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Same but different - early 1900s GWR wagons


Mikkel

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For the past year or so I’ve been adding to my fleet of early 1900s GWR wagons. The idea is to make each wagon a little different. Here’s a summary of some of the detail differences so far. First up is this gang of Iron Minks.

 

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The Iron Minks were built from ABS kits, with replacement roofs from MRD. The grease axleboxes on 57605 were scrounged from another kit, and the deep vents on 11258 were made from styrene. The unusual hybrid livery of the latter van is based on my interpretation of a photo in Atkins, Beard & Tourret. See this post for details.

 

 

 

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Next is a brace of three-plankers, seen here at rest in the still rather bare sidings at Farthing.

 

 

 

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David Geen does whitemetal kits for both the round- and square end 3-plank wagons. The 5 inch "G.W.R" insignia was moved from left to right in 1894, but wagons still carrying left-hand "G.W.R" occasionally appear in photos as late as 1905.

 

 

 

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No. 1897 of the 1854ST class shunts a pride of 4-plankers in the sidings.

 

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The 4-plankers are Coopercraft kits, with modified floors and running gear. The rarely modelled Thomas brake gear on 71508 was fashioned from handrail knobs and wire, while the DC1 brakes on 781 is from a Bill Bedford etch. The irregular font of the Tare numbes on 64493 are based on a prototype photo, as with most of the wagons.

 

 

 

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All good fun. Having said that, I've had enough of building little red wagons for the time being, so now it's on with the layout.

Edited by Mikkel

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  • RMweb Gold

How long did those round-end 3-plankers last in service?

 

Just found another one in my newly acquired GWR Goods Services Vol 2B, page 301: Superb photo of Devonport Goods Depot, no date but the shed was opened in 1903.

 

* The photo shows three-plank wagon No. 3661, still with round ends.

 

* Also at least 10 four-plankers (and 2 I'm not sure of). Of these, 4 have cast plates, 6 with small right hand "G.W.R".

 

* Also 2 iron minks. 

 

Lovely!

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Hi Mikkel:

These look great and I'm really enjoying your posts (and your blog). I am interested in the sheet over one of your four-plank opens. Have you written about that somewhere? I'm building 7mm scale models of GWR equipment circa 1902-05 and am trying to figure out how loads were covered in that era, and how to model it. Thanks in advance!

- Trevor

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Hi Trevor, there's a description of how the 4mm sheets were made here.

 

 

The lettering was based on Ian's artwork, which can normally be accessed here although the images are not showing at the moment.

 

We have had discussions at various points about how the prototypes were made. Will report back if I find it.

 

 

Edited by Mikkel
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I'm backdating my own dodgy Peco Iron Mink and I need to figure out lettering among other things, I don't suppose I could buy just those required from you for a single van, could I? Or if not, where you could get these? I couldn't find anything from Fox, Modelmasters or HMRS!

Edited by Lacathedrale
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Bought without reservation! What colour did you use for the red, please? I think mine is too close to the SER and P.O. oxides.

 

Would that Hybrid livery have been seen circa late 1890's also? Or is it purely a 1900's thing?

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Mikkel

Posted (edited)

On 15/06/2022 at 15:37, Lacathedrale said:

Bought without reservation! What colour did you use for the red, please? I think mine is too close to the SER and P.O. oxides.

 

Would that Hybrid livery have been seen circa late 1890's also? Or is it purely a 1900's thing?

 

For a faded look of the wagon red, I found it can help to follow up by "dry brushing" a lighter version of the colour combo that Miss P linked to (perhaps with a little orange added to avoid it becoming too pink). I put "dry-brushing" in qoutation marks because it's more like massaging/rubbing in the main surfaces with an almost dry brush.

 

Regarding the hybrid livery, I am not proposing that this was in any way widespread. I just thought it would be an interesting little follow-up project to a discussion we had about a photo of 11258. 

 

Edited by Mikkel
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