30368

H15 30475 takes a turn at being track test loco. 30475 was built in 2015 from a DJH kit. Valve gear needs to be properly weathered. I have not seen a record of a B6 being anywhere near Basingstoke shed - shunters were ex LBSC E4 tanks and Adams G6 0-6-0T. Perhaps 30096 got lost whilst shunting in Winchester yard? Kind regards, Richard B

Frame is now drying following painting so next week I should have a working chassis for the G5. A few pictures of the frames prior to painting with buffer beam brackets and guard irons added. Some additional rivet detail added. I note that the buffer beams for the G5 are composite - that is a wooden beam with a steel face. I shall use plasticard for the wooden beam. The wires for the brake hangers were added after the pictures were taken. Kind regards, Richard B

Spent some time with the 1/8" reamer today. The axleboxes and the axle gear all needed a fair bit of work to ensure that the axles moved freely in the the axleboxes. Compensation beams and axleboxes move very freely and the leaf spring etches that retain the boxes in position need gentle handling during soldering to the mainframe. Motor now fitted to the gearbox so mesh between worm and 1st gear will need to be checked next. I suspect though that tomorrow I shall be painting the frames. I have checked the motor position wrt the boiler and backhead and the motor should not foul either for height or legnth. Kind regards, Richard B

The grassy bank (as opposed to a grassy knole) has now been officially scheduled on the layout design. Kind regards, Richard B

Hi Paul, Yes must do so - my brother and I spent much time on the same bank although a little closer to the shed. Our visits were weekday mornings on our way to school from 1962 until late 1963 when I started work although my brother may have continued with the visits being still at school. There was aften something interesting on the shed apart from SR locos. Often a Hall, Grange or more rarely 28XX and sometimes a Black 5 and even a B1 on one occasion. When I was at Eastleigh Works as an apprentice I was able to visit the scrap yard and recall 02 30199 waiting for the end and then 30368 turned up for its finale. I bought its front number plate and 70D shed plate. Sadly I sold the number plate around 1965 when I needed some cash to buy my first car!! (1957 Morris 1000 Estate) and lost the shed plate in one of the many house moves. If anyone has 30368's front number plate I would be keen to buy it! Kind regards, Richard B

Found some time to continue G5 build but more importantly whilst checking out the various kits I still have to build I discovered an unbuilt High Level Hiflier gearbox and small coreless motor. The gearbox etch has the 1/8 " axle bearings fitted and the 1mm stregnthening rod soldered in place. The spacer (supplied) in the backgound is used to check that the gearbox sides are at 90 degrees and square. From the top - axle gear wheel and motor worm, first gear spacer and shaft and lastly the idler gear, spacer washers and shaft. Gearbox (mostly) assembled. Kind regards, Richard B

My goodness, soldering all those "droppers" really is a pain in the neck, that is until you run the first train over the newly laid and wired section, and it works! Whilst my main focus on the layout will be the shed area I should be able to run four coach trains from the Basingstoke west end bay to "Oakley" and the FY and vice-versa. Must research appropriate SR set numbers for my Bulleid and Maunsell coaches. Suitable loco's should not be a problem with an L12,D15 and a number of T9's plus my various H15's. Three coaches + an SR GUV and 30777 in the bay. Kind regards, Richard B

Hi Chas, Thanks for the kind comments. I Have built a LRM K2 with a Scottish cab and whilst it was fairly tricky, particularly the valve gear and motion bracket, the resulting model was a very good representation of the prototype. I have always liked the look of the C12 4-42T something about the GN cab! Good luck with that. I am following your build, looks great so far! Kind regards, Richard B

Many thanks Tony and my spelling has warts and all...... Kind regards, Richard B

Hi Steve, Yes I did use the Brassmaster A4 detail etch, I agree they are fiddly but worth the effort. I scratch built the rocking lever(s) for the inside cylinder. Keep up the good work - a really good layout too. I am an infant as far as layouts are concerned working on my first! Based on 70D Basingstoke of childhood memories and all that! I usually model the SR but who can resist the splendour of the LNER and Mr. Gresley's masterpieces? Kind regards, Richard B

