tHe ultiMate ‘deltiC’ in 4 4mm
3
inspirational
From the publisher of
layouts inside
War on Weeds
TACKLING THE CHIPMAN WEEDKILLER IN ‘OO’
‘CHopper’ tiMe
DRS REBUILD FOR THE HELJAN ‘O’ GAUGE MODEL
liFe eXtension
IMPROVING SUB-SECTOR CLASS 37s IN 4mm SCALE
diesels in tHe duCHy
CORNISH CHINA CLAy IN THE GOLDEN AGE OF RAILFREIGHT
HiGHland MiGHty Portchullin – recreating the west of scotland in the 1970s an eleCtriC perForManCe BOMBARDIER EMU MASTERPIECE IN ‘OO’ ISBN : 978-1-909128-50-7
£6.99
Damian Ross’ ‘EM’ gauge layout Diesels in the Duchy has rightly won many plaudits for its re-creation of the Cornish freight scene at the end of the 1980s. Heavily based on St Blazey, the distinctive roundhouse and turntable are both present along with many other buildings from the depot, all being scratchbuilt. As would be expected, the out-based Class 37/5 fleet dominates the motive power line-up on the layout. Still carrying Railfreight Red Stripe colours, No. 37674 takes a break on the turntable with many of the signature china clay wagon types reposing in the background.
4 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller Yearbook
welcome...
... to the first ever Rail Express Modeller Yearbook, this being the long-awaited debut of the modelling side of the magazine in a publication all of its own. With 124 pages to play with, this has allowed REM to expand in ways that are not possible within the constraints of the monthly supplement. For example, the many and varied loco-hauled hired-in passenger trains that have operated in the 19 years since Privatisation took place are detailed in a mammoth 16-page feature, complete with our unrivalled and fully accurate formation graphics. Other ‘meaty’ articles include coverage of exhibition favourites Portchullin and Diesels in the Duchy along with an essay in small space ‘N’ gauge modelling in Wulstanton Road. With features taking in all three main scales, these run the gamut of locomotives, multiple units, coaches and wagons, not to mention infrastructure. Hopefully there will be something within these pages to suit and inspire all tastes. We hope you enjoy this the first Rail Express Modeller standalone special... we have many more exciting projects lined up for the months and years to come.
simon Bendall
Rail Express Modeller Editor Design: Rosie Ward and Justin Blackamore
Contents 6 Layout: Portchullin
A popular layout on the exhibition circuit, Portchullin recreates a station on the Kyle of Lochalsh line in 1974, a time when Sulzer Type 2s still roamed the west of Scotland. Mark Tatlow describes his highly scenic ‘P4’ gauge creation.
18 Modelling: Refurbished Class 37s
Like many diesel types, the Class 37s are a mine of detail variations, not all of which are available from the ready-to-run manufacturers. The Bachmann model is upgraded to represent two refurbished ‘Tractors’ during the sub-sector era.
26 Modeller’s Guide: Privatised loco-hauled
Throughout the privatisation era, train operators have often been forced to turn to hired-in loco-hauled passenger trains to cover for stock shortages. The history of these diverse workings is recounted, complete with detailed formation graphics.
42 Research: Chemicals from Corkickle
An unlikely survivor into the 1980s was the rope-worked Corkickle incline on the Cumbria coast, this serving an Albright & Wilson chemicals plant. David Ratcliffe profiles its remarkable operation and the traffic that served the area.
50 Modelling: Class 55 Nimbus
The Bachmann Class 55 ‘Deltic’ can be taken to a new level by adding the suite of detailing parts produced by Extreme Etchings. In this detailed step by step guide, a returnee to the hobby describes how he produced his favourite EE Type 5.
64 Layout: Wulstanton Road
Demonstrating that not all ‘N’ gauge modellers want to run full length trains through the countryside, Wulstanton Road was created to show that even the most space-starved person can accommodate a detailed and entertaining layout.
