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FEBRUARY 2019 UPDATE
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PETE JOHNSON *****************************************************************************************************************************************************************
HYWEL THOMAS *****************************************************************************************************************************************************************
KIER HARDY *****************************************************************************************************************************************************************
The first show appearance of Canada Street in 2019 spurred me into action to finish
some of the projects on the bench…. Hornby Class 08 08767 is shown after
application of the basic livery.
Hunslet D2950 is pictured in a similar ex-works condition in the livery it received
during a visit to Doncaster in 1966.
A second view of D2950 showing the cab back.
Pictured during the Pontefract show late in January, Vanwide B783708 has been finished
in a lightly weathered version of its original works livery.
The two new brake vans also saw use at Pontefract. Dia 1/507 B954968 in a typical late
60s-early 70s appearance, and with an open door at this end for a little added character.
Dia 1/504 B953100 has been finished to suit the same era.
During the show North British 0-4-0 D2774 is seen in the company of a blue grain hopper
on a Scottish Region sequence on the Saturday.
A Liverpool sequence on the Sunday saw Yorkshire Engine Co. 02 003 working a
plate wagon into the docks.
Closing the Saturday running order was an Ipswich 1967 sequence which found the
completed Hunslet 0-4-0 tram D2950 standing on the dockside.
Another view of D2950, this time resting in the yard. My thanks must go again to
Mike Edge and Paul James for the special parts needed to complete this model.
Newcomer at the show was 08767, finished to a very typical 1970s appearance for the class.
08767 is pictured again, working down the yard during the closing sequence. The layout
is out again towards the end of this month at the Lincoln club show held at the Newark
Showground – hope to see you there!
Meanwhile another new project is underway on the bench – an early type Drewry Class 04,
to be finished as D2205.
The adapted cab parts of the Dapol kit are pictured, with the smaller side windows,
taller cabside and shallower roof curve of the early versions of the type reproduced
by a little plastic surgery.
The engine compartment area also sees changes to the side doors and roof parts.
This and the following images taken by Paul at the Pontefract show.
D2950 roaming the docks with mineral wagons in tow.
This is the exit to the fiddle yard (which needs rebuilding itself). To provide a better
curve for the backscene an inch or so of extra scenery was required for the end of the
sidings. And a few new huts for the site of the old signal box, both Wills kits will be
modified soon. The area at the rear is where the retaining walls seen in the last few updates sit.
Here we see the three Lanarkshire Model Supplies (and congratulations to them for the great
service) GWR short buffer stops. They’ve been slightly cut back to better fit the existing
sidings. According to the ‘history’ these sidings once continued further but now a rickety
wooden fence crosses the now lifted remains. This small module will be glued to the end
of the original sidings.
Here we see the balsa wood strips gradually coming together.
I wanted these to look like they’d been in place for many years after the coal exports
dried up so they were coloured with washes.
Ignore the rather cluttered background but here the fence is in place and the vegetation
behind it has also been fixed in place. More weeds will populate this area once it’s been stuck down.
Concurrently with the buffer stops I was also finishing off the disused coal tip bridge that
crosses the end of the sidings and disguises the fiddle yard exit. The foam board and card
bridge has had plastic details added along with the remains of the two hydraulic pipe mains
that once served the long-gone tips. The safety rails are soldered up from
wire to match the other safety rails. The chains on the lower fence do hang down correctly
but the structure was on end when photographed - see the next picture!
Here we see the retaining walls in place (the whole module is removable) and the buffer
stops now secured and blended in with the existing yard. Loaded and empty spoil wagons await
their next move - the loaded examples down to the tip, the empties back out to the WR for
further work. Some weeds will soon appear on the upper level.
Work continues with the car repair garage at the front of the layout, with recently added
walls, roof, windows and doors. The roof (Wills corrugated sheet) is still removable to
gain access inside, with the edging feathered to reduce thickness.
A view showing the garage in position next to the car sales lot.
With the roof removed it highlights the need for interior lighting. There's just some
signage and vertical vent pipes to attend to, then it can be finally planted in its space.
The BR mk1 suburban coaches have made it back into the Hornsey workshops recently, receiving
end detail. They are made from shortened Bachmann 2-EPB bodies, with new blank ends fitted
and represent the S version made up of 9 compartments on the 57ft chassis. In the foreground
is a pile of MJT roof vents ready for fitting.
As well as the Block Enders, there are a few other projects going on to include a trio of
Deltics which have been transferred from the Shenston Road fleet and are in for additional
detail work and fitting of sandboxes. Various wagons are in for bogie and buffer replacement,
as well as a program to fit loads to the many empty wagons in the fleet.
After much deliberation it has been decided to fit bar couplings to the suburban coaches,
as they will be in a fixed rake of 6 vehicles. The elaborate shape allows one end to be
easily attached to the carrying vehicle (restrained by a fixed crossbar) and linked onto the
adjacent coach up in to the first compartment footwell. The bogie on the left is shown
moved back slightly, whilst the right hand bogie has a section of crossbar removed to make
coupling and uncoupling easier. The bar coupling has a low set to clear under the bufferbeam
whilst allowing the bogies to pivot without any undue forces. Bachmann 57ft mk1 underframes
have been chosen to go under the bodies, with the small indent used to provide the pivot
point at 42mm centres, allowing enough clearance between the buffers to negotiate 3ft radius
and reverse curves on the layout.
Still with some final detail work and numbering required, the rake of 6 coaches have been
extensively trialed through all of the trackwork and various routes with success. The S
variants retain the Bachmann flush glazing, whilst the BS is fitted with Laserglaze.
The last vehicle in the rake will be a dedicated tail end coach, fitted with a vacuum and
steam pipe as well as a screw coupling and tail lamp.
A drivers eye view approaching the Down junction bracket signal, sees an inner-suburban
service leaving the station and heading along the Up Slow towards Kings Cross behind a Brush
type 2. With this rake almost complete, the next suburban set will include the CL and SLO
versions for a 7 car outer-suburban working.
