1/32 GWR Hydra D - G22

Dave Bowden

Western Thunderer
Hi all, here's my build of the Barrett Eng. Hydra D. Firstly a couple of photos of the prototype at Didcot.

If anyone is interested I do have 51 detail photos of the Didcot vehicle, just in case someone may be thinking of building the Mercian kit although that is a G19.

42193_01.jpg

42193_02.jpg

I built this kit using a cook's blow torch and solder cream the sort that comes in a syringe. This has produced a nice clean built with no excess solder everywhere.

Hydra D1.JPG Hydra D2.JPG Hydra D3.JPG Hydra D4.JPG Hydra D5.JPG Hydra D6.JPG

Hydra D9.JPGHydra D10.JPG Hydra D11.JPG

I hope theses are OK, I've only listed as thumbnails at this time.
 

Dave Bowden

Western Thunderer
Does anyone know if the Mercian kit is a scale-up of the Connoisseur Hydra?

Dave

I can confirm that the Hydra is one of Jim McGeown's designs as is the Macaw, Loriot, and the Toad.

He confirmed these to me this morning, he sell the AA19 for £65 and reckons that Trevors (Mercian) price of £125 which does include wheels, buffers etc. is about right, as this has twice the amount of brass in a G1 model.

Jim also thinks the Mink box van will be from Bill Parker of WEP Models.

Dave
 

daifly

Western Thunderer
Thanks for that. I was curious to know if your 1/32 build was relevant to my Big Jim Hydra kit and it clearly is. I shall be paying close attention!
Cheers
Dave
 

Dave Bowden

Western Thunderer
I'm back on the Hydra after a long break, DIY'ing and gardening. Like all model kits if something doesn't fit or look right it tends to get put on one side. Well the brake gear and the lack of vacuum information for this kit has been taxing but a friend gave me a link to a Siphon G on the SVR that Captain Kernow had taken a lot of detail photos, I hope he doesn't mind me borrowing a couple. Two of these I've listed here in the hope that someone can tell me were I can get the fittings that go in the ends of the vac pipe and the lever taps for the steam pipes. Barretts do provide the rubber vac pipes, but the fixings are wrong. I have also just realised there is no Screw link couplings either.

gallery_57_366_30014.jpg

gallery_57_366_105068.jpg

Dave
 

Dave Bowden

Western Thunderer
I have now found a supplier for the Steam & Vacuum pipes and their fittings, these are from Ken Martin and they look very nice, I need to acquire some more brass tubing to go from end to end then I can start to fit the pipe fittings.

I've just come back from a 3 day break on the IOW and have quite a lot of stock photos from the Steam Railway, we also went on the underground stock from Smallbrook Junction to Ryde and back. This stock is from 1938 we were told by the Guard, I also have a photo!
 

Dave Bowden

Western Thunderer
Hi All

I've now added the Vacuum & steam fittings and pipework plus the brake work. It has just gone through the Ultrasonic Cleaner, so is nearly ready for a coat of undercoat.

Hydra5.JPG

Hydra1.JPG Hydra2.JPG Hydra3.JPG Hydra4.JPG
I may add the shackles brackets on the four corners of the buffer beams, but these would have to be fabricated. The Vacuum & Steam fittings are from Ken Martin and are excellent value at £4.50 each lost wax sprue, they do come with the tubing but once you put them on they are very difficult to remove, so I shall fit them after painting as well as the screw link couplings, when I've sourced them.

Dave
 

Dave Bowden

Western Thunderer
Hi All

With the nice weather in the last couple of weeks it has allowed me to get several of my finished kits sprayed up in undercoat.

So here's the Hydra D.

HydraD1.JPG HydraD2.JPG
HydraD3.JPG

I have also sprayed up the G1 4575 Prairie, I'll put photos of that in my first 1/32 topic 'putting ones foot in the water'.

Dave
 

Dave Bowden

Western Thunderer
Hi All

I've now acquired the screw link coupling for the Hydra from Ken Martin. Although it is designed for a southern S15 loco and for SR parcels vans, it can be modified to suit other railway companies, this I have done to GWR style as per the photo below. Photo taken prior to treating them with Birchwood Casey Brass Black.

