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

[MrWolf]

That may well be the case and if t loco was due for boiler work or a full repaint within perhaps the next twelve months, the Great Western wasn't the sort of company who would have wasted time and money repainting the whole thing. They would just protect the work they had done and make the loco presentable.

[ChrisN]

17 hours ago, Siberian Snooper said:

Didn't the Cambrian have some 3 plank wagons?

 

 

'Fraid not, at least not on their list in 1922 and I do not remember seeing any three planks in photos.  They had 2 and four planks mainly.

[Nick Gough]

12 hours ago, Bulwell Hall said:

 

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.

Several of the later 52xx series never actually entered revenue service, in that form, due to the effects of the Wall Street crash and Great Depression. They went straight into store in the Swindon stock shed until rebuilding as 72xx.

 

As you say they didn't need a repaint but, perhaps, lost a little of the shine in storage. As the first 72xx didn't enter service until August 1934 in theory, as new locomotives, they should have carried the recently introduced GWR 'shirt button' roundel rather than the full 'GREAT WESTERN', still on the tank sides from their previous incarnation.

[Neal Ball]

8 hours ago, Nick Gough said:

Several of the later 52xx series never actually entered revenue service, in that form, due to the effects of the Wall Street crash and Great Depression. They went straight into store in the Swindon stock shed until rebuilding as 72xx.

 

As you say they didn't need a repaint but, perhaps, lost a little of the shine in storage. As the first 72xx didn't enter service until August 1934 in theory, as new locomotives, they should have carried the recently introduced GWR 'shirt button' roundel rather than the full 'GREAT WESTERN', still on the tank sides from their previous incarnation.

Thats interesting @Nick Gough, we don’t tend to think about the Wall St crash as affecting loco construction like that.

 

I suppose, then as now, any financial turmoil would have affected large employers in the UK as well.

 

But then of course, the depression, led into the General Strike. That would certainly have been very uncertain times.

[The Stationmaster]

12 hours ago, Nick Gough said:

Several of the later 52xx series never actually entered revenue service, in that form, due to the effects of the Wall Street crash and Great Depression. They went straight into store in the Swindon stock shed until rebuilding as 72xx.

 

As you say they didn't need a repaint but, perhaps, lost a little of the shine in storage. As the first 72xx didn't enter service until August 1934 in theory, as new locomotives, they should have carried the recently introduced GWR 'shirt button' roundel rather than the full 'GREAT WESTERN', still on the tank sides from their previous incarnation.

5275 -5294 from the Lot 266 1930 building programme were out into store as a result of the considerable decline in the coal trade in South Wales and further planned Lots of 42XX were cancelled.  A few years later a need was identified for more longer distance heavy freight engines as the 'Aberdares' were becoming due for major renewals.  Thus 5275 -94 were taken in hand for conversion to longer range 2-8-2Ts by extending the rear frames, adding a radial axle and splicing in an extended section of the coal bunker giving them a coal capacity of 6 tons - only 1 ton less than the 'Aberdares'; this batch of conversions all entered traffic in 1934.

 

Recovery from the Great Depression was very slow in South Wales and subsequently various earlier 42XX/5205 engines were rebuilt as 2-8-2Ts between 1935 and 1939 thus accounting for differences in the running plate between various groups of 72XX and resulting in three different Swindon diagrams to cover the class.   The differences were further compounded by some of the converted early engines receiving new front ends which altered their appearance to being more like that of the first group of conversions.  The conversion programme was cancelled due to the outbreak of WWII and the 1940 building programme added 10 5205 class 2-8-0Ts to the fleet instead of more conversions

 

N.B.  The General Strike was in 1926 although it was in large part brought on by a recession, and wage reductions, in the coal industry.  The Great Depression followed the 1929 Wall Street crash and began to really bite in Britain in 1930. 

