I am pleased to advise that the Astolat Model Railway Circle exhibition on Sunday 16th January is GOING AHEAD which makes a welcome change at a time that has seen many shows cancelled. I look forward to attending this pleasant show with Canute Road Quay. Please come along, say hello and support the Astolat MRC.
See Canute Road Quay at the Astolat Guildford show on Sunday 16th January
Doors open at 10:00 am and close at 5:00pm. Entry prices are £6.00 for Adult, £3.00 for Child (under 14) and £12.00 for family (2 + 2).
Important Covid Advisory Information. In light of the latest government guidelines all adult visitors to the January exhibition will sensibly be required to wear masks and will require evidence of at least double vaccination or proof of a recent negative Lateral Flow Test to gain entry to the Surrey Sports Park buildings.
The daffodils are in bloom this Easter as LSWR B4 ‘Guernsey’ in early Southampton Docks lined green livery shunts at Canute Road Quay.
May the angels protect you, may the sadness forget you, may goodness surround you and may your God always bless you. The budding trees, the new flowers, and birds that sing, whisper to me that it’s Easter, and that the supermarkets full of chocolate of all shapes (many irrelevant), sizes and special offers!
Here is wishing a warmth in the firebox of your soul on Easter & always!
This weekend at the second Gauge 0 Guild Virtual exhibition, Dapol announced that they are to produce an 0 Gauge version of the ex LSWR/SR/BR 0-4-0 Dock tank, These follow from their well received 00 gauge range, you can read my review here.
The B4 Class were produced in 3 batches (all overall classed as B4) commencing in 1891 as follows:B4 batch numbers 85 to 94D6, batch, finished in 1892, numbers 81, 95 to 100, 102, 103, 76, K14 batch, built 1907, numbers 82-4, 746/7 (later renumbered 101, 147).
Each batch had detail differences between them especially the last batch of 5 which had Drummond style boilers rather than Adams style, other detail differences included open / closed cab, cab roof profile (K14 batch) and buffers (appears to vary over lifetime).
Dapol have are initially producing six models in the first production batch:
7S-018-001 – L & SWR B4 0-4-0T “NORMANDY” – As Preserved – Open Cab
7S-018-002 – L & SWR B4 0-4-0T “CAEN” Southampton Docks lined brown 90
7S-018-003 – B4 0-4-0T SOUTHERN Black 88
7S-018-004 – B4 0-4-0T (Drummond Boiler) BR Early Emblem 30084
7S-018-005 – B4 0-4-0T BR Late Crest 30096
7S-018-006 – L & SWR B4 0-4-0T Lined Green 91
Normandy in preservation has an open cab whilst 88 and 90 both had closed cabs. 30096 before preservation in BR days had a closed cab that differs from 88 and 90 as it was modified from an open cab at the start of the war. 30084 being part of the later K14 batch originally had a Drummond boiler with dome mounted safety valves and a Drummond style chimney rather than the Adams stove pipe.
Dapol advise that the tooling will allow for four cab types, two different boilers, two forms of chimney as well as other prototypical features catered for such as water injectors and buffers. Hopefully but yet to be confirmed the 0 Gauge versions might also include, features missing / needing improvement: such as the tool box positions, extended lower middle lamp iron from the base of the smokebox and correct some of the cab sheets details, although again this might required more that four cab variants.
The specification includes:
Slide in PCB – With space for 2 x sugar cube speakers and a 21 pin decoder socket
Removable cab roof held in place with magnets to allow easy crew insertion
Highly detailed cab interior with fire box glow
High torque five pole skew wound motor driving the rear wheels
Fully compensated die-cast chassis to give excellent running capabilities
All wheel pick up
DCC Ready, DCC Fitted and DCC Sound Fitted models available
The P Class No.1558 from Hattons shunts at the quay
The T Class No. 1604 0-6-0T simmers in the background
The P class and T class meet on the Quay and shows the diminutive size of the P class
The LCDR T Class arrives as the quay.
