Exley

[Golden Fleece 30]

Thanks Tony.  They are stripped now and there is only two very small paint blemish's.  Both on the brake, one under the guards ducket and another near the font door window.  all other "black" marks as such have washed off.  Soon be able to run them.

 

Garry

[Golden Fleece 30]

Having just recently acquired another set of 3 Blood and Custard coaches (not quite in as good a condition as last weeks but still respectable), I was surprised to find them different to the first 3.  All 3 are the later design with tinplate base and plastic underframes but still a one piece shell including the roof, the first 3 being the wooden floor style.  The original brake has the guards ducket whereas this later one is from the BR period style without the ducket.  Also the new brake does not have any rear windows either side of the tail gangway.  The ends themselves do not have any fixing method with the roof like some of this style had pins pushed through the roof into the end, all these have is the screw through the tin base. They all still have glass for windows though.  The interiors are different in as much as these are the same style as a wooden floor coach but glued onto a piece of card which is glued to the tin base, no separate channel and rubber seats.  I was told that there were only 2 different coaches made as in the first set of 3 but that is not correct as the original two non brakes were both full corridor these two are both full open, one is a 1st and the other 2nd or 3rd.  I have noticed that the door handles are also a different colour, these latter ones being more gold and darker colour as opposed to yellow.  The 12 wheeler does actually have 12 wheels but the centre ones are out until I cut down the mounting screw to allow the axle to fit in.

[Golden Fleece 30]

Here are the Blood and Custards having their first run on the layout.  Pity it was not a blue Duchess or A1 pulling them but the Duchess is on the cards to do now.

 

 

[amdaley]

They look super Garry.

Like they were brand new & rock solid on the track.

[Golden Fleece 30]

Thanks Tony, the first 3 were like new, the second 3 have odd little chips in both colours close up but not all over and not really that bad.  The brake does have quite a narrow repair paint job on the roof though but I can live with it.  The Bachmann bogies certainly run well keeping them well balanced.  I did actually reverse this lot from the main into the platform before filming and they run just as well being pushed although later that will be a minimum into the coach sidings as I an always wary of pushing.

 

Garry

Edited March 18, 2016 by Golden Fleece 30

[Golden Fleece 30]

Here is the rake of repainted Exleys I have hauled by a Blue Spam Can.  For comparison I added the genuine ones to the train for the last shot.

 

Edited March 18, 2016 by Golden Fleece 30

[amdaley]

That last shot is some train length.

That spam can seems to run very smooth.

[Golden Fleece 30]

Hi Tony, it is not bad but for some reason you do hear the odd squeak from the home made pick-ups. Usually they are okay but I have about 3 that fo it. I think this loco needs it magnet remagnatised as it is quite weak but the loco still runs well and is very quiet. Did you see my Dorchester with 18 on? That was strong loco.

Edited March 18, 2016 by Golden Fleece 30

[amdaley]

Hi Tony, it is not bad but for some reason you do hear the odd squeak from the home made pick-ups. Usually they are okay but I have about 3 that fo it. I think this loco needs it magnet remagnatised as it is quite weak but the loco still runs well and is very quiet. Did you see my Dorchester with 18 on? That was strong loco.

 

Hi Garry.

I heard the squeak but wasn't sure what was causing it.

A bit of graphite powder might cure it ?

I also noticed that one of the coaches seemed lower on its chassis than the rest.

If you redo the magnet it will make a huge difference. I think you have the machine for that ?

Edited March 18, 2016 by amdaley

[Golden Fleece 30]

Hi Tony,

 

I could try some graphite but it is such a small area being the bottom of a dish/dome it might come of easily. I thought about the material but lots of these do not give an issue.

 

The problem with coach height is some earlier ones I tried various ways to fit bogies to existing castings and split pins etc before I had my own etches made so at some time I will have to look at redoing those.

 

I do have a magnatiser but somehow managed to lose in the house/shed/garage which is why I have not done it yet.

 

If I get time today I will look at doing the Golden Arrow Spam Can as well, those two I am keeping from the 5 definitely with one other maybe.

