For our British friends, my MLS winter challenge will be turning a sow's ear Big Hauler into...

[vsmith]

This:

[:0]

Hopefully. Based on Victorian and Edwardian engine from the turn of the century. British "Profile" not necessarily "prototype" based but as close to engines of the era as I can get it. I dig the engines from this era, and have always wanted to model them but given the teethpulling to get whats on the market today I'll be kitbashing (or bodging) any like this if I want it. This is just a rough sketch to see how it might look, so far so good. It 's basicly a B'mann stripped down boiler , new sideplates and cab. I'll be using a older hauler without the valve gear. Now lets see what happens when the plastic chips start flying. [:p]

If this comes off half good, next summer a Stirling Single! [:)]

[John Busby]

Hi Vic
Tender is all wrong its too high and the wrong shape
the tender top should be about where the bottom of the cut off corner is very much a six wheeled version of the wild west style tenders
The red is too light it should be a dark rich red and the running boards black
front beam is too deep and should not have steps facing the front the UK buffer beams are only deep enough to take the buffers and draw gear
But inspite of all that not a bad effort for a concept sketch.
sugest you talk to the Brits on the forum and get some pictures the early British locomotives
really are worth taking the effort to capture the flavor properly
hope you got a steady hand for all that lining and you will not be able to get away without having a crew in the cab.
I believe Acucraft will be doing some IOMR might be worth waiting for those and see if they are any good then making the Loco to suit their size.
Sorry to be a pain in the you know where but I believe those early works of art are worth the effort to capture properly.
regards John

[vsmith]

Not a problem John, I appreciate the advice.[;)]

Its just a concept sketch, I already have a bunch of photos that I can use for the tender, the color is mostly for readablity. Someone sent me a pic of a GWR Star class that's pretty similar. I want to keep looking for similar prototypes then see how close I can get it. One thing that will definelty be unavoidable is the smaller drive wheel on the Bmann from the typical prototypes, that cant be avoided, but hey, if its a frieght engine ?

[John Busby]

if its a freight engine?
hi Vic
If its a freight or mixed traffic loco
any colour you like as long as it is black it will still need lining out and have similar features in common to the passanger engines
Buffer beams will still be red and thats all locomotives.
Oh dont forget UK loco's have a rather prominant vacum hose front and rear.
Another thing for goodness sake get the railway company markings right each railway in those days had very different locomotives sertain features where common to particular railways EG if it is anything other great western no copper capped chimney ect the GWR
also had a very destinctive brass safety valve cover.
regards John

[vsmith]

Oh I'm still going to give it a nice shiny paint job!

Color? Deep red for Ohhhh! factor or a deep blue perhaps?

Still a little confused over paint schemes though , after all, those trains on the Isle of Sobar are all different colors, not sure if that practice carried over to other lines. IOW were their maroon or blue engines on the GWR or the LMS? The only color references for the GWR Star class are all a deep green color.

[John Busby]

Hi Vic
Caladonian Railway Caledonian Blue
Southern Railway Green not sure what shade
London Northwestern railway Blackberry black
Great Westen Railway Green like your pictures avalable from hobby paint supliers
London Midland & Scotish Crimson Lake
Furness Railway Vermilion
London North Eastern Railway Apple Green Like the flying Scotsman[:D]
Highland Railway yet another shade of green
Metropolitan Railway Similar to LMS
London Brighton and South Coast Maunsells new improved green (Maunsell was collour blind) so its a sort of yellow ochere colour ( thats the polite version)[:D]
Midland Railway Midland Red
North Eastern Railway Apple Green ( close enough)
Great Central Railway Blue
Great North of Scotand Railway still yet onother different green
Thats the ones I can remember
Forget the LMS LNER and SR they where not around in the time frame you are interested
they came into being at the grouping in 1923
Give me an idea what colour you would like to paint it and I will try to match it to a known railway.
Or how about GN&SR the Great North and South Railway from The Railway Children
Get the book The Railway Children from the library in the childrens section I think that describes quite a nice loco livery for your train you need English style clerestory bogie coach
a brake third would be good its panneled stock they are plumb and white look quite nice and a wild west style coach fitted with UK buffers and drawgear have fun finding out how to scumball (spelling) it.
Thats making it look like varnished teak using paint thats how a lot of the teak coaches where done.
they where scumballed rather than actualy being varnished teak.
regards John

[vsmith]

Some pics of the prototypes I’ll use as a guideline, I have a line drawing of the Star prototype, it looks a like the Saint class, but outside of the smaller Big Hauler wheels they’re pretty close (close enough) to the BH. I plan to do everything on the boiler section so I can replace the drive section if I need to, also makes fabrication for others simpler.

