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

[theoddfellow]

I worked for Brakspear and my mums cousin was the sign writer,  there was a rumour that the Busy Bee still survived  and was in France, at one stage the Brewery were going to send someone to find it but that was as far as it went

[theoddfellow]

My Henley Totem on living room wall

[Neal Ball]

1 hour ago, theoddfellow said:

My Henley Totem on living room wall

 

That looks great. I wonder how many others are still around.
 

1 hour ago, theoddfellow said:

I worked for Brakspear and my mums cousin was the sign writer,  there was a rumour that the Busy Bee still survived  and was in France, at one stage the Brewery were going to send someone to find it but that was as far as it went

Interesting to hear that, I wonder where the Busy Bee is now. Sadly with the change of ownership at the brewery, I doubt they will repatriate it. That’s not to say someone in the steam lorry world won’t. I wouldn’t know where to go to even find out it’s history, hopefully it will turn up one day.

 

 

These are currently stored at a farm outside Canterbury. There are also a couple of narrow gauge locos there as well. (It’s not the farm at Sellindge).

[Neal Ball]

Stalled carriage projects:

 

Prompted by the recent discussions about the Centenary carriages that have been converted by @The Fatadderaka Rich, I gave dug out my stalled projects and there are quite a few!

 

Centenary Restaurant 1st needs a bit more work than I remembered. The interior is largely complete, as is the body, although I can’t find the bogies. I bought it as a complete kit, so they must be around somewhere.

 

The Mallard models J5 sleeping carriage is also a long way off being finished. Seen here plonked onto the bogies, which is why it looks odd.

 

 

These could be closer to completion and just need a push to get them there: 

 

Comet models Sunshine Brake composite E152; could with a bit of work be running soon.... It’s sitting on Comet bogies, which I have always thought look as if they are too wide: 

 

 

Clearly all my white roofs need to be painted grey!

 

Then I have a couple of Westdale carriages, bought in the 1970’s. They need door handles / grabs and under frame details.... but could also be completed relatively quickly. They are currently on Bachmann Collet bogies:

 

 

I can’t see my notes when I tried to identify them, the box merely says GWR 61ft sunshine series 1936.... one has a price of £2.65 for a complete (very basic) kit.

 

Then the wild card:

Its a PC kits e95 Brake compo, which I have converted into a single slip, by changing the Brake ends. It’s the closest I have to the photos of the branch train (2 carriage train includes an ex-single slip). Probably not strictly accurate.

 

As it’s an old kit, this is pre-printed onto acetate. It wouldn’t take much to finish, but it’s not going to stand up to scrutiny with the other kits and RTR stock.

 

 

Plus of course, I have two Slaters Toplights which are almost done (the bogies are not free running). In addition I have a selection of Hornby railroad carriages that are having interior work done on them, which includes led lighting.

 

[Neal Ball]

I then have 3 loco kits needing to be finished and a Hornby 28xx that needs rebuilding. It fell on the floor ages ago and needs to be put back together with new parts added.

 

The highlight here is a Wills Finecast Metro tank which needs to be finished.

 

Overall I have a couple months of work on these stalled projects - possibly a lot longer! Clearly some won’t make it, but that’s just the way it is!

[MrWolf]

Courage mon brave, I too am guilty of having four or five unfinished coaches that need only final assembly and a few details. I can't really come up with a valid reason why they are stalled either...

Then there's an ex M&SWJR 0-4-4T in bits, the makings of a Kitson 0-6-0 and an Avonside 0-4-0ST.... I daren't really dig any deeper.

 

[Neal Ball]

23 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

Courage mon brave, I too am guilty of having four or five unfinished coaches that need only final assembly and a few details. I can't really come up with a valid reason why they are stalled either...

Then there's an ex M&SWJR 0-4-4T in bits, the makings of a Kitson 0-6-0 and an Avonside 0-4-0ST.... I daren't really dig any deeper.

 

 

I'm sure they will be great when they are done and the wait will be worthwhile!

