Stoke Courtenay

[chuffinghell]

Love the shot showing the road and landscape following the curve of the platform, it just looks......well.......'right'

[Miss Prism]

I was sloppy earlier in the thread attempting to describe different steam pipes in the context of Castles. My earlier use of 'elbow' was wrong, as this type (correct me if I'm mistaken) is usually confined to a particular style fitted only to some modified Stars.

 

Hopefully this graphic will make the situation clearer.

 

 

[Miss Prism]

I must re-read Nock to find the rationale behind the elbow pipes fitted to Stars.

[checkrail]

On 02/11/2023 at 20:51, BWsTrains said:

from which I learnt that they were even seen in Weston-super-Mare around the time of my "spotting" interest.

Not sure when your spotting days were Colin, but there's a great 1946 Maurice Earley pic of a full set of centenaries on a fast down Weston-super-Mare express, hauled by 1000 'County of Middlesex', in his album, 'The Great Western Scene'.  I think it's the only post-war pic of a full set of these coaches I've seen - and immediate pre-war ones are pretty rare. My hunch has always been that the new window vents were installed in batches, with treated coaches being released back into service immediately and thus mixed with other stock.  Then the war came along.

 

On 02/11/2023 at 20:51, BWsTrains said:

The airstream ventilators you refer to being presumably the compartment side flush sliding window vents which were installed during a 1938 refit? Was this another GWR first?

 Don't know whether it was a GW first (others might?) but the first time my son saw my mixed train of centenaries and Collett sunshine coaches he asked if they were the forerunners of the BR Mark 1s. Can't remember why the original 'Beclawat' (?) windows were deemed a failure.  Were they too draughty so that you either roasted in the sun or had your perm blown to bits?

[BWsTrains]

3 hours ago, checkrail said:

Not sure when your spotting days were Colin, but there's a great 1946 Maurice Earley pic

 

Not sure if my Mum had even met my Dad then.

 

My spotting days were in an ill-defined period during the very late steam Era. I remember being aghast when I saw my first diesel pulling a down train under the Devonshire Road bridge towards Taunton (my front bedroom being a great vantage spot). Hence my spotting started there and later advanced courtesy of the 1d Platform Ticket at W-s-M General.

[BWsTrains]

3 hours ago, checkrail said:

My hunch has always been that the new window vents were installed in batches,

 

I think that reference I quoted earlier has the details. Something about the stock (not that many after all) being removed from service during WWII and then returned later (1948?) when the new airstream vents were installed.  I was assuming you had fitted the earlier less streamlined sliding types which came in during the late 30s to your stock. (I'm going on memory here).

[Coach bogie]

Centenary stock was taken out of service during WW2 from around 1941/2 though the diners had been stored earlier. The main reason was the limited route availability with concerns that if trains had to be diverted due to enemy action, the Centenaries may not be cleared for alternative routes and a marooned train was too good a target.

 

What is not often written is there were only ever two Centenary sets comprising just 26 coaches. As no Centenary slip coaches were built, an often fourteen coach CRE rarely left London as a Centenary only train. This did happened on 1930's summer Saturdays when the slip portions ran as complete trains as bookings were so great. No turning away passengers then, just add another coach or a complete train. Images often show non Centenary additional coaches are there were not sufficient spare Centenaries for busy periods. There were only ever two kitchen firsts and two third diners. Non availability required alternative designs.

 

Post war, especially when the Hawksworth's started to appear, there was little requirement for full sets of Centenaries and the restricted route clearance limited alternative use.

 

After post war renovation, now into BR days,  you were more likely to see the diners on the Midlands/north route and lasted into the1960's.. The other coaches appear to have been used as general support stock and could be seen with many other designs in train formations throughout the 1950's.

 

Mike Wiltshire

[Coach bogie]

19 hours ago, checkrail said:

 My hunch has always been that the new window vents were installed in batches, with treated coaches being released back into service immediately and thus mixed with other stock.  Then the war came along.

 

 Don't know whether it was a GW first (others might?) but the first time my son saw my mixed train of centenaries and Collett sunshine coaches he asked if they were the forerunners of the BR Mark 1s. Can't remember why the original 'Beclawat' (?) windows were deemed a failure.  Were they too draughty so that you either roasted in the sun or had your perm blown to bits?

