Neal Ball

20 hours ago, Harlequin said:

This is the current state of my Dean 8ft 6in bogie CAD based on the drawings in Russell:

 

There are a few things that I know are not right.

 

Wow! - presumably thats the CAD, what are the test prints like?

Excellent work.

6 hours ago, BWsTrains said:

 

Thursday/ Friday I think, according to the link. Steam options are shown.

 

FWIW, I couldn't choose a station, this is such a wonderful railway filled with the strongest memories from my childhood.

Yes! Thank you -Thurs / Fri.

19 hours ago, Andy Keane said:

Off to West Somerset later this week. Does anyone have a favourite station on the heritage line there? Not sure what will be in steam.

We prefer Blue Anchor although the immediate area around it is a lot smaller.

Of course Williton also can be an interesting place to stop off.

Careful of the day you decide to go, they don't always run trains on every day of the week. https://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/calendar It looks like you might want to avoid Thursday & Friday.

19 hours ago, Fair Oak Junction said:

 

Watchet, definitely. Very nicely situated station right by the harbour, boat museum right next to it, lovely walk along the harbour front, and just along there is the Watchet Museum which has lots of nice stuff including a model of the West Somerset Mineral Railway.

Nice to walk around the town and a couple of decent pubs.

3 hours ago, Andy Keane said:

Phil @Harlequin did you ever get the 8'6" Dean bogies into CAD that could be used with the Worsley Works etches of the E40 coaches?

Andy

55 minutes ago, Andy Keane said:

Ah yes, listed as “new”. I may take the plunge and try my hand at a coach build on a pair of E40s as it seems all the bits are now available.

However, the issue might be in getting some Dean buffers for the carriages. The last time I looked at MJT they were having issues in getting stock. I think there was an issue with the supply of castings.

1 hour ago, Andy Keane said:

Phil @Harlequin did you ever get the 8'6" Dean bogies into CAD that could be used with the Worsley Works etches of the E40 coaches?

Andy

MJT now stock both 8’6” and 10’ Dean bogies.

6 minutes ago, KNP said:

6th pannier well on the way to completion.

Now 8787 as this was the only relevant number that 247 Developments had in stock so that is what she became.

No issues for me as so long as it was 87xx I was happy.

Just buffer beam numbers to add, some weathering to the red and of course the necessary fire irons?

Crew in make up at the moment and then they can be added.

 

 

Is this the last, well who knows as I thought one was enough, then two and then so on to six.......!

6 Panniers - blimey I had better get a wiggle on :-)

Today has seen another day of running the Manor 4-6-0. I had filmed a couple of sequences, but wasn't happy with how they came out. Sometimes my DSLR doesn't focus very well in video mode - it was ok on the back screen, but not when I brought hot up to the Mac to make into a video.

More running-in ensued!

I also started to glaze the C23 clerestory - to be continued.

Over the last week or so, I have re-written my loco blog and moved it into the same section as my carriages. This area is now called "Kit-built stock for Henley-on-Thames" replacing my "bodgers guide to Comet carriages" 

My next blog page will probably be for the Worsley works 3rd C22 46ft Clerestory carriage (details here: https://gwrcoaches.org.uk/Clerestories.shtml) as I have just received the required Dart castings parts to complete the carriage: (8ft 6 Dean bogies; Dean vacuum cylinder; Dean buffers and for the first time, door hinges).

Then it will be onto the H26 70ft Restaurant carriage and who knows which carriage, or maybe loco next!

6 minutes ago, NickL2008 said:

Hi Neal, just read your thread, you have a nice layout, mine is based on Henley also, albeit around 50 years later

 

NL

Thanks Nick. That roof shot of the canopy at Henley is interesting… it could do with a clean!

Thanks again.

40 minutes ago, Andy Keane said:

What gearbox did you use in your little tank?

Highlevel - cant remember what gearing

Thanks Keith and Mike.

6 hours ago, melmerby said:

The Dapol Mogul slips as is, put extra mass over the drivers and it virtually stops, so two problems, not enough mass and weak motor.

Virtually the same with the Hornby 61XX.

I bet the earlier Hornby-ised ex Airfix Prairie will do it, the motor is a big can and the loco is a lot heavier

Thanks Keith - so my little whitemetal metro tank won’t be hauling them I guess.

It will be a shame if I have to split it into two rakes. I’ve got 6 on order

5 hours ago, Coach bogie said:

Dapol prairie manages my 6 coach rake with no issues even on uphill stretches.

 

Mike Wiltshire

Thanks Mike. I don’t have the Dapol 61xx, instead I went for two Hornby 61xx.

These are carriages that were very much on my wish list when I set up the Toplights poll a few years ago. Maybe I need to reduce the order down to 4 carriages instead of the 6.

On 25/03/2024 at 18:58, melmerby said:

What are people using to haul a full rake of 6?

Many of my locos wont make it up a rising grade with them, including Dapol Mogul & Hornby 61XX.

Even with extra mass in the 61XX, it's a struggle but sails up with 6 Hornby Colletts.

I think you have said this before Keith - I dont have any grades, but a min 3rd radius on the approach into the station - but am concerned if you are having issues, whether my locos will be able to pull them in. I wonder what the solution is...

3 hours ago, Andy Keane said:

Nice lamps! is there a crew as well?

Yes! They were still in a box on the bench, together with the coal. Plus once I am happy that the loco will run for more than 2 sessions, I will change the speaker for something beefier!

(Crew, like the lamps are Modelu - normal ones, not those pre-printed ones)

19 minutes ago, Andy Keane said:

And very nicely too, at that!

Thanks Andy

1 minute ago, County of Yorkshire said:

That’s helpful to know, thanks. Is it Railmatch or Phoenix Precision colours you’ve used there? 
 

My airbrush has been sat in its box since I bought it in the Modelzone closing down sale a decade ago! I’ve not mustered the courage to give it a go yet… 

The railway colours are Railmatch acrylic. The non railway colours are Vallejo acrylic.

3 hours ago, County of Yorkshire said:

Hi Neal, 

 

I love the 70 footers! Sorry for missing this, but how did you paint them? Was it an airbrush or rattle can? 
 

Cheers, 

 

CoY

They have both been sprayed with my Iwata airbrush.

59 minutes ago, Mikkel said:

 

Thank you Neal, this is quite a development. Well done by the GWS. 

 

I am still wading through 1935.

When it was launch onto the GWS website, I think the idea is that it will remain free for a short while and then for a fee. But still free for GWR members.

48 minutes ago, Coach bogie said:

I have just accessed the article (July 1923). The quality is much better than my faded photocopies. Thanks again. Also found some useful van images and plans as I got carried away looking through other months.

 

Mike Wiltshire

And there is an index for every year! - I haven't seen that before.

I was looking through 1935 earlier and searching "Henley" or "Regatta" ..... there was an interesting article about the new Centenary carriages. interestingly, I found a photo of the new train with a fully streamlined Manorbier Castle at the helm.

Reported in the January 1935 GWR magazine!

1 hour ago, brumtb said:

Hi Neal

The carriages are reasuringly heavy but very free running.  My 39xx is a scratch built body on a a Bachmann chassis and it has no trouble at all.  I've not tried any other locos yet but don't anticipate any haulage issues, they are quality products.  A six carriage set would be just right with the County Tank I would think.  I wouldn't recommend using the Dapol rigid couplers, though I had enough problems putting the 3 on the track.  

Tony

Thanks for that Tony.

3 minutes ago, TrevorP1 said:

This one? Farmer Moving South

Yes that’s the one.