[Metropolitan H]

3 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

 

That looks great. I wonder how many others are still around.
 

Interesting to hear that, I wonder where the Busy Bee is now. Sadly with the change of ownership at the brewery, I doubt they will repatriate it. That’s not to say someone in the steam lorry world won’t. I wouldn’t know where to go to even find out it’s history, hopefully it will turn up one day.

 

 

These are currently stored at a farm outside Canterbury. There are also a couple of narrow gauge locos there as well. (It’s not the farm at Sellindge).

That will be "Preston Steam Services" - see https://prestonservices.co.uk/about-us/

 

Regards

Chris H

[Tallpaul69]

3 hours ago, MrWolf said:

Courage mon brave, I too am guilty of having four or five unfinished coaches that need only final assembly and a few details. I can't really come up with a valid reason why they are stalled either...

Then there's an ex M&SWJR 0-4-4T in bits, the makings of a Kitson 0-6-0 and an Avonside 0-4-0ST.... I daren't really dig any deeper.

 

Hi All,

Notice that no one in their "confessions!" of outstanding projects has dared to mention wagons or non passenger/ engineering stock! 

But then there is the "wait and see if the RTR boys solve the problem for me" list, although I can say that locos are the one department where i have nothing outstanding. This is mainly because I have nothing started!

I daren't try to build anything in the loco arena and renumbering/repainting and minor bodging is too scarey for my liking.

Still it is a good job we don't all like doing the same modelling otherwise things would get boring with nothing to look around for help on.

Take care, pray for tier one after 16th December(or tier 2 if you are unfortunately in tier 3).

Best regards

Paul

[Neal Ball]

47 minutes ago, Tallpaul69 said:

Hi All,

Notice that no one in their "confessions!" of outstanding projects has dared to mention wagons or non passenger/ engineering stock! 

But then there is the "wait and see if the RTR boys solve the problem for me" list, although I can say that locos are the one department where i have nothing outstanding. This is mainly because I have nothing started!

I daren't try to build anything in the loco arena and renumbering/repainting and minor bodging is too scarey for my liking.

Still it is a good job we don't all like doing the same modelling otherwise things would get boring with nothing to look around for help on.

Take care, pray for tier one after 16th December(or tier 2 if you are unfortunately in tier 3).

Best regards

Paul

 

Re: The Tier levels - We don't have such restrictions here in Spain. Although we can not move from one Region to the other, plus we have a curfew at 12midnight to 6am - some areas its as early as 10pm to 7am.

 

As for stalled locos, I got out the Metro tank this afternoon and started to see what was needed. I think I have the wrong Pony truck. I'm working on the basis that a RTR manufacturer is unlikely to do a Metro or 517 2-4-0 Tank loco.

 

Never say never!

[MrWolf]

56 minutes ago, Tallpaul69 said:

Hi All,

Notice that no one in their "confessions!" of outstanding projects has dared to mention wagons or non passenger/ engineering stock! 

But then there is the "wait and see if the RTR boys solve the problem for me" list, although I can say that locos are the one department where i have nothing outstanding. This is mainly because I have nothing started!

I daren't try to build anything in the loco arena and renumbering/repainting and minor bodging is too scarey for my liking.

Still it is a good job we don't all like doing the same modelling otherwise things would get boring with nothing to look around for help on.

Take care, pray for tier one after 16th December(or tier 2 if you are unfortunately in tier 3).

Best regards

Paul

 

I did, on my own thread "Aston On Clun", not only did I confess to having some 115 assorted unbuilt  wagon kits, several of which date back to when I was still at school, but (and this is the part that will scare a lot of you...) SWMBO is well aware of their existence and quantity.

She even helped sort them out, which is why I know exactly how many I have. 

 

[Neal Ball]

37 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

 

I did, on my own thread "Aston On Clun", not only did I confess to having some 115 assorted unbuilt  wagon kits, several of which date back to when I was still at school, but (and this is the part that will scare a lot of you...) SWMBO is well aware of their existence and quantity.

