.

Santa has indeed delivered a 70ft Brake third E83, plus a Sunshine "low waisted" composite e151. There are now at least 6 carriages ready to go... once I finish the County tank loco of course.

No pressure then Phil, but thank you.

Thanks for that, I will ask Dart.

Thanks for this Nick. It needs Dean 8ft 6 bogies.... so I might have to go to Shapeways after all - unless I can persuade someone to do me a 3D print.... Lovely photos, thanks again. Neal.

As an early Christmas present (to myself) our neighbour from Birmingham has just flown in*…. With a very nice kit for a Worsley Works C22 all third. Certainly looks like a lovely kit. *it was easier to get it delivered to Birmingham rather than deal with Spanish customs! It’s an 8 compartment 46ft 6 carriage. Thanks to Penrhos website: http://www.penrhos.me.uk/c/Clerestories.shtml#C22

Merry Christmas Graham. The design for the next CR looks great, Phil @Harlequin has done a great job for you.

Depending on which shipping containers get through 😄

Merry Christmas John, yes there looks to be lots of models heading our way in 2024.

Thanks Tony, Merry Christmas.