30368

Some real progress with the T6. Valve gear etc functions well. Slidebars need a bit of fettling and so do the scratch built crossheads. I will move on to the pickups now so that I can run in the chassis. Chassis needs further crossmembers its a bit too flexible. Note that the rear wheels are off the table due to the solid chunks of brass that are the cylinders. Kind regards, 30368

What government? Things just drift along. One suspects that the oversight of HS2 project by those that should be doing such things is as effective as that over the Furlough Scheme and the purchase (and storage) of Protective Gear during Covid. Given that DB and the SNCF run trains here why not ask the SNCF to take over the project? They have some experience of High Speed rail links and seemingly do it much cheaper. Kind regards, 30368

Phil, I hope the H15 is still going well? Oh no! not another poor kit..... I'll look out for the plans. I should add that I have none for 70D other than trying to keep the shed yard as close to prototype as possible. Kind regards, Richard

Thanks for the very kindly comments and great wealth of SR types... Phil I have an Alan Gibson BR Standard 5 to build, it has the big tender. It will have an ex N15 name when built. Despair though is not (yet) in my vocabulary more determination to solve the problems presented by this ancient kit. This is one of the reasons why I build the little engines, it keeps one fit does it not? Do you have a track plan for your Seaton Junction layout? Kind regards, Richard

Well I thought it was going too well! Just had to dismantle chassis and remove the cylinders and slide bars etc. The holes for the two piston rods were only partially drilled and not enough to allow the correct stroke. Impossible to re-drill with the cylinders in situ. My fault really, I should have checked! They are now! Ah well put it down to experience! Bu**er! Nothing to show really... Kind regards, 30368

Some progress with the T6. You need to be able to scratch build a bit with a Jidenco kit! I know many have made that comment, Michael Edge fairly recently with his SECR F1 4-4-0 build. The wheels and other parts have arrived from Alan Gibson and the motor and gearbox from Highlevel. Motor and gearbox assembled and wheels likewise. I am a bit concerned about the wheel throw my calculations show a tiny clearance between the cylinder face (Actually the steam gland) and the crosshead. As suspected, the cylinders will need a fair bit of counter weight in the chassis (big lumps of lead..) to balance things. The kit states that it can be built as the T6 (7'1" wheels) or the X6 (6'7" wheels) I'm not sure given the extra clearance needed on the running plate. Kind regards, 30368

Hi Bryan, Yes you are correct. I was a CM&EE apprentice fitter. The first year at Eastleigh Works Apprentice Training School then a year at Eastleigh Diesel Depot followed by short/long stays at most SR depots. I even spent a day or two at Basingstoke helping to rescue a class 33 that had failed. I did well at college so moved to Southern House DM&EE and in 1973 moved up to DM&EE BRB at Derby. I had a very successful and enjoyable railway career retiring in 2006. Agree, the S15s were very useful engines for the SR. I am sure that any pictures you take will be useful and I am not a facebook user. Kind regards, Richard

Thanks very much Bryan, very kind. I have driven a Black 5 for day back in 2017 on the Watercress Line and in my apprenticship days I fired an M7 for its steaming test at Eastleigh and cleaned and fired 44767 (19th Century Stephenson Link Motion...) on the North Yorkshire. I was also lucky enough to have 2 weeks of cab rides (part of training) in 1965 with WC/BB, MN and Standard 5s. Tell me, how did/does the T9 and M7 differ from, say, an S15? I would welcome images of 563 (It looks simply stunning) particularly close ups of: 1. The Adams injectors 2. The running plate walking surface around the smokebox showing what I take to be oil pots and the oblong sandbox covers(?) 3. The cab in all its 19th Century glory 4. The pipework around the safety valves/whistle(s) running into the specticle plate Many thanks Bryan and kind regards, Richard

I'm sorry 57XX but how do you know that? It is hard enough to understand any person's motivation let alone a top flight racing driver in the heat of battle on the track. They all have a burning desire to win, and that includes all the guys racing for position. I can't remember a GP driver that has not, at some time appeared, to behave aggressively to the cost of another driver. Thank goodness car safety measures have hugely reduced the potential consequences of such action. Kind regards, 30368

Hi Graham, Many thanks for the information, I have already decided to build 681 since generally I only model engines that were allocated to 70D or those that I have a picture of on Basingstoke shed. Do you happen to know which livery 681 was applied in 1943? I guess it depends on when it had a major overhaul and when this was performed. I guess 1941 may be a possibility but perhaps 681 was too old and only received light maintenence. So perhaps Bulleid SR livery?? Kind regards, 30368

Many thanks Invicta for posting this wonderful film of such a graceful locomotive in such an attractive livery. It makes me want to sell up my Buxton home and return to Wiltshire so that I can visit Swanage regularly! Fortunately I have a brother-in-law nearby and lots of friends in the Wiltshire village we used to live in. A truly fabulous restoration and done in short order. Coincidently I am building a Jidenco Adams T6 4-4-0! I think I might paint it in 1940's livery though! Kind regards, 30368

