esngblog

From Irish narrow gauge to Southern coaches.  Here are a few of my early efforts.  Some of my first successful scratch built models were this SECR ‘Birdcage’ rake.  They never got lettered or lined, but weren’t bad at all.  Note the open drop-lights in places.  I could have done with a bit more detail on the underframes, and some of the beading is a bit rough.  Not quite as good as the Farish ‘N’ gauge versions will be, I’m sure, but a whole lot cheaper and a lot of fun to make.

Next a BSL Maunsell brake coach.  This was from a BSL kit (later Phoenix), with aluminium sides and cast ends, and a plastic roof.  This made up into a very nice model, that I am going to keep.  I was very proud (and probably still am) of the window frames in brown, masked on the body and added after the green base was painted on.  Not as much lining as the new Dapol version, but, hey, who’s worried, as I did it!

Next to it is an LSWR restaurant care, used on Southampton Boat Trains, I think.  Not appropriate for our little branch line, but I fancied building it.  It was all put together from Plastikard, and still looks OK, but I think didn’t come out as well as my Birdcages.

And finally two parcels vans.  The right hand one comes from the LCDR and is homebuilt from Plastikard.  I think I built this as there were not many windows to cut out, and it had a simple arc roof profile.  The left hand on is a ‘K’s kit of a GWR 40’ brake, and was one of the first plastic coach kits on the market.

And as a PS, here are some wagons.  A ‘Kenline’ printed card kit of an LBSCR van, an early Ratio plastic kit of the characteristic unequal planked Southern Railway van, and an Airfix BR cattle wagon.  These early Airfix kits look very good, even by today’s standards.

The second row is four Peco ‘Wonderful Wagons’.  Very innovative kits for their time, with a cast body for weight, plastic (nylon) underframes giving very free running, and an embossed cardboard body to stick over the cast on.  The end result lacked a little relief on the strapping, but was effective and a good way to add some colourful private owner wagons to your goods train.

Most modellers have what is generally known as a ‘gloat’ box – but mine must be worst than most.  I’ve been excavating some more, and have come up with all sorts of things.  A lot of them I’d forgotten completely.

I started with a couple of boxes that came out of my father’s shed.  This had all sorts of bits of brass and the like, brick paper and wire.  All stored in some antique shoe boxes.  One must have been nearly 50 years old, as I remember wearing ‘Tuf’ shoes at school.

I moved on to three boxes on top of my wardrobe.  I really didn’t know that I’d built that many ‘O’ gauge etched wagon kits – mainly horse boxes and other non-passenger coaching stock!  I did a lot of ‘O’ gauge modelling between 1984 and 1993, but packed it all away when we moved house and I lost my loft.  Modelling only came back on the scene in 1999 or so, when I joined ESNG and ventured into ‘N’ gauge.

But I did also find two RJH conversion kits for the Lima Class 33, to put proper bogies under them and detail the body with etched bits and pieces.  These date from 1989 and are not quite as refined as today’s etchings, but very much OK.  Why I have three Lima models and two conversion kits, I don’t know.  It could have been that I was going to ‘stretch’ two of the Lima models, that are a little short, using the third loco.  And I found the Class 47 High Level Models etched kit, dating from around that time.

And I’ll have plenty to build in future, when my eye-sight is defeated by ‘N’ gauge.  There’s a couple of part built and a couple of unbuilt etched parcels vans.  And for locos, there’s a nearly complete LSWR G6, a part made Terrier, and a Beattie Well Tank and 0330 saddle tank unmade.  Actually two 0330’s.  First a basic etched kit, then a rather more refined one with a resin saddle.  I’d forgotten about the latter two kits.

So I need to repack one or two boxes, and put a few things on the RMweb classifieds or perhaps Ebay.

And an update.  A club member wanted the Lima Class 33’s.  I put some other items on the RMweb classifieds, and have already sold one and got interest in another.

Not much progress on the modules since coming back from Hong Kong, but I decided it was time for a real turnout of my storage boxes of trains, dating back nearly 50 years.  It’s time to keep a few things, and dispose of a lot more! And of course, this job is full of surprises.  If you want three brand new Lima ‘O’ gauge Class 33’s in blue, please contact me – you can have them for a very, very keen price.

What on earth was I going to build when I acquired those models?  Perhaps it was when we first moved to Redhill in 1986, and there was plenty of trainspotting to do at Redhill station, with plenty of loco hauled goods (and even a few passenger) trains. I was thinking of ‘O’ gauge modern image (for modern image read 25 years ago).

Digging deeper into this particular gloat box, I came across a real surprise.  First, a rake of OON3 Irish wagons and coaches.  A few kits but mostly scratch built.

I recall (just) that I built most of the wagons during a couple of months in a rather poor hotel room in Semarang, Java, in 1990.  I think the coach, brake van and horse box were built a little earlier.  I had always wanted a model of the two Trailee & Dingle coaches since a plan appeared under the title of ‘Narrow Gauge Wanderers’ in a copy of the Model Railway News, sometime in the 1960’s.  When I got found to the model, it used the approach written up by David Jenkinson, with clip on ends and removable glazing.  I have to say, this model is probably as good as anything I’ve done since.

But digging into the box, there seems to be more – enough loco and railcar and coach kits for a complete OON3 layout!  All that lovely etched brass is crying out for a soldering iron.  Perhaps a diversion into narrow gauge is called for.

And this is only the start.  I’ll post some more pictures of my early modelling attempts over the next few weeks.  I am going to scrap some of these models, as they hold only limited sentimental value, but a few pictures will make a permanent record.