[Neal Ball]

19 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

5275 -5294 from the Lot 266 1930 building programme were out into store as a result of the considerable decline in the coal trade in South Wales and further planned Lots of 42XX were cancelled.  A few years later a need was identified for more longer distance heavy freight engines as the 'Aberdares' were becoming due for major renewals.  Thus 5275 -94 were taken in hand for conversion to longer range 2-8-2Ts by extending the rear frames, adding a radial axle and splicing in an extended section of the coal bunker giving them a coal capacity of 6 tons - only 1 ton less than the 'Aberdares'; this batch of conversions all entered traffic in 1934.

 

Recovery from the Great Depression was very slow in South Wales and subsequently various earlier 42XX/5205 engines were rebuilt as 2-8-2Ts between 1935 and 1939 thus accounting for differences in the running plate between various groups of 72XX and resulting in three different Swindon diagrams to cover the class.   The differences were further compounded by some of the converted early engines receiving new front ends which altered their appearance to being more like that of the first group of conversions.  The conversion programme was cancelled due to the outbreak of WWII and the 1940 building programme added 10 5205 class 2-8-0Ts to the fleet instead of more conversions

 

N.B.  The General Strike was in 1926 although it was in large part brought on by a recession, and wage reductions, in the coal industry.  The Great Depression followed the 1929 Wall Street crash and began to really bite in Britain in 1930. 

Thanks @The Stationmaster

[Neal Ball]

We've been away on our holidays again - this time, further up the coast, closer to Barcelona, where it was a lot cooler.

 

3 weeks just outside Peniscola, which is where el Cid and more recently some of Game of Thrones was filmed.

 

Anyway in the post when we got back was the cable for the turntable, which is now fitted and working very well.

 

My purchase of the 70ft Greenwood turntable turned into a bit of a saga during June and July and to be honest I thought was badly handled by Mike the owner of the company.

 

• He sent a 65ft table rather than the 70ft version I ordered.
• The address was wrong - it was lucky it arrived at all.
• I had to pay €165 duty - he claims his attached invoice shows it having a value of £100, when the parcel finally arrived, it clearly shows the correct value.
• It got stuck in customs (not Mikes fault, but it was at the point where he should have been making noises about sending a replacement.)
• The transformer was broken in the box (This has still not yet been replaced)
• The lead from the control panel to the control gear had not been tested and did not have electrical continuity. The replacement arrived during our first week away.
•  
• I originally messaged about placing an order last November and was told there was a delay, but hopefully it would be ready by Christmas.
• Eventually I was asked for a deposit in March and the final balance in June.
•  
• Now that it's here and working, it's a lovely turntable, although I have yet to programme it.
• Its just been a tortuous journey to get here!

This is the front of the control panel:

 

 

With the associated electronics on the back:

 

 

And the control panel itself. This will be mounted under the turntable, with the control panel at the front of the layout, although I am not sure exactly where yet.

 

 

Both of my sound fitted 61xx locos have been on the table and been turned - you can just see a Modelu member of crew glued on one end - thats the head! I need it there at the moment to show which way round the table is.

 

I am waiting for the Gaugemaster reverse loop module to arrive - hopefully in a day or so time.

 

 

I have made a video for Youtube which I am just about to start editing and will add the link shortly.

 

edit April 2022 - photos updated.

 

NOTE: DUE TO THE ON-GOING ISSUES I HAD IN 2021 WITH THE TURNTABLE, I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS PRODUCT.

Edited April 1, 2022 by Neal Ball

[Neal Ball]

The Turntable video part 1:

 

The following needs to be done before I consider it complete:

• Connect the exit roads - in order to do so, they will need to be completely re-aligned. The track will need to be lifted and ballasted etc.
• Programme the turntable to stop in the right place per track.
• Install the Gaugemaster reverse loop module - in the video everything has to go round to the same point it started - this will change with that module.
• Scenic works will then need to be completed.
• Whereupon the back "sky" can go back

I will also look at the position of the lamp close to the entrance road - it looks very close!