 

Garry

[amdaley]

Hi Garry.

Might there be a high spot on the track where the squeaks occur or perhaps you could lessen the pressure that the pickups bear down with.

[Golden Fleece 30]

Hi Tony,  I think it is most likely to be the pressure as others are fine and it is not consistent with each lap.  The faster it goes the less it happens, if ever.

 

Garry

[Il Grifone]

Some of mine squeak too, but I've never found out why, despite experiments with spring tension etc.

 

In the end I passed it off as 'flange squeal'.

[Golden Fleece 30]

Here we have the Red Bank Parcels train calling at York on its way from Newcastle to Manchester. 

 

There are at least 4 different Exley parcels coaches in the train with a 4 wheeler, 2 x 6 wheelers and at least 2 different bogie vehicles, possibly 3.

 

Also seen is another Wrenn Spam Can on standard SR duty although it has all the Golden Arrow regalia on her.  No doubt Dover shed staff will be in bother letting her out like this.  This one does not have any "flange squeal" like the other.

 

[amdaley]

Very impressed with those speedy reversing coaches & that loco looks like its long overdue for a visit to the paint shop 

[Golden Fleece 30]

It's only been like that for about 35 years, I think BR have lost its records so it just keeps plodding on. I tried the reversing a few times with these and the Blood and Custard ones without any issues but thought that with the 4 and 6 wheel vans this looked better. Just hope BR does not reverse it's trains as fast. I did find another parcels van afterwards as well as I was hoping to put all the maroon ones on.

[ed nantes]

 

 I have been reading  posts on Exley.

 I have a bit of a fetish for Exley coaches, like, I suppose Imelda Marcos with shoes. So it must be running to about 100.

   There was a vast range of coaches over  the years, certainly many more that were written about. Most of the basic  later O gauge coaches were duplicated in OO gauge. It's interesting to see 2 Portsmouth sets side by side . One in O gauge, one in OO.

 

 Most may not agree but I do like the pre war Gresley coaches. I know the teak finish is variable bt one has to admire the skill in the had lettering and lining.

 And the method of  manufacture allowed an infinite range of coaches. The  proportions , to me at least are more impressive that the current offerings and I like the embossed door handles and vents. WE run a rake of 10 of these behind a Fitzroy loco works Cock o' the North and the effect is impressive.  What has puzzled my though, is why two identical Gresley  'dining' coaches. One is  marked " Restaurant Car" and the other " Dining Car".

 Is there a subtle social distinction in the these names.

 

 The other Exleys which I am currently obsessed with are the clerestory ad the fully lined coaches. 

 I swapped a fully lined GWR clerestory  some years ago and realised that as we'd been making repro  Exleys of the Stanier formatt, the clerestories  involved mostley  the same processes. Laser cutting the windows  has made it vastly easier than when we punched them out.Especially the long clerestories with their small openings. I'm sure Edward Exley would have welcomed this technology

 

Once copied we ended up with 2 rakes [ one each] attached pic shows  some at Flinders St . One original the rest faked.

 I was lucky enough to get an LNWR dining car which is quite something.  Exley was a lateral thinker. I notice that although its in O gauge he 's used his OO tooling for the small ventilators on the side of the clerestory

 

 

.

 

 The other pic is some LMS ? MIdland in OO. The suburbanset I picked up in a local shop. The  lining gives a nice effect of 3 D. 

 The MIdlands were in a group of 16 I picked up on ebay. Most had not been used and were still in their wrappers. Unfortunately the rest were just LMS mainline coaches of varying types

 

 Having assemble many Exley coaches  I can't agree with the idea of glueing the windows in . The clipped in windows form a structural part of the coach and are not difficult to install.  A small dob of Araldyte could be added to the end of clip for a bit of belt and braces surety.

 

 

[amdaley]

Very nice Ed & thank you for posting the photo's.

Those clerestories are very impressive 

[Golden Fleece 30]

Yes, very nice Ed.  You say you are copying the Exleys, so, what do you do about the ends and buffers?  For some Westdales I have brass etched ends and replica Exley underframes made but these do lack the relief of the originals. How do you form the ribs and vents on the roof, have you made your own jigs/former's?

