Castle Aching

[Edwardian]

That is a very anachronistic hat even for that time - the sound sailor's cap was in use long before then

 

Indeed, the sennet hat overlapped with the caps for some considerable period; for instance, I have seen pictures of the Naval Brigade in Zululand in 1879 in caps!

 

Thanks to Mullie and Caley Jim for cassette pics and explanations. I am thinking now that the eventual configuration can be a cassette trough located behind Achingham, with a shelf for cassettes below.

 

Hoping to close a transaction tomorrow which I hope buys me another 12 months to sell the house. So, hopefully modelling will resume in earnest from next weekend (fingers crossed)!

 

People - final instalment (for now!)

 

In the meantime, I have finished the last of the people.  He is my second Dapol-derived workman.  He is pictured next to his companion.  Geoff and Burt have both benefitted from minor surgery and the odd blob of Greenstuff.  Burt's peaked cap was replaced by a bowler with a paper brim and Greenstuff crown (roll a sphere of the stuff and then cut it in half once hardened).  Burt's face is Greenstuff, via a Greenstuff mould taken from a Stadden workman.  

[Nearholmer]

A couple of pictures:

 

First, the brother of the chap that you just made, in a photo from possibly the greatest book ever written: "The Lincolnshire Potato Railways" by Stewart Squires. I modelled this scene in 0 scale, complete with tin bath, on a tiny little layout.

 

Second, another way of attacking the FY problem, the "traversing removable", from Rev Denny's 'Leighton Buzzard'.

 

K

[BG John]

A couple of pictures:

 

First, the brother of the chap that you just made, in a photo from possibly the greatest book ever written: "The Lincolnshire Potato Railways" by Stewart Squires. I modelled this scene in 0 scale, complete with tin bath, on a tiny little layout.

Wow! Those are some serious spuds. I've never seen any that size before!

[Donw]

I like the figures have either of them got a brother I think I may have seen him earlier. They do seem to fit the period.  The cassette option should suit you fine. I hope other matters go well for you.

Don

 

edit  typed while Nearholmer was doing his post. The brother I was thinking of would have been one of Edwardian's.

Edited July 17, 2016 by Donw

[Nearholmer]

BGJ

 

You've clearly not spent time in Lincolnshire.

 

You should see their Swedish Turnips.

 

K

[corneliuslundie]

Peter Denny also had a revolving fiddle yard, so that a sequence of trains could be run out and then back to the fiddle yard. At that point the Automatic Crispin (poanola roll type computer system) rang a bell to tell the operator to turn the fiddle yard.Mind you, Peter denny was doing most things before we had even thought of them, and usually with recysled wood and card.

If using cassettes have pivoted drop ends to stop stock running away, preferable designed so that you are reminded to drop them before picking up the cassette. Even if the loco is attached and has worm drive, it is still possible for couplings to come undone.

Jonathan

[Edwardian]

I like the figures have either of them got a brother I think I may have seen him earlier. They do seem to fit the period.  The cassette option should suit you fine. I hope other matters go well for you.

Don

 

edit  typed while Nearholmer was doing his post. The brother I was thinking of would have been one of Edwardian's.

 

Indeed, Geoff, the chap on the right, did crop up earlier.  it was only on viewing the larger than life image that I noticed Geoff still had an open shirt with turn down collar, so I have now trimmed these off.

[Edwardian]

I discover that the straw sennet hat was part of the Rating's uniform when it was first established in 1857, though, like other elements of the first uniform, it was probably an item that had been traditionally worn for some time prior to this.

 

What surprised me is that it remained on the Royal Navy's kit list until 1921!

[Edwardian]

RN Stokers, early 20th century, in a highly sanitised recruitment poster.

 

Note the sennet hats in tropical locales top right and bottom right of the poster.!  

[Nearholmer]

In the Navy,

 

Yes, you can wear a lot of hats,

 

In the Navy,

 

Yes, you can indulge in manly chats,

 

Etc........

[Donw]

I bet that has you just itching to sign up. A way of life gone now there is no need for Stokers.

Don

[Shadow]

My maternal grandfather was a stocker on submarines either during or just after the first world war. K class I think they were. Doesn't sound like a good idea!!

 

Edit to add link.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_K-class_submarine

Edited July 19, 2016 by Shadow

[Nearholmer]

Just skimmed that link: the mind boggles!

