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JANUARY 2016 UPDATE
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KIER HARDY *****************************************************************************************************************************************************************
PETE JOHNSON *****************************************************************************************************************************************************************
FEBRUARY 2016 UPDATE
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PETE JOHNSON *****************************************************************************************************************************************************************
HYWEL THOMAS *****************************************************************************************************************************************************************
PAUL JAMES *****************************************************************************************************************************************************************
KIER HARDY *****************************************************************************************************************************************************************
MARCH 2016 UPDATE
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PAUL JAMES *****************************************************************************************************************************************************************
PETE JOHNSON *****************************************************************************************************************************************************************
APRIL 2016 UPDATE
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GREG BROOKES *****************************************************************************************************************************************************************
KARL CROWTHER And to go with the bus stop, some street lamps have appeared. These have been based on some oil lamp conversions
I photographed quite near to North Bridge a couple of years ago. The main part of the column is a Langley casting,
with the remainder being fashioned from nickel-silver wire and styrene. They still need to be glued in place
(hence the obvious gap here), but capture the look of the originals quite nicely. I did have a problem initially
though - the full size ones were painted a strange pinkey-grey shade and when done likewise and placed in front
of the wall, they were very effectively camouflaged against the stonework! I managed to find some colour photos
of Halifax around this period confirming the use of green, and this shows them up to better effect, I feel,
though the lamp housings are still a little inconspicuous.
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PAUL JAMES *****************************************************************************************************************************************************************
PETE JOHNSON *****************************************************************************************************************************************************************
KIER HARDY If you get
the chance to visit the show, please come along and say hello to us, and goodbye to the old girl. Designing, constructing
and running the layout has given many years of pleasure, and I'd like to thank all those who have helped out with their
input, advice, and of course assistance with logistics and operation at exhibitions.
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Both having worked up from the Southern Region, BRCW type 3 number 6572 joins Electro-Diesel
(type JB) E6018 at Hornsey Road depot.
Last month saw the arrival of Dapol's latest offering...... a class 73 Electro Diesel in an
almost purple shade of blue. The digital image doesn't show the purple so much, but in daylight and under
artificial light, the colour wasn't anywhere near the variety of blues that adorn the Hornsey rolling stock
fleet. A cocktail stick primed with superglue has visited most of the chassis & bogie separately fitted parts,
as they have a habbit of falling off without so much of a glance.
The body
was treated to a blast of Railmatch BR blue from a rattle can. After viewing the lemony yellow ends against the
BR blue, these were also treated to a fresh coat of paint, extending slightly around the cabsides. The etched
roof grills were left in place, and the slight purple hue can be seen after removal of the masking tape. The
bodyside grills were plucked off and resprayed separately.
With the body partially weathered, the existing wheelsets are seen assembled to EM gauge
having been slightly reprofiled in the lathe, and the bufferbeam detail parts fitted and painted. The electrical
pick-ups were proving problematic with the factory arrangement - 'wheel / axle to lubricated brass bush to flimsy
contact strip', so the supply wires were soldered to a short length of .33mm brass wire (as shown below).
Having scored and roughed up the gearbox casing, the replacement pick-ups were clamped in place
and allowed to rest overnight in a blob of epoxy resin.
E6018 on extended test with a long rake of mark 1 coaches in tow.....
..... and now ready to head back south of The Thames.
Also on the work bench, DMU running repairs and alterations have been taking place. A Bachmann class 108
trailer vehicle with plastic chassis is having cables fitted to the existing mouldings (grain of wheat bulb wires).
The Craftsman whitemetal fittings are used widely throughout the DMU fleet and are easier to retro-fit onto the motorised
die-cast chassis, and other earlier products / kits.
Almost ready to go into service. Whilst in the works the vertical moulding lines are removed from both
sides of the cab and repainted.
Normally a Wibdenshaw regular, this 4-car class 108 formation is seen climbing away from Hornsey Tunnel.
The build of the two North British 0-4-0 kits has continued with painting of the wasp stripes.
The cab back is shown after application of a thinned matt white undercoat. A basic plastic template cut to a 90
degree angle, with slots to clear the grab handles, is alongside.
The same undercoat is used for the nose stripes. Before the enamel paint is applied the brass
is thoroughly degreased with white spirit, but I prefer not to use any kind of primer as too many paint layers
can begin to hide the detail.
