Jump to content
 

MikeOxon

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    3,369

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by MikeOxon

  1. MikeOxon

    William Dean's Express Tank

    By MikeOxon,


    general
    Being somewhat of a back-water in railway history, the Witney branch via North Leigh became home to many unusual vehicles, rarely seen elsewhere. I have already shown the standard-gauge Tilt Wagon ('Hat Box') but a particular claim to fame for this line was that it became the 'stamping ground' for William Dean's experimental 4-2-4 express tank engine, shown below entering North Leigh station.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    William Dean's experimental 4-2-4T No.9 at North Leigh
     
    My first encounter with this locomotive was many years ago, through the pages of John Gibson's “GW Locomotive Design - A Critical Appreciation”, which portrayed it as such an embarrassing failure that all traces of it had to be expunged from the record, with an order going out that 'this thing never existed'.
     
    If that were true, Dean would hardly have provided an article for 'The Engineer, Sept.24th 1886', with a detailed drawing of the unusual outside Stephenson valve gear. Dean explained that this arrangement was intended to get rid of the excessive cramping up of the valve gear, necessary when large cylinders have the valve chests placed between them.
     

    Outside Valve Gear on Re-built GWR No.9 (from 'The Engineer')
     
    In fact, Dean had arrived in office knowing that the Broad Gauge was nearing its end and a new type of locomotive would soon be needed, to replace the Gooch singles. Amongst the ideas to be tested was the possibility of using express tank engines, as designed successfully by Pearson, for the Bristol & Exeter railway. E L Ahrons, who arrived at Swindon in 1885, described the original configuration of the engine as having a 30' overall wheelbase, including two carrying bogies of wheelbases 7' 3" and 5' 6" respectively. He also stated that the length of the platform was 36' 5-5/8".
     
    Very much later (around 1940), E W Twining produced an outline drawing, purporting to show the layout of the tank engine. A comparison of his sketch with the detailed drawing of the valve gear in 'The Engineer' reveals that it is simply not possible to fit this gear between the front bogie and the driving wheel, if the longer bogie is placed at the front! In my opinion, Twining's chassis seems to bear a very considerable resemblance to the Lehigh Valley inspection saloon, still in existence at that time, even down to the bicycle-style 'mudguards' over the front bogie wheels.
     
    My own solution places the shorter bogie at the front and, with this configuration, a well-balanced design results. The front bogie fits neatly under the smokebox, leaving room for the outside valve gear, while the rear 7' 3" bogie fits immediately behind the firebox, within the overall 30' wheelbase. Apart from the reversed bogies, the dimensions conform to Ahrons' description.
     
    The construction of my model followed similar lines to those I have described previously, when I built my 'Queen'-class engine.  I built the engine in two parts: a rectangular chassis, carrying the driving wheels plus two bogies, and a box structure for the upper body. The boiler is represented by a half round section soldered into position between the two side tanks.  The steps in my construction are shown below:
     

     
    I have fitted an extended cab roof, similar to those used on other GWR tank engines in the same period, and a rear spectacle plate, appropriate for high-speed reverse running. Other features include cutaways in the tanks, to allow access to the motion, and tanks that extend a short distance in front of the smokebox, both as mentioned by Ahrons. The long (11' 6") boiler, in two rings, was designed to provide similar steaming capacity to the large-diameter boilers of the Gooch singles.
     
    My model wears the new livery, introduced in 1881, with Indian red frames and vermilion lining (though at that time the wheels were still green). With this presentation, I believe that the engine is worthy of the description given by David Joy, when he visited Swindon around 1882 "I saw all about a mighty 'single' tank engine ... I saw drawings and all, and she looked a beauty".
     

    My Interpretation of GWR 4-2-4T No.9
     
    The real significance of this engine was that, while it showed that the 4-2-4 express tank engine concept was not appropriate for the standard gauge, it addressed an urgent need to re-visit valve-gear design for more powerful engines. The eventual outcome was, of course, the famous Dean Singles, with the same length of boiler and direct-driven valves, mounted below the cylinders. The family relationship can be seen in the following extremely rare photo of these two engines, side-by-side at North Leigh:
     

    Dean 'Single' alongside its 4-2-4T pre-decessor at North Leigh
     
    My model currently only has 'cosmetic' outside valve gear, cut from plasticard with my Silhouette cutter. It is powered by a Tenshodo WB28.7 SPUD, contained within the rear bogie, in the same way that my 4-2-2 uses a similar one in its front bogie. The model negotiates my small-radius curves with ease and does not share a tendency for de-railing, which apparently afflicted the prototype!
     
    Update:  I have created a 3D computer model of this engine - see https://www.rmweb.co.uk/blogs/entry/26347-william-dean’s-express-tank-revisited/
     
    Mike
     
     
    references:
    Great Western Locomotive Design, John C Gibson 1984
    The British Steam Railway Locomotive 1825 - 1925, E L Ahrons, 1927
    Swindon Steam, L A Summers, 2013
  2. MikeOxon
    Whereas there are 'umpteen books about the development of the steam locomotive, relatively little has been written about early railway carriages. One of my aims in making models of some earlier carriages was to hep me visualise the changes that took place in the mid-19th century.
     
    As railways moved from purely industrial uses to the carriage of people, the first thought was simply to mount benches inside ordinary wagons. The next step was to adapt the road carriages of the time to run on rails. Even Brunel, considered visionary in so many ways, did not appreciate the potential of his broad gauge, since his initial idea was to use large diameter wheels outside the body of the carriage itself - just like a road carriage. Thus, he missed the potential for much larger vehicles, by failing to leave sufficient clearance around his running lines.
     
    It was not until the second half of the century that designers began to think of railway carriages in a different way and to move on from the 'stage coach' roots. During the 1870s, the Midland Railway imported some American style Pullman cars, which were on a completely different scale from what had gone before.
     
    The GWR had started on its own course with the broad gauge but, by the middle of the century, the writing was on the wall for this system and the fortunes of the railway were in steep decline. There was no incentive to invest in new broad gauge stock, while their first standard gauge coaches came as acquisitions from other companies. These coaches were usually built by specialist contractors (often with their roots in stage-coach construction) such as Joseph Wright and Sons, Saltley Works, Birmingham. (not to be confused with the Saltney works of the Shrewsbury and Chester Railway)
     

     
    When Joseph Armstrong (formerly of the Shrewsbury and Chester Railway) arrived at Swindon, he faced the need for the GWR to build its own standard gauge stock and a new carriage works was built at Swindon, starting in 1868. The Lot system for new carriages and wagons had started in August 1867 and it seems likely that there was a period of 'working up' for the new works, with some orders completed at Worcester or Saltney. The early carriage designs were of the simple slab side and flat end variety, with additional embellishments being incorporated as the local skills developed.
    Lot 57, finished in May 1872 was the first of a new generation of carriages from the completed shop - followed in January 1873 by the 1st class coaches (later Diagram R2) shown in the above illustration.
     
    I took the following photo in the Swindon Steam Museum, where an exhibit shows the method of construction used in these early carriages
     

     
    The dramatic change in scale of the new generation of carriages produced after 1872 is clearly illustrated by my two models of passenger brake vans. The earlier design (on the right) is of the slab-sided variety, probably built at Worcester or Saltney in the late 1860s, whereas the later Diagram V5 dates from 1892 and is on a completely different scale.
     

     
    The increase in the size of carriages during the 1870s, when designs finally moved away from their road-vehicle roots, only really came home to me when I built the models.
     
    My last photo shows two trains passing at North Leigh Station. On the left is the down local 'Ox and Cow', heading for the 'County' end of its run, made up of old-style carriages and headed by the former OW&W locomotive GWR No.184 while, on the right, is a 'modern' train, including a V5 van and some clerestory coaches, headed by a Dean 2-4-0, No.3505
    .

     
    Mike
  3. MikeOxon

    Broad and Narrow

    By MikeOxon,


    general
    One aspect of modelling, which interests me, is the ability to compare the proportions of locomotives that are rarely photographed together.
     
    Many years ago, I built a K's Milestones kit of the GWR Broad Gauge 'Rover' class locomotive, so I decided to photograph this model alongside my Tri-ang Dean single, to illustrate the profound differences between these types:
     

     
     
    The Broad Gauge locomotive takes advantage of the width between the wheels to use a much larger diameter boiler and very wide firebox but, at the same time, the overall length is much shorter. When Dean designed his locomotives, it was still considered important to maintain a low centre of gravity, so he had to fit a boiler of sufficient steaming capacity between the large driving wheels; hence, the much smaller diameter but increased length.
     

     
     
    It was not until much later, when boiler pitch was allowed to increase, that the girth could once again reach Broad Gauge proportions.
     
    One day, perhaps, I shall build some mixed-gauge track, so that I can see these locomotives performing together!
     
    Mike
  4. MikeOxon

    A Different Type of Railway

    By MikeOxon,


    general
    In my previous entry, I mentioned some of the research that I have been doing into Brunel's 'Broad Gauge' railway. There are several old books that provide a detailed survey of the early days of the GWR. One that I found particularly useful is the 'History of the GWR' by G A Nokes (2nd edtion, 1895). The preface begins: "I would remind the reader that it is 'The Story of the Broad Gauge' that is here chronicled, so that while in the first thirty years or so of the Great Western Railway's existence the work is, de facto, a 'History of the Great Western Railway,' "
     
    [George Augustus Nokes (1867–1948), often known by his pen-name G.A. Sekon, was the founding editor of The Railway Magazine.]
     
