Stoke Courtenay

[checkrail]

On ‎25‎/‎05‎/‎2019 at 15:32, gwrrob said:

it would save me whipping mine out on ANTB

 

You can get locked up for that.

 

Ok guys, I'll get the camera out.

 

John C.

[checkrail]

A new 'Winslow Hall' has arisen from the wreckage of the old.  Here it is on a Plymouth-bound stopper, with a horse box that needs to be dropped off for Earlsbridge at Stoke Courtenay.

 

 

 

More to follow, now I've got the camera working again.  (After the first few shots it refused to switch off.  In the end I took the battery out and then put it back in. Seemed to sort it, but not immediately.  Weird.)

 

John C.

[checkrail]

Renewing the Hall, using a nice 'Kinlet Hall' obtained on eBay at a decent price, took a bit longer than I expected, but I saved a bit of time and effort by unscrewing the smokebox/boiler/firebox/cab and attaching them to the footplate of my original model.  This meant that I didn't have to change the buffer beam number, screw coupling or nameplate, nor did I have to file down the over-chunky Bachmann lamp irons (except for the one on the smoke box door).

 

 

 

 

And the new 5975 has, correctly, a fire iron tunnel, made from Plastikard using the white metal one that Mike 'Coach Bogie' kindly sent me as a template.

 

John C. 

[checkrail]

Here's one of Winslow Hall slowing to its scheduled stop at Stoke Courtenay.  Think I might add a couple of greasy blobs to those front buffers.

 

The main reason it took a while to fettle 5975 was that while I had it in bits I thought I'd bite the bullet and weather it a bit, or at least tone it down.  The love/hate relationship I have with my airbrush (mainly hate) meant I'd been putting this off too long. Vallejo black wash was my medium of choice, and gives a nice sooty finish.  I've also been trying to emulate the methods of 'To Boldly Go' of this parish, using satin varnish to add that oily sheen, but I've not yet nailed it. The trouble I've found is that once you've thinned Vallejo satin (or even gloss) varnish sufficiently for it not to block the airbrush, it dries matt!  

 

Anyway, here's the Hall drawing the horse box forward prior to depositing it in the little bay platform.

 

 

 

 

I suppose there actually is a bit of a slight sheen on that boiler.

 

John C.

Edited May 26, 2019 by checkrail

[checkrail]

Wide open spaces across the yard.  There are actually about a dozen goods wagons dotted around there, but none to be seen from this angle.

 

 

Having dropped of the horse box and reversed back onto its train 5975 continues its journey west.  Judging by the angle the last picture was taken by the horse.

 

 

 

John C.

[checkrail]

A couple of close-ups of Winslow Hall showing the crew (modelu), fallplate (stout black paper) and real coal in tender.

 

 

 

Reasonably pleased with the finish, which I think brings it a bit more into the real world.  I managed to restrain my impatience when removing the Great (coat of arms) Western lettering from the tender and spent loads of time very lightly rubbing with cotton buds and a small amount of T-cut.  Result - for once I got the stuff off without going right through to the black plastic or leaving scratchmarks.  I can learn!  Motion has been painted with Lifecolor grease effect paints - may add a little more.

 

John C.

[checkrail]

5975 rounding the curve through the cutting.

 

John C.

[checkrail]

A bit of a contrast here as Winslow Hall passes sister engine 4908 Broome Hall

 

 

These pics suggest that maybe Broome Hall should be the next case for treatment.

 

(Incidentally, one great bonus from having to replace most of Winslow Hall was that I finally got a Bachmann Hall that's a sweet, smooth runner.  I find Bachmann mechanisms very hit & miss in terms of running qualities.)

 

And once the camera's recharged we can follow the horse box's onward journey towards Earlsbridge.

 

John C.

Edited May 26, 2019 by checkrail

[Anglian]

Fabulous – thank you and so many images. It's interesting seeing the more complex moves like slip coaches and horse boxes.

Did all the railway companies use slip coaches or was it predominantly a GWR practice?

