Ratio GWR 4 wheel coach kit

[thegreenelec]

Hello all,

 

This is my first post.

 

I have just started building my first ever coach, it a Ratio 4 wheel Brake Third.

 

I've also got from mainly trains this brass detailing kit with new brass ends and running gear.

 

Has anyone ever done this? I'm not sure how all the parts go together.

 

Also What do I do about the interior?

 

Thegreenelec

[Mikkel]

I haven't done the Mainly Trains detailing you mention (I think they are the Shirescenes ends?), but there are some notes on detailing the ends on this page: http://www.gwr.org.uk/prot36.html (towards the end of the page).

 

There is also a general introduction to the Ratio 4-wheelers here: http://www.gwr.org.uk/proratio.html

 

I would guess there are others on here who have added the ends you mention, hopefully they'll respond here soon. Pls don't hesitate to post photos if you want, it would be a nice project to follow.

 

 

[buffalo]

The Mainly Trains etch is different from the Shirescenes one. Apart from the useful articles that Mikkel suggests, the photos of the W1 underframe and T20 ends on my blog may help. The ends and some other parts are from the MT etch. If you want to ask specific questions about the various bits on the etch, there are many here who can give you a good answer. Ideally, though, you need good drawings or photos to understand all of the underframe details, though a thorough search here and on the old RMweb may produce some clues.

 

Nick

 

Edit: you also asked about the interior -- make partitions from plasticard. I have several pieces of a seat moulding which can be cut to suitable lengths and stuck in place, but I can't remember where it came from... Otherwise, you could again make these from plasticard.

[Adrian Wintle]

For the interior, I've made the partitions out of plasticard, and used the Ratio seat strips or the Slaters seats (better option) for the seats. I've also made bench seats out of plasticard (for some of the Third-class passengers). The Ratio seat strips are probably really only applicable for First-class (too well padded for other classes), while the Slaters seats are more generic and could be used for any class.

 

Slaters seats item 4203

http://www.slatersplastikard.com/scaleParts/4mmParts/fittings.html

 

The Mainly Trains underframe kit is a nice (albeit expensive) etch, and is designed to provide compensation. In 00, compensation isn't really necessary if you get the cassis square, but it is a nice touch.

 

The white metal gas cylinder and brake cylinder from the MT details add useful weight to the basic Ratio coach too.

 

Another detailing dea is the Gibson sprung coach buffers (a generic sort of design, but the buffers on these coaches were all over the map, short, long, dumb, etc.)

 

For something a bit different, the shorter Ratio body (compo or third) will fit over the 6-wheel chassis from Emily's coach in the Bachmann Thomas range (albeit the solebar area needs a bit of work as it looks a bit strange). Using the compo body on a six-wheel chassis is a reasonable approximation of an actual diagram (I forget which at the moment).

 

Adrian

[thegreenelec]

Sorry for the slow response,

 

Thanks for all your help, and links, its all the information I needed. All I now need is some time to get it finished.

 

I'm still slowly painting the sides, I'll post a picture when they are done.

 

Thanks again,

 

Paul

[thegreenelec]

Hi guys,

 

These carrage sides are taking for ever. One quick question what colour should the window surrounds be? Its a purpley red, but every colour I've tested so far looks wrong.

 

Looking forward to going to Didcot in May for the GWR 175 celerbrations, and mainly to take some pictures of their newly restored 4 wheeled coach.

 

Paul

[gwrrob]

Hi guys,

 

These carrage sides are taking for ever. One quick question what colour should the window surrounds be? Its a purpley red, but every colour I've tested so far looks wrong.

 

Looking forward to going to Didcot in May for the GWR 175 celerbrations, and mainly to take some pictures of their newly restored 4 wheeled coach.

 

Paul

 

I think the colour of the surrounds was described by the GW as mahagony.I think a deep red/crimson would suffice.

[Adrian Wintle]

I thought that the colour used for the surrounds of the fixed windows was chocolate, while the colour used for the droplight frames was 'mahogany' which appears to have been somewhere between brown and brick red.

 

Adrian

[thegreenelec]

Just a quick update. The painting has not gone too well, so I want to know what paint strippers do people reconmend? I changing the livery, the hand painted fully lined is going, and It will be replaced with the later plain choc and cream, which is still fine for my 1930 period. I have now found the a good colour for the window frames. I am slowly buying up back issues of Model Railway Journal, and in No.66 Guy Williams used Humbrol No.133, so if it was good enough for Guy. . . . .

Away from frustrating coaches, the wagons are coming along. Seven now finish. all Great Western, sprayed using Railmatch spray cans. Results are not too bad, much better than hand painting. One van is now completely decal up using HMRS Methfix decals, and was a lot easyer than I thought it would be. I am trying to find a good picture of each wagon I'm making, to try and get the details, chark marks and weathering the same. So this first van will be weathered next my favouite part, well it was the last time I did it when I was fifteen! and it could only work out how to hang some pictures on this post I'd show you where I'm up to.

 

Paul

Thegreenelec

[hayfield]

I have just stripped 2 Ratio 4 wheelers in a caustic soda soulution, 1 table spoon in 1 pint of luke warm water. Check after 1 hour, leave in for another half hour if the paintdoes not wash off, keep doing the same until its nice and clean, wash in cold water.

 

I have an old plastic food container which I use

[thegreenelec]

Thanks for the advice I'll try stripping the sides at the weekend. I think I may have cracked this up loading business. This wagon has just had one coat of primer and a quick single coat of of Railmatch GWR freight grey.

Both came from a can. weathering next, and I'm hoping to give it quite a weathered look.

