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Matthew Cousins

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Blog Entries posted by Matthew Cousins

  1. Matthew Cousins
    Having had the pleasure of receiving 3 locos newly painted (two new-build and one re-paint) in LNER green, I have been surprised by the range of colour between Doncaster and Darlington green and also the effect of gloss finish to locos making them appear even brighter.
    I have been exceptionally pleased with the workmanship shown by Peter Relf, James King and Colin Tyler in the building and re-painting of these locos. Colin is a professional with really exceptional standards (the V2) and the other two have been amazing all-round construction and paint jobs, with much detail work not readily evident and with the P2 Peter practically scratch built the front end and James did a really good compensation system on top of the great build of a good kit. Thanks to them all, I just need to keep painting to pay for the next ones!

  2. Matthew Cousins
    At todays show the top end of the 0 gauge market seemed to be going strong with some really nice RTR locos now available.
    The Golden Age Merchant Navy (inc rebuilt) locos are really very good.
     

     
    Also having had another look at their purple/blue A4 has helped me make up my mind to put this livery on my kitbash A4
     

    Trouble is that I have Champagne tastes, but only the money for a bottle of stout!
  3. Matthew Cousins
    Hi, I just thought that I would clarify a misunderstanding on one of our contributors, who suggested that I had got the tender front wrong on this A4 build. He said that the streamlined tenders were straight at the front and not curved in. Well in fact all the corridor tenders were curved in at the front not just the 1928 built and modified. The Corridor type tender fills out the loading gauge, so that any handrail on the outside would be out of gauge, so all the fronts had to be curved in to mount the handrail.
    Only the streamlined NON corridor tenders were straight at the front as on Mallard as preserved. People may also note that ALL of the Bachmann 0 gauge NON corridor tenders are the wrong width as they are the same width as the corridor type and should be narrower. I found that an old Skinley drawing is responsible for this error and when I bought an A3 that had been built to these drawings with a wide non-corridor tender, I had to convert the tender, by adding the corridor details, see pic attached.
    I hope that this clears things up, but sorry to all those with Bachmann 0 gauge A3's, who now should set about narrowing their non corridor and GN coal rail tenders!Thanks for the comment, it was useful I think to air the subject which is confusing, as Bachmann know to their cost!
  4. Matthew Cousins
    Had a nice time at the East Grinstead show, managed to finish a small painting and have plenty of chats on railways and art etc. etc..
    The sun came into the room nicely at the end of the day Saturday so grabbed a few pics and cheated a bit on the scenery with Photoshop..

     
    I displayed three LNER locos and by co-incidence these are models of what three different groups are endeavouring to create full size, I hope they succeed!

     
    Lastly on another site someone mentioned that streamlined locos looked best in blue, so I decided to photoshop a photo of my P2 to see what it might have looked like if Mr T hadn't chewed it up - it might have been classified 9P!

     
    Almost tempted to have it repainted blue, but I think the builder would have a fit, having carefully lined out those 8 drivers!
  5. Matthew Cousins
    Having been spotted on RMWeb by a fellow rail artist Craig Tiley, my outdoor layout got featured in RM by him, which was very flattering considering that the railway is still a work in progress.
    Anyway, Craig asked what the name of the railway was and I hadn't really thought of one, so came up with my old spotting location of Cadwell plus a description of Moor, which I suppose goes with the rugged viaduct and heathers?
    Have had a couple of recent running sessions with some visiting locos.
     
    The Devon Belle seems to have got itself diverted onto my patch of the LNER This is a Golden Age model and is superb, but I didn't seem to have enough amps running to power it properly, which was a pity.

    Also a stray E4 and C2X seem to to have wandered my way.

    The C2X and E4 are radio controlled and worked well - made very nicely by Malcolm Saker, who has got a nice weathered tone and colour to them.
    Returning to the LNER here are a couple more pics of my stock, The blue A3 expertly painted by Colin Tyler is a modified Sunset model and the Royal Claud is a Mallard model by an unknown maker.


  6. Matthew Cousins
    The Old chap who built these models about 50 years ago was very good at construction - although painting has improved a long way in recent years.
    These items are available for sale and appear to be the 3/16th scale imperial form of the gauge and are 3 rail stud contact. An intriguing scale that I hadn't encountered before.
    It would be good for these nice locos to go to a new home with an 'S' gauge modeller who would appreciate them.
     

