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gc4946

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Blog Entries posted by gc4946

  1. gc4946
    I retrieved my Bachmann J72, my NER contingent, from store and decided that I'll retain this loco after all, even though a newly-tooled version is expected within a year or so.



    It's been renumbered to a Bidston-based loco as appearing during 1947-48 to accompany my GWR Hawksworth Counties and other LMS representatives presenting a "Chester Central" loco stabling point, imagining if there was one central station in Chester rather than both General and Northgate.
  2. gc4946
    2753 Cheshire
     
    This is my second attempt at representing Cheshire in my collection, the first was a re-named Hornby Hawksworth 4-6-0 called County of Chester. I had four locos from that class but wanted some variety, so the GWR version was disposed of and the LNER version bought instead.
     
    Cheshire worked in Scotland, at least from 1948, according to www.brdatabase.info
    I wanted to own a small collection of pre-WW2 LNER locos in Scotland based around an ex-NBR Glen 4-4-0 (yet to be procured) and a GNR/LNER N2 0-6-2T, examples of which worked north of the border.
     
    Some D49 "Shires" were coupled to LNER standard tenders pre-WW2, e.g. 2760 Westmorland, photographed at Glasgow Queen Street, in David Jenkinson's book "The big four in colour, 1935-50" (Pendragon, 1994, reprinted 1999)
     
    I've yet to decide whether to source a Hornby Railroad D49 with loco-drive for a body-chassis swap. Otherwise I'm happy with the loco and may yet swap the large tension locks for something smaller to allow easier coupling to my Gresley teak carriages.
     

  3. gc4946
    The final piece in the jigsaw arrived this week - a LNER J11 representing the ex-Great Central.
     

     
    Originally I was planning to wait for Bachmann to produce the J11 in Great Central lined black.
    However, at the Pontefract model railway show, I tracked down and bought a copy of T.B. Maund's "The Wirral Railway and its predecessors" published by Lightmoor Press.
     
    On reading through the book, I found I could bring forward the timeline of the Wirral Railway livery well into 1923. Page 132 of his book says:
    "It is thought that no. 6 [the ex-L&Y 2-4-2T] was originally allocated No. 10638 in the L&Y series but it is extremely unlikely that it carried it. It is known to have been painted in LM&S red with crest by June 1924."
     
    I've always liked the transition era just after BR was nationalised so I thought I could do the same with the LMS and LNER in 1923.
    The LMS quickly withdrew the ex-Wirral rolling stock to be replaced by ex-LNWR bogie stock, which carried its former owner's livery for some time before it was repainted into LMS maroon (Maund, p.131) it appears from photos that ex-LNWR 50' arc-roofed and elliptical roofed carriages were drafted to the ex-Wirral lines running in four coach rakes.
     
    Therefore for mid-late 1923, I could justify owning stock in Wirral, LNWR and GCR liveries, as well as the then new LMS and LNER schemes.
    If I can track down any of the former PC Models LNWR non-corridor kits with their printed acetate sides, this could be achievable.
     
    Also owning a J11 in LNER livery has other advantages - they're more appropriate for mixed traffic work and some were drafted to the ex-M&GN in 1936.
     
    The only additions I would make to this collection would be if I moved and found I was living somewhere where the predominant pre-grouping companies weren't represented in my fleet.
  4. gc4946
    No more progress has been made on any of my locos in this collection, but today I bought from Ingrow Railway Centre four British Railway Modelling back issues containing Nigel Digby's articles titled "The liveries of the pre-grouping railways" featuring colour side views of the main passenger loco, carriage and wagon liveries as well as detailed prototype notes on freight liveried locos:
    Apr. 1996 - Midland & Great Northern Rly;
    Apr. 1998 - Great Eastern Rly;
    Apr. 1999 - Great Central Rly;
    July 2001 - Wirral Rly
    Of those, the Midland & Great Northern's brownish yellow ochre and burnt sienna pre-1914 loco livery will be the most challenging to reproduce, especially as I want my chosen loco to be in the same era as my own GER's blue J17 loco.
    Both the Great Central and Wirral locos will be modelled around 1922, but at least they'll be in different variations of lined black.
    Earlier on at Railfest in York, I suggested to Bachmann's reps that they release their planned J11 in GCR livery and/or the L&Y 2-4-2T in Wirral livery for their Collectors' Club, I'll wait and see if any of this materalises ...
  5. gc4946
    Having just arrived home from seeing the Trans-Lancs bus event in Manchester and looking at the various traders selling model buses, I'm coming to realise where the best location would be should I prototypically model based on what's in my steam loco fleet.
     