Using the template with a sharp 4H pencil, and with reference to photographs, the dividing lines
for the wasp stripe pattern are marked out on the white paint (The black window surrounds had been painted before
the glazing was fitted).
The same is done on the nose end of the model. If they end up not quite right at this stage a
pencil eraser allows for corrections to be made.
Using a fine-tipped brush, and satin black enamel, the stripe pattern is carefully painted to the
lines. The cab back is shown before a few final adjustments of stripe width and position between the windows.
The same process has been applied to the nose end, next the yellow will be added.
Another ex-LNER wagon is this Conflat S, salvaged from a part-built Parkside kit bought at a show.
More mix and match between Parkside and Red Panda produced this late pattern BR Conflat A, with
clasp brakes and oleo buffers. The AF type container is from the Bachmann range, and has been fixed in position
before final painting and weathering of the model.
The Canada Street Cattle wagon fleet has always badly lacked variety, so the recently released
Parkside LMS D1661 Cattle kit was bought during the Warley show. On studying the history it quickly became
apparent that the D1661 were mostly eliminated in the early years of the 1960s, but elements of the LMS design
formed the basis of the BR Dia 1/350 wagon.
The BR built type lasted into the early 1970s, so a complicated chop-up involving spare parts from
four other kits was undertaken. In the end only the roof, upper doors, and floor of the LMS kit were used – but the
left-over pieces may prove useful one day! The model is pictured ready for painting.
E239992 is the LNER pattern riveted Plate wagon, now in finished condition and ready to join
the wagon fleet.
Another classic vehicle for the 1970s is this Mk1 Ford Transit by Oxford die-cast. Wing mirrors and
flush glazing have been added to enhance the basic model.
E221229 is the ex-LNER Conflat S, pictured after lettering and weathering. This is one of several
wagon projects for the 1960s that have made progress this month.
B891493 is the Dia 1/350 Cattle, finished in typical grubby condition.
The Conflat A has been finished as B710206, again with the early 60s era in mind.
An ongoing project is adding more loads to the open wagons within the fleet. This Highfit is
being used for a pair of locomotive driving wheels, which haven’t seen use in a while to judge by the rust!
A type I have not modelled before is an LMS 3-plank Medfit - made using the Parkside kit, the
markings are to a David Larkin photo from the mid-60s.
This Conflat B has been adapted from the Pipe wagon kit, and is part of what has proved quite a
complicated project. The LNER pattern brake gear found on the type required further changes to the Parkside kit parts.
AFP pattern BR containers were the next element, and used the Genesis whitemetal kit. The box is shown
after application of the basic paint scheme.
The boxes are pictured again after addition of the colourful ‘Bird’s Eye’ livery. The company was quick to
adopt dedicated container stock at the very beginning of the 1960s, Cambridge Custom Transfers offer the markings within their range.
Another wagon to add some colour to Canada Street in the early 60s is this APCM Presflo - built using the
original yellow plastic Airfix mouldings. Although some doubt seems to exist over the fleet size, at least the first 32 wagons
are believed to have carried bright yellow before APCM changed to a more practical mostly grey scheme.
The completed Conflat B project is pictured after fitting of the two AFP containers and securing chains.
B740304 was typical of the fleet, converted by BR from surplus early examples of the Dia 1/461 Pipe wagon.
A Type 22 pillbox that had been extended with a raised Light Anti-Aircraft (LAA) mounting on the roof.
The idea is that after the war the top part was demolished but they gave up when they
reached the rather thicker lower walls! The structure is to scale and made from 80-thou plastic.
Here’s the underside of the structure, which is designed to fit into a pre-built slot in
the scenery so entry to the top level was by the steps shown and another flight provided access to the actual
pillbox beneath. The Y-shaped wall was fitted internally to avoid shoot-throughs via the embrasures.
The almost finished structure has been slotted into place with the steps leading up from the
access path and another path dropping to more steps to reach the box. The box sits on the edge of a seawall
and covers the approach to the dock maintenance canal and the rail bridge in the background. The LAA mount
on the roof was to prevent low-flying aircraft attacking the lock, which if breached could empty the dock.
The box has been completed with the parallel marks where the original shuttering was
removed visible and the crudely removed top walls showing off their steel reinforcing bars. The LAA weapon
would have been affixed to the smashed concrete post in the centre of the roof.
