The Pre-Grouping Modelling Showcase.

[Chas Levin]

Hello all, I've very much enjoyed reading through this thread and looking at the excellent modelling shown; I'd like to show some pre-grouping models I've made over the last few years - hope this isn't too many. First up, from a D&S kit, a GNR Dia 310 Milk Brake:

 

 

Next, two D&S GNR kits with Oxford Diecast cargoes - the first is an OCT, the second an Implement Wagon:

 

 

 

Then, a Model Wagon Co NBR 7 Ton Mineral Wagon - apologies by the way for the tension lock couplings on all these by the way:

 

 

This is a D&S kit of an NER 12 Ton van:

 

 

This is also D&S kit, a 5 Ton CLC Brake with a guard from Modelu and motion sensor battery operated lighting from Train Tech:

 

 

Then, a D&S kit of an ECJS Full Brake, also with a Train Tech lighting unit powering 1mm LEDs inside but this time into Modelu hollow-bodied side lamps with one red and one clear lens on each one:

 

 

 

And lastly, a London Road Models GNR C2, Hi Level Road Runner gearbox, all painted and lined using Phoenix Precision paints and a ruling pen, figues again from Modelu:

 

 

 

 

Apologies if you've already seen these photos on my own thread, I just thought they would be in good company here too 🙂.

Edited November 24, 2023 by Chas Levin
Replacing lost photos & adding GNR C2

[Edwardian]

Very good indeed, but the vehicle loads - the Bentley Blower and the especially the tractor - look seriously out of period to me.

[Compound2632]

48 minutes ago, Edwardian said:

Very good indeed, but the vehicle loads - the Bentley Blower and the especially the tractor - look seriously out of period to me.

 

 A point that was discussed a while back on Chas' own thread.

Well worth taking a look at his techniques for lining a Great Northern engine - his current project. He claims this is the first time he's done such, so there's hope for us all. Speaking of lining, have you seen:

?

[Caley Jim]

51 minutes ago, Edwardian said:

Very good indeed, but the vehicle loads - the Bentley Blower and the especially the tractor - look seriously out of period to me.

Can't comment on the Bentley, but according to 'The Scottish Farmer', The first 'wee grey Fergie' ( Ferguson TE20)  didn't roll of the assembly line until July 6, 1946.  I frequently rode both on and behind one in the 1950's.

 

Jim

[Chas Levin]

1 hour ago, Edwardian said:

Very good indeed, but the vehicle loads - the Bentley Blower and the especially the tractor - look seriously out of period to me.

 

6 minutes ago Caley Jim said: Can't comment on the Bentley, but according to 'The Scottish Farmer', The first 'wee grey Fergie' ( Ferguson TE20)  didn't roll of the assembly line until July 6, 1946.  I frequently rode both on and behind one in the 1950's.

 

Jim

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Yes, I know the tractor's rather off-period and it is on my list to re-do; trouble is I like the look of it, so it gets put off in favour of other projects...

 

The Bentley I did some better research on and came to the conclusion that it's possible that a GNR OCT might still have been running in GNR livery two or three years after Grouping and might therefore have carried an early (experimental prototype?!) Blower. I grant you this particular Oxford Diecast version (they do several) might not be the earliest, but again, I'm afraid a combination of aesthetics and personal favourites triumphed here, as I love the look of the car and couldn't resist popping it on there....

Edited January 30, 2022 by Chas Levin

[Chas Levin]

14 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

 A point that was discussed a while back on Chas' own thread.

Well worth taking a look at his techniques for lining a Great Northern engine - his current project. He claims this is the first time he's done such, so there's hope for us all. Speaking of lining, have you seen:

?

Thanks Stephen for your kind words; it is indeed the first time I've lined a loco, though you've seen some of the teak coaches I'd done before.

That LNWR thread is very interesting isn't it, some very nice modelling and painting there. I plan to build an LNWR coach or two in due course - the livery is so attractive...

