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All in a day's work, Part 2 (1914)


Mikkel

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"Surely you do not intend to transport my prize-winning champion in that ?!". Mr Bull looked incredulously at Woodcourt, the Station Master of Farthing.

 

 

 

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Woodcourt was acutely aware that the situation required all his diplomatic skills. "I'm afraid this is our only option" he replied "and we do convey horses in cattle vans quite frequently. The sheeting will keep her from panicking." He decided not to mention that the only horses ever carried in cattle vans were lowly farm animals.

 

 

 

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Faced with no alternative, Mr Bull finally gave in. "But make sure to tighten the tarpaulin better. Those ropes look slack and I won't have my champion go down with pneumonia!". Heaving a sigh of relief, Woodcourt made a mental note to remind the staff of the sheeting regulations. Those ropes did look rather slack!

 

 

 

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As No. 535 moved the van and its valuable cargo out of the loading dock, porter C. Walker realized that he now possessed some very useful inside information. After that ride, chances were that Mr Bull's champion wouldn't live up to its usual reputation at the races today. Best get some bets in.

 

 

 

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Meanwhile, Woodcourt was happy to see the horse move off. He congratulated himself on solving the little crisis, and wondered if perhaps the day would turn out well after all. Little did he know that his troubles had only just begun...

 

Go to part 3

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Another great narrative Mikkel - and the modelling/photos equally so - I hope you have drafted the next installment.

 

I'm off to the betting shop before that Champion arrives...

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As he walked back to his office, Woodcourt looked back at the wagon, lifted his cap and scratched his head. He walked on shaking his head and thinking "What xxx stencilled the date on that wagon sheet? He obviously couldn't tell the difference between thirteen and thirty!"

 

Good stuff, Mikkel. Looking forward to the next episode.

 

Nick

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Be careful with your bets gentlemen, you haven't seen the end of this yet!

 

Would be fun to do a jockey - spots and all - but perhaps of limited use on a model railway :-)

 

So the stencilled numbers are dates! I've always thought they were some kind of measurement - but did wonder why they were all different. D'oh. Never mind, I'm not happy with the sheeting on that cattle van anyway and want to redo it. It was a bit hurried, and the ropes have come loose. Also I see now that there should be 5 ropes per side (good photos in GWR Goods Sheds part 2A, p58-59). I did consider doing a sheet of the earlier style which had the full "GWR". But an overview photo in "Edwardian enterprise" suggested that the style seen here was in use by 1914.

 

The idea for this came from a photo in GWR Goods wagons part 2A p52, which shows a cattle van sheeted with a single sheet for carrying horses.

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So 'Ambridge' can expect to see a sheeted cattle wagon or two on race days - nice tip about the 'inside tip'!

 

Once again an absolutley cracking cameo Mikkel.

 

Regs

 

Ian

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Mikkel,

 

Re comment about "only lowly farm animals' bring transported in tarpaulin covered cattle wagons. I have see a photo were a whole regiment of cavalry were being transported to summer camp on Salisbury Plane where the officers' chargers were in horse boxes but the troopers' were in tarpaulin covered cattle wagons.

 

Dave

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Ian: Note that I haven't actually seen any evidence that *race horses* were ever transported in cattle vans - that's just something I've dreamt up for this story.

 

Dave: Very interesting, thanks for that info. The caption to the photo in GWR Goods Services does say "lesser" animals, which is probably a good term then.

 

On the issue of sheeting, my inclination would have been to use two sheets, but I thought I had best follow the prototype photo I had.

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Top shelf again, Mikkel!

 

Where did you get that lovely little dray wagon in the top shot (with 'Smith' on it) and what did you use to get the goods bay platform surface effect? Also, how did you face those platforms so neatly?

 

Looks like Mr Woodcourt is going to need a few stiff whiskeys in the Pub after the day is done!

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To add to what buffalo (Nick?) said the tarpaulin would have to be added after the horse had been loaded to allow the upper 'cupboard' doors to be opened? Presumably they sheeted the van quickly to demonstrate the suitability hence why the ropes are not done tightly (and not all are tied down) :wink_mini:

 

There is a section of the appendix of the latest revision of GWW devoted to the various tarpaulin styles over the years. I've got a tarpaulin on one of my opens with the sail (I don't know that this is a recognised term for the device, but it looks like a sail) on it, which would have been repainted or replaced by the period I intend to portray, so I am definitely in a glass house here...

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Thanks Jon. Looking at the Code 100 rail in those photos does annoy me a little. I'm not a fanatic about track at all, but in close-ups like this it does affect the visual impression, I think. Makes it all the more interesting to experiment with the C+L track.

 

Where did you get that lovely little dray wagon in the top shot (with 'Smith' on it) and what did you use to get the goods bay platform surface effect? Also, how did you face those platforms so neatly?

 

The dray is described in this entry. The kit is actual for a coal traders dray but I decided to keep it like this.

 

The loading dock surface is very fine sandpaper (can't remember the grade, sorry) and the edging is from good old Peco. I painted some very wet polyfilla into the join between the sandpaper and edging. There are more details on the gwr.org.uk site here (scroll down).

 

You're probably right that Woodcourt would accept a whiskey after work if hard pressed, but he does have a reputation to think of :-)

 

the tarpaulin would have to be added after the horse had been loaded to allow the upper 'cupboard' doors to be opened? Presumably they sheeted the van quickly to demonstrate the suitability hence why the ropes are not done tightly (and not all are tied down) :wink_mini:

 

Ah yes, that's why the ropes are not tight! :-) The photo I referred to above does in fact show that the sheet is "drawn back" from the upper cupboard doors on one side so horses could enter. I tried modelling it but the Smiths tarpaulin paper doesn't lend itself well to that sort of tampering. I've been thinking of alternatives, and would like to experiment with cling film, if it will take paint.

 

There is a section of the appendix of the latest revision of GWW devoted to the various tarpaulin styles over the years. I've got a tarpaulin on one of my opens with the sail (I don't know that this is a recognised term for the device, but it looks like a sail) on it, which would have been repainted or replaced by the period I intend to portray, so I am definitely in a glass house here...

 

Very interesting. Did you make that earlier version yourself? Must get the latest version of GWW, does seem to have significant improvements.

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Did you make that earlier version yourself? Must get the latest version of GWW, does seem to have significant improvements.

 

Yes, well no - I printed it out, see this blog entry. I have the file somewhere. If I can find it since my computer migration I'll PM you for an email address to send it over.

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Mikkel,

 

Absolutely fantastic as usual!!

 

I made a couple of early tarpaulins which can be seen in the following blog entry (http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/834/entry-6895-trefallion-wagons-and-vans/),

I found some very thin paper (no idea what gsm), which I coloured with a black bullet nosed permanent marker (came out dark grey). The writing was added in white ink using my rotring pen (0.25mm nib) and a small paint brush to fill out the GW.

 

I don't think they are perfect by any means, and these days I would be inclined to try to print some up on an inkjet printer (these were made in the late 1980's when most people were still using dot-matrix printers).

 

I look forward to future installments - I think that the "tales of Farthing" just breathe life into what is otherwise "just" a very good model.

 

Ian

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Many thanks for these great ideas for making proper sheeting.

 

Rich, those Rizlas look brilliant, never would have thought of it! They have just the right faded look. Fantastic.

 

Ian I'm much impressed by our lettering skills - I had assumed they were printed!

 

RMweb is such a resource, I never cease to be amazed :-)

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