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APRIL 2020 UPDATE
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KIER HARDY
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GREG BROOKES
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KARL CROWTHER
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PETE JOHNSON
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HYWEL THOMAS
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The Bachmann Cravens Class 105 DMUs have been in service for a few years at Hornsey, all sets
initially fitted with 3-link couplings on the outer ends for ease of marshalling. They have stayed
in fixed sets, so the outer driving ends have been fitted with dummy screwlinks, retaining the
draw hook in case it's needed. Missing pipes and lamp brackets have been reinstated, so now they're
back in service earning their keep. This view shows the rear car of a Hitchin bound service passing
one to Kings Cross.
During last year's refurbishment of Pete Johnson's freightliner wagons (fitting chassis mounted bar
couplings instead of bogie couplings), this open container was quickly put into service to hide some
lead weight. This month has seen it taken off the flat and given some basic detailing by cutting out
a few of the side panels and painting some of the stanchions.
The last couple of weeks has been an ideal time to delve around the back of the works, clear a few
brambles out of the way and see what needs to be brought inside for finishing (or starting in some
cases). Various items shown here are in the process of being built, painted and detailed. The green
trailers will soon be fitted to a trio of Lowfit wagons, and two recently completed and modified
Knightwing fork lift trucks are destined for a dedicated materials handling low loader. The yellow
Wiking fork lift truck normally lives at the loco depot and has been in the works for servicing and
additional detail work.
To address the issue of too many empty wagons in the fleet, the program of adding loads to some wagons
continues. Crumpled aluminium foil is used as a tarpaulin to cover the load in the wagon, with
additional rope added. This view shows a High Open wagon which was covered over a couple of years
ago, a couple of wagons in the process of being sheeted, and others showing the load to be covered.
Other loads are being prepared and mounted on some thin black card for easy removal if required,
and can be fitted into a number of different wagons for choice. The resin cast boxes and crates
were produced by Jonny Duffett using silicone rubber moulds, these particular examples having been
poured from surplus resin used in other casting projects.
The assembly area showing various wagons ready for despatch, after being painted and detailed. A
batch of Merit / Peco 45 gallon drums have been fettled, painted and almost ready for loading. From
the late 1960s Pipe wagons were not only used for carrying iron pipes, but occasionally bricks, MOD
crate traffic and other miscellaneous goods.
There's still quite a few wagons in the fleet that will remain empty, detailed with remnants of
the load they normally carry. As well as a fine sprinkling of coal in these 16 ton mineral wagons,
the bogie bolster E wagon decks carry blocks of packing wood, so an empty wagon is never empty!
To finish off, here's the recently loaded and tarpaulined wagons heading off to the marshalling
yard for onward shipment.
Following on from the Hornsey Broadway article in BRM Spring 2020 edition, Traction magazine
issue 257 May / June 2020 features Hornsey Road MPD, with further exploits of our train spotting
trips around London during the early 1970s.
The latest locomotives to be added to the Shenston Road fleet are this pair of NBL diesel
electric Class 29s, shown here being gainfully employed on freight services at Hornsey Broadway.
Here's a compilation of views taken on my pocket camera in and around Shenston Road,
featuring the new Dapol Class 29 locos D6124 & D6114. Also captured in the station area
is English Electric type 4 number D236 and Peak Class 46 number D165 (both Bachmann).
Also new into the Shenston Road fleet is this Bachmann Class 24/1, converted to a Class 25/0
D5155, simply by removing the boiler roof vents and underslung water tank
D09 Manchester Division allocated D5155 is seen at the head of a mixed freight passing the goods loops.
Class 40 228 Samaria is captured on the stabling point headshunt adjacent to the station.
Janus number 103 shunts molten steel from one location to another at BSC Shenston Works.
The BSC Shenston Works fleet is made up of several YEC Janus 0-6-0 locomotives, some of which
can be seen in this compilation of views (showing fleet numbers 102, 103 & 107).
This month I’ve been mainly wiring up, but have also got Heversham Junction installed (in the
distance where the Class 40 is standing). The double track (curving to the right in this
photo) is the route to Kendal, whilst the single track running to the outer edge of the
baseboard represents the route from Heversham up to Hincaster Junction on the WCML. As can
be seen, this leads to a series of storage loops that will house the coke trains etc. that
don’t run up to Kendal. The line on the extreme left will be a ‘through road’ allowing continuous circuit running for testing purposes etc.
At the other end of the fiddle yard, representing Arnside/Carnforth/Barrow, a start has been
made on plotting out the trackwork. Here the single line through the storage yard comes back
into two, on its way round to Kentside. There’s also a lead off (to the left) onto a line that
will feed a turntable and some loco storage sidings.
I’ve also been trying to get some part-completed models finished – here a trio of Iron Ore
Hoppers. The two on the left are based around the Dapol body moulding but with a completely
scratchbuilt chassis. The article by Geoff Kent in MRJ was 182 was my main point of inspiration
for having a go at these, and as Geoff did, the hoppers were reduced in length to the correct
dimension. I was subsequently given an old Ratio model (on the right) which in contrast, has
the hopper both too narrow and too short. Hence the styrene inserts to correct this. The
brake gear etc. for this little project came from a variety of parts, including Mike Clark,
Mainly Trains (Wizard) and Bill Bedford.