    Without divulging too much, I own eight GWR locos, 12 LMS, 3 LNER, 6 SR and 4 BR Standards. They appear in liveries from pre-WW2 to late BR crest.
    The three LNER locos (B12, B17 and J17) are all in pre-WW2 liveries, more suited for the GE section and all my SR ones are more suited for Hampshire ca. 1956-57.
    I own matching carriages from all Big Four companies.
    This leaves the rest. As I came from Birmingham my thoughts for a long time were modelling both LMS and GWR lines separately.
    Then I had a thought ...
    I realised thinking on the train back virtually all the GWR, LMS and BR types in my fleet could be seen in or around Chester. I first thought about the Shrewsbury-Crewe line but did LMS express types work that line? And of course ex-SR Maunsell stock didn't go that way.
     
    Chester suited me by far, but of course no way do I have room for modelling Chester General, I would have to model the approach coming in from the west of the city but maybe imagine it only as two rather than four tracks.
     
    I came back from the event with a EFE Crosville Leyland TD1 in post-1942 Tilling lined green, but it looks like some serious investment will be needed in a LNWR signalbox and more Crosville and Chester City Transport buses, luckily I have some information on Crosville as my family and I lived on Merseyside.
  6. gc4946
    I've done some modelling recently and here's some of my output:
     
    1. Rail blue Bachmann 47 no. 47 701 Saint Andrew, as originally running in 1979, re-numbered and modified from 47 035 and fitted with a Bachmann sound chip. I own some Jouef Mk3s and a recently purchased DBSO to accompany the loco.
    I wanted a companion to my identical sound-fitted Bachmann 47 470 Glenloy which was unofficially named in Oct. 1979 for only a few weeks, the only proof of its existence is a close up shot of its name:
     
    http://www.class47.c...ame=443&index=G
     
    2. Large logo Bachmann 37 424 Glendarroch, sound fitted, this still awaits its etched nameplates, this loco was re-numbered from Bachmann's 37 425 limited edition with Eastfield's scottie dog emblem.
     
    3. Chipped and weathered a Hornby 101 blue/grey DMU, it had its outer couplings removed and its bufferbeams painted black.
     
    No prizes for guessing Glen and Andrew being my names. A future project will be to model 37 326 Glengarnock in its large logo livery as named in 1986, I already own its later incarnation when it reverted to 37 111 in Railfreight Metals livery.
  7. gc4946
    Last Tuesday afternoon I travelled down with a mate to Dover via South Eastern Trains' highspeed service in unit 395001 Dame Kelly Holmes. One nice touch was their signature on the side of the carriage, not just a vinyl or cast nameplate.
    The "Javelins" are being named after well known British Olympians, so, I thought, could I imagine more units named after some of my former school pupils who excelled at sports?
    I knew three pupils who excelled in track and field athletics and have provisionally allocated names and numbers in the series 395 030-032 ... names will be withheld.
     
    The late Don Jones' Birmingham New Street OO layout had 47s and 87s named after friends and family who helped out on the railway, and quite often I've seen photos in the media of live steam locos on garden railways named after their partners.
  8. gc4946
    Last year I started going into sound fitted locos in a big way, starting with buying a Bachmann 47 using some of my Xmas money.
     
    This has been a rapidly developing theme and I decided from the outset to only equip a small number of my fleet due to its cost.
    I see the most expensive part, the hardware, as buying the chips and speakers, because the ESU chips can be reblown as often, now as little as a tenner plus postage, as needed, bearing how fragile some of the wires and challenges with installation.
     
