Great West Road - transfers & I’m not talking football!

[southern42]

Hi Polly,

Did you see the photo's in the Preservation Section of the GCR Winter Gala?

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/67541-gcr-winter-gala/

6023 looks very good.

 

I have now.

Some fantastic locos there.  The blue on 6023 is splendid and good to see one of my Southern favourites 777.

The winter scene is quite fantastic, too.  The GCR is one of those railways we've not got to yet....though we have seen it on tv and dvd.

Thanks for link, Kev.

Polly

[Kev_Lewis]

You're welcome, Polly.

BR blue does seem to suit 6023 rather well.

[Castle]

Hi All,

 

She should be about during our visit to 81E on Sunday 28th July. I don't know about operational but she will be on shed at least for more admiring glances. I, like many, went yikes! when I heard about the blue but until you see it up close you don't realise just how good it looks on No. 6023. I personally am grateful because how else would anyone in the 'not alive in the early 1950s' age group have got to see anything like this? Having seen Tornado and Gresley like this too I have decided that I like this scheme quite a lot. Not something you expect to hear from a dyed in the wool GWR type but there we are!

 

Yes, I have bought one of the new Hornby versions and fellow owners of the same carefuly prepared limited edition model will be pleased that I shall be ruining its value by sorting out that front bogie, detailing it and adding etched plates and so on. Yours will be more valuable as a result! Your all welcome...

 

All the best,

 

Castle

[southern42]

Hi Castle,

Will look forward to seeing this magnificent machine.  Glad you're going to sort out that bit of fresh air above the bogie on your model.  It will certainly have added value, if not £££££s, then certainly  :sungum:   or :locomotive:

I'm sure you'll enjoy doing and seeing the improvements - and maybe we will if you post them up on Little Didcot.  :sungum:

 

Some of you may know that I hijacked joined the thread: Did we really look like this when out trainspotting?

So, you may be pleased to know that I've just ordered some Bachmann trainspotters to start the ball rolling.  I notice that there is the traditional attire - cap, blazer and school tie; mainly short trousers; one fawnish coloured coat.  I wonder if there is scope to add a bobble hat?     Though I can't laugh - with all this cold weather, you may see me sporting a purple bobble hat, if you've not already done so (Stafford, for instance?).

 

Thanks to those who kindly responded to my post.  Most helpful and enjoyable.

 

Polly

 

 

[Kev_Lewis]

You're not planning BR Blue for 4079 are you Castle?

[Castle]

Hi Kev,

 

No, the thought is for that lovely apple green with red, grey and white lining with British Railways in Gill Sans text on the tender.

 

Yummy...

 

All the best,

 

Castle

[southern42]

Made a start painting a Wills trolley and barrow with diluted artists acrylic paints.

Can anyone suggest what I can use as a primer as I feel I may get a more satisfactory result?  I have Halfords spray grey primer but it seems a bit of an overkill for such tiny pieces that will probably just be blown away.

 

Polly

[emt_911]

Polly

 

I tend to wait till I get a few bits to prime then stick them to a piece of scrap board with blue tac before using the said primer.

 

Duncan

 

edited for missing words

Edited February 25, 2013 by emt_911

[southern42]

Thanks, Duncan.

I never thought about the good old blutack.  I use it for just about everything else.

I'll wait till Ray does some of his bigger stuff and stick the small items alongside.

 

They are only test pieces, but since they're going on Avago I want them to look right - it's name isn't just for Jo(e) Public, you know.

 

Polly

[emt_911]

Polly

 

It's one of those things I use to help with the majority of my modelling. If I could hold the realy small parts without my hands shaking (I;ve never had a realy steady hand) I'd probably use a lot less.

 

Duncan

[Andrew P]

O dear, o dear o dear, what is Polly up to now?   Blu Tack, Trollies, Tins of Paint, She will be on Blue Tack Peter next, hahaaa.

 

I have to confess, I use Blu Tack for most things like that.

Another use for it is on the end of my little screwdriver for holding tiny screws when difficult to hold.

