Great Southern Railway (Fictitious) - Signalling the changes...

[Skinnylinny]

My hair is decidedly purple, not purple lake! It has the advantage of making me easy to find and identify... (forgive the squint, the sun was bright that day!)

 

I managed to do a quick test-cut of the main coach parts, and while the theory is sound, I found that more than one dry run/test fit tended to lead to mangling of the tabs going into the coach sides. The ones into the floor are ok, being a bit bigger. There will be a little bit of tweaking over the weekend, but the pic below shows the whole thing holding itself together with no glue... The ends don't have much holding them in place, but the compartment dividers, walls, and floors certainly stayed in place.

 

I could indeed use these basic bodyshells to produce beading/panelling in different styles. One potential project in the future is a small set of generic 4-wheel coaches, with panelling in an LNER-type style, rounded-edge panelling, square-edge panelling, and rounded-rectangular panelling. Perhaps a third, brake third, and composite. Maybe single-arc or three-arc roof designs (easily enough done by changing the dividers/ends. It could become effectively a modular kit. These could suffice where there exist no kits of specific prototypes, but would look better than endless repaints of the Ratio GWR four-wheelers! 

It's a pity that my trip down south could not have been a few weeks later, as it would have been lovely to make it to the Bluebell for a model railway exhibition. However, I am unfortunately required in Scotland for that weekend.

Edited May 31, 2018 by Skinnylinny

[Edwardian]

Mornin'

 

The "craftsman clever" rating is primarily for the developing coach construction technique and the suggestion for generic coaches.

 

Though it might equally apply to the hair-hoody co-ordination you've got going there.

[Skinnylinny]

The hoody is a rabbit in the colours of the Non-Binary pride flag (as I'm neither male nor female, I'm "non-binary") with the caption "Nonbunnary" - I do like awful puns!

[Edwardian]

The hoody is a rabbit in the colours of the Non-Binary pride flag (as I'm neither male nor female, I'm "non-binary") with the caption "Nonbunnary" - I do like awful puns!

 

This nation was built on terrible puns, long may they continue!

Alex

 

A grave weakness of mine.

 

Then again, there was the chap who was so determined to win a local newspaper prize for the best pun that he sent in no fewer than ten entries.

 

He was convinced that one of them would win.

 

But no pun in ten did.

[Skinnylinny]

Where's that groan button again?

I did pick up some buffer stops cheaply recently - it was an End of Line Sale...

[Regularity]

The hoody is a rabbit in the colours of the Non-Binary pride flag (as I'm neither male nor female, I'm "non-binary") with the caption "Nonbunnary" - I do like awful puns!

There are 10 kinds of people:

Those who understand binary, and those that don’t.

[RedGemAlchemist]

"I went out on the town one night. Full moon, nice weather, so decided to stop at a local bar to get a drink. Go in, sit at the bar and say to the barman "One shot of Jack Daniels please."

"Sorry buddy, we don't sell that here."

"Ah OK then." So I go out, walk down the road some more until I find another pub. Go in, sit down at the bar and say to the barman "One shot of Jack Daniels please."

So he gets the bottle of the shelf, goes to pour the shot - and drops it. "Ah, sorry mate. I'll go get some more."

"No worries, I'm not in any rush."

So the barman goes into the back, finds another bottle, opens it, pours out a shot - and this guy walks up and drinks my shot for no reason. I turn to him and go "Hey man, what gives?"

And he says "Aren't you the guy who slept with my wife?"

"No."

"You sure?"

"Mate I've already got a wife, why'd I want someone else's?"

"Ah, sorry mate. Thought you were someone else. Must have drunk too much." And he walks off talking to himself.

So the barman pours me another shot, I take the shot - and I miss."

 

Random little thing I came up with while with my D&D group. Totally irrelevant to anything, just thought I'd post it as you were talking about bad puns.

Edited June 1, 2018 by RedGemAlchemist

[Edwardian]

OK, overlooking the highly questionable sexual politics of the following ...

 

 

Girl walks into a bar and asks the barman for a double entendre

So he gave her one 

[Regularity]

Two blokes walk into a bar.

You think one of them would’ve seen it...

[Edwardian]

Two peanuts walked down a dark alley

One was assaulted

[sem34090]

Oh deery me...

 

Behave now, all of you - binary, non binary or otherwise!

 

May I register my support for the generic modular coach kit range?

