Henley-on-Thames - GWR in the 1930's

[Neal Ball]

Spraying again today!

 

The loco chassis is complete, as are the cylinder covers. The loco itself needs a couple of bits spraying, hence the post it notes.

 

One of the 70ft underframes looks very nice in black and the clerestory C23 roof looks very nice in neutral grey, the underframe needs a couple of bits touched up, then it’s onto the cream.

 

The 70ft carriages will be sprayed cream at the same time.

 

[Neal Ball]

Spraying update

 

The County tank 4-4-2T looks very nice with its black smokebox, together with its black chassis - photo on the build blog. 

 

It needed a bit of a touch up on the running plate under the side tanks before I start spraying the Brunswick Green.

 

In the meantime, the C23 all 3rd was ready for its spray of cream, together with both 70ft carriages:

 

 

They went into the cloche to dry off and will receive another spray coat over the weekend.

 

A little filler job! - attention then turned to the 2 x 70ft interiors: 

 

 

I have updated the carriages blog as well: 

 

 

To be continued - it seems as if I am making good progress on a few fronts.

 

In other news:

• The 9F has been out with one of the track cleaning Toad brake vans.
• My Kernow  Steam Railmotor is now shewing as "Order Pending".

[Neal Ball]

Spraying continues:

 

 

The three carriages - seen before their next spray.

 

One 70ft carriage seen after the second coat and the loco's first coat.

 

[Neal Ball]

Todays progress:

 

The Clerestory all third has had its final coat of cream - this photo was taken just before. I have used Railmatch GWR cream and will move onto the chelate next.

 

 

To be continued!

 

[MrWolf]

I've found that Railmatch GWR carriage cream covers really well. Not so well with the chocolate. It needs several thin coats to cover.

[Neal Ball]

10 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

I've found that Railmatch GWR carriage cream covers really well. Not so well with the chocolate. It needs several thin coats to cover.

 

These carriages have had 3 coats of cream - hopefully I will be happy with it tomorrow so I can move onto the chocolate.

[Neal Ball]

Who doesn't like a nice 4-4-0?

 

 

The 3D printed curve framed Bulldog that we are starting to see being produced looks very nice / tempting.

 

In other news: my SRM left the DHL facility at East Midlands airport this morning at 02:41 and arrived into the Madrid facility at Vitoria just after 5am - the same plane has just left Vitoria for Alicante with a scheduled arrival time of 08:55

 

Tracking courtesy of Flight radar - amazing what you can find these days.

[Neal Ball]

I am getting close to finishing 4 projects - what will I go onto next?

 

Today the C23 clerestory carriage came out of the spray cloche, had a small amount of touching up, after which it was ready for a run round the layout with the Metro tank.

 

 

It now needs all the bolections painted (by hand), then glazing followed by passengers. (I need to buy more passengers - trying to avoid eBay, I am trawling through the Prieser catalogue!)

 

The 2 x 70ft carriages have had their roofs sprayed today and so far have had two coats - Vallejo London Grey 70.836 I am hoping to increase the variety of colours across the roofs  of my carriages. Avoiding white! 

 

The County tank 4-4-2T is also getting to its final stages and is looking pretty good.... I have taken the blog down for the time being as I am adding extra photos.... It will go back up, once the loco is finished.

 

Have a good evening.

[Star-rider]

Nice to see your carriage builds still coming along Neal.

 

Can I ask what you do (if anything) about the window bars / grills in brake coaches?

 

I bought a couple of the Brassmasters ex Martin Finney etches from an exhibition a couple of years ago but have exhausted my stock now.

 

These were described as "GWR brake van window grills" so were probably intended for a Toad rather than a coach, but something seemed better than nothing.

 

https://brassmasters.co.uk/images/Finney castings/E7.jpg

 

I understand that Brassmasters are exhibition sales only now, so I've no idea if I would be able to replenish.

 

A bonus question for an extra point - any idea what colour these window bars would have been painted in the 1930's?

 

 

[Neal Ball]

14 minutes ago, Star-rider said:

Nice to see your carriage builds still coming along Neal.

 

Can I ask what you do (if anything) about the window bars / grills in brake coaches?

 

I bought a couple of the Brassmasters ex Martin Finney etches from an exhibition a couple of years ago but have exhausted my stock now.

 

These were described as "GWR brake van window grills" so were probably intended for a Toad rather than a coach, but something seemed better than nothing.

 

https://brassmasters.co.uk/images/Finney castings/E7.jpg

 

I understand that Brassmasters are exhibition sales only now, so I've no idea if I would be able to replenish.

 

A bonus question for an extra point - any idea what colour these window bars would have been painted in the 1930's?

 

 

 

Thanks for the comments. I don't bother with them - although I did think I had seen them in the Comet range, but a search of the Wizard website https://www.wizardmodels.ltd and they don't come up.

 

Would they have been bare metal? Steel perhaps?.

 

Similarly, I don't bother with corridor handrails - don't tell anyone! There must be an easy way to fix them, but I can imagine having a nightmare getting them all on the same level where droplights are set into the corridor.