    I'm not afraid, within reason, to switch chips between locos, to meet changing wishes and requirements. Tonight I transplanted an Olivia's Trains DMU chip and speaker from my Hornby blue/grey 101 unit to my Bachmann green 108 3-car unit in order to provide company with my Hornby Black 5 (45377)
     
    The night before I transplanted one of my class 37 chips and speaker into my 4CEP unit so I could arrange to reblow it with EMU sounds as I remember them from my youth down south. Once my Hampshire unit arrives from Kernow next year, I'll redeploy and reblow another sound chip from my existing fleet, don't know which one yet until nearer the time, again to relive childhood memories.
     
    You could argue that this is all just a novelty but for me it gives a fourth dimension to my hobby.
  9. gc4946
    Having only just bought a laptop and my own home broadband net access, I'll post occasional news about how my layouts and modelling philosophies evolved, especially about coping with my hobby living in a small flat.
    I haven't bought a digital camera or any scanning equipment yet so please bear with me not posting any photos to show you of some of my past efforts.
     
    I model in both N and OO, although OO has the upper hand by far now because of the wider range of models available, both new and second hand. It hasn't always been the case, when I had just graduated from what is now a uni, I stayed in bedsits where I only had room for tiny layouts, and N predominated, indeed at one time I could count the amount of OO stock I owned on both hands!
     
    My circumstances mean only small portable layouts are possible, and from experience, designed to be carried and stacked away by one person at the end of each operating session. Therefore, any fine detail that is likely to be knocked off is either omitted or removed, and any buildings or structures above a certain height removed before stacked away.
     
    I've settled on pre-ballasted Fleischmann Profi track (OO and N) as experience over the years shown I can lay and remove the stuff and reuse it many times, although it costs more than normal flexitrack, I've saved loads of money over the long term when I've changed my mind, high quality track is always a good investment.
    I've also evaluated Kato Unitrack in N and my favourite pieces are the sectional double-track parts which go together like as though it's Scalextric and can be assembled and dismantled in no time.
     
    The Fleischmann track (code 100 in OO, code 80 in N) can handle nearly every wheel profile except the very earliest Triang.
     
    I must leave things for now ....
  10. gc4946
    TERRIER 32646 RECEIVES EXTENDED BUNKER AND COAL RAILS
     

     
    The cab/bunker modifications have been progressing on 32646, including coal rails, all made from black styrene, and have now reached the stage of lining, lettering and final varnishing.
     
    I haven't got any BR lining transfers in stock at home, but looking at what's available, I'm going with HMRS' Pressfix version because they're a closer match with Hornby's rendition of BR lining.
     
    Once the finishing has been done, all I then need to do is to re-attach the rear buffer beam assembly and I'll then have my special customised Terrier.
  11. gc4946
    TERRIER TO RECEIVE ISLE OF WIGHT EXTENDED BUNKER

    Here's my early progress on this conversion.



    Due to the long life of the Terriers and numerous alterations over time, Hornby's (ex-Dapol) Terrier requires modification to represent the modeller's preferred example in details and era.

    The first tranche of Rails/Dapol's proposed locos includes several in A1 and A1X condition, but none that carried the extended Isle of Wight bunkers.

    Without hacking Hornby's front combined sandbox/splashers, the only possibilities for those modelling the late BR era Terriers are 32640, 32646 and 32670.

    32670 had a short bunker, without toolbox, but the top edges were taller than the side tanks.
    32640/6 both had the Isle of Wight extended bunkers, however 32640's bunker had no coal rails, whilst 32646's bunker had them.