The completed box with suitable graffiti, lichen growth
(rather prominent on the photo but less so in the flesh!) and bent, rusty reinforcement.
The surrounding landscaping is growing using aluminium car repair mesh.
It's been many years since we visited the Eastwell Ironstone Company...... a few photographs
have just been discovered in the attic after many years of gathering dust. This selection concentrates on the
area around the crushing plant, works, and locomotive depot.
Taken by Paul Bason (most likely at a past Expo EM at Bletchley), this view shows a motley
collection of industrial motive power, including ex-BR shunting locos.
The operation looks to have been run on a shoestring, and although output of iron ore at this
South Midlands location is still reasonably healthy, competition from imported ore means its days are numbered.
Saddle tank 'Binnewith' is seen on shed receiving attention from the fitters.
Nothing appears to get thrown away just in case it's needed. An ex-BR class 03 is in the process
of being dismantled and rest assured its parts will keep other motive power running for a bit longer.
Down at the exchange sidings, ex-BR class 14 & 05 are stabled between duties.
Wickham trolley number M15 parked up next to the headshunt.
Up until recently a lot of the wagons in the departmental wagon fleet were found to be in need of
additional work to bring them up to a decent standard, particularly since the Hornby Trout ballast hopper appeared.
The finesse and level of detail put a large batch of Cambrian kitbuilt Catfish & Dogfish hoppers to shame, to the
extent that they were withdrawn from active service awaiting a decision on their future. The Trout can be partially
seen in this image on the right.
To improve the situation, remedial work has been carried out to include replacement of the chunky
moulded plastic handrails with brass wire (retaining the existing stanchions), fitting of brake hangers and rods,
vacuum cylinders, and handbrake wheels (where missing). Due to the amount of work needed, and the fact there were
more wagons than required, the upgrade work has only been carried out on 4 wagons with the rest being disposed of.
The loads were also refreshed by adding additional Woodlands Scenics ballast secured in place using
Johnson's Klear..... the 2 Catfish seen here next to the Trout. The curly spoke handbrake wheels are from the
excellent range of etched wagon detail parts by Colin Craig
English Electric type 2 'Baby Deltic' D5909 heads back to Hitchin on a Sunday afternoon with
a mixture of ballast wagons after engineering work in and around North London during the weekend. With some
still loaded with ballast, it wouldn't be unusual to see them mixed with empty wagons in the same train heading back.
Whilst on a departmental theme, here's an opportunity to catch up with the PWM equipment
train, usually transporting plant and tools to various work areas.
Lowmacs loaded with plant - a Matchbox bulldozer and an Airfix JCB. These loads were
only meant to be temporary, but 20 years later they're still hitching a lift.
Three wagons consisting an open with materials for the next engineering job, another
Lowmac, and a ex-GWR Toad which has been panelled in at the verandah end for the secure storage of equipment.
The PW crane for lifting heavy items and other equipment associated with engineering work.
This kit built crane (Airfix / Dapol) & runner wagon was built by Greg Brookes for the Shenston Road fleet, and
despite its Western Region origins, provides a valuable service on the Eastern.
Olive green adorns the BR 13ton steel open wagon, sandwiched between ex-LMS brake van and 3 plank
open. These ex-revenue earning wagons wwere plentiful in the 1970s, and ideal for transporting spent ballast, sleepers
and other items associated with the permanent way.
A brace of Grampus, along with a steel bodied 13ton open. A few door bumpers are missing by the look
of things, and replacements should see the wagons in service for a few years to come!
A pair of BTH type 1 locos take the Up Slow line with a selection of spoil wagons in tow, with
a much better chance of seeing these trains at the weekend.
Southern Region Electro-Diesel E6018 is seen with a rake of 24.5 ton mineral wagons..... more than
likely a special delivery of Kentish coal for East London.
From the Eastwell fleet comes English Electric type 4 light engine. A Bachmann example weathered by Greg Brookes.
And finally for this month, Shenston Road's D815 Druid hauling an inter-regional freight.
Continuing on from last month, here are a few additional images of the Eastwell Ironstone
layout, taken sometime during the 1990s by Steve Jordan.
Class 04 & class 03 locos in various stages of neglect.
Ex-BR class 14 loco hauling ironstone through the countryside between the works and the BR exchange sidings.
At the exchange sidings, a pair of class 25s get ready to depart with a loaded rake of tiplers.