[Buhar]

A fair few had slip coaches, the Caley and Midland for two.  The Midland abandoned the practice after WW1 (the last slip coach being built in 1911).  The Caley appears to have stopped its fairly extensive slip operations on the Grampian Express around the same time.  There was an accident involving a slipped coach catching up with its train at Woodford Halse in 1935, so was that a continuing GC activity or an LNER innovation.

 

I think the GWR kept the practice going for longer than any other company.

[Nick Holliday]

11 hours ago, Buhar said:

A fair few had slip coaches, the Caley and Midland for two.  The Midland abandoned the practice after WW1 (the last slip coach being built in 1911).  The Caley appears to have stopped its fairly extensive slip operations on the Grampian Express around the same time.  There was an accident involving a slipped coach catching up with its train at Woodford Halse in 1935, so was that a continuing GC activity or an LNER innovation.

 

I think the GWR kept the practice going for longer than any other company.

Certainly the GWR was the last to slip coaches in the UK, but the number two user of slipping was the LBSCR. At the peak of slipping, before the Great War, when the practice practically ceased, the GWR had 72 daily slips, the LBSCR 27, MR 21, GER and LNWR 18, CR 12, SE&CR 9, L&YR 7, GCR 4, and Furness and GNR 1 each. There were 11 in Ireland.

Slipping resumed after the war, and at Grouping the GWR had 47, the Southern 31, LMSR 6 and LNER 5, surprisingly it was the LNER that lasted until 1939,  the Southern having stopped in 1932, as electrification made it less relevant, only the GWR recommencing after WW2.

[checkrail]

Buhar 

17 hours ago, Anglian said:

It's interesting seeing the more complex moves like slip coaches

 

I'll defer to Buhar and Nick re knowledge of slip coach workings.  They've provided lots of info I didn't know.

 

But I don't actually model slip workings on my south Devon scene, just normal through coaches which are attached to and detached from the parent train manually.  I would guess that slip workings wouldn't be all that suitable for areas full of steep gradients and sharp curves?  Slip coaches do make interesting models though.

 

John C.

[checkrail]

So, here's the horse box in the bay where the Hall left it.  We're just waiting now for the next train from Earlsbridge to come and claim it.

You'll see that the hook of the left hand T/L coupling is raised, a buried magnet attracting the steel staple glued to the coupling dropper.  This is the site of a new uncoupling point I decided I needed.  Rather than cut through 3 or 4 sleepers and dig up the ballast to fit my usual pair of square magnets, with all the making good and colour toning afterwards, I used two slim little neo-dymium ones.  Two small holes of about 2mm dia. and the job was done, needing only a about half a dozen grains of ballast to cover and blend in.

 

And here comes the branch train.

 

 

 

John C.

[checkrail]

4574 has this morning received 'the treatment' consisting of a good airbrushing with Vallejo black wash and some attention to the motion with Lifecolor grease and oil effects.  Think she looks a little more 'workaday' now.  

 

 

 

A quick drink at the water tower then she's off, running around her train and crossing over the single slip and up main to retrieve the horse box.

 

John C.

[checkrail]

Now 4574 couples up to the horse box, but then has to wait while a Star-hauled express passes on the up line, before propelling the vehicle into the branch platform for it to be coupled to the B-set.

 

 

 

 

John C.

[checkrail]

1. Propelling the horsebox across the up main and into the branch platform.

 

2. Coupling up to the B-set.

 

3. The lamp has now having been switched to the other end of the loco, and the train departs for Earlsbridge, horse on board.

 

John C.

[checkrail]

The final three shots of horse box action shew the train heading down the branch.  

 

 

 

(I notice now that the Vallejo 'grey-black' on the cylinder cover has dried with a sheen.  Typical of me and paints - what I want to be shiny dries matt, what I want to be dead flat dries shiny, whatever it says on the jar, bottle or tin.  Hey ho.)

 

John C.