[Skinnylinny]

It'll be a while I'm afraid... The current state of play is:

Released

• Stroudley 4-wheelers (Third, 1/2 Composite, Second, Brake 3rd)

Nearly Completed (need instructions writing)

• Stroudley 20-foot Full Brake
• Stroudley D81/273 Horsebox

In Progress

• Billinton Bogie Coaches (48ft and 54ft)
• Billinton D53 Horsebox
• SE&CR 6-wheel push-pull set
• 7mm scale Stroudley 4-wheelers (bodies only)

Future Plans

• Railmotor?
• Generic 4-wheel coaches
• LBSCR balloon push-pull coach?
• NBR bogie coaches
• LBSCR Craven coaches

All that, and I need to get on with my own layout at some point (which will also involve laser-cutting some buildings and bits - I need to design a station building or two for Linton and come up with a "House Style" for the GSR, remembering of course that it was formed from two distinct companies!). I'm hoping to be able to acquire baseboards soon, which means I'll need to decide on a design of fiddle yard! Current thought seems to be a turntable/sector plate arrangement, possibly with the straightest road leaving enough space for a cassette to be slotted in, space allowing.

Edited June 1, 2018 by Skinnylinny

[Edwardian]

It'll be a while I'm afraid... The current state of play is:

 

Released

• Stroudley 4-wheelers (Third, 1/2 Composite, Second, Brake 3rd)

Nearly Completed (need instructions writing)

• Stroudley 20-foot Full Brake
• Stroudley D81/273 Horsebox

In Progress

• Billinton Bogie Coaches (48ft and 54ft)
• Billinton D53 Horsebox
• SE&CR 6-wheel push-pull set
• 7mm scale Stroudley 4-wheelers (bodies only)

Future Plans

• Railmotor?
• Generic 4-wheel coaches
• LBSCR balloon push-pull coach?
• NBR bogie coaches
• LBSCR Craven coaches

All that, and I need to get on with my own layout at some point (which will also involve laser-cutting some buildings and bits - I need to design a station building or two for Linton and come up with a "House Style" for the GSR, remembering of course that it was formed from two distinct companies!). I'm hoping to be able to acquire baseboards soon, which means I'll need to decide on a design of fiddle yard! Current thought seems to be a turntable/sector plate arrangement, possibly with the straightest road leaving enough space for a cassette to be slotted in, space allowing.

 

Well done, Linny.  An impressive list and an impressive achievement to date.

 

I comment as follows:

 

Released to In Progress are all items that I either have acquired or will wish to acquire (save the 7mil version listed).

 

All excellent.

 

For future plans, dare I suggest a re-ordering of priorities to:

 

- 1909 LSWR Rebuilds to 2-coach branch set, as previously requested and for which plans supplied .  These will give owners of Radials, O2s and M7s something genuinely LSWR to pull.

 

- SE&CR 50' Birdcage 3-set.  This is the earliest and shortest of the 3-sets, would be dark lake, not brown, originally, and form a pendant to the Bachmann coaches.  Dare I suggest that they are a slightly less improbable set for the current RTR SE locos (H and C) to haul than the Bachmann coaches, which are really right at the end of the pre-War period?  I would buy 2 3-sets of these to make up a 6-coach train.

 

Personally, the only item on your list that I would accord equal priority to would be the LB&SCR balloon trailers for motor trains c.1905-14. That plus your Stroudleys and you've covered any pre-Grouping Terrier release pretty much.  A very attractive and sound choice.

 

Regarding the others, again, purely from my own personal perspective:

 

- Railmotor - well, potentially all or any of the SE&CR, LB&SCR and LSWR, but these will take much complex development.

 

- Generic 4-wheel coaches.  I like the idea.  For me, most of my coaches come from somewhere, and I have the home-built WN coaches pretty much covered.  But I like the idea.  For the freelancer, something like ex-NLR 4-wheelers might also be a good bet. 

 

- NBR - I suspect I'll never need/justify any, but it would be refreshing to cover such a subject.

 

- LB&SCR cravens. Good for grounded bodies even for later layouts, but I would be interested in then if I could replicate the pre-Stroudley Hayling set.

[Regularity]

Two peanuts walked down a dark alley

One was assaulted

At court, it was revealed that their assailants were AA cells.

 

Yes, it was assault by battery...

[Skinnylinny]

The NBR coaches are unlikely to ever visit Linton, but are intended to provide more plausible rolling stock to the club's layouts (two of which are set on ex-NBR branch lines in BR days, one in 4mm and one in 7mm scale). At the moment the 7mm layout usually runs with BR suburbans in lieu of anything more likely. The 4mm one has a few trains of Gresley suburbans, but if I'm drawing up a set in 7mm, there's no reason not to simply rescale the drawings and produce them in 00 as well...

[mikeandnel]

Well done, Linny.  An impressive list and an impressive achievement to date.

 

I comment as follows:

 

Released to In Progress are all items that I either have acquired or will wish to acquire (save the 7mil version listed).

