GWR and BR (WR) Models 12

 

This is a model of a former Liskard and Looe Railway 2-4-0T "Lady Margaret" - the original being built in 1902 by Andrew Barclay & Co. of Kilmarnock. Upon becoming GWR property in 1909, she was numbered 1308, but retained her name. Not originally carrying a top-feed boiler, this was fitted at Swindon in 1929. Built from an N Brass Locomotives kit.

 

No.4150 "Begonia" is one of the 'Flower' class of outside-framed 4-4-0s. These were almost identical to the reboilered 'Atbara' class locos (see page 11), except that these engines, built some 6 to 8 years later, had deeper outside frames. Built from a Nu-Cast kit.

 

This is an early form of GWR auto train. Called a 'Clifton Downs' arrangement, because it was on that particular Bristol branch that they were first used, they were eventually to be found all over the Great Western system. Built from Roxey Mouldings kits.

 

Now, here's something a little bit different - look closely! No.3322 "Eclipse" is an early 'Bulldog' class loco. The first twenty engines of this large class were rebuilt from 'Dukes', and incorporated the 'Duke' style of curved framing over the driving wheels, but were fitted with domeless boilers (originally parallel) and Belpaire fireboxes. The second batch of twenty engines were new-builds, but still kept the curved framing of the earlier locos. This second batch also sported the large, oval, combined name and number plates that were also being fitted at the time to 'Atbaras' (see page 11). Thereafter, straight frames were introduced, which is how 'Bulldogs' are generally remembered. No kit actually exists for this style of 'Bulldog', but until production ceased in November 2012, Nu-Cast made kits for both a 'Duke' and a straight-framed 'Bulldog'. This then, was a kit-combining project - basically a 'Bulldog' kit, but incorporating the curved running plate and outside frames of a 'Duke'. There was a certain amount of extra work involved to make everything fit as planned, but in the end, I have to say that I'm very pleased with this model. She is mine, and will feature on my new 1920s-era Great Western layout, and therefore is featured with the later, tapered boiler, superheater and top feed, and I have painted her in the pre-1928 shade of GWR green.

 

Another 'Bulldog', only different in detail to the one above. No.3449 "Nightingale" is one of the 'Bird' series of locos, built around 1909/10 with straight running plate and side frames over the driving wheels. These frames are also much deeper than earlier straight-framed 'Bulldogs', along the same lines to the 'Flowers', which were built around the same time. This is another one of my locos, built from a Nu-Cast kit, and once again, painted in the pre-1928 shade of Great Western green.

 

The GWR normally built numerically-large classes in batches over many years. The 'Bulldog' class for instance, was built in various stages between 1899 and 1910. With a policy of continual development during that time, each subsequent batch differed slightly from the one preceding it. The first locos of this class to be constructed, as mentioned above, were of the curved-framed variety. Straight frames were introduced in 1900, and on page 8 there is a picture of an original straight-framed loco, with parallel boiler and open coal rails on the tender, wearing the lovely indian red-framed livery of the early Edwardian period. Here we have another loco with indian red frames, only this one is of a batch built in 1903 - the first batch to be built with tapered boilers and solid side fenders to the tender, in place of the open coal rails of before. At this time, the boilers did not have top feeds, nor did the engines feature the sand boxes ahead of the driving-wheel splashers - both of which were added later. "Wolverhampton" was numbered 3452 when built - renumbered 3390 in 1912, she lost her name in 1930 due to a supposed confusion of passengers with train destinations! Built from a Nu-cast kit.

 

Back to page 11

Return to home page

Go to page 13