Chippenham - The Work Bench

[bgman]

On 30/01/2021 at 22:23, 57xx said:

I've seen the JH Russell statements before, but never been convinced by the pics available.

 

On 30/01/2021 at 17:37, Bluemonkey presents.... said:

@Compound2632 here's the sleeve insert;

 

 

 

 

When I lived on the outskirts of Banbury in the '60 I met Jim purely by chance when surveying his Photographic Studio. I noticed some of his photographs of steam locomotives on a rough script. Being bold enough to ask if he was invested in railways it led to a friendship and meeting his wife at his home at Chacombe. 

I was naturally impressed as a young chap with his knowledge and I certainly feel if it hadn't been for his photographs and writings we would be much the poorer for it as GWR enthusiasts. Maybe there are some anomalies but I'd prefer to have them than not.

When his "bible" of two volumes of locomotives were published he was kind enough to gift a copy of them to me which I will always be thankful for, without which I may not have been as enthused with the wonderful GWR and its history.

His garden also had a couple of grounded van bodies in which there was a rich history of items he had collected over many years.

Thank you Jim and family.

 

G

[Bluemonkey presents....]

Unexpected parcel on the doorstep last night (I had forgotten) 

 

   These Slaters pre-printed kits do make up to lovely wagons, with a little care. Couple of hours work and you have a completed chassis ready for priming/painting and sides removed, cleaned up and touched up ready for the painted chassis when dry. This particular one required the end irons painting, weird they had painted the side part but not the ends.

[Bluemonkey presents....]

24hrs later completely finished and ready for the layout......if I had one  A nice little distraction.

 

[Bluemonkey presents....]

Nice little one planker from the Cambrian traveling crane kit. It's base is the match truck that couples with the crane with a number of bits missing and adding the internal irons from some scrap brass and rivet transfer. I turned the light one for the second picture, 

 

     

 

Funny how the camera makes the detail look pooh, oh well goes nicely with the 3 plankers.

[Mikkel]

Hi Matt, ooh very nice one-planker. You even managed to get the lettering in.

 

I like the Pounsbery wagon too. Very nice clear printing on that one. Slaters do a good job.

[Mikkel]

You'll be needing a shunting horse too 

 

 

Round Oak ironworks, date unknown (but left-hand GWR, the switch to r/h side was in 1894).

 

Edited February 6, 2021 by Mikkel

[Compound2632]

Early style buffer heads.

[MrWolf]

Very nice job with the one planker. I have a spare match truck too. Would it likely have survived into the 1930s?

[Bluemonkey presents....]

11 hours ago, MrWolf said:

Very nice job with the one planker. I have a spare match truck too. Would it likely have survived into the 1930s?

 

There is always rule one if not. I have a some rtr 1 plank wagons from Corsham and Bath stone works so presumably, yes.

[Bluemonkey presents....]

14 hours ago, Mikkel said:

I like the Pounsbery wagon too. Very nice clear printing on that one. Slaters do a good job.

 Good news! The footnote for the Green Pounsbery livery is built in 1896, the later black ones are 1902. 

Edited February 7, 2021 by Bluemonkey presents....

[Bluemonkey presents....]

14 hours ago, Mikkel said:

You'll be needing a shunting horse too 

 

 

Round Oak ironworks, date unknown (but left-hand GWR, the switch to r/h side was in 1894).

 

 

Funnily enough I was looking at the Dart Castings horses recently when I was looking at a couple of kits. I did not order any though 

 

[MrWolf]

I have a Slater's "horse in two halves" which is a nicer thing than a lot of those old castings. It came from the Midland Railway cart kit. it's posed as if being led. If it's of any use, PM me your address and I'll chuck it in the post.

 

 

 

[Bluemonkey presents....]

Very kind of you @MrWolf I will give Mr Midland a try.  I think you might be surprised by some of the new castings now offered by Shirescenes, they are very nice and crisp.