    When Brunel decided to build on a grander scale than the early colliery lines built by Stephenson, he took the pragmatic engineer's view that, if you're going to change things, do it by at least 50%. People often ask why Brunel chose 7' 0-1/4" but they don't seem to ask why Stephenson chose 4' 8-1/2". In fact, Stephenson chose 4' 8" as the gauge but found he needed to leave 1/2" clearance to allow the wheel flanges to negotiate curves successfully. Brunel simply increased the Stephenson gauge by exactly 50% and then, because he intended his track to be as straight as possible, he only allowed 1/4" clearance for curves.


    Mixed Gauge Track at Didcot Railway Centre
     
    It wasn't just a change in the gauge of the rails that defined the 'Broad Gauge' but a completely new approach to railway design. Whereas earlier railways had developed out of 'waggonways, which had iron or wooden rails laid on stone blocks, Brunel's vision was of a system that could carry people smoothly at high speed. He thought the answer was to support his running rails on continuous wooden 'baulks' that could provide a rigid support. It turned out that he was wrong and that a good track needs some flexibility or 'spring' to provide a smooth ride but it did result in a railway which looked very different from any other, before or since.


    Broad Gauge Track (Didcot)
     
    I enjoy modelling as a way of visualising the differences between the railways of the 19th-century and those which are directly familiar. So, it is a natural progression from my pre-Grouping GWR models to try and re-create some features of Brunel's vision.
     
    For a modeller used to commercial 00-gauge track, modelling the broad gauge is an even larger leap than that faced by Brunel because '00' is actually a 'narrow gauge'! Putting a 4mm-scale broad gauge wheel-set alongside '00' wheels shows the huge difference between the two types of model.


    00 and Broad Gauge Model Wheelsets
     
    In addition, the bridge rail produced by the Broad Gauge Society is of true scale dimensions and thus very much 'finer' than commercial '00' track. The modelling standards that have to be adopted are equivalent to P4 and therefore demand much more 'precision' that I have been used to in my work so far. Notice, for example, the flanges on the broad gauge wheels when compared with commercial '00' wheels. I think it is going to be quite a challenge!
     
    Because this will be a completely new project, I intend to record my activities in a separate blog. It will probably take me some time to get going but I shall build on the techniques that I developed during the writing of this current blog.
     
    I have shown the following illustration before (from G A Nokes' book) but think it captures the essence of the Broad Gauge very well:
     

     
     
    Mike
     
    EDITED to add link to new Broad Gauge Blog
  5. MikeOxon

    "Read Me First"

    By MikeOxon,


    general
    (the following explanation is intended to help any new readers to find their way around this blog)
     
    Since I started this blog in 2013, I have used it as a diary to record my progress in creating a Victorian GWR branch line. Since the blog follows the meanderings of my mind, it has no real structure and this 'introduction' is, therefore, an attempt to help a new reader to find his/her way around.
     
    There are two main strands: firstly, the documenting of my exploration of the construction techniques needed to create 19th century locomotives and stock, of types that are not readily available. This includes descriptions of how I have constructed kits and also developed some 'scratch-building' methods, including home-made lettering and lining.
     
    The second strand describes the creation of a local scene, which includes the buildings and landscape features and, equally importantly, the personalities who determined what services were needed from a railway serving the local area.
     
    My 'train set' started many years ago as a Hornby Dublo layout for my then young son. The plan was taken directly from the Hornby Dublo Handbook of 2-Rail Track Formations (1st edition) and I added a narrow-gauge (009) section for additional interest. This has evolved into the plan shown below:
     

    Layout Plan with Vignettes
     
    A 'back story' has gradually evolved, in which my layout has come to represent North Leigh station on a never-built branch from the Cotswold main line towards Witney (planned in 1849 but never executed). This fictitious line diverged from the Oxford, Worcester & Wolverhampton Railway, near Stonesfield, and then headed southwards, through North Leigh, to Witney.
     

    1849 Map showing unbuilt line to Witney
     
     
    My layout represents a junction, just outside North Leigh station, where the line from Witney emerges from one of several short tunnels along this hilly route, with a cut-off route towards Worcester, diverging through a narrow cutting, while the original Oxford line enters the station, where there is also a passing loop. Two sidings serve the local creamery and a cattle dock.
     
    The narrow gauge section represents an equally fictitious system, serving the local stone quarries and a saw-mill, which brings traffic to an interchange with the main line at North Leigh.
     
    As well as imagining the railway, I have also devised a number of local characters to populate the scene. There is a real manor house at Wilcote, with mediaeval origins, where I have created a fictitious Victorian family, including the Lord of the Manor: Sir John Wilcote, and his daughters Amy and Blanche, and (probably) a younger son: Charles. Other characters will no doubt appear as I establish further details of the scene.
     
    The 'contents list' at the right-hand side of the blog provides some guidance to the various topics that I have covered so far.
     
    Mike
  6. MikeOxon
    I meant to mention, in my previous entry, how I made the curved plasticard roofs for my early GWR coaches. I have read about wrapping plasticard sheet around an empty wine bottle, filled with boiling water, in order to 'set' the curve. Somehow, I'm always uneasy about pouring boiling water into glass bottles, so looked for an alternative - beer cans came to mind but these seemed of rather too small a diameter for my coach roofs. After searching around the kitchen (strange, alien place), I found a stainless-steel coffee jug that seemed just about the right size. As shown below, I taped the rectangle of 20 thou (0.5 mm) plasticard, for the roof, to the side of the jug, using broad strips of masking tape:
     

     
    I was pleased to find, after the water in the jug had cooled, that the plasticard had acquired just the right curvature and sat neatly on top of my coach sides. Only time will tell if the new shape is permanent.
     

     
    In building these coaches, I have realised that there was a revolution in the construction of railway carriages during the late 1860s, as their stage-coach origins were finally left behind. The new coaches of the 1870s were on an altogether more massive scale, with much more robust framing and iron solebars. I have taken a couple of photos to illustrate these changes:
     

     
    The train on the left is composed of the Dean type coaches (mainly Ratio kits), typical of the late 19th century, whereas on the right is a mix of earlier designs. I like the undulating roof line created by the juxtaposition of low, almost flat roofed stock, with the more impressive clerestory roof stock, much used by the GWR.
     

     
    I regret that the coaches are not yet finished (pace Mikkel). When I have finished enjoying contemplating the various styles that they represent, I shall get down to all those fiddly details
     
    Mike
  7. MikeOxon

    A Bit about the Track

    By MikeOxon,


    general
    As I mentioned in my first entry in this blog, my layout started many years ago as a Hornby Dublo layout for my young son. The plan was taken directly from the Hornby Dublo Handbook of 2-Rail Track Formations (1st edition), as shown below, drawn using SCARM software
     

     
    Original Track Plan (as built in 1979)
     
    This track plan formed the basis for a small, simple layout, to which I added a narrow gauge section (009) at a higher level, for additional interest. The upper level hides the 'round and round' nature of the main line, while leaving the station, at the front, and goods yard visible, for scenic modelling. There was never anything very prototypical about the layout and I treated it mainly as a framework for developing scenery and 'vignettes' for photography.
     
    When I returned to this railway, a couple of years ago, I decided to use it for the Victorian designs, which I was interested in constructing. One major limitation in operating the track was the lack of a passing loop on the main circuit, so I decided one could be provided by replacing one of the points on the cross-over loop with a three-way point. Again, by using the SCARM software, I found that I could incorporate a Peco SL-E99 'electrofrog' point, without making major changes to the overall layout.
     

     
    Revised Layout Plan (including 009 section)
     
    I marked the positions for the new track on the baseboard, assisted by use of the Peco templates, as shown by the following photo of the 'work in progress'.
     

     
    Marked-up Baseboard and Templates
     
    The new point required two point motors and switches, to control the live-frog polarity. For these functions, I used SEEP motors, with integral switches. For ease of installation, I mounted the motors onto small rectangles of printed circuit board, together with block connectors. This meant that all the soldering could be done on the bench, with the connector blocks used subsequently, to hook up to the wiring under the baseboard.
     

     
    SEEP Point Motor Module
     
    Since I already had a 'hand-held' controller, I decided to adopt a similar principle for operation of the point switches. I mounted the six point switches needed on my layout in a small plastic box, from Maplin, and connected this to the layout via a multi-way lead, taken from a parallel-port printer cable.
     

     
    Remote Controller for Points
     
    The connections from the point motors were all brought to a common board, carrying three sockets to connect controllers for points, mainline, and narrow gauge, respectively. Again, I designed the board so that most of the wiring could be done on the bench, with just the final hook-ups having to be done under the baseboard. All the wiring is colour-coded and labelled to assist the final assembly.
     

     

     
    Two views of the Control Panel
     

    Points Wiring Plan
     
    Once all this was in place, I had the basis of a layout to display my Victorian stock
     

     
     
    Mike
  8. MikeOxon
    Some time has elapsed since I first decided to paint the wagons red on my GWR 'North Leigh' railway but I still look out for any further information that may shed further light on when and where this colour was used.
     