 

Although a BR man I have to admit most of mine are LMS otherwise I would not have as many as I do.  As in all cases with our models we all have different tastes and the LNER Tourist coaches look fine but the Teak finish do nothing for me, but that is me and I can fully appreciate those that do like them.

 

I never thought I would have fully lined ones but when mine arrived in a job lot I could not let go.

 

One coach of yours that throws me a little is the Clerestory full bogie brake.  This one I would have thought should have had the full lining as opposed to what I term LMS basic lining.

 

Regarding the Restaurant/Dining car scenario I have no idea.  I know at one time a Dining car was a full length open coach just for meals then slowly the Kitchen part got added to them. I am open to others idea on this but I was thinking that Restaurant meant you went to the counter to order/buy your food whereas in a Dining car you sat down and a waiter took your order and served you!

 

Regarding gluing windows back I cannot be bothered with the clips and think with or without the paper backing this causes some of the "spider" lines on the roofs.  The coaches have lasted all these years since they were built and I doubt I will be around for another 50 plus years so they will be fine.

[Il Grifone]

The difference between 'full' LMS lining and 'basic' is date (One of the things Stanier brought from the GWR?). A clerestory coach would be panelled so full lining can represent this and save the hassle of fitting mouldings.

 

I once thought the difference originally between a Dining Car and a Restaurant car was the presence of a Kitchen. (This could be youthful surmise). Trix listed their cars as 'Dining', whereas the coaches were marked 'Restaurant' for instance - the coaches lacked kitchens.

[Golden Fleece 30]

Here is a little information which tries to explain the difference but as usual we have accept some American terms used as it starts of with

 

A dining car (American English) or a restaurant carriage (British English),

 

 

Part way down it does mention why full dining cars were used.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dining_car

 

Garry

Edited April 25, 2016 by Golden Fleece 30

[ed nantes]

The ends are just cast in pewter from originals { although copies of pre war ones are done in alloy, as original.

 The buffers on postwar are just 1/8" flat head copper washers. as original. I remeber ordering some and Boydd- Carpenter sent me some,Just readdressed the envelope from Woolies

 

 The battery boxes are pressed from tinplate. Quite and easy die to cobble up. Looking like a rubiks cube, astrip of tinplate ispushed in one end, the 2 halves wacked together  with a hammer and the ends bent at right angles over the end of the die. The windows I now laser cut as this can easily do the small vent windows at the top of the main ones. The door handles and vents above the doors are conventional  2 part steel dies with guides to line themup.

 

 The roof vents I much prefer to the stick on ones which look over scale at times. It's just a male die pressed into a  piece of lead. And old trick for making cheap louvres in car bonnets

 The wrappers are 0.5 mm half hard aluminium [ or .020"  as Mr Exley would have known it as.

 The ribs across the roof were ..a surprise . I cobbble a die from angle iron with a guide done while the wrapper was flat . The first try distorted the flat spaces between the ribs, but pressing ahead [ so to speak] I ran it though the rollers and the  distortion disappeared.

 

 Early coaches had vents painted on.  So I drew a DXF file and took it to a place that computer cuts  vinyl.  In maroon in coach lengths as I found the spacing was alway constant what ever the coach. i got hudreds so they are gratis if anyone needs some , they are pretty easy to apply and very durable, Fleet couplings were  pretty close to Exley

 

 The only thing I couldn't reproduce were the stamped on company logos and lettering and had to rely on transfers

 

 Atttached some pics of some of the local made O gauge coaches. Made over a  period.

[Golden Fleece 30]

Very nice Ed, well done.

[Nearholmer]

Ed

 

Some seriously nice coaches there, and do I recognise that station building backdrop from a post on another forum?

 

Kevin

Edited April 26, 2016 by Nearholmer

[ed nantes]

Ed

 

Some seriously nice coaches there, and do I recognise that station building backdrop from a post on another forum?

 

Kevin

Kevin 

 

 Thank you , well spotted.. On a now ex-forum , or perhaps it's only sleeping, but certainly fallen off the perch.forum.