 

The video is here: 

 

Hope you enjoy it.

 

Regards, Neal. 

Edited August 25, 2021 by Neal Ball
Edit: added Programme the table.

[john dew]

Hi Neal

 

Welcome home!

 

Thats a very lengthy saga with the TT. You must have found it very frustrating and you still have a formidable todo list before it is all sorted.

 

Thanks for posting the video. The bridge movement seems very smooth and much quieter than my Fleischmanns! How much manual intervention was there? I assumed the programme stopped it just before the exit track and then moved it slowly to the track. Once it stopped one could see the relatively minute mis alignment. This mis alignment seemed to be consistent so a very slight adjustment of the exit track position should solve it ?

 

Looking forward to Part 2 when the polarity switch is operating

 

Best wishes

[Neal Ball]

4 hours ago, john dew said:

Hi Neal

 

Welcome home!

 

Thats a very lengthy saga with the TT. You must have found it very frustrating and you still have a formidable todo list before it is all sorted.

 

Thanks for posting the video. The bridge movement seems very smooth and much quieter than my Fleischmanns! How much manual intervention was there? I assumed the programme stopped it just before the exit track and then moved it slowly to the track. Once it stopped one could see the relatively minute mis alignment. This mis alignment seemed to be consistent so a very slight adjustment of the exit track position should solve it ?

 

Looking forward to Part 2 when the polarity switch is operating

 

Best wishes

Morning John, thanks for the comments.

 

It’s been a very frustrating process, the lack of communication from Mike at Greenwood has driven me mad.

 

At the moment, I am lining the table up by sight. The minor adjustment was me trying to get it right first time, hence why my arm appears a couple of times!

 

In the video with the first 61xx I tried lining it up by standing in my usual operating space, but couldn’t see it enough to line the tracks correctly. For the next two videos I was operating it from the back so I could see easier. Although the camera was still at the front.

 

I need to add “programme the turntable” once the exit roads are laid!

 

Overall the table is very smooth to operate and the minor adjustment / creep to engage the tracks seems very straightforward.

 

I am hoping that by the end of this week, I will have all the tracks laid again and the reverse module has arrived.

 

Thanks again for the comments.

 

Regards, Neal.

 

 

[The Fatadder]

Looks like it was at least worth the hassle in the end at least, especially once the tracks are relayed and its fully bedded in.  

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

Makes me glad my current BLT doesn't need a turntable!

[Graham T]

I was looking at a Greenwood 55ft turntable for Chuffnell Regis, but must say that I'm a bit put off by this saga.  What alternatives did you look at Neal?

[Neal Ball]

14 hours ago, Graham T said:

I was looking at a Greenwood 55ft turntable for Chuffnell Regis, but must say that I'm a bit put off by this saga.  What alternatives did you look at Neal?

I also looked at both the Heljan and Fleischmann tables, but discounted them both as I didn’t really like the look of them.

 

I had heard tales of the Heljan one losing its memory and needing reprogramming from time to time and the Fleischmann was very expensive (but reliable), but I just didn’t like it.

 

If I could have got the Peco table to work, I would have put up with it not being quite right.

 

So I took the plunge and went for the Greenwood table. It wasn’t cheap,  but it does look the part - but as I say above, he is just a nightmare to deal with.

 

Have a look at other people’s comments under the small suppliers section on here…..

Edited August 26, 2021 by Neal Ball
Added reference to the small suppliers pages on RMWeb.

[Graham T]

Thanks Neal.  They do look good, as you say, and I need something 55 foot long max for my layout.  But I live outside the UK, like you, so actually getting hold of the thing is a worry...

 

I'll take a look at the small suppliers section as you recommend - thanks again.

[Neal Ball]

9 hours ago, Graham T said:

Thanks Neal.  They do look good, as you say, and I need something 55 foot long max for my layout.  But I live outside the UK, like you, so actually getting hold of the thing is a worry...

 

I'll take a look at the small suppliers section as you recommend - thanks again.

