GWR Railmotor

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Captain Kernow
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Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2008 8:08 pm

Re: GWR Railmotor

Postby Captain Kernow » Mon Nov 19, 2012 9:10 pm

Tim V wrote:Shocking, you of all people Captain should have read the sign about not leaning out of the window.....

Oddly enough, I wasn't actually leaning out, just sticking my camera out sufficiently...!
Tim M
Member of the Devon Riviera Area Group.

Mike Spence

Re: GWR Railmotor

Postby Mike Spence » Mon Jul 15, 2013 2:29 pm

Wheel Sizes for Railmotors:

A1 3' 6"
A1 3' 6"
B1 3' 6½"
B 3' 6½"
C1 3' 6½"
C 3' 6½"
D1 3' 6½"
D 3' 6½"
E 3' 5"
F1 3' 6½"
F 3' 6½"
G1 3' 6½"
G 3' 6½"
H1 3' 6½"
H 3' 6½"
J1 3' 6½"
J 3' 6½"
K1 4' 0"
K 4' 0"
L 3' 6½
M1 4' 0"
M 4' 0"
N 4' 0"
Q1 4' 0"
Q 4' 0"
O 4' 0"
R 4' 0"

I hope this clears up any queries as to wheel size and allocation - all taken from Great Western Steam Rail Motors and their services by John Lewis.

Also: http://www.railmotor93.org/power/power.html which shews No 92 as rebuilt with 4' 0" wheels.

Any mistakes in the transcription is wholly my fault!

As far as I can tell no wheel maker does 4' 0" wheels - if anyone tackling one or more of the rail motors let me know and I will pitch it to Ultrascale.

Mike Spence

martin goodall
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Re: GWR Railmotor

Postby martin goodall » Mon Jul 15, 2013 4:58 pm

My impression is that what were originally 4' 0" wheels would have had thicker tyres fitted later, taking them up to 4 ft 1½ ins diameter - a wheel size that is available, although not necessarily with the right crank throw.

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David B
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Re: GWR Railmotor

Postby David B » Mon Jul 15, 2013 7:35 pm

Gibson do 4' wheels - 10 spoke and 15 spoke. They also do 3 types of 4' 11/2" wheels, all 12 spoke.

RJL
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Re: GWR Railmotor

Postby RJL » Thu May 01, 2014 3:41 pm

To Davidb,

I also have the Mallard Railcar Kit and your article and the various reponses has stimulated me to get on with it this upcoming winter.

Over the years I have retained various articles on those items that MAY be of use sometime between now and infinity. Although in someway it is after the Horse has bolted, I have p / copies
of the following articles that may be of interest to you. a) G.W.Railcars and Autocoach Drawings. Model Railway News April 1967 b) Building the Mallard Steam Railmotor, by John Leader, Model Railways July 1990
Please advise if you would like me to send you copies.

Richard Lobb

37431
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Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2010 12:00 am

Re: GWR Railmotor

Postby 37431 » Thu Sep 04, 2014 6:22 pm

I'm joining this thread a bit late (I only just discovered it) but thought interested parties may like to know I have been building a 70' Railmotor to Dia R for my P4 model of Tettenhall station on the Oxley - Kingswinford branch (Wombourn line). Railmotors worked on the line during the brief period of passenger operation (1925 - 1932). Published records and other evidence show that Nos 93, 95 and 99 worked the line and were based at Stourbridge shed. Therefore a 70' railmotor is the signature train for this line.

The motivation for the model was that the real Tettenhall Station was at the bottom of my parent's garden. My father (railway enthusiast and local author the late Geoff Bannister) made a comprehensive photographic and cine film record of the line in the 1950s which has been the main inspiration. I have also obtained many of the official GWR plans for the buildings and civil engineering works from the National Archive. Baseboards for the station area are complete and track for this part now constructed as separate components on the workbench. Track laying and wiring is now work in progress and I hope to have this complete by the end of the year. I will post some photos of layout progress and further historical details in due course. It is 19 feet long so far and will extend another 10 feet or so to show the lineside south of the station, which will include a fine Warren Truss girder bridge over the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal.