 

My secrets are out - I will never be able to model for Pendon 🤣

[Coach bogie]

As a rule, I usually do not rely on preserved examples but here is an example. It looks like black/gun metal colour to me

 

Personally I just draw the grills onto the glazing strip with a fine marker.

 

 

Mike Wiltshire

 

[checkrail]

I use the Brassmasters ones, usually bought at exhibitions as I believe they have a £10 minimum order for sales by post. I paint them black, which I think is prototypical, though TBH this means that at NVD it's quite hard to see them. That's probably why Hornby et al do them in white or silver, so you know they're there. (And I never bother replacing those.)

[Graham T]

3 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

 

Similarly, I don't bother with corridor handrails - don't tell anyone! There must be an easy way to fix them, but I can imagine having a nightmare getting them all on the same level where droplights are set into the corridor.

 

 

You could fit a continuous length of plastic rod along the whole coach, and then cut away the strips behind the droplights.  That way all the handrails would be at the same height.

 

[Neal Ball]

3 hours ago, Coach bogie said:

As a rule, I usually do not rely on preserved examples but here is an example. It looks like black/gun metal colour to me

 

Personally I just draw the grills onto the glazing strip with a fine marker.

 

 

Mike Wiltshire

 

 

Thanks for this Mike.

 

21 minutes ago, checkrail said:

I use the Brassmasters ones, usually bought at exhibitions as I believe they have a £10 minimum order for sales by post. I paint them black, which I think is prototypical, though TBH this means that at NVD it's quite hard to see them. That's probably why Hornby et al do them in white or silver, so you know they're there. (And I never bother replacing those.)

 

Thanks John

 

7 minutes ago, Graham T said:

 

You could fit a continuous length of plastic rod along the whole coach, and then cut away the strips behind the droplights.  That way all the handrails would be at the same height.

 

 

Thanks Graham, I will give it a go with the 70ft carriages. I agree they would look better with them fitted.

[checkrail]

Had a look at mine and, yes, they are more noticeable than I thought so worth doing, especially when there's light behind them. Here are the Brassmasters items (forgive the dirty windows!):

 

And here the Hornby ones:

 

Going back to internal corridor handrails one of the weirdest things I found with Slaters toplight kits was that there were little notches or pegs for these handrails but you had to remove them to fit the glazing in, unless you cut glazing to the exact dimensions of the window aperture and glued them in flush (a la Laserglaze). But there's nothing on the instructions which suggests or advises that approach - which would have been beyond me in any case.

 

John C.

Edited February 26 by checkrail
typo

[Neal Ball]

24 minutes ago, checkrail said:

Had a look at mine and, yes, they are more noticeable than I thought so worth doing, especially when there's light behind them. Here are the Brassmasters items (forgive the dirty windows!):

 

And here the Hornby ones:

 

Going back to internal corridor handrails one of the weirdest things I found with Slaters toplight kits was that there were little notches or pegs for these handrails but you had to remove them to fit the glazing in, unless you cut glazing to the exact dimensions of the window aperture and glued them in flush (a la Laserglaze). But there's nothing on the instructions which suggests or advises that approach - which would have been beyond me in any case.

 

John C.

Those glazing bars do look good John.

 

I also  seem to remember a pip inside the window on the Slaters Toplights. I wonder if Slaters will ever release those kits again?

 

Thanks, Neal.

[St Enodoc]

7 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

Slaters Toplights. I wonder if Slaters will ever release those kits again?

Probably not, if Dapol produce them RTR.

[Star-rider]

20 hours ago, checkrail said:

I use the Brassmasters ones, usually bought at exhibitions as I believe they have a £10 minimum order for sales by post. I paint them black, which I think is prototypical, though TBH this means that at NVD it's quite hard to see them. That's probably why Hornby et al do them in white or silver, so you know they're there. (And I never bother replacing those.)

Unfortunately the Brassmasters' minimum charge is now £20 and as there is nothing else that I need from them I would have to buy 10 etches to get my money's worth. Factor in another £4.00 for P&P and it gets expensive to finish off two or three coaches.

 

Looking at their exhibition diary I can't see anywhere I'd be likely to attend this year so that avenue is closed. Logically perhaps I should ask nicely if Wizzard would add something to their Comet range - this is where most of my kits are sourced from and I'm sure that I can't be their only customer in need.

 

The subject of corridor handrails has vexed me as well. Some of mine have a length of Microstrip painted red/brown but most run without. If the diagram of coach has a good continuous run of corridor it's worth a go, but where there are intermediate doors it's best left alone.

[Tim Dubya]

12 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Probably not, if Dapol produce them RTR.

 

I was going to say that the price they fetch on eBay is comparable to the new city toplights, if not more.  I thought I saw a comment from Dapol somewhere in the parish saying they are being produced... of course I can't find it now / may have been hallucinating 🤷🤔

[Star-rider]

Just a follow-on regarding the window grills - I've noticed that the new Blacksmith website is now (sort of) up and running and I've made an enquiry about a 70' First which is hopefully my next build.