My comment about the small suppliers section on RMWeb, is mainly about people’s views on Greenwood.

 

There is another company that does GWR tables and is sold via one of the preservation groups, but details were hard to come by.

[Neal Ball]

Today has seen the turntable roads taken up and relaid. 
 

The wire droppers for the bus have been added, all I need to do tomorrow is wire them up and test thoroughly before everything is glued down and then ballasted.

 

Once it’s glued down, I will start the programming phase - hopefully that will be straightforward. Initially I’m using double sided tape to secure the track.

 

I started by checking the entry road again and this was then glued down:

 

It was then on to remove all the tracks by pouring on water to soften up the glue. 
 

By the time I left it this evening, it still looked a mess, but it’s getting better! I WOULD STILL NOT RECOMMEND THIS PRODUCT

 

 

 

 

Edited April 1, 2022 by Neal Ball
photo changed

[Denbridge]

1 hour ago, Neal Ball said:

My comment about the small suppliers section on RMWeb, is mainly about people’s views on Greenwood.

 

There is another company that does GWR tables and is sold via one of the preservation groups, but details were hard to come by.

The other turntables you mention were the former metalsmiths range of etched kits. Until recently they were available via the Midland Railway Centre. The owner is currently selling the range and at present they are unavailable.

[Neal Ball]

1 hour ago, Denbridge said:

The other turntables you mention were the former metalsmiths range of etched kits. Until recently they were available via the Midland Railway Centre. The owner is currently selling the range and at present they are unavailable.

 

Thanks for that.

[Neal Ball]

I've had an email from Gaugemaster today, to say that the Dapol GWR Prairie tanks are on their way to the UK.

 

Apparently they will be here during September or October.

 

I wonder if they will be as good as the Hornby versions... I can't help feeling they have missed the boat and should have switched their efforts onto a different product.

 

https://www.gaugemasterretail.com/magento/Dapol-da4s-041-003.html 

 

Good luck to Dapol....

[gwrrob]

Thanks for that info Neal although I haven’t seen an image of the finished product , which is a bit of a worry.

[Neal Ball]

17 minutes ago, gwrrob said:

Thanks for that info Neal although I haven’t seen an image of the finished product , which is a bit of a worry.

 

Both Hattons and Gaugemaster are still showing the original CAD images - strange indeed.

 

The Dapol website is its usual helpful self... If you look through OO steam locos it doesn't come up. Then when you do a search for Prairie it only shows the old Airfix(?) kit!

 

I've never been a fan of their website - it needs a major overhaul.

[The Stationmaster]

23 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

Today has seen the turntable roads taken up and relaid. 
 

The wire droppers for the bus have been added, all I need to do tomorrow is wire them up and test thoroughly before everything is glued down and then ballasted.

 

Once it’s glued down, I will start the programming phase - hopefully that will be straightforward. Initially I’m using double sided tape to secure the track.

 

I started by checking the entry road again and this was then glued down:

 

It was then on to remove all the tracks by pouring on water to soften up the glue. 
 

 

 

By the time I left it this evening, it still looked a mess, but it’s getting better!

 

 

To be continued tomorrow.

 

Are you going to do the brickwork around the radial stabling roads instead of all that grass Neal?

[Neal Ball]

On 27/08/2021 at 18:08, The Stationmaster said:

Are you going to do the brickwork around the radial stabling roads instead of all that grass Neal?

 

Thanks Mike. Do you mean the brickwork as per the engineers bricks round the edge, together with the footholds for pushing the table?

 

As per Minehead?

 

It would certainly be nice, but the engineers bricks follow the curve of the table, so not sue how I will manage that.... Suggestions welcome.

Edited April 1, 2022 by Neal Ball
photo changed

[Siberian Snooper]

How about cutting bricks into strips and curving each strip, youmayneed to start laying the next strip from the centre of the previous one to keep the "bonding".  only  a suggestion, I have no practical experience.