  7. Matthew Cousins
    The B12 has now been finish painted by Colin Tyler and weathered by the local chap The Weathering Service.

    The E 4 has been lettered and lined by Colin Tyler, after basic painting by me (Halfords Satin Black) but will not be weathered as the prototype was kept as a pet by Cambridge shed as station pilot in the 1930's.

    Both taken on the inside part of the layout when the evening sun shines in.
  8. Matthew Cousins
    Had a bit of a busy weekend.
    Off on Saturday early to set up my art stand at the excellent St Albans Show. and took 2001 to visit and thanks to Terry Yeend for allowing it to pose on Lough Engine shed - duly envious of this layout!

     
    As often seems to happen with me, I got double booked with a late wedding announcement and couldn't miss an old friends daughter getting Wed in the Roman Baths at Bath!

    Very enjoyable evening ! then back on the road before dawn to get back to St Albans Show!
    Sunrise as I joined the M4...

    Very glad to finally make it home to Sussex after 400 miles and a great weekend - particularly the CMRA Sunday Lunch!
  9. Matthew Cousins
    Whilst at the Seaford show an old couple asked me if I could help sell some of their brothers old locos. These included some S scale locos, which is a scale that I haven't seen before.
    I thought that I would post this photo to show the comparison of 0 gauge 00 gauge and the intermediate S gauge, which is 5mm /Ft ?
    The model is of course the well known Terrier with the S gauge loco being the A1X next to 'Brighton'
    It would be interesting to know if anyone on RMWeb does S scale and might be interested in these locos.
    The nickel silver A1 nearest the camera is a 4mm kit that was made in the 1970's by GW Models, who now make rivet tools and other builders aids.

  10. Matthew Cousins
    A couple of years ago I bought a D49 named as Rutlandshire in LNER green and found that as it had been built as a display model really, as although is was nice the paint worked flaked (not properly primed) and valve gear had problems.
    I decided that I would have the loco as Hertfordshire and then have it in very early BR days and also paired it with an almost correct second hand ex-GC tender that is similar to that which was attached to that D49.
    I am using the group standard tender from this loco to go with a J39 that I'm messing about with - a half made set of parts that came without a tender - pics to follow sometime.
    Colin's paint job is as good as ever and transforms the model.



  11. Matthew Cousins
    I am starting this blog at somewhat of a halfway stage to give a warning to anyone starting to mess about with a Bachmann A3 chassis!
    Having had a cast white metal A4 body lying around for some time I came up with a novel idea to get this on a chassis from a Bachmann A3 that I picked up for £365, whilst saving the body and tender of the A3 to form the basis of a P1 2-8-2 (Gresleys freight Mikado version of the A1/A3 pacifics)
    Later on I shall show progress on both these engines where for an outlay of around £700 I can make both a P1 2-8-2 and an A4 4-6-2, but for this posting I shall pass on my experiences with the A3 chassis for the A4.
    Taking the basic Bachmann A3 chassis, I thought that I could improve the valve gear and replace the coupling rods and eccentric etc.
    Having taken the rods off I found that I couldn't re-attach the pins as it was not possible to get the pins relocated on the wheels without taking the force fit wheels off their axles and ruining the quartering and probably ending up with wobbly loose wheels.
    So now what? I had a set of Slaters driving wheels acquired with some issues of the 'Build the Flying Scotsman' partwork ( I wonder how many odd sets of these partworks are still lying about!) and looking at the axles on the Bachmann A3 thought that it would be a simple job to replace the wheels - HOW WRONG I WAS !!
    The nicely sprung axleboxes that I thought had an axle approximating to a Slaters axle passing thorough them had in fact got a reduced diameter axle at the ends to which not only the wheels a force fitted but also concealed in that nice sprung axlebox was a ball bearing race! - I can hear comments of 'he should have checked this first...more money than sense...etc etc'.
    As can be seen from the photos I was now in a real mess, nothing of the Slaters axles fits this lot!
    So I felt the only way to rescue this was to fit plain bearings into the axleboxes by boring out the axle hole and aralditing in the plain bearings - I am a terrible bodger but managed to achieve an acceptable result, only to find out that some company makes roller bearings that fit Slaters axles I think.
    The motor/gearbox was much more of a problem as I couldn't force off the ball race and so had to saw this axle up to release the gear cog to put on the Slaters axle and had to get a friend to turn up a spacer to accommodate the plain bearing in the gearbox otherwise it would have meant throwing the whole motor/gearbox away and buying my preferred ABC items, but I was determined to save a bit of money!
    So please look at the photos attached and probably the best advice is NOT to touch the wheels of these early Bachmann A3's at all but just tidy up the radius link and die block on the valve gear some other way!!
    Having said that I am pleased with the improvement to the appearance of the wheels and I can now fit proper valvegear and the quartering will never be a problem!
  12. Matthew Cousins
    The Sunset A3 has arrived and is running in on a goods. The paint job by Colin Tyler is first class and just what I wanted it to be - superb work.