The tumblehome of the Centenary sides would cause the flat Beclawat windows to jam after a while in use..

 

The winter maintenance schedule was used to replace the windows. Combination of prestige train, so  few coaches and no spares it was the only time they could be called in when seating demand was at its lowest.

 

Mike Wiltshire

[prtrainman]

21 hours ago, checkrail said:

 

 Don't know whether it was a GW first (others might?) but the first time my son saw my mixed train of centenaries and Collett sunshine coaches he asked if they were the forerunners of the BR Mark 1s. Can't remember why the original 'Beclawat' (?) windows were deemed a failure.  Were they too draughty so that you either roasted in the sun or had your perm blown to bits?

I seem to remember reading somewhere that the BR Mark 1s were based on the final Bulleid coaches.

[chris45lsw]

8 hours ago, prtrainman said:

I seem to remember reading somewhere that the BR Mark 1s were based on the final Bulleid coaches.

The overall dimensions - 63ft 6in over body corners and 64ft 6in over bow ends was as Bulleid stock, as were the continuously curved sides. The layout of the BR TO and TK with both toilets at one end was 'copied' from the Bulleids as well.  But the construction details of Mark 1s, ie all steel, was completely different.   Bulleid bodies were largely traditional timber with steel sheets screwed on.

 

Chris KT

[Hal Nail]

38 minutes ago, chris45lsw said:

as were the continuously curved sides.

albeit completely different profile. I knew this pic would be useful :)

 

 

 

 

 

[Nick Gough]

On 08/11/2023 at 09:33, Coach bogie said:

What is not often written is there were only ever two Centenary sets comprising just 26 coaches. As no Centenary slip coaches were built, an often fourteen coach CRE rarely left London as a Centenary only train. This did happened on 1930's summer Saturdays when the slip portions ran as complete trains as bookings were so great. No turning away passengers then, just add another coach or a complete train. Images often show non Centenary additional coaches are there were not sufficient spare Centenaries for busy periods. There were only ever two kitchen firsts and two third diners. Non availability required alternative designs.

 

Mike Wiltshire

 

I always thought it a little odd that the GWR didn't produce another Centenary set for the Bristolian, since that train was also supposed to mark the anniversary. I suppose though that alterations would have been needed to adjust the seating capacity, to suit the short rake, and create a buffet car.

[checkrail]

On 07/11/2023 at 10:56, chuffinghell said:

the shot showing the road and landscape following the curve of the platform,

Thanks Chris. It was a feature I wanted from the outset, with the station approach road following the track while dropping below it to meet the road running under the railway bridge.  So it had to be planned in at the beginning. The L-girders supporting the layout were dropped to a lower level in this area and the trackbed supported by risers.  The approach road itself was formed from a very long piece of hardboard cut from a 6 foot sheet in the shape of a sort of curved hockey stick, so that the lower join would be out of sight under the bridge. As Eric Morecambe said, "You can't see the join'.  Not from the front of the layout anyway.

 

The upper join, where the road meets the station forecourt (3 mm plywood) was well disguised with filler, glue and paint, but after 9 or 10  years a little crack  has begun to appear. I'm currently loth to try to fix it as I want to avoid having to paint the whole road again!

 

John C.

[Hal Nail]

1 hour ago, checkrail said:

I'm currently loth to try to fix it as I want to avoid having to paint the whole road again

I'd have thought a bit of polyfiller, mixed slightly wet with some grey powder, spread carefully over and then wiped off with a wet cloth, would fill the crack and not really show 

 

It certainly works on walls!

[MrWolf]

3 hours ago, checkrail said:

Thanks Chris. It was a feature I wanted from the outset, with the station approach road following the track while dropping below it to meet the road running under the railway bridge.  So it had to be planned in at the beginning. The L-girders supporting the layout were dropped to a lower level in this area and the trackbed supported by risers.  The approach road itself was formed from a very long piece of hardboard cut from a 6 foot sheet in the shape of a sort of curved hockey stick, so that the lower join would be out of sight under the bridge. As Eric Morecambe said, "You can't see the join'.  Not from the front of the layout anyway.