     
    My 1st edition copy of 'Great Western Way'(GWW) stated: "it would seem to be about the end of the 1870s that wagons and vans first sported a standard pattern of painted lettering. It was about this time, too, that the change from red to grey as a body colour was apparently decided upon." Since that was written, however, opinions have been revised and many now think that red was still in use up to 1904. (the way things are going, I'm sure someone will eventually conclude that red continued until nationalisation, when it was renamed 'bauxite' )
     
    My old GWW also states that the earliest lettering took the form of the letters "G.W.R",...on the left hand end of the vehicle usually three planks up from the bottom of the body side" The text continues by stating that the lettering soon moved to the bottom plank, with the legend "To carry ... tons" above the initials. At the opposite end (RHS), the wagon number appeared, with the tare weight above. Then, in the early to mid 1880s, the pattern was reversed, with G.W.R at the right-hand end on the second plank up and the number and tare at the LHS. Legends for load and tare were now below the letters and numbers. Numbers also began to appear on the ends of wagons. GWW also reports that, in 1894, the use of cast plates for ownership and number information started to be applied and continued until at least 1905.
     
    With that received wisdom in mind and some knowledge of later opinions, I happened upon an interesting photo in Ian Pope and Paul Karau's book 'The Forest of Dean Branch - volume one' This photograph shows Cinderford ironworks and is believed to have been taken in the 1890s and certainly after 1880, because it shows a structure completed in that year.
     
    There is another photo, also taken in the Forest of Dean, in 1883, of a wagon at Coleford in what is described in GWW as "the earliest style of painting with lettering on the solebar".
     
    A selection of wagons appear in the foreground of the Cinderford photo, in a considerable mixture of liveries. For research purposes, I have copied two small sections of the photograph, to illustrate this point.
     

     
    In the upper row, five wagons can be seen, of which two appear to be of a darker shade than the others. Taking the two 'dark' wagons first: the one on the left has G.W.R low on the LHS with (presumably) load above, while the number and tare are to the RHS. The other dark wagon has the G.W.R above the load, to the left, and a number (level with the G.W.R) to the RHS, with some addition small lettering above and to the right of the number. The lettering on the 'lighter' wagons is less distinct but G.W.R always seems to be on the left side.
     
    In the lower row, the first wagon on the left is unclear but, next, is a dark-looking wagon, with G.W.R on the left and other lettering in the centre and RHS. Next is a lighter-looking wagon, with G.W.R at bottom left and (presumably) load above but what might be the tare seems to be below the number on RHS. The next wagon is not clear and the final wagon has G.W.R high on the left, with load below and number on RHS, though not on the visible end of this wagon.
     
    I have noted that there is a clear distinction between 'light' and 'dark' wagons and that the shades of these two types seem consistent, between the various members of each type.
     
    At this point, I decided to try some experimental archaeology.
     
    I set up a line of model wagons from my collection, some painted grey and some in my interpretation of GWR red. After photographing the group, I processed the photo using a Photoshop plug-in that allows a Black and White conversion, with an adjustable colour response. I chose a 'colour blind' response, typical of 19th century film technology, when film emulsions responded to blue, violet, and ultra-violet wavelengths but only very slightly to green and not at all to yellow and red.
     

     
    My experiment shows that the model wagons divide into 'lighter' and 'darker' shades, as in the Cinderford photo, with the red wagons being darker.
     
    If I extrapolate from my experiment to the Cinderford photo, it suggests that, at the time of the photograph (known to be after 1880 and probably around 1890), there were three red wagons in the yard, together with seven grey wagons. Both types, however, showed a mix of liveries, with G.W.R either above or below the weight information in both cases. If my guess about colours is correct, then it appears that both styles of painting were in use concurrently, both before and after the time of the change of lettering style!
     
    Could one have been predominant on the South Wales line from Gloucester, while the other was Swindon practice? I'm sure there are many knowledgeable people on the forums, who may have ideas on this matter.
     
    The books on the Forest of Dean railways are well worth tracking down for the superb illustrations of many industrial scenes from the 19th and early 20th centuries.
  9. MikeOxon
    The 4mm 'Ratio' kits of GWR 4-wheel coaches have long been popular and probably provided an introduction to kit-building for a great many modellers. The moulds have been re-furbished and they continue to be available at an attractively low price. There's also a lot of useful prototype and construction information in an article by Mikkel at http://www.gwr.org.uk/proratio.html
     
    I built several of these coaches back in the 1980s but now I want to add a little more variety into my late 19th-century trains. I have already described building a V5 passenger brake van, using Shire Scenes sides and, since this left me with a couple of spare T47 sides from the donor vehicle, I started to think about doing some 'kit-bashing' to create other diagrams.
     
    One type of vehicle that I wished to model is the 4-compartment third, with central luggage compartment, which was a much-used type in the Victorian period, when everyone seemed to travel with a mountain of luggage! A few measurements showed that the central luggage section was exactly the same length as one compartment, so I decided to try cutting out sections, with double luggage doors. from my T47 sides, then inserting these into the space left after cutting out the central compartment from a new S9 (all-third) kit.
     
    The plastic used in the current production 'Ratio' sides is of quite a soft 'cheesy' consistency and can easily be scored with a scalpel blade on the face. When folded back, the side split cleanly along the score-line. Whereas I split the S9 sides as close as I could to the ends of the middle compartment, I made the T47 parts slightly wider than necessary, so that I could pare them back with the scalpel, to match exactly the correct overall length of the coach side.
     

     
    The type of coach for which I was aiming was diagram S5, of which 24 were built in 1874 - ref: http://www.penrhos.me.uk/Sdiags.shtmlBeing of an earlier design than the S9 (1891 - 1902), there are several differences that are not represented correctly by my simple conversion - the S5 had deeper eaves and a simple arc roof, rather than the later 3-arc elliptical roof. They were originally built on 6-wheel chassis but, since I have previously built this type of chassis, using Brassmasters 'Cleminson' kits, I know how to convert the Ratio kit. For the moment, though, I have completed them as 4-wheel vehicles.
     
    I then started thinking about ways of a achieving a more accurate appearance. Previously I have made laminated coach sides by using my 'Silhouette' cutter. Now, I realised that I could use the 'Ratio' mouldings to provide a firm support and also to create the tumble-home in the lower body. Furthermore, the coach could be built first and the new sides glued on afterwards! This method automatically provides all the lining and lettering, and the outside framing can be added as an additional cut-out layer. For the S9 to S5 conversion, the cut-outs for windows match the locations in the 'Ratio' sides, so I simply skimmed off the surface relief and laid the printed sides over the resulting smooth surface.
     

     
    Now that I compare the results of the two approaches, I am surprised by how obvious the differences are! (and not confined to my less-than-brilliant painting of the 'cut & shut' sides). I think that the relative proportion of the eaves panels and the windows completely changes the 'jizz' of the sides. Adding the 'Silhouette'-printed overlays to the 'Ratio' original has successfully turned back the clock by around 20 years
     

    Stella-class no.3505 heads the Oxford express through North Leigh
    The leading vehicle is a V5, followed by S5, then U29, U4, and S9
     
    Inspired by this visual effect, I am now considering building some earlier types of coach for my layout. It seems that quite elderly coaches persisted on secondary services, long after their 'best before' dates. For example, the Inspectors' report on the severe accident near Oxford in 1874 http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/9435895.Devastating_train_crash_wrecked_Christmas/
    provides full details of the make-up of the train. The train was double-headed by a pair of 'Sir Daniel' class 2-2-2s and there were 15 coaches, all of either 4 or 6 wheel designs. The root cause of the disaster was the breaking of a tyre on one of the wheels of the leading coach. This coach, No.845, had originally been built in 1855, as a second-class coach for the Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway. It had been downgraded to third-class in 1873 by the GWR but was still in regular service on the OW&W main line, between Oxford and Wolverhampton, before being totally destroyed in the accident.
     
    So, a 20-year old coach from the early days of railways was still in regular use in 1874. It is also worth noting that all the other coaches in the train were un-braked except for three 'break vans' that were near the beginning, centre, and end of the train. The number and type of each coach is given in the accident report.
     

     
    Accident reports are very useful sources of detailed information about the make-up of trains in the 19-th century and for tracing the introduction of innovations such as communication cords and continuous brake systems. I shall use this information to guide my choices of coaches for future model-building.
     
    NEXT Post
     
    Mike
     
    Reference: 'Wheels to Disaster', Lewis & Nisbet, Tempus Publishing, 2008
  10. MikeOxon
    A couple of members on the forums have indicated that they would like to know more details of how I create my own transfers for lining and lettering pre-grouping models.
     
    I have already written a little in my earlier post "Cheats Lining & Lettering" and I must also admit that, because I model GWR prototypes, much of what is needed can actually be bought from the trade! I am one of those "scratch-builders" that likes to do things "because I can"
     
    I use a Windows PC, together with Adobe Photoshop Elements (PSE) software, to produce the 'artwork' and print onto white Inkjet Water-Slide Decal Paper from http://www.craftycomputerpaper.co.uk/ , using a Hewlett-Packard Deskjet 6980 printer. Of course, other equipment and materials could be used but these are what I am familiar with and will describe in detail. I use the 'white' decal paper, rather than 'clear', because printers are designed to print on a white background and the inks tend to be too transparent to show up against a dark background. In addition, there is no white ink, so white areas are formed by letting the white background show through.
     
