Recent Projects.

My desk with Lochgorm's D16 wagon amid the debris of construction

Two Highland Railway wagons have occupied me since Christmas both of which will be featured here on my Blog as soon as construction is complete. The wagons are Lochgorm Kits' D.29 Covered Van and D.16 Open Wagon, the latter can be seen with most of the brass-work complete on my desk above. Neither of these are easy kits, there's a lot of fiddling, adjusting and scratch building to do before a real scale model is achieved. A copy of Peter Tatlow's recent book, "Highland Railway Carriages and Wagons" is a great help along with a scale drawing. Work started on these wagons 26/12 and they should both be complete, assembled that is, later today 13/1... three weeks hard work!

Lybster at CD0GG

HR 53 Lybster on the CD0GG layout.  

I added as much weight as possible to HR53 before her outing at the club running day at CD0GG on Saturday. Though she performed creditably she proved not to have the hauling power of my little LNWR 2-4-0T Chopper Tank which romped round the layout with six full size coaches, a feat that Lybster could not match, she simply didn't have the traction, the wheels revolved but there was no forward movement! I noticed that in reverse however, that is running in effect as a 4-4-0, her performance was noticeably better, so there's still some work to do to improve matters.

Construction is almost complete though I've not finished the cab doors, sand pipes and the brake rods and linkages which I've taken pains to construct even though much of this detail is masked by the cab steps. Then there are more rivets which I plan to add with Archers' surface detail transfers, I hope they're as good as it says on the packaging...

Lybster Tank...a question of weight.

HR53 "Lybster"

I took these photos of HR53 as I was assembling  her ready for the monthly Running Day at the Carlisle club yesterday. I was however disconcerted to discover that her tractive effort was rather feeble. I know that my rolling stock is mighty heavy... nevertheless I'd not expected that a four truck train would be beyond her! Though the motor whirred and the wheels went round, nothing was moving, I didn't want this embarrassment at the club, I wanted her to make a good showing, so I spent the rest of the evening experimenting with various lead weights in various positions and found that weight was needed up front. I packed a roll of lead into the boiler, 125g in all, and matters improved. Another similar weight, experimentally carried over the buffers, had even more effect, so though I was only able to add the weight in the boiler I had at least found the solution. Ultimately, in addition to the weight in the boiler, my intention is to pour "liquid lead" down the chimney into the smokebox to get weight over the front driver.
On the day, at Carlisle, she performed very well despite carrying only half the weight I plan on adding, effortlessly cruising round the layout with a creditable ten wagon train.

HR 53 

The backhead and cab interior detail is at an advanced stage as is the superstructure. I've modelled one of the tank top water fillers which will serve as a pattern from which I'll make a mould next week to cast out its companion. The brake cylinders, which sit under the footplate between the rear bogie wheels, will similarly be cast from a silicone rubber mould in the workshop.

In the unlikely event of there being anyone else out there who's making a "Lybster" and who would like castings of these items... they will be available, just give me a ring or send me an e-mail.

Running Day at CD0GG

Today on the Carlisle club layout Yankee Tank HR54 complete with "Heroes of the Footplate"crew, having disgraced herself on two previous attempts to make a circuit of the layout, performed impeccably, hauling a train of ten laden goods wagons. 

The station and scenic section of the CD0GG club layout provide a fine backdrop to Pete's Yankee Tank despite the rather anachronistic BR rolling stock. 

HR54 in action today.

Lybster Backhead

Backhead for HR53 Lybster.

Lochgorm Kits supplied the etches that make up the basic shape of the backhead, the castings are from LGM's "Jones" backhead set. There's little information available to work from, photos that show part of the cab interior are tantalisingly blurred so the model is a reconstruction based on minimal evidence. I think there should probably be a driver's brake valve in there somewhere but I'm really not sure and there's no room for it anyway!

Lybster HR53 Recent Progress

Lybster HR53 ready for a run at the CD0GG Running Day

The sheet-metal work of the superstructure is nearly complete now though it's been a case of one step forward and two steps back recently as the shape of the cab cut-out is still not right and needs to be carefully re-shaped to capture the character of the prototype. Before I took the engine to Carlisle to the club running day today I cleaned the wheels, which were starting to show signs of rust, due I'm sure to fumes from the flux I'm using, I'm tempted to return to "Fluxite" though the greasy nature of this is in turn a cause for concern, it being difficult to eliminate entirely .

Lybster's previous outing on the club layout revealed a problem which hadn't showed up at home on my test track. Each time the engine passed a particular place on the layout she faltered slightly, or at slow speeds stopped entirely! Opinion leaned towards a short caused by the bogie wheels coming into contact with the splashers and indeed it proved that this was indeed the case when I experimented back at home...too much play on the wheels. A simple slim washer remedied the situation. Today on the club layout she ran smoothly past the place which had so recently proved her nemesis and, despite carrying little weight as yet, she made light work of a dozen chunky wagons.  

Lybster HR53 superstructure progressing well though the shape of the cab opening remains to be refined.  

One of the benefits of being a member of a club is the expertise among the members that can be called on to help a project along; both chimney and dome in this case were turned for me by club members with more engineering skill than myself. I drilled the dome for the safety valves which are mounted on top, these are short lengths of tube to which washers will be soldered to form the upper rim. It is my intention to use rivets from the "Archer Surface Detail" range of relief transfers to represent the circle of rivets on the rear of the smokebox and indeed in several other locations around the engine including the long row of rivets along the tank tops that hold the outer casing that bridges the boiler in place. I've done a little experimenting with Archer's relief transfers and I think they're robust enough for the job as well as looking the part.
The brake cylinder is in place beneath the cab and so is the transverse brake cross shaft, there's a good deal more detail to make in this area.
I'm working on a master pattern for the tank top water-fillers as there is no commercial casting available. I'll make a Silicone Rubber mould from the pattern and cast them in white metal though the upright closing handle will have to be made from brass due to its vulnerability.

Talyllyn Railway

Pete and his team, that's Lyn and Bella the Border Terrier, visited the Talyllyn Railway when they were in Wales recently on their adventures. This was a day off, a rest day, from their main purpose which was to walk the Welsh Threes, that is the 15 Welsh peaks over 3,000 foot in height. The days following the Talyllyn outing were perfect for walking and they finished their final 3,000 footer, the newly renamed Carnedd Gwenllian in celebratory style. See our walks on... http://keswickrambles.blogspot.com

The morning train stops for lunch at the station at Abergynolwyn.
 

At the terminus before running round the train our driver poses proudly with "Douglas" in immaculate condition.
 

Modelling News.

It hasn't been all holidays mind, Pete's been working on his HR53 project too and will be keeping you up to date with progress very soon.