I will post some photos of progress of the railmotor as well when I can find a moment to get my camera out. So far I have built the main body work and non-powered bogie. The latter is a good representation of the 9' American GWR bogie but is supplied as a rigid item. I have built it as such but will probably alter it to a sprung type using Masokits components. The under frame is now complete except for the truss rods and water tank and I still have to tackle those external steps...... but at least David's comments are quite helpful and give a good insight into the challenges which await me. No particular issues have been experienced so far with the body, although the body shell itself was supplied already folded but without the tumblehome on the body sides formed. I decided it would be easier to return it to the flat for form these (done by the brass rod and computer mouse mat method). There is no interior detail supplied in the kit other than the partitions, but having made a David Geen Dia L auto trailer, there are many bits he can supply to complete the interior. However the "walkover" seats used in the real ones may require some further thought.

Not having any experience of building outside valve gear and recognising the considerable work needed to make the power bogie a runner in P4, I decided to subcontract the construction of the power bogie to my friend (and professional model maker) John James. He made many modifications to the original Blacksmith design which include making it split frame / split axle (his normal standard). The bogie is compensated on the front axle using High Level horn blocks and a horizontal pin which the upper face of the axle rotates up and down against. It is powered by a Portescap 1219 motor and runs very smoothly.

Andrew Bannister, Aberdeenshire

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Horsetan
Posts: 1371
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Re: GWR Railmotor

Postby Horsetan » Tue Nov 18, 2014 11:57 pm

RJL wrote:To Davidb,

I also have the Mallard Railcar Kit and your article and the various reponses has stimulated me to get on with it this upcoming winter.

Over the years I have retained various articles on those items that MAY be of use sometime between now and infinity. Although in someway it is after the Horse has bolted, I have p / copies
of the following articles that may be of interest to you. a) G.W.Railcars and Autocoach Drawings. Model Railway News April 1967 b) Building the Mallard Steam Railmotor, by John Leader, Model Railways July 1990
Please advise if you would like me to send you copies.


One of these unbuilt Mallard /Blacksmith kits recently sold on eBay for £175 :shock: , so it looks like they're very much flavour of the month.
That would be an ecumenical matter.

Simon Glidewell

Re: GWR Railmotor

Postby Simon Glidewell » Wed Nov 19, 2014 3:45 pm

A lovely piece of modelling David; you are a very brave person! Like a few others have said here, if I had one of these kits I'd look in the box, possibly once a year, put it away hastily and watch telly instead! It will end up looking very characterful and charming.

All the best
Simon

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Craig Warton
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Re: GWR Railmotor

Postby Craig Warton » Sun Jul 17, 2016 1:15 am

David,

I know this is some 2 years after the last post. I had a moment of stupidity on Friday night, bid on one of these on Ebay and won it.

Have you progressed any further on this or is it currently doing a rotation in the maturing cupboard?

Regards,

Craig w

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David B
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Joined: Sun Jul 20, 2008 5:30 pm

Re: GWR Railmotor

Postby David B » Sun Jul 17, 2016 2:10 pm

Craig Warton wrote:
Have you progressed any further on this or is it currently doing a rotation in the maturing cupboard?


Funny you should mention it, Craig. I have half a dozen 6-wheel Siphons nearing completion and was thinking of getting the railmotor back on the bench next. I have been delaying in order to work out a few of things - internal detail; how to fix the roof; secondary springing of the motor bogie to stop it rolling; glazing - but I must apply myself and get them finished.

Thank you for the 'push'.

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Craig Warton
Posts: 204
Joined: Sun Jul 20, 2008 7:58 pm

Re: GWR Railmotor

Postby Craig Warton » Tue Aug 02, 2016 9:08 am

Hi David,

Push more out of idle curiosity!

I admire your determination in build 6 x Siphons at one. That takes batch building to a level I will never stick to! The kit arrived yesterday (along with MRJ 248) and I found that complete and untouched really means no instructions and no castings, though the two empty bags and the cylinder block are there. Having said that, my eyes popped out of my head when i looked at the photos of the SRM built by the late John Hayes.

Mine is someway off being started but I shall start accumulating bits and bobs anyway.

Regards,

Craig

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Horsetan
Posts: 1371
Joined: Tue Jul 29, 2008 9:24 am

Re: GWR Railmotor

Postby Horsetan » Sat Jan 28, 2017 12:51 am

Craig Warton wrote:.... I found that complete and untouched really means no instructions and no castings, though the two empty bags and the cylinder block are there. ....


Well, at least you have the instructions now...albeit they're from the 70' version, but I think Blacksmith used the same general principles for all of their railmotor kits.

The power bogie etch is somewhat overdue for a redesign to today's standards.
That would be an ecumenical matter.


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