GWR/LMS OO Gauge DCC RR&Co

Some nice shots of Granby, John.    :cool:

Is this all happening with TC?

Seems like you had a chance to do some testing at last . Good stuff John ,thanks. :thumbs

[user=269]MaxSouthOz[/user] wrote:

Some nice shots of Granby, John.    :cool:

Is this all happening with TC?

Thanks Max……glad you like the photos.

Yes its all done with RR&Co…………its actually just a part of a dual operation involving a Milk Train on the other line……….the segment I described involves 12 schedules for the pilot and 5 for the main loco. :roll:

I need to do some more fine tuning then I might attempt another video

Cheers

John

[user=31]sparky[/user] wrote:

Seems like you had a chance to do some testing at last . Good stuff John ,thanks. :thumbs

Thanks Reg………doing it automatically with RR&Co involves a lot of testing believe me!

Glad you enjoyed the post….I always worry that these sequence descriptions can appear boring

Best wishes

John

Two longish posts in a week must be something of a record for me!

Here is the Parcels train having completed its van exchange steaming over Granby viaduct en route to Wolverhampton




I have a lengthy list of things which I would remedy if I ever started Granby IV (which I won't)  One of them is undoubtedly to plan for more photographic sight lines.

My apologies for yet more photos of trains on the viaduct……as Granby gets more built up this is about the only place where I can get something approaching a reasonable shot of a train.





One of my three elderly Siphons………they are such iconic GWR vans, its a mystery to me why they havent been updated and re-released. Having said that, there has been a marked absence of any GWR NPCS in the past five years……..a period in which we have seen CCTs for the other Big Three and PBVs for the  LMS and LNER….not sure about the SR. 

I wonder if Hornby burnt their fingers with the Hawksworths that appeared in GWR livery for a only very short time.
In fact, I understand that the Brake Van never appeared in GWR livery?




Whatever….needs must…..I added "Great [crest] Western"  and some weathering and it doesnt look too out of place in a 1948 parcels train.




Sorry about the white wall tyres on the SR van…….I suspect I only weathered one side :oops:. They are beautiful highly detailed models and like the prototype very useful.

The LMS Brake is one of four I bought from Hattons in the mid nineties at a knock down price because the window glazing had come loose…..great bargain


Talking of bargains:





This is one of the Hornby Halls you could pick up as recently as last year for 50 GBP!

Adderley Hall, out of the box…….Great Western on the tender and Hornbys unique green and fully lined

  I learned, a year ago, that lined Halls were as rare as hens teeth in 1947. I bit the bullet and repainted loco and tender with Precision paint. Renamed and renumbered to 4905 Barton Hall……shedded in the North West in 1948 and actually photograped with the Collett 3500 gallon tender. Thats about as close as you will get to authenticity on Granby! :lol:

The paint job could never be described as flawless… mind you  weathering hides a lot.

Applying the 3' rule, which I frequently do, 4905 is the perfect example of a layout loco……looks the part from 3', super reliable and happily hauls six car trains over my dodgy track.





I guess the new decals look a bit shiny

Looks very nice John. I like your repaint of the Hall, the green is much nicer than Hornby's green. The photo of the train going over the viaduct is great, the curve looks great.

Regards Connor

Very convincing John  ;-)

Brilliant Phil……thank you so much.
I really have to stop prevaricating and attempt to do that myself……….I have a feeling that's precisely what I wrote the last time you worked your magic on one of my photos……I think maybe I am just becoming idle!

Thank you for providing me with a new screen saver!

Kind regards

John

[user=211]CCGWR[/user] wrote:

Looks very nice John. I like your repaint of the Hall, the green is much nicer than Hornby's green. The photo of the train going over the viaduct is great, the curve looks great.

Regards Connor

Thanks Connor

It is by no means perfect but as a working layout loco I think it looks the part.

Never understood why Hornby persist with that Green.

Kind regards 

John 

A treat to look at, thanks John. :thumbs

Thanks Reg….glad you liked it. :lol:

Now for something completely different.

The subject of this post is far removed from lasts weeks elegant green 4-6-0 hauling a colourful rake of passenger rated parcel vans.

Epitomising the grit and grime of Granby:




The schoolboys at the end of platform 4 have every reason to be excited as they see for the first time on Granby an  LMS G2A 0-8-0






These 0-8-0 locos were produced by the LNWR to haul heavy mineral trains.First manufactured in the 1880s over 800 of the assorted sub classes were produced………400+- were handed over to BR on nationalisation and the last loco was withdrawn in 1964. 