72 Modelling: Serco’s Test Car 2
For many modellers, the various test train vehicles based at the Railway Technical Centre in Derby over the years hold a special fascination. Mick Bryan describes the construction of Test Car 2, which was used to trial new rolling stock.
RepRogRaphics: Lorna herbert
76 Modelling: DRS Class 20/3 in 7mm
The Heljan range of ‘O’ gauge diesel locomotives offers an easy route into the larger scale. Giving plenty of scope for detailing and conversion, Alex Carpenter sets out to model a modernised Direct Rail Services Class 20/3 in the current ‘compass’ colours using Extreme Etchings parts.
84 Layout: Diesels in the Duchy
The late 1980s and early 1990s was arguably the heyday of Cornish china clay operations, at least as far as colourful motive power was concerned. Inspired by St Blazey depot, this ‘EM’ gauge layout sets out to re-create these halcyon days.
96 Modelling: Chipman weedkiller train
A regular sight across the southern part of the UK during the 1989-1997 period was the Nomix-Chipman weedkilling train, which was notable for employing the Hunslet Barclay Class 20s. The distinctive train is modelled here in 4mm scale.
104 Modelling: Class 377 ‘Electrostar’ EMUs Models of most current day Electric Multiple Units are noticeably absent from the ranges of the major manufacturers. This did not stop James Makin though as he opted to rebuild ‘Turbostar’ DMUs into their Class 377 ‘Electrostar’ cousins.
110 Research: Colas Rail timber wagons
One of the most popular freight operations currently on the network is Colas Rail’s bulk timber flows. Stretching from Devon to Cumbria, the history of the services is detailed while the diverse range of wagons employed is also examined.
116 Modelling: KFA and KSA timber wagons Modelling Colas’ timber wagon fleet is not an easy proposition at present due to a lack of suitable models. Nonetheless, two projects are presented here; building a KFA in ‘OO’ gauge while the N Gauge Society’s new KSA kit is tackled.
senioR suB-eDitoR: Dan sharp pRoDuction manageR: craig Lamb maRketing manageR: charlotte park puBLisheR: tim hartley commeRciaL DiRectoR: nigel hole puBLishing DiRectoR: Dan savage puBLisheD By: mortons media group Ltd, media centre, morton Way, horncastle, Lincolnshire Ln9 6JR tel: 01507 529529 pRinteD By: William gibbons and sons, Wolverhampton contRiButoRs:
Gareth Bayer, Mick Bryan, Alex Carpenter, tom Curtis, Phil eames, tim easter, steve Farmer, Grahame Hedges, Jonathan Hughes, James Makin, David Ratcliffe, Damian Ross, Mark tatlow and Dennis taylor isBn: 978-1-909128-50-7
all material copyright mortons media Limited, 2014. all rights reserved. © mortons media group Ltd. all rights reserved. no part of this publication may be produced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher.
Modeller Yearbook RAIL EXPRESS 5
Portchullin
The final 15 miles of the Kyle route hugs the shore of Lochcarron. This has numerous small inlets to be crossed and headlands that the line had to cut through. As a result, short rock cuttings followed by stone causeways with bridges over the inlet are common place; this one was based on an example at Erbusaig.
Portchullin is one of the most popular layouts on the exhibition circuit at present. Mark Tatlow details the thinking behind the ‘P4’ gauge layout, which re-creates an idyllic slice of the Kyle of Lochalsh line with the burble of Sulzer Type 2s echoing off the hillsides. Photographs by Tim Easter.
T was August 1974, a good time for the Three Degrees as they were enjoying their only UK No.1 with When Will I see You Again and for Carlisle United as they were at the top of the entire football league. It was also a great time for the Kyle of Lochalsh line; finally, after facing closure intermittently for 20 years (and with a closure notice pending for the last four), the line was granted a permanent reprieve by the then transport minister. It was also a good time for two young boys; we were on a family holiday in the west coast of Scotland and instead of witnessing the expected swansong of this line, we were seeing the beginnings of its rejuvenation and in the process planting the seeds of this layout.
