Barnstaple Town

[Compound2632]

5 minutes ago, Edwardian said:

This livery was also applied on the K-10s From new, which where also Built around 1905

 

I've seen discussion on this livery point elsewhere - probably there's  thread in "Smaller Suppliers". I looked up K10 - the Small Hoppers - on Wikipedia (the articles on pre-grouping Southern engines appear to regurgitate Bradley, so I have some confidence in them). This lists eight orders of 5 engines each, placed in 1901-2. It seems to me improbable that they were not actually placed in traffic until 1905. The Wikipedia article states that they received passenger livery.

[Edwardian]

10 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

I've seen discussion on this livery point elsewhere - probably there's  thread in "Smaller Suppliers". I looked up K10 - the Small Hoppers - on Wikipedia (the articles on pre-grouping Southern engines appear to regurgitate Bradley, so I have some confidence in them). This lists eight orders of 5 engines each, placed in 1901-2. It seems to me improbable that they were not actually placed in traffic until 1905. The Wikipedia article states that they received passenger livery.

 

Thanks, Stephen.

 

So, my twopenneth ....

 

 

[Edwardian]

Don't know how I missed these EFE Rail coaches being released in LSWR livery:

 

 

 

I believe these are the 1906 sets that PC Models once produced. I have a set of these, in various stages of completion/disrepair because it struck me as an appropriate rset to run as a through service to Ilfracombe. The EFE ones are likely to outshine the PC versions. 

 

The other set I intend to use as a a through service to Ilfracombe is the older 4 and a half set, which are Roxey kits requiring only a little TLC to bring them back into service.

 

That leaves a branch sets. I was thinking of one train of 4-6 wheelers and one of the 2-coach 1909 bogie set.

 

Add through coaches, horse boxes, carriage trucks, luggage vans and brakes etc to suit.   

 

So is this that rarest of things, a case of a pre-Grouping RTR release that is a fit with pre-exisiting plans and notions? 

 

So, let's take a look.

 

They are lit with electric, but that's fine because Stone's system was mandated for all new carriages in 1901, however, that was rolled back in favour of gas in 1905! I don't think this was applied universally and I think the cross-country mainline sets we're dealing with had electric lighting from the first.

 

The sets were built from 1904, but the EFE coaches (and IIRC the PC kits) represent the majority built 1906-1910, as these had the dguard's duckets on the brake thirds moved from the carriage ends. There were two of these brake thrids, to drawing 1446, in the set of four.

 

Next down the picture comes a First/Third Lav. Comp. This seems to match the drawing 1298 of the set. There follows what looks like the correct drawing 1302 Second-Third Lav. Comp. 

 

Note that in these sets, some of the Second Class passengers have access to a loo. All but one of the First compartments has access to a loo. Third Class passengers are expected to exercise supreme self control. Given that there are known to have been used on expresses between London and Portsmouth, Bournemouth, Weymouth and North Devon, it might be worth paying for an upgrade!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Compound2632]

3 hours ago, Edwardian said:

Note that in these sets, some of the Second Class passengers have access to a loo. All but one of the First compartments has access to a loo. Third Class passengers are expected to exercise supreme self control.

 

You can go in first, might be able to go in second, but shouldn't go in third.

 

Some contemporary (1896) commentator said of the Midland's new Bristol-Bradford sets, that they provided six classes of accommodation: first, dining, with loo, or without, and third likewise. Not quite true as every first class compartment had access to a loo.

[Edwardian]

I note the pictures tend to have disappeared in the Great Purge.

 

So, here is my Jubilee. It's close to accurate, though, as has been pointed out, the NU Cast kit omitted the ash pan! 

 

Anyway it is more or less in Adam condition in Drummond livery, which is what we want, I think, for a circa 1907-1914 Barnstaple Town setting. 

 

As a known visitor to the Ilfracombe branch, and the largest engine the Ilfracombe turntable of the day could accommodate, I like the idea of it heading the EFE LSWR set as the Ilfracombe poertion of an ex-London express.

 

[Edwardian]

A box arrived at Edwardian Towers ....

 

 

One might think from the packaging that one had received something from the age of blue and silver, of yellow-nosed diseasals and motor-rail and Corporate Image. But, no ...

 

 

These are lovely. They are not bad value for today's prices (at £59.25 per coach) and one has a complete train or, if one prefers, a portion thereof. Unlike the GWR, the Southern constituents were really into sets. This one is labelled as the ill-omened No. 63. More annon. 