Hi Steve, Just discovered this thread - very interesting and full of useful info. I agree with you regarding the Hornby A3. Last year I purchased 60026 Miles Beevor which is indeed a fine model but for me the moulded outside cylinder cover was too flat. I am a great advocate of using very thin brass sheet to either replace or cover over poor moulding. In the A4's case though I decided to gently reprofile the moulding to create a greater tumblehome and then added a sheet end cover to the cylinders to further emphasis the curve. Because the top of the running plate is so finely modelled I thought that covering the cylinder with brass sheet may not appear quite right. I guess both approaches are valid. Some really great modelling on the thread which I shall follow. Kind regards, Richard B

Tony, Colin Boocock was a former collegue of mine when the DM&EE existed (now, all those years ago!) we both worked at the Railway Technical Centre in Derby. He is a very decent type of chap, if I recall, he became involved in the railway running in Markeaton Park Derby. Obviousely you must comment on his book as you see fit! Mr Bullied was though, the last great steam locomotive engineer so lets hope Colin's book does him justice. Kind regards, Richard B

Good morning Tony, Very pleasant if fresh day in Buxton. I think you are a little too harsh on yourself! Overlooking something is not really hypocrisy... and you admitted your mistake, that is admirable! I can think of a few very senior people that could do with a bit of contrition! Kind regards, Richard B

Ian, Many thanks for this a really useful historical document that will make my planned "recreations" that much easier. I have a model of most loco's listed including an N15X: I'm looking forward to giving Beattie a proper run on my planned local trains to "Oakley" and beyond! Kind regards, Richard B

A further update. I have decided to have two controllers for the layout. The first will manage the shed yard, turntable etc. The second will control the "main line" and rural wayside station which will be loosely based on Oakley. The latter will allow me to run local passenger services on the West of England Line. Basingstoke had passenger turns to Waterloo and to Salisbury (and further west I suspect but more research needed.) and beyond. Goods services also operated to Andover and Salisbury. So I can run trains from Platforms 1,2,3 to the West. I suspect that given I was a CM&EE chap and knew very little about train operations I am happy to receive constructive comments! View from the end of the west facing Basingstoke platforms. Only the ends will be modelled. Four lines will merge into two going West to Oakley station which will be situated on the right. A scenic element will hide the lack of Battledown flyover!!! Platform ends with shed on the right. BR std class 4 Mogul heads two Bullied coaches past the shed. Sir Lamiel wonders were the heck the shed has gone. Trackwork is a work in progress! Kind regards, Richard B

Hi Richard, It's really good to know that Ray's lagacy lives on in your really superbly modelled Barnard Castle. The buildings are really well modelled and the track in the foreground of the second image is very prototypical with variation in colour, material and texture. Bravo! I am sure your version of 67305 will be equally superb as your layout work. By way of information my model has/will have:- 1. Alan Gibson Wheels. 2. High Level gearbox and coreless motor although this is delayed but I know that Chris is doing his best to resolve. 3. The push pull equipment will be largely scratchbuilt. 4. I shall paint it in BR mixed traffic livery. Judging from your pictures you are also modelling 1950's NER? I have a lot of images of 67305 kindly supplied by the Armstrong Trust - happy to share these with you via a PM or directly via email. Please let me know via a PM. Please keep me posted on progress. Kind regards, Richard B

Soldered all the droppers (first batch anyway) to the 2mm copper buss bar. I found that RS Components supply 2mm tinned copper wire in reels of 7m for not a lot of money. Makes soldering droppers so much easier. First loco to run into the shed fell to B4 30096 a loco that I rememeber well. The Winchester shunter was always a B4 until the 204HP diesel came along and now naturally their stomping ground is a car park. The Dapol model is very good, I have four of the little chaps due to an oversight on my part! Awaiting bits to connect up the code 75 three way point and then I shall tackle the double slip. Kind regards, Richard B

