Henley-on-Thames - GWR in the 1930's

[Neal Ball]

55 minutes ago, MAP66 said:

Fortunately for me, I didn't have that problem as I used 3 link couplings as the autotrain is designed never to be uncoupled.

Can you show a side on image of the problem as the creative minds on this forum will probably come up with a solution or two.

 

8 minutes ago, lezz01 said:

I would have thought that a screw coupling would have been more appropriate than a 3 link.

Regards Lez.

 

To be honest I also thought of a simple hook and bar arrangement - although I haven't done it before - particularly given that on leaving Henley, the carriage will be propelled.

[MAP66]

16 minutes ago, lezz01 said:

I would have thought that a screw coupling would have been more appropriate than a 3 link.

Regards Lez.

Sorry, that's what I meant, they are screw link 🤔

[Coach bogie]

Mine all use a hook from copper mains earth cable. As others have said it is rarely uncoupled from the loco. On that note my 48xx are all K's, one of which is as old as me. As a DCC non believer, my DC locos have few running issues. The Airfix auto is no youngster. Original blue box Airfix from 1977. Full marks to Airfix producing a coach tooling that so many are still using 47 years later.

 

Mike Wiltshire

[Neal Ball]

The steam Railmotor was out running on Friday after a couple of CV tweaks, which then saw the County tank 4-4-2T at the head of the City & Metropolitan stock.

 

 

 

The Dapol carriages x6 is quite a heavy train for the resin bodied County tank. It successfully took the whole train from platform 2 out of the station and away under Mill Lane bridge and into the fiddle yard.

 

[Andy Keane]

Neal, can you remind us of the bits you used for your county tank please. Where did the chassis come from? Was it the Hornby County tender loco. I am assuming a one piece 3D print of the body?

thanks

Andy 

[Neal Ball]

12 hours ago, Andy Keane said:

Neal, can you remind us of the bits you used for your county tank please. Where did the chassis come from? Was it the Hornby County tender loco. I am assuming a one piece 3D print of the body?

thanks

Andy 

 

Morning Andy,

 

The body came from Phoenix paints: https://www.phoenix-paints.co.uk/products/4mm-products/4-loco-kits/4-gwrkits/4w-resin-kits/4-30033 

 

Yes it's a one piece resin moulding, it comes with a variety of white metal parts, giving options for chimneys; safety valves etc. There is also an option for a different front running plate; curved or square.

 

I was fortunate in that mine came from a fellow RMwebber as my emails to Phoenix went unanswered.

 

The chassis and wheels are from SE Finecast and the motor and gearbox from Highline.

 

Apparently the Hornby chassis has the cylinders set at slightly the wrong centre line for the smokebox, although in some respects it would have been easier and it certainly would have added extra weight.

 

I still fancy building the County 4-4-0 tender loco, which is also available through SE Finecast, but it's way down the list at the moment. I need to finish some carriages first!

 

Regards, Neal.

[Neal Ball]

Talking of finishing some carriages, I have four on the go at the moment:

• The Autocoach has been in a bath of IPA all weekend and I am hopeful that it has stripped off the remaining paint.
• C70 all third - this is the one with door handles sitting almost flush with the body and a recess behind.
• E151 Sunshine composite. This is the initial batch of carriages from 1936 where some of the windows are not full height and the numbers etc. are painted onto the cream, rather than the chocolate.

In this photo from the Wizard models website, it's just the door droplights that are different. On the compartment side, its the toilet windows as well: https://www.wizardmodels.ltd/shop/carriage/w49k/

 

 

Both the C70 and E151 are Comet sides onto donor carriages.

 

With the temperatures cooling in Spain, we are getting closer to the point where I can start spraying again.

• The 4th carriage is my Worsley works clerestory all third - its been sat all summer in my spraying box, waiting for its next coat to go on. 

Once they are done, its a case of deciding what project will be next - there's loads on the list, which includes 3 full carriage kits.

[Andy Keane]

1 hour ago, Neal Ball said:

Apparently the Hornby chassis has the cylinders set at slightly the wrong centre line for the smokebox, although in some respects it would have been easier and it certainly would have added extra weight.

Interesting - I see Phoenix say that the Hornby chassis is what their body is designed to fit. Did the SE Finecast chassis go in without issue? They are nice locos and your rather fine example is giving me tank envy!

[Neal Ball]

44 minutes ago, Andy Keane said:

Interesting - I see Phoenix say that the Hornby chassis is what their body is designed to fit. Did the SE Finecast chassis go in without issue? They are nice locos and your rather fine example is giving me tank envy!

 

Yes it went in very well. The only issue being the brake gear on the tank loco is different to the tender loco.... for some reason one had the brake on the leading face, while the other had it on the trailing face. Odd given they were built around the same time.

 

Although, its quite a large cab, I couldn't get the backhead in as well as the motor - but you can not see it from outside.

 

Weight remains an issue - I intend to weigh it and compare it to a 57xx. My Bachmann 57xx merrily brings the Dapol carriages into Henley, but the 22xx struggles around the curve from the fiddle yard. Its obviously a small (weight) issue, as the County tank will easily bring the stock out of the station and into the fiddle yard.

 

Did the County tanks make it to Helston?

 

I found making the SE Finecast chassis straightforward - they are easy to put together. If you are going to make one, I will send you my notes as one of the parts I put the wrong way round. I wrote on the diagram, just in case I build the County 4-4-0 😎

[Andy Keane]

3 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

Did the County tanks make it to Helston?

No they never got that far but hey I have a Castle, a Star and a Deltic diesel in my loco stable so I just pretend its a preserved railway when I want to run other stuff!