Henley-on-Thames - GWR in the 1930's

[Ribird]

Not saying to do this, but an idea I would like to try myself whenever I get around to building a layout with a turntable, is to power the outside track, instead of having a reverse module. I do not know how well this would work with lighted/sound locos. Might be a flicker when the polarity switches? The track would be split in half, which would change the direction of polarity as you rotate the table. 

 

Left half would be "positive", the right side being "negative". Each rail is attached to a brass wiper under each end of the table which contact the support rail, which is in fact two semi-circular rails wired one to each rail of the approach track. In that way power is carried to the turntable track, and polarity reverses as the table rotates 180 degrees. Attached a rough drawing of the split for your current set up. 

 

The kit you found does look great already! And looks to be a somewhat easy fitment?

[Neal Ball]

17 hours ago, Ribird said:

Not saying to do this, but an idea I would like to try myself whenever I get around to building a layout with a turntable, is to power the outside track, instead of having a reverse module. I do not know how well this would work with lighted/sound locos. Might be a flicker when the polarity switches? The track would be split in half, which would change the direction of polarity as you rotate the table. 

 

Left half would be "positive", the right side being "negative". Each rail is attached to a brass wiper under each end of the table which contact the support rail, which is in fact two semi-circular rails wired one to each rail of the approach track. In that way power is carried to the turntable track, and polarity reverses as the table rotates 180 degrees. Attached a rough drawing of the split for your current set up. 

 

The kit you found does look great already! And looks to be a somewhat easy fitment?

Thanks very much for this.

 

The Peco table, which this one replaces, has a split ring which means you don’t need the reverse module.

 

This meant that when locos went round, the sound stalled momentarily, but not for long. I’m not sure how the Gaugemaster one will deal with sound…. Presumably it will also miss a beat, but then restart.

 

With this new table, because I went for the pre-built option, it’s not easy to dismantle to change the electrical feeds / central rings.

 

Looking underneath, the stepper motor and associated gearing, looks very much like a high end record turntable. Let’s hope once the control lead arrives, it behaves like one as well. Instead of my favourite Jazz, it will be my favourite Hall or Castle spinning round!

[Neal Ball]

Another busy day on the railway:

 

I concluded work on The Earl 4-4-0: it’s had it’s post war logo removed and replaced with the shirtbutton logo. The old logos didn’t come off that easily, so the tender was resprayed and is a slightly different shade to the loco.

 

I also started to paint The Turntable: it still doesn’t work… I’m still waiting for the cable…

 

In order to get GWR dark stone, I had to mix some Vallejo paints and the result is quite pleasing. It’s slightly different to the station building, but I’m working on the basis that the loco dept having different stock of GWR paint!

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued…

Edited April 1, 2022 by Neal Ball
photo changed

[checkrail]

2 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

The old logos didn’t come off that easily, so the tender was resprayed and is a slightly different shade to the loco.

 

I also started to paint The Turntable

Been there, done that!

 

Turntable colours look spot on to me. 

[KNP]

Do like the Earl Class but did I notice you still have the buffer beam number to do?

Turntable looks great.

[MrWolf]

That turntable is looking really good, the colours are what I have been searching for too. I think I have it nailed now... Maybe.

 

I might just have to get another 4-4-0 now though!

[The Fatadder]

What mix of colours did you use for the dark stone?

[Neal Ball]

26 minutes ago, The Fatadder said:

What mix of colours did you use for the dark stone?

Hi Rich,

I think it’s the recipe you gave me!

 

20 x Tan

4 x Mahogany

1 x Red

1 x White

 

I mixed it over 3 batches, so was very pleased about how consistent the colour was.

 

I will let you know exactly which colours in the morning.

 

Regards, Neal.

[Neal Ball]

Thanks for all the comments guys.

 

2 hours ago, checkrail said:

Been there, done that!

 

Turntable colours look spot on to me. 

Thanks John.

The colours are slightly different to the station, but I am very pleased with the result.

 

1 hour ago, KNP said:

Do like the Earl Class but did I notice you still have the buffer beam number to do?

Turntable looks great.