Spent a large chunk of today working out the best arrangement for the east end entrance to the depot from the "main line". Then moved on to connecting droppers in the shed yard and the connections to track isolation switches on each road. Unfortunately the copper buss bars under the baseboard seem to have gone missing during the move - they will show up a day or two after the replacement copper arrives! Looking forward to connecting up the yard and running the first loco into the shed pit roads. Main line connection is on the left by the anvil. Turntable will be on the right by the reel of solder. 30277, a Basingstoke loco, is on the middle road of the shed over the ashpit in front of the shed entrance. The shed track layout will be retained as far as possible but some simplification and shortening will be required. The layout will be an inverted "U". At the top of the "U" will be a wayside station on the Basingstoke - Salisbury route so that I can play trains. The R/H side will be a fiddle yard. 30368 at the front of the shed with a Nelson behind. My thanks to the RCTS. Kind regards, Richard B

A day of continual snow up here in the hills of Buxton, but pleasantly warm in the layout room. Substantial boards. Kind regards, Richard B PS Plan to follow.

This layout will be my first. The baseboards were built for me to fit into my garage when we lived in Wiltshire however no track laying took place. Now that I have a fairly large (5mx5m) spare room I am determined to translate my lifetime desire for a working layout into a reality. Back in the 1950's and early 60's our family lived in Old Basing and my brother and I both went to school in Basingstoke. On route to school we usually called in to Basingstoke shed or rather stood by the railings on the north side of the shed for 10 minutes or so each morning. Some interesting loco's visited due to the Reading - Basingstoke line with all the connection to the north of the country. So like many, I wish to create a nostaligic version of Basingstoke shed so that my large collection of loco's can get some running done. One thing I am interested in is to model the shed allocation in the 1950s and 60's to replicate the passing of time. I also intend to run a few trains as a backdrop to shed operation. I did spend a few days working at the shed in 1964 when one of Eastleigh's Crompton type 3's failed with a collapsed traction motor suspension bearing. White metal bearing and an oil pad so steam technology really. I was an apprentice so it fell to me to get down the shallow steam pit and isolate the traction motor. I had earned my cuppa in the fitters bay that day. One "bonus" of sitting in the fitters bay for any time was the exposure to the countless smoking players cigs and a pipe or two of Three Nuns. I digress considerably! I have had a lot of help starting this project from fellow modellers on this site: However given the planning stage was complete it has been suggested, rightly, that I continue to report progress here. All comments and suggestions happily received. Kind regards, Richard B

Apologies - I just got the wrong end of the regulator!

Good afternoon Tony, Thanks for posting this session. I really enjoyed it particularly the poor old J6 hauled pick up goods that "got in the way" for a bit. The prototype Deltic running through at high speed was very effective and was that a 4mm scale Tony Wright at the end of the platform taking a picture? I assume from your comments that the session involved a fellow modeller that has departed? Please excuse my lack of knowledge. Livened up a very dull wet day in Buxton! Kind regards, Richard B

Me too, on learning of the project and its connection to my former colleague and friend Ray Goad, I decided to start donating to this project. They seem a good bunch and there is also a connection with the P2 project, to which I've donated for a while - members of the same family are officers in the two projects and why not! I have made a little progress today fitting the crankpins to the drivers and opening out the coupling rods to fit and soldering the brake rod mounting brackets to the frames. Kind regards, Richard B

Hi Mike, Thanks for your interest. Three lovely pieces of work covering, from my limited knowledge, some of the key variations in the class. The example closest to the camera in the first image is close to 67305 although 305 was push-pull fitted. I have sourced some vacuum push-pull castings from Alan Gibson although they will need some modification. The extended tanks, which are scratch built I imagine, are very well done. Ugly prototype though! Like you, both bogie and driving wheels will be compensated. Kind regards, Richard B

Will do Phil, thanks. Kind regards, Richard B