 

 

As the tooling favours the later periods, it looks to me as if the roof vents are the conventionally proportioned ones fitted by the Southern; LSWR torpedio vents were noticably taller. The other detail I noticed are the plain disc wheels, not Mansells. These are pretty minor points, however, and easily remedied if desired. 

 

The finish and lining is excellent and seems a very fair rendering of LSWR salmon and brown, and the modelled detail is crisp, The prominent transverse springs of the LSWR Fox bogies are well captured.

 

Unlike Hornby's square-wheeled rebuilt LSWR SR coaches, these EFE coaches seem very free running. 

 

 

So, the set number. Weddell notes that remarkably few of the set numbers for these vehicles are known. 

 

No.63 is known, but only because it was involved in an accident at Vauxhall on 29 August 1912, when it formed a train as one of two sets.

 

"In this case while the 13.37 am. train from Aldershot to Waterloo was standing at the up through platform at Vauxhall Station, it was run into from the rear by a light engine proceeding from Nine Elms to Waterloo. One passenger was killed and forty-four were injured, as were also the driver and fireman of the light engine."

 

 

 

Interestingly, only the running numbers of the brake thirds in the EFE set correspond with those in the accident report, 1520 (preserved) and 1519. One of the composites is another preserved example. So, it's not really set 63, though the brake ends are where the set number is displayed, giving that impression.  

 

BoT Report

 

I could replace the wheels with Allan Gibson Mansells, but the bearings will be a little different and could compromise their free running. I'm minded to use these, which I have used before and which do look the part when painted up as varnished wood:

 

Wheel Inserts

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 19, 2023 by Edwardian
more to say

[DLT]

Lovely job on the Jubilee!

[Edwardian]

4 minutes ago, DLT said:

Lovely job on the Jubilee!

 

A professional job by CR Phillips. 

 

Pictured on this page is the Jubilee and a T1 he also did for me.

[Edwardian]

Three things, I reckon, I need for my EFE LSWR cross country set:

 

- Dart Castings Mansell wheel inserts. A fresh supply of these has already beem obtained.

 

- Screwlink couplings. I should have some in stock and there are a number of options.

 

- Tall LSWR Laycock torpedo vents. Unexpectedly I have drawn a blank. Roxey must produce them for their kits, but do not market them separately, so I have sent an email to enquire. Branchlines are rumoured to do them, and, indeed, I need a couple of their LSWR coach kits, but they have never had a website so I have to track  them down. They ran a blog briefly 2005-2008, but who knows if the contact information on there is still good.

 

If anyone has any info or suggestions re the above... 

 

 

[WFPettigrew]

16 minutes ago, Edwardian said:

Branchlines are rumoured to do them

 

Hi James

 

I cannot confirm one way or the other what Branchlines do for the LSWR, it being 300 miles too far south for my interests, but Brian Osborne responded swiftly by email when I asked for their catalogue for Midland Railway carriage kits a year or so ago - sales@branchlines.com.

 

The email footer also included the following:

 

Branchlines, P.O. Box 4293, WESTBURY, BA13 9AA, UK

Tel./Fax:  +44(0)1373 822231

Mon.-Thurs. 9.30-13.00, 14.00-18.00

 

Hope this helps!

 

Neil 

 

 

[Edwardian]

28 minutes ago, WFPettigrew said:

 

Hi James

 

I cannot confirm one way or the other what Branchlines do for the LSWR, it being 300 miles too far south for my interests, but Brian Osborne responded swiftly by email when I asked for their catalogue for Midland Railway carriage kits a year or so ago - sales@branchlines.com.

 

The email footer also included the following:

 

Branchlines, P.O. Box 4293, WESTBURY, BA13 9AA, UK

Tel./Fax:  +44(0)1373 822231

Mon.-Thurs. 9.30-13.00, 14.00-18.00

 

Hope this helps!

 

Neil 

 

 

 

Thanks, Neil

 

I can report, however, that the sales@branchlines.com email address is defunct.

 

I will try the rather more Twentieth Century communications options and ... wait!

[webbcompound]

25 minutes ago, Edwardian said:

 

I can report, however, that the sales@branchlines.com email address is defunct.

 

 The address I used to order succesfully a couple of weeks back is branchlines100@btinternet.com

 

[Edwardian]

21 hours ago, webbcompound said:

 The address I used to order succesfully a couple of weeks back is branchlines100@btinternet.com

 

 

Thank you!

 

With the advent of the EFE cross country stock, I am prompted to restore my Roxey 4 1/2 set and to acquire the 2 coaches I need for the c.1909 onwards branch set and, IIRC, Branchlines did these kits.

 

 

Edited December 25, 2023 by Edwardian
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