[sir douglas]

Glasgow & South Western 6 ton van. scratch built

 

GWR mink. whitemetal frames, parkside ends and scratchbuild sides and roof

 

London & Birmingham (1830's), Parlytrains kit

 

West Midland (1860's) scratchbuilt

[ian@stenochs]

Probably the best proportioned Scottish 4-4-0!  Greenock bogie No355 waits her next turn of duty.

 

 

Ian.

[Compound2632]

6 minutes ago, ian@stenochs said:

Probably the best proportioned Scottish 4-4-0! 

 

It's very hard to find an ill-proportioned Scottish 4-4-0.

[Hibelroad]

That is modelling perfection, any more details about it available?

[MarcD]

On 05/02/2022 at 20:24, sir douglas said:

Glasgow & South Western 6 ton van. scratch built

 

GWR mink. whitemetal frames, parkside ends and scratchbuild sides and roof

 

London & Birmingham (1830's), Parlytrains kit

 

West Midland (1860's) scratchbuilt

What are the stars for? I have only come across then once before one a GWR dead buffered China clay wagon in Fowey.

 

Marc

[Compound2632]

52 minutes ago, MarcD said:

What are the stars for? I have only come across then once before one a GWR dead buffered China clay wagon in Fowey.

 

The ones on that wagon at Fowey are pentangles, I believe - the occult mark of the Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Co., from whom the wagon was on hire to the Great Western for the china clay traffic; the photograph dates from between 1903 and 1911 [Pannier No. 39 p. 7].

 

A number of companies used a distinctive mark or logo before the Midland hit on the simple of idea of painting the company initials M R in large letters on the wagon side in the early 1880s. The ones that survived longest were the LNWR's Egyptian diamonds (whose origin goes back to Grand Junction days) and the Knotty's Staffordshire knot. These have been called "illiterate marks" though as has been discussed several times on here, that seems to be a misnomer. I suggest that in its brief existence* the West Midland adopted the star of David - or perhaps inherited it from one of its constituents. No doubt @sir douglas has photographic or documentary evidence.

 

*Formed by amalgamation on 1 July 1860, amalgamated with the Great Western on 1 August 1863. 

 

[sir douglas]

i had no solid evidence for what the stars are for, the wagon was built just from an unidentified photo in an online album mostly of the Worcester & Hereford, its based on the far left wagon and the first one to the right of the loco, sometime in the future i intend to also model others in the train

 

the album in question i found last year, if you click on the photo, you can zoom in quite good

https://herefordshirehistory.org.uk/archive/herefordshire-images/herefordshire-railways/the-building-of-the-hereford-and-worcester-railway/438499-loan28-early-railway-engine-unknown-locationjpg?

Edited February 7, 2022 by sir douglas

[Compound2632]

11 minutes ago, sir douglas said:

i had no solid evidence for what the stars are for, the wagon was built just from an unidentified photo in an online album mostly of the Worcester & Hereford, its based on the far left wagon and the first one to the right of the loco, sometime in the future i intend to also model others in the train

 

the album in question i found last year, if you click on the photo, you can zoom in quite good

https://herefordshirehistory.org.uk/archive/herefordshire-images/herefordshire-railways/the-building-of-the-hereford-and-worcester-railway/438499-loan28-early-railway-engine-unknown-locationjpg?

 

 

That's a superb and rare photo of wagons of the early 60s, as is the one of the ballast train. I also liked the one of Withington station with slab-sided third class carriages.

 

With respect, I think the star emblem looks more like a six-pointed star with a circle inscribed within it than a true Star of David. It's a shame the lettering on the high sided cupboard door wagons can't be made out.

[Chas Levin]

14 hours ago, Hibelroad said:

That is modelling perfection, any more details about it available?

Fully agree, really beautiful model! I'd be interested to learn more about it too please, if you would like to share - was it a kit or scratchbuilt and did you paint it yourself (and if so, how did you do the lining and fiddly stuff) - sorry for all the questions!

