Early 1950's GWR/BR Coaching Stock Help Please

[bigbear]

I own the following coaching stock in N gauge:

 

Dapol:

Brake NC-017a + 017b2 Collett Great crest Western

Third NC-016a + 016b2 Collett Great crest Western

Composite NC-015a + 015b2 Collett Great crest Western

GWR Siphon H NC-004B1

GWR Siphon G NC-002B1

GWR B Set Coach NC-0081 Shirtbutton

GWR B Set Coach NC-0071 Shirtbutton

GWR Autocoach NC-0091 GWR over crest

Some Farish Mk1 in Blood and Custard

Some more Dapol Colletts in Blood and Custard.

 

Would I be able to use all of these realistically in a scenario of the west country in about 1951, (to allow the Mk1's).

 

Engine-wise, I already have an unlined Hall in GWR green (lined G crest W tender, which I am told happened sometimes), a GWR 2-6-2T slope tank and a Terrier in GWR livery, (Possibly fantasy, but one did go into GWR service from the WC&P Railway, so...).

 

I am thinking of adding a Dapol Manor in early BR livery, a couple of Union Mills engines for goods duties - any suggestions for my time period? - and some other small engine for branchline working.

 

Add to all of this a StoveR in BR Crimson, (I think - the right colour for non-coridoor stock, I'm told), which I want to use as a passenger unit for the branch line.

 

Am I able to sort something out of this or should I lose something from my stock list. I'm happy with my little set up, (double loop, with branchline u pto higher level), but want to increase the realism of the passenger working.

 

Any and all suggestions are very welcome, as I am completely confused about what should be what!

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

 

Edited July 28, 2021 by bigbear
Accuracy

[Kris]

For your small engine the 14xx (Dapol - old and out of production), 57xx (Dapol), 64xx (Farish) or 45xx Prairie Tank [slope or straight tank] (Dapol - old and out of production) are most suited to branchline work. 

[Paul H Vigor]

You might consider adding a Peco N-gauge GWR 2251 0-6-0 to your branch line locomotive roster?

[Derekl]

You asked about BR Mk1 coach allocation to the WR. The first Mk 1s to be allocated to the WR were completed in December 1951 (SKs) and in June 1952 (FK). The first CKs allocated to the WR were completed in January 1952. First BSKs so allocated were completed in May 1952.

 

Information gleaned from Keith Parkin's book. I presume at those dates they would have been crimson and cream.

 

So really it has to be 1952, but it is your layout.......

[The Johnster]

In 1951 there were still a good number of GW liveried coaches and locos around; coaches are overhauled on a 7 year cycle, at least in theory, and loco on a mileage basis, so most main line express or long distance freight locos would have probably been repainted into one of the transition liveries or standard BR with late GW livery still in evidence on smaller locos, but these are generalistations and by no means hard and fast rules.  It is of course best to model to dated photographic evidence of good provenance where you can. but sometimes you will have to make a 'best guess' until better information is to hand.

 

As Dereki points out, Mk1s are a bit too modern for 1951.  The named expresses would consist of new Hawkworth stock in crimson/cream, lesser trains a combination of Hawksworth and Collett stock in a mixture of liveries.  There might be some in 1942-5 wartime brown livery.  Same principles apply to non-gangwayed stock, B sets and autos in your case, but auto trailers were painted in crimson/cream until 1950, apparently until Riddles saw one at Paddington and demanded an explanation of why his best main line livery was being applied to a lowly auto trailer.  I'm not familiar with N gauge RTR, but if your auto trailer is a Hawkworth A38, with the sliding ventilator windows as opposed to the hopper toplight vents, these were not introduced until 1949 and should not appear in GW livery; RTR examples are based on an incorrectly painted preserved trailer.  So, crimson/cream or plain crimson.

 

The GW 'slope tank' prairies are of 3 basic types, the 45xx, 'small' prairie with a flat top tanks, 4575, small prairie with slope top tanks, and 5101 (including the 41xx series, and visually identical to 61xx so this loco can be used simply be renumbering it) large prairie, with larger driving wheels and a bigger boiler.  The 45xx has higher route availability, and some of the 4575 were auto-fitted, but not until 1953.

 

You can ignore the maroon BR coach livery, lined or unlined, not introduced until 1956 along with a version of chocolate and cream for named expresses.  You can also ignore the later 'ferret and dartboard' BR totem, also introduced in 1956 along with lined green loco livery for many WR mixed traffic and small passenger locos.

[Bomag]

On 25/07/2021 at 11:43, Derekl said:

You asked about BR Mk1 coach allocation to the WR. The first Mk 1s to be allocated to the WR were completed in December 1951 (SKs) and in June 1952 (FK). The first CKs allocated to the WR were completed in January 1952. First BSKs so allocated were completed in May 1952.

 

Information gleaned from Keith Parkin's book. I presume at those dates they would have been crimson and cream.

 

So really it has to be 1952, but it is your layout.......

 

The WR had two full sets of Mk1s from May 51 for the Festival of Britain - The Merchant Venturer got as far as Weston SM on a daily basis. Loose Mk1s would have been late 1951 as you say.

[Steamport Southport]

On 24/07/2021 at 21:10, bigbear said:

and a Terrier in GWR livery, (Possibly fantasy, but one did go into GWR service from the WC&P Railway, so...).

 

 

 

 

They were real. But spent the remainder of their lives either at Bristol or in storage. But did manage to go to Taunton and Newton Abbot.

 

No 5 seems to have worked from 1940 to 1951 so should fit right in.

 

After closure, it was bought by the GWR, painted in GWR livery and renumbered No 5, while retaining its name. It was allocated to St Philip’s Marsh, for shunting and harbour duties. It was used in 1941 (with former No 4) to shunt at Portishead power station and the US Army depot at Wapley Common. It survived into the British Railways era and in December 1948 was moved to Taunton for shunting at Bridgwater docks. In January 1950 she was transferred to Newton Abbot briefly as shed pilot, then put into store at Swindon. Attempts to have the loco preserved failed and it was broken up in March 1954.

 

https://www.wcpr.org.uk/No2_PortisheadTerrier.html

 

https://sremg.org.uk/steam/a1-a1x.shtml

 

Apparently it went to Swindon for repairs but never came out. Possibly might have been transferred to the Southern.

 

No 6 had a shorter life.

 

https://www.wcpr.org.uk/No4.html

 

 

Jason