My holiday cottage project last October was to make a start on these 16T minerals, a Parkside
slope sided on the left, plus two Cambrian kits (LMS and LNER variants). Again, brake gear and
castings were from a variety of sources. I’ll need lots of mineral wagons on the layout, both
for the coke trains, and also the quarry, so these and the Iron Ore hoppers will add to the
overall variety of wagons types that will be seen.
Some more wagon kit builds have filled this month. First up is a replacement for a Dia 1/410
Twin Bolster scratchbuilt many years ago and since found to be a bit non-scale. The new version
makes use of the Red Panda Lowfit kit, but combined with the Parkside LNER-pattern chassis kits,
to depict a pairing of early Shildon built Lowfits. The load of steel bar make use of 1.6mm steel wire.
Using parts recovered from the old Twin Bolster, a Dia 1/073 Sand Tippler, with the late-style 10
foot wheelbase underframe, is a new diagram number type for the layout.
Using the same bodyshell kit and Red Panda chassis, this Dia 1/184 Ore Tippler is another new
variation for the fleet. Most of this diagram were vacuum fitted, but some entered service without
the vacuum cylinder carrying the unfitted grey livery, and it is this version that the model depicts.
An easy ‘kit bash’ of a Parkside/PECO product makes the shock version of the LNER-pattern Highfit,
as covered by BR Dia 1/031, another new wagon type for the layout.
A new loco type for the layout, although with a familiar outline! The BR ‘Class 10’ was a Blackstone
ER6-engined version of the proven 0-6-0 design more commonly known as Class 08 or 09. Study of
photographs found no external differences from the Hornby model, although D3144, being one of the
early examples, did require the same changes as for an early 08. The model is finished to the 1967/68
appearance of the prototype, working in the Teeside area at that time. A few were sold into industry
for further use, by D3144 had no such luck and was cut up for scrap during 1969.
Another Hornby 08 provided the basis for green-TOPS 08 135. This model again required a few changes
to correctly depict the prototype, with removal of bonnet door grab handles and addition of the front
footplate cabinet on the second side. ‘135 was destined never to receive rail blue livery, and after
just three years wearing the TOPS number was cut up at Swindon early in 1977, still in green. With 12
examples of this Hornby model now in the Canada Street fleet I really don’t need any more – but it is
a superb r-t-r product…..
Like many of us with some enforced time in the house, I thought it was time I tackled the
hopper wagons that will be moving a very occasional traffic of imported French apples from
the quay to Bulmers at Hereford. Here we see the almost completed fleet with some
weathering still to do.
With the wagons complete it was time to tackle the removable loads. Although these would
feature apples, they could equally work with any other load. I started with the Hornby coke
hoppers as these were the most fiddly on account of the strengthening angle that runs side
to side across the centre of the wagon. Here was the solution with one completed and three
more at an early stage.
A close up of the prototype, which sat nicely in the wagon so it was then all systems go for
the rest. Each design of wagon featured a slightly different interior problem to solve. From
left we see the coke hopper (and most complex); the Hornby LNE 21-ton hopper (the simplest);
the Parkside 21-ton hopper and finally the Accurascale 24-5-ton design.
A rusty recipient awaits a test fitting behind. The next stage was to cut some car body repair
mesh to shape and glue it over the card former using a hot glue gun. It was cut bigger than the
former to be gradually trimmed to shape to fit the hopper interior. The right hand image shows the
trimmed mesh in place, fitted over the cross beam of the wagon. In the centre of the load is a
split pin from a set of Smiths three-link couplings. This has been glued to the card
with just the tip protruding and will allow me to lift the loads out using a coupling hook.
The next stage involved gradually adding a layer of filler. In this case I’m using a glass
bead acrylic gel that quickly fills up the holes in the mesh and is also quick drying. It is
applied outside the wagon as it’s messy stuff and this view shows a test fitting to make
sure the idea worked. Middle image shows the completed stage with the filler drying and the
split pin very visible in the load.
Apple time! Here we see a layer of Resin W applied to the surface and the apples (a mix of
a fruit set from Woodland Scenics and another set, perhaps German, that I’ve had for years)
being poured on over a container – they go everywhere! A somewhat bright load of what at
first glance would appear to be very garish oranges. At this point they had been sprayed
with a coat of matt varnish and another layer of fruit poured on. Once the varnish had
gone off then a mix of PVA, washing up liquid and water was dripped on in exactly the same
fashion as laying ballast. This was to make sure the loads would survive handling.
With two types complete, it was the turn of the Parkside BR standard 21-tonners. This load was
simpler than the coke hoppers but the interior handrails needed to be cleared and so very small
cut-outs were incorporated to allow the card to sit correctly – see the earlier group picture.
Here is the load for the 24.5 ton Accurascale hoppers, covered with mesh and with the hook
installed awaiting a layer of filler.
And here we see the finished result with the first two prototype loads installed and ready
for the journey up to Hereford. Once the PVA mix had fully dried another spray of varnish was
applied and then the load painted with a Vallejo acrylic green (golden olive). Some of the
bright orange and red colours showed through, which worked particularly well, and was a close
match for the few colour pictures of apples I’ve seen at Bulmers.
