30368

Some good choices made from Harry Wainwright's "portfolio" already, the "H" 0-4-4T in particular had to be fairly good loco's to survive all that time although Push-Pull fitment would have helped. For me though it has to be the obvious choice the very graceful "D" class 4-4-0 of 1901 part of the final "flurry" of classic British 4-4-0 express locomotive designs before Churchward's innovations. The D1 re-builds were very good too. Kind regards, Richard B

Thanks Andy. All done bar final lubrication and I may add a little weight to the bogie. When we are out of lockdown please contact me to arrange handover to the club. Image of 67305 ex works X2. A contrast in size. I have really enjoyed this project and rate the London Road Models kit very highly. Very pleased it is going to a good home on Ray Goad's refurbished layout Tees Castle. Kind regards, Richard B

Quick update. Loco body is now lined and numbered and first coat applied to buffer beams. I have ordered a 51A shed plate and front number transfer from Fox Transfers. When complete I plan to spray with satin varnish and then apply v.light powder bases weathering and coal - is that ok Darlington guys? Wish I could find a suitable etched builders plate - any ideas? Firemans side. Troubled by loco number size - but prototype seems to have had large numbers applied. Drivers side - lining on running plate front need attention! Kind regards, Richard B

Top coat now completed and started to line the loco with BR MT livery. I may well give this special loco an ex works look with very light weathering. I will also add coal unless Darlington Model Railway Club say otherwise. Still a fair bit of painting to do in the cab and on the buffer beams that will need a very fine brush and a steady hand. Re the push pull gear - I think the simple way to look at it as a second vacuum "brake" system the diaphram detecting driver changes to the vacuum and causing the piston on the side of the smoke box to move the regulator proportionatley. Decal fix still wet. Kind regards, Richard B

I'm glad you recognised a touch of irony in my statement. I agree that train design, development and building is a multinational activity, it's just that the home of railways has no "critical mass" and largely assembles a kit of parts. We closed down our railway engineering "centre of excellence" when we privatised the rail network. This "multinational" approach has also resulted in train maintenance being part of the train procurement package which is loved by franchise operators because it can be factored into the bid and left to the train supplier and forgotten about. If this results in an escalating cost to the taxpayer because train operators eventually loose their ability to evaluate maintenence costs, well too bad. The issue is a little larger than railways though - it covers so many areas of how the UK's economy is structured. Essentially we have de-industrialised (with all respect to those still engaged in making things) and moved to a service economy underpinned by financial services. This trend can be identified in many developed economies but in contrast to the UK (and perhaps the USA), many of them retain a significant engineering and manufacturing sector that is able to compete worldwide. If they can do so can the UK providing there is a will and the investment funds required. I can recall, some years ago, a very senior BMW executive say that he thought it a pity that the UK, a country that he admired, had embarked on a massive economic experiment where they have stopped making things and decided that everyone should be a banker, an estate agent or a hairdresser. Kind regards, Richard B

Good news then. Lets hope we get a sensible government in England who do the same. Providing a nationalised railway can borrow money for investment, particularly with interest rates as low as they are, then the taxpayer will get good value for money and a much better service. We may even see more jobs created building trains here rather than somewhere else. The current setup seems to be designed to maximise the number of contracts and thus increase costs and the time taken to do anything e.g. a modification to rolling stock to improve reliability. Kind regards, Richard B

What a real pity, such a young woman. Such fun to watch her appearances on Top Gear. Richard B

Started to paint the G5. Using HMG/Railmatch One pack Etch Primer for the body and Railmatch matt black for the chassis. Body finish is fairly good with only a few areas needing flatting back before black top coats. Chassis undergoing final running in before weathering and lubrication. Kind regards, Richard B

Thanks Dylan, Tony of Tony's Trains is a very helpful chap - Steady Aim delivered yesterday together with the Q6 0-8-0 that I also ordered. First class service and good prices. Thanks for the tip. I remember the Q6 and J27 classes, seeing many of them hard at work during my trips to the North East sheds in the mid 1960s. They must have been really sound designs ideally suited for the tasks they were designed for lasting, as they did, until the end of steam in the NE. I have a Oxford J27 on pre-order too. Kind regards, Richard B

You are too kind David. One thing I have noticed with the Hornby A2/3 is the smoke deflectors - they do not have any brackets at the top of the deflector so bend in towards the boiler. When I get around to it I will at least rectify this omission or replace the deflectors. Kind regards, Richard B

Oh my goodness! Where are my specs, I took them off to take the pictures and can't find them anywhere! Many thanks gr King! Richard

Morning David, My Hornby Steady Aim arrived today so I took a few snapshots of it and my DJH Sun Castle for comparison purposes. I ordered Steady Aim because it is in fairly original condition with the diagram 117 boiler and Sun Castle is how I remembered her, with the diagram 118 boiler. I am pleased that my DJH model compares fairly well with the Hornby model but if I am being critical of my efforts (which I always am) I still need to be a little more "cleaner" with my models. The Hornby livery is sadly no better than my 60501. Still no solution to all these LNER pacifics hanging around Basingstoke! By the way, the livery on the Hornby Maunsell Arthur looks pretty good! Kind regards, Richard B