The SER 0-40CT No. 1302 waits its next duty
The P class No. 1558 is about to depart
A busy moment at the quay
Although my usual modelling genre, as regular readers will know, is the Southern Railway between 1946 and 1949, however due to Canute Road Quay has very few visual references to either period or location (yes there are a couple, but hey…) It therefore allows me to change the location and era with different rolling stock, vehicles and details.
For this post we have stayed at Canute Road Quay‘s usual time frame but moved its location slightly. Having deliberately when building Canute Road Quay left the vehicles and other details such as crates, sack stacks and oil drums etc. loose, it enables them to be both be moved around, to give some variety in photographs, and or replaced with other items to different periods.
In this case Canute Road Quay‘s has been transported further to the South East, perhaps through squinted eyes it could on the Medway at Rochester, or or the Channel coast at Richborough Port or Newhaven Harbour perhaps…
The steam locomotives include the Hattons ex SECR P class 0-6-0T, an ex London, Chatham and Dover Railway Kirtey T Class 0-6-0T and even my South Eastern Railway 0-4-0CT crane tank makes an appearance.
The T class 0-6-0T were a class of ten locomotives introduced by the LC&DR (prior to the formation of the South, Eastern and Chatham Railway in 1899) between 1879 and 1893 specifically for shunting duties, with appropriately one of the class being initially used at Dover Docks. Although withdraws started in 1932 two of the class 1602 and 1604 (as my model) lasted until July 1951 and November 1950 respectively. My model is white metal and built from a Q Kit.
The SER 0-4-0CT crane tank number 1302 as per my model, was one of two built for the SER by Neilson in 1881. Like the T class she had worked at Dover Docks and also Richborough although she saw out most of her life at Lancing and Stewarts Lane. She was withdrawn in July 1949 and scrapped at Ashford. My model is built from a South Eastern Finecast white metal kit.
I hope you enjoy this post, the next ‘Making Quay Changes’ post with Canute Road Quay may or may not be set in its usual location, so once again, where and what era will it be…?
The first five members of the London Brighton and South Coast Railway (LBSC) E2 class 0-6-0 tanks were introduced by L Billinton in June 1913. In service they were found to be powerful but slightly lacking in water and therefore a further batch of 5 were ordered, although delayed by the war, and built between June 1915 and October 1916 with extended side tanks, These extended tanks increased water capacity from 1,090 to 1,256 gallons.
They were used on shunting and short distance goods trips, their small capacity coal bunkers made them unsuitable for longer trips. They were also used on empty stock workings at Victoria and London Bridge.
E2 No. 2104 shunts at the Quay
Work in progress front 3/4 view
Work in Progress rear 3/4 view
The bulk of the E2 can be seen in comparison with the B4 class. The body is yet to be lowered on the chassis slightly.
The later style chassis with added guard irons and sandboxes. The front fixing lugs are yet to be filed smaller to lower the body (The rear lug is likewise reduced)
The front 3/4 view RH side
the RH Side 3/4 view, she awaits some weathering now
Further shunting at the Quay
Following the onset of electrification a number were used as shunters at Southampton Docks and despite their 16ft wheelbase restricting their use in some areas of the docks they stayed working the docks until 1962 when the Class 07 diesels arrived.
Withdrawal of took place between 1961 and 1963.
The Hornby model of the E2 0-6-0 first appeared in 1979 and following 4 versions, LBSC Umber (2 versions) , SR lined Black and SR olive green, production ceased in 1984. After which the tooling was altered used for the production of some other blue model… dam I wasn’t going to mention that…
Many years ago in my yoof I simply repainted into SR ‘Sunshine’ black, now with Canute Road Quay being an ideal setting for an E2 I decided to dig the E2 out again and give her a quick win makeover, so finescale modellers look away now…
The original chassis was the standard at the time Hornby generic 0-6-0 X04 motor fitted chassis. As this is a quick win project I have decided to not at this stage built a new chassis but simply swap it for the later style of Hornby 0-6-0 generic chassis with its closed frames and smaller motor and slightly greater level of detail. This later chassis is a direct replacement and also gives better running.
