Herb Garden
Western Thunderer
Yep she is one of the same batch as 806 mentioned earlier..... Batch of 10 reduced to 8 for the Swedish railways the other two went to the Thetford and watton railway later becoming GER 806 and 807 .....
Yes I'm a geek!
The Chronicles of Canary Sidings - Eastern Eccentricity in EM
- Thread starter Herb Garden
- Start date
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- Tags
- 4mm scale em gauge ger pre-grouping
Yes I'm a geek!
Herb Garden
Western Thunderer
So little more progress and a vital addition.
I've filled the gaps in the front of the fire box
Before
After
Also the addition of the front sprat and winkle coupling loop
I've filled the gaps in the front of the fire box
Before
After
Also the addition of the front sprat and winkle coupling loop
Herb Garden
Western Thunderer
Ok so yet more incremental progress...
Firstly the steam valve for the injector had been mounted to the firebox
This can even be operated by the fireman now
Another spate of madness is adding the rods to link the axleboxes and springs these run between the sandwich frames.....
One thing you will note is that I'm struggling to keep the model clean... A combination build up of swarf, solder, flux grease and fibreglass brush fibres are really not helping... Probably needs a soak in warm water real soon.
Also if anyone has any bright ideas of how to get extraneous solder out of tricky corners please do shout up. Oh an before anyone says it.... Yes I know the best way to get rid of it is not to put it there in the first place!
Firstly the steam valve for the injector had been mounted to the firebox
This can even be operated by the fireman now
Another spate of madness is adding the rods to link the axleboxes and springs these run between the sandwich frames.....
One thing you will note is that I'm struggling to keep the model clean... A combination build up of swarf, solder, flux grease and fibreglass brush fibres are really not helping... Probably needs a soak in warm water real soon.
Also if anyone has any bright ideas of how to get extraneous solder out of tricky corners please do shout up. Oh an before anyone says it.... Yes I know the best way to get rid of it is not to put it there in the first place!
Richard Gawler
Western Thunderer
I followed the advice of @Ian@StEnochs and made myself two scrapers out of old needle files. One right handed one left handed. These are good for edges where you can move the scraper along the excess solder. See The Heybridge Railway, 1889 to 1913 and also post number 380.
But before doing this I would be tempted to clean the model as well as I could and give it a light coat of etching primer. This will highlight faults and, rather usefully, hide areas of solder too thin to ever show through the paint finish. I wish I had done this on my Y14, it would have saved a lot of work removing solder which would have never caused a problem, and helped me find a couple of specks which I missed.
But before doing this I would be tempted to clean the model as well as I could and give it a light coat of etching primer. This will highlight faults and, rather usefully, hide areas of solder too thin to ever show through the paint finish. I wish I had done this on my Y14, it would have saved a lot of work removing solder which would have never caused a problem, and helped me find a couple of specks which I missed.
Herb Garden
Western Thunderer
Thanks @Richard Gawler for the advice.... I have a feeling we spoke about the same thing a while back.... I'm sorry if we did and I forgot.... Put it down to a blonde moment.
Right progress on that vital of devices the injector
Well the upper half is now fitted and the pipe work goes to the right place although some slight adjustments might help mainly I think the steam pipe is a bit too chunky but we shall see.
The key fiiting on this type of injector is the cone adjuster wich was originally on the top of the injector at footplate level. Sam Johnson in his wisdom when he built (scrapheap challenged) 73&74 extended the adjustment rod to handrail level so that if the fireman had to adjust it whilst on the move he didn't have to bend down and could hold onto the handrail instead.... Big deal! He still had to exit the cab to do so!
Anyhoo that rod has the coarse adjustment wheel and the fine adjustment handle in the centre.... See what I mean about that steam pipe?
And here she is in current state.... Nice to have an overall shot for once
Right progress on that vital of devices the injector
Well the upper half is now fitted and the pipe work goes to the right place although some slight adjustments might help mainly I think the steam pipe is a bit too chunky but we shall see.
The key fiiting on this type of injector is the cone adjuster wich was originally on the top of the injector at footplate level. Sam Johnson in his wisdom when he built (scrapheap challenged) 73&74 extended the adjustment rod to handrail level so that if the fireman had to adjust it whilst on the move he didn't have to bend down and could hold onto the handrail instead.... Big deal! He still had to exit the cab to do so!
Anyhoo that rod has the coarse adjustment wheel and the fine adjustment handle in the centre.... See what I mean about that steam pipe?
