Great Southern Railway (Fictitious) - Looking North

[Skinnylinny]

Progress on the layout design (specifically the station) has been slow - I've been suffering from unexplained fatigue, meaning that some nights I'm needing 12 hours of sleep (and a few hours' nap in the evening) and I'm often fighting to keep my eyes open at work. This evening I've had a splash of energy left over after the jobs that need doing, so I managed to get back onto that planned 2-4-0 tender loco. After making a right hash of it with a Hornby T9 chassis, I managed to get hold of a Hornby Railroad Midland Compound. Granted, with its 3-pole motor, this model isn't as good at slow starts as the T9, but the width across the coupling rods is narrower by about 3mm, meaning that it fits nicely within the width of the GBL C class running plate. It also has a nice, low-set motor which is set between the driving wheels, meaning it's an easy fit in the boiler. I have a "spare" boiler with large gaps cut into the side from when I tried to fit the T9 chassis, but there's an untouched boiler which will be used on the finished model.

 

 

 

The next task is getting the running plate to sit level, and then forming splashers. These will probably be laser-cut card (my favourite!)

 

I love these GBL locos, especially the C class - it can be turned into (for me) perfectly passable late Victorian/early Edwardian generic locos of many varieties. There have even been suggestions of building a 2-4-2t (which would be rather useful to the GSR) based around the same boiler and cab.

Edited July 18, 2018 by Skinnylinny

[Corbs]

Hi Linny

 

Loving your work. This may sound stupid but have you been drinking enough water? When I don't drink enough (especially when it gets hot and humid) I feel really drowsy and unable to function properly.

 

The body in the picture could make a good donor for a tank loco as you would be able to mask the holes in the boiler with the tanks?

 

What's the 2-4-0 to become? Lady Sybil Ramkin perhaps?

[Skinnylinny]

Hi Linny

 

Loving your work. This may sound stupid but have you been drinking enough water? When I don't drink enough (especially when it gets hot and humid) I feel really drowsy and unable to function properly.

 

The body in the picture could make a good donor for a tank loco as you would be able to mask the holes in the boiler with the tanks?

 

What's the 2-4-0 to become? Lady Sybil Ramkin perhaps?

Thanks - as an admirer of your freelance work also, that's encouraging! I've been drinking plenty - the workshop at work is a fairly constant 25 degrees celsius (it managed to reach its highest recorded temperature of 26.5 today, and its lowest recorded is 23.9). My doctor has been keeping an eye on my hydration among other things, and is still working on eliminating causes.

 

I was very much thinking of using that boiler for the tank engine for that exact reason! And as for the name, does this answer your question?

 

 

These plates arrived yesterday - I was considering Rufus Drumknott for the Shapeways 2-4-0 Manning Wardle - perhaps as a station pilot, quietly shuffling things around in the background, making sure everything is "just so"...

Edited July 18, 2018 by Skinnylinny

[Corbs]

But keeping the receipts for the paperclips, of course....

[Skinnylinny]

Oh, naturally, unless it becomes necessary for them never to have existed... Paperclips, My Lord? Surely not...

 

My favourite line about Drumknott has to be Vetinari remarking "he might change his life for the better should he meet a young woman who is willing to dress up as a manila envelope", such is his devotion to duty.

Edited July 18, 2018 by Skinnylinny

[RedGemAlchemist]

Oh, naturally, unless it becomes necessary for them never to have existed... Paperclips, My Lord? Surely not...

 

My favourite line about Drumknott has to be Vetinari remarking "he might change his life for the better should he meet a young woman who is willing to dress up as a manila envelope", such is his devotion to duty.

Drumknott is great. Interested to see how a locomotive will go about redesigning the ring binder into a more efficient form though...

[Skinnylinny]

Perhaps there ought to be some crates to be unloaded - "R Drumknott, manufacturers of fine stationery", "CMOT Dibbler, butcher", "Stibbons & Co Fireworks", "Agutter Flannel Petticoats" and suchlike?

Edited July 18, 2018 by Skinnylinny

[Corbs]

Or even

C.M.O.T. Dibbler

Butcher

Music Production

Film Studios

Trinkets For All Occasions

Writer

Butcher

[Skinnylinny]

If you can fit that on a 4mm crate or handcart, I'll happily feature it on the layout!

[Skinnylinny]

So today has been spent not Dremelling, but working on a laser-cutting commission - a gauge one (!) Midland clerestory coach...

 

 

Gauge 1 coaches are large! I kept not believing the measurements as I drew it up. This is a test piece - one compartment - to check all the bits fit neatly together. At over half a meter long, this is going to be a heck of a beast!

 

 

That, and 3mm plywood isn't a material I've ever cut before, but it still looks alright!

 

[Skinnylinny]

A little more work happened on Lady Sybil Ramkin tonight at the club. She now sits flat on her chassis, meaning that I now really need to decide on the style of splashers. For ease of painting and lining, I'm tempted to go for a single, long, flat-topped splasher but I suspect that might look rather modern. The loco would probably be a late 1880s-early 1890s build. I've had it suggested that I should go for flowing curves along the lines of the SE&CR D Class, though those would obviously be more difficult to fabricate but would definitely give a touch of Victorian class to the loco...