To this chassis I have added front sandboxes, made from plastic rectangular section and filed to shape with wire sand pipes, and added front and rear guard irons from plasticard.
The body itself generally matches the correct dimensions for the E2 which was certainly one of the larger 0-6-0 tanks. I have added new brass buffers, pipework, clack valves and lamp irons from various bits and bobs kicking around from the spares / scrap box.
In keeping with the Brighton Style, dating from when the water in the tanks was pre heated, the tank sides were clad and the fixing bolts for the cladding were a visible feature and the E2 was no different. To represent these visible fixings I drilled then glued in 0.45mm wire before cutting the wire almost flush with the tankside.
Just underneath the running plate I have added the long horizontal air tanks on each side, made from plastic rod and some of the piping from brass wire.
The E2 is a large tank when compared to other tanks such as the B4 class, however the body as new does sit slightly too high on the chassis, and this is simply remedied by filing the underside of the front two fixing lugs and also the underside of the single rear sprung lug.
After a dusting with primer from a Halfords aerosol can she received a coat of Halfords Satin Black again from a rattle can before the smokebox and cab roof were brush painted matt black and the bufferbeam of course in red. Her identity as 2104 was added using HMRS Pressfix transfers to complete the look.
I admit she would benefit from a proper finescale chassis, but as a quick win project I think it fits the bill and will extend the life of the Hornby model seeing occasional use on canute Road Quay. A nice 3D print of the E2 with the extended tanks is available and so this might form the basis of a future project…
This is the fifth in the series of ‘Making Quay Changes’ posts with the Canute Road Quay being transported to either a different location or era or both. In this post we are firmly in the Southampton Docks but after 1962 when the Class 07 diesels were specifically introduced to modernise the operations in the docks.
A pair of Heljan Class 07 models meet at Canute Road Quay
Class 07 D2985 arrives at the quay
D2988 is from the second Heljan production batch
Passing Class 07s at Canute Road quay
A busy moment in time at Canute Road Quay
D2985 arrives on the quay and passes D2988 awaiting to depart
D2985 arrives at the quay
Although my usual modelling genre, as regular readers will know, is the
Southern Railway between 1946 and 1949, however due to Canute Road Quay has very few visual references to either period or location (yes there are a couple, but hey…) items such as the vehicles and other details such as crates, sack stacks and oil drums etc. are loose, so it enables them to be both be moved around, to give some variety in photographs, and or replaced with other items to different periods.
The USA 0-6-0 tanks had been in service within Southampton Docks since 1946, Due to the various tight curves within Southampton Docks utilising existing Diesel shunters such as the EE 350HP, later 09 class was not going to be an option. Therefore in 1962 Fourteen 0-6-0 diesel-electric shunting 275HP locomotives specifically for use in Southampton Docks were purchased by British Railways from Ruston Paxman. They had a wheelbase of only 8 ft 7½ in, compared with 11 ft 6 in for an 08. With their high well glazed cab offset between long and short bonnets they certainly had their own distinctive character.
The Heljan models, as per my review here, have captured the look of the prototype well. The feature a multi part injection moulded body with fine etched front and rear nose grills on a heavy diecast chassis. Separately fitted items include: metal handrails, sprung buffers, windscreen wipers, pipework, roof mounted air horns and factory fitted screw link couplings. Underneath the body the chassis features the correct air cylinders, sand boxes, sand pipes, other pipework and brake gear. Also fitted is a working lubricator linkage on the left hand side (when viewed long bonnet forward. Included with the model are discs, including those with duty numbers, as used within Southampton Docks.
When paired with the suitable later era rolling stock, that I have now collected and weathered, the Heljan Class 07s certainly look the part and with their smooth running make shunting at Canute Road Quay easy and a refreshing change from my usual period.
I hope you enjoy this post, the next ‘Making Quay Changes’ post with Canute Road Quay may or may not be set in its usual location, so once again, where and what era will it be…?