And here she is in current state.... Nice to have an overall shot for once
Herb Garden
Western Thunderer
I expect that by now you are getting a tad fed up with locomotive detailing .... I am a bit as well....
But....
Firstly I've installed a more slimline steam pipe for the injector
Then it's the joyous (not) task of marking out to fit handrails
And fitting the handrails along the sides of the boiler
And the other which be longer as to operate the blower
It seems there is always more to do!
But....
Firstly I've installed a more slimline steam pipe for the injector
Then it's the joyous (not) task of marking out to fit handrails
And fitting the handrails along the sides of the boiler
And the other which be longer as to operate the blower
It seems there is always more to do!
Richard Gawler
Western Thunderer
George you are very brave to leave drilling the holes for the handrails until now. I would have probably wanted to do them really early on - and then found myself putting the boiler on multiple times to get the holes the same height on both sides. The whole loco is looking good 
Herb Garden
Western Thunderer
I usually do hand rails towards the end. I put the loco on a surface plate and then use a scribing block to mark all around so I get everything the same level.... Works a treat!
Herb Garden
Western Thunderer
It's been a while since I've been able to make any progress. Work, DIY and the fact the west facing room in which I do modelling is like a sauna doesn't help.
It has however given time for pause and reflection. When I started this locomotive I had planned to twist history a bit to extend its lifespan into the 1880s GER blue period.... But recently I've considered a different approach...
It started with the arrival of the boiler fittings. Although I had wanted to turn them, time and a pile of stuff blocking the lathe whist building made me turn to 3DP. Thanks Chris!
On receipt of the prints I found myself drawn to the flared Johnson chimney. I had originally planned to use the later Adams stovepipe but something kept nagging. So I wondered about not modelling the locomotive in 1884 but in 1873?...
So what would that look like? Well for starters the livery would be green....
When Sam Johnson took over at Stratford in 1865 he changed the Sinclair pea green livery to a mid green.... Very like that used on the midland.... Before they went Red. He also experimented with ochre and cream liveries..... Best not to ask.
So in theory If I went to 1973 the livery would approximately look like this...
Although the lining would be white rather than yellow.... How white it stayed is anyone's guess.
The second point I need to consider is the shape of the front
The Johnson GER locos all had a trademark flared front something unique to his time in the east and not carried over to his midland designs but as a design style probs came from the NBR.
That's a little Sharpie #1 class blas built by the way. And why they were called little Sharpies I do not know cos next to an actual Sharpie as in the little spinner That I'm building they are huge
That's a #1 class in the foreground with the #73 class in the rear.
This leads me on to another interesting point the #1 class model in the photo above I inherited a while back and it's only half built but what has been done has been is superb workmanship. It's even built to EM gauge standards so what is not to love?
But what I've noticed recently is that the builder has subtly modified the kit to have the Johnson rather larger Adams style cab. This sets the model squarely in Johnson's time as Adams very quickly improved driver conditions on locos.
So that's another loco to potentially go green....
So what am I thinking? Well as those who saw my posts in the winter will know I have a collection of GER models from the turn of the last century.... But wouldn't it be fun to have another set from 25 years earlier? When you see models of the pre grouping era they are very rarely of a vintage later than 1900 so wouldn't it be cool to do something earlier?
Mucklemouth could be equipped with two fleets.... The 1873 fleet and the 1896 fleet... Wouldn't that be fun? Well I think it would!
Not that I'm going to get too much done over the next few weeks due to this and that but the nice I finally get to the workbench again I will have had a chance to come up with a cunning plan....
It has however given time for pause and reflection. When I started this locomotive I had planned to twist history a bit to extend its lifespan into the 1880s GER blue period.... But recently I've considered a different approach...
It started with the arrival of the boiler fittings. Although I had wanted to turn them, time and a pile of stuff blocking the lathe whist building made me turn to 3DP. Thanks Chris!
On receipt of the prints I found myself drawn to the flared Johnson chimney. I had originally planned to use the later Adams stovepipe but something kept nagging. So I wondered about not modelling the locomotive in 1884 but in 1873?...
So what would that look like? Well for starters the livery would be green....
When Sam Johnson took over at Stratford in 1865 he changed the Sinclair pea green livery to a mid green.... Very like that used on the midland.... Before they went Red. He also experimented with ochre and cream liveries..... Best not to ask.
So in theory If I went to 1973 the livery would approximately look like this...
Although the lining would be white rather than yellow.... How white it stayed is anyone's guess.
