Ian Carswell
Ian also has a layout under construction.
Stanier brake van to Diagram 2036 from the Pocket Money Kits
etch. The buffers are from Lanarkshire Model Supplies, type B013,
the correct pattern for this type of van and beautifully cast in
white metal. The springs and axleboxes are a 3D print from Modelu
from my own CAD data.
Charles Roberts 14 ton hopper from the Dave Bradwell kit.
Hunslet 50t 325hp diesel hydraulic from the Judith Edge kit with a
rake of Hudson side tipping wagons from the RT Models kit. The
Hunslet has a scratch built, compensated chassis and gearbox that
keeps the drive line clear of the cab.
Hudson side tipper from the RT Models etched kit. A couple of tricky
bits, and I’m sure the brake mechanism isn’t quite
right, but makes up into a nice model. There’s a couple more
spoil tippers to build. Pretty sure Bachmann won’t be
releasing one of these!
Night scene at the shed. No 2 stands idle waiting for the morning
shift, illuminated by the light from the shed and the yard lamp.
High Level Barclay built straight out of the box. Easiest kit I ever
built! Steam and smoke courtesy of Photoshop.
Ubiquitous 1/108 from Airfix kit with Exactoscale FASS suspension
and Masokits brake parts. Midland pattern bufferstops from NS rail
offcuts and plasticard oddments.
OBA from the Cambrian kit. Only mods are the fitting of suspension
from Exactoscale FASS system and the odd improvement to the
underframe gubbins. Yes, the prototype was painted just like this
with Railfreight red faded to a sicky pink and a half-baked attempt
to repaint the top planks.
A view towards the stopblocks on a short section of siding I built
last year. The stopblocks are made from scribed styrene and BH rail
ends to a Midland Railway drawing reproduced in Midland
Record. Track is C&L . The brick wall is Wills with coping bricks
from plasticard. Foreground foliage is in the style of Norman and
Welch, the bushes and trees in the background are 300mm/ft scale.
Standard BR brakevan built from the etched brass Pocket Money
Kit. Built pretty much as suggested by the instructions. Runs on MJT
compensated W-irons which fit neatly underneath without having to
adjust the ride height (cunning design or pure luck, not sure
which). Verandah corner posts are angle section rather than solid
section due to the fold-up nature of the kit, but it is not
obvious. Something which shows up horribly in the photo are the
rather featureless axlebox castings supplied with the kit, which
would be easy to improve upon with a few lumps of styrene. Good and
cheap introduction to etched brass kits for somebody wishing to dip
the proverbial toe in the flux.
Some progress on a Bradwell WD. The tender is fully sprung in the
Bradwell fashion. I was sceptical about the merits of 'real'
suspension but watching this tender glide along the track has made a
convert of me. Electrical pick up is from tender one side and loco
on the other. Wheels were shorted by wires on the back of loco
drivers and by silver conductive paint on tender wheels. Works fine.
Hooray, no ******g wipers! Gearbox on back axle of loco is
Exactoscale WGD 36:1. Drive shaft is Ultrascale, but with joints
reduced in diameter to fit in eyewateringly tight space beneath cab
floor and above dragbox. Motor sits on a silicone rubber isolation
mount and structure borne noise from the tender is minimal.
A closer look at the driveline in a Bradwell WD. My first attempt at
a motor in tender configuration. As shown it worked reasonably well
except at very slow speed. Tender chassis was revised to fit a
larger Mashima 1828(?) with the biggest flywheel I can get on the
back. The joint angle on the gearbox input was reduced from the
modest angle you see in the photo to damn near straight by
lengthening the gearbox reaction arm and taking a chunk out of the
top of the dragbox. Works very well indeed now at all speeds, smooth
and silent ( and therefore unprototypical !). So far the parts have
gone together with uncanny accuracy, however Mr Bradwell doesn't get
too specific about drive components so that's where the hard work
is.