    However despite Colin's best efforts the loco is still massively inefficient and draws a lot of power for not much output. My layout has gradients, not huge, but significant and the rest of my front-line locos have ABC gearboxes which handle everything superbly, specially the James King built B17 which with ball bearing drivers is a fantastic performer! The Sunset models have some kind of belt drive and are massively heavy, so it takes most of their power to move themselves up a gradient!
    Also shown is the wonderful B17

  13. Matthew Cousins
    Friend Peter has at last finished the P2 after 5 years of struggle!
    We decided, after his suggestion that my purchase of a kit to make 2002 in it's original form, would be best transformed into the streamlined form that it spent most of its life as a 2-8-2 in.
    Having made that decision, I then felt that 2001 had a better name!
    The front end is mostly scratch built having decided that some A4 parts weren't right the kit manufacturer offered some parts of the streamlined kit that he was developing, but the chimney was not adequate and so on.....
    The chassis is a JPL models one with decoration details from the Ace kit.
    Much fettling and modification has had to be done and Peter handed me the result on Saturday muttering words like ..never again....
    The result is just great, although running in and some fault finding with the very long wheelbase still is to be done, but the loco is just stunning looking - thanks Peter!

  14. Matthew Cousins
    Friend Peter has now really got his teeth into building the A1 kit from David Andrews for me.
    Unlike the previous two kits (which he had to do significant scratch building on), he's finding this kit much more straightforward.
    To be finished in BR blue 1951 condition, with the exception of the chimney, which will be lipped, because it looks so much better to me, I'm really looking forward to this loco being completed.
    Had a good day at Reading trade show, selling prints and Christmas cards, but more significantly the stock from a modeller who had sadly passed away before he could make his stock of kits.
    This came a s a warning to me that time is passing quickly and I really need to get on with some of the wagon and coach kits that I have had for years.
    I don't trust myself much with loco building, as my soldering skills are a bit low, so I'm duly envious of Peter's skill and craftsmanship!

  15. Matthew Cousins
    I have assembled the loco and tender briefly to check heights etc. and to see the overall impression in primer.
    My intention is for this to be in BR express loco Blue, which is enjoying a bit of popularity of late and to weather it a bit to try and get an authentic look.
    The problem is that The correct blue seems to be a real issue at present and Precision paints have withdrawn their colour, stating that it was not popular.
    Currently I am testing out a colour called Roundel Blue - which I take it is the RAF marking colour and to overspray with a Ford colour and then weather it all...
    It will be interesting to see how this all works out!
  16. Matthew Cousins
    Spent Friday trying to sort out a quarter inch gap that has opened up between the viaduct and the rockery. Given that all parts of the layout are massively over engineered, I was puzzled as to how this movement occurred with enough strength to shear the screws holding the trackbed down.

     
    Anyway have got this mostly sorted out in a day, with a friends help and had just enough daylight left to get a pic of his locos on a test run.

  17. Matthew Cousins
    The garden has emerged from the soggy winter fairly well, with only a small amount of electrical bonding and track alignment needed.
    It has allowed me to have some fun taking pics after a spot of hedge cutting and garden tending.


  18. Matthew Cousins
    Peter brought 60116 to the St Albans show to let me see progress, and it's posed next to Blink Bonny, these will be my two BR Blue Pacifics, although knowing Peter 60116 will be pristine as opposed to the weathered A3.
     