 

Great Stuff young P, :locomotive:

 

Andy

[aberdare]

Hi Polly

 

I usually just brush a thin coat of precision primer on the small pieces I do or even just a coat of whichever grey Humbrol paint I think suits, once that is dry I then use the diluted acrylics. I was never happy with using acrylics straight off as it never seemed as good without that base coat, just a personal preference I guess.

 

If you get to making a ladder like mine then the blue tack on the end of a pencil or similar will help in getting the steps upright and in line whilst the glue is hardening, that's the fiddly bit, don't forget to tape the side bar down.

 

Good luck

 

Jim

[southern42]

I like the taping down bit, Jim.  I did that to put the seat together, once I'd worked out how to get the planks onto the legs without it all falling apart in the process, and the station name board - a couple more pieces for priming.

 

So thanks everyone for your painting experiences. Terrific.  Feel better about it all, already.

Barrows and trolleys - next the world....er....lifting hoist (Ratio) and rolling underframe.  I'm hoping to mechanise this to 'operate' in the repair shop and am wondering about getting substitute metal wheels and requisite accessories. Are they available and is it worth it?  Has anyone built a working one?

 

Polly

[Andrew P]

Hi Polly, found you at last on page 4,   not a lot of verbal activity lately,   you must be busy getting Rays tea           or building something interesting? :declare:

 

Say Hi to Ray. :stinker:

 

Bodgit

[southern42]

Happy St David's Day All.

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant Hapus

 

 

Hi Polly, found you at last on page 4,   not a lot of verbal activity lately,   you must be busy getting Rays tea           or building something interesting? :declare:

 

Say Hi to Ray. :stinker:

 

Bodgit

 

Hi Andy,

Ray's tea?  Extra time taken to make a summer fruit crumble.  At least there's enough for another two meals

 

Branch Lines of West London turned up.... :read: :read: :read:

and my Bachmann trainspotters      a happy bunch - well, the two in long trousers anyway. :rofl_mini: .

 

Again, more reading (and gooooogling) and, yet again, I see that Morris Cowley car trains went down the Brentford line but can I find / identitfy a picture of one?  What and who's rolling stock was used?  Did they carry on into the 1960s, I wonder?

 

Good grief, it's too early for so many questions  :nono: :nono: :nono: :nono:

 

Time to escape do Ray's lunch box. 

 

Poli Fach 
(Welsh version - and, yes, I do get called that - occasionally)

and not to be confused with 'Sosban Fach'

 

Edited March 1, 2013 by southern42

[southern42]

............................

Again, more reading (and gooooogling) and, yet again, I see that Morris Cowley car trains went down the Brentford line but can I find / identitfy a picture of one?  What and who's rolling stock was used?  Did they carry on into the 1960s, I wonder?

.............................

Just found this link to Morris Cowley car trains  :sungum:

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/68623-morris-cowley-car-trains/

 

  I'm off.  See you soon???

Edited March 1, 2013 by southern42

[emt_911]

Now that is spooky. Two people looking for exactly the same thing in the space of a couple of days.

 

Good find though

[southern42]

Hi everybody.

After some weeks of thinking about it, I've finally got a partially constructed mockup of the engine shed.

At the minute, it's built like a pack of cards so don't do anything or it might fall down.  Magic!

 

A bit about it while I wait for a photo or two.

It will be a 3 road shed instead of 6 but I've kept the length of 150ft (600mm).

The south wall will be of matchboards as in GWR days but I haven't decided how to go about this yet.  Matchboards were to allow for future expansion which didn't happen and it won't on Great West Road, either!

The northlight roof was slate so there maybe a missing slate or two.

 

The repair shop alongside will make the whole thing wider, add height and be more impressive but hopefully not too much so.

 

Thanks for dropping in.

So far the thread has received over 1000 likes so, once again, lots of thanks for all your stories and information, help and encouragement.  Most appreciated. 

