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

[Neal Ball]

2 hours ago, TrevorP1 said:

 

My commiserations Neal, that's quite a list. It must be soul destroying. On top of that you are dealing with the Unreliable Parcel Service (at least in my experience). Keep at it!

Thanks Trevor. 
it’s been a bank holiday in Spain today, so it’s been a day of lazing around!

 

Have a good evening.

Regards, Neal.

[MrWolf]

Sometimes it seems as though life saves up all the little problems until they can be served up as a proper three course helping of aggravation. 

I've been having similar problems lately. I won't bore you with the details, but the most recent example was collecting the bottom half of a very rare old motorcycle engine this afternoon from a machine shop where I have had some overhaul work done.

Except that they appear to have lost a small but critical part.

Within an hour I had sourced a replacement, for £78, which is only £8 less than the machining cost!

[Neal Ball]

8 hours ago, MrWolf said:

Sometimes it seems as though life saves up all the little problems until they can be served up as a proper three course helping of aggravation. 

I've been having similar problems lately. I won't bore you with the details, but the most recent example was collecting the bottom half of a very rare old motorcycle engine this afternoon from a machine shop where I have had some overhaul work done.

Except that they appear to have lost a small but critical part.

Within an hour I had sourced a replacement, for £78, which is only £8 less than the machining cost!

Never rains, but it pours would be an apt description.

[KNP]

But we keep on smiling through all these trials and tribulations.....

[Neal Ball]

Just now, KNP said:

But we keep on smiling through all these trials and tribulations.....

Oh yes indeed Kevin.

 

Its just an excuse to move on to the next half finished job!

 

I picked up the centenary carriage again yesterday and started sanding the filler down. It’s going to take a while, but it’s coming along nicely.

 

It will need a bit more filler yet, to which end I have just ordered some Vallejo filler which should be here by Friday (model shop in Spain). Which means I can throw away the other filler which is probably 10+ years old!

 

Onwards and upwards.

[Nick Gough]

1 hour ago, Neal Ball said:

Never rains, but it pours would be an apt description.

The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain?

[Neal Ball]

Postal updates!

 

Weve just received some magazines from a friend in the uk…… with duty of €5 to pay! Despite the customs declaration stating they were a gift.

 

Normal magazines seem to be getting through ok, but we are now seeing a lot of magazines being post from either Holland or Madrid. Even Steam Railway and Model Rail are now sent from Madrid. Presumably they are printed here.

 

I’ve now sent the turntable parts back to Greenwood by UPS and the Railcar decoder has been sent recorded delivery.

 

In speaking to Mike at Greenwood on Monday about the parcel going back to him (bearing in mind he addressed the turntable to the wrong area when it originally came over), he still insists that he has had no issues with sending across the world using DPD. Unfortunately here in Spain they use Seur, who are awful - possibly worse than the main postal service Correos….

 

Wish me luck!

[Bogie]

Good luck!

[MrWolf]

Good luck and don't let the b######s grind you down old chap!

[Neal Ball]

Tonight, farming between the wars.

 

I’m looking forward to this…. I don’t have many fields at Henley on Thames, but I think this is going to be interesting.

 

Lets face it, anything from Pendon is of interest.

 

https://pendonmuseum.com/friends/events/14-october-farming-in-oxfordshire-in-the-interwar-years

 

[The Stationmaster]

1 hour ago, Neal Ball said:

Tonight, farming between the wars.

 

I’m looking forward to this…. I don’t have many fields at Henley on Thames, but I think this is going to be interesting.

 

Lets face it, anything from Pendon is of interest.

 

https://pendonmuseum.com/friends/events/14-october-farming-in-oxfordshire-in-the-interwar-years

 

There were cows kept in the field on the 'river' side of the railway (on the Shiplake side of the signal box, alongside the carriage sidings) until the 1970s - possibly even a bit later than that.  They belonged to a farm which was on the other side of the railway so went over the bridge to be milked.

[Neal Ball]

18 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

There were cows kept in the field on the 'river' side of the railway (on the Shiplake side of the signal box, alongside the carriage sidings) until the 1970s - possibly even a bit later than that.  They belonged to a farm which was on the other side of the railway so went over the bridge to be milked.

 

Thanks Mike.

 

I got the impression that was all parkland, I didn't realise it was farmed.

 

Generally my "non-railway" land is fictitious, apart from the small allotment as there is one shown on the maps. Everything else I have made up.

 

I might have to add some cows.... might need some fences first!

[The Stationmaster]

13 minutes ago, Neal Ball said:

 

Thanks Mike.

 

I got the impression that was all parkland, I didn't realise it was farmed.

 

Generally my "non-railway" land is fictitious, apart from the small allotment as there is one shown on the maps. Everything else I have made up.

 

I might have to add some cows.... might need some fences first!

On the river side of the railway that area remained farmland (it was always pasture) between the railway boundary (post & wire fencing) and the towpath until the 1970s if not a little later.  It was then gradually taken into council ownership and is now officially 'public amenity' space and thus freely available to be used/abused by anybody who turns up and cares to make leave a mess behind after their picnic or whatever (although it is patrolled by council wardens who collar the worst offenders and send them packing back to Reading).  

 

Part of it - next to Mill Lane bridge is now (from 1974) the local Town Club's football pitch.  At one time their ground was on the other side of the railway but further from it and nearer to Reading Road but that lease ended in 1971.

[Neal Ball]

Thanks again Mike @The Stationmaster, that’s excellent

Edited October 14, 2021 by Neal Ball

[Neal Ball]

On 14/10/2021 at 12:30, Neal Ball said:

Tonight, farming between the wars.