 

[Corbs]

Surely you can use your laser cutting skills to make something suitably ornate?

[Edwardian]

A little more work happened on Lady Sybil Ramkin tonight at the club. She now sits flat on her chassis, meaning that I now really need to decide on the style of splashers. For ease of painting and lining, I'm tempted to go for a single, long, flat-topped splasher but I suspect that might look rather modern. The loco would probably be a late 1880s-early 1890s build. I've had it suggested that I should go for flowing curves along the lines of the SE&CR D Class, though those would obviously be more difficult to fabricate but would definitely give a touch of Victorian class to the loco...

 

IMG_20180719_213407895.jpg

 

Just a suggestion, but one of the things that I find helps to keep freelance design distinct is to find disparate elements that can be combined successfully in an original combination.   

 

Here you have a conversion based upon a SE&CR Wainwright 0-6-0 design from 1900 that is to become a 2-4-0 designed by someone else in the 1880s.

 

My reasoning is that, if you introduced a design feature that is very much not something associated with the SE&CR or Wainwright, you go a long way to making your Locomotive Superintendent's work distinctive. 

 

So, I would adopt your suggestion of a single through splasher.

 

Here is a Worsdell G1 of 1887 (London Road kit):

[James Harrison]

The more I look at your 2-4-0, the more it reminds me of the Waterford Limerick and Western's Sir James.

 

Which I think was built by Dubs.

[RedGemAlchemist]

The more I look at your 2-4-0, the more it reminds me of the Waterford Limerick and Western's Sir James.

 

Which I think was built by Dubs.

Hmm. I knew there was something it reminded me of...

[Skinnylinny]

Hmmmm food for thought there! Perhaps a long splasher with outside frames over the leading wheels... So many possibilities. I agree with Edwardian that adding my own touch to the loco designs is probably the way to go, rather than ending up with a Wainwright "might-have-been".

[Skinnylinny]

I'm afraid there won't be many (if any) photographs of models for the next few days - I'm on a trip down to London for a week with my partner. They've even treated me to First Class tickets on the train down, so I get fancy reclining seats and food and drink! We'll hopefully be spending a day at the Bluebell RaIlway, and a day shopping (Ian Allan bookshop and 4D models (to pick up more thin laser-cutting materials) among others) and a few city centre museums, as well as a show in the West End.

 

There may, however, be photos of real trains, and evenings will probably be spend doing CAD work. I've nearly finished the current commission piece, so I've been doodling some ideas for some slightly more complex/fiddly kits (which may end up requiring etched brake gear/axleguards - I'll do some experimenting with laser-cut bits when I get home). The one pictured below has been drawn entirely on the train down to London (which has just left York a few minutes ago) and is an LBSCR 8-ton van to make a change from coaches. Thus far the bodywork is pretty much completed, and I need to work out what I'm going to do for a chassis.

 

 

The plan is to return to the Billinton bogie coaches and the SECR Push-Pull set shortly and get them completed. The Push-Pull set bodies are complete, it's just the chassis that are causing me trouble. However, a change of personal circumstances may mean that I temporarily have rather more time to work on these laser-cut kits than I have had recently.

Edited July 22, 2018 by Skinnylinny

[Skinnylinny]

Well, it's certainly warm down south! With the mercury hitting 34°C (!) in Horsted Keynes, my partner and I went on a trip to the Bluebell Railway. I'd been hoping to see SE&CR O1 class no 65, but alas, due to the dry weather it was not to be - the loco had been deemed a lineside fire risk, and was pulled out in favour of the S15. However, all was not lost, the S15 still made some lovely noises at the head of a decent-length train, even if the SE&CR 100-seater was the only pre-grouping piece of stock moving today.

 

The highlight of today, on the other hand, has to be what I got up to in the carriage sheds. I'd emailed about a month before my visit, asking very cheekily (I thought!) if there was any chance of getting access to the SE&CR 4-wheelers that the Bluebell Railway own and operate. A friendly reply came back that I'd be very welcome, and to ask for a particular name on arrival and I'd be given access. What actually happened is that I got taken around various bits of rolling stock in the carriage workshops by a very friendly and knowledgeable carriage restorer, before being brought through to two fo the SE&CR four wheelers, which were being varnished at the time. After bringing out some of my cardboard Stroudleys to show what I was aiming for (and several other restorers being called through to have a look!) I managed to get started with the tape measure and notepad.

 

LBSCR 6-wheel milk van - I got a good chance to see how 6-wheeled chassis work on the prototype - "Just make sure there's lots of slop in the bearings!"

 

LBSCR Stroudley D45 Brake 3rd - Hang on a minute, that looks familiar!

 

Pullman Car no. 54 undergoing rather an intensive restoration.

