This locomotive is a LNER J72.
This loco is a hybrid, being built from a Bachmann body, with a Mainly Trains etched chassis and conversion kit.
The etched chassis is nickel silver, and spacers are provided for 00 and 18mm. Although a bit fiddly to assemble, the provision of etched brake gear, a rivetted firebox integral with the frames, and a filler piece for the lower front part of the boiler moulding, make a significant inprovement to the already good body. Modifications to the exterior of the body included the removal of the smokebox number plate and the addition of a brass smokebox dart. Etched brass buffer beam overlays are supplied, as well as sprung buffers. With the removal of the old 'Mainline' chassis, daylight can be seen under the boiler, adding considerably to the appearence. Also provided in the kit are fold-up cab interior panels. We added a brass brake standard from Alexander Models to the interior of the cab.
There is no ready to run model of this locomotive in this livery and after repainting, the model was finished using HMRS Pressfix transfers.
The model is used as a yard shunter on Magdalene Lane when in use at home.
It is 10 years since Castledale was first shown at the Salvation Army Modelrail event at Sherburn Hill near Durham. The layout was first exhibited as very much a 'layout under construction', although we did manage to get a working timetable by Friday tea-time and caused some amusement to fellow modellers by wiring the control panel during the show.
A lot of water has gone under the bridge since then; the buildings were all completed during that year, and more recently the fiddle yard fully landscaped and a ruined castle added. We have also added a tree to the layout at each show and there are now quite a few. A cattle dock has been added complete with cows, giving a purpose for a rake of Dapol cattle wagons. Most freight wagons now carry a load of some sort. Naturally, the collection of stock and locomotives has been increased and we can now operate reasonably prototypical formations across an imaginary two decades of model time. Other improvements are largely unseen - the addition of an extra isolating section means that we can shunt in the goods yard while operating the main running line (and all without DCC) and the baseboards have been equipped with folding legs. This latter improvement has shortened the time needed to set up and break down the layout at exhibitions. One unwelcome alteration was having to cut 1 inch off the front of the layout to get it into a new car !
The layout has been widely exhibited in the region and has attended almost every venue - some more than once, but is still a going concern, probably due to the heavy build quality in the first place.
As part of the 10th. anniversary feature, we will be taking new photos of the layout and including them on this site. To start with, here are some previously unpublished shots of the layout in action at Shildon
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