 

Still, gives another traffic for the WNR: naval ratings travelling to the deeply secret steam submarine training facility near Birchoverham.

 

That, and the steady stream of visitors to The Admiral Horatio Nelson Collection of Nautical Headgear, housed at Castle Aching Town Museum, ought to keep revenues buoyant (even if the submarines weren't, even when they were meant to be).

 

K

[Edwardian]

Some little while ago it was pointed out to me that the WNR really ought to have something to run on it.

 

In, I hope, the spirit of the piece - scratch-built track, scratch-built buildings and converted figures - I would like to scratch-build the stock.  By 'scratch-build' I mean that I would utilise proprietary accessories, rather than manufacture components!

 

I had thought to make a start with wagons.  A brief consideration of the subject confirms that scratch-building is a necessity in any event; we are pre- 1907 RCH.

 

Suitable subjects range from dumb-buffered POs from the 1870s through to 'modern' company wagons from the turn of the Century.  I note that the GE wagons are 9'6" w/b.  Others are 9', or less.

 

It struck me that there were two basic routes:

 

1.  Modify the nearest suitable u/f kit.  I am comfortable working in plastic, so Cambrian and Parkside spring to mind

 

2.  Scratch-build u/f, which, I suppose, is done using brass fold-up W irons and cosmetic axle-box/spring assemblies?

 

In either case I anticipate scratch-building bodies from plastic-card.

 

I thought to standardise on Gibson wheels.

 

I wondered what topic Contributors thought of this?

 

Certainly, I could benefit from identifying suitable components and from any advice on scratch-building techniques, particularly in relation to under frames.

 

As ever, "economy" is the watchword.

 

Best to you all.

 

James

[BG John]

1907 RCH wagons weren't that different to earlier ones, and other early 1900s wagons were updated versions of 19th century ones. Fit dumb buffers to a few, change the brake gear, fit grease axleboxes, and make a few other small changes, and you can produce some fairly convincing older wagons.

 

None of these wagons are easy to get hold of now, but show what can be done. The D&S GWR brake van was built on a Slaters wooden underframe and the veranda roof omitted. I think the grease axleboxes were a separate item. The open wagons are Slaters MR ones, and one has dumb buffers made from plasticard at both ends, while the other has them at one end. One has a single wooden brake block with a curly lever, and the other has no brakes.

 

 

Then there's always cheap RTR wagons to bash about, like this Hornby one

 

being turned into this broad gauge wagon

 

They may not be perfect models of anything that ever existed, but Castle Aching didn't actually exist either, and if it had existed, the world would have been slightly different.

[Nearholmer]

Might be worth thinking about some old-fashioned approaches, updated:

 

Wagon bodies from card, possibly with printed-paper overlays made using the trusty computer printer, but if not then simply scribed and painted.

 

Under-frames from wood, possibly cut-down chopsticks. Especially easy for dumb-buffered wagons.

 

Brake-gear from round wire (stout paperclips?), or filed-down bits of NS rail, rather than etches. Depends upon what your eyesight is like, and what the viewing distance is meant to be, but I bet such "tricks" would be fine from say 18".

 

Use the money saved to buy Denny's books on the Buckingham Branches, which are full of 'austerity modelling' dodges like this.

 

Kevin

[ChrisN]

If you look through the Pre-Grouping list of threads I am sure that there are some that talk about early wagons.  The Slaters 1907 ones are suitable, but not necessarily cheap.  There are others as well, but again not cheap.  Backdating Hornby wagons sounds a good idea, especially as I have an Arnold Sands one and could do the same.  The Cambrian Kits Cambrian wagons are the right era, but not cheap, well not dirt cheap and Quarryscapes has some 3D printed ones on his site.

 

Dart Castings does bits, grease axleboxes with and without springs, plus other bits.

[Edwardian]

Brilliant ideas, John and Kevin.  Some excellent wagons, there John, and you are quite correct to imply that CA is not a line that counts its rivets!  I am beginning to think that red is the proper colour for GW wagons!

 

I like the idea of adapting kits and RTR wagons. The standard to which I aspire is a standard metal wheel (Gibson) with brass bearing cups.  I see no particular need to compensate, so, if I can use moulded plastic axle-box/springs with bearing cups inset, that works for me.

 

Given that, adapting kit u/fs seems to be a logical choice. 

 

Thanks, Chris, you post as I type.  Cambrian PO u/f and kits look adaptable.