[Limpley Stoker]

Thank you for arranging the horsebox saga which was gripping viewing!  I was imagining the cost of all those movements to transfer the horsebox on to the Encombe train. Rail travel for horses must have been very expensive. Hopefully that excellent sequence will be available as a boxed set.

[Regularity]

46 minutes ago, Limpley Stoker said:

Thank you for arranging the horsebox saga which was gripping viewing!

Had you chomping at the bit, didn’t it?

[KNP]

Very nice sequence of pictures.

Make me wonder if I need to get a couple of these boxes?

[Coach bogie]

The furthest west slip working on the GWR was Exeter. Once the working was over, the fun began as they had to get the coach back to Paddington. That was when you would see slip coaches working as a non corridor compo, being put in other trains to eventually be worked back east. Not west enough, but there are images of slip coaches being used in Bristol of Filton local trains prior to worked back to base. There is an excuse if you want one.Worsley works produces a single ended slip coach set of sides if anyone wants to have a go at concerting an rtr.

 

For 'specials' my favourite reason is because it is Tuesday where you would see a van for the Hotels and Refreshment depart sending out supplies. My Aunt worked in the laundry at Swindon and always called the vans the linens as she was part of a large team of mainly women who unloaded the dirties and reloaded with fresh table clothes, bedding etc and Tuesday was the day the West country run took place. In addition, the working involved the coach, being dropped off and picked up by a later service to give enough time to be loaded/unloaded. Below is the most memorable vehicle on the run in the form of one of the two ex Royal train full braked 1069/70. I was lucky enough to pick up a pair of extra brake etches from Tony Hammond when he produced 5 coaches of the Royal Train for a brief time. If Robin form ANTB is reading, this coach was used well into the 1950's on this type of duty.

 

There were many different vehicles used on the 'linen'. A more common van is the ex K15 rebuilt to several different diagrams with the lookout removed and some had a corridor connection fitted. This one is now K29. The Dean bogies were replaced by Americans on several vans. If anyone prefers plastic to brass the ex K's are still around on eBay, and even though prices have reached £30 sometimes, it is still a reasonable price to get something different. Brass ones have been available from several sources, Hammond, Dart Castings, Roxey. This is one was produced with some of the panels plated over. It has had the gas replaced with electric lighting etc. They were so common, and appear at the head of trains in many 1930's images. They were used for many different purposes, not just parcels. If you see one of these at Bristol- it could contain sausages.

Mike Wiltshire

[David C]

 Slip coaches do make interesting models though.

John C.

 

Agreed. You could quite prototypically use one on the branch, even if they were not seen on the mainline being returned on a normal service train so far West. The GWR removed the slipping gear (apart from the tanks underneath) from quite a few redundant slips and employed them on branchlines. Usually having 1st and 2nd class accommodation, they were ideal for lines where the passenger traffic only required a single coach. Off the top of my head, Farringdon, Newcastle Emlyn and (I think) Windsor were examples.  The former had 70 foot concertinas whilst Windsor had a shorter version (not sure what diagram, but possibly a toplight). I want one for "Woodstowe" as they lasted well into the BR period.

 

A beautiful and inspiring layout - keep the pics coming!

 

David C

 

 

 

 

[gwrrob]

7 hours ago, KNP said:

Very nice sequence of pictures.

Make me wonder if I need to get a couple of these boxes?

 

They would look superb on LM providing you can get hold of them. One of the best rtr GWR vehicles on the market.

[chrisf]

Several decommissioned slip coaches were allocated to Taunton after slipping ceased in 1960.  One worked regularly from Taunton to Chard where it would often form the Junction to Central shuttle.  Others were added to the formation of Taunton to Barnstaple services, initially because B sets had no toilets and it was a long journey!

 

Chris

[checkrail]

On ‎27‎/‎05‎/‎2019 at 23:35, Limpley Stoker said:

Hopefully that excellent sequence will be available as a boxed set.

 

Yeah, bit of a long drawn out saga, and perhaps not quite as dramatic as Game of Thrones.  And considering that I'd only just weathered 4574 that morning you were literally watching paint dry.

 

John.