Clagsniffer Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Hi folks. As the title suggests I need to make a lima siphon g into an NNV newspaper van. What mods would I need to carry out? Is there any detail sets available (I've read about the blacksmiths set but I believe it's out of stock with no sign of it being re released). From what I've seen on the web they had the louvres near the roof lines plated over, could I just fill these in and repaint? I've also seen several vent covers near the solebar which I believe was what was included in the blacksmith set? Are there alternatives to represent these? Any help appreciated. Cheers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisf Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Hi Clagsniffer, you have chosen an interesting project. I have just fished out my copy of the HMRS book on Siphons and was mildly shocked to rediscover that it was published in 1986. A revised version is being prepared by John Lewis but it may be delayed because of John's recent illness. You mention a Blacksmith detailing set. Are you referring to the ventilators and covers? These were fitted only to the three batches built by BR between 1951 and 1955. Some of these were converted to newspaper vans by having almost all the louvres plated over. The book contains a photograph taken in 1979 by Paul Bartlett of W1326 in this condition with NNV lettering. It has also lost some of the extra ventilators. It and other useful images may well be on his website. If you look there you may find, says he who has not looked, that older variants of the Siphon G were also converted. Something that does not bother quite a lot of people is the planking on the Lima model. For reasons unknown, Lima chose to model a non-standard prototype with planking wider than nearly all its sisters. My theory is that it is non-standard because of wartime supply difficulties. Be that as it may, it is one more excuse for heavy weathering. Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clagsniffer Posted April 23, 2015 Author Share Posted April 23, 2015 Hi Chris, thanks for your reply. Yes that's the blacksmith set I was referring to, it would appear that all the NNV vans had these fitted, looking at pictures on Paul's website. Then as you say the ones converted for newspaper use had most of the louvres plated over. So just going from that if I wanted an NNV newspaper van it would appear I need this set from blacksmith and also plate over the louvres. Would you agree with that? Thanks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium MJI Posted April 23, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 23, 2015 Hi Chris, thanks for your reply. Yes that's the blacksmith set I was referring to, it would appear that all the NNV vans had these fitted, looking at pictures on Paul's website. Then as you say the ones converted for newspaper use had most of the louvres plated over. So just going from that if I wanted an NNV newspaper van it would appear I need this set from blacksmith and also plate over the louvres. Would you agree with that? Thanks. The ones I remembered had the plated louvres apart from the ones at the ends, and the little lifting hatches as per Blacksmith, http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/gwrsiphon/h34A1E996#h34a1e996 http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/gwrsiphon Most appeared like this Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisf Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 I had a look on Paul's site too and found some vans stencilled NNV without the extra vents. Look at his pics of 2800. It has had one set of louvres replaced by a window but otherwise no alteration and no extra vents because that vehicle never had them. In the book there is a shot of W2062 which was one of the ambulance vehicles and has branding allocating it to the 12.5 am Paddington News. That had none of the elusive extra vents either. So there are two possible options if you are unable to get hold of the vents. It is, I suppose, remotely possible that Mr Coopercraft still has some in stock and that he will answer his phone if you try to ask him .... Someone on this 'ere site will know more than either of us about how newspapers were carried but I'm guessing that staff from W H Smith and/or Wymans would have travelled with the papers to bundle them up en route. For that purpose they would have needed trestle tables and electric light, but not much by way of windows since most of the journey was at dead of night. Think TPO without the pigeon holes! Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clagsniffer Posted April 23, 2015 Author Share Posted April 23, 2015 MJI, Chris, thanks again for the replies. Chris isn't 2800 an NMV in the photographs? Does that make a difference of what they carried? Or would they also be used for newspapers? Looking at all the pictures again it would seem that even the vehicles that had the vents differed from each other in the fact that there seems to be different number of vents on some? Would the number of vents on one side be mirrored on the other? Apologies for all the questions, it would appear I've opened a can of worms! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisf Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Chris isn't 2800 an NMV in the photographs? Does that make a difference of what they carried? Or would they also be used for newspapers? It might well be. I know little of TOPS era codes but logically it would suggest mails rather than newspapers. Sorry! Can of worms - yum yum. Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivercider Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 It might well be. I know little of TOPS era codes but logically it would suggest mails rather than newspapers. Sorry! Can of worms - yum yum. Chris My TOPS code guide 5th edition October 1978 shows the following two codes:- NM Siphon G NN Siphon G News Note that the meaning of some of the letter codes changed over the years but Pauls photo of W2800 showing it withdrawn was only taken two years later. Other news van codes in that booklet were:- NC Brake Van News NL GUV News cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted April 25, 2015 Share Posted April 25, 2015 While not the most brilliant of photos, I thought these two views might be useful. Both taken at Cardiff General in Nov. '77. First a 3/4 of W1325: showing the general cruddiness of these trains, then an end-on shot of W1003 being added to the rake, giving a good opportunity to get the air-brake and ETH arrangements: I used self-adhesive clear book covering plastic film to do the plating over on my Lima N gauge Siphon G (in the early 1980s), then sprayed it all-over in Humbrol HR135 (enamel) Rail Blue. Never got round to adding the ETH jumpers though: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted April 25, 2015 Share Posted April 25, 2015 The newspapers were packed on the folding shelves which the Siphons had been fitted with from new. These served also to carry trays of flowers and fruit when not used for churn traffic, and, more sombrely, stretchers when used for hospital trains. Both sheeted-over and 'open' louvred vans seemed to be used for 'the Papers' with a BSK for the packers to kip in on the way to work. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 40-something Posted April 26, 2015 Share Posted April 26, 2015 Hi folks. As the title suggests I need to make a lima siphon g into an NNV newspaper van. What mods would I need to carry out? Is there any detail sets available (I've read about the blacksmiths set but I believe it's out of stock with no sign of it being re released). From what I've seen on the web they had the louvres near the roof lines plated over, could I just fill these in and repaint? I've also seen several vent covers near the solebar which I believe was what was included in the blacksmith set? Are there alternatives to represent these? Any help appreciated. Cheers. The Blacksmith range is now under the CooperCraft banner but please read through this thread regarding availability, especially the last few pages Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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