I
In the early 1970s, the railways of the Highlands had hardly changed since the 19th century. Sure, steam had gone and everything was in BR blue but that was about it; the lines were still fully signalled and, due to the terrible competing roads, there was still a healthy level of freight traffic. Short loco-hauled trains were the norm and the lines remained single track, so there was the sight of regular passing procedures. Young boys grew up and one at least retained his passion for the trains of the west coast of Scotland. It is fair to say that the early 1970s era is not my first choice interest and I can hardly claim to be a major producer of layouts, but when the Scalefour Society announced a competition to build a diesel and electric era layout, these characteristics proved irresistible.
The competition, which culminated in showing the layout at the 2008 Scaleforum exhibition, gave me a set of criteria and above all a deadline to focus on. Having spent literally years starting layouts, I suddenly found that I had 18 months to finish one! While not all railway modellers are seeking to re-create a piece of nostalgia when they build their models, for me creating a convincing layout is to a large degree achieved by seeking to transport the viewer to where and when the model is intended to be set. I have consciously set out to try and capture the feel of the western Highlands, its scenery and geology, the man made influences on it such as the railway, and to create what I remember as the feel of the line in my childhood. This is the story of how I went about this. ❱
The scenery in this part of the Highlands is rugged for a reason – the rock is very hard. Unsurprisingly, the line set a record at the time for being the most expensive per mile to build due to the work that was required to cut through the rocky headlands. Those that visited in the 1960s, 70s or 80s will remember that the rock walls just served to amplify the sound of the Sulzer engines hard at work.
SeTTing THe Scene
Portchullin is a real place and is right next to the Kyle line as it runs along the edge of Lochcarron but it now only has a couple of houses. However, historically, there was a bigger community and it could also have served a series of small villages inland from the loch. It does not take too much history rewriting to make it sufficiently important to merit a station. All I did was move another station, Stromeferry (which in reality is only a mile away), sufficiently far to justify a separate station at Portchullin to serve these communities – the excuse for a layout was born! I feel that a big influence on whether a layout feels right comes from the conception of what the
8 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller Yearbook
railway, and particularly its surroundings, are seeking to re-create. In my view, there are far too many otherwise very good layouts that either stop at the boundary fence or represent such a neutral landscape that they could be anywhere but communicate that they are nowhere! The first thing I did therefore was to decide what made this area so characteristic. The facets that defined this portion of the Kyle line were the way that the line clung to the side of the loch, regularly running through rock cuttings and looking down on the sea from brief embankments or bridges, along with the way the sea on a still evening was glass smooth, reflecting
the surrounding mountains and the harshness of the ground the line crossed. The nature of the landscape and these facets were defined by the surrounding geology and geography; therefore I started by sketching what I thought the geography would look like without the railway, village or roads. I feel that by placing mankind’s influences on the scene after the land has been defined gives a more realistic feel to the model – after all mother nature came before Stephenson’s contraptions! While I certainly did flex the geography to suit what I wanted to incorporate, I did try to fit the railway into the landscape and not the other way round.
Despite having two signal cabins (the Highland Railway never referred to them as boxes), there would have only been one signalman on duty. As a result, he was issued with a bicycle to make the journey (which could be quite lengthy) between the two. This practice was commonplace across the Highland section; the last example being at Nairn, which continued until 2000.
WiDe oPeN sPAces
Reprieved! Taken on my first holiday to the area in 1974 and ultimately part of the inspiration for Portchullin – the official notification that the closure notice was being withdrawn.
Far too many model railways look to cram in too much and remain obvious for what they are, models. Even within the confines of the competition size limits, I felt that I could go for nothing more than a basic crossing loop and a couple of sidings. I was helped by the stations on the line adopting exactly the same policy; indeed, Portchullin ranks as big as any real intermediate station on the line. Another means that I adopted to disguise that this is a model is the profiling of the ground from low at the front to high at the rear. This, coupled with a relatively high viewing height, forces the eye to look at the trains as they go past with a backdrop of scenery behind, not a flat backscreen or worse, the torsos of the operating crew. I also chose to put the layout on a gentle curve, so the view you get is always changing slightly depending on where you stand. Coupling this with handbuilt trackwork gives the layout the feeling that it is flowing through and around the geography.