    I shall begin by describing a rather basic operation:- that of creating boiler bands.
     
    To do this, we have to set up the computer and associated printer to work to scale and then use these tools to produce the various coloured lines which, together, make up the band. For GWR locomotives, during the period 1881 - 1906, the standard boiler bands consisted of a 1½" wide black band, flanked by two 1/8" orange-chrome lines.
     
    Since 1/8" is the smallest dimension in the lining that I am designing, I base the settings in PSE around this figure. I feel that a 3 pixel (px) wide line is the minimum for reliable and even printing, so my first calculations assume that 3 pixels will equate to 1/8" in the prototype. Hence, if 1/8" = 3 px then 1" will need 24 px and 1 foot will need 288 px. I model in 4 mm scale (1/76), so these 288 px will be required to represent a distance of 4 mm on the model, or 72 px = 1mm. Hence, I need to set up a new page in PSE to a resolution of 720 px/cm. Click on 'New' and enter the dimensions shown below into the box that appears (I use a rather old version of PSE, so your input box may look different), These dimension will provide 10 cm lengths of lining - adjust the width of the drawing area if you need more or less.
     

    New Page Set-up in PSE
     
    When producing transfers, I aim to surround the patterned areas with the underlying body colour, to make for a smooth transition to adjacent painted areas. Thus, I flood-fill the new page with the basic green colour of the boiler. When I open the 'pre-1928' green from http://www.gwr.org.uk/liverieslococolour.html , the PSE colour picker indicates the colour as R,G,B = (1,46,3), so I fill with this, as the background colour.
     
    Now use the 'Line' tool to draw a horizontal black line, with the width set to 36 px (= 1½") - hold down the 'Shift' key to constrain the tool. 'Simplify' this line, then draw an orange-chrome line of width 3px, close to the first line. For 'orange-chrome', I used R,G,B = (255,128,64). Zoom in to 'Actual Size' and use the 'Move' tool to place the orange line immediately adjacent to the black line. Repeat for the orange line on the opposite side of the band, and then 'Flatten' the image, in the 'Layers' menu. If you want to know more about moving and manipulating layers in PSE, you might like to read my article at http://home.btconnect.com/mike.flemming/layers.htm
     

    Placing line with the 'Move' tool in PSE
     
    If you want more lengths of this lining, select the complete band then copy and paste duplicate versions on your transfer sheet. Use 'Print Preview' to see how the complete transfer will appear on the page and, preferably, move the image towards the top edge of the sheet, so that the rest of the sheet can be used for other images. If you want to save the image for later use, save it as a TIFF file, rather than JPEG, to avoid any artefacts, which will spoil the crisp edges of the lines.
     

    Print Preview screen in PSE
     
    It's now necessary to set up your printer for high-quality printing at maximum dots per inch (DPI). On my HP printer, I select 'Presentation printing' under the 'Printing Shortcuts' tab and 'Maximum dpi' under the 'Paper/Quality' tab. This results in 4800 x 1200 dpi printing. Other printers will have different set-up procedures, so experimentation may be needed to get the best results.
     
    I place a single sheet of decal paper in the feeder tray and, after printing, leave about 15 minutes for the ink to dry thoroughly. I use a guillotine to cut off the printed area - the rest of the sheet can be saved for further use. Next, it is vital to spray or brush the whole surface of the decal with waterproof varnish - I use Humbrol clear gloss, as I find the matt finish gives a slightly 'milky' look and softens the detail. Some printer inks (e.g. Epson) are claimed to be waterproof but I have not tried these and probably wouldn't trust them without varnish!
     
    I cut out the bands individually from the transfer sheet, leaving a green edge to blend with the boiler paintwork, and immerse each one in clean (demin or distilled) water, with a couple of drops of washing-up liquid added as a wetting agent. The decals will curl up at first but should flatten after a minute or so - this can be helped with a paintbrush. I also 'paint' the body of the model with the same water and then use a paintbrush to slide the transfer off the backing paper onto the model, and tamp it down into place with the brush. Job done
     
    Actually, you may find that 'true scale' lining is too 'subtle' in 4 mm scale (or smaller), so I have found that a slightly wider orange line can be desirable. Trial and error may be needed to meet your personal taste. The example shown below is my GWR 'Stella', converted from a Mainline Dean Goods. It was my first attempt and I may have over-done the orange a little, at least for photographic purposes - it looks quite good (to me), in practice.
     

    GWR 'Stella' with 'home-made' Lining and Lettering
     
     
    Next time, I will write about panels, corners,and adding logos, etc.
     
    Mike
  11. MikeOxon
    Since my previous entry, I've been spending some time thinking about possible coaches to model for my North Leigh branch. I have found that information rapidly becomes much more sparse, as one delves earlier into the Victorian period
     
    There's an additional twist, in the case of GWR coaches, in that the early GWR was a broad gauge railway and the earliest narrow (i.e. standard) gauge stock only came into the company as a result of acquisitions. There was a long, depressed period, when the company was in financial difficulty and the writing was clearly on the wall regarding the broad gauge. Very little new stock was built for many years until, eventually, a new carriage works was built at Swindon in 1868 The Lot system for carriages and wagons had been introduced in 1867 and was now revised for the new, more sophisticated designs, starting with Lot 57 for 15 standard gauge six-wheel carriages, finished in May 1872. After that date, the progress of the designs has been well-documented
     
    Before the 1870s, most railway coaches had been built by specialist builders and many of the coaches that were acquired by the GWR had been built originally by the firm of Joseph Wright and Sons, Saltley Works, Birmingham.
     
    I've been doing a little 'armchair research' into this earlier period, with the help of books such as Russell's 'Great Western Coaches', Vol.1 and Slinn's 'Great Western Way'
     
    The earliest railway coaches continued many of the design features found in contemporary road coaches. There were no brakes and the frames were of wood, often with papier-maché panelling. Simple square ends and sides were the norm, which makes these 'box' shapes relatively simple to scratch-build.
     
    To help me decide where to start, I have made 'colourised' images of various early coaches, to show how the styles developed.
     

     
    My first group, of 1st-class coaches, suggests that the 'stage coach' style may have persisted longer for these vehicles. They were painted all-over brown until October 1864, when it was decided that the upper panels should be painted white. This became 'cream' after varnishing. Initially, it seems that the white was applied overall, including mouldings, but later, these were picked out in brown. It seems that several older coaches were 'upgraded', losing features such as luggage racks on the roof and acquiring Mansell wooden wheels, for quieter running. By 1872, the 'familiar' style appeared, which set the pattern for very many years thereafter.
     
    It is with this later, more sophisticated, style that the rounded corners to mouldings, now painted black, and the curved 'tumble-home' to sides and ends became established. Other later design features were the looped grab handles and straight-bar door handles, which replaced the earlier 'ring' handles.
     

     
    From around 1854, almost all the coaches that were built were 1st/2nd-class composites, with a separate luggage compartment. 3rd-class accommodation tended to be provided by 'downgrading' older 2nd-class stock. My series of illustrations shows the gradual evolution of the familiar style.
     

     
    Before the introduction of continuous brakes, 'break' (sic) vans were an important component of all passenger trains. As early as 1844, the Board of Trade had recommended that a break should be attached to every fourth carriage and GWR Rule 54 (1865) stated that "No train is to be started from a station without proper and sufficient breaks, lamps, and guards." The provision of a guard's look-out was an important feature, to enable him to observe the state of his train.
     
    So, I have plenty of food for thought and potential for some fairly simple model-building, especially in view of the simple box structure of the earlier designs. The curved window openings of the 1st class vehicles also offer an attractive feature, which can easily be produced by use of my 'Silhouette' cutter. All that remains is to try and establish some dimensions and start cutting
     
    Mike
     
    Next Post
  12. MikeOxon

    A Distraction - Tilt Wagon

    By MikeOxon,


    general
    In my previous post, I made the self-fulfilling prophesy that I would be distracted by the forum thread on GWR standard gauge 'tilt' wagons, started by drduncan. Initially there was some discussion as to whether the photo shown was, in fact, of a Broad Gauge wagon but the dimensions (especially the height) seemed sufficiently different to indicate that the vehicle under discussion was indeed Standard Gauge.
     
    Something 'clicked' for me and I decided that I had to add one to my stock, so I began to prepare simple drawings by scaling the photograph, using the assumption that the wheelbase was 9' 9", as in the BG versions. The result, produced in Autosketch by tracing over the photograph, looked like this:
     

     
    Because the original was of metal construction, I wanted to do the same with my model but I also decided to try a new way of marking out my 10 thou (0.25 mm) brass sheet, making use of my Silhouette Portrait cutter. Previously, my method has been to cut out sections of drawings on paper and stick these to brass sheet, using a glue pen. I then simply cut out the parts by following the printed lines with jewellers' snips.
     
