Douglas G

I was sad to hear about Martin Bird passing away. Some 25 years ago I visited his house to see his layout, which was up in the loft, and in subsequent years we shared information and sources about Dulverton. As far as I know martin didn't have plans except for a 1930s water supply plan, plus photos and the dimensions from the extant main station building and goods shed. The quality of his buildings really is outstanding and it will be a fitting memorial to see a new layout with them in place.

And another view. 6 different colours, including Humbrol 100 for the seats and 87 for the grey of the floor in the passenger compartments and central vestibule (different from the red or brown seen in photos of preserved A38 coaches).

This is my take on the colours for the interior of an A38 in a Farish N gauge coach, based very much on the colour photo in Great Western Railway Journal No. 73.

I have just got Great Western Railway Journal number 73 for the photo on page 55 of the interior of an A38 coach in 1964. Pete S (K14) is quite right - it looks to be "Sprig & Octopus", as shown here: https://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/cw/moquette/1950s.html I can see how in views from outside it would appear to be a solid reddish brown - the pattern is not that obvious at a distance. Humbrol 100 is the closest colour, I think. Interestingly the floor is a medium grey colour - from preserved A38 coaches I expected it to be an orangey brown.

Thanks. I'm planning to do some photos myself soon of 2mm gauge coach interiors so was interested to know what you are doing.

How do you light your models for your desk top photographs, Grahame?

Also at 9.40 in this film there is an A38 autocoach, where the red-brown of the seats can be clearly seen. This coach was W224W, which retained unlined crimson or possibly faded maroon up to at least 1962.

There is some early 1960s cine film of an A43 coach at 8.30 on this film about the railway at Bampton, and an interior shot of the long saloon at 8.41, which give useful information on the interior colours. The same cine film appears on Classic Western Regions Volume 1 from Branch Line Video, and a video on the Exe Valley Railway available from Tiverton Museum. Unfortunately the seats are facing away but it can be seen they are grey green, and this is more apparent in a close up in the original film not included in this film on YouTube. The lining of the passenger compartments are a very light cream, including the doors on the centre axis, unlike in the A38 coaches , where the doors were dark wood and the vertical surfaces below window level were a chocolate brown. From the photos I have found in books it looks like the colours in the drivers cab of A43 coaches were the same colours as in the A38 coaches, brown below window level and an orangey colour above (very apparent behind the driver in front views). On this basis I am just about to paint a scratchbuilt replacement interior to make an A43 coach from a Farish 2mm model. These pictures on Twitter are also useful for seats and interior in an A43: https://twitter.com/ExeValleyRail/status/758716918966652928/photo/1 https://twitter.com/ExeValleyRail/status/651849570243186688/photo/1

I have just heard back from PayPal finding in my favour and making a refund for my two attempted purchases from Osborns.

Wow, that just looks so real. It is only the vegetation on the left that gives it away as a model. If it was cropped, I would really be hard pushed to tell.

Loving this, especially the river!

We have indeed been here before, but I have been taking a fresh look after seeing the replacement inserts for the different diagrams produced by David BigCheeseplant. I missed the 2015 thread called A38 autocoach interior colours, where I see you provided a very detailed description of W231W. Many thanks for your expert advice. Whatever the actual pattern, the overall colour of the seats is clear for an A38. It is a shame that the preserved examples of these coaches have been modified, and often neglected, so much that there is considerable variation in the fabrics and interior colours, and little original left. I am waiting for a copy of Great Western Journal issue that was recommended with a contemporary photo of the inside of one - it will be interesting to see.

I have just found on eBay this photo from above of A38 autocoach W224W at Chalford: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/gw0233-British-Railway-Engine-1455-at-Chalford-Station-in-1963-photograph-6x4/393024350616?hash=item5b8213a998:g:N6kAAOSwepJXUqtv The bench seat to the left of the centre door does seem to have a pattern that looks the GWR "fan" pattern mentioned in the last post by Pete S K14. At a distance the effect is a sort of pinkish brown. I think Humbrol 70 is the closest but will probably need some light grey adding. Revell 37 might also do and is more of a red colour. For the floor of an A38 I think Humbrol 100 is the closest match, and a chocolate brown, possibly Humbrol 113 or 70, for the lower part of all the partitions up to window height (including in the driver's compartment below the orange slats behind the driver). I need to get painting!

Just found another (now locked thread) with similar stories - again I didn't find it in my original search as its title says "osbornsmodels". What concerns me is that while these reports date back over two or more years, Osborn's have still been allowed to post on RMWeb about their 3d printed and laser cut products. I know Maurice Osborn is the former proprietor and his son apparently now runs the shop, but nevertheless their products are being promoted here (with links to the shop website), and this will lead to people ordering from the shop. It is a shame, as the lorries and vans they are producing are really good.

I'm in a similar position - I put in two orders in mid-November for coaches that are sold out elsewhere but showing as in stock on Osborn's website. All I have I heard since was the immediate automated order acknowledgement emails. Nothing has come and emails asking what is happening have not been answered. On their website they say they cannot answer the phone at present as the shop is closed, so emailing is the only way to contact them. So I have had to raise two queries/disputes through Paypal last week. If I don't hear back soon, I will request a refund via PayPal. Maybe they have personal issues happening, but in that case they should switch off their website ordering facility until they can provide a basic service to customers. However, reading this thread, there is a pattern dating back several years of them ignoring orders for something they clearly don't have in stock and then leaving it to the customer to get a refund through Paypal. So it is not just something caused by covid. BTW, I missed this thread when searching the forum before purchasing as Osborn's is spelled wrong in the title. I wish I'd seen it...