I also wanted the layout to be capable of being distinguished for what and where it is without any rolling stock on it. The line was originally built under the auspices of the Highland Railway and this company had a number of very characteristic elements. These included the lattice footbridges, the curved wing walls on the bridges, the chequerboard painting of the platform edges and interlaced timbers to turnouts. However, probably the Highland Railway’s most characteristic aspect was its timber buildings with cover beads to protect the joints in the timber from the Scottish elements, thus the goods shed and signal cabins have no comparables with any other railway company. These, and all the other buildings and structures on the layout, are replicas of actual examples, of which there is a considerable body of records generated by followers of the Highland Railway, notably the Highland Railway Society. ❱
Modeller Yearbook RAIL EXPRESS 9
The Highland Railway often turned a blind eye to officialdom but strangely one thing they seemed not to scrimp on was signalling; therefore most of their through stations had two signal cabins to ensure that no turnout was beyond the permitted distance for lever operation. All of the buildings and structures on the layout are made of plasticard or Wills sheets; although the latter is used only after modifying it to look less artificial. I am indebted to Simon de Souza, my father Peter Tatlow and, particularly for his signal cabins, Peter Bond for the use of several of these.
FiRm FOUNDaTiONs
Given the desire to have clear changes in levels on the layout, a flat earth style of baseboard was not
With only three timetabled trains a day (sometimes less in the winter), the workload was not taxing for the station staff. Once the line received its reprieve, BR set about reducing the manpower, including the use of the Radio Electronic Token Block signalling system, which in 1984 did away with all of the signal cabins except for those at Dingwall and Kyle of Lochalsh. Like most of the Highland Railway’s structures, the station buildings had a distinctive appearance as did the platform edging.
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sensible. Instead, the boards are all based on a structural deck that is considerably below the height of the running line. The trackbed is then supported on girders that sit on this deck. The use of these girders and the deck creates a box structure that is strong and capable of having sections cut out, to allow geographical features to be formed, without affecting its performance. The material used for the baseboards was plywood of several different thicknesses. In addition to its strength, this material warps a lot less than other forms of wood. Bracing was provided to stop the boards twisting and any redundant sections of timber had cutouts formed in them in an attempt to lighten the overall weight. Ultimately though, I
went for strength and durability above the board’s weight; they are therefore a considerable exercise to move about! The backscreen is deliberately raised to a higher height than most model railways. This, combined with the layout’s height, the use of a lighting pelmet, and the screens to the fiddle yards and below the baseboards, create a theatre stage. While I have no objection to viewers wanting to look behind the scenes to see how the layout has been conceived and constructed, I feel that they should make an effort to see beyond the stage – fundamentally the layout is intended to be a piece of theatre. The layout should be the focus and its setting should lead the viewer into seeing only what is on show. ❱
The roads to Kyle of Lochalsh were very poor and the railway remained competitive for the transport of wagonload goods for much longer than elsewhere in the UK. However, by 1974 this was beginning to come under threat. Having left its train in the station, No. 26046 indulges in a spot of shunting around the goods yard.
ABOVE: Headcode box-fitted Class 24s were a staple of the Kyle line in the first two decades of dieselisation. Modified from the Bachmann model, No. 5127 heads a short rake of 12t vans into Portchullin. The manufacturer announced in 2013 that it intends to produce this version of the BR Type 2, although this will initially represent ‘English’ machines without the tablet catcher recesses. RIGHT: The characteristic footbridges are very much part of the ex-Highland Railway lines; indeed, many stations still have them. This one was made from an etched brass kit from Lochgorm Models, which specialises in all things Highland Railway. 1974 saw the widespread implementation of TOPS renumbering with No. 26046 already carrying its new identity.