 

In Other News, I have Weakened, and acquired a Coopercraft O5 4 Plank from Ebay.  It is to be finished 'as built' because, first, every layout needs to have at least one Great Western wagon, and, second, because at c.1902 it represents some modern rolling stock, for a change! 

 

Time to give Atkins, Beard and Tourret an airing!

[BlueLightning]

My Slaters "Thomas Meakins" wagon claims to be an RCH 1887 design so a few of those could give you a good start for PO wagons.

 

Gary

[Caley Jim]

They may not be perfect models of anything that ever existed, but Castle Aching didn't actually exist either, and if it had existed, the world would have been slightly different.

Who's to say that WNR wagons were anything like any other company's?  Scratchbuilt or hacked RTR bodies off Ebay, running on similarly hacked underframes from the same source and let your imagination run riot!  

 

Jim

[ChrisN]

I am sure that if anyone in Castle Aching wishes to use slates on their roof, being people of utmost discernment will only buy the best and therefore will obtain them from Messers Williams and Griffith mine at Twill Ddu.  They will then be shipped down the Twill Ddu railway and loaded onto Cambrian 2 plank wagons, as supplied confusingly by Cambrian Kits, with transfers by Quarryscapes, where they will be sent on a circuitous route to the north of Norfolk.

 

If you decide to bid on a 'Thomas Meakins' wagon PM me first so that we do not bid against each other.

[BG John]

Brilliant ideas, John and Kevin.  Some excellent wagons, there John, and you are quite correct to imply that CA is not a line that counts its rivets!  I am beginning to think that red is the proper colour for GW wagons!

 

I like the idea of adapting kits and RTR wagons. The standard to which I aspire is a standard metal wheel (Gibson) with brass bearing cups.  I see no particular need to compensate, so, if I can use moulded plastic axle-box/springs with bearing cups inset, that works for me.

 

Given that, adapting kit u/fs seems to be a logical choice. 

 

Thanks, Chris, you post as I type.  Cambrian PO u/f and kits look adaptable.

 

In Other News, I have Weakened, and acquired a Coopercraft O5 4 Plank from Ebay.  It is to be finished 'as built' because, first, every layout needs to have at least one Great Western wagon, and, second, because at c.1902 it represents some modern rolling stock, for a change! 

 

Time to give Atkins, Beard and Tourret an airing!

I started with the Hornby wagon to get some practice, before getting to work on my Slaters collection and newly acquired Coopercrafts. Start simple and basic, and when you feel competent try something a little harder (or more valuable). Then gradually work your way up to the really difficult ones.

 

It's a good thing I've got enough Coopercraft 4 planks now, or we'd be in competition for them! The 4 planks are almost the same as designs from the 1870s, which had detail differences, grease axleboxes and simpler brakes. I've got my kits to build as broad gauge convertible versions of the older ones.

 

In 1902, your wagon would have had either small lettering or cast plates, and most recent thinking seems to think it would have been painted red. Some time from 1904, it would have had big GW lettering, and have been painted grey.

 

Atkins, Beard and Tourret doesn't cover the early wagons that didn't get diagram numbers unfortunately.

[BlueLightning]

Found a picture of the Thomas Meakins wagon next to some small Horny r-t-r wagons to show that the older wagons were a lot smaller than what is made at the moment. The size difference really does show up close:

 

 

Gary

[uax6]

I would take a look at the Wizard website and search for axleguards to start with. These are a simple way of creating a running wagon, you make up a floor and underframe and then the cast axleguards just glue to the rear of the solebars. They will take bearings and metal wheels, the only difficult bit is getting them parallel!

 

Rivets and nuts can be got from Archers as transfers, and are probably the best way to do them (don't forget to do the inside of the wagon too!). I wouldn't have any issues of making the bodies from 20thou styrene, scribed with a squarker to give you planks (inside too!).

 

Andy G

[Donw]

One great saving is that in 1900 many wagons only had breaks one side so if using a kit you can save a set of brake gear to use on another wagon. 

 

If you want an Iconic GWR wagon the Iron Mink fits the bill Ratio do a kit.

 

This is Jim Reads method used in 0 gauge but could easily be adapted for 00

http://www.jasread.com/micro/wagon.html

 

The Slaters Charles Robert wagon is to RCH 1907 design but was very much a Charles Roberts design that they had been using since circa 1900.

 

Don