 

The upper join, where the road meets the station forecourt (3 mm plywood) was well disguised with filler, glue and paint, but after 9 or 10  years a little crack  has begun to appear. I'm currently loth to try to fix it as I want to avoid having to paint the whole road again!

 

John C.

 

I do like that roadway, it is very typical of many of the OS map plan views you see of old rural stations where the goods yard or passenger facilities aren't end on to an existing road.

I see that you also have the mandatory rural garage, something that I have put into every layout so far. Again, something that once existed in almost every village and certainly those big enough to warrant a railway station.

[Nick Gough]

6 hours ago, checkrail said:

Thanks Chris. It was a feature I wanted from the outset, with the station approach road following the track while dropping below it to meet the road running under the railway bridge.  So it had to be planned in at the beginning. The L-girders supporting the layout were dropped to a lower level in this area and the trackbed supported by risers.  The approach road itself was formed from a very long piece of hardboard cut from a 6 foot sheet in the shape of a sort of curved hockey stick, so that the lower join would be out of sight under the bridge. As Eric Morecambe said, "You can't see the join'.  Not from the front of the layout anyway.

 

The upper join, where the road meets the station forecourt (3 mm plywood) was well disguised with filler, glue and paint, but after 9 or 10  years a little crack  has begun to appear. I'm currently loth to try to fix it as I want to avoid having to paint the whole road again!

 

John C.

 

If the GWR was like our local council that crack would still be there in twenty years time - just a bit wider.

[MrWolf]

1 hour ago, Nick Gough said:

 

If the GWR was like our local council that crack would still be there in twenty years time - just a bit wider.

 

Much the same around here, to the point where I'm glad that our car has steel wheels not alloys, tyres at £41 apiece and shock absorbers at £36 a pair...

[KNP]

Or you could highlight the road crack, repaint it to look like a road repair?

Sometimes you can hide something by making it stand out.

[Limpley Stoker]

Perhaps the Gas Board have paid a visit - but please no Preiser figures digging with flashing orange lights on their van.

[chuffinghell]

It’s a rear shame, had the crack not been so straight/uniform it would just look like normal wear and tear on the road maybe?…..it still looks great though

[checkrail]

39 minutes ago, Limpley Stoker said:

but please no Preiser figures digging with flashing orange lights on their van.

No chance! The only Preiser figures on Stoke C. are crossing the footbridge. Given the period I expect they're about to be repatriated.  Or perhaps arrested as spies?

[checkrail]

Had a smartphone moment today.  When looking up a newly received grandchild pic I accidentally zoomed in on one of my recent King pics. It looked quite good and led me to go back to the original and do a bit of cropping.  (And there are Herr und Frau Preiser again!)

 

One thing this enlargement did reveal was that the Modelu lamps on 6019 no longer had their brilliant lenses. I've since replaced them but am running low on spares. Stock up at Warley maybe. (I find that I use up about 3 or 4 just trying to get one on!). Am now checking the other locos.

 

John C.

Edited November 11, 2023 by checkrail

[checkrail]

So while I was at it I did the same with the most recent Castle photo. Here's 5041 again, but from a bit closer. Lamp lenses here seem to be present and correct.

 

John C.

[Harlequin]

30 minutes ago, checkrail said:

Had a smartphone moment today.  When looking up a newly received recent grandchild pic I accidentally zoomed in on one of my recent King pics. It looked quite good and led me to go back to the original and do a bit of cropping.  (And there are Herr und Frau Preiser again!)

 

One thing this enlargement did reveal was that the Modelu lamps on 6019 no longer had their brilliant lenses. I've since replaced them but am running low on spares. Stock up at Warley maybe. (I find that I use up about 3 or 4 just trying to get one on!). Am now checking the other locos.

 

John C.

 

I can see why that jumped out at you. The King has real presence in that image! Very nice!

 

Check the Modelu replacement lamps carefully - they have changed the lenses and you might not like them...

 

[gwrrob]

I wonder if a pool of gloss varnish instead of the lense would work.