 

While requesting a cost for this I've enquired if he does a window grill etch as I've picked up a hint that something was in the Blacksmith range historically.

 

I will of course share any information.

 

Pete.

[checkrail]

1 hour ago, Star-rider said:

The subject of corridor handrails has vexed me as well. Some of mine have a length of Microstrip painted red/brown

I use Slaters plastic rod, bought in 'assorted sizes' packs. Handily it also comes in assorted colours, including red/brown!

[checkrail]

1 hour ago, Star-rider said:

Unfortunately the Brassmasters' minimum charge is now £20 and as there is nothing else that I need from them I would have to buy 10 etches to get my money's worth. Factor in another £4.00 for P&P and it gets expensive to finish off two or three coaches.

I suppose, if one could be bothered,  one might buy 20 quid's worth and sell on those surplus to requirements on eBay to cover costs?  I might soon be reduced to this.  Here are my last two sets, already primed and painted before removal from the fret. They carry Martin Finney's name.  Note one thing that Hornby missed with their printed versions: the double spacing between vertical bars in the bottom right quarter of the left hand door. When building my first brake coach I puzzled over this for a while until the penny dropped: it's so the guard can get his hand through to turn the door handle from the inside.  I nearly put the first one in back to front, if not upside down!

 

 

John C.

[Neal Ball]

Lots of comments about window grills and corridor rails thank you.

 

1 hour ago, Star-rider said:

Unfortunately the Brassmasters' minimum charge is now £20 and as there is nothing else that I need from them I would have to buy 10 etches to get my money's worth. Factor in another £4.00 for P&P and it gets expensive to finish off two or three coaches.

 

Looking at their exhibition diary I can't see anywhere I'd be likely to attend this year so that avenue is closed. Logically perhaps I should ask nicely if Wizzard would add something to their Comet range - this is where most of my kits are sourced from and I'm sure that I can't be their only customer in need.

 

The subject of corridor handrails has vexed me as well. Some of mine have a length of Microstrip painted red/brown but most run without. If the diagram of coach has a good continuous run of corridor it's worth a go, but where there are intermediate doors it's best left alone.

I too saw the Brassmasters min charge of £20 but I couldn’t actually find the window grills themselves. I think on the show list they say they are going to be at Scaleforum South in May.

 

1 hour ago, Tim Dubya said:

 

I was going to say that the price they fetch on eBay is comparable to the new city toplights, if not more.  I thought I saw a comment from Dapol somewhere in the parish saying they are being produced... of course I can't find it now / may have been hallucinating 🤷🤔

The list of the corridor Toplights appears on Robins @gwrrob ANTB thread from time to time.

 

The last I heard, Dapol wanted to evaluate the sales of the mainline and city carriages first before pressing ahead. That might have changed given how delayed the current carriages are.

 

1 hour ago, Star-rider said:

Just a follow-on regarding the window grills - I've noticed that the new Blacksmith website is now (sort of) up and running and I've made an enquiry about a 70' First which is hopefully my next build.

 

While requesting a cost for this I've enquired if he does a window grill etch as I've picked up a hint that something was in the Blacksmith range historically.

 

I will of course share any information.

 

Pete.

That’ll be interesting Pete - on both counts,

 

34 minutes ago, checkrail said:

I use Slaters plastic rod, bought in 'assorted sizes' packs. Handily it also comes in assorted colours, including red/brown!

I was looking for Dean style carriage buffers yesterday and came across some Slaters ones at Peters Spares.

 

I guess any micro rod would do, it’s doesn’t have to be Slaters.

 

5 minutes ago, checkrail said:

I suppose, if one could be bothered,  one might buy 20 quid's worth and sell on those surplus to requirements on eBay to cover costs?  I might soon be reduced to this.  Here are my last two sets, already primed and painted before removal from the fret. They carry Martin Finney's name.  Note one thing that Hornby missed with their printed versions: the double spacing between vertical bars in the bottom right quarter of the left hand door. When building my first brake coach I puzzled over this for a while until the penny dropped: it's so the guard can get his hand through to turn the door handle from the inside.  I nearly put the first one in back to front, if not upside down!

 

 

John C.

I would split the cost with you John - if you had to buy a quantity of etches I would take a couple off your hands.

 

Does anyone know what’s the score with 14mm dia OO wheels? They’ve been out of stock at Wizard for ages… at least since November - due in stock in January, which went passed… everyone seems to be out of stock.

 

Together with Dean buffers at Dart castings, hence Googling yesterday.

[lezz01]

Have you tried Gibson's? For the wheels I mean.

Regards Lez.

[Star-rider]

I too would be happy to be involved in splitting the cost of a Brassmasters bulk order for window grills, but let's see what the response is from Blacksmith first in case that's a more viable option.

 

With regard to 14mm wheels I usually just buy the Hornby or Bachmann 14.1mm ones which are always on the shelf somewhere. I don't know if this is some sort of Faux Pas with regard to GWR models but you  only actually see the bottom few millimetres! In fact I'm literally about to place an order somewhere - the Bachmann 36-033 are just shading it on price at the moment £17.95 for 10 axles at Rails of Sheffield.