Beautifying Bertie

[Andrew]

Hello,

Firstly, aplogies to those on the 16mmngm Yahoo group for cross-posting - it seemed a good way to support Locoworks and other small suppliers of bits and bobs.

Anyway, about 6 months ago I decided to do something about the appearance of my RH Bertie, inspired by Chris Bird's excellent article on the Garden Railway Club site from which I've pinched most of the ideas and techniques - thanks Chris! It's now more or less finished, thought I'd share the result in case anyone feels like doing something similar.

The work carried out has been as follows:

Radio Control added to the regulator

Summerlands Chuffer fitted.

(Both of these were done a while ago, the former by Mike at Chuffed2Bits)

Roundhouse slide bars, cylinder overlays, chimney cap and bufferbeam overlays.

Bufferbeam bolts changed to hex headed ones.

Brandbright lamp bracket

Driver figure (don't recall his origins!)

Locoworks leaf springs and smokebox door hinges.

Cab handrails trimmed

BBQ paint on smokebox

Matt paint on running plate and cab roof

Coupling rods, eccentric rods, wheels and buffers painted

Light weathering on bufferbeams, smokebox, rods and wheels.


The original plan was to add a tender and cylindrical sand pots and then paint the whole thing in Ffestiniog lined maroon to run with my FR carriages until I can afford an England loco. Problem is I rather like it as is now, it's got a nice workaday feel to it. I'm very pleased with the smokebox in particular - I commissioned the hinges from Tom at Locoworks but he said he intends to make them commercially available via his website.

I'll run it for a while and see how I feel. If I do decide to leave it be I'll have to add a rear lamp bracket and doors over the gaping hole in the cab backsheet. And perhaps some clutter - re-railing jacks, sand buckets etc.

All the best,

Andrew.

[Narrow Minded]

That looks great Andrew - glad you're into "cross dressi (oops!) posting"!

I would absolutely go with the clutter - I reckon just a few bits'n'pieces would really give it a "lift"

[MDLR]

I'd agree with Greg - a bit of clutter changes the front aspect an awful lot! Lining helps, as well................

See below:

[tom_tom_go]

Looks great Andrew - great job.

[hussra]

I like this a lot - great improvement.

[Keith S]

Very nice. After Chris's Bertie, and now this, I really think I would like a "Bertie".

[Spule 4]

Hello,

Firstly, aplogies to those on the 16mmngm Yahoo group for cross-posting -

No apology needed, some of us don't have time to deal with an inbox full of drivel every day and like photographs bigger than postage stamps! The shame of it is, one does miss the occasional Easter egg such as this!

Really well done on the loco Andrew.

In the past, I was not a fan of the Bertie, but you and a few others such as Chirs Bird have really made proper little locomotives out of them.

[Narrow Minded]

I always felt the smokebox looked a little too "skinny", so opted for a replacement picked up from eBay;



Looking at this photo after Andrew's, I really must tone those buffer beams down a touch! (and get rid of the mould line on the buffer head )

[Spule 4]

Greg, it is amazing what a smokebox change will do to that loco. I actually like both types, one more industrial, the other more NG railway looking.

[Chris Cairns]

No apology needed, some of us don't have time to deal with an inbox full of drivel every day and like photographs bigger than postage stamps!

Exactly why I do not subscribe to e-mails from that Group. And they then get upset if you do not attach a mini photo to your message, but put a bigger photo in the Photos Library instead.

Anyway back to this Topic.

Three different Bertie's but each has its' own unique look, and all very nice too. I do agree with Greg (Narrow Minded) a little bit of clutter does pick up the look of a loco. Being a Mamod owner I'm used to the awful sight of rivet heads. How about putting some filler (Milliput or similar) into the rivet heads to blend them out?

Chris Cairns.

[Andrew]

Glad you like it folks.

I did wonder about a larger smokebox but wasn't quite sure where to get one (would a Millie one fit?), or if it would still take a chuff-pipe, and I'm not much of an engineer. So I decided to work with what I'd got and thought I'd bulk out the front end with RH Ffestiniog-style sandboxes - then I added the hinges and sprayed it all black and it just seemed to work. I will add the sandboxes if I go down the FR maroon route, or the clutter if I don't, but for now I'll just wait and see.

I like the safety chains through the bolt-hole trick on yours Narrow Minded - did you buy them or was it a DIY job? My Russell could do with some like that when I get round to giving it "the treatment". Weathering was a simple dry-brushing job, although I did break my own "only apply weathering in natural light" rule and might re-do the bottom bit.

Yeah, lining's tempting Brian, although I do quite like the rough and ready look. Maybe if I could work out how to apply faded lining "Winifred" style, worn by age/grime/cleaning...