    This time, I decided to use a diamond scriber in the pen holder of the Silhouette cutter, to mark out the outlines of the components directly onto brass sheet. As well as the outlines, this method also enabled me to scribe details, such as planking and guidelines for attaching surface details.
     

     
     
    In addition, I realised that if I drew the outline of my rectangular brass sheet on a sheet of paper and also added the Silhouette registration marks, then I could scribe both sides of the brass sheet, in registration. To do this, I lightly taped the brass to the paper, aligned with my outline drawing, and then scribed the detail. I then turned the brass over and scribed the other side with the appropriate designs - remembering to flip the Silhouette image to correspond with the way I turned the sheet over.
     

     
     
     

    Scribing Brass Sheet with a Silhouette Cutter
     
    After cutting out the individual components, I assembled the basic shape of the Tilt Wagon, as shown below. I have a set of socket spanners in a wide range of diameters which provide useful 'jigs' for setting the curvature of the end bonnets. I used super-glue to fix the bonnets inside the folded wagon sides and then inserted the curved ends into the bonnets. I prefer using super-glue to solder where there are lots of different small parts to be fitted together, as it avoids earlier joints melting while new ones are being made. Inevitably, some glue extrudes from the sides of the joints and I use a small stainless steel chisel, intended for wax carving, to remove this excess while it is still at a 'cheesy' consistency.
     
    A prominent feature of the prototype is the extensive use of rivets! I decided to 'cheat' and use the rivet strips that are currently available from 'Mainly Trains'. I realise that this means the rivet heads are on a raised 'plinth' but I find that the near-perfect alignment is preferable, at normal viewing distances, to my attempts at embossing even lines! Additional details are the angle-iron stiffeners along the tops of the sides and on the side doors (1mm brass angle), and the wooden cross-bar at the top of the doors (plasticard). I still have to add the rails above the sides and between the tops of the end bonnets.
     

     
     
    There remains the little matter of a chassis! I find that the GWR W-irons from MJT are still listed as "temporarily out of stock", as they have been all year! In addition, I see that 'Mainly Trains' have a notice on their website that "After 35 Years of trading we are beginning the process of winding down." It looks rather ominous for the future supply of many very useful detailing components!
     
    Perhaps I shall have to turn to completely scratch-building the chassis as well....
     
    In the meantime, my 'work in progress' looks like this, making an interesting comparison with a round-ended 3-planker from David Geen.
     

     
     
    Continue to next part
     
    Mike
  13. MikeOxon

    On the Victorian Cat-Walk

    By MikeOxon,


    general
    Having built a Victorian train, I now have to think about providing some passengers. Since I know far less about 19th-century styles of dress than I did about 19th-century railways, when I started, I decided it was time for some reading.
     
    As I pointed out in a previous post, I have found the Internet Archive ( http://archive.org/ ) to be a very useful resource. Old 'out of copyright' books can either be read on-line or downloaded in formats such as PDF. In my current search, I found 'Godey's Lady's Book' for 1880 and 'Dame Fashion- Paris-London (1786-1912)' by Julius M.Price. Both books have copious illustrations so, with the help of these, I am well on the way to becoming an 'instant expert'.
     
     
     
     
     

    Dame Fashion 1889
     
    It has become clear that the late-Victorian period saw great changes in social behaviour. Whereas, to our eyes, it seems to have been as stuffily formal as before, they saw things rather differently. The view from the 1890s was that "The type of the woman of fashion has altered beyond recognition during the past twenty-four years. She has emancipated herself from all the silly narrow mindedness which was the life burden of her grandmother when a girl. Class prejudice still exists, but it is becoming yearly less noticeable."
     
    Two factors are worth mentioning:
     
    1.Before 1887 London fashionable life was the life one led at home but the opening of the Savoy Hotel in 1887 may be said to have commenced a new era when ladies could now go out and mix in wider company.
     
    2. The rage for bicycling, which was the feature of the London season of 1896 and included all the ladies of smart society in England, was epoch-making in the history of feminine fashion.
     
    There was no place for the crinoline of the 1860s in this new world and even the bustle had to give way to practicality.
     

    Dame Fashion 1892-1893
     
    I have some Langley "Vic/Edw. Upper Class figures". As my photo shows, these will need a fair bit of cleaning up but I shall now have to start practising with a small paint-brush. The porter with the trolley seems to have suffered some head injury but not enough to keep him off work 🙂
     

    Langley Vic/Edw 00-scale Figures
     
    Mike
  14. MikeOxon

    Broad-brush Planning

    By MikeOxon,


    General
    One thing leads to another ... back in 2013, I started a blog to cover my growing interest in 19th -century railway models. Since I chose to model the GWR, this inevitably brought me onto a collision course with the Broad Gauge. At first, I thought of this system as something that was only associated with the 'primitive' stage of railway development. It was something of a surprise to realise that broad-gauge trains ran almost until the end of the century: the 'last gasp' being in 1892. As I have already observed in my other blog, the Broad Gauge was a 'different type of railway'.
     
    Although my existing model of North Leigh has a broad-gauge 'history', visible in the wide spacing of the tracks through the station, there is no realistic way in which I could adapt this model. My model is already shoe-horned into too small a space for a 'proper' 00-gauge layout and broad gauge track would be far more demanding, so there is no option but to make a completely new start.
     
    For some time, when looking at carriage designs for potential models on my existing railway, I have found myself having to keep checking whether a photo was actually of a broad-gauge vehicle ... and some of those looked rather interesting!
     

    Assorted Broad Gauge Carriages at Swindon in 1892
     
    So, where to begin?
     
    It happens that my wife's family has a long history of Great Western associations, starting in Reading and then following the line as it spread westwards, through the Forest of Dean towards South Wales. One ancestor was located at Bullo Pill, on the Severn Estuary, when a serious accident happened, about a mile to the south of the station in 1868. There are several photographs of the post-accident scene, one of which shows the derailed locomotive 'Rob Roy' surrounded by railway staff and 'sightseers' on the bank in the background. Perhaps, our family ancestor is among these people.
     

    Aftermath of the Bullo Pill accident, 1868
     
    This scene, taken together with the detailed description of the make-up of the two trains that is contained in the official accident report, provided me with inspiration for a new project. I intend to use the train descriptions as a 'recipe' for models, which I shall build and place within a small diorama based on the location.
     
    The accident site was in a shallow cutting about 150 metres north of Cockshoot Bridge [SO 695086], which now carries a minor road to the village of Awre from the main A48. The railway was the double-track main line to South Wales, via Gloucester,
     


    View North from Cockshoot Bridge, 1951 (Creative Commons Licence)
     
    The above photo shows that the cutting sides look much more overgrown in 1951 than in the 19th century photograph and, of course, the track bed has been changed to standard gauge. Another photo,which I took myself, shows the shape of the arch of Cockshoot Bridge in 2016:
     

    Cockshoot Bridge from the South, 2016
     
    In order to start planning my model, I needed to learn how the original broad-gauge track might have looked. For this, I used the construction details provided in the book 'Great Western Way' and, from these, I made a 4 mm scale drawing of the track bed, as a basis for future construction. This 'paper template', set in context by my old 'K's Milestones' model of a Gooch 'Single' locomotive, is shown below.
     

    Broad Gauge Track Template
     
    This shows how the 'look' of the trackbed is very different from the familiar cross-sleepered track, so I shall place this key feature across the front of my diorama. I have yet to decide exactly how I shall construct the framework of baulks and cross-ties, on which the rails are laid. The first step will be to build a length of straight track, before venturing into how to make a curve!
     
    My diorama will be housed in an open-fronted box, rather along the lines of the APA boxes that are, unfortunately, no longer available from Ikea, so I shall have to construct my own version. I like the idea of building an open frame, with separately attached panels, since this will provide ease of access during construction and also facilitate painting a 'backscene'.
     
    My plan is that the broad-gauge railway will run across the front, backed by the bank seen in the accident photo. At one end, the scene will be 'closed' by the Cockshoot Bridge. I shall have to think about how to provide a 'scenic break' at the other end but I expect that I shall include a few other line-side structures, to add interest.
     
    My initial sketches are shown below.
     

    Plan and Elevations of Proposed Diorama
     
    So, I now have a simple plan of action.
     
    In addition to the plan, I have bought some lengths of 'bridge rail' from the Broad Gauge Society and kits to build a locomotive and a mail carriage. Now, all I have to do is start building
     
    EDIT : new photo of Cockshoot Bridge added
     
    Mike
  15. MikeOxon
    Although popular with several European manufacturers, tender-drive has never been well-regarded in UK, possibly because of some rather poor implementations back in the 20th century. Nevertheless, it does have some advantages, when modelling prototypes from the 19th century. Locomotives of that period were generally quite small, with open cabs, and most passenger classes used single drivers until quite late in the century. These characteristics create two problems for the modeller: there is little space, where a motor can be placed out of sight, and single drivers give poor adhesion.
     
    Some time ago, I found that I could place a Tenshodo SPUD power unit within the front bogie of a Tri-ang Dean Single but, if I were tackling the same problem again, I think I would go for a powered tender, even if a little less elegant as a solution. The disadvantages of a powered tender are the lack of 'daylight' under the body and, in some cases, a rather visible power-train. It is also necessary to provide a high coal load to conceal the motor, though I have several prototype photos to show that this is not as unrealistic as sometimes supposed.
     