 

I’m looking forward to this…. I don’t have many fields at Henley on Thames, but I think this is going to be interesting.

 

Lets face it, anything from Pendon is of interest.

 

https://pendonmuseum.com/friends/events/14-october-farming-in-oxfordshire-in-the-interwar-years

 

 

I was hoping it was going to be a bit more of a practical study of farming through the inter-war years. Instead it was about the economics of farming in the period. It was still interesting, just not what I expected.

 

The item before was also interesting, a walk through a couple of the villages, showing the buildings that make up the vale scene; Knighton and Ashbury.

 

It's a well known scene, one that I would like to strive to replicate. In the walk, we were shown the actual buildings at Upper and Lower Mills.

 

 

Can't wait to get over next summer and visit Pendon.

Edited April 2, 2022 by Neal Ball

[Neal Ball]

Today has been a Kadee sort of day!

 

I have a parcel winging its way to me from the other side of Spain with some new NEM Kadee couplings, plus some Vallejo filler to carry on with the Centenary carriage.

 

Anyway, to kill time! I decided on fitting non-NEM couplings to some of the stock. With the execption of the Siphon G all of these vans are kit built.

 

 

The vans at either end have been left with normal tension lock couplings, although as I type this, I am not sure of the merit of this.... a lot of my RTR vans still have tension lock, although once I have sorted out the carriages, they will be next be on the target list.

 

In these photos we have a Beetle; Mink D; Python; K22 Brake; Monster (Riding too high); Siphon G (Hornby); Mink G.

 

In changing the couplings over, I should have made a note which coupling I had used.... I only have long couplings in stock (non-NEM) where I need Medium. Some will be changed when new stock arrives.

 

Following Brexit, I now need to watch what I buy from the UK and the USA otherwise I get clobbered for import duty. I have previously stocked up on loads of Kadee variations direct from Kadee in the USA, but I am at the point where I need more now.

 

Does anyone have experience of ordering from the USA following Brexit? I wonder if it would be easier to order direct from America to the UK, or just suffer the Import duty and order direct. 

 

Whilst it seems a silly question, a lot of the suppliers here in Spain stock the range of NEM Kadee (19 has been out of stock for a while), they dont seem to stock the non-NEM couplings.

 

I have two Lima Siphon G to convert and add into this train.... but will need to fit the correct American bogies first.

 

 

Its a long time since the Monster and K22 full brake have been on the layout, they usually sit above the fiddle yard. I think that is about to change, now they are Kadee fitted.

 

There is still more work to do on all of these vans - The white roofs will go; transfers to be applied and general weathering will be added. Then they will enter the main fleet.

 

 

 

Have a good weekend. Regards, Neal.

Edited April 2, 2022 by Neal Ball
photos changed

[Neal Ball]

K22 Brake Van

 

I have just missed out on a Mailcoach K22 brake van on eBay….. I was surprised to see an unmade kit listed.

 

The bidding was £30 to which I added £1; it went for £36 - that’s a lot of money for an old kit…. But I reckon with a few Comet details added to the under frame it could be improved quite nicely.

 

My Mailcoach K22 and my Monster were bought when I lived in Northampton….. some 25+ years ago (at least).

 

I see comet do sides for a K40 and 42, both full brakes from the 1930’s, 60ft and 57ft. Food for thought maybe.

[bgman]

Hi Neil,

 

I dont know if this would be of any help to you ?

 

http://www.worsleyworks.co.uk/4mm/4mm_GWR.htm   Full BrakeK22  57' £14 00

 

G

[The Fatadder]

11 minutes ago, Neal Ball said:

I see comet do sides for a K40 and 42, both full brakes from the 1930’s, 60ft and 57ft. Food for thought maybe.

The Comet K40 is a pretty straight forward build using an Airfix B Set as a basis, easier still if you dont cock up the varnishing as I did on mine.

 

I do regret not buying a Mailcoach K22 back when they were regularly available at shows 10 years or so back, for the pretty low price they used to go for I would be quite happy (but not at the current rates).  I would eventually rather like a K22 to go with my K40, K18 (i think it is) and Monster/Siphons in the parcels rake.  Not that it has a place in the fiddleyard for the moment...

 

Edit: I think I will have to have a better look at the Worsley option, though the tumblehome on the ends would mean it would need a full kit rather than just sides.  That said, the Worsley sides on the Mailcoach ends/roof/underframe would be a good option...

Edited October 17, 2021 by The Fatadder

[Siberian Snooper]

According to the latest MRJ, David Geen is now selling a full kit, for the K22.

 

 

[The Fatadder]

1 hour ago, Siberian Snooper said:

According to the latest MRJ, David Geen is now selling a full kit, for the K22.

 

 

Did it mention a price?  I think I may have to look into getting one…

[Neal Ball]

Thanks for that guys, I never think to look at Worsley works. Are the sides pre formed with the tumblehome?

 

There are some interesting carriages among the line up of kits…. 

[Bluemonkey presents....]

11 hours ago, Siberian Snooper said:

According to the latest MRJ, David Geen is now selling a full kit, for the K22.

 

 

I emailed the address provided and instructed over two weeks ago and have heard nothing in reply 

[Siberian Snooper]

48 minutes ago, Bluemonkey presents.... said:

I emailed the address provided and instructed over two weeks ago and have heard nothing in reply 

 

Try a PM to Coach Bogie on here, he seems to be in regular contact with David.

 

 

[checkrail]

On 16/10/2021 at 18:56, Neal Ball said:

ith the execption of the Siphon G all of these vans are kit built.

 

Very nice train of vans there Neal.