Modeller Yearbook RAIL EXPRESS 11
PORTCHULLIN ‘AT A GLANCE’
P4
GAUGE
4mm:1ft
Region/period: West of Scotland, 1974. Layout size: 14ft 9in by 14ft 9in (total layout footprint with fiddle yards)
● Description: Loch side station with passing loop and
small goods yard.
● Control: Gaugemaster DCC.
A view of the centre of the layout showing how the hand-built ‘P4’ trackwork flows realistically, giving the impression that the line is snaking through the landscape. Class 24s and 26s had a virtual monopoly on the line’s traffic, with the former beginning to be phased out at the time that Portchullin is set. Here, an example of the BR-built design is seen approaching the loop, while a Class 26 is waiting in the station for the path ahead to clear.
ABOVE: The effort expended on the rockfaces, grass and bushes is shown to advantage as No. 5127 receives the right of way to continue the last few miles westwards to Kyle of Lochalsh. The fine signal gantries employ a mix of scratchbuilding and kit components.
LEFT: The long single line sections of the lines in the north of Scotland slowed down the passage of trains, especially where a passenger train was following a slower goods train. It was possible to overtake at a passing loop, which is a procedure that is sometimes shown at exhibitions. To do so, the first train has to enter the loop on the correct line and then surrender its token. It then draws forward on hand signals and reverses back on to the wrong line. The following train can then enter the section behind and it will then pass through right line. Only once it has cleared the following section can the first train resume its journey. The crew of No. 26046 are thus assured a lengthy wait as No. 5127 rumbles past.
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During the 1970s, there was still a significant fishing fleet in the western seas and here a Class 27 (which were rare visitors to Kyle) can be seen returning discharged fuel oil tankers to Inverness. An evening passenger service waits patiently in the station for the single line ahead to clear.
While many layouts have lighting pelmets, on Portchullin this was deliberately projected forward of the layout by 150mm. In addition to making the viewer step back slightly from the layout, and thus be less likely to see the operators at the back, this has been done to ensure that all of the layout is illuminated from the front. A few layouts have failed to consider this and the portions that are to the front of the lights are in shade whereas those at the back are not, which I think looks silly! Care was taken to get consistent bulbs of the same colour tone; all bulbs and particularly fluorescent tubes come in a variety of tones. While I have used daylight balance tubes, the important aspect is to have a consistent colour and stick to it during the painting and the subsequent life of the layout. All pigments will react differently to different lighting tones and a change in the tone of the bulb can have a dramatic effect on the colour of the layout.
CreAtIng the lAyout
As I model in ‘P4’/18.83mm gauge, all of the track is handbuilt. This might sound a chore or a difficult process but with all the jigs, gauges and other aids now available, I do not find it to be. Indeed, I find it one of the more enjoyable bits of making
a model railway and it transforms how realistic a layout looks in my view. Hand building trackwork immediately gets away from the presumption that turnouts come in small or large radiuses, always with a straight line and with flat-bottomed girders for rail. The Kyle line remains laid with bullhead rail and this is surprisingly slender in profile. Its rhythm of the rail joints, chairs and sleepers, along with the narrowness of checkrail clearances, is simply not captured to any sensible degree by any proprietary manufacturer. The trackplan was conceived on Templot, with a large number of iterations required to get the flow of the line correct. Once it was completed, I plotted the drawing to the appropriate scale and used this as a template to both make the trackwork on the workbench and then affix it to the baseboards. The rock cuttings that the line passes through were formed with cork bark but I found that the pores of this were too open, so I smoothed these in with car body filler. However, the key to getting the rock faces to look right was the colouring. A base coat of Halfords undercoat was started with, which helped seal the bark but it was a bit too blue. So the second coat was with acrylics and resulted in a green-tinged light grey. Thereafter,