    When I converted a Mainline Dean Goods to a representation of a 'Stella' 2-4-0, I initially accepted the rather noisy tender drive motor but then began to explore alternatives. Hornby produce the X9105 drive unit (available from suppliers of Hornby spares), which has a smooth-running, 5-pole motor and a reasonably quiet drive train. It also has the 7' 6" + 7' 6" scale wheelbase, used by many types of GWR tender. My first trial with this unit was to see if one could be fitted into the tender provided with the Dapol (ex-Airfix) 'City of Truro' plastic kit. This approach avoided 'butchering' the Mainline tender, while providing a similar outline from more easily manipulated components.
     

     
     
    Fitting the motor proved quite straight-forward. I had to either cut away or file down several protrusions on the inside of the tender side mouldings and also cut away the 'coal'. The rear part of the top and most of the sides could be retained, with a little filing to increase clearances. I then eased the motor unit into the body from below, with some thin black polythene sheet (cut from a waste-bin liner) to hide the top and provide a base for a 'coal' load. I fitted a miniature computer-style power connector to the front of the tender so that it could be used with different locomotives.
     

     
     
    My first application was to the 'City of Truro' kit, in which I replaced the plastic wheels with Gibson extended-axle drivers. Pick-ups on the locomotive were wired to a matching connector, for coupling to the tender. The result was a smooth and quiet running locomotive
     

     
     
    The Dapol tender is not too bad but does have irritations, such as raised panel mouldings that have to be removed with a scalpel, and it represents a later type, with filled-in side-sheets. I found that a white metal kit of a Dean 3,000 gallon tender, with etched coal rails, is available from Scale Link, so my next step was to try and adapt one of these in the same way. Although I had managed to squeeze the Hornby motor into the Dapol plastic body without modification, the protruding metal 'lugs' were too wide for the Scale Link kit. After carefully wrapping the motor itself in plastic sheet, to protect it from swarf, I skimmed off part of the lugs with a rotary cutter on my mini-drill - do not forget to wear eye protection, as swarf does fly about.
     

     
     
    I stuck strips of electrical tape on the inside surfaces of the white-metal sides to prevent any electrical 'shorts' and then assembled the kit around the motor unit. The end result is quite an attractive coal-rail type tender which, because of the weight of the white metal body, does not need traction tyres to perform well.
     

     
     
    I am now working on plans for some more Dean locomotives, which will be powered by these tenders. I am sure that there are several other tender drive units, with different wheel spacings, which could be used for other prototypes. It would be helpful if suppliers could indicate the wheel spacings or, perhaps, others could contribute a list of suitable modern units, to help in adapting these to different models.
     
    Mike
  16. MikeOxon

    Comparing Armstrong 2-2-2s

    By MikeOxon,


    general
    It's now over two years since I built my first locomotive from scratch, using brass sheet. It's still looking quite good and helped to inspire me to continue with building lots more scratch-built stock. For more information about my model, see 'Railway Modeller', July 2014, "Simply Victorian".
     

    My model of the GWR 'Queen' class
     
    It really was simple to build - basically a brass tube over a brass plate, with a very simple 'chassis' to hold a set of wheels at the right distance apart! As I have commented before, it's really just a wagon that can be pushed along by a motorised tender. I would recommend an early 2-2-2 as a good subject for a first attempt at locomotive scratch-building.
     

    Components of my model
     
    The only real difficulty came as a result of having to make the wheels fit my 'narrow' 00-gauge track, since this meant that I had to make cuts in the sides of the boiler tube so that the wheels could be placed close enough together. That made fitting the splashers, and filling the inevitable gaps, a tricky process.
     
    I've done a lot more reading since then and it is largely fortuitous that my model has a reasonable resemblance to its prototype, as running in the late 19th-century. This came home to me when I started to think about some other engines that have caught my interest.
     
    When I started making earlier types of carriages, I got a lot of information from the report on the accident that occurred just north of Oxford in 1874. That train (a Paddington - Birkenhead express) was headed by two 'Sir Daniel' class engines, which started me thinking about the differences between those engines and my 'Queen' class.
     

    GWR 'Sir Daniel' class
     
    Started in 1866, the 'Sir Daniels' were the first standard-gauge engines to be built at Swindon by Joseph Armstrong, who was faced with the task of overseeing the decline of the broad gauge. On the other hand, the 'Queen / Sir Alexander' class were the last design by Armstrong before his untimely death in 1877.
     
    Both classes remained in service for many years - the last 'Queen' went in 1914, whereas many 'Sir Daniels' had a remarkably extended life, after the rather unusual step of converting them to 0-6-0 goods engines, in which form the last went in 1920!
     
    They were all rebuilt on several occasions, so it is important, when comparing drawings and photographs to consider the period when these were made. By the late 19th-century, photographs indicate that the two classes were looking rather similar so, to bring out the visual differences, I decided to overlay drawings of the two types, as they appeared after re-building by Dean.
     

    Comparison between 'Queen' and 'Sir Daniel'
     
    Both these drawings are shown in Russell's 'Pictorial record of GWR Engines'. I have removed extraneous details and overlaid them, such that the driving wheel centres are aligned.
     
    The front ends of the two classes look very similar, the key difference being that the leading wheels of the 'Sir Daniel' are set 10” further back whereas, at the back, the frames are shorter, with the trailing wheels closer to the drivers. Overall, the 16 foot wheelbase of the 'Sir Daniel' was increased to 17' 6” in the 'Queen' class, the extra length improving stability at high speed. The relative proportions of boiler and firebox also changed, with the Queen having a shorter boiler (by 6”) but a lengthened firebox (increased by 1 foot)
     
    I was quite surprised to see how similar these two engines, with original dates around 10 years apart, had become, after their re-builds. Later, they became even more similar, when the open splashers were filled in and the driving wheel springs on the Sir Daniels were moved below the footplate, like the Queens. Of course, there were numerous detail differences, some of which depended on whether individual engines were re-built at Swindon or Wolverhampton.
     
    In summary, I can see that I could make a model of a 'Sir Daniel' by using exactly the same methods that I used for 'Queen'. At the moment, I feel tempted but concerned that the two would end up looking too similar! If I do tackle a 'Sir Dan', I shall have to choose a prototype with significant differences from my existing model but, if anyone else is thinking of having a go, it should be quite straightforward and I'll be interested to see the result
     

    'Queen' class at North Leigh
     
    Mike
  17. MikeOxon
    I've re-titled this thread, so that it doesn't read as though I'm building a whole fleet of engines - one at a time is enough for me!
     
    My first attempt at scratch building was a 'Queen'-class 2-2-2. I chose it on the grounds of simplicity, since building an uncoupled 2-2-2 is little different from building a wagon. My first step was to draw the constituent parts and then cut these out as a series of paper templates, so that I could check the fit of the parts and explore different assembly techniques, before committing to cutting any metal. I described the approach in more detail in my article 'Simply Victorian', in Railway Modeller, July 2014.
     
    The 'Queen' (or 'Sir Alexander') model did,indeed prove very straightforward to construct,being little more than a cylindrical tube for the boiler over a folded flat plate for a 'chassis'. The cab was a simple folded brass sheet sat on the chassis behind the boiler and the flush firebox and smokebox were 'wrappers' around the boiler.
     

     
     
    It was natural then for me to start No.184 by copying the same methods. Previous posts described how I managed to produce some reasonable line drawings from available photographs. So, as before, I copied segments of these drawings to represent the outside frames and other main component of my proposed model. I then printed these drawings on a sheet of ordinary file paper.
     

     
     
    I cut out the individual components with scissors and a scalpel, and then stuck the parts together, using PVA adhesive. I find that hair grips are an indispensable aid to assembling paper models like this.
     

     
     
    Now that I can visualise the 3D assembly, I can start to explore ideas on how they might fit together in a metal model. It soon became apparent that a model of No.184 will raise a number of difficulties that were not present in 'Queen'. The coupled wheels are an obvious complication but there is also the fact that these wheels intrude into the cab, which means that this can no longer be seen as a completely separate component, simply 'plonked' on the chassis at the end of construction!
     

     
     
    Instead, I shall look at a means of construction where the cab will be integral with the rear-wheel splashers. The compromises associated with the 'narrow' 00-gauge also come into play, since these mean that the intrusion of the wheels into the cab will be much greater than in the prototype. The backhead will need to be modified, to accommodate the narrow wheel spacing.
     
    On my 'Queen' model, the outside axle boxes were all dummies and, from some angles, the large gaps between these and the 00-gauge wheels were all too obvious. The new engine will require extended axles for the coupled drivers and outside cranks so, hopefully, these will hide the discrepancy to some extent.
     
    I've not started to plan the superstructure yet but it is clear that the boiler will be a more complex construction than 'Queen', mainly because of the raised firebox, which will have to be a separate component. Since I am also hoping to include a motor and gearbox in this engine, rather than in the tender, as before, I shall have to think about clearances for housing these components, especially as I want to keep the footplate clear of any further intrusions!
     
    So, I have a lot more templating to do before I can be sure that I have a viable plan - that is a subject for future posts.
     