Condemned coaching stock en-route for scrap, captured at Eastwell exchange sidings.
03121 takes a break from shunting at the sidings.
BR tool & staff coaches visit Eastwell to help out with the result of a rough shunt!
The APCM Presflo pictured last month was finished in time for Canada Street’s first exhibition
appearance in the south of England. Fleet number ‘PF20’ is finished as it might have appeared after a year or
two in service…..and begins to show why Blue Circle switched to a basic grey livery for the type around that time.
Pictured during the Tonbridge show on 20th Feb' is green-TOPS Class 08 08 918. Coinciding
with the event was the publication of Model Railway Journal 245, which includes a feature article on the
Downing Maltings of Canada Street.
On the work bench, the two North British 0-4-0s have had the wasp stripes finished.
The colourful cab backs of the pair are shown in this view.
A Dapol Class 22 has also been worked on. The roof vent has been divided by a wedge of
plastic fitted into a slot cut through the shell, and then filled using epoxy putty smoothed with a wetted
fingertip. This allowed the bolt head detail around the edge of the panel to be retained. Different members of
the class seem to have different open sections on this vent, so checking photos of individual locos is advised.
At the nose ends I have chosen to fit new glazing in the headcode panels, with Fox transfers
applied to the back. The cab side window has also been filed down slightly, and other small detail items added.
Again there were several variations on these details so photos are worth checking.
Issue number 245 of the Model Railway Journal has an 11-page article on the Downing Maltings which
is featured on Canada Street, inspired by visits to the Gloucester Docks.
Brush type 4 number 1813 gets ready to depart with a service to Paddington, the extensive
factory buildings of Allied Automotive (Shenston) forming the backdrop.
It was a bit of a gloomy day when this Southern Region pairing were captured passing through the station,
just as NBL class 22 number 6326 came into view.
A good vantage point from the roof of BSC Shenston overlooks the canal and railway, as an unidentified
Western emerges from the south tunnel on the approaches to the station.
There have been several tank wagon projects in the works lately, and this view shows a Bachmann 100 ton
wagon having just emerged from the paint shop. The livery and logos have been changed to represent an
earlier era vehicle.
Seen at Hornsey Broadway is Western Region Brush type 4 number 1665 Titan with bogie tank wagons heading
for Ripple Lane. This rake of Gulf branded wagons have been in the Shenston Road fleet for some time, and
have recently been fitted with Colin Craig sprung bogies.
Heavily modified GL823 uses the Hornby tank wagon as a basis. The bogies have been tested at home on Shenston
Road and 'on tour' at Hornsey, and have performed faultlessly. Now just some light weathering required to
blend them in.
BRT20285 can usually be found hired in as an addition to the existing rake. This wagon has been virtually
scratchbuilt using just a Hornby tank barrel to start with.
With all this tank wagon activity going on, I couldn't resist the urge to take the Procor wagons out for a spin
in a North London setting, captured behind English Electric type 4 number D423. The basis for the majority of this rake are
heavily modified Lima 100 ton tank wagons, with 2 others which are 90% scratchbuilt apart from the bogies.
A close up view of PR 78506 which was constructed using the Hornby tank barrel with new ends and scratchbuilt
chassis.
The back end of the train with PR78510 and HAA barrier vehicle.
Back on home turf, this Bachmann full brake has been in the Shenston Works, having had the incorrectly fitted
water filler removed from the roof, and converted to a handrail as it should be.
A move of house at the end of 2016 effectively put a temporary halt on modelling activities, but progress is
at last again being made, the primary objective just now is to get the coal drops fully completed in time for
this year’s Expo EM. The first task was to design the metal components for detailing the hoppers. Artwork was
prepared in Corel Draw and then sent to PPD for etching in 0.3mm nickel-silver. On the whole, I’m very pleased
with my first efforts at this aspect of modelling.
The hopper ‘carcases’ themselves had earlier been laser-cut from 2mm MDF, the artwork again prepared using Corel
Draw. As with the mill buildings, I have Brian Lewis of Timber Tracks to thank for his help with this. Note the
two different patterns of framing.
And here can be seen the etched details all assembled onto the first hopper front. Some of the parts have turned
out very small and fiddly to put together, but just about do-able with a 1mm bit on the soldering iron. The
proportions of the individual components were estimated from photographs and of course sized relative to the
hoppers as I had drawn them. Getting the look of all these just so was always going to be a bit of a gamble,
but on the whole, I’m very pleased with the overall effect.