Saint class


OO scale Star class

Well last night I sat down, Dremel tool in hand and cut off all the offending bits of my Big Hauler boiler. I took off the light mounts, sand and steam domes, generator mount, and all the rivets on the smoke box, also removed the smokebox door and all the holding bolts on it, I will reinstall it after I get it repainted. I have filled in the dome openings with styrene sheet material and modelers putty. Now I have to wait till the putty has dried and cured then its back at it with the Dremel, files, and sandpaper. Been taking pics, but will hold till I have finished sanding down the boiler. Then it's on to the cab, then the running boards.

[John Busby]

Hi Vic
Not another Gods Wonderfull Railway job Please!![:(]
Any way Humbrol do the the right green for it.
they also do the chocolate and cream for the coaches just do panneld coaches as panneld coaches the paint work looks better.
The Gauge 3 association may be able to help with decals they have a web site but not sure what it is.
Not the modern style chocolate to the waist cream band then chocolate stripe at the top above the windows looks yuk on a panneled coach the roof should be white with chocolate clerestory sides & coach ends chocolate, dont forget all the loverly polished brass bits.
The GWR stock always looked like it was the best in the world well the U.K at least[:D]
probably why it is so popular with modellers always looked good and lots of polished brass
not sure what to sugest for copper capped chimeny
For goodness sake get it right if you choose GWR
It is well known and the critics will crucify you if you get it wrong.trying to capture the flavor
regards John

[vsmith]

Hi John,

Yes, Gods Wonderfull Railway! and wouldnt you know it, no sooner than I start back on working on this than God looks down on me, and smilingly swats me on the [censored] and says, "Check your mailbox dumb-a$$, the CPH parts have finally arrived!" D'oh![:I]

So now after waiting 3 months the kit of parts for MLS's CP Huntington Masterclass project, they've arrived. Now I got to figure our how to do both these projects in the given time frame. [:D]

I want to have this lokie ready for the BTS next year as there will likely be a half dozen Huntingtons on display next year, and I want something unique to enter into the BTS model contest! [:o)]

Oh Well work on one till I'm sick of it, then then other and visa versa[;)]

the worst part is that I picked up a terrific book on british steam lokies and I now have 3 or 4 more that I REALLY want to try building!!! [:p]

ACK!! the Madness!!![}:)]

[John Busby]

Hi Vic
So many trains[:D] so little time[:(]
Check the Ian Allen listing of books they publish quite a lot of railway books on the GWR
Remember GWR in modeling terms means Get It right[:D]
If the worst comes to the worst you could always do a metropolitan railway Loco with open cab and full condencing gear now that would be different with its windowless coaches or slightly later ones
I'll shut up now or you will go and find another possable loco the you will blame me for it[}:)]
You dont have to be mad to like trains but it helps[swg]
regards John

[TrainFreak409]

Hey Vic!

I am greatly anticipating the results of this project! As a fan of British styled locomotives, I definately want to see this one! In my opinion, you are capturing the British flavor of the styling, while still being a freelancer. Will you be kitbashing/scratching appropriate rolling stock for it as well?

[vsmith]

Hi Scott

I havent got as far as rolling stock yet, likely modify LGB euro 2 axle into Brit profile, Passenger cars are another matter, no LGB cars come close.

Update
Been trying to sand down the body fill where I took off the domes, pain in the butt!

Its hard to get it smooth, correct and flat, oh well, thats why they call it PATIENCE I guess.

[John Busby]

Hi Vic
There where some US coaches in the UK you could probably use at least one Bachmann wild west coach fitted with UK draw gear.
you might have to scratch build the others.
regards John

[John Busby]

http://www.gauge3.co.uk/links.htm
Hi Vic
You may find the above link usefull for finding some parts like buffers,vacum hoses and screw couplings.
and possably other parts as well.
regards John

[vsmith]

Progress is slow but so far...






Currently trying to sand down putty infill at the domes. Its a Pain![:(!]

[Anonymous]

Vic, there's one LGB coach you could use on a UK model (sort of - depends on how much of a superscale hair-shirt type you are). Their latest Zillertalbahn 4-wheeler is clearly supposed to be one of a type of which a few full-size examples have been sold (or donated - not sure which) to the Welshpool and Llanfair line in Wales, so it could run behind their locos legitimately in model form. A good one to wind up the purists as you'd be able to bring out the photos to prove it!

http://www.wllr.org.uk/ is their website - the first coach behind the loco on the front page is the type I'm talking about.

[Anonymous]

Very good!