multiple (probably around 15) different hues were used to build up the depth of colour, these tending towards darker shades. The paints were used in both wash forms, which helped get it into crevices, and also as thick paint dry-brushed to highlight the projections. The hillsides in this part of Scotland have numerous rock outcrops, which were formed in a similar manner from little slivers of cork bark, as available from Jarvis Manufacturing. In all cases, photographs of the area that I had taken in past visits were used to try and capture the subtleties of the rock shapes and colouring. As the hillsides were formed of poor ground, I found that the majority of the available colourings from model railway suppliers for ground vegetation were too green, even though this area is the wettest part of the United Kingdom! I tended to see more fawn, brown and quite washed out greens in the late summer scenery around the line. Therefore, I employed what are usually described as autumn colours and achieved variations to the hues by using a number of different suppliers for both ground foam and static grass. To get the variety of both colour and texture, I used a number of different materials, starting with Silfor mats from International Models torn up into smallish irregular portions. â?ą
Modeller Yearbook RAIL EXPRESS 15
ABOVE: With stretches of the lineside not fenced, the local sheep population was free to wander at will, frequently straying on to the line. A particularly brave example toughs it out as two 16t mineral wagons are deposited from the pick-up goods behind. LEFT: With its shunting completed, No. 26046 draws away from the goods shed with a plywood-bodied 12t van lettered as carrying parcels and mail along with one of the not particularly successful 12t Palvans. With the Type 2 departed, the wooden structure plays host to a shock-absorbing van.
Next came Silfor clumps from a couple of manufacturers and in a variety of colours, followed by ground foams, in descending size of granulation. The final element was then static grass, nearly all of which was quite short but with a small number of patches of slightly longer and darker fibre lengths. I found that by selecting where the first stages of material went, I could represent patches of different vegetation and then any areas that I missed could be infilled with the static grass application – it tended not to stick where I had already placed material, so it did not swamp everything else. Getting the textures and sizes of the different patches of vegetation believable was again done by reference to photographs and my experiences of walking on hillsides such as these. When it is important to step on ground that does not turn into a peat bog, you do tend to pay attention to what it looks like!
SelecTiNg The STock
Rolling stock for the 1970s era is quite well covered by the ready-to-run manufacturers and I made good use of their products. The Sulzer-engined Type 2s,
16 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller Yearbook
nearly always Classes 24 and 26, monopolised the services. Indeed, the burble of the Sulzer engine idling in a loop while waiting for the train to clear the section in front will be a strong memory for anyone who visited the line in this era. The basis of my Class 24s was the Bachmann model but some quite significant adjustments were required to convert them into the headcode box variant that normally operated on the line. I did not tackle the cab inadequacies as I found that the insertion of a headcode box lessened the impact of this but the recesses for the tablet exchange equipment and covers for a number of openings on the body were all required. A lot of work around the fuel and water tanks was necessary, along with improvements to the bogies, bufferbeams, fan grilles and cab detail. Less work was carried out on the Heljan Class 26s but an enlargement of the central cab window does pay dividends. All of the locos have received replacement windows in the form of Shawplan’s Laserglaze and have been weathered. Inverness tended to look after its stock better than many depots of the time, so the
weathering is not generally heavy but it is necessary to get grime in the areas where it cannot easily be removed. The roofs in particular received attention as the automatic washers could not reach these. Many of the locos carried miniature snowploughs all year round, so a number of the layout’s fleet are so fitted. Compromises in the detailing of the locos have been made but what I have described above does not take more than a few evenings and, with care, a full repaint is not required. The transformation in the believability of these models that these changes can bring makes them well worthwhile. The majority of the coaching stock is Bachmann Mk.1s, again with a few limited changes, such as coach end detailing and the provision of occupants to the interiors. Even with a line facing the threat of closure, there were still passengers and too many model layouts seem to forget this. Initially, I relied on quite a lot of ready-to-run freight stock but these are gradually getting replaced with kit built examples. The kits produced by Parkside Dundas and Cambrian are of a higher fidelity and enable subtle differences to be introduced between apparently similar vehicles. Most of the freight on the
Illustrating the multi-level approach to the layout’s design, No. 5336 accelerates away from a lengthy station stop with a Kyle-bound passenger service. All of the locos are fitted with DCC sound decoders, these being deliberately sourced from different suppliers to give subtle variations in their tones. The volume on these has been reduced so that they give a realistic impression of a train from 100-200ft away - equivalent to the scale distance a viewer will stand from the layout.
