If your primary interests are the GWR and SR then you have a much easier time of it. The 2 shared a long porous border with many stations where the 2 could be seen side by side.

Here are some photos of the Exchange trials which may give some hints of actual vehicles involved. You would be lucky to model exact trains as only a small range of pre-nationalisation vehicles for each of the Big exists (although the situationis improving).

One common (although not universal) feature seems to be the presence of a dynamometer car behind the loco to record its performance.

http://svsfilm.com/nineelms/coffin.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1948_Locomotive_Exchange_Trials#/media/File:Vauxhall_during_1948_Exchange_trials_geograph-2650408-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg

http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/65/25/2652596_89d9d926.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LNER_Class_A4_4902_Seagull#/media/File:Paddington_4_station_geograph-2283640-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2111096

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2498878

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2652615

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2650376

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St_Pancras_during_1948_Exchange_Trials_geograph-2650444-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Finsbury_Park_railway_station_geograph-2192791.jpg

http://semaphore.avonvalleyrailway.org/html/bestloco2.html

http://www.davidheyscollection.com/userimages/001-erm-34005-peak-forest.jpg

http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/lner/gcrsr39.htm

http://www.davidheyscollection.com/userimages/001-erm-b1-millers-dale-june-48.jpg

Hi

Funnily enough on the subject of purists some few years back a modeller from Auckland city built a 00 model that depicted the village of Helensville (NZ) as accurate that all the houses were exact.  His estate gave the whole model to the Helensville railway museum who had to build an additional building to house it.  It just happens to be next to the coffee shop I frequent too regularly after the gym and the number of times I have popped in to find one of the volunteers running a BR or USA loco hoping no one will see them!!

On the question of over-engineering, I would rather "over" than "under" the structure so that there is no stress on track and scenery.  Few of us I would surmise are structural engineers so we tend to look at something and double it.  When I was making the front beam it was originally going to be 150 x 20 and ended up 190 x 20.  What I would have saved was probably less than a kilo of 3mm ply but it is now not an issue.  There may be a problem with track pins ahead but I'll wait and see.  Flat baseboards are much quicker, there is certainly a lot of work this way and I am sure there will be problems to overcome.

Just as Farish bring out a Merchant Navy the Kiwi dollar plummets.  You cant win them all.

Another year gone by, a reminder I haven't posted, and another year fitting and wiring about 30 points.  So far I have scrapped 3 control panels as not big enough, the current one is exactly twice the size of the original!!!  I seem to have spent a fortune on wire, subminiature switches and am now on first name terms with the owner of the $2 shop where I buy cable ties.  There should be a government health warning about model railway building as I am sure it will send me loopy.

I have spent hours watching youtube and all the guys who have made such great informative videos, all make it seem so easy.   Now I will power the track, and finally see a loco under its own steam. That can't take long can it?

And I still come back for more. 

Am I mental or addicted?

Best wishes guys.

It can be misconstrued as a case of self harm, considering the number of cuts to the hands, ricked backs from bending over, stabbing from the ends of bits of wire and kneeling on that screw that just fell off, burns from the soldering iron,(a good tip is do not flick excess solder off the iron in bare feet) but mental, no.
Possibly.
Yeah your stuffed.
Welcome to the club
Alan

Quote from: kiwirail on August 19, 2016, 11:29:22 PM

Now I will power the track, and finally see a loco under its own steam. That can't take long can it?


Best wishes guys.

WOW - live steam in N - that I truly want to see!!

Quote from: acook on August 20, 2016, 12:34:13 AM
It can be misconstrued as a case of self harm, considering the number of cuts to the hands, ricked backs from bending over, stabbing from the ends of bits of wire and kneeling on that screw that just fell off, burns from the soldering iron,(a good tip is do not flick excess solder off the iron in bare feet) but mental, no.
Possibly.
Yeah your stuffed.
Welcome to the club
Alan

Another good tip around soldering irons - it hurts if you pick them up by the HOT end, so avoid.
Yes sadly, the voice of experience!