Bit indulgent but Beattie has a ride on it's home shed turntable. Kind regards, Richard B

Working on the Heljan turntable well and bridge today. As expected, some compromises necessary although the approach roads are not far from prototype just contracted somewhat. I am awaiting some embossed brick card to fit to the walls of the well and then I will modify the turntable well railings etc so they are closer to Basingstoke's turntable. I seem to remember a small hut near the turntable but can't remember if this was on the bridge or just by the well. Can anyone recall? Well will need some modification and weathering! Tracks cut to length, sleepers removed to level track with bridge track and I have chamfered the end of the track as recommended by Heljan. I have used either peco or Marcway bullhead rail throughout the layout. Battered Mk1 Basingstoke coal stage temp. in place. It will need re-building for this layout. Just need to finish the turntable by programming the track positions and then add a few sidings alongside Basingstoke "station" and the track laying and wiring is complete. On to point motors next.....and perhaps some buildings and scenery.... Kind regards, Richard B

Yes just heard the news very sad. Met him a few years ago at Salisbury Hospital - I was a volunteer at the hospital and he was a patient. I thanked him for all the joy, fun and entertainment he provided over the years. He was a real delight to chat to and simply said - you guys helping out at the hospital do a much more important job. A truly lovely man. Kind regards, Richard B

Thanks Dylan, Have done so and opened an account too. Kind regards, Richard B

You are too kind ! Its my DJH kit built version - my pre-order is on Hattons for Strait Deal which, incidently, Hattons billed me for and said it was "picked" only to refund the money and say sorry they were still on order! Your weathering is truly first class! Kind regards, Richard B PS The Hornby version of BR express loco green is very wrong and the lining is not much better - another 60501 is going to be rather grubby when I have dealt with it.

Hi Andy, Thanks for taking the trouble to post the picture of the engine room. That looks like an EE 4SRKT with a different govenor - I recognise the hand water pump! It looks like the cooler group is in the same place as the Hampshire Units - did you retain the centrufugal clutch driven mechanical radiator fan in the roof? Dowding and Mills sounds right for the generator/Traction Motor re-furb, they did a lot for BR. One of the Hampshire Units (Thumpers) 1129 was experimentally fitted with a high speed Dorman V12 much smaller than the EE engine but a bit more powerful (I think) but much, much noisier! Spent too much time checking temperatures and outputs on 1129 in service back in 1964/5 which explains my slight deafness - comes in handy some times! Takes me back to my 1960's apprenticeship on the Southern Region, many thanks much appreciated. Kind regards, Richard B

Mike, Having retired finally in 2011 you get so out of date quickly. That's really good news, class 68 + 5 push - pull operation. I (successfully) did the fleet plan for a number of franchise bids in the noughties and one of the real issues for the UK based rolling stock/traction fleets is the dominance of multiple units making it expensive (or lucrative if you were a Rolling Stock Leasing Company) if you wanted to increase train stregnth. Push - pull is much more the norm in Europe so if you want more seat just add a coach or two. Much cheaper. Again, great pictures 60103 looks quite wonderfull. A picture or two I took of her at Basingstoke in 1964(?). Kind regards, Richard B

David, As requested, my Thompson pacifics lined up in front of where Basingstoke shed will be located. The G5 0-4-4T that I have just completed for The Darlington Model Railway Club gets into some of the pictures - a lttle terrier of a loco! Kind regards, Richard B

Good job then. Did you (or do you) work for The Hunslet Engine Co? I visited York Road back in 2001/2 when I was at ATOC and got to know Ian Campbell who was Chief Engineer at the time and still is I believe. The DEMU's used the 4SRKT engine which I spent a bit of time on back in the 1960s on the SR. Were those engines and generators etc retained or replaced as part of the refurb? Kind regards, Richard B

Will do Mike - I now have the bones of a layout to put them on and a (small 70D) engine shed site so they can line up although my pictures are not up to your standard! Kind regards, Richard

Fourteen coaches is a fair load so the start must have been something! Did the driver treat her gently and got away without slipping or did he just use brut force? Great pictures Mike and thanks for posting them, incidently, as you probably know, British India Line was unique having a bend in the vacuum ejector pipe above the nameplate and was the first converted. As an apprentice back in the early 1960's I was given a footplate pass for a month as part of my training and had a number of great runs on Bulleid Pacifics and Standard loco's. Most memorable was with 35017 Belgium Marine on a run from Southampton to Waterloo non-stop - touched 100MPH on Battledown Flyover I recall the driver tapping me on the shoulder (you could not hear much over the roar) and pointing to the speedo. A joy! Now we are "up north" I must visit Scarborough again although its probably changed a bit since the 1970s! Kind regards, Richard B

Lovely work Mike. I think (and hope) I will build some more ex NER loco's rather like the look of the Atlantics and some of the big tanks. Kind regards, Richard B

Hi David, Lovely job with 60501 - looks really good and does seem to deal with the livery issue very well. I have not touched mine yet apart from run it on my layout. I'm informed by Hatton's that Strait Deal is on its way. Looking forward to comparing this with my Sun Castle. Do you really mean a York based A2/2? Kind regards, Richard B