 

All excellent.

 

For future plans, dare I suggest a re-ordering of priorities to:

 

- 1909 LSWR Rebuilds to 2-coach branch set, as previously requested and for which plans supplied .  These will give owners of Radials, O2s and M7s something genuinely LSWR to pull.

 

- SE&CR 50' Birdcage 3-set.  This is the earliest and shortest of the 3-sets, would be dark lake, not brown, originally, and form a pendant to the Bachmann coaches.  Dare I suggest that they are a slightly less improbable set for the current RTR SE locos (H and C) to haul than the Bachmann coaches, which are really right at the end of the pre-War period?  I would buy 2 3-sets of these to make up a 6-coach train.

 

Personally, the only item on your list that I would accord equal priority to would be the LB&SCR balloon trailers for motor trains c.1905-14. That plus your Stroudleys and you've covered any pre-Grouping Terrier release pretty much.  A very attractive and sound choice.

 

Regarding the others, again, purely from my own personal perspective:

 

- Railmotor - well, potentially all or any of the SE&CR, LB&SCR and LSWR, but these will take much complex development.

 

- Generic 4-wheel coaches.  I like the idea.  For me, most of my coaches come from somewhere, and I have the home-built WN coaches pretty much covered.  But I like the idea.  For the freelancer, something like ex-NLR 4-wheelers might also be a good bet. 

 

- NBR - I suspect I'll never need/justify any, but it would be refreshing to cover such a subject.

 

- LB&SCR cravens. Good for grounded bodies even for later layouts, but I would be interested in then if I could replicate the pre-Stroudley Hayling set.

 

I am sure that Edwardian meant to put Craven coaches in as number one, Perhaps he was having a 'senior moment'

Michael

[Caley Jim]

There are 10 kinds of people:

Those who understand binary, and those that don’t.

And some of the former understand hexadecimal too.

 

Jim

[Regularity]

And some of the former understand hexadecimal too.

 

Jim

In which case, I model in 1:40 scale...

 

But the two most important groups are those that can extrapolate from incomplete data.

[Annie]

The generic type 4 wheel coaches would be of particular interest to me especially if there was a 7mm scale body only version.

[Edwardian]

I am sure that Edwardian meant to put Craven coaches in as number one, Perhaps he was having a 'senior moment'

Michael

 

Whilst that is entirely probable, in this instance I was following the order of Linny's list!

 

We all seem to be edging backwards from an Edwardian present in the section of the website.  Much excellence and variety will be the result.

[NeilHB]

The generic type 4 wheel coaches would be of particular interest to me especially if there was a 7mm scale body only version.

I’ll second that - generic 4-wheel bodies in 7mm scale are good for me too please Linny! :-)

[Regularity]

Rather than “generic”, why not simply pick one of the “outside” suppliers, such as BRCW or GRCW and use one of their standard designs?

[Skinnylinny]

That sounds like a plan... I was thinking "generic" on the basis that post-grouping modellers who want some four-wheel stock for a branch-line for, say, an LNER layout could acquire something that, if not exactly an exact replica of, say, an ex-GNR four wheeler would at least be better-proportioned than yet another repaint of that awful Hornby 4-wheeler, and with a more-appropriate beading style.

This doesn't look like any GNR/GER/NBR/etc carriage I've ever seen!



I wasn't aware of any standard designs by, say Gloucester or Birmingham. I would have thought these would have been more likely to be used on light railways, which weren't quite what I had in mind, it being rather more tricky to model a light railway without the skills needed to build brass kits! I may have to do some research and see if I can find examples, though - that would be a truly generic coach, with a very wide area of interest.

 

 

[Annie]

And don't forget the Metropolitan Railway Wagon & Carriage Co.

 

[Regularity]

The LTSR 4 wheel coaches, as produced by Worsley, are all but identical to some early coaches on the M&GN. The Eastern & Midlands Railway couldn’t afford to spend time and money designing its own coaches so bought them off the peg.

 

This is what real railways did, so if freelancing, there are two choices: use designs that already exist, or buy secondhand. Unless you are creating a big mythical company, in which case, you need to think about where you drawing office and senior engineering staff may have been trained - there was quite a lot of Stroudley’s influence in early Drummond designs, for example.

 

One of the joys of pre-group modelling is tracking these things down, and the research and knowledge thus acquired is what differentiates between railway modelling and playing with toy train sets.

 

There has never been a “generic” anything in railways, but there were plenty of standard designs for engines, rolling stock, buildings, track, etc available from the independent manufacturers, and using this sort of knowledge is what makes for a credible model, be that in 3 or 2 dimensions.