Another K's A31 auto trailer for The Johnster

[The Johnster]

Yes, I know, we've been here before, about 18 months ago with the rebuilding and working up of a K's A31 whitemetal kit.  But there was a very nicely finished one at the recent 'big' Cardiff show, in much better condition than the previous model, and despite it not being particularly cheap, I couldn't leave the poor little orphan without a home...

 

Let's recap what we know.  The GW's Diagram A31 auto trailers, of which there were 11 introduced in 1934/5, were rebuilds of Diagram Q/Q1 steam railmotors.  There were 2 steam railmotor diagrams because the Q series were built by an outside contractor, Gloucester RCW, and the Q1 type in house at Swindon.  The difference was only in the passenger doors, which were double door type on the Gloucester trailers and the usual single wide door on the Swindon trailers.

 

These trailers ran on a variety of bogies.  According to John Lewis' 'Great Western Auto Trailers Part 1', 8' fishbellys, 7' Collett, and 9' 'American' bogies were used, not mixed on the same trailer of course!  I worked up the previous trailer as W 207 W, with plated toplights and fishbelly bogies, actually 8'6" but that was the nearest I could get, from Stafford Works/Shapeways.  Based on a photo in Lewis, I finished her in BR 1949-56 unlined crimson (Lewis calls this maroon, but don't be misled) and scratchbuilt an interior for her.

 

For my layout, I need a Newport division allocation from the 1948-58 period, and Lewis is of some assistance here,  Although he does not provide allocations, he does note some sightings and of the 6 photos, 2 are at Newport Godfrey Road, 2 are at Monmouth Troy, and one is taken somewhere in the South Wales Valleys if the background scenery is any indication.  They cover all the bogie types and livery variations from shirtbutton (new) to BR crimson.

 

From information in Lewis, 201/4/7/9/11 are South Wales allocations, and all bar 204 were recorded as running in South Wales at the required period.  204 is the only one that had American bogies as supplied by K's, and thus the kit cannot make a correct model with the parts supplied as 204 is a Swindon trailer with single wide passenger doors.  So, the bogies will have to go!  It would not be beyond the wit of man or Johnster with a file to provide a single door, but as I can't verify the coach for period, I won't be doing that.  Lewis' photo shows it at Godfrey Road in GWR shirtbutton livery and fairly clean condition, presumably in the late 30s

 

And I don't want another fishbelly example, which eliminates 201. 209 and 211 have Collett 7' bogies and 209 is photographed in 1948 BR chocolate/cream livery.  My new A31 is nicely finished in 1945-8 GW chocolate and cream, though it is incorrectly numbered as 100 (that number was carried by a diagram Z matchboarded trailer), 211 is photographed in what Lewis calls maroon and cream; he means blood'n'custard.

 

So 209's the front runner at the moment, requiring the least work.  The W suffix is not applied in the photo, and would not have been until 1950 when the first BR standard coaches were introduced and number clashes were possible.  She needs her current transfers removing; incorrect number, G W R initials, and crest and BR number W 209 applied to opposite end of coach, Collett 7' bogies (I think I have a pair from an old Airfix B set coach somewhere, otherwise Hornby or Stafford Road) and another scratchbuilt interior.

 

Not as much rebuilding and alteration as the toplight plated W 207 W, but I'll keep you all updated in case the story is of any interest to anyone.  It'll never be a fine scale model, as it's K's whitemetal castings are lumpen and crude, but I do not feel in a position of moral authority on this matter...  As I am hoping to not dismantle the kit, which has been assembled very neatly, so the interiors are going to have to be mounted complete on their compartment floors as 'plug in' units from below the coach.

 

More when something happens!

[The Johnster]

Road trials with ex-Airfix Collett 7’ bogies that began life back in the Silurian era; there are better alternatives but I wanted to see how she looked and point up any potential clearance or fouling issues; I’ll come back to that in a minute.  The coach runs very freely on Hornby wheels, and sits perfectly straight, as it should.   Ride level is spot on as can be seen at the buffers with the current version Hornby next to it.

 

The odd spacing of the bogie pivots is correct and can be clearly seen in broadside shots of the prototype; it’s a hangover from their original existence as steam railmotors.   It is especially noticeable with the shorter 7’ Colletts. 

 

The value of this exercise was proven by showing up a problem that needs to be dealt with, the old Airfix coupling being now too far set in behind the buffer beam to prevent buffer locking with the Hornby trailer adjoining it. I am hoping this can be cured with a ‘long straight’ Bachmann coupling.  I did not have this trouble with W 207 W, probably because that coach has 9’ fishbelly bogies, actually too long as the prototype sat on 8’6” fishbellies.  It is a problem that will have to be addressed on a coach that will spend half of it’s life being propelled!

 

Next task is to remove the bogies and measure up the ‘plug in’ floor pieces, cutting them out of card, and trial fitting them before making the seats. 

[The Johnster]

I've cobbled up an extended coupling mount for the van end with the inset bogie, and road trials with a train comprising W 207 W and the future W 209 powered by a Bachmann 4575 have now been successfully completed, the train being capable of being propelled over the 3rd radius setrack curves in the fiddle yard without buffer locking or any other issue.  I'm relieved that the 4575 is powerful enough; 2 cast whitemetal trailers are a considerable load!  The extended mount is a bit of a bodge, a spare piece of whitemetal bar from the original kit Hornby Dublo coupling mount with an NEM pocket superglued to it.  Tomorrow's intended job is to fix the no smoking labels inside the windows and make a start on removing the G W R, coat of arms, 'Luggage' and number transfers; the latter are not only incorrect but positioned too low down on the body sides.  

 

Once that's done, I'll assess whether or not a repaint is necessary.  I'm hoping it isn't, as the chocolate and cream livery is nicely applied and perfectly suitable as applied to W 209 sometime between Jan 1st and May 31st 1948.  Depends how easily the original transfers come off, and this is a pretty ancient model.  I have no idea when K's stopped producing these kits, but it was a good time ago...

[The Johnster]

Now, here's a thing.  I've only just noticed what might have been obvious to anyone else, which is that the earlier model has oil lamp tops protruding from the roof and this one doesn't, though both have ventilators. Both W 207 W and W 209 as photographed in the Lewis book have oil lamp tops visible, so I will have to provide them for W 209.  I can use 207's roof as a guide.  

 

Still haven't done the no smoking transfers or rubbed the GW lettering off; perhaps later today!