I’ve added the buffer beam number to the list! Completely forgot until I saw the photos…. Hoping that no one would notice!

 

The loco needs: crew; coal; lamps and replace the number.

 

Thanks Kevin

 

51 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

That turntable is looking really good, the colours are what I have been searching for too. I think I have it nailed now... Maybe.

 

I might just have to get another 4-4-0 now though!

Thanks very much for the comments, I’m hoping that Bachmann might do one of the earlier 4-4-0 to complement the Earls… Bulldog with curved frames perhaps…

 

29 minutes ago, The Fatadder said:

What mix of colours did you use for the dark stone?

Thanks Rich

[Neal Ball]

Morning all

 

Re: Turntable painting.

In painting the turntable, it was all done insitu, which didn’t make it easy. But at least I was able to get down low to check everything I was doing.

 

There are a couple of areas where it needs touching in, but overall I’m happy with it.

 

Firstly apologies, that I can not find who gave me the recipe for Light and Dark stone.

 

I have used the following colours:

 

 

 

My white and Red are not as prescribed, although they are close. I was advised to use White 71001 and Red 71269 but the shop didn’t have any in stock.

 

The Red I should have used is a darker Red, but given it’s only 1 drop I doubt it would have changed the overall colour that much.

 

The two Reds:

 

 

 

The ironic thing is that I have a box of Railmatch paints in Canterbury, waiting to be sent over as part of someone moving over…. One thing and another they have been delayed.

 

My next painting project is to complete the platform canopy, but that’s definitely going to have to wait for the Railmatch paint. It would look odd, next to the station overall roof if it’s the wrong colours.

 

Hope the paint details are of use.

 

Edited April 1, 2022 by Neal Ball

[Neal Ball]

Bachmann Autumn 2021 announcements:

Oh well, no new GWR carriages this quarter then….. no doubt they will be along soon.

 

However, there was a new(?) 3 plank wagon announced with container. 
 

Whilst the container looks correct, is the 3 plank wagon? Or is it a case of buying them and discarding the wagon, only using the container. It’s just over £21 on the Rails of Sheffield site.

 

Thanks, Neal.

 

 

Edited April 1, 2022 by Neal Ball

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

On 26/07/2021 at 21:14, Neal Ball said:

Good evening all:

 

Turntable update: Its now powered; as in DCC power and for the moment the table is plugged into the bus*. 

 

*I am about to order a Gauagemster reverse loop module to deal with the change in polarities.

 

"This meant that when locos went round, the sound stalled momentarily, but not for long. I’m not sure how the Gaugemaster one will deal with sound…. Presumably it will also miss a beat, but then restart."

 

I used a Digitrax AR1 for my turntable on the Irish layout.  It worked beautifully, no flickering of lights and no interruption to sound on the sound fitted locos.  Super easy to install.

 

I also used one for a reverse loop, and trains would run through without hesitation.  No idea how it worked, absolute magic in my view!

 

Edited August 5, 2021 by Dr Gerbil-Fritters

[TrevorP1]

1 hour ago, Neal Ball said:

Bachmann Autumn 2021 announcements:

Oh well, no new GWR carriages this quarter then….. no doubt they will be along soon.

 

However, there was a new(?) 3 plank wagon announced with container. 
 

Whilst the container looks correct, is the 3 plank wagon? Or is it a case of buying them and discarding the wagon, only using the container. It’s just over £21 on the Rails of Sheffield site.

 

Thanks, Neal.

 

I’m far from knowledgeable but to me  it looks like the standard Bachmann ‘Medfit’ (LMS origin?) with a BR BD container…. 

[Miss Prism]

I don't think the GWR had any 3-plank dropside opens. (But I'll need to check in the Bible when I get back to it.)

[Siberian Snooper]

No problem with slightly different shades between loco and tender, it's very unlikely that they would have been shopped together. 

 

 

[chuffinghell]

6 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

Bachmann Autumn 2021 announcements:

Oh well, no new GWR carriages this quarter then….. no doubt they will be along soon.

 

However, there was a new(?) 3 plank wagon announced with container. 
 