Passing Peckets a modified Hornby W4 0-4-0t passes a B2 0-6-0t renamed as ‘O.S.V.Bullied’
A Hornby B2 0-6-0t ‘Leader’ shunts at the quay
a modified Hattons Andrew Barclay 14″ 0-6-0t simmers
Peckett B4 0-6-0t ‘O.V.S. Bullied’ crosses towards the quayside
A pair of Hornby Sentinels pass each other with ‘Cattewater’ passing ‘Graham’
‘Cattewater’ stays on brand shunting an oil tank wagon
the outside cranked ‘Graham’ is on loan from the Oxfordshire Ironstone Co.
ex Class 05 now No.2 pauses at the crossing
Although my usual modelling genre, as regular readers will know, is the Southern Railway between 1946 and 1949, however due to Canute Road Quay has very few visual references to either period or location (yes there are a couple, but hey…) Having deliberately when building Canute Road Quay left the vehicles and other details such as crates, sack stacks and oil drums etc. loose, it enables them to be both be moved around, to give some variety in photographs, and or replaced with other items to different periods.
In this case Canute Road Quay‘s is off the British Railways network and could be any private quayside / wharf. In and around Southampton alone there were a myriad of rail served private docks and wharves including inner and outer docks and those along the River Itchen such as Dibles Wharf, Notham, Britannia and Victoria wharf, many of which had their own locomotives.
In this case we see a number of locomotives privately operated ranging from steam locomotives to diesel shunters sharing duties around the quay.
The steam locomotives include the the Hornby W4 0-4-0t and B2 0-6-0t Pecketts, and the Hatton’s Andrew Barclay 14″ 0-6-0t both of which I have modified for use on Canute Road Quay. As per my Workbench Witterings #3 post they have been fitted with the use of dumb, usually basic wooden blocks, buffers so often seen at such locations. They remained in surface well into the 1960s and in some cases beyond. My B2 Pecketts have had their identities changed to be ‘O.V.S. Bullied’ and ‘Leader’ (spot the theme…), nameplates obtained from my friends at 247 Developments, and weathered.
The early 1960s saw the introduction of a number of diesel shunters such as the 34 ton chain drive 4 wheel Rolls-Royce diesel powered Sentinel shunter rated at 233hp and the later 325hp, 38 ton style with outside cranks.
The Hornby Esso 4wDM version was introduced in 1963 and was for use in the Esso Bitumen works at Cattewater, hence its name, in Plymouth
‘Graham’ (Hornby must have been tempting me to purchase this one on purpose!) was delivered new to the Oxfordshire Ironstone company as Locomotive No.10207 in May 1965 and was fitted with vacuum braking and a higher ratio gearbox for mainline working, so is obviously on loan to the quayside.
The Hornby models have been modified slightly with the lifting eyes at each end having their holes drilled out, the wasp stripes on ‘Cattewater’ continued on the side of the bufferbeam as per the prototype and also weathered.
Moving towards the late 1960s saw some of the myriad of early BR shunter types being withdrawn and some entering industrial service such as the ex Class 05. This Heljan example is modelled on the second batch built by Hunslet Engine Company of Leeds and built in 1961 numbered D2574 to D2618, had a higher roof line, smaller wheels (3’4″ instead of 3’9″) deeper buffers with oval heads than the first batch built in 1955. D2578 was sold to HP Bulmers in 1968 and is now preserved, but seen here working at the quay.
I hope you enjoy this post, the next ‘Making Quay Changes’ post with Canute Road Quay the next such post will be be set in its usual location, but what era will it be…?
This is the third in a series of ‘Making Quay Changes’ posts with the Canute Road Quay being transported to either a different location or era or both. It follows my Making Quay Changes #1 post moving the scene Eastwards, and then back to Southampton with my Making Quay Changes #2 post but in the 1950s. In this post we remain in the Southampton Docks but in the 1920s heading into the 1930s.
Canute Road Quay in mid 1920s ‘Guernsey’ passes ‘Caen’ showing the two Southampton Docks liveries
‘Caen’ passes ‘Trueville’ both heading into the 1930s
Shunting continues on Canute Road Quay
No.88 in early SR livery visits the Docks shed as ‘Guernsey’ shunts
Although my usual modelling genre, as regular readers will know, is the Southern Railway between 1946 and 1949, however due to Canute Road Quay has very few visual references to either period or location (yes there are a couple, but hey…) It therefore allows me to change the location and era with different rolling stock, vehicles and details.