The second point I need to consider is the shape of the front
The Johnson GER locos all had a trademark flared front something unique to his time in the east and not carried over to his midland designs but as a design style probs came from the NBR.
That's a little Sharpie #1 class blas built by the way. And why they were called little Sharpies I do not know cos next to an actual Sharpie as in the little spinner That I'm building they are huge
That's a #1 class in the foreground with the #73 class in the rear.
This leads me on to another interesting point the #1 class model in the photo above I inherited a while back and it's only half built but what has been done has been is superb workmanship. It's even built to EM gauge standards so what is not to love?
But what I've noticed recently is that the builder has subtly modified the kit to have the Johnson rather larger Adams style cab. This sets the model squarely in Johnson's time as Adams very quickly improved driver conditions on locos.
So that's another loco to potentially go green....
So what am I thinking? Well as those who saw my posts in the winter will know I have a collection of GER models from the turn of the last century.... But wouldn't it be fun to have another set from 25 years earlier? When you see models of the pre grouping era they are very rarely of a vintage later than 1900 so wouldn't it be cool to do something earlier?
Mucklemouth could be equipped with two fleets.... The 1873 fleet and the 1896 fleet... Wouldn't that be fun? Well I think it would!
Not that I'm going to get too much done over the next few weeks due to this and that but the nice I finally get to the workbench again I will have had a chance to come up with a cunning plan....
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
George,
That sounds like an excellent plan! Wagons could probably be shared between the different eras. Carriages?
Nigel
Herb Garden
Western Thunderer
Yeah certainly the early type wagons lasted into mix in with the later Holden types in the 1890s.
Coaching stock.... Yeah the Johnson and Sinclair 4w stock would be around but relegated to branch line work rather than expresses (six wheel stock only really appeared under Massey Bromley in the late 1870s).
Luckily the early Johnson type 2a stock is available from eveleigh creations.... Which is very handy! So that's my mainline trains sorted then the branch stock could be made up from some scratch builds and some converted triang rocket coaches..... Hmmm that's a thought
Crimson Rambler
Western Thunderer
@Herb Garden - The lining on Midland engines during SWJ's green livery period was normally black and white - yellow and black lining appeared with the red livery. In this respect I'm afraid your colour print is misleading - but fortunately it doesn't apply in your case.
Crimson Rambler
Crimson Rambler
Herb Garden
Western Thunderer
@Crimson Rambler thanks for clarifying. That would mean the schemes under Sam Johnsons times were almost identical in colours if not the lining panels until the GER went black and the blue and the midland went crimson.
Herb Garden
Western Thunderer
Ooooo very interesting.... Sounds like I need to get a copy of that book.
Thanks for pointing that out.
Rob R
Western Thunderer
It's this one:-
fleabay link
Not mine and there are others available.
There are only a couple of pages on his GE work but the rest of it is filled with photos of his Midland locos, well worth it if you can get it for less than a Tenner (my copy is NOT for sale).
fleabay link
Not mine and there are others available.
There are only a couple of pages on his GE work but the rest of it is filled with photos of his Midland locos, well worth it if you can get it for less than a Tenner (my copy is NOT for sale).
Herb Garden
Western Thunderer
Just bought one this morning for 6.42 inc postage..... Not bad.....
2 pages is better than nothing..... I find that projects like these there are very few complete sources of info and I have to dig around a bit to find the answers
Herb Garden
Western Thunderer
So a follow on question which is more hypothetical than anything else..... During the 1860s and 1870s how long would a coat of locomotive paint last? Ie how often would things get repainted? I feel like the answer is 10 years for modern steam locos but if anyone could shed any light that would be great. It would give me justification for running some locos in Sinclair pea green along side
Rob R
Western Thunderer
Sam Johnson was only at Stratford for 7 years at a period when the GER was expanding rapidly but financially still not too robust and with many older pre Sinclair locos in need of rebuilding or replacement as well as Sinclairs prodigious output all freshly painted.
Given the above it is quite likely that some locos will have kept their Sinclair Pea Green until Adams came along and did a Henry Ford (ie any colour you like as long as it is black) or until scrapping.
Obviously anything that had a fairly heavy repair in the Johnson era would have been repainted.
Rule One is easliy applied here as the chances of proving you wrong are pretty slim!
Given the above it is quite likely that some locos will have kept their Sinclair Pea Green until Adams came along and did a Henry Ford (ie any colour you like as long as it is black) or until scrapping.
Obviously anything that had a fairly heavy repair in the Johnson era would have been repainted.
Rule One is easliy applied here as the chances of proving you wrong are pretty slim!