She even helped sort them out, which is why I know exactly how many I have. 

 

That’s a heck of a lot of unbuilt kits, hope you have loads of space to run them all.

[MrWolf]

I collected them for past layouts, the largest one of  which measured 14'x20', but job changes and house moves put paid to them. I picked them up here and there since the 1980s. Never had a count up. I will have to go through them once the layout is sorted, build some, sell others. 

Now that I am posting progress on here, I have the chance to see how far I am getting each week.

[Harlequin]

I’ve had a Small Metro on my workbench for over a year. My first brass and white metal kit build. Too scary to work on.

And I just had to buy a bigger box for my rolling stock kits...

One day, one day! That’s what I keep telling myself...

 

[MrWolf]

It's not just me then. That's a relief.

 

[Neal Ball]

2 hours ago, MrWolf said:

It's not just me then. That's a relief.

 

I have an old tin bankers chest under the railway with all my half finished projects in.... then all the kits are on a different shelf.... then in another direction are all the completed kits that now don’t fit with Henley on Thames. 
 

The latter Is In a large box and I keep thinking about putting it all on eBay when we are next in the UK..... tbc

 

Its interesting to hear about everyone’s 1/2 completed items though.

[Neal Ball]

3 hours ago, Harlequin said:

I’ve had a Small Metro on my workbench for over a year. My first brass and white metal kit build. Too scary to work on.

And I just had to buy a bigger box for my rolling stock kits...

One day, one day! That’s what I keep telling myself...

 

Mine is a white metal kit I bought from eBay a few years ago. I need the coupling rods and also new pony wheels.

 

I would like to see it running with the Hattons 4 wheel carriages. Phil, do you have a specific train for your Metro?

[Enterprisingwestern]

11 hours ago, Harlequin said:

I’ve had a Small Metro on my workbench for over a year. My first brass and white metal kit build. Too scary to work on.

And I just had to buy a bigger box for my rolling stock kits...

One day, one day! That’s what I keep telling myself...

 

 

I initially thought you had one hell of a strong workbench!

 

Mike,

[Neal Ball]

1 minute ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

I initially thought you had one hell of a strong workbench!

 

Mike,

Never really liked the mini Metros, I was more of a Ford man in those days.... Latterly it was BMW; now we are also back to a Ford.

 

But the days of being able to crawl under the bonnet and get things onto the bench, have long since goNe!

 

Whereas the little Metro tank will be a lovely loco when I can finish it. Yesterday I was checking the side play on the leading pony truck; suffice to say there wasn’t any. I also think I might have the wrong size wheel in there. I have emailed SE Finecast about a new coupling rod, I will get a new wheel from them as well.

[Neal Ball]

I see Rapido are making an announcement on Tuesday about their new UK range.... it was hinted on the GWR modellers Facebook page a couple of weeks ago that there might be something of interest.

 

There was speculation about what it would be. Given Jason Shron recently said they have two UK locos in the pipeline. I wonder if we will see an inter war Pannier tank from them.... or at least something small.

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

I had a mate who had a MG Metro Turbo, a frighteningly fast machine, made worse by allying Lotus speed technology to BL's Sopwith Camel construction methods!

 

Mike.

[Neal Ball]

Centenary carriages:

Yesterday I also looked at the stalled Centenary carriage project - the idea being to run it as a Regatta special train.

 

The main train ran to only 7 carriages and at a push I could model this train in full, although as a rule, my maximum train is 6 carriages. This being the limit of the 2 Mill road carriage sidings.

 

It works out that I only need 3 extra carriages; the set will comprise the following: Brake 3rd; 3rd; Restaurant 3rd; Restaurant 1st / Kitchen carriage; Composite; Brake 3rd* This latter carriage I will probably replace with  the Composite Brake. The only carriage that is missing is an extra 3rd class carriage.

 

The train will be hauled by the King class loco. Of course rule 1 applies as the line was not a double red route, but I am happy with this compromise.