I'll pm you and you can let me know how to refund your expenses and what you would liek for the horse, thank you.

[Mikkel]

Yes, the Dart castings horses are very good. Some examples below. The Shire horse and Suffolk punch are prototypically large, but can be a bit overpowering in some layout settings, which is why I like the H0 version.

 

 

Edited February 7, 2021 by Mikkel

[MrWolf]

Those new castings are definitely much crisper than previous offerings. Those Slater's horses paint up nicely though and scale at about 14-15 hands. It's been in the bits box since about 1985, so you're welcome to it F.O.C. 

[Bluemonkey presents....]

@MrWolf Thank you appreciate it and very kind.

 

Thank for the visual @Mikkel very helpful and nice work.

 

It has been decided with the loco coal wagons that due to the poor result of testing for the paint over in black, the Railmatch grey will remain for those N13 completed and the N20 will Vallejo anthracite grey with is darker but any further additions 20T wagons (when I can find some without £5 P&P)  in black. I concluded that as the earlier N13/20 wagons could very well have initially been painted in grey and quickly weathered and dirty so when re-painted were done in black to negate the waste of freight grey. The later wagons 20T would have been black from outset as it had already been identified a waste of grey paint for departmental coal wagons and Mr J Russell had also confirmed black in late 20s into 30s and beyond.

That works for me as the time-line is plausible and reasoning sound. Besides I have a cordon gas in black and a number of ballast wagons, crane, engineering wagons etc that will need to have a settled on colour before building rather than going through this again  

So for me;

Early departmental 1900-1925 ish  - freight grey (dark)

Later departmental 1925 ish - onwards black.

In short I have to employ KISS for me 

[Bluemonkey presents....]

Final picture of the single planker to show the brake side as I realised I have pictured the other side all the time. Shows the transfers a little better as well. Couldn't get the actual placement but modelling is the art of compromise, is it not?

 

 

 

[Mikkel]

Very nice. Those old brakes were so much more elegant than the ugly new-fangled things that followed. Health & Safety gone too far I tell you! 

[Bluemonkey presents....]

Finished off the N20 with it's slightly different lettering.  The transfers are all from a ratio sets, I think an iron mink wagon or two. The silvering is sheen from lighting and does not show in normal conditions. Had to use a set of loco coal motifs from my newly purchased sets (20T incorrectly purchased but now useful). Unfortunately these ruined the entire finish with very poor adhesion leaving a nasty finish. 

 

  

 

Grouped the three recently built just for a little fun.   

 

 

So with the transfers once again proving my nemesis I decided to 'load' the wagon and will dirty/weather the rest of it to try and hide the poor finish. I had hoped to weather all my wagons once I ad built them and was able to run them on my planned layout, oh well some will have to have the treatment earlier than planned. The other N13 wagons will be a mixture of loaded and empty with dust and the odd lump.

The coal is a genuine lump of the real stuff I found whilst walking the Calne branch line. I think this gives a very nice finish to the load as well as providing that authentic link between model, planned layout and based prototypes. Kind of full circle for me.

 

[The Fatadder]

Are you applying the transfers onto a gloss surface?  After years of hearing it recommended I finally gave it a try when I did the side tippers (mostly because I was nervous around spoiling the ALPS printed transfers and followed Cambridge Custom's instructions to the letter.)

 

The end result was some of the best waterside transfer application I have ever managed, despite the transfers having a lot of film its invisible after applying onto the gloss.  A quick spray of Dullcote afterwards and its back to a consistent mat finish. 

 

I used to have a lump of coal from walking the Calne branch (along with a couple of rail chairs),  most annoyingly all got thrown out during a childhood house move!  Also found a whole load of broken GWR branded china near Black Dog Halt.    I really like the finished load, I have been putting off the task on both my PO and loco coal wagons, one day I really must get on with it!  The thought of chipping away at my lump of coal (ex Didcot) to get enough for 25 wagon loads keeps putting me off...