[ian@stenochs]

21 hours ago, Chas Levin said:

Fully agree, really beautiful model! I'd be interested to learn more about it too please, if you would like to share - was it a kit or scratchbuilt and did you paint it yourself (and if so, how did you do the lining and fiddly stuff) - sorry for all the questions!

 

 

I'm not so sure about perfection but thank you for the compliments. Part of my project to build a model of each of the major loco classes the Glasgow and South Western had.

This one is a James Manson 'Greenock Bogie' built from the no longer available G&SWRA kit designed by the late John Boyle though I made the casting patterns.  I modified the basic kit to suit S7 track standards and fitted a set of inside valve gear as the overhead valves are quite a noticeable feature of the originals. I did the paintwork myself, the green is a Halfords rattle can, Brooklands Green. Lining is a mixture of lining pen and home made waterside decals though the lettering and numbers are from the G&SWRA.

[Chas Levin]

I don't think anyone thinks their own models are perfect - I know that all I can see are the faults and errors in mine for much of the time!

I can tell you though that it looks extremely good in that photo, particularly the finish you've got from a Halfords can. Although I do now have a secondhand airbrush which I plan to learn how to use, everything I've done up to now has been with cans and I've found that getting really good results with them can be quite difficult to do.

[ian@stenochs]

13 hours ago, Chas Levin said:

I don't think anyone thinks their own models are perfect - I know that all I can see are the faults and errors in mine for much of the time!

I can tell you though that it looks extremely good in that photo, particularly the finish you've got from a Halfords can. Although I do now have a secondhand airbrush which I plan to learn how to use, everything I've done up to now has been with cans and I've found that getting really good results with them can be quite difficult to do.

 

Chris,

 

The paint has to go on wet. I find one good coat sprayed quite slowly along the model gives the best smooth finish.  It helps if the boiler comes off for painting as that doesn't leave any dead ends, like round the splasher, cab front and firebox area which is difficult to get the spray into.  It also makes masking the black bits easier too. Tender bodies are simple being nice and flat.

 

Ian

[Chas Levin]

On 10/02/2022 at 11:34, ian@stenochs said:

 

Chris,

 

The paint has to go on wet. I find one good coat sprayed quite slowly along the model gives the best smooth finish.  It helps if the boiler comes off for painting as that doesn't leave any dead ends, like round the splasher, cab front and firebox area which is difficult to get the spray into.  It also makes masking the black bits easier too. Tender bodies are simple being nice and flat.

 

Ian

Hello Ian, yes, smooth and slow: I learnt a lot from Ian Racthbone's book and the videos he made (still viewable online) for Missenden, well worth a read/look if you have read/seen them!

And yes, without the ability to remove the boiler, those areas where it sits alongside other shapes / parts / angles can be very awkward.

I've learnt to be much more confident about using masking tape (low tack Tamiya, peeled off a shiny surface a few times before use) for those areas. I'd always thought it would lift existing paint but so far - with careful use of course - I've been pretty lucky...

Edited February 14, 2022 by Chas Levin

[billbedford]

Just a quick heads up. 

 

I've put up a new web page that allow downloading lists of most of the pre-grouping coach etches that were sold under the Bill Bedford Models label. 

[Regularity]

The MSWJR went into the GWR, not the LMS, Bill.

[billbedford]

Yer I knew that....

 

...but they bought their carriages from the MR. 

[Compound2632]

1 hour ago, Regularity said:

The MSWJR went into the GWR, not the LMS, Bill.

 

Outrageous - given the amount of money the Midland had put into it for access to Southampton.

[Ruston]

A rarely modelled prototype is the Grant, Ritchie 0-4-2ST. It ended up having far more weathering than intended as it would be new at the time of my layout.

The model started life as a Hattons Andrew Barclay and has had so many modifcations and new parts that I forget it all.