In this case we have stayed at Canute Road Quay‘s intended setting but time travelled to a time between the wars moving from the roaring 1920s to the uncertain 1930s with the prospect of peace being unsettled and ruining the phrase “the war to end all wars”
Having deliberately when building Canute Road Quay left the vehicles and other details such as crates, sack stacks and oil drums etc. loose, it enables them to be both be moved around, to give some variety in photographs, and or replaced with other items to different periods.
In this case we still see the lovely range of Dapol B4 class 0-4-0 tanks bringing a splash of colour to the scene with the early Southampton Docks lined green livery being replaced during the 1920s with the possibly more familiar lined brown livery that was maintained until the B4 tanks were replaced at the Docks by the USA tanks after the second world war. We also see in this period colourful private owner wagons (before they were nationally pooled and unkempt during WW2).
I hope you enjoy this post, the next ‘Making Quay Changes’ post with Canute Road Quay may or may not be set in its usual location, so where and what era will it be…?
Following on from my recent Talking Stock #38 The Adams B4 tanks post that included a brief history of the prototype and also a review of the recent range of Dapol ready to run models, I have added a few of these to my fleet for Canute Road Quay and therefore renamed and numbered to suit my preferred modelling period.
In all these instances I have not repainted the original model but used my time served method of a good quality enamel thinners applied to the original model printing and then after a soak of around 5 minutes or so rubbing off with a thinners soaked cotton bud. This does leave a shiny finish where the rubbing has been carried, but this is a good surface to apply fresh decals to.
I then leave the model to fully dry in a ventilated area for a day or so to ensure that no traces of the thinners remain. I then applied new decals from a number of sources depending on the model being created.
No. 82 has been repainted from no. 30084 Note the tool boxes have also been relocated to the slightly further forward position as per No.82
No. 89 Trueville
No. 96 ‘Normandy’, repainted into post war condition
For standard Southern Railway post war lettering I use Pressfix transfers from the HMRS Southern Bulleid Sheet 10 as per my backdating of No 30084 to No. 82. Note also that for this identity change I also relocated the tank top tool boxes slightly further forward as per No.82 in real life.
For ‘Trueville’ that utilised No. 90 ‘Caen’ as the base model in Southampton Docks lined brown livery. I used modified Pressfix SR coach lettering, to form all the required letters that I applied individually, also from the HMRS Bulleid sheet 10.
When Normandy left the docks in 1946 she was repainted in to post war black livery at Eastleigh and instead of regaining her number 96, she retained her name but it was applied in Bulleid post war ‘Sunshine’ style. This was obtained from Cambridge Custom Transfers via friend and excellent modeller Matt Wickham. I used the BR version of 30096 as the basis for this backdating.
Once the decals have been applied I spray with Railmatch Satin varnish from a rattle can to both seal the decals and restore a consistent finish, I then like to brush paint the smokebox, chimney, cab roof and cylinders matt black prior to weathering etc.
For those wanting to renumber BR versions, or simply wnating to enhance the fact that Dapol only print the smokebox door number plate directly onto the door with no representation of the number plate, etched plates for all members of the class are available from 247 Developments run by friend and fellow modeller Brian Mosby.
Due to the expansion of the many small yards and docks the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) required a number of small tank locomotives. First introduced by Adams in 1891 the B4 class of 0-4-0 tanks comprised initially of two batches of ten built at Nine Elms works and the first ten were completed by 1892.
No. 88 of the first batch of 10 B4s in early SR lined livery
When compared with other 0-4-0t of the time the B4 class, were quite large in comparison. Even with their enclosed slightly cramped footplate, limited coal space; were powerful and so became popular with their crews. This first batch entered service across the LSWR network and were numbered 85 to 94
Guernsey’ as first introduced in 1893 in original lined green livery and cutaway cab
No. 96 ‘Normandy’, repainted into post war condition. Note cab differences
No. 90 ‘Caen’ in Docks lined brown livery.