I have admired this loco since the day it was first released……however LMS tends to take second place on Granby. Despite the attraction, it dropped into the "could have" list…….as opposed to must have (eg 43xx Mogul) or should have (47xx Night Owl)………and there it remained until a few months ago..

While discussing my new 72xx on another forum, someone reminded me of my liking for the G2A. Out of the blue Tony, an internet friend who had a surplus BR G2A made me an offer I couldnt refuse……. Reliveried, re numbered and weathered at a very attractive price.

Bearing in mind Tony lives in Queensland Australia its now a much traveled loco!



The weathering really enhances the superb detail on the model













I know very little about the LMS so when Tony asked me what number I  wanted I looked up the class in Wikipedia……..and the lead photo  shows 9376 at Crewe in 1948….problem solved.






I am only starting to weather my locos so to have an example like this in front of me is great. I think the overall effect is very impressive and far more subtle than I had realised………….by way of contrast there is a factory weathered 14xx in the foreground of the next shot.


So photo shoot over…….. 9376 continues on her way to Birkenhead Docks.




Apart from looking the part the loco also performs very well…….slow crawl, smooth steady acceleration and very powerful. The steel tubes  were a temporary assignment. Hopefully the next time you see her will be on a video hauling a long iron ore train.


Regards from Vancouver


John

Very nice too. I'd love to have your skills at layout building. That new loco really looks good with the weathering.

[user=1120]peterm[/user] wrote:

Very nice too. I'd love to have your skills at layout building. That new loco really looks good with the weathering.

Sorry for the late reply Pete.  You are very kind about the layout……..there are actually many, many defects……I only photo the good bits :lol:.  I could almost fill a book with the things I would do differently should I ever build Granby IV ……….which, sadly, is about as likely as me winning the lottery!

Its hardly surprising the loco weathering looks good……it was done in Oz! :lol:

Cheers

John 

No problem with late replies, there's life away from our trainsets.  ;-) Would that weathering have been done by Tony? I did have a try on an old Lima pannier tank body, but should really have another try. I get tied up in other things like playing, or should I say scratching the surface with electronics. Nothing like some of the blokes on here, but just enough to confuse meself.

I still think that's a nice layout, no matter how much you try to tell me it's not.  :thumbs

Yet another brewery update





The vents, gable windows and rooves (roofs if you prefer) are now on the main building and the roof is on the water tank




Malted barley is hauled to the top of the tower and milled…….the resultant grist is transferred to the main building and soaked in water that has been drawn from the tank and boiled……..hence the many vents.

This is more a progress report than a tutorial, so I havent taken a raft of stage photos……happy to answer any questions though





I think the next shot demonstrates why I only devote a few hours each week to this project  :roll:





Cutting each individual tile strip, inking the cut edge and keeping them in sequence (to preserve John Wiffen's skillful weathering) is only marginally more exciting than watching paint dry.

  On the right, the roof (without a window opening) will not be seen, so I just cut and pasted from the sheet. The roof above has the full mind-numbing strip treatment  

On balance I think its worth the effort




Still to do……the sack hoist on the Grist tower, a significant architectural feature (see below) and the fermentation plant on the RH side ….two bays, three storeys, gable roof.

As a reminder …..the model is based loosely (very loosely) on Hook Norton Brewery.





Hopefully there is some resemblance




Regards from Vancouver


John

[user=1120]peterm[/user] wrote:

No problem with late replies, there's life away from our trainsets.  ;-) Would that weathering have been done by Tony? I did have a try on an old Lima pannier tank body, but should really have another try. I get tied up in other things like playing, or should I say scratching the surface with electronics. Nothing like some of the blokes on here, but just enough to confuse meself.

I still think that's a nice layout, no matter how much you try to tell me it's not.  :thumbs

Hi Peter

You must have replied while I was doing my brewery bit!

Yes I got the Super D from Tony and he did a super job on the weathering.

Until early 2017 I had a mental block about weathering my expensive locos. No worries about buildings or rolling stock ….been weathering them for years…..but the grimy wagons and carriages continued to be hauled by pristine locos.

 I was persuaded to see the light (or dirt)….bought some weathering powders and have been steadily working my way through the fleet. I am nowhere near Tony's standard nevertheless it does make the layout look more of a piece and once the confidence builds I find it very satisfying.

Cheers

John

Coming on a treat, John  :thumbs


Ed

That brewery is looking really good.

I'll probably pluck up courage to have another go at weathering, but for now, only on something that doesn't matter too much, but, I have a friend…

Brave of you to take that on John.  What an excellent job you are making of it , go to the top of the class.