This little detail has been in the planning ever since Kier kindly sent me a photo of his Halifax Passenger
Transport Bus Stop sign. I manipulated the image in Photoshop to first, square it up and then created a reversed
copy for the other side. The images were then reduced and printed onto ordinary computer paper. After carefully
cutting out they were glued back-to-back and attached to the post with a dab of superglue. To (hopefully) fix
the colour I then coated with Johnson’s Klear. The hexagonal concrete post was simply filed up from square
section styrene strip. Although strictly a bit early for my WYPTE period, I remember these well and so have
assumed this one, being in an obscure part of town, somehow got overlooked.
And finally, a little progress on the rolling stock front has been made with the completion of this Stanier 50’
Full Brake. Basically a re-worked Mainline model now riding on Comet bogies. Details on the body include fully
re-worked ends to represent a vehicle with the gangway removed, plus separate handrails, door handles, window
bars and flush glazed with individually cut pieces of Perspex sheet. The roof ribbing has also been filed back
quite a lot too, whilst the original underframe trussing was retained, but with various other details added.
Just the weathering to complete….
Here's another batch of photographs recovered from the loft, this time taken by Steve Flint during
an exhibition appearance sometime during the late 1980s. The Derby RTC Tribometer train by Greg Brookes passes by the
exchange sidings at Eastwell, whilst an ex-BR class 02 hydraulic shunter carries out duties in the yard.
40001 is also spotted with a selection of tool vans. The mainstay of BR traffic passing this spot is
again from the Shenston Road stable by Greg.
Track panels awaiting laying are taking up siding space in this view, accompanied by the PW crane and
support vehicles. Ex-BR class 14 is on duty on this occasion, as a brace of class 20s leave the area with loaded ore.
An iron ore hopper undergoes maintenance in the foreground, with a BRCW Sulzer tye 2 passing by with
empty tipplers.
A quiet moment at the exchange sidings, with more locomotives on view than staff to drive them!
Another view of the maintenance pad as Brush type 2 number 5557 heads off with a special delivery.
The water tower comes in handy once in a while, as the Eastwell Ironstone fleet still has a few
industrial steam locomotives on the books. In the foreground is a NBL loco awaiting its next turn of duty.
A blue Hymek with small yellow panels gets ready for departure with a train of loaded ore.
I hope you've enjoyed the nostalgia trip back to Eastwell, and if any more images come to light, I'm sure the update
page will be happy to accomodate them. Meanwhile, back to current modelling, here's the front end of a Heljan
Baby Deltic with a paper headcode box stuck on the front. It's common knowledge that the model's headcode box is too
small, so watch this space and hopefully a suitable modification will improve the situation.
A couple more Hornby Class 08 models are currently being worked on. D3316 was an early (1967)
recipient of Rail Blue, and is being modelled to a Rail Online photograph.
In contrast D3381 remained green until after TOPS renumbering. The livery being applied reflects
the early 1960s period, before wasp stripes were added.
Class 22 D6333 is pictured after receiving a Dapol bodyshell to replace the previous conversion
of Hornby Class 29 parts. The model is now awaiting weathering.
The non-authentic bulge in the engine room bulkhead of the Dapol cab moulding has been removed
and a driver and secondman added.
Bachmann Ivatt 2-6-0 number 43063 has recently been renumbered and weathered for Ian Manderson,
for use on Hartburn. This loco worked the last regular freight train down the Northumberland branchline that
provided the inspiration for the layout.
Prompted by the layout’s booked appearance at the London Festival of Railway Modelling in mid-March,
I made my first attempt at backscene painting. In this view the lane beyond the level crossing is taking shape.
The landscape used thinned matt enamels on artists mounting board, and tries to portray the wide
horizons of typical of rural Northumberland.
Hartburn was well received at Alexandra Palace, in this view LNER J27 65842 draws into the station
on a typical pick-up goods.
In this second view, re-creating the late 1950s, LNER G5 67341 makes its station stop, the new
backscene adding useful depth to the scene.
Wibdenshaw will be making its final exhibition appearance at Railex, Aylesbury on
the 28th & 29th of May 2016, and then heading off for retirement to Spain with its new keeper this summer.