line was transported in short-wheelbase vans to a mixture of different designs, so the use of kits helps introduce this variety. I did not generally find it necessary to introduce any compensation or springing to the coaching stock or locomotives, even though both my trackwork and baseboards are not as good as they should be! I have only found that it is required on long four-wheeled stock, such as Covered Carriage Trucks or the longer designs of brake van. On some occasions, I have rebuilt or replaced the chassis entirely while others have made use of Bill Bedford’s sprung W-irons. I have used springing throughout on my kit built stock, largely because it is easier to do so than to try and build a truly flat chassis. I did find, however, that it was necessary to add a little weight to all vehicles and also to the coach bogies to achieve good running. I also had to take care to ensure that the bogies of the Bachmann coaches or their floors were not over tightened as it leads to running issues with the bearings; this was a source of considerable problems until the issue was identified. So that is the story of Portchullin, an imaginary station but very much based on real examples found on the line. I hope it will ‘feel’ like the former Highland Railway’s route to the west coast of Scotland and that many of you can recognise some of your youth in it.
Prominent among the buildings that justify the existence of Portchullin station is the local bed and breakfast hotel, no doubt a popular haunt for walkers visiting the stunning surroundings.
Modeller Yearbook RAIL EXPRESS 17
Refurbished Class 37s for Calcutta Requiring a number of English Electric Type 3s for his Burtonupon-Trent set layout Calcutta Sidings, Phil Eames describes a series of improvements for the 4mm scale Bachmann Class 37. As well as tackling a Class 37/5, the work required to produce a ‘Heavyweight’ is also described.
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URING the 1989 to 1991 period that my layout Calcutta Sidings is set, there was a shortage of motive power due to the late delivery of the new Class 60s. To fill this gap, Class 37s were the motive power for just about every steel service on the north east-south west route. From photographic evidence, the 6V67 Tees YardCardiff Tidal and 6E88 return were rostered for a Cardiff Canton-based Metals sub-sector Class 37/7, or ‘Heavyweight’ as they were otherwise known on account of their additional ballast weights. I only ever managed to photograph a late running service once as they normally passed through my
D
area under the cover of darkness. On that one occasion, the loco was No. 37886 so that was the one I planned to model. Looking around for which Bachmann bodyshell to use as a basis with the right combination of nose and cantrail grilles, the choice was either the Rail Express models of Nos. 37670 or 37884 or Kernow Model Rail Centre’s EWS-liveried version of No. 37670. All of these were limited editions and had been issued some time previously, so were no longer readily available. It was at this point that I was helped, not so much by my Fairy Godmother, more by the Hairy Godfather,
1
1 The first job is to strip the two locos down to bare bodyshells with all components removed.
who secured me a model of No. 37670. Now I had my starting point for this loco. However, I find that if you are working on one model, you might as well do two, as the tools are out and the airbrush is primed. So my thoughts turned to what loco would accompany No. 37886 through the workshop. Looking through my photograph collection, No. 37509 was a regular performer on any number of steel workings emanating from Tees Yard. The Bachmann model of No. 37506 had just been released which could be used as a basis, so that was the second loco decided upon. That was the 5% inspiration sorted out, time for the 95% perspiration.
