I have got used to building Comet carriages, but the GWR range is limited to (mainly) Collett carriages. In order to get something different, you need to look at the Worsley works range...... You could look at Slaters (Toplights & Clerestory), but these are currently not available.... There is however good news that the Blacksmith range has recently been bought, so hopefully a few carriages will be available soon.

 

In the meantime, here is the 8 compartment C22 46ft 6" Clerestory all third, 40 of which were built from January 1903.

 

By the 1930's these carriages were used as a "strengthening carriage" on services. Which is what it will be used for on services into Henley-on-Thames.

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In buying a Worsley kit, you get the following etches:

• Floor pan with solebar.
• Sides and ends.
• Roof.
• Clerestory roof.
• Roof supports.
• Window droplights.

Everything is etched to a high standard, but its all flat, so the tumblehome and roof shape will need to be formed.

 

 

 

Notes:

• Door handles & grab handles are pre-drilled.
• The door hinges are also pre-drilled.*
• There are no underframe details.
• What you are buying here is a flat etched kit - anything beyond an etch, you need to provide.
• Seating and interior partitions are to be scratch built.

*This will be a first for me - I haven't worried about hinges before now!

 

Shopping list:

• Door grab handles*; door handles* and door hinges**
• Clerestory roof vents**
• Underframe details:
  • Truss rodding (to be scratch built)
  • Gas cylinders*
  • Dean Vacuum cylinder**
  • Dean 8ft 6 bogies**
  • Dean buffers**

*From the spares box

**to be sourced from Dart castings.

At the time of ordering, I missed off the gas roof lamp tops! https://www.dartcastings.co.uk/mjt/2945.php and don't have any in the spares box, only normal roof ventilators. They need to be ordered.

 

The assembled parts, ready for the build.

 

 

Step 1: Form the tumblehome and the curve of the roof.

Step 2: solder the sides and ends

Step 3: solder the roof together

Step 4: fit the insides - seats and partitions.

Step 5: build the underframe

Step 6: build the bogies

Step 7: spray several coats of primer and then main coat; add lining and lettering etc. the final coat will be varnish and its finished.

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Worsley Works: http://www.worsleyworks.co.uk/4mm/4mm_GWR.htm - the purchase process is quite straightforward (unfortunately there is no basket option). 

Select your particular model kit or just sides to add onto another carriage and then send an email to Allen. He will tell you the amount (incl p & p) - send him the £ by PayPal and shortly after you will receive your model - ready to be built.

 

At the time I ordered the  carriage it was out of stock and had to be etched to order. It took a couple of weeks before it arrived, which I think is pretty good going.

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The build - Saturday 11th May 2024

 

The first rule of a build such as this: Change the blade on the knife.

 

 

Then everything gets cut out, below are the parts for the floor folded up, which includes the similar "box type" arrangement that Comet use.

 

 

Using my trusted section of skirting board the sides and roof are bent into shape.

 

 

A very productive day - the morning was spent cutting everything out - this afternoon it has all been soldered together.

 

 

The roof is not yet fixed on - the curves on the roof sections proved a lot harder to do than the tumblehome. The roof doesn’t have the nice curve I want to see.

 

The roof for the clerestory top has not been as easy, being a smaller section. Bending bars would have made it easier, hopefully with more practice I will master the roof technique.

 

Notes: Don't forget the ends also need a slight tumblehome. (I forgot)

 

In cutting out the MJT door hinges and put them into the pre-etched holes.... They fall through! Although to my mind they actually look too big!

 

Clearly I cant leave the empty holes, so I think small hinges will need to be made from Plasticard, or maybe wire.

 

It’s a clever way that it goes together, the clerestory upper, fits into slots in the roof to keep it nice and straight. There are then formers that also fit into slots to keep the roof in profile…. However, some of these slots clash….. the tab for the clerestory upper, is at the same point as the roof former on 3 occasions. The former has been duly filed to allow clearance.

 

The almost completed clerestory roof:

 

 

There are three clerestory supports that do not fit into the tabs properly. These just need to be filed down so they fit in the space correctly. two are shown in the shot below.

 

 

Tuesday 15th May 2024:

 

Further work on the roof today, following advice from Mike @Coach bogie Thanks Mike.

 

 

The bogies are "accommodation bogies" to help sit the carriage on the bench. I have now started work on the Dean 8'6" bogies which will be right for this carriage.

 

Thursday 16th May 2024:

 

Today work has concentrated on the bogies and saw a start being made on the underframe.

 

This is the etched fret for the Dean 8ft 6" bogies:

 

 

Previously the MJT / Dean casting bogies I have made up, have very nice etched holes, the right size for the bearings. This time though, the bearing hole is elongated to cater for different positions. The instructions don't say why you would need this. i chose the lower holes and that has produced some very free running wheels.

 

The castings are to a very high standard and simply fit onto the etch - they have all been superglued. (The bogie frames were soldered.)

 

This is the casting and etch for the Dean vacuum cylinder brake fitting (It is a very easy build): 

 

 

There are no truss rods supplied with the Worsley Works kits - I have fabricated my own from scrap brass and at the moment fitted them to one side only. They are so shallow, you can hardly see them.

 

These two next photos are shown with the Dean bogies. 

 

 

 

Thurs 16th May remaining jobs:

• Fit second truss rods
• Fit Dean vacuum brake cylinder
• Fit gas cylinder
• Finish the bogies - add scroll irons etc.
• Fit door hinges - what do people use for hinges on here - the MJT ones fall through the holes!
• Fit out carriage with partitions and seating.
• Paint!
• Fit Door furniture

Saturday 18th May

 

You won’t see under the floor again! 
 

 

Couplings have also been fitted - using the MJT fitting for NEM couplings. These make adding couplings to your new carriage very easy, although I have fitted a medium Kadee and it probably needs to be a small. https://www.dartcastings.co.uk/mjt/2580.php
 

I have also fitted the scroll irons etc. for the Dean bogies - the first one they were glued direct to the bogie frame, the second bogie, I ran a “plank” underneath and fitted them to that. The latter being what the instructions say…. Although the MJT photo is very dark, it’s hard to make it out. In fact all photos of the era are dark when it comes to underframe and bogie details. 
 

The carriage is seen here with a Toplight that has had a change of bogie - MJT American bogie. 
 

Next stop will be the spray booth. We are away for a few days, so it will be done when we get back.
 

 

Overall it’s been an enjoyable build…. On a scale of 1 to 5, it’s probably a 3 or 4…. It's definitely not for a first time builder. The hard bits being the roof profile (I’m sure a Toplight would have been easier for my first Worsley carriage) and the clerestory sections.

 

I have come a long way since I built my first two Comet carriages, now they just fall together very easily. I am sure future Worsley kits will be like that as well.

 

If you have built brass carriages before, give it a go.

 

My next carriage will be a Comet / Worsley model of a H26 restaurant carriage.