 

 

A six carriage train fits nicely into a Platform 2 (arrivals)....

 

This was a gauging run to see how everything would fit....

 

 

 

As a seven carriage train, it would probably foul the station throut. There was a little bit of space at the stop blocks, but not much.

 

Obviously as a 7 carriage train, it could arrive and depart from Platform 1 where it would easily fit. But could not be stored at Mill Lane. It would have to arrive, be seen once and disappear until the evening....

 

On the basis, I will keep it to 6 carriages, I now have a shopping list of items for Comet aka Wizard models. 
 

At the end of the day, the reason the project stalled is that since moving here, the main effort has been to rebuild the railway, plus working on the house etc. The railway still isn’t finished, I need to do more on the station (platform canopy) plus the Goods Yard needs a lot of work. It certainly won’t be a quick project! To be continued....

 

Edited November 28, 2020 by Neal Ball

[Neal Ball]

23 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

I had a mate who had a MG Metro Turbo, a frighteningly fast machine, made worse by allying Lotus speed technology to BL's Sopwith Camel construction methods!

 

Mike.

Blimey!

[Nick Gough]

2 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

Centenary carriages:

Yesterday I also looked at the stalled Centenary carriage project - the idea being to run it as a Regatta special train.

 

The main train ran to only 7 carriages and at a push I could model this train in full, although as a rule, my maximum train is 6 carriages. This being the limit of the 2 Mill road carriage sidings.

 

It works out that I only need 3 extra carriages; the set will comprise the following: Brake 3rd; 3rd; Restaurant 3rd; Restaurant 1st / Kitchen carriage; Composite; Brake 3rd* This latter carriage I will probably replace with  the Composite Brake. The only carriage that is missing is an extra 3rd class carriage.

 

The train will be hauled by the King class loco. Of course rule 1 applies as the line was not a double red route, but I am happy with this compromise.

 

 

A six carriage train fits nicely into a Platform 2 (arrivals)....

 

This was a gauging run to see how everything would fit....

 

 

 

As a seven carriage train, it would probably foul the station throut. There was a little bit of space at the stop blocks, but not much.

 

Obviously as a 7 carriage train, it could arrive and depart from Platform 1 where it would easily fit. But could not be stored at Mill Lane. It would have to arrive, be seen once and disappear until the evening....

 

On the basis, I will keep it to 6 carriages, I now have a shopping list of items for Comet aka Wizard models. 
 

At the end of the day, the reason the project stalled is that since moving here, the main effort has been to rebuild the railway, plus working on the house etc. The railway still isn’t finished, I need to do more on the station (platform canopy) plus the Goods Yard needs a lot of work. It certainly won’t be a quick project! To be continued....

 

With my Centenarys I will have to claim that the 'Limited' has been diverted off the Berks & Hants due to a blockage.

I have nine of the Airfix ones, half of which need rebodying.

I made a start on creating a dining set, several years back, by photocopying the drawings in 'Russell' onto acetate, for overhead projectors, and sticking that on the bodysides. They really need to be improved though.

 

[Neal Ball]

19 hours ago, Nick Gough said:

With my Centenarys I will have to claim that the 'Limited' has been diverted off the Berks & Hants due to a blockage.

I have nine of the Airfix ones, half of which need rebodying.

I made a start on creating a dining set, several years back, by photocopying the drawings in 'Russell' onto acetate, for overhead projectors, and sticking that on the bodysides. They really need to be improved though.

 

If only I had the space for 9 carriage trains.....

 

I realise I’m stretching a point by saying they are on a Regatta special, in the mid-30’s they wouldn’t have been used on such services. Only ever Paddington to Penzance, it would only be in the BR era that they would be used elsewhere, but I am happy with the compromise. Hopefully they will look good as a complete train, although a lot of work is needed to get to that stage.

 

Ive not carved up a carriage to the extent that needs to be done before. It will no doubt be a slow process.