Brazils in action

I've not been running much mainly due to work commitments, trying to get the Bowaters Model Range off the ground and generally not having a serviceable length of running line at home. However, I did manage to get to the local 16mm area group's steam up last month and since I'll be back tomorrow, its about time I got some shots of the 3 Brazil class locos in service with the SKLR stock. I've just had the 3rd and final coach arrive for my personal set so hopefully it won't be long until the full 3 coach train will see service behind the 3 sisters.

Hopefully tomorrow will see Leader, Excelsior and Millie all in use with the SKLR stock although how much each sees will vary depending on weather etc.

More Sittingbourne Stock arrives!

Following on from my last post, the remaining stock that's on order has arrived and been built. I'm just waiting on the final few headstocks before they're complete but its starting to grow into a very sizable rake of stock!

All in all, I'm very happy with how its all progressing although it now maybe some time before additional wagons/coaches arrive while I concentrate on other matters.

Cheers,

Jon

The Brazils have their own stock!

After some thinking, some designing and then some waiting for the bits to arrive, my 3 Sittingbourne Brazil class engines now have some appropriate rolling stock to pull. Based on the fact that the majority of the rolling stock that was used on the Bowaters system was based around the same design of wagon, I've been able to draw up one design of wagon and then convert into 5 different types of wagon and 3 different passenger coach designs. So far I've ordered (recieved) 2 (1) of the coaches and 5 (4) of the wagons. The eventual plan is to have about 8 of the wagons and 5 passenger Coaches although there may be more in time.

Hopefully I should be able to get some pictures of the complete goods train in the garden soon once the rest of the parts (mainly bogies and headstocks) arrive from various producers.

Cheers,

Jon

Brazil No.3 arrives

That's right, another Brazil Class has arrived. This time a Accucraft Excelsior. I got this one at a very good price from a friend who wanted to sell one of his three to fund another engine by Roundhouse. There was one main reason I wanted this particular engine. The cylinders are the originals that it left the factory with. The Excelsior, being Accucraft UK's first live steam engine, quickly gained a reputation for being not particularly powerful and amongst other things, having no super heater, a very loud burner and tiny cylinders. As such most of this type have been fitted with aftermarket larger cylinders which have sorted out most of the problems in the power department. The Excelsior I've brought, doesn't have them fitted. I already own two examples of the Accucraft Leader which is basically a seriously improved Excelsior with larger cylinders, improved burner and a super heater so I was looking for a example of the original design in as close to as built condition as possible to give me something completely different to run when it comes to power and train lengths.

I haven't had a chance to run Excelsior yet but hopefully it won't be too long until I can see what its like when running. Nameplates are on the way from the usual plate along with ones for Millie.

Check back shortly for something different......

Jon

Steaming though Febuary

Just a selection of images taken of Millie and Leader at work at a local 16mm steamup. Both showing some newly built rolling stock which will be covered in a future post.....

Until next time,

Jon

More Motive Power News

After a late night session to complete the paint work on Premier, Premier is now complete and Named. I tried the trim line and was seriously unimpressed. For something that's supposed to be self adhesive, its anything but after about 30 minutes. However, I did discover another use for it. The Masking tape I have is next to useless for painting engines as the paint normally seeps underneath the edges. However, Trim line normally holds for long enough to get a clean paint line when used instead of masking tape. Hence, Premier has been lined out using Yellow Paint by hand. From normal viewing differences, it looks OK. Up close, its not great but its something I'm happy to live with. In time, when I can afford a professional paint job, then it'll be repainted and look a lot better. That said, after the faff completing Premier to phase 2 standard, similar work on Leader has been postponed for the moment until such a time that either Leader or Premier can be sent away for a professional to line out.

Premier following detailing work. Nameplates and Builders Plates by Narrow Planet.

Leader, Premier and Millie (now with running in now in progress)

Until next time,

Jon

Motive Power News

After a short wait, Engine No.3 Millie has arrived!

As per the name (I do tend to name engines after thier class unless I have two of them like Leader and Premier), the engine is a Roundhouse Millie in Brunswick Green. Unlike Leader and Premier, Millie is 32mm only and can't be re-gauged reducing her route availability which is more than made up for by Leader and Premier.

Millie shown on the Railway shortly after delivery

The Steam Fleet all together

With the arrival of Millie, the pressure placed on Leader as the only serviceable engine has now been lifted allowing a program of improvements to begin. So far this has been limited to the refitting of its original Chopper Couplings (the reasons for this will be revealed at a later date), Nameplates, Builders Plates along with paintwork being applied in a similar style to Premier. Nameplates for Premier have arrived and have got parts on order to allow Premier to be returned to traffic once they arrive.

Leader after Phase 1 of detailing

With Leader now having similar levels of detailing to Premier (known as Phase 1), decisions have now been made to help mark each engine apart from each other apart from the different colours. The joys of both engines having real life counterparts means that its possible to detail both models accordingly. This has been called Phase 2 and affects both sister engines. Leader is being finished in the Livery (Since Autumn 2014 ish) that the real engine carries. While Premier is being finished in its 1970s livery which is similar to the one that Melior carries in service at the moment.

Leader in Service on the SKLR (Image from Twitter)

Melior shown on shed on the SKLR (Image from wikipedia commons)

Phase 2 should be being done using a mixture of Humbrol Acrylic Paints and Trimline lining tape. Having never used Trimline tape before, it should be a new experience to use it.

Hopefully, next time I should have some more news on the detailing work on Premier and Leader. And maybe something different to report on a rolling stock front.......

Jon

More track laying and changes

After some more thinking, I've put in at additional siding on the former mainline to give more space for stock storage during running sessions. It also means that trains don't have to run around the curve past the steaming up siding giving a choice of two routes in which to run into and run round/change engines. Also, the original section of the station boards is currently being cleaned up with a view to it being reinstalled at the far end of the line to again give somewhere to run round/change engines. That and the fact that removing all the track off the newer half was a pain in the arse to do so I'd rather not I though that again at least not for a while at least.

Until next time,

Job

Trains in the Garden

After a break of a few weeks, some trains have finally run on the Railway. Both Leader and Premier have seen running with Premier also running at a pair of other local railways which ended in failure at the second with a leaking boiler/failed water gauge glass. Its safe to say I'm not overly happy about that but after taking the engine apart and seeing the amount of Limescale pouring out, it seems like it would have happened sooner or later. However after fitting of the standard dumb buffers, vacuum pipes and a Summerlands Chuffer, when Premier was working , the engine was proving to be a very good runner.

However, with the arrival of a second Bowaters engine, having them both working trains of Welshpool and Llanfair Railway rolling stock does seem a bit weird (even though Sister engine Excelsior and Bowaters 0-6-2Ts Superior and Chevalier have all successfully operated on that line in Preservation) so I am thinking about designing some Sittingbourne and Kemsley Railway Rolling stock to run with them although what exactly is undecided.....

Another Kerr Stuart Brazil Class or a Kerr Stuart Barreto wouldn't go a miss but for now, I've got enough to maintain/keep going for now.

Cheers,

Jon