SLC1.JPG

I've added a photo taken by me of the actual vehicle at Didcot showing the brake & buffer details I didn't realise until I got this item that the links are two different sizes. All the ones I've bought and fitted to my 7mm stock have all had equal sized links!

HydraD_5.JPG

Dave
 

Dave Bowden

Western Thunderer
Hi All

Here's the latest with the Hydra D, it has now had it's timbers sprayed in Rover Maple, and having now found a suitable GWR grey in Rover Tempest Grey when and if we get another sunny day in the near future I shall spray it.

Does anyone know of a minimum temperature that is suitable for spraying?

HydraD_1.JPG

Dave
 

Dave Bowden

Western Thunderer
Hi All
Here's an update on my Hydra D, it is now finished except for decals which I haven't found a source for yet.
HydraD_3.JPG
HydraD_1.JPG
HydraD_2.JPG
HydraD_4.JPG
HydraD_5.JPG

Sorry about the quality of the photos, trying out my new camera but I think I shall go back to my compact next time.
We are going away to Flagg in Derbyshire for the next 7 days (house exchange) so I may revisit these photos when I return.

Dave
PS I shall change the cocktail sticks for something more substantial later.
 

Railwaymaniac

Western Thunderer
Hi Dave

Can you give us a broadside shot (or two?) of the wheel/'W'-iron/axlebox/spring, please?

I built one of these, once, and got pretty far with it, too. Except that I got stuck on the axleboxes and springs..

TIA

Ian
 

Dave Bowden

Western Thunderer
Hi Dave

Can you give us a broadside shot (or two?) of the wheel/'W'-iron/axlebox/spring, please?

I built one of these, once, and got pretty far with it, too. Except that I got stuck on the axleboxes and springs..

TIA

Ian

I will sort some photos out for you Ian when I get back home next Sunday.

Dave
 

Dave Bowden

Western Thunderer
Hi Ian and All

Here's some more detailed photos of the wheel & Axle box retention system.
HydraD_1.JPG This photo shows the rolled side plate that makes up the tube that retains the axle boxes.
HydraD_2.JPGThis photo shows the spring sitting on the spigot, held in place by blue tac for the photo. If you look at the previous photo you can just see the spigot on the folded up plate.
wt - 4.jpg This shows a couple of cut down cock tail sticks used to hold the axle boxes in place on their springs.
HydraD_4.JPG
Here we can see the recess in the bottom of the axle boxes for the spring, they are not very easy to get the springs to into the recess on hold down to get the stick in place.

I hope this is of some help to Ian, in hindsight narrow springs may have proved better as the ones supplied in the kit lean at an angle when in the hole and are virtually touching the wheels.

Dave
 
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Simon

Flying Squad
Thanks for the clear pictures Dave, it all looks very good.

What you have described is pretty much how all my G1 wagonry is sprung. With reference to your floppy springs, to avoid the problems you describe I always attach them with a small blob of epoxy resin, usually in the axle box recess but sometimes to the underframe.

I'm off wagons at the moment but look forward to getting back to them again, especially as I've now got more track for them to run on:)

Simon
 

Dave Bowden

Western Thunderer
Thanks for the clear pictures Dave, it all looks very good.

What you have described is pretty much how all my G1 wagonry is sprung. With reference to your floppy springs, to avoid the problems you describe I always attach them with a small blob of epoxy resin, usually in the axle box recess but sometimes to the underframe.

I'm off wagons at the moment but look forward to getting back to them again, especially as I've now got more track for them to run on:)

Simon
Hi Simon, thanks for that tip I shall do that for the Hydra D next time I'm at My modelling bench!!

If it's still on I'm going to the East Midland G1MRA Group at Caythorpe next Thursday, so I shall take the Hydra with for a run out.
I'm also looking into converting some of the G1 Locos I bought from Hoppy504 to R/C Battery powered, but that is one of the reasons of going to the GTG on Thursday.

Dave
 
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