7mm Yorky D's LT - Wagonery tales from the Met.

[Yorkshire Dave]

Rather than clutter up my chaotic kitchen table thread I thought I'd separate the London Transport stuff.

To begin this is a Slaters LNER/BR brake van - sort of built up in accordance with the instructions .

The prototype was part of a 1961 LT order for new brake vans, built at Ashford to diag 507/1. However, B.581 does not have roller bearings unlike others in the same LT order - B.583 for example..

As usual there are couple of modifications required to turn the Slaters kit into the Ashford built LT variant.

Cabin doors - from photographs the LT brake van cabin doors were hung on the left - not on the right as in the kit. And they open outwards.


Buffers - the standard RCH? style provided in the kit are incorrect. I need to acquire some like this (enlargement from a t'interweb photo for illustrative purposes).


Wheels - I replaced the 2 hole disc wheels in the kit with 3 hole disc wheels from my own stock.

Upright hand rails - the inner ones were extended downwards and terminate under the cabin.

Anyway here's progress thus far....

The body was sprayed with Tamiya rattle can grey primer and several dark grey washes to tone down the grey. The ends were painted a standard red from the Vallejo Model Air range. Decals are from Radley Models.

 

[Steph Dale]

Dave,

I wonder if a standard LMS/BR loco buffer might work for this vehicle? The heads might not be as large though...?

Steph

 

[oldravendale]

Can I "like" this more than once, please?

Lovely LT stuff!!

Brian

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

And for my next trick I decided to make one cabin of the doors ajar .

 

[richard carr]

This I really like this, especially the door lock.

Richard

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

For more arrivals for the LT bookshelf...

 

[76043]

Ah, the surface stock planbook, a goldmine of information. Is it still in print?

I am tempted by the O gauge Dapol pannier, complete with it's correct cab roof.

Tony

 

[daifly]

There are a few on Amazon and one on eBay at the mo. If you want out-of-print books those sites are always a good place to start.
Dave

 

[76043]

I bought the planbook new years ago, wouldn't part with it. Always had an idea that a G/N/L stock District line train would look good in O gauge. Of course it remains a pipedream along with a model of Vine Street Goods Depot, which is the Met I know, but modellers licence...

Then someone else comes along and does Vine St, but it is EM.

Vine St.

Tony

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Always had an idea that a G/N/L stock District line train would look good in O gauge.

This is why I bought it - on the off-chance it may have some useful drawings - which it does - Q23 (G), Q27 (K) and Q38 (O/P) stock.

At around 51' long a car works out at 357mm in 7mm scale- just for comparison HO scale length 26m coaches are 303mm!

In 7mm scale an East London Line formation of Q23-Q27-Q38-Q27 (G-K-O-K) works out at around 1428mm in length (just shy of 4' 8 1/2'') - in some ways quite manageable.

It was this 1964 atmospheric photo (rights as shown) on t'interweb of New Cross Gate which started me thinking.... with Southern Electrics and an ex-LBSC station to boot (as opposed to New Cross, SECR).

Of course it remains a pipedream along with a model of Vine Street Goods Depot, which is the Met I know, but modellers licence...

If you modelled Vine Street proper in pre-grouping days then the possibilities are endless with the Widened Lines - four tracks with the Ray Street Grid Iron - and of course the trains: Metropolitan (both loco hauled and EMUs), SECR, Midland, GN and GW.

 

[oldravendale]

Not quite the variety of that wonderful photo above, but you might quite like these?

All at Chiswick Park, Summer 1969.

Brian

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Not quite the variety of that wonderful photo above, but you might quite like these?

Excellent photos - there's still subtle differences in the stock - look at the clerestories of the five cars in the first photo - immediate left to right Q27 - Q31 or 35 - Q27 - Q31 0r 35 - Q27. Interesting to note only the motor coaches carry the LONDON TRANSPORT lettering.

For reference:
Q23 (1923) - G stock (hand later converted to air operated doors).
Q27 (1927) - K stock (hand later converted to air operated doors).
Q31 (1931) - L stock (hand later converted to air operated doors).
Q35 (1935) - M stock (hand later converted to air operated doors).
Q35 (1935) - N stock (air operated doors).
Q38 (1938) - O stock (air operated doors).

Q31 and Q35 (L, M and N) stock was very similar in appearance.

And of course the R stock in the last photo.

 

[dibateg]

Great photos, I remember dad taking me as a boy to see the last Q stock that was running on the East London line....

 

[76043]

Great photos, thanks for sharing.
Tony

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Paid a visit with Steph Dale and Oldravendale to the open weekend last at the Acton LT Museum mainly to photograph signs for a named but yet to be built layout.

