Traeth Mawr -Building Mr Price's house , (mostly)

[Buhar]

Bury one of those strong new magnets in the balsa and use a steel on a stick to remove. 

[ChrisN]

16 minutes ago, Buhar said:

Bury one of those strong new magnets in the balsa and use a steel on a stick to remove. 

 

Thank you.  As I was typing I half thought, half remembered about using a magnet.  The wheels are steel but the magnet should be far enough away not to attract more to them.  (Just tested it with a York Modelling 90 deg magnet for holding things and it has to be very close.)  I may well have some small neodymium magnets somewhere, unless my son has them.  I shall go and look.

[Northroader]

Hope you’re happy with the result now you’ve done it, it’s looking good to me. The load should form a snug fit inside, but should come out, maybe with a tweak from a craft knife to help.

[ChrisN]

7 minutes ago, Northroader said:

Hope you’re happy with the result now you’ve done it, it’s looking good to me. The load should form a snug fit inside, but should come out, maybe with a tweak from a craft knife to help.

 

Thank you.  Yes it seems fine, and it makes quite a snug fit, maybe too snug but we shall see.  I like the idea of the paper as it holds the load in place.  You often see loads raised in the middle.  I am sure they were loaded like that but I wonder if they would have settled out during the journey..  Probably need to make another one with smaller lumps.  I have no idea if they sent smaller lumps to domestic suppliers or left them to break up the bigger bits.  Maybe it will miraculously turn from large biits in the wagon to small bits in the staithe.

[Buhar]

Looking at wagon loads, it seems coal was graded by the screens at the colliery and the merchant would order accordingly. Some merchants, probably in the larger towns advertised an extensive range of coal types. 

Alan 

[Mikkel]

15 hours ago, ChrisN said:

 

 

Very nice Chris. Proper Welsh coal in big, manly chunks. And proper buffers too, rather than those newfangled flimsy types 

 

 

[corneliuslundie]

Or bury something which is magnetic - iron, steel etc - in the load and use a strong magnet on a pole to fish the load out, as long as it is not too tight. This works fairly well on our club layout.

I hope yours is real Welsh coal. Mine is, picked up at the sidings serving Deep Navigation Colliery when my son was a young teenager, so also a few years ago ago.

I hope that the wagon is not intended to reflect the title of the thread!

Jonathan

[Buhar]

40 minutes ago, corneliuslundie said:

Or bury something which is magnetic - iron, steel etc - in the load and use a strong magnet on a pole to fish the load out, as long as it is not too tight. This works fairly well on our club layout.

Beware flayed moggies. 

But cheaper than my suggestion. 

Alan 

[ChrisN]

4 hours ago, corneliuslundie said:

I hope that the wagon is not intended to reflect the title of the thread!

Jonathan

 

Jonathan,

Thank you for your suggestion.

 

I have no idea what you mean by the title of the thread.  

 

[corneliuslundie]

Not the first time. There are plenty of reports of unofficial trips using open wagons organised by the contractors building railways, including the Cambrian's constituents.

I wasn't sure which emoticon to use. Like would have been equally appropriate.

Jonathan

[Mikkel]

Yes, contractors are on my modelling radar at the moment and when I saw Chris' photo I thought of this: https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/gwrha2819.htm

 

There were also the wagons full of notabilities during various opening ceremonies, e.g.: https://uptheossroad.wordpress.com/2016/07/04/birminghams-furthest-outpost-michel-de-certeau-and-the-tactics-of-elan-villages-navvies/

 

 

 

 

[ChrisN]

I have had an email conversation with the folks at Didcot.  I have to say they were very kind and helpful, although I am not sure that my sum of information is very much greater.  

I asked about smoking compartments in four wheel coaches and the reply was that there was a diagram, (Sorry I have not got the emails open), that had a smoking coupé.  It was then stated that as smoking became more accepted more smoking compartments were made available. They were designated by signs on the windows, some of which were removable.   This was the Chairman.  He asked for comments from the restoration team and the reply came back after I had asked if the compartments so changed had their seat covers changed to leather was that at present they were restoring a U4 built in 1902(4?) and although Harris has told them the colours of the seats they are still unsure as the only photos that they can go by were black and white.

 

So, unless I can find pictures of coaches with Smoking signs on the windows, and glimpses of the inside then I shall paint all mine as if they were not smoking.

 

Now a question.  I am getting back to making this MSLR 4 wheel tri-composite coach.  It was I believe designed by @Bedders.  I have waited for ages for Dart castings to produce the right coach springs that they had on their site but had none in stock and they appeared a few months ago.  Having set about it I realised that I had no idea what buffers it should have, and who makes them.  Also having looked at the pictures I have of it preserved, only two pictures, I cannot see any brakes.  So was it only braked on one side or are the brakes just not visible?  Thank you in advance.

 

If you have been, thanks for looking.

[richard i]

As mousa models do gcr 4 wheelers they have a 3d print of all the roof and furniture and buffers etc. I think you can get it as a separate  supply. 
richard 

[ChrisN]

2 hours ago, richard i said:

As mousa models do gcr 4 wheelers they have a 3d print of all the roof and furniture and buffers etc. I think you can get it as a separate  supply. 
richard 

 

Richard,

Thank you.  I should have thought about Mousa.  I shall have a look.

 

I have looked at the website but cannot find any MSLR coaches, which I am sure used to be there, and had to hunt for GCR stuff.  They have buffers but only from Shapeways and they are also with springs and axleboxes, which I did not know he did, and I have plenty of now.  Back to square one.

Edited June 9, 2020 by ChrisN
More Information

[ChrisN]

Another question.  I have found two buffers that look the same as the picture I have.  (I am sorry but I cannot find the online picture that shows the buffers clearly.)  The first is Dart Castings and the second is Markits.  Opinions about these two please.