Cheers,

Andrew.

[Spule 4]

No apology needed, some of us don't have time to deal with an inbox full of drivel every day and like photographs bigger than postage stamps!

Exactly why I do not subscribe to e-mails from that Group. And they then get upset if you do not attach a mini photo to your message, but put a bigger photo in the Photos Library instead.

Anyway back to this Topic.

I have wondered what it was, I could see back in the days of dial-up internet, but now?

Even with free web e-mail now having a 10+Gig storage in most cases, not sure what the issue is, other than 100+ e mails a day with a one meg photo on every other message would clog that up fast too!

Agreed, back to topic....

Three different Bertie's but each has its' own unique look, and all very nice too. I do agree with Greg (Narrow Minded) a little bit of clutter does pick up the look of a loco. Being a Mamod owner I'm used to the awful sight of rivet heads. How about putting some filler (Milliput or similar) into the rivet heads to blend them out?

Chris Cairns.

I would think on Andrews that a jack, an oil can, and maybe a lamp or two might add to it. Agreed on the rivets, maybe lubricators on the sides of the smoke box to hide them.

Some tend to "over" clutter things, but I think a couple items would help. On Andrew's loco, the skirting/springs really adds to the loco. I would also suggest one of the RH small dome type whistles on the top of the cab roof near the leading edge?

[IrishPeter]

Not to put too fine a point on it, not everyone has broadband - self-included. With this board I often clink on a page, wait a while, then dear off and make a cup of tea whils I wait see whether it comes through or times out! The pic size limit on the 16mmng group still has a useful purpose, though they could ease it to 250kb without causing me too many problems.

Anyway... now I have that off my chest. That is one heck of a nice Bertie. The major aesthetic problem with them from my point of view is that the smokebox looks tiny. The BBQ paint tones down the smokebox, so its small size is much less noticeable. The other mods all contribute to the general look of 'nice little work horse.' Good job!

Cheers,
Peter in AZ

[Chris Cairns]

The pic size limit on the 16mmngm group still has a useful purpose

But for whatever reason the 16mmngm has decided not to allow attachments to be viewed via the website, so if you do not subscribe to the e-mails you cannot see the mini photos. Other Yahoo groups I'm a member of do allow you to view attachments via the website.

Chris Cairns

[Keith S]

I used to think the tiny smokebox was odd too, but having seen some Bagnall saddle tank engines in real life with equally tiny smoke-boxes, the look has grown on me. I would leave it the way it is if I had one. If one were to put Roundhouse's hackworth or walschaert's valve gear on it, it would be a pretty convincing little Bagnall.

[IrishPeter]

I am alway tempted by the idea of giving on the Kerr Stuart treatment like "Edward Thomas," or Corris No.7. Give the smokebox a saddle, and add a rear truck.

@ Chris. Not sure why they do that. Unlike the no big photo attachments rule, the attachment thing is one that is unfathomable, at least to me

Peter in AZ

[Andrew]

I would also suggest one of the RH small dome type whistles on the top of the cab roof near the leading edge?

Good idea, I hadn't thought of that, thank you. Isn't it illegal for locos to run without one? I quite fancy one like that on my old IP "Jane", curving through the cab front sheet...

Cheers,

Andrew.

[Spule 4]

BDW is the whistle I was thinking of, but yes, the Jane/Janet type would work as well:

http://www.roundhouse-eng.com/pics/parts/bdw.jpg

Bangnall, yes!  Pixie came to mind with the small smokebox....

http://www.narrow-gauge.co.uk/gallery/s ... &cat_id=92

[Keith S]

Yes, exactly. I was thinking of "Wendy" from Kew Bridge. I actually think the "Bertie" design is quite clever. In the cab, the boiler being so much fatter than the smokebox makes it look like the engine has a marine-type firebox, because the saddle tank prevents you from seeing the whole boiler, all you can see is the wide "firebox" end and the skinny smokebox end.

I would put a Roundhouse valve gear kit on it perhaps, I'm not sure the Hackworth one is easy because it seems to require inclined cylinders, (although I have seen one) but the Walschaerts' one shouldn't present much trouble, paint all the rods red, and that would be a very nice little engine.

[Spule 4]

I would put a Roundhouse valve gear kit on it perhaps, I'm not sure the Hackworth one is easy because it seems to require inclined cylinders, (although I have seen one) but the Walschaerts' one shouldn't present much trouble, paint all the rods red, and that would be a very nice little engine.

Here you go with the Hackworth coversnion. While it can be done, to do it you would have to own two Swiss banks to afford the bits than the one that you have to own to afford a Roundhouse loco!!

http://www.freewebs.com/dlrail/locomotives.htm