The debate about RB and Verstappen has been interesting to watch. I have been following F1 since about 1966 and the start of the then new 3litre formula. I cannot think of a great F1 driver who became a repeat World Champion without a large slug of self centered ruthlessness in their approach to racing. True, with the greatly increased commercialisation of the sport and with this increased media interest has resulted in what seems to be "worse" behavoir by succesful drivers. I'm not sure that is true, they were always driven (sorry) and who may, or my not be very pleasant people. What has changed is the huge meadia circus and with that its tendancy to create goodies and badies. Verstappen is a truly talented and great driver as was Michael Schumacher (who was in my view the best ever and outside of the car a very decent man) and Senna - whom I never got to like, was perhaps the most cynical of drivers but still great. Kind regards, 30368

I have Phil's U1 2-6-0 next on the list to build but before then I have made a start on a Jidenco Adams T6 7'1" 4-4-0 that I bought from Tony Wright for £60 along with a part assembled Jidenco T14 in its first rebuild guise. Both of these prototypes are outside the scope of my 70D layout so I do sometimes wonder what was I thinking when I bought them? I have always wanted a model of the final version of the T14, and can justify one for the early years of BR, but the Jidenco model is of the first rebuild. I hope to buy a PDK T14 kit which I know Paul is working on. I have no ready answer except that I have a lovely picture of T6 number 681 on Basingstoke in 1933 and this loco lasted until 1943 so I kind of justified it in that basis and the T14 came as part of the deal. I think that is enough waffle for now... So, I have never built a model of a 19th Century loco so this little project will be interesting for this and because of all the disparaging, but usually helpful, comments about Jidenco kits. I will use a HighLevel Roadrunner Compact gearbox (45:1) and 1219C HLPower coreless motor. The latter, being coreless, is powerful for its size and should slot in under the small diameter Adams boiler. I am also using Alan Gibson wheels. Those large solid brass columns are the outside cylinders. Soldering the running plate valance into position was very difficult, no locating slot! So burnt fingers the order of the day... The cylinders locate just where the front frame spacer is located. The cylinders do have a hole drilled radially which I assume is for mounting them onto the frames. I have tapped these with an 10BA tap and plan to solder a "stud" to the frame and then screw the cylinders into position. Update: Cylinders are now attached to frame temp. 10BA stud screwed into 10BA nut that has been soldered to the end of the frame spacer and the cyliner then screwed onto the stud. Will be secured after slide bars and valvegear fitted. Kind regards, 30368

I think it looks very fine Michael a great job given the difficulties of the Jidenco KIt. I am building an Adams T6 4-40 at the moment, also from Jidenco.... Kind regards, 30368

So which car is yours Russ? I think the 1100/1300 is still a good looking car having the simplicity of line that all classics seem to have. Kind regards, 30368

Yes good idea. Richard

Hi Chas, Thanks so much for your kind words. One of the objectives was to replicate the distortion caused by bolting (I think set bolts were used rather than rivets, difficult to get access inside the casing!) thin sheet steel to an angle iron frame. The is a feature of cabs on many locos but on the WC/BB it aplied to the whole loco. This distortion was therfore a key feature of the Bulleid pacifics. Just after fitting (glue) the 0.002" panel section to the old Hornby "substrate" I used a ball ended sculpting tool to create the panel undulations that you see on 34030. I also broke down the brass sheet sections into a number of main sections, if you look carefully, there are main sections, firebox, boiler, smokebox, separating these created a greater gap between them as on the prototype. I think the result is closer to the prototype and whilst you can improve the look of a Hornby flatop with weathering it is still not right. Thankls for your interest Chas. Kind regards, Richard B PS : When I built my H15's I used a scriber to create the panel gaps on the cab sides - I recall someone commented that that would not have happened because the cab was made in one section. I doubt that. I am VERY KEEN on the models that I make replicating the way that locomotives were made and how the structure deteriorated with time.

A brief postscript to the discussion re: Original, Unrebuilt and Rebuilt etc. A former colleague Colin Boocock in his really useful book Locomotive Compendium - Southern has Original WC/BB as just that and rebuilt engines as WCX/BBX. The MNs were also designated MNX when re-built until they all were and then they reverted to MN. Kind regards, 30368

Here are a final set of my usual poor images, I must get some "How to use your camera" training. Weathering is by powders so I can clean it all off to create an "oily rag" clean. The tender has had its paint touched up since the paint was considered good enough until the next general. Shame it has faded a bit. Kind regards, 30368

Looks fine to me Tony - captures the prototype very well. Was it a NuCast Partnership kit? They are doing a great job resurrecting these kits. Kind regards, 30368

There is a Comet WC/BB valve gear fret that caters for both Original and Rebuilt. Available from Wizard Models I think. Kind regards, 30368

Absolutely Phil. All that outside valvegear on a GW engine.....whatever next? They all seemed to be tooling around Paddington when my brother and I took the SR DEMU to Reading and then some other old WR DMU into Paddington for one of our London Shed "bashes". Kind regards, 30368

The local term for the original WC/BBs was "flat-top". I must have seen an original MN rushing through Woking but can't remember any numbers but they would have been "flat-tops" too. The others were modifieds. Kind regards, 30368.

Looking forward to it Phil. Kind regards, 30368

Good afternoon Tony, My resurrected old Hornby WC/BB shell is now complete, apart from some limited weathering, and in total has cost me about £120 mainly spent on the Comet Chassis, Mashima motor and Branchlines gearbox. I am very pleased with the result and it runs very sweetly. From this: To this: Kind regards, 30368