     
    I also received Colin Tyler's repaint of the J71 built by James King.
    It is such a well made loco that I felt that it deserved a special livery and so it has been given the almost unique hybrid livery of BR green with LNER black and white lining panels, as applied to the York station pilot.
    It is seen here on an outing to the Stevenage Club layout - pity that it's a hundred miles from me!
     

     
    With the turn of the year it will soon be time for the first outing of the travelling layout at Tonbridge.
  19. Matthew Cousins

    Guildex finds

    By Matthew Cousins,

    Guildex at Telford had its usual grievous effect on my funds, but very pleased to have received the repaint from Colin Tyler - will post pic later.
    Also found a couple of LNER suburbans at the bring and buy, that were nicely made and with a bit of weathering will be a nice addition to stock, many thanks to the vendor for a very fair price.
    I hope they feel that they have gone to a good home!

    There were very many other opportunities for complete wallet failure, with RTR in 0 gauge offering some really nice products, one can always dream...
  20. Matthew Cousins
    Although my layout is an LNER main line, the wayside station has a group of LBSCR preservationists using the old loco shed.
    Having presented the Gladstone to the LNER railway museum, they have gone on to preserve other LBSCR locos and have recently got their G class single nearly complete.
    They rolled it out into the sunshine - alarmingly without buffers! and had some pics taken. Thanks to Pete Wisdom for the build after taking on a part built scratch build for me and to Ian Hopkins for lining.

  21. Matthew Cousins
    I'm happy to report that the S scale models have found a new home, through the wonderful medium of the RMWeb!
    A last pic just to show the LBSC K Class Mogul, which I think must be around 50 years old and shows what a good level of model making was developed in this lovely scale all those years ago.
    It is good to know that these have gone to a good new home where they will be looked after and brought up to date (although I was intrigued by the skate mechanisms for stud contact and how the stud became almost invisible in the handmade trackwork).
    Having looked at the nice layouts made in this gauge, I have admired the workmanship and feel that this scale has been rather unfairly overlooked, as it is that bit bigger than 4mm so the smaller locos can be modeled well, yet is smaller and easier to deal with than 0 gauge,( which is my chosen gauge where the model making in 0 gauge is at some times absolutely sublime).
     

  22. Matthew Cousins
    After about 5 years, the build of this David Andrews A1 kit has been completed by Peter Relf for me and a very nice job too.
    Will require a little fettling to put up with the vagaries of my outdoor track (it is compensated/sprung) but the wait has been worth it!

    We had a debate about the BR Express blue and I found a BS colour called 'Roundel Blue' that I think looks good, but this livery is always one for debate as regards the blue.

    The next stage will be very light weathering as apart from ex-works locos got grubby quickly at this time in the early 1950's.
    So for these pics on the set of Peter Cowling Pullmans it's in pristine condition, just ex-works.

  23. Matthew Cousins

    Winter Sunshine

    By Matthew Cousins,

    The garden railway in winter doesn't see any use outdoors, but when the sun comes out it is tempting to use the low angle of the sun to get a winter pic and think of the summer to come.
    Roedeer is particularly photogenic, I had thought of LNER green for the livery, buy with this being my favourite name for a B1 this loco was always a black one, but lined in red it is attractive and nicely weathered by Neil Podbery.

  24. Matthew Cousins
    Well I've started and it is not a pretty sight - as can be seen from the following the pickups have been removed from the brake gear fortunately the glue gave before the brakes did.

    Then there is the chassis it has box sections which make driving anything other than the centre axle a bit difficult.

    A general view of the side of the chassis.I have re-soldered the thin section slide bars, but feel that these may have to go as well - where do you stop?

    Next to make a decision on compensation/springing of axles......
  25. Matthew Cousins
    The pre-Christmas Reading Trade show, did me in again, as I couldn't resist buying this part made E4 from a friendly trader.
    It has been very nicely made, but needs the loco chassis assembling - a task that friend Colin has undertaken to help me with! He assures me that the Alan Gibson cast wheels can be made useable even though the insulated wheels are turning on their axles.
    The E4 had always been on my long term list to get, so I felt that this was very opportune!
    I managed to sell a surplus tank loco to fund half of the purchase, so not too far out of pocket.
     

     
    Also friend Peter came along to show me how far the A1 (that he's building me from a David Andrews kit) is coming along.
    Hopefully this will be finished in spring 2016 - I can't wait!
     

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