[Bluemonkey presents....]

36 minutes ago, The Fatadder said:

Are you applying the transfers onto a gloss surface?  After years of hearing it recommended I finally gave it a try when I did the side tippers (mostly because I was nervous around spoiling the ALPS printed transfers and followed Cambridge Custom's instructions to the letter.)

 

The end result was some of the best waterside transfer application I have ever managed, despite the transfers having a lot of film its invisible after applying onto the gloss.  A quick spray of Dullcote afterwards and its back to a consistent mat finish. 

 I have not tried the gloss effect as normally the slightly shiny surface of my paint is enough. It was the lifting and curling of the applied transfer that was the really pain in the rear..

Thanks though will try one day when I have some gloss about.

 

37 minutes ago, The Fatadder said:

I used to have a lump of coal from walking the Calne branch (along with a couple of rail chairs),  most annoyingly all got thrown out during a childhood house move!  Also found a whole load of broken GWR branded china near Black Dog Halt.    I really like the finished load, I have been putting off the task on both my PO and loco coal wagons, one day I really must get on with it!  The thought of chipping away at my lump of coal (ex Didcot) to get enough for 25 wagon loads keeps putting me off...

 

Plastic bag and a hammer and in no time you'll have plenty, especially if you use a false base so the loads are removable as well.  

[Bluemonkey presents....]

@MrWolf Thank you. Dobbin has arrived safe and well. Spent a while working him her, (thinking about it sensibly ), into shape. Waiting the filler to dry and then to prime and we'll see what's what.  May even have created a more 3D mane and tail instead of the scribed look. That is if the filler stays put. Pics to follow for your comments and opinions.

Edited February 11, 2021 by Bluemonkey presents....
I'm a Muppet.

[Bluemonkey presents....]

As promised, Dobbin thanks to @MrWolf has now settled in with her coat of primer. I forgot to picture prior to fixing, shaping and filling so using a stock photo. Here's a few shots to compare for yourselves;

 

 

She arrived alongside another Cooper Craft W1/5 cattle wagon. I intend to do something a little different with this one. hopefully tomorrow whilst some paint is drying I will build. I do have a further one on order of which I also have differing plans for but we'll see for that one I may have to scratch build a different diagram cattle wagon for what I plan. As always your thoughts and comments are more than welcome.

[Bluemonkey presents....]

The one planker complete with exception of a small piece of genuine Bath stone as a load, once lock down is over. The loco coal wagon has been detailed and 'dirtied' inside just working up to dirtying the outside but as this will be permanent and damaging to the the transfers I need to get brave for that especially as this will also be my first, with exception of cattle wagon whitewash. Dobbin and a couple of  her drinking Pals had had their base coats put on. Didn't fancy painting during the week as it has been sporadically filled with unnecessary stress. So to relax and calm I set about 3 minks from the Ratio parish. All are based on the standard Ratio kits, two receiving added extras from the 'just in case box' curtesy of Shire Scenes, to add a little interest. I have very specific plans for the two of the mink type wagons, possible the same for the third. One of the new unbuilt cattle wagons in the back is also destined for the same plan, so will require building prior to painting as a group, also includes the use of the waste fret. The final cattle wagon will also be less than standard as I have a memory of a picture I have seen somewhere that I would like to replicate, again for a little difference and interest to a cattle rake. I just have to remember which book I saw it in and find it  As you can see my workbench and to finish off list is becoming rather full!

 

       

 

Wagon updates to follow. The loco build/s are just being delayed to ensure complete and full focus as I have been told the Fowler especially is fiddly. I will have to clear my workflow before starting.

 

 

Edited February 19, 2021 by Bluemonkey presents....
spelling

[Mikkel]

A very nice selection. Real Bath stone for the one-planker, I like that. It will never stop rolling 

 

The special Mex does look nice - and quite short compared to the others.