 

The painters were very friendly and accommodating, even adjusting the order in which they were varnishing panels to let me get at the bits I wanted to measure, opening up a compartment for me to get photos of the interior, and providing me with a raised platform to get up to measure the beading near the roofline.

An end view of no. 3188, a 5-compartment 3rd...

 

...with the square-style panelling.

 

And an interior shot of a 3rd class compartment in no. 3188.

 

and then number 3360, the ex-brake-3rd, now a saloon, with the rounded beading on the waist and upper panels, but still the square panelling on the lower panels

 

and the step end of no. 3360, as seen rubbed down prior to varnishing, as mentioned

 

I've certainly got a lot of very useful photographs and measurements of the two distinctive beading/panelling styles of these coaches as well as the lettering (plus some other general photos of the railway, but those can come in another post). Big thanks to everyone who helped me out there today - I couldn't have asked for more!

Edited July 26, 2018 by Skinnylinny

[EKR]

Thank you for those excellent photographs.

I often find the “works” more interesting than the operational side of these heritage lines.

[Skinnylinny]

It was certainly fascinating and very gratifying to be given such a personal behind-the-scenes tour of the carriage workshops. I'm very grateful to the gentleman who showed me around (although I can't remember his name!) who, on hearing that I was interested in pre-grouping (specifically LBSCR) coaches also showed me around the LBSC Billinton Director's Saloon, although unfortunately due to its position I wasn't able to get any decent pictures apart from this snap of the end of the coach.

 

 

I did manage one or two more of the 6-wheel milk van, although not of the same quality but there may be some points of interest:

 

 

 

It was certainly a very refreshing change to be asked if I wanted to stick my head underneath and to get a chance to see bits of underframe I'd only ever seen in books. It did bring home that I need to line my Stroudleys though! I also snapped a quick shot of an under-restoration Stroudley 3rd, specifically the panelling, of interest as I wanted to compare it to the coach kits I've been producing.

 

 

The restorers at Horsted Keynes certainly seemed impressed, and were very helpful with advice and information. Thanks again to Ollie and Derek who helped me around the SE&CR coaches. The amount the lake colour changes depending on the light was very impressive - I'm definitely happy with my Bachmann birdcages now though - "they look like "the colour I remember!"

 

Edited July 28, 2018 by Skinnylinny

[Skinnylinny]

I've been drawing up another commission piece, and while that's converting between file formats, it's time for one last update of some miscellaneous photographs from the Bluebell!

 

Arrival at East Grinstead. The ticket office here is still a caravan (albeit one painted in BR(S) colours) but does have some nice lighting and signage.

 

Our motive power for the day - was supposed to be SE&CR O1 number no. 65, but this was out of service that day.

 

And, as later seen from the demonstration signalbox alongside Sheffield Park station.

 

A view of the LSWR Lavatory Brake 3rd (which I have a drawing of somewhere... Hmmmm...) at Horsted Keynes.

 

Not pre-grouping, but possibly still of interest to some here - 21C123 Blackmore Vale in storage at Horsted Keynes.

 

A rather lovely LB&SCR bracket signal on the approach to Sheffield Park - not sure what the miniature arms are - calling-on arms?

 

...and progress - SR upper-quadrant signals at Horsted Keynes.

 

A view across the platforms at Horsted Keynes...

 

...including a very welcome sight on that 34-degree day, the Refreshment Room! Who's for ice cream and an ice-cold fizzy pop?

Edited July 29, 2018 by Skinnylinny

[Skinnylinny]

So the file conversion finally completed (after 50-odd minutes!) and the laser-cutter has been fired up. So, my first building commission!

Gary (BlueLightning) is in need of a building to disguise a point motor on Oak Hill, as the one on the layout is still the original card model and is looking a little tired. I've been reading up on brick bonds and wanted to try some interlocking corners. So, a commission - and a challenge - were set!

Given the rough dimensions, I spent an hour or two drawing up the parts, designing for 1.5mm MDF (that being the correct thickness to represent header bricks in 4mm scale), and swearing at the difficulties of getting the brick bond right and only using standard-sized bricks (3x1.5x1mm in 4mm scale) giving a kit that looks a little like this:

 

 

Then (after the long file conversion process), the drawings were transferred to the laser cutter and various sheet materials (1.5mm MDF, 1mm MDF and 350gsm card) were fed in. The results looked a little like this:

 

 

A little assembly later and I'm fairly happy with this model, especially the corners and around the windows and door (and the chimney)!

 

 

 

However, I've missed one thing out - barge boards! Shouldn't take long to get them cut out though...

[Caley Jim]

However, I've missed one thing out - barge boards! Shouldn't take long to get them cut out though...

And the ridge (tiles or leading)!  Looks good otherwise.

 

Jim

[Skinnylinny]

I'm still trying to figure out how to do the ridge out of a laser-cut material - I'm currently trying an approach. The tiles on the chimney I assume would have lead flashing tucked into the brickwork?

[Skinnylinny]

 

Better now, Jim?