    I recently bought a book on the OW&WR (Jenkins, OW&WR Through Time, Amberley 2013 ) and, while the title is somewhat misleading, as it is really about the Cotswold Line to Hereford, it contains several photographs appropriate to my area, including an excellent one of a 182-class locomotive (OW&W 21-class), in original condition, at Evesham Station in 1863. This is especially useful, since it shows the back of the tender that I had not seen in other photos.
     
    I have another book in the same series about the Fairford Branch (Jenkins, The Witney & Fairford Branch Through Time, Amberley 2013 ) and this includes useful information about the planned lines around Witney. From this book, I learned that the route via North Leigh (the subject of my own layout) arose as part of a spate of schemes during the 1840s, including the `Oxford, Witney, Cheltenham & Gloucester Independent Railway', which obtained an Act of Parliament for the construction of a `mixed ­ gauge' line. In the parallel universe inhabited by my layout, where all this came to pass, it is now clear that the wide spacing of the tracks through North Leigh station is the result of this broad gauge heritage.
     

     
     
    Mike
     
    Continue to next part
  18. MikeOxon

    Cleminson to the Rescue

    By MikeOxon,

    I am very grateful to member KH1, who alerted me to the 'Cleminson principle', in reply to my earlier blog entry about 'Milk Churns and Syphons'.
     
    In another thread in the forums, http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/6484-cleminson-chassis-drawing/, I read that there was an article in 'The Engineer' of Feb 15th 1878, describing this system. Back volumes of The Engineer can be downloaded free from http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/The_Engineer_%28Bound_Volumes%29 , so I show an illustration from p111 of the relevant issue.
     

     
    There is a kit available from http://www.brassmasters.co.uk/cleminson_underframe.htm but it didn't quite meet my needs, since I wanted to retain the existing outside frames on my model. I thought it would be fairly easy, however, to build something along similar lines so, having some spare brass sheet handy, I sketched out a design to apply to my K's Low Siphon:
     

     
    I printed this sketch to scale, pasted the parts onto my sheet of brass, drilled the necessary holes for axles and pivots, and then cut out the pieces with jewellers' snips. The hatched areas on the drawings were folded up, to make the axle supports and the tabs within which the centre axle mount slides. The linkage pins were made from unfolded paper clips.
     

     
    The various pieces were then attached to the floor of my Syphon, by means of screws through the pivot points:
     

     
    I had some spare Bachmann wheelsets, so I removed the pin-point ends with a cutting wheel and threaded the axles through my, rather crude, axle mounts. After straightening everything up, I found that the vehicle would now traverse my 15" radius curves successfully! Here is a pic of it running through some pointwork.
     

     
    This was very much a 'quick test' form of construction but, having established that the method works, I think I'll have another go, probably using nickel-silver sheet, which should be much more rigid and able to hold everything in good alignment.
     
    I'm very pleased, as this now opens up the possibility of running the ubiquitous six-wheel coaches on my 19th-century micro-layout
     
    Mike
  19. MikeOxon

    On the Narrow Gauge

    By MikeOxon,


    general
    I have mentioned before in this blog that my layout includes an 009 narrow-gauge section. Most of this section does not need changing in order to fit in with my revised 19th-century timeframe but, a long time ago (1980), I built a 'Centre Models' kit of a Leek & Manifold 2-6-4T, of which the prototypes appeared in 1904. Whilst not quite fitting my new era, it is a handsome locomotive that I had never got to run well, so I decided to re-build the chassis. A body kit is still available from Meridian Models
     
    The original kit included a fret of nickel-silver valve gear, which was extremely fiddly to construct and get working. Alas, all my efforts were soon undone by the unsatisfactory white-metal chassis supplied in the kit. This soon warped and, in the process, destroyed the valve gear, which I could not face re-constructing at that time.
     

     
     
    More recently I saw a small 'Roco' engine being sold fairly cheaply, which had working outside gear. I had read that this chassis is not considered to be very reliable in heavy use but, nevertheless, I decided to see if I could use under the L&M body.
     

     
     
    My method is to take photos of the parts I wish to fit together over a sheet of graph paper, as a scale reference. I have the camera fixed on a tripod, so that all the photos are at the same scale. I then overlay the images in a photo-editor (I use 'Photoshop Elements') to check clearances and to see where any parts need to be modified. I find this method of creating a 'visual impression' of how the parts will fit suits me better than trying to make detailed drawings.
     

     
    It was clear that, with a little trimming of the underframe, the 'Roco' chassis could be fitted and give a reasonable impression of the original loco. I even found that there were suitable attachment points for the existing pony wheels and trailing truck. I adapted the motor mount, by fitting a flex grip from a British 13A plug across the side mounting points, and re-wired, omitting the DCC adapter board. (My layout is DC only)
     

     
     
    It all went together surprisingly easily and proved to run very smoothly at nice low speeds. Now, it must join the queue for re-painting, once I have got the hang of my new airbrush. It probably won't find a home on my current layout but I do enjoy watching the outside valve gear working, as in the following animation.
     

     
     
    Mike
  20. MikeOxon

    Broad and Narrow - 2

    By MikeOxon,


    general
    I visited the Swindon Railway Festival yesterday (15th Sep). It's always good to study prototype fittings, such as the sand boxes on the Dean Goods. In model form, these often show a 'draw' from the casting process, so it was useful to be reminded of the shape and details of the original.
     

     
    Dean Goods no.2516 - Sand Box
     
    There was also a sizeable model railway exhibition and I got talking on the Broad Gauge Society stand. I mentioned that I had recently photographed BG and NG models together, and had been struck by how the BG locomotive 'towered over' the other. The person on the stand was rather dismissive of this idea, saying that BG engines were actually quite small and could not have been taller because of loading-gauge restrictions. This prompted me to re-check the dimensions from various books and I made the following diagram, for study purposes, from small sections of two scale drawings. The BG single is from Alan Prior's 19th Century Railway Drawings and the Dean Single is from C.J.Freezer's Locomotives in Outline GWR (both drawn to 4mm/ft scale):
     

     
    Broad and Narrow - Head to Head
     
    The height from rail to chimney top of the BG engine is shown on the drawing as 14' 6", whereas the Dean measures 52mm on the drawing, or 13' at full-size. I feel that my 'towers over' description was pretty apt!
     
    The Swindon Steam museum also houses the North Star replica, which I photographed:
     

     
     
    From the drawing in Russells GW Engines, the original measured an even more impressive 15' 2" (rail level to top of chimney). Engines like these must have made a very strong impression during the first half of the 19th century! For comparison, a 'King' only manages a height of 13' 4 1/2".
     
    Mike
  21. MikeOxon

    Back in Time - 517 class

    By MikeOxon,


    general
    In my very first post in this blog, I mentioned converting an old K's 14xx to a fair representation of a 517 class. Since the 517 was a very variable class, it's impossible to select a 'typical' version - they vary from the earliest tiny saddle tanks, with a short wheelbase, to the final re-builds, which were very similar to Collett's 14xx series. Nevertheless, there were significant differences between even the latest of these engines and the 14xx - most obviously in the cab but also the 14xx has a higher-pitched boiler and longer smokebox. That's why I said a 'fair' representation, since an accurate model would require a complete re-build!
     
    Superimposing drawings of a late 517 and a 14xx, shows both the similarities and differences. In fact, if you 'scale up' the 517 drawing by about 6%, then they become very close indeed, so I comforted myself by thinking that a small difference of scale is hardly noticeable in a model!
     

     
    The K's model is a simple white-metal body casting, which includes plates below the footplate, to carry dummy outside-bearings for the trailing wheels. As I wanted an inside-bearing model, it was simply a matter of removing these parts. The next 'removal' was more difficult, since the front toolboxes on the 14xx model are cast integrally with the front splashers. It needed careful work with a saw to separate these without damaging other parts of the model. Cutting away the cab was relatively simple, leading to the stage shown below.
     

     
    I then made a new spectacle plate from styrene sheet and rear extensions to the tops of the side tanks, in the same way. I cut out part of the original cab sides and fixed them to the new tank tops and spectacle plates with superglue. A new cabroof completed the model -a pretty quick and easy conversion.
     

    Since the original model had a Belpaire firebox, I needed to find a prototype 517 with both this type of firebox and inside-bearings on the trailing wheels. Fortunately, Russell's 'GW locomotives' contains a photo of No. 835 with these key features, so I numbered mine accordingly. With modeller's licence, I decided I also wanted smokebox 'wing plates', since these are a nice 'Victorian' feature and also disguised the drum-type smokebox. To shape these, I took a head-on photo of my model and then scaled and printed this as a template for cutting out styrene sheet.
     

     
    I also needed new sand boxes so, as I have mentioned in another forum, I made these out of the ends of a couple of nylon cable-ties:
     

     
    As I pointed out at the outset, there are plenty of detail errors but I think No.835 takes its place very well alongside my 'Stella' conversion.
     