 

Thank you

[Northroader]

Chris, one of these has been preserved at the K&WVR, so probably forms the basis of your model. The HMRS journal did a drawing for this back in the 70s. At that time the coach was a stores van, and the guys measuring up didn’t measure the brake gear, so it wasn’t shown on the drawing. I would think automatic vacuum with a central cylinder and clasp brakes on each wheel.

 

Heres a link to the Historic Vehicles Trust with some decent pictures

http://www.vintagecarriagestrust.org/MS&L.htm

[Mikkel]

The Dart castings ones seem to be out of stock.

 

I like the Dart Castings products in general, but I suppose sprung buffers are only worth it if your couplings allow buffer contact? (mine don't, so the fancy Gibson buffers never get any action).

 

Edited June 9, 2020 by Mikkel
to clarify

[ChrisN]

31 minutes ago, Northroader said:

Chris, one of these has been preserved at the K&WVR, so probably forms the basis of your model. The HMRS journal did a drawing for this back in the 70s. At that time the coach was a stores van, and the guys measuring up didn’t measure the brake gear, so it wasn’t shown on the drawing. I would think automatic vacuum with a central cylinder and clasp brakes on each wheel.

 

Heres a link to the Historic Vehicles Trust with some decent pictures

http://www.vintagecarriagestrust.org/MS&L.htm

 

Northroader,

Thank you very much.  That site was the one I was vainly looking for, should have typed Tricomposite!   Looking at the picture again I can see one set of clasp brakes, umm vaguely, but maybe not the others.  Perhaps I will give it the benefit of the doubt and fit them.  See if I can find some, although I have been know to make copies of the Ratio ones before now.

 

I am not sure whether to be pleased or not about the interior pictures.  I will explain more when I post about the build but I have used Ratio seats and glued them in.  If I had seen these before, and I am sure they were not there when I first looked a couple of years ago, I would have done things differently.  Thank you, the pictures are most helpful.

[ChrisN]

28 minutes ago, Mikkel said:

The Dart castings ones seem to be out of stock.

 

I like the Dart Castings products in general, but I suppose sprung buffers are only worth it if your couplings allow buffer contact? (mine don't, so the fancy Gibson buffers never get any action).

 

 

Mikkel,

You are probably right, especially as the Dart ones are not in stock.  It is which looks the part.  The Markits ones do, but probably need something at the base, as in the picture Northroader posted.

[ChrisN]

12 hours ago, Northroader said:

Chris, one of these has been preserved at the K&WVR, so probably forms the basis of your model. The HMRS journal did a drawing for this back in the 70s. At that time the coach was a stores van, and the guys measuring up didn’t measure the brake gear, so it wasn’t shown on the drawing. I would think automatic vacuum with a central cylinder and clasp brakes on each wheel.

 

Heres a link to the Historic Vehicles Trust with some decent pictures

http://www.vintagecarriagestrust.org/MS&L.htm

 

Northroader,

I meant to say in the last post how useful this diagram is, but forgot.  Firstly, it shows it with Oil Tops and the photo appears to have Gas Tops.  All the other diagrams I have show MSLR coaches with gas tops so this will make a nice change.  (I like Oil Tops and all Cambrian vehicles at my date had them.)  Secondly, it is more obvious on the diagram, but now having seen it there it is obvious on the photos, that the footboard is not continuous and is only under the doors.  I had seen that the running board did not go round the wheels but stopped either side but the footboard is an interesting detail.  (Have I got footboard and running board the right way round?)

 

Also, coming back to the photos of the inside.  I have some writing, from somewhere, that explains that the first class compartment seats were blue and the third class ones red, but nothing about the second class ones.  This shows black leather so at least the colours will be correct.  (And no, I am not going to try and imitate the stud pattern.)

[Northroader]

I did wonder about the lighting, the drawing has had the original oil lamp cases added, copying from somewhere else. It was converted to gas later, which is how the preserved coach is done. Entirely in favour of modelling oil lamps, much less fiddle than gas, with all that little pipework. Presume you’ll be doing MSLR livery rather than GCR?

[ChrisN]

9 hours ago, Northroader said:

I did wonder about the lighting, the drawing has had the original oil lamp cases added, copying from somewhere else. It was converted to gas later, which is how the preserved coach is done. Entirely in favour of modelling oil lamps, much less fiddle than gas, with all that little pipework. Presume you’ll be doing MSLR livery rather than GCR?

 

Yes MSLR, it is a through coach from Manchester, London Road.  I have a number to make, but this is the easiest.

 

Question:  On the diagram the bottom left hand corner is a bit fuzzy.  Could you tell me the dimensions of the depth of the headstock please?  I think it is 11".

Edited June 10, 2020 by ChrisN

[Compound2632]

11 hours ago, ChrisN said:

Question:  On the diagram the bottom left hand corner is a bit fuzzy.  Could you tell me the dimensions of the depth of the headstock please?  I think it is 11".

 

Believe so - sounds right and I don't see what else it could be. 11" x 4.5" was very much a standard dimension for headstocks and solebars. Planed down from 12" x 5" sawn timber?

[Nick Holliday]

The HMRS drawing can be examined on their website at https://hmrs.org.uk/drawings/tri-composite-with-4-compartments-luggage-compartment-16ft-11ins-w-b-28ft-4-ins-o-b.html where some of the fuzzier dimensions can be easily read. I don't know if they are in a position to sell a copy.

[Bedders]

Glad to see this is back on your table, shocked at how expensive it is now on Shapeways! A contemporary design drawing, though not showing any brake gear.