I was reminded at Railwells that I'm taking Clevedon out to an exhibition in October. As Adrian cheerfully asked 'are you ready for Uckfield yet?' I realised that I haven't done anything on Clevedon since the end of the Tolworth show last November, blog update included.
Well there's nothing like a looming deadline to get the creative juices flowing so I've embarked on a little distraction from the Cheddar scenery.
First up was wagon No 19. This was a 7ft wheelbase 3 plank dropside of supposedly Midland origin and was used to convey milk churns. I've only ever seen photos of it on the dump road at Clevedon but no matter. The basis of the wagon is a cut and shut Slaters 3 plank drop side. There was a moment of brief distress when I realised that I was working in 4mm not 3mm scale. 7ft equates to 28mm not 21mm wheelbase. Unfortunately I did not realise this until I'd finished it. Doh...! (Adam if you're reading this I doubt you ever have this sort of calamity). Some further cutting and shutting duly commenced, using the residual bits left over from the initial attempt. Still an intermediate strap to add back in along with some primitive door bangers, but we're heading in the right direction.

I bet Geoff Kent doesn't have this trouble...

Still, with a bit of corrective surgery...
Next, I turned my attention to the Taff Vale Coach which ran as No 18 and which the WCPR bought from the GWR in 1926, who themselves acquired it from the Taff Vale Railway at grouping. Or did they?
Supposed wisdom has it (Kidner) that the coach was a 26ft brake second number either 219 or 220. However I've been on a voyage of discovery with the Welsh Railway Circle and the Colonel Stephens Museum and it's looking like the coach was neither of these two. Indeed, there are a couple of other candidates (no's 0227 and 0228) which might be the donor. The main source of information for pregrouping carriage stock taken over by the GWR is Eric Mountford's 'GWR Absorbed Coaching Stock' of 1978. The trouble is the guards ducket. They were at the end on TVR coaches so it looks like the vehicle was altered in some way. Or may not even be TVR origin. Certainly very interesting. In the end I decided to make the body 26ft as it suits both 0227 and 0228.

Anyway, once I had removed my anorak of inquisitiveness, I set about marking up some plasticard. copying the photos I have. Construction is pretty much as per the David Jenkinson Wild Swan book of a few years ago. Plasticard layers to represent panelling, droplight etc. In this case it's a 5 thou outer panel over a 10 thou layer with a further 10 thou for the droplight sash. Di-Lemonine is the solvent used for overlaying.

The good thing is I'm only making the one. Otherwise I'd have gone down the etched route as the plasticard is not the neatest. If it's like the two ex LSWR saloons I built, a lot of the imperfections will be lost under the layers of paint. The layers sit over a box/frame of 20 thou for roof and sub floor. The under frame is Evergreen strip and I've fished out some Bill Bedford NPCS sprung units for the W irons. The guards duckets were cut out separately and added to the sides later. The roof is on and it's all presently hardening off ready for a coat of primer tomorrow. Just the footboards and some rivet detail to add.

Initial cut out for outer panels

panels stuck to inner frame

details of frame including formed tumble home

ends

ducket sides added

body hardening off

Door hinges, under frame and bollections added.

End steps too