GWR Diagram T34 4-wheeled Brake Second Coach from Tri-ang Clerestory Coach

[RosiesBoss]

Introduction

The GWR was a great use of standardised components, within a wide range of carriage designs. Perusal of Ref.2 reveals that many 4- and 6-wheeled coaches shared a 19 ft wheelbase and therefore very similar chassis. Compartment sizes for each class were also very similar among 4-, 6- and 8-wheeled coaches.

 

Many GWR modellers have been using these features to adapt venerable Tri-ang and Hornby short clerestory coaches to other designs of coach. Inspired by Refs.1 and 2, I’ve been expanding my collection of early 20th century coaches, as described in Refs. 5, 6 and 7. This article summarises yet another project to create a model of a design not available RTR or as a kit.

 

Parts List

·         3D-printed chassis (Ref.3)

·         Offcuts from Tri-ang clerestory brake 3rd

·         14mm Hornby coach wheels

·         Romford/Markits plain brass 2mm dia. bearings

·         8BA screws & nuts

·         Hornby steel tension lock couplings (X141)

·         200 gsm card – for roof & partitions

·         Flat-head nails – for roof ventilators

·         Evergreen 0.25 x 0.75 mm polystyrene strips for rainstrips

·         Buffers – MT378 GWR 4-wheeled coach from Wizard Models

·         Footsteps – scrap brass strip reinforcing Evergreen L-section rod

·         Preiser figures

·         5 X 5 mm square-section balsa rod – for seat squabs

·         Filler: finely ground sodium bicarbonate plus cyanoacrylate cement

·         Stainless steel strips from discarded windscreen wipers – to reinforce coach body

 

Paint & Transfers

·         Tamiya XF69 NATO black

·         Humbrol 135 satin clear

·         Humbrol RC424 acrylic coach cream

·         Humbrol 98 matt chocolate

·         Humbrol 133 brown

·         Humbrol 20 gloss crimson

·         Rustoleum 2X Ultracover Ultra Matt charcoal primer

·         HMRS Pressfix GWR coach transfers

·         Black paint pen: Uni Posca 24 black, 0.7mm

 

Construction

Construction followed the pattern of that described in detail in Ref.6.

 

19ft wheelbase chassis as printed:

 

Chassis trimmed:

 

Converted to 4-wheels; wheels and couplings fitted:

 

Steps and underframe details added:

 

Tri-ang coach offcuts:

 

Coach reduced to kit of body parts:

 

Trial reassembly, using masking tape:

 

Glued together, strengthened by stainless steel strips:

 

Body on chassis:

 

Basic painting and lining complete:

 

Glazed, seats, passengers & partitions installed:

 

Roof added, handles & grabirons highlighted:

 

Transfers fitted and model varnished:

 

 

Results

Readers may have noticed that slim-line tension-lock couplings, installed early in the build, were replaced by wider steel tension-locks. This followed extensive running trials on sharp and reverse curves with other, similar coaches in my collection. (These have similarly been retrofitted.) My models don’t have to just look ok, they must be able to run reliably without derailing.

 

Here is the coach, seen here with ex-ADR 680, U20 luggage composite 6889 and T38 brake 3rd 1532, awaiting departure from (fictional) Gennigael:

 

References

1.       Russell, J.H.: “A Pictorial Record of Great Western Coaches including the brown vehicles: Part 1 (1838-1913)”, Oxford Publishing, 1972

2.       http://www.gwrcoaches.org.uk/

3.       http://www.gwr.org.uk/project.html

4.       https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4716947

5.       https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/180805-gwr-ex-cambrian-railways-45ft-bogie-3rd-coach/

6.       https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/176459-gwr-t38-6-wheeled-brake-3rd-from-tri-ang-clerestory-coach/

7.       https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/176974-u20-6-wheeled-luggage-composite/

 

 

 

[Re6/6]

Nice work there with very useful references. I do love Triang clerestory 'cut'n'shut work. I did a fair bit of it a good while ago creating 'correct' length B/3rds. I never did figure out how to use the 'imaginary' other coach!