     
    Mike
     
    addendum - since writing this post, I have started a thread covering the variations within the '517 class' at http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/92797-george-armstrongs-masterpiece/&do=findComment&comment=1668654
  22. MikeOxon
    Much of what we now accept as standard railway practice was actually developed towards the end of the 19th century, so that it is easy to forget that there was a long period of evolution, before the 'norms' with which we are so familiar became established. Whereas we have plenty of photographs to guide our perceptions of the later years of the century, our 'picture' of the earlier years remains much hazier, so it is easy to lose sight of the many major changes that occurred.
     
    For example, my modelling of some early coaches demonstrated to me how it was not until the 1870s that the design of railway coaches began to shake free of their stage coach roots. There was a dramatic change in both the scale and the construction methods of railway vehicles in the latter half of the century. Two of my (unfinished) standard-gauge models illustrate the point. On the left is an early 2nd-class coach, probably built during the 1850s, while on the right is the type of coach that was built in the new carriage shop at Swindon, to diagram S5 in 1875
     
    .
     
    Now that I have started looking at the Broad Gauge era of the GWR, linked to a specific event in November 1868 - the accident near Bullo Pill - I have started to look more closely at developments around that period. Research is an endless task and it is easy to become overwhelmed by all the facts that start to emerge, as one digs more deeply, but one has to start somewhere so, here is a look at the state of GWR rolling stock in 1868.
     
    The photographs of the accident at Bullo Pill clearly show the telegraph wires running alongside the railway. It seems almost inconceivable from our standpoint that these wires were not used to control the movements of trains. Responsibility for the running of the trains rested almost entirely on the driver, just as it had rested with coachmen in earlier times. In 1868, an express train could be running at 50 mph or more, with virtually no knowledge as to whether the line ahead was clear. According to the accident report: "The rules of the company require the signalmen to warn the driver of a passenger train when there is, after dark, a goods, cattle, or mineral train, less than 20 minutes in front of such passenger train." Since the interval at Lydney was 22 minutes, no warning had been given.
     

     
    In addition, the express train had no means of stopping quickly, if something untoward occurred, because there were no continuous brakes in 1868 and only a few carriages (including the Mail Coach) had hand-wheel brakes, operated by a Guard, who could respond to a whistle signal from the engine. Sanders' Automatic Vacuum Brake was trialled on a standard gauge GWR train in 1876 and only adopted more generally in 1878, long after my chosen period
     
    Early carriage brakes were often of the 'clasp' type, with large wooden shoes acting on the rims of the wheels. A typical arrangement, taken from a drawing of an early brake van, is shown below. The layout of the various levers varied but the principle remained the same.
     

    What does all this mean for the design of my model of a Broad Gauge Mail Coach, which was one of the three coaches on that ill-fated mail train? It turns out that my model will be rather different from my initial pre-conceived ideas, which were formed largely on impressions given by later re-builds of such vehicles. Much of the information in the following paragraphs is taken from MacDermot's 'History of the GWR', Vol.2.
     
    We all 'know', of course, that GWR coaches were painted 'chocolate and cream'. Except that they weren't!  GWR coaches were painted brown all over until some time after October 1864, when the Directors decreed that the tops of the carriages should be painted white. The cream appearance only developed as several coats of varnish were applied. Furthermore, the Broad Gauge had already been in decline for many years by then, with no new carriage stock having appeared since 1863, and the existing stock steadily became increasingly shabby and dilapidated.
     
    Although the Broad Gauge 'hung on' in the West Country until 1892, a major conversion had already occurred, much earlier. In May 1872 all the South Wales lines (plus other lines West of Gloucester) were converted to standard gauge. With this major upheaval already pending in November 1868, it seems very unlikely that much attention would have been given to updating any of the Broad Gauge stock running in that area, at that time.
     
    So, the colour and the brakes of my model should be more appropriate to a date in the 1850s, when these coaches were built, than to 1868. What other details might differ from my expectations?
     
    Early coaches were built with iron spoked wheels. These wheels were still fitted to almost all Broad Gauge coaches and vans as late as 1874, although Mansell wooden-centred wheels had been tried as early as 1866 and adopted for all new stock in 1868. My coach, therefore, requires spoked wheels.
     
    The long wooden foot-boards, widely associated with GWR coaches, were only introduced in 1876, so my coach should have a small iron step at each doorway, just like those fitted on stage coaches in earlier times.
     
    Less surprisingly, the axle boxes should be of the grease pattern, as oil boxes were a much later innovation, dating from 1886. Gas lighting had arrived a little earlier, in 1882, but, as with most such changes, it was many years before they were fitted in all stock. (I believe some oil lamps were still around in the 1930s)
     
    Even the 'communication cord', initially slung along the eaves of the coaches, was only introduced on the Broad Gauge in 1869, after initially running only from the leading Guard's van to the tender. Throughout the 1860s, luggage rails were fitted to the roofs of many Broad Gauge coaches but it is not clear whether this applied to the Mail Coaches. One photograph (P.W.Pilcher, 1885) suggests that luggage may have been carried on the lower section of the roof.
     

     
     
    With all this additional information, I am relieved that I have not yet started building the under-frame of my Mail Coach. I could easily have added many later details, without realising, and bought completely the wrong type of wheels. Some aspects will now be simpler, since I have already encountered the difficulties of modelling later brake gear, with all its rods and safety straps to prevent bits falling onto the track!
     

    sketch of planned model
     
    Mike
     
    Link to Part 4
     
    As an annexe to this post, I have placed the various dates mentioned above on a 'timeline', to help visualise when the various innovations were made.
     

     
  23. MikeOxon

    Broad Gauge Mail Coach - part 1

    By MikeOxon,


    General
    In my first post in this blog, I explained that the inspiration behind my exploration of the Broad Gauge was the discovery, when researching family history, that during the 1860s, my wife's great-grandfather worked for the GWR on the South Wales line at Bullo Pill.
     
    During his time there, there was a serious accident in 1868, south of the station, when the 5 pm fast Mail train from New Milford ran into the back of a special cattle train, making its way laboriously from Carmarthen to Gloucester.
     

    Bullo Pill Accident – 5th November 1868
     
    The Accident Report provides details of the two trains involved and I decided to use this information as a basis for my start in Broad Gauge modelling. The Mail train was headed by the large 4-4-0 locomotive 'Rob Roy', of the 'Waverley' class, with three passenger carriages, and a luggage van. The leading carriage had a break (sic) compartment in it, in which rode a guard; and the third carriage, which was a mail carriage as well as a break carriage and passenger carriage, also carried a guard.
     
    I was quite surprised to learn from MacDermot's 'History of the Great Western Railway' that, in 1855, the GWR introduced the first Postal Train in the world and then, in 1866, apparatus to allow mails to be picked up and delivered without stopping was installed at Slough and Maidenhead. A number of carriages were altered to meet Post Office requirements; the modifications included an increased ceiling height, wide access doorway, PO designed delivery arms, and net apparatus. It is also recorded that three Second Class Mail Carriages with Net apparatus (Nos. 20 86 & 87), fitted with one delivery arm, were assigned to work the South Wales line.
     
    As I was considering these facts, the Broad Gauge Society (BGS) announced that they were introducing a model of a GWR Mail Coach, initially in 7mm scale and then in 4mm. I immediately placed an order for one of the first of the 4mm models and, while the brass etchings were soon available, the cast parts took longer to arrive.
     
    In the meantime, my wife and I had planned a long holiday in New Zealand, so my modelling activities have been 'on hold' for some time. At last, the time has come when I can once again set up my work table and start working on the Mail Coach kit.
     
    The major components of the coach are contained on two etched-brass frets. The instructions, which are based on the construction of a 7mm scale model, seem clear, although they assume reasonable knowledge of etched-brass kit construction. I was a little apprehensive that a 'scaled' kit might have some problems, such as in the fit of various tabs, but, initially, the sides have gone together very well.
     

     
     
    The first step, according to the instructions, is to build the two sides. There are tabs running along the tops of the sides and these need to be folded over, to provide additional strength. I find it best to place a steel rule along the back of the side, with its edge aligned with the fold line. I then press the tabs against a hard surface and rotate the sides upwards, holding the rule firmly against the fold line. This pressure causes the tabs to move quite easily into the right-angle position, from where they can then be pushed over, by hand, to lie flush against the inner sides. The next step is to form the 'tumble-home' on the lower sides.
     

     
     
    The 'tumble-home' needs to be a smooth curve so, to achieve this, I first marked a line along the back of each side, to indicate the top of the curved section. I then used my fingers to roll the lower sides gently around the cylindrical body of a ball-point pen. I found that by working along the length of a side with my thumbs, it was possible to achieve a smooth curve, since the grade of brass used for the frets seem quite 'soft' and pliable.
     
    Two more folds are required, to form the sides of the inset doorway, on one side of the coach. These folded sides carry tabs, which fitted readily into slots etched into the door itself. The lower edges of the folded sides are curved to match the 'tumble-home' of the coach body. Making these folds is more difficult than the tabs along the top since, after making the tumble-home, the sides are no longer flat. I used the end of my steel rule, laid along the length of the coach, as a jig to make these folds.
     

     
     
    The drop-lights have to be be fitted to the insides of the window openings. I found that this was a tricky procedure, since there are no alignment marks on the inside and it is hard to hold the drop-lights in the correct positions, which need to be viewed from the outside, while fixing them on the inside. In the end, I decided to tack them in place with a small dot of super-glue