David Element's Model Railway Web Page 1

David Element's Model Railway Web Page 1...

British Railways Steam Locomotives 1964-7

'Q1' Class 33017

Unrebuilt 'West Country' Class 34023 'Blackmore Vale'

Rebuilt 'Merchant Navy' Class 35028 'Clan Line'

These photographs illustrate kit-built 4mm '00' scale model locomotives. The rebuilt 'Merchant Navy' Class 4-6-2 model representing 35028 'Clan Line' in its final BR condition (i.e. without any preservation period tender modifications) is from a DJH white metal kit with some additional scratch-built details (e.g. smoke deflector struts, pipes). Unfortunately it was necessary to use inserts to represent the BFB driving wheels as these were not commercially available at the time of construction. Hornby have produced ready-to-run models of a number of Merchant Navies from the second and third series and the most recent second series versions (35012 'United States Lines', 35016 'Elders Fyffes', late 2003, 35011 'General Steam Navigation' 2005, 35019 'French Line CGT', 2006) show a number of detail improvements when compared with the earlier ones. Although there is still unfortunate evidence of moulding lines on the boilers these are very good models and they look terrific when coupled to a rake of new Hornby Pullmans. Hopefully the moulding fault will have been improved by the time that No. 35010 'Blue Star' appears during 2008.

Unrebuilt 'West Country' Class 34023 'Blackmore Vale' + Rebuilt 'West Country' Class 34100 'Appledore' + ‘Q1’ Class 33017

The 'Q1' Class 33017 and unrebuilt 'West Country' Class 34023 'Blackmore Vale' models have been built from now obsolete Crownline brass and white metal kits and these both have properly moulded Markits wheels. All three of these locomotives are powered by Portescap RG4 motors and 34023, an often interrupted project, was eventually completed after 8 years under construction – rather more time than it took to manufacture the original full sized locomotive! Larger scale modellers are well provided for with unrebuilt 'West Country'/'Battle of Britain' Class locomotives. In 'O' Gauge there is a splendid looking kit available from Martin Finney - see: http://website.lineone.net/~cbwesson/Bulleid%20tender.htm and: http://website.lineone.net/~cbwesson/Bulleid%20loco%20kit%20pics.htm for photographs of this fine kit fully completed and under construction. However the piece de resistance must be the fabulously engineered live steam Aster Gauge 1 30th anniversary model, photographs of which may be seen on: http://www.asterhobbies.co.uk/pages/models/Spamcan.htm#fosse and on a separate gallery page illustrating a variety of customer-built kits on: http://www.asterhobbies.co.uk/pages/extras_articles/Gallery_Bulleid.htm. Also highly recommended are a range of films on YouTube of this locomotive in operation, particularly one of this model as SR liveried 21C166 'Spitfire' at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_oZFou0LCA. A further illustration of one of these models is shown on: Model Railway Locomotives 2