[The Johnster]

This is pretty much what I've been looking for in an ongoing project to create an homage to the Glyncorrwg Miner's train on Cwmdimbath.   The Ratio two-compartment brake third is not correct for these late survivors, and this is a much better option, though the Ratio all-third is more suitable.   At least the livery is easier than your superb fully lined out rendition; photos of the train show it resplendent in unlined (for all I know they could have been fully lined, but were most likely in GW unlined austerity brown) absolutely indescribable filth of presumably some sort of dark greyish-brown hue as you'd expect from vehicles that spent their working lives in these conditions; you can't even see, never mind read, the coach numbers.  These trains were propelled up the steep and tightly curving branch to the colliery platforms, in a very remote and narrow valley, and the brake thirds had droplights cut in the centre panelling of the brake ends for the guard to keep a lookout.  An autotrailer-type bell operated by a foot pedal was provided on later stock (which from 1954 to 1958 were the last clerestories in service, and from 1958 to 1962 were the last Mainline & City coaches, those preserved at Didcot), for him to scare the sheeps with.  The Dean four wheelers, used from 1946 to 54, were from 1951 also the last of their type in service.  I believe sheep-scaring was done by whistle, or load swearing with these coaches.

 

Not sure how to acquire the chassis, though.  I'm not au fait with the world of 3D printing, would I be correct in assuming that the idea is to download the file and find someone with a printer to produce it for me, at whatever price is agreed? 

 

I've already had a go at the clerestories, and have used real wood for the footboards, sourced from Sainsbury's cafe coffee stirrers cut in half lengthways and trimmed to length.  Glueing them to the Triang B1s with cutouts around the axleboxes and cutting the tiebars out results in a reasonably acceptable ersatz Dean 8'6" bogie...  These coaches were three all-thirds with three big windows cut into the end compartment, which was used by the guard (he also had a vacuum brake 'setter' and gauge), and were finished in the same livery as the 4-wheelers.  The Mainline & Cities, however, were brought in after the opening of pithead baths at the collieries, which meant that the men arrived and went home clean. and photos show these coaches in recently applied BR unlined maroon, and kept very smartly.  Like the 4-wheelers, they had droplights cut into the brake ends, but with the side windows had a very different appearance.

[RosiesBoss]

G'day, The Johnster,

 

Thank you for your kind words about my build. I like your ideas about your miners' train.

 

As for the 3D print, I first downloaded the files from https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4716947. These provided separate files for coach body and coach chassis.

 

Printed as received, they looked like this:

 

Here is the model assembled and finished:

 

I have used it in my breakdown train.

 

I measured the wheelbase and found it too short for the scale 19 ft required, so made a new stl file by importing the downloaded chassis file into my printer's software and expanded its length only by about 20% and made a new test print. I think I had a couple of goes (different expansion factors) until the print came out ok. Much tension and stress over the roughly 4 hours while this took place. I guess this is fine for someone with their own printer, but could be expensive for others.

 

For the T34, it was a simple matter to remove the centre axleguards and complete the chassis.

 

I hope this is of some help.

 

Regards,

 

Rob

[The Johnster]

Actually, thinking about it, the 3-compartment brake 3rd should be easy enough to do as a Triang/Ratio hybrid, body as per your cut’n’shut Triang and Ratio (sorry, Parkside nowadays) chassis, ends, and roof, facilitated by the Triang being of ‘integral bodyshell’ construction so the Ratio chassis sideframes can simply be glued to the bottom.  It might be necessary to do the 5-compartment 3rd that way as well in order to maintain visual matching, as the Triang and Ratio panelling relief will be slightly different. 
 

Time to dig out some old clerestories, and ‘ave at ‘em wiv an ‘acksaw!

[RosiesBoss]

I have built several GWR 4-wheelers from Ratio/Parkside kits.

They have become increasingly hard and costly to buy locally here in Oz and postage charges from the UK are now very high, so sacrificing them to cut and shut them has not been part of my philosophy to make inexpensive models. I am aware also of the etched chassis parts available from Wizard models. However my current preference is to use my 3D printed chassis, derived from the machine and filament gifted to me my my generous son a few years ago.

 

I have admired the models made by others using Ratio/Parkside components - especially with more accurate and detailed chassis than I can create, but I have had lots of fun working out alternative (affordable) ways to achieve my modelling aims.

 

Good luck with your modelling and 'ave a good go wiv your 'acksaw!

[BernardTPM]

Dundas Models sell the sides for these (& some Midland ones) separately.