Despite the weather it was an excellent day out seeing the rolling stock, buses, trams and the LT infrastructure - ticket offices, ticket machines, lamps, escalator parts, signalling panels, etc. In other words you name it and it was there and the icing on the cake - FRM1 was operating.



I've been messing about with some signs and learning a bit more about the Affinity Photo Editing software. Some results so far which I'll resize for 7mm and print on gloss photo paper for cutting out.

The layout name....


For the station building...


.....and platform end

 

[oldravendale]

Yes - as Yorkshire Dave says, a wonderful collection to which we'll be returning. Even for those who don't have an UndergrounD bent I'd recommend it for the shear variety. The "Friends" are also hugely enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Their restoration work (wish I'd taken some photos of the work in hand) is superb, and we'll soon have even more London TransporT EMUs back in limited service. There seems to be a policy of keeping a vehicle or two in "as withdrawn" condition whilst also refurbing similar vehicles to running condition.

Here are some of my photos. Apologies for quality of some of the pictures - all were on my phone. In particular that wooden coach from some of the very first Met Railway stock, (I think Dave advised it's "B" stock, but if I'm wrong he'll be along in a minute, I'm sure), complete with door closures and catches. Regrettably this was one of the very few large items which didn't have a history card attached and we simply ran out of time to have a long conversation with someone about its history. Sadly some scrote arsonist had tried to destroy it and one side and end has suffered quite badly, but there's certainly enough there for the specialists to get their teeth in to.

I have to say that I found the exhibition to have a sense of enthusiasm and vibrancy missing from the NRM. Some of that may be down to to the Acton Works being open for only three weekends a year but the Friends' newsletter, an out of date issue being distributed for free, suggests this is not the case.

I've not included my photos of FRM1 as Dave has already provided it. That was another discovery - I'd never heard of the front entrance RM previously. The bus collection present (and it changes from time to time) included two of the three prototype Routemasters, RM1 and RM2.

For Dave - one of the photos of a London Transport brake van.



"A60" stock. I certainly felt old - I remember the trains these replaced, and now these are themselves replaced.



Two tenders, one for breakdowns and another for trolleybus overhead wire maintenance.



Unexpectedly a Waterloo and City Bulleid motor car.



This is the ancient Met Railway vehicle. Sorry about the focus.



The display of signage is simply mind blowing.



and these of Tufnell Park were removed for replacement about 80 years ago, ended up in a storage shed and were "rediscovered". It's a complete set from a single station and as such an important historical document.



Battery Loco L35, displayed (as with most of the historical stock) exactly as withdrawn.



The "Diddler" trolleybus. The first built for London and still to be seen out and about occasionally.



and one of the regular vehicles which operated until the end of London trolleybuses. Some of these went to Spain and served there longer than their time with LT.



General view of the bus display. They don't forget recent history either - one of the vehicles is an "Optare" bus.



No LT exhibition could be complete with a tram or two, and yes, I do (just) remember them, on the Embankment.



Finally a "standard", pre 1938 or 1923 stock train, depending on your preference. This is one vehicle of a 4-coach train being refurbished as part of the operating fleet. One of the trailer vehicles is still in NSE livery on one side, having been returned from service on the Isle of Wight.



Apologies if I've rather overdone the photos, and apologies, Dave, for hijacking your thread. I'll get back in my box.

Brian

 

[Ressaldar]

I remember Dad taking me to New Cross Gate garage for the last night of the trams, a number 77 springs to mind.

Regards

Mike

 

[76043]

RCL 2229 preserved at Acton was driven by my Dad when new at Romford Green Line garage, they had a higher ratio gearbox so could get a shift on apparently, best bus to drive he said. Green Line drivers were 'despised' by both Central and Country drivers because they were on the higher Central pay rate, all Green Line routes were limited stop so they were perceived as having an easier job for the same money. My Dad said if you took a meal break at a Central garage you got a very cold shoulder!!

LTM Vehicles - RCL 2229

Tony

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

RCL 2229 preserved at Acton was driven by my Dad when new at Romford Green Line garage, they had a higher ratio gearbox so could get a shift on apparently, best bus to drive he said. Green Line drivers were 'despised' by both Central and Country drivers because they were on the higher Central pay rate, all Green Line routes were limited stop so they were perceived as having an easier job for the same money. My Dad said if you took a meal break at a Central garage you got a very cold shoulder!!

This is a wonderful anecdote and reminds me when my dad and myself visited Neasden Depot open day in the 1980's. Chalked on the mess room door at Wembley Park was 'MET MEN ONLY'. The old loyalties persisted.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Apologies if I've rather overdone the photos, and apologies, Dave, for hijacking your thread. I'll get back in my box.

Hijack away Brian - no apology required, it's all wonderful LT paraphernalia.