Very nice Dave! Aren't there photos in the Atkins book? If you don't have it let me know and I can have a look (not with me right now). 

That container photo is Newbury if I remember correctly, lovely scene.

I've been looking closely at these 2-plank wagons recently, following purchase of T. Wood, Saltney Carriage & Wagon Works (Great Western Study Group / Wider View, 2007), via the Lightmoor Press. This includes a small number of photos of 2-plank wagons in this style, from which, in conjunction with the dimensions Wood quotes from the Wagon Registers, I produced some sketches as a preliminary exercise to scratchbuilding some of these early 1870s wagons in 4 mm/ft scale:

I have to say that there are a number of points of disagreement with the kit you have used, notably the solebar furniture and height of headstock and relationship to siderail, and also the arrangement of bolts on the corner plates, where the kit follows later practice. That doesn't necessarily mean the kit is wrong - it may be based on photos and information I haven't seen. I really don't know much about the Great Western.

An unfitted wagon on the back of a passenger train? (Edit, although I see the handbrake is on) The container with diagonal planking looks like it should be an early design, the Pickfords vans I think of were all seriffed lettering, so possibly sans serif was earlier? You might get away with it.

4 hours ago, Mikkel said:

Very nice Dave! Aren't there photos in the Atkins book? If you don't have it let me know and I can have a look (not with me right now). 

Thanks Mikkel, I’m afraid I haven’t got a copy of Atkins et al, I  keep meaning to try an get a copy

4 hours ago, Mikkel said:

 

That container photo is Newbury if I remember correctly, lovely scene.

Quite correct well done, it is Newbury indeed, a really lovely’ picture

4 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

I've been looking closely at these 2-plank wagons recently, following purchase of T. Wood, Saltney Carriage & Wagon Works (Great Western Study Group / Wider View, 2007), via the Lightmoor Press. This includes a small number of photos of 2-plank wagons in this style, from which, in conjunction with the dimensions Wood quotes from the Wagon Registers, I produced some sketches as a preliminary exercise to scratchbuilding some of these early 1870s wagons in 4 mm/ft scale:

 I really don't know much about the Great Western.

Maybe not as much as the Midland, but you do pretty well in my opinion!

3 hours ago, Northroader said:

An unfitted wagon on the back of a passenger train? (Edit, although I see the handbrake is on) 

Yes, I was surprised at the choice of wagon, you would think something vacuum fitted could have been found!

3 hours ago, Northroader said:

 The container with diagonal planking looks like it should be an early design, the Pickfords vans I think of were all seriffed lettering, so possibly sans serif was earlier? You might get away with it.

I hope I can!  I think the font looks kind of Edwardian and the Navy blue van would make a nice contrast with the red wagon. I’m almost hoping no one says it’s too modern!

26 minutes ago, Nick Holliday said:

 

I wonder if it is actually on a train? Given the hand brake is full on, and the wagon is buffered up against the "wrong" end of the brake composite, isn't it more likely that it has been temporarily parked? 

Hi Nick, 

Thats a distinct possibility, that I hadn’t thought of!  I haven't posted the entire photograph from the book which shows the stock in a loop or siding off the main lines through the platform.  I also hadn’t noticed that it’s at the  “wrong” end of the coach!

BW

Dave

1 hour ago, bgman said:

They're nice kits they are......and you've made it nicer you have !

 

I've got their Early Iron Mink to solder up at some point which look ok on the etch, looking forward to more of the build Dave.

 

ATB 

 

G

Thanks Grahame!

They are nice kits, I think you’ll enjoy building your Mink, I’m looking  forward to seeing your build
 

1 hour ago, kitpw said:

Atkins, Beard etc do have a chapter (35) on containers but apart from stating that "a few 'rail lifts' (ie containers) had been in use since the 19th century (Messrs JS Fry had some in circulaiton in 1893)  but the growth of railway container traffic parallelled the growth of road competition...".  The chapter really deals with the 1920s and later.  Ditto Russell's 'Freight Wagons and Loads in Service...'.  But, the Pickfords container looks authentically early C20th to my eye - house and farm removals were certainly present in pre-group era railway traffic and removal lorries were, I think, a development of large boxes intended for "inter modal" transport by road cart and rail.  Newbery were, incidentally, furniture retailers rather than removers.

 

Kit PW

Thanks Kit, that’s useful information and I’m relieved to hear that you think my container looks suitably Edwardian

42 minutes ago, MikeOxon said:

Good to see you back in the true religion after your brief flirtation, Dave.  

Thanks Mike, yes I’m back on track!

46 minutes ago, MikeOxon said:

 I find it frustrating that , whereas there's masses of information about engines and a fair bit about carriages, wagons are bottom of the heap! 

Yes it’s most annoying!  I suppose they were such common place, mundane items of stock, that no one was really inspired to to a photograph.  Little did they know that 120 years later interested parties would be trying to build models of them  I guess it’s fair to say that apart from a very few knowledgeable people, not many will notice any errors that I make!
 

BW to all

Dave

21 minutes ago, wenlock said:

I guess it’s fair to say that apart from a very few knowledgeable people, not many will notice any errors that I make!

It's errors made by the kit designer that are bugging me!

15 hours ago, Nick Holliday said:

 

I wonder if it is actually on a train? Given the hand brake is full on, and the wagon is buffered up against the "wrong" end of the brake composite, isn't it more likely that it has been temporarily parked? 

Could be. It's off the main running lines through Newbury, on a track next to the Lambourn branch track (this is before Newbury was rebuilt in 1910).