The 'Q1' was built from the original 1983 version of this kit with access to only a few photographic illustrations of the prototype. As a result there were some minor detail discrepancies - for example the front footsteps ought to have been attached to the front of the sandbox and in a lower position on the buffer beam and this particular example of the Class (selected at random by the modeller) should have had an extra lubricator. It is easy to become wise after the event! A spare white metal lubricator from another kit has now been used to remedy this error following the discovery of a clear reference picture of the prototype in 'British Railways Illustrated' Vol. 17 No. 4 of January 2008. The front footsteps have also been lowered to a more realistic location (so that any makebelieve 1/76 scale crew member might avoid breaking both legs when dismounting!). The opportunity was also taken to drill through the top of the previously solid and therefore unrealistic chimney (a rather surprising feature in a kit that was otherwise very accurate for the period during which it was originally manufactured). 'Fluid' lead and Milliput filler were glued into the available boiler and smokebox cavities to beef up the construction and add some additional weight over the driving wheels. Thankfully it proved possible to make these modifications without destroying the original paint job even though the chimney did come away during the filing stage. Only the top two photographs on this page were taken after these modifications had been completed. Although the original kit is no longer on sale, a new improved version is now being produced by PDK (available from Inter-City Models) and an excellent, lavishly illustrated article by David Lane about the construction of this model to a professional standard appeared in the 'Model Railway Journal' No. 139, 2002. More recently (December 2003), Hornby produced a magnificent version of the Q1 and this was probably the best ready-to-run British model steam locomotive produced by a UK-based model railway manufacturer by that time in an increasingly competitive market. Hornby have also produced good quality ready-to-run models of a range of unrebuilt Light Pacifics and the rebuilt version was launched towards the end of 2006. Unfortunately the shortcomings in the moulding of the 'Merchant Navy' boiler are still present in some examples of the rebuilt WC/BB and it is a shame that this manufacturing error has been allowed to mar an otherwise excellent and surprisingly realistic model. A Hornby 34036 'Westward Ho' has recently been purchased (2007) and it has to be said that it is a truly marvellous scale model with considerable improvements over the Merchant Navies and Unrebuilt West Countries. These include the addition of smoke deflector supports (attached with a bit too much glue), flexible cylinder drain cocks, full brake gear and cab controls. The plastic moulding is so fine that some of the detail cannot be matched by that of a kit-built locomotive at the same scale (including the excellent PDK model illustrated on this page) or even seen by the human eye without the aid of a magnifying glass! The controls inside the cab are astonishingly detailed with legible scales on the dials. In this particular example the moulding lines are not obvious on the sides of the boiler so this problem may be a quality control issue. Some of the smaller detail parts have been used as a template to scratch-build missing items for the PDK model. Perhaps Hornby will take note of the use of brass smoke deflectors by Bachmann on their 9F model for future releases of Bulleid pacifics. Metal deflectors would enable a more prototypical representation of scale thickness with the bonus of additional strength. It would also be possible to add extra weight and therefore pulling power by using a metal footplate. This is not intended as a criticism as the recent quality of ready-to-run locomotives, in particular the superb Class 60, has been a massive improvement over anything manufactured prior to 2000. Bachmann's BR Standard Class 4MT locomotive is also a truly excellent representation of a very handsome class of locomotives and the recent FIA Trains prototype diesels 10000 and 10001 have been quite beautifully modelled in brass. However, kit-building to a high quality is a genuine craft and it would be a great shame indeed if the easy availability of ready-to-run models were to force the kit manufacturers to withdraw their products and therefore cause these skills to be lost. This does seem to be a likely scenario in 'OO'. Fortunately DJH are now producing 'O' gauge kits of a very high standard. These are ideal for older and more experienced modellers with deteriorating eyesight!

Rebuilt 'West Country' Class 34100 'Appledore'

Rebuilt 'Merchant Navy' Class 35028 'Clan Line' + Rebuilt 'West Country' Class 34100 'Appledore'

A PDK (http://www.pdk-models.i12.com/Gallery.htm) rebuilt 'West Country' kit is now complete apart from a few minor details inside the cab and this represents 34100 'Appledore' in late 1966 condition with a 5,500 gallon tender and prior to removal of nameplates. At least one of the original nameplates has survived although the locomotive was scrapped in 1967 and during late 2007 No. 34028 'Eddystone' masqueraded as 'Appledore' in full 'Golden Arrow' regalia on the Bluebell Railway. There are some superb black and white images of the prototype (with a different tender) at Nine Elms Depot at the following URL: http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=cache:WODBkbIZzWEJ:www.phantasrail.co.uk/nine_elms_(2).htm+%22appledore%22%2B%2234100%22&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

