Mikkel

Is something written in the center? E.g. LOCO ? Doesn't seem to fit, but was there a PW designation of some sort.

Hi Chris. I'm sorry to hear that you have been unwell, I hope things improve soon. Good to see progress on the Siphon! I can't help but notice that Mr Price - who seems to be a bit of purist - is glaring at the axleboxes (looks like they're on the wrong way round). Anyway, it's an interesting range of Siphon kits that this manufacturer has produced. Especially since they added underframe fittings. I came across a photo of a nice long train of Siphons the other day, these kits would be a good way to produce something like that without costing a fortune.

Some interesting reflections, Keith. I like your comparative shots with the same baseboard but different stations and trains, quite thought provoking. As you say, it really highlights how different things can appear. Visually the "Schönberg" and "Kirchbach" versions are pleasing and would make lovely layouts, but if you're looking for a challenge I think it would be quite novel to see if your large grain structures etc could be incorporated in a small space.

Nothing wrong with your looking skills 🙂 The PW train is reproduced in Atkins' GWR Goods Train Working Vol 1, p 11 (he sees the wagon as a 3-planker and wonders whether it has dumb buffers.)

So steel bodied, e.g. a P4? It would be a fun little train to run.

The photo appears in Russell's Freight Wagons and Loads in Service on the Great Western Railway (long out of print), where the caption identifies it as 36365. I assume the author had access to the original print and so could probably read it. Looking at the reproduced print through my magnifier I think he is right. I think it is just the blur that makes it look longer, here is a close-up:

Two 3-plankers here, square bloke underway and rounded type having a breather. Numbers not legible, and no date or location. Dean Goods carries 1903-18 J headcode and, I think, a garter. Edit: See discussion below. The round-ended wagon is obviously a 3-planker, but the wagon in the train appears to be a Permanent Way wagon. And here is 3- planker No. 36365 employed as runner. Caption says Crocodile Es No. 41948 and 41949 being moved from Horsehay to Hansbridge, 1909. (Images are larger if right-clicked and opened in new tab or downloaded)

And 4-plankers. If it's GWR 1900s you'll need 4-plankers. Though I know that's very modern for you 🙂

Indeed, and thus a good match with the discussion here 🙂

I did a reasonably systematic trawl of the Railway Magazine for livery details some years ago. I won't link to the blog again - for some people, there be dragons - but it's attached here. For mention (and critique!) of all-over coach brown, see the entries for: July 1903, August 1903, October 1904, June 1905, July 1905, August 1906, August 1908, October 1909. Note also the different terms used to describe the colour. RailwayMagazineLiveries_OK.pdf

Yes it's here - though there isn't much more to it:

They often are in photos from the period, regardless of the day. I think if it was an opening day shot the broom would have been put away - not proper! 🙂

Lovely scenes, Louis. And very much your style. A perfect distillation of the hundreds (nay, thousands!) of photos, ideas and thoughts that you have taken us through on here. I know you also plan for a big layout, but your small layouts are little gems in my view.

Thank you! Ah yes, the shed is John Dornom's work, the photo is even on the commemorative page here: https://www.masterpiecemodels.co.uk/index.php/latest-news/217-john-dornom-1950-2022

A wagon frenzy! Great stuff Matt. You're going to be needing more foam for your clever wagon storage solution. Chris' prints do look good. As opposed to something else I am working on right now. The 3D printing scene seems to be a Wild West at the moment, some prints are superb and some are very poor, but you can't always tell the difference from advert photos because these days anything can be made to look good in an image.

Further to discussion of the brown 517s, I dug out this old post by Nick (much missed) from an archived thread: If Nick is correct here, brown is an option from 1905 to the mid-20s, which surprises me a little. As since pointed out by @Brassey, the brown livery on 517s can be distiguished by the cream cab interior (when it can be seen). Many years ago Andy posted these excellent shots on here that he had taken. The images disappeared in a changeover or the Great Loss, so unfortunately I cannot say whose model it is, does anyone know? Incidentally, Nick's point about the lake 517s is interesting. An opportunity to be different if anyone is so inclined. There were one or two Lee Marsh 517s done in that livery. Or perhaps the Wolverhampton livery might tempt someone. James has posted some photos of delightful models in these liveries here and here.

Here's a photo posted by Brassey of a brown 517 with choc & cream trailer: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/blogs/entry/25509-slaters-gwr-dia-c10-clerestory-coach/?do=findComment&comment=75210 - and below it his model version. Irresistible if you ask me.

I think so - certainly with a roundtopped firebox, as God intended them 🙂 That's what I was wondering when I came across this: https://railway-photography.smugmug.com/GWRSteam-1/18541864-GWR-Wolverhampton-186/Joseph-Armstrong-Standard-Goods-517-class/i-xbkzDQb/A Further 517s here, the first three are nice studies: https://railway-photography.smugmug.com/GWRSteam-1/18641897-GWR-Wolverhampton-Geo/George-Armstrong-GWR-517-Class-0-4-2T/i-hTV4Lm8

Hi Colin, that's a very creative solution. I really like when ordinary household items are brought into use. Can the strips be angled slightly downwards or is that too fiddly?

First George Armstrong design in RTR, I think. Looks well pleased.

He's doing a Saint now, should be interesting.

Well, the wagon looked fine when you bought it, but the end result is unique! Can I ask what the red base paint is, please? An excellent end to a good day on RMweb.

A little over two years since you started this thread, saying you were "relatively new to railway modelling". And here we are with views and stock like this. A proper tour de force!

I tend to use some thick rectangular or square styrene rod (Evergreen call theirs "strips").

Look at all those details. Hours and hours of modelling potential. Years, even.