    32640 https://www.flickr.com/photos/gricerman/8428479180
    32646 https://www.flickr.com/photos/93456400@N04/14974012831
    32670 https://www.flickr.com/photos/21602076@N05/18095289881

    My preferred choice will be 32646 because 32640 carried a cast-iron chimney which differed from the original Stroudley's version, fitted whilst serving on the Isle of Wight Central Railway
    https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=duYOBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT41&dq=chimney+castiron+iwcr&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiN7fjNpJzaAhVTOMAKHapMDTgQ6AEIKTAA#v=onepage&q=chimney%20castiron%20iwcr&f=false
  12. gc4946
    NEW SECR COMPANION INCLUDED AS PART OF A BR LATE-CREST SOUTHERN REGION TRIO
     

     
    Introducing my newest addition to the collection, a N class 2-6-0 representing the South Eastern and Chatham contingent, albeit built after grouping.
    My late gran spent a brief time as a nurse in Greenwich in the late 50s.
    I bought Bachmann's 31843 several years ago because it features a standard 4 chimney and wanted to re-number it as the preserved 31874, as it had the same chimney fitted as part of a front-end overhaul during the late 50s.
    Moreover 31874 was based at Bricklayers Arms during that time
    http://www.brdatabase.info/locoqry.php?action=locodata&type=S&id=117921&loco=1874
     
    Alongside 31843 are M7 30031, the LSWR contingent, and A1X Terrier 32678, the LBSCR contingent.
     
    These locos were bought several years ago before the introduction and announcement of more pre-grouping models:
    - Adams Radial, Beattie Well Tank, 700, 02 and forthcoming B4 classes for LSWR,
    - E4 and forthcoming H1/H2 and new-tooling Terriers for the LBSCR,
    - C, H and P classes for the SECR
     
    However I've no reason to revise my mini-collection in the light of these developments.
  13. gc4946
    WELLS OR RADSTOCK SCENARIO, 1929-34?



    Today I sourced another current Hornby Railroad Jinty chassis to fit under the Somerset & Dorset Prussian blue 0-6-0T.

    With my Midland 4F in LMS livery - yet to be re-numbered - I can now plausibly recreate a Wells or a Radstock scenario between 1929-34.

    The S&D tank will handle the freight, the GWR 2721 the passenger with a B set (Airfix) and the 4F would handle mixed duties.
  14. gc4946
    PRUSSIAN BLUE WINS OVER UNLINED BLACK ANY DAY!

    I'm opting for my Somerset & Dorset representative to be the 3F Bagnall 0-6-0T (Jinty) in Prussian blue.
    However I'll need to paint Hornby's front and rear spectacle panels - which fold up in one piece to include a backhead and cab floor - in blue, because for reasons of economy, they were moulded in black.

    My Railroad 0-6-0 chassis is now under the GWR 2721 pannier tank, so I'll source a replacement chassis to fit under the Bagnall. I may be lucky to get hold of one at the forthcoming York model railway event.
  15. gc4946
    PRUSSIAN BLUE BAGNALL 3F OR BR 7F 2-8-0?

    I'm evaluating Hornby Railroad's R2882 3F tank in Prussian blue to see how well it fares against my GWR 2721 pannier.



    The pannier has Hornby's Margate 0-6-0 chassis with brightly plated wheels, sprung rear wheelset and centre flangeless wheels with traction tyres ...
    whereas the Railroad version has blackened, all-flanged wheels and no sprung axles.

    It appears that the Prussian blue livery didn't last long on the prototype, but have no idea when the last one was repainted in LMS black.
    I hope at least one lasted until 1934, because by then the LMS started repainting its carriages with simplified lining, which are represented by my Bachmann LMS wooden-panelled carriages.
  16. gc4946
    TANKS FOR THE MEMORIES
     
    At last I took advantage of Bachmann's LNWR Coal Tank release and also evaluating a secondhand Hornby GWR 2721 pannier tank to create a possible "West Kirby" scenario between 1921-1924.
    Here is the 2721 pannier on a short freight.
     

     
    From left to right: GWR, LNWR and L&Y (to be modified as the Wirral example) locos:
     

     
    The branch from Hooton to West Kirby was a joint GWR-LNWR operation. Its station in West Kirby was separate from the adjacent Wirral Railway's terminus.
     