This kit is wonderfully designed with well-fitting parts and very high quality etchings and this product is superior to the older kits. This is the only one of these models with a resin boiler, so it has been necessary to add as much 'fluid' lead as possible to every available space in order to increase the weight at the front end. Some of the finer details have been scratch-built including the smoke deflector support brackets and wiring - and also some minor components which were missing from the kit. The footplate construction is ingenious, folding from two dimensions into three. A Portescap RG4 motor has been used to power the locomotive. The copper pipes were scratch-built from brass wire as the moulded parts were either made from white metal (too weak) or fitted rather poorly. The whistle also appears to be overscale although the bent connecting wire to the cab is correct for this locomotive. There is no evidence of a shed plate having been fitted to ‘Appledore’ in any of the reference photographs although the locomotive was stabled at Salisbury for the latter part of its BR service. It is fitting to portray this locomotive in a clean condition as it was often very well turned out with a history of hauling prestige trains - including the very last steam-hauled 'Golden Arrow' in 1961 (the locomotive was based at Stewarts Lane at the time), hence the representation of the additional bolts on the smoke-deflectors in the positions that the arrows would have been attached. To give an idea of scale, the lamp irons have been made from small staples and the complete locomotive is less than 27cm long. The smoke deflector handrail knobs provided in the kit were too long and these have now been replaced with shorter ones. Incidentally, the missing steampipe on the left hand smoke deflector has now been added. The locomotive is normally displayed facing the right in order to show the pipework and this omission was not noticed until the smokebox to smokebox comparison photograph with the Merchant Navy (above) was added to this webpage! The tender and front end (see below) are now complete. There are some inaccuracies in the shape of the radius rods - presumably a compromise designed to confer sufficient strength for the motion to operate without bending - and the union links have been angled too far forwards as a consequence of substituting more robust piston rods from another manufacturer (Alan Gibson). The cylinders also appear to be slightly too large when compared with the proportions of the prototype but this doesn’t really detract from the appearance of this model. Some illustrations have been included to enable a comparison to be made between the original Unrebuilt and Rebuilt Light Pacifics - note that 'Appledore' was still incomplete when these pictures were taken. This kit is highly recommended to any railway modeller with an interest in BR (Southern Region) locomotives. Two additional higher resolution photographs may be seen on Model Railway Locomotives 3.

Rebuilt 'West Country' Class 34100 'Appledore' + Rebuilt 'Merchant Navy' Class 35028 'Clan Line' + Unrebuilt 'West Country' Class 34023 'Blackmore Vale'

With thanks to Nicola for the loan of her digital camera. Most of these photographs have been taken with a digital SLR in bright sunlight and these have been digitally auto-adjusted to enhance the dark tones and bring out the colours fully as the originals appeared 'washed out'.

35028 and 34023 have both been preserved although the latter is currently running on the Bluebell Railway in Southern Railway colours with an earlier number 21C123, a very briefly used spelling of the name ('Blackmoor Vale') and therefore not in the late BR condition remembered (and preferred) by the photographer. There are some 'discrepancies' as the cab modification occurred after the original livery had been discontinued. Illustrations of the 12" to the foot originals of the steam locomotives seen here may be accessed by using the Steam Locomotives links shown below.

USEFUL WEBSITES:

BLUEBELL RAILWAY: http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/bluebell.html
DJH: http://www.djhmodelloco.co.uk/acatalog/DJH_Model_Locomotive__B_R__OO_Scale_Kits__4.html
HATTONS: www.ehattons.com
MAINLY TRAINS: www.mainlytrains.com
MID HANTS RAILWAY: http://www.watercressline.co.uk/
MODEL RAIL MAGAZINE: www.model-rail.com
PDK: http://www.pdk-models.i12.com/index.htm
RAILS OF SHEFFIELD: www.railsheffield.co.uk
SCALEFOUR http://www.scalefour.org/ag/
SWANAGE RAILWAY: http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/
THE ENGINE SHED: www.gaugemaster.com

B & R VIDEO PRODUCTIONS: www.BandRVideos.co.uk provides a marvellous range of contemporary moving image material which has now been converted into digital form and is available as video or DVD. Volume 59 'Southern Steam Finale' No. 5 October 1966 to January 1967 and Volume 96 'Southern Steam Finale' No. 9 June to July 1967 are both highly recommended, particularly as some excellent colour footage is included of 34023, 34100 and 35028 performing some of their final BR duties.

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