 

Polly

Edited April 5, 2013 by southern42

[billyb_imp]

Polly

 

I am sure all Lunesters are awaiting anxiously to see the photos of your mock up 

 

Its been a long time coming and we would like to see some action 

 

In other words we cant wait to see what your going to be doing 

[emt_911]

Polly

 

Looking forward to the photos   Just as long as it's not of deconstruction

 

Duncan

[southern42]

Hi Billy, Duncan and 81C

 

Slight change of plan.

I had to deconstruct the balancing act engine shed mockup.  I needed the parts to act as templates to cut out sections for the repair shop while I still had some daylight to work in. I just have a few roof sections to cut up then I can have a go at assembling it - hopefully on Sunday.  So I'm afraid no photos. 

 

The mockup is made of stiff artist's paper.  I found a pad of 300gm² watercolour paper which I bought 20 years ago(!) and thought I might as well put it to some use.  I'll probably need to reinforce the walls to get the building to stand square - I've got some catering stirrers picked up at an exhibition near you. 

 

I'll use the building to get an idea of how that part of the layout will look and take it from there.

 

Thanks for your patience, interest and comments.

 

Polly

[southern42]

Hi All.

 

Spent the weekend entertaining or being entertained but managed some progress on the mock-ups.

A start has been made on the roofing sections for the repair shop.

Stiffeners are needed for shed and repair shop because of their length. These are cut up ready to be glued in place tomorrow.

 

Will keep you posted.

 

Polly

[southern42]

Good morning all.

 

A couple of hitches to sort out before I finish the shed mock-up including measurements that are a bit too precise for comfort.  A wee trim on the bracing piece to start with should help!

 

And now an early morning question to get that Saturday weekend adrenalin going.

 

With the Bachmann Shunters Truck being advertised - yes, now you know what's coming - can any one fill me in on their usage at Southall.  I only have one book on wagons (so far !!!) and these are new to me.

 

 

Below are numbers of those allocated at Southall.

Would the Bachmann version 'Loco Depot' be a reasonable substitute/appropriate for the 1960s?  Guess, I'd be really lucky to get one of those Southall numbers    (well I had to stick in a smiley somewhere....)

[8-678 Bachmann GWR Shunters Truck number tba in BR Grey livery with 'Loco Dept.' branding]

 

41879  M1  1944 allocation

4965    M4  1944 allocation

94984  M3  1944 allocation

 

Full list at: http://www.gwr.org.uk/noshunters.html

 

I shall have to look out for combinations like this one at Didcot in the link below.

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2951011

 

Any info or your experience of them will be most appreciated.

 

Polly

Edited April 13, 2013 by southern42

[Andrew P]

Hi Pretty Polly, hahah, just had a read through and its looking good, Will you and Ray be at the Bakewell show with Peter in June?

 

Bodgit

[southern42]

Surpri-ize... 

The mockup of the engine shed I was promising.  Full length / half the width of the prototype.

 

Detail to show matchboard (yup, the whole length of the shed) and position of guttering/downpipes.

The building behind will be the mockup of the repair shop (full size) with internal offices.

 

Nope.  This is not part of Great West Road.  It is the station end of Camel Quay with kind permission of Ray.  The roads are 55mm spacing.  A scaled Southall would be 48mm.  Mine will probably be 50mm.  Whichever, the shed width (well, everything, really) will need tweaking - but not yet.

 

Between the road down the side (the exit road from the turntable) and shed will be a boiler at either end of the shed if I keep it this length. 

 

Hi Polly

One was used in the west yard upto the late fifty's/early sixty's till the "Gronk" turned up, Had a good laugh at the shunter one day he went to jump on the front step and the driver had put Gronk in reverse on the move shunter missed the step and ended up in the sh#te between the tracks when he got up he look like one of the Black and White Minstrels.

81C

 

I'll have to get one then.  I already have a BR Green "Gronk" - with sound.    HaHa

Thanks 81C.  Another fantastic, out of the usual story - another one for modelling?  Love it.

 

Thanks for dropping by.

Polly