[wagonman]

Thanks for the advice I'll try stripping the sides at the weekend. I think I may have cracked this up loading business. This wagon has just had one coat of primer and a quick single coat of of Railmatch GWR freight grey.

Both came from a can. weathering next, and I'm hoping to give it quite a weathered look.

 

 

I don't want to rain on your parade but I'm afraid you've got a bit of a hybrid there. The body looks like the 8 foot tall version that was only used on the first 178 vans to diagram V4. None of these had the louvred shutters, though they did have DC1 brakes (errm, the brake shoes are on the wrong side). The number you've given it is for a V12 van built about 1911. This did have have louvred shutters on the ends, later replaced with double bonnets, but they were only 7' 7" high and had DC3 brakes. Many of them were also vacuum fitted and thus non-common user but I don't know which ones. These early 20th century GWR vans are a minefield!

 

Sorry.

 

Richard

[Penrhos1920]

I don't want to rain on your parade but I'm afraid you've got a bit of a hybrid there. The body looks like the 8 foot tall version that was only used on the first 178 vans to diagram V4. None of these had the louvred shutters, though they did have DC1 brakes (errm, the brake shoes are on the wrong side). The number you've given it is for a V12 van built about 1911. This did have have louvred shutters on the ends, later replaced with double bonnets, but they were only 7' 7" high and had DC3 brakes. Many of them were also vacuum fitted and thus non-common user but I don't know which ones. These early 20th century GWR vans are a minefield!

 

Sorry.

 

Richard

 

I have a page of the different GWR 16' vans and those that can be built from the Coopercraft kits: GWR 16' Vans HTH

[Del]

For stripping paint, I find Fairy Power Spray works excellently. Put the item into a plastic bag, douse liberally with the spray, leave overnight, then scrub off with a toothbrush under running water.

[thegreenelec]

Thanks Richard for the great advice.

 

I was so busy looking at the ends and sides, I hadn't even notice that it was vacuum braked. Where can I get some vacuum gear to add to this truck?

 

I will sort the brakes out, but it looks like it will be a few weeks before I start the weathering.

 

By the way, love the website, I will be a constant visitor from now on.

 

Finally what colour have you painted the insides of your open wagons?

 

Paul

Thegreenelec

[Penrhos1920]

Thanks Richard for the great advice.

....

By the way, love the website, I will be a constant visitor from now on.

 

Paul

Thegreenelec

 

 

For GWR wagons I use a different colour for each batch that I paint. This is because GWR wagons will predominate on my layout and subtle variations will be appreciated better. The colours I use are all Humbrol; 66, 67 and 79. 79 is probably the closest Humbrol colour to GWR ex-works. Both Railmatch and Phoenix Precision offer similar colours, so you can use 5 colours if you want.

 

[Kits from Somerset]

I don't want to rain on your parade but I'm afraid you've got a bit of a hybrid there. The body looks like the 8 foot tall version that was only used on the first 178 vans to diagram V4. None of these had the louvred shutters, though they did have DC1 brakes (errm, the brake shoes are on the wrong side). The number you've given it is for a V12 van built about 1911. This did have have louvred shutters on the ends, later replaced with double bonnets, but they were only 7' 7" high and had DC3 brakes. Many of them were also vacuum fitted and thus non-common user but I don't know which ones. These early 20th century GWR vans are a minefield!

 

Sorry.

 

Richard

 

There is a lot of information in Great Western Journal No 62, 63 66, 67, 68 and 70 by Wild Swan and all still available.

 

To show how complicated it is Y5 no 82554 has of set V to allow for the vac cylinder but 95444 also a Y5 has the V set in the middle.

 

I have a page of the different GWR 16' vans and those that can be built from the Coopercraft kits: GWR 16' Vans HTH

 

Nice photos there.

 

 

Thanks Richard for the great advice.

 

I was so busy looking at the ends and sides, I hadn't even notice that it was vacuum braked. Where can I get some vacuum gear to add to this truck?

 

I will sort the brakes out, but it looks like it will be a few weeks before I start the weathering.

 

Paul

Thegreenelec

 

ABS do the vac set with a better brake leaver and better brake gear, but it is not correct as the brake rods should be at different angles. There are other parts on the market but some of them are more than the cost of the kit.

[wagonman]

Thanks Richard for the great advice.

 

I was so busy looking at the ends and sides, I hadn't even notice that it was vacuum braked. Where can I get some vacuum gear to add to this truck?

 

I will sort the brakes out, but it looks like it will be a few weeks before I start the weathering.

 

By the way, love the website, I will be a constant visitor from now on.

 

Finally what colour have you painted the insides of your open wagons?

 

Paul

Thegreenelec

 

 

Hi Paul

 

Castings for the vacuum brake bits can be had from the ABS range. Also various people do etchings for the earlier DC1 brakes: Michael Clarke's aptly named Masokits range has some I believe, though last time I did I just cobbled it up from styrene sheet. Didn't look too bad (I'll post a shot if I cab find one).

 

Insides of wagons are always far more difficult than the outside. Weathered wood is usually a sort of silvery grey colour with hints of light tan colour where it has suffered damage and fresh wood is showing. If the wagon carries coal then coal dust will accumulate in the cracks and crevises... In other words various very light greys, bits of pale earth/tan mixed in (more if the wagon is newish) with dark grey streaks if coal has been carried; the odd touch of rust colour around bolt heads etc, remembering always to keep the brush strokes horizontal with the grain of the timber.

 

To see a master at work I'd recommend Martyn Welch's book on weathering available from Wild Swan.

 

Good luck.

 

 

 

Richard

[thegreenelec]

Thanks Guys,

 

So much information, off to buy back issues of Great Western Journal, and order some parts from ABS.

 

Paul

Thegreenelec