richard i

Try building a gunpowder van, certainly the GCR one makes a standard 5 plank wagon look like a bohemeth. Richard

E mail sent, we await a reply to see if that avenue can take us any further in the debate.Richard

Does this get us any further on the secr road vans in GCR service? Very kindly had a reply Strangely had to do it as a photo as rmweb would not let me paste in from an email. Does anyone have the book, can we go anywhere from here? Richard

More progress on the free style lettering. The letters have been cleaned up, the pencil marks rubbed out and a little embellishment to the three feathers in the middle. Not sure how much the would have got in real life but I can not find a photo of a Cambrian wagon in Cambrian livery on the net which is not a model. I don't think I will give up the day job just yet but it has certainly given me food for thought on how to get the one off companies' liveries in my collection . Richard

Had a go at at hand painting the lettering on the Cambrian wagon. Tried to use a bowpen for the first time. First side Then second side I think it improved, but clearly a lot more practice is needed to make a really presentable job, I most likely will cover most of this with a tarpaulin to hide the worst of these sins. Advice on improved ways of doing this? Richard

The wagon progress is slow. Up to transfers, one lomac in GCR ex LDEC stock as they were close enough for the 3foot rule the other will be in GER lettering. The Cambrian wagon needs lettering and covering in a tarp. Hand painting has been suggested as is it worth getting transfers for one wagon? The road van, might just stay in WD livery to avoid offending the purists. But that will wait until I have those transfers from wd models. Richard

In the tatlow book, but it is so dirty you can barely make out the company insignia. Richard

And that's where you tell us it is way off in every dimension.

Well not after a glass or two of wine anyway. Richard

You could finish the run from the station building to the end of the layout with a fence.

The old Hornby one is very close to the GCR ones so i have one to have a go at to back date it. Progress of course posted on here. Richard edited for awful spelling, it is not even late over here.

It might have to go into a barn on the next board which has yet to be built.

Lowmac is from Dapol it is the simple plastic kit just with new wheels.

Thankfully have several agricultural loads that need moving too, so I can change the load.

Farm wagon weathered and placed in the field. Yet to be glued down as always wait to see if it is the best place for it. It is empty, can't decide what it would have left in it whilst it sat in a field. 1900 farming not a strong point of mine. Who would guess I wrote my dissertation on farming in Essex in 1805, but then I never had to set foot on a farm to write that. Academics versus practical and all that. Any ideas appreciated. Richard

I think it was a bit of both, some where I recall that they were too high? For the filling points but it does seem strange having just built immingham docks to then build something that could not use it. Whilst I wait for the paint to dry. A little wagon for a corner of the layout. Trying out wood building. Just going to give it some washes to dirty it up. Richard

Something similar here, it all boiled down to most collieries not wanting to convert their loading areas to accept the new wagons.....from what I understand.

Complete, almost.... It is just resting on the bogies . It is not perfect, but for just a side conversion it came together reasonably quickly. There is something to be said for that when I need 100 plus wagons and 30plus coaches and all need building by me. Richard

The sides of the coal wagon are not bowed in real life it must be the camera playing tricks again

And the trouble with traveling around is only certain things can get done. Have built a couple of GER lomacs for some suitable cars. These have joined the painting queue. Then a Cambrian wagon which had to stop as I need to solder up the bar over the top and was away from the soldering iron. And lastly an idea to convert a park side lner sulphate wagon into a GCR coal wagon. You can see the original side, the attempt to convert a side before accepting I could not reconcile the number of ribs on the side. So thirdly the scratch built sides. On the positive it has used the ends, floor, under gubins and bogies of the kit and the sides took just over a night to make. I still have to bend round the angle fitted to the side below the sole bar. I some how feel I should finish these before starting something else. Richard

Shirebrooks web page. As a historian I should really check their research, but in this instance I took it in good faith that the statement was accurate. For one, the companies which had them were listed rather than a general statement of how some pregrouping companies used them. Why would a company be listed if they did not use them as it would be easier to not list companies than falsely include them. In support was also a discussion on one of the threads on here discussing if they were repainted or kept in wd livery. Be it true or not, it has gained enough traction with people and it is very hard to prove a negative, I.e. That they definitively were not used. Perhaps still in wd ownership and had running rights or loaned to the GCR but never taken into capital stock. I am open to any proof one way or the other. I will be repainting the signal slightly as more infomation has come to light. So any advice happily received. Richard

The book of words say they did have them. So I was going off that. If it is not right then maya culpa. Elsewhere it has been discussed they were on loan so not taken in to stock book. Would that fit?

Progress whilst away from the layout. The road van which the GCR took on from ex war department stock. I have decided to livery in GC rather than wd as the debate is still open on the livery they carried, however, as loco and brake should be the same and I don't have a wd loco it is in gc livery. It will be on the back end of the exhibition train of whippet tanks and areroplane to tour the country. Need to make the lomac as almost the last part of the train. Richard.

Butler Henderson goes for about £130-150 on e bay, though I think it is still available direct from the NRM. If that helps. Richard

Clever boy.