    In 1921, Wirral Railway bought a L&YR 2-4-2T which they re-numbered as 6 and fitted extra coal rails to the bunker, but as an economy measure, retained the L&YR livery.
    I've yet to modify the Locomotion Models/Bachmann NRM version to represent the loco in the form it ran on the Wirral before overhaul in 1924 and its transfer out of the area.
  17. gc4946
    31874 READY FOR USE FOR SOUTHERN REGION INTER-REGIONAL SERVICES



    I've re-numbered Bachmann's 31843 to represent 31874.
    Having said that, in the end I removed the factory-applied numbering, because the number sizes and weight (typographically) didn't match the digits on both my Pressfix and Replica transfer sheets.
    I also wasted several Pressfix digits trying to get the numbers straight and evenly spaced.

    It requires a lot of concentration and a good frame of mind to tackle such re-numbering exercises.
  19. gc4946
    Things have been very quiet on this long-term project.

    New locos have been brought out which look more desirable and appropriate for future additions to the collection (LNWR Coal Tank)
    However I scored a find at the Pontefract event yesterday.



    A Midland & Great Northern Joint Rly Johnson 4-4-0 no. 42 in their mustard livery, prior to being rebuilt with an extended smokebox.

    It looks like someone put together a Ratio MR Johnson 4-4-0 body and tender and hacked the tender body to fit an early Lima HO 4F tender motor drive unit.
    The loco chassis is scratchbuilt from brass strip with what appears to be the original Ratio front bogie and wheels.



    Here it's posed with the GER G58 (LNER J17) a Bec kit on a Triang 3F chassis.
    It might be the only opportunity to display them together as they stand in model form, because the GER loco should really appear in black and the previous owner amateurishly hand-painted the lettering.
  20. gc4946
    It's been a long time coming, but mum's finally relocating to Leeds - at least for now.
     
    She gave up the idea of living somewhere in the East Riding sometime ago, so I disposed of the Lima GNER HST set that I bought for re-naming.
     
    Mum might consider moving to a retirement flat in North Yorkshire, therefore I've kept back my rail blue class 31/4 Lima body/Hornby Railroad chassis for re-naming/re-numbering as 31428 North Yorkshire Moors Railway.
  21. gc4946
    What have all these carriages got in common?
     
    They're all from some of Hornby's latest production ... but are examples of rolling stock which ended their BR service in the sidings in and around Fratton station and yards in departmental and internal user roles.
     
    I lived not far from Fratton's yards in my youth and often noticed the wide variety of types stabled in the sidings, including departmentals and stock stored prior to withdrawal and scrapping.
     
    My collection has another twist in the tale - I could have modified them to represent how they appeared at Fratton in my youth, but chose to represent them in their normal service condition.
     
    The three examples below are my starters in this collection (NB not re-numbered yet but own the correct versions) :
     
    1. LMS design CCT M37320M to dia 2026 on to lot 1636 at Earlestown 1952. Internal user 083319, stores van, transferred 3/78, scrapped 1986.
    2. LNER CCT E1263E, to dia 6 York 1939. Internal user 083318, stores van, Fratton Yard, scrapped 1986.
    3. SR TO S1336S, built 1933. Internal user 081901, also DS70313, office at Fratton from 1961 until withdrawn in 1987, when purchased by the Bluebell Railway.
     

     
    I've no recollection of seeing either of the LMS and LNER CCTs because I suspect at least one of them was kept inside the goods depot (later owned by National Carriers Ltd) until scrapping.
     
    I own a Bachmann Bulleid BTO, of which a prototype example was an occasional visitor to Fratton yard during the early 1980s. It was painted in olive and lost its corridor connections, however, as it wasn't easily visible from Goldsmiths Avenue, I've yet to identify its running number(s).
     
    Sources:
    "Departmental coaching stock, second edition including internal users" by Roger Butcher and Peter Fox (Platform 5, 1985)
    SR carriage data from http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/pics/1336b.html
    Scrapping dates from www.departmentals.com
  22. gc4946
    For my representation of London, I've now chosen a model representing the name of the capital in its own right, as opposed to being an add-on to an existing model.
     