The LSWR absorbed the Southampton Dock Company in November 1892 and it soon became clear that more powerful shunting locomotives would be required after a trial with one of the first batch of B4s, the first two of the second batch of ten were assigned to the Docks. In keeping with the existing Docks engines they were constructed with cut away cabs with a single central circular window, and carried names ‘Guernsey’ and ‘Jersey’ rather than numbers (later 176 and 81 respectively) and arrived, painted in a lined green livery, in the ‘Docks in November 1983. Of the remaining second batch numbers 95 to 100, 102 & 103, two more were built with the cut away cabs for the Docks becoming ‘Normandy’ (96) and ‘Brittany’ (97).
Between February and April 1896 a further four B4s were transferred to the docks and therefore also modified with cutaway cabs and names these were No.86 ‘Havre’, 93 ‘St Malo’, 95 ‘Honfleur’ and 102 ‘Granville’
Four more B4s made their way to docks, retaining their enclosed cabs: No. 85 becoming ‘Alderney’ and 98 ‘Cherbourg’ in April 1900 along with No.89 ‘Trouville’ and 90 ‘Caen in March 1901.
The livery of the B4s within the Docks changed during the 1920s from the in essence LSWR green livery to that of Brown with red lining and this remained as such, even post Grouping, until they left the Docks in 1946 where they gained standard Southern Railway livery of the time as per their non dock counterparts.
One of the Drummond K14 class later to be reclassified B4 class note the cab roof profile and dome mounted safety valves
During 1908 a further five shunting engines were introduced by Drummond, seventeen years after the first Adams B4s, there were initially classed as K14s but were essentially B4s with Drummond style boilers (identifiable by dome mounted safety valves) , chimneys and a slightly different cab roof profile. The first two were sent to Southampton Docks and named ‘Dinard (147) and ‘Dinan’ (101). The rest were numbered 82 to 84. they were soon reclassified as members of the B4 class.
No.89 Trueville Note the linseed filtrator behind the dome
During their lifetime a few changes were made such as those in the Docks being fitted with a linseed filtrator that was mounted on the boiler to counter issues with the use of the sources of water used at the docks between 1901 and the early 1940s.
During the 1920s those cutaway cabs had the drivers side front sheet filled in and also acquiring side sheets of various homemade designs. Proper metal front and side sheets were eventually fitted to all for blackout purposes during the war.
The Adams and Drummond boilers were interchangeable and therefore during their life time some Adams built versions carried Drummond boilers and visa-versa, it is therefore important to refer to records and or photographs when considering a chosen prototype and period.
I also note that on the BR livery version the smokebox door number plate is unusually completely a transfer rather printing on a moulded or an etched plate (although this may possibly be an advantage to those like me that are repainting into an earlier livery).Etched plates for all members of the class are available from 247 Developments run by friend and fellow modeller Brian Mosby.
Electrical Pick ups are, as you would expect and indeed necessary, wipers on all the rear of four wheels with an open slew wound five pole motor (rather than now more common can motors) driving the rear axle via a flywheel and gear tower. The front axle being sprung.
It also features a firebox glow which is quite dim, especially at low speeds on DC but might appear consistently brighter on DCC. No separate items are supplied for the owner to fit, with the exception of a unique very wide replacement tension lock coupling bar.
It should also be noted that of the seven Dapol models I have purchased two were dead on arrival (due to a misassembled bearing and a broken cylinder mounting bracket) that I fixed myself, and on Guernsey the cab rear panel was not seated properly leaving one of the handrails loose, but easily rectified. No 87 has both rear sandboxes with pipes loose in the packaging so needed gluing in place.
Despite the above comments it is overall a good model, performs well and very much a welcome addition to the fleet for Canute Road Quay as seen in action below.
All images in this blog are copyright myself and or The Kernow Model Rail Centre / Chris Nevard / Mike Wild / Paul Bason / Andy York / Hornby Magazine / Model Rail / BRM Magazine (see links above) posted here with their kind express permission, unless otherwise credited.
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