Whilst the container looks correct, is the 3 plank wagon? Or is it a case of buying them and discarding the wagon, only using the container. It’s just over £21 on the Rails of Sheffield site.

 

Thanks, Neal.

 

 

Possibly aimed at modelers like me who know absolutely b*gger all so will happily shell out for anything with GWR or GW stamped on it 

 

Edited August 5, 2021 by chuffinghell

[chuffinghell]

On 31/07/2021 at 08:50, Neal Ball said:

Firstly apologies, that I can not find who gave me the recipe for Light and Dark stone.

 

am I that easily forgotten 

 

Dark Stone

20 drops Tan Earth 71.079

4 drops Mahogany 71.036

1 drop white 71.001

1 drop red 71.269

 

Light stone

50:50

Tan Earth 71.079

Beige 71.074

 

I knew I should have copyrighted it 

[Mikkel]

2 hours ago, Miss Prism said:

I don't think the GWR had any 3-plank dropside opens. (But I'll need to check in the Bible when I get back to it.)

 

No, not within the standard building programme as far as I can see. I suppose you could pass it off as an absorbed MSWJR 3-plank dropside (MR dia 305), but they looked quite different and I doubt any survived to your period, Neal.

 

The turntable looks great, a nice match with the Earl.

[MrWolf]

There is a photo in one of the books on Great Western locomotives, a shot of a large tank engine (2-8-2?) at Swindon works, either after modification or collision repair. The bunker is in shiny green paint and the rest of it is very scruffy. I'm sure that would also happen (and probably more likely.) when tenders were quite often swapped out. I think that it works rather well.

 

As for the container wagon, I'm certainly no expert, but the wagon looks rather LMS with the spring door drop bar and a quick look through my wagon books didn't show a container of similar construction. That said I still have a couple of the old Airfix GWR container wagons that are probably wrong on several thousand points and I won't be getting rid of them.

[Siberian Snooper]

Didn't the Cambrian have some 3 plank wagons?

 

[57xx]

As Trevor noted, that is just the LMS 3 plank with a GW livery slapped on.

There was a GWR 3 plank open, the O35. However it didn't have dropsides, just a centre door with sack plank. A massive fleet of two were built according to Atkins et al.

The corrugated ends on the container immediately scream "not GWR!" to me, Atkins seems to confirm, none of the GWR ones were built to that style.

[Neal Ball]

As ever RMWeb has come up trumps with all the replies yesterday.

 

Thank you to everyone who has replied.

 

Clearly I won’t be adding the Bachmann wagon to the fleet, I’ve just put my wallet away!

[Neal Ball]

14 hours ago, chuffinghell said:

 

am I that easily forgotten 

 

Dark Stone

20 drops Tan Earth 71.079

4 drops Mahogany 71.036

1 drop white 71.001

1 drop red 71.269

 

Light stone

50:50

Tan Earth 71.079

Beige 71.074

 

I knew I should have copyrighted it 

Thanks for the recipe Chris, apologies that I forgot you!

[chuffinghell]

55 minutes ago, Neal Ball said:

Thanks for the recipe Chris, apologies that I forgot you!

No problem  just glad to help

 

Edited August 6, 2021 by chuffinghell

[Bulwell Hall]

17 hours ago, MrWolf said:

There is a photo in one of the books on Great Western locomotives, a shot of a large tank engine (2-8-2?) at Swindon works, either after modification or collision repair. The bunker is in shiny green paint and the rest of it is very scruffy. I'm sure that would also happen (and probably more likely.) when tenders were quite often swapped out. I think that it works rather well.

 

As for the container wagon, I'm certainly no expert, but the wagon looks rather LMS with the spring door drop bar and a quick look through my wagon books didn't show a container of similar construction. That said I still have a couple of the old Airfix GWR container wagons that are probably wrong on several thousand points and I won't be getting rid of them.

 

I have often wondered about that photo of the 72xx with a shiny bunker.  Could the photo have been taken when the 42xx 2-8-0T was converted to a 72xx 2-8-2T?  Just surmising but I reckon that as she was a freight engine they wouldn't have repainted her unnecessarily - just painted the new work.