    In an earlier instalment I described how often I've changed my mind about owning a model containing the name of London and settled on owning a Hornby Pendolino coach re-named as City of London to ring the changes with my version of City of Birmingham.
     
    From now on the Pendolino will be known as City of Birmingham and my London representative is a London Midland Siemens Desiro.
    My preferred supplier had only just restocked the 350/1 variant in their livery. I wanted that sub-class because they were fitted for dual-voltage operation, so increasing its operating appeal.
    Some were sub-leased to Southern in 2009 to run Milton Keynes-East Croydon services in order that Southern's own 377/2 dual-voltage Electrostars were freed up to cover for the late arrival of First Capital Connect's 377/5 units on Thameslink services.
     
    http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=27362&page=2
     

  23. gc4946
    This is another of my locos I've bought in advance at a modest price even though my mum still hasn't decided where's she relocating, so I've covered my bases.
     
    I've opted to model a class 31, 31428 North Yorkshire Moors Railway, over a GNER class 91 as it's much more operationally useful in my railway collection.
    According to images I've consulted on the web, it was recorded as far south as Rugby and Bletchley on engineering duties.
     
    My choice will represent the loco in refurbished BR blue as running between 1998-1992 and the Lima version (below) will form the basis of that loco
     
    http://www.anticsonline.co.uk/984_1_23064.html
     
    Until matters are firmed up regarding my mum's move, it'll be retained unmodified.
  24. gc4946
    I'm writing this to illustrate the fact that sometimes one needs to plan ahead and get hold of stuff while it's available.
     
    My mother is still considering which area of Yorkshire to move to when she hopefully takes the plunge next spring. Moreover as she intends to rent rather than buy, she may have to move more often depending on the landlord's whims.
     
    I've already bought a Lima GNER HST train pack for possible modification of one of its power cars to East Riding of Yorkshire for a modest sum and I already own a Dapol/Hornby class 56 named West Yorkshire Enterprise.
     
    If mum decides to move to somewhere in North Yorkshire, there are a few locos which contain that name.
    Two class 31s have borne the name North Yorkshire Moors Railway and a class 91 has been named County of North Yorkshire.
    Although I've travelled on the NYMR, I'm not a member of a preservation group or society connected with the railway, so the class 91 is a more realistic opportunity. The downside is that the 91s were rarely seen running light and a full Mk4 rake would take up far too much room than I have at my disposal.
    On the other hand I could track down a Hornby Mk4 GNER train pack or loco a little more easily, and if necessary, repaint an InterCity liveried version into GNER style, as their livery is simple to reproduce and both paints and transfers are available.
     
    Incidentally the City of York, though a unitary authority, is considered for ceremonial county purposes, as defined by the Lieutenancies Act 1997, to belong to North Yorkshire
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceremonial_counties_of_England
     
    If she chooses to live within the present boundaries of York City Council, there are several choices available if one want to model a loco which contains the name of York.
    According to Rail UK, over the years, several HST power cars have borne The Duke and Duchess of York, another HST power car and a Gresley V2 have also been named St Peter's School York AD 627.
    59201 has borne Vale of York, and class 91s have borne City of York and York Minster.
    A NER Raven 4-6-2 was named City of York and a D49 "Hunt" class was named The York and Ainsty.
     
    No decision on which loco to model representing York will be taken until nearer the time when she settles within that area.
  25. gc4946
    East Riding of Yorkshire - latest
     
    I exchanged the wheels on Lima's motorised HST power car for ones in better condition.
     
    Tonight I also rediscovered the YouTube video of a solo GNER power car with a Porterbrook Mk1 barrier coach running through York.
     

     
    Unlike some other train operators, I don't know if any GNER power cars ever ran coupled back to back.
     
    The only area where a GNER HST (especially a single power car and a barrier coach) and a Pendolino could have regularly met on weekdays would be in Edinburgh.
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