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Another 6-wheeler...

James Harrison

Entry posted by James Harrison

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Well, it started out as a 6-wheeler, but, erm....

 

beBCWzI.jpg

 

I got as far as having the chassis backbone and the outer axles completed, whilst I working on the centre axle the W iron broke away. I suspect that as it broke off along a half-etched line, either the etch had gone too deep, or I was little too exuberant in bending it, or I bent it back and forth once too often and it snapped. I was having difficulty with the iron, in that it wasn't heating right down to the tip but rather only to about halfway along it. So I couldn't get heat where I needed it and I was having to try to nudge bits out of the way to get the iron in. I do have several spare tips so once the iron is cooled down and before I pack it away I'll be swapping the tip out.

 

So now it's going to be a 4-wheel carriage instead, not really the upset it might seem as the GC (well, the MSLR as it then was) was building mainline 4-wheel stock down to the 1890s. Indeed, when it was running a joint service into London Kings Cross with the Great Northern, the Great Northern argued for 6-wheel carriages whilst the MSLR was adamant on 4-wheel stock only. Although 6-wheel carriages seem to appear more often in photographs, the 4-wheelers are the ones that George Dow chose to draw for his 3-volume history of the Great Central. Anyway. Although it's regretable, I'd sooner find this sort of thing out on a £10 chassis kit than on one of my more expensive brass wagon or carriage kits.

 

QaFh8cl.jpg

 

It still looks right enough anyway, and once the footboards are fitted and the bodywork attended to it'll still fit right in with the 6-wheelers.

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  • RMweb Gold
Mikkel
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Sometimes you have to follow the will of God :-)  Apart from the foot boards, some appropriate fittings between the wheels will make it convincing enough I think.

 

It's interesting how much impact those roof vents make on the other one. They really help change the appearance from the originals.

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James Harrison

the rivet counters  will be turning in their anoraks

 

I've said it before, I shall say it again (and no doubt again and again and again).  If the rivet counters have access to information on Great Central carriages I would very much appreciate their sharing it, as it is currently the single biggest gap in my researches.  I understand a book on GCR passenger stock is being written- well the author is guaranteed one sale at the very least.  As it stands, the carriage isn't a million miles off a proper GCR carriage diagram- and that's good enough for me.  

 

 

Sometimes you have to follow the will of God :-)  Apart from the foot boards, some appropriate fittings between the wheels will make it convincing enough I think.

 

It's interesting how much impact those roof vents make on the other one. They really help change the appearance from the originals.

 

I won't repeat what I said when it broke!  However, having had time to cool down and do a little research (and it has to be a little, see above comment about a lack of literature on GCR coaching stock), I actually think that leaving it as a 4-wheeler would result in a model closer to a GCR carriage than would making the effort to repair it and finish it as a 6-wheeler.  I quite agree about the roof vents; for such a small set of parts it is very surprising the effect they have. 

 

It rather makes me wonder- the Ratio Midland suburbans are quite close to some GC types, with the exception of the roof (which should I think be 3-arc profile). It makes me wonder, would replacing the roofs of those repay the effort necessary? 

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paulprice

the rivet counters  will be turning in their anoraks

 

Rivet counters? rivet counters where, where quick run and hide once they get hold of you, you sprout an anorak and thermos and are never normal again........

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  • RMweb Gold
Mikkel
  • RMweb Gold

It rather makes me wonder- the Ratio Midland suburbans are quite close to some GC types, with the exception of the roof (which should I think be 3-arc profile). It makes me wonder, would replacing the roofs of those repay the effort necessary? 

 

There's only one way to find out :-)

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