Busy fiTTing WindoWs
The first job was to remove the relevant detail from the bodyshells. The nose ends were taken off by carefully removing the four pips of plastic on the inside that hold them in place. There can also be a bond between the nose and the body where the yellow paint has seeped through, which can be broken by gently twisting the body back and forth in a torsional manner. It was found that the windows came out quite easily from No. 37506, but were more reluctant to part company on the older model. The radiator mouldings popped out on both models while the roof
grilles were junked and the air horns on No. 37670 pushed out from underneath with a sharp scalpel. Finally, the windscreen wipers were removed by first scraping away any surplus glue from the underside, then pressing on the exposed plastic with a compass point to push them out. Put these, along with the horns, in a very safe place. The resultant stripped down bodies (Picture 1) are now ready to be worked on. The next task was to fit the Extreme Etchings replacement windscreen surrounds, which are 0.4mm thick. To accommodate this, the same amount of material has to be removed from each cab front. â?ą
The Bachmann 4mm scale Class 37 model (well, the retooled body version anyway) is the best starting point to produce a good representation of the English Electric Type 3s. While a large number of versions have been produced, not all of the grille, bodyside and roof combinations have appeared as yet, necessitating surgery in some instances to get the right type.
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2
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2 The template for filing the outside of the cab windows in place. Note it must be flush to the window and the same length as the bonnet.
This is easier said than done due to the thrupenny bit shape of the fronts. To help with the filing, I made two small templates from plasticard. The one shown in Picture 2 is for the outside of the window frame while the other was made to match the central window pillar. As long as the angle of the template is flush against the cab windows and the other end meets the nose front, the dimensions are not important. The object of the templates is to ensure that the angle of the cab front remains the same during the filing process. It is also an easy way to check against the nose front that 0.4mm has been removed. I started by filing away the centre section of the cab front using a 6in file. When I was happy with the results, attention then turned to the sides. This will take the thrupenny bit ‘angles’ back to the centre of the window frames. Supplement the 6in file with a needle file where appropriate as well. Additionally, carve away the ‘ledge’ at the foot of the windscreen with a scalpel to ensure the template is flush. I found that being relaxed and taking my time paid dividends here. This is something that is not always possible with an exhibition deadline looming! When all the filing had been done, the next job was to trim back the window surrounds on the bodyshell. This makes it easier to fit the Extreme Etchings replacements later on. At the same time, the rivet detail was removed around the roof grille to facilitate the fitting of the new etched version. A Swann Morton No.10 blade was used to gently scrape away the detail (Picture 3).
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20 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller Yearbook
ON THe ROOf
3 With the windscreen frames filed back, the central window pillars can be cut away and the rivets removed from around the roof grille.
I was reliably informed that every Class 37 that was refurbished had the plate over the boiler port removed. Conversely, every model of a refurbished Class 37 has this cover moulded on. It was easy enough to scrape away the cover on No. 37886 with the aforementioned No.10 blade but on No. 37506, the strip of rivets in this area proved a hindrance. After some thought, I marked a line with the scalpel where the raised rivet strip should go and gently carved back to this line. While this loses some of the rivet detail (Picture 4), its reinstatement would be tackled later. Having removed the detail from the bodyshell, next came the time to start putting things back on. It
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is worth noting here that I was armed with numerous photographs found on photo hosting websites; these are essential due to the number of variations that exist within the English Electric design. To convert No. 37670 to a Class 37/7, the bodyside window next to the engine room access door needed to be filled in on both sides as did the adjacent hand and step holes, Milliput being employed for this. No. 37509 was very unusual in that a few of its cantrail grilles were plated over on both sides, the relevant ones being filled with Milliput again. Also, with it being a Robert Stephenson and Hawthorn-built loco, the additional strengthening bars on the remaining cantrail grilles needed to be added. This was achieved by applying 20 x 10 thou 4 Removing the boiler port blanking plate is a tricky proposition on Class 37s with riveted roof straps. Inevitably some of the moulded rivet detail will be lost as can be seen between the filing marks.
5 To become No. 37509, the grey body displays the filled in cantrail grilles and additional RSH bracing strips on those that remain. Meanwhile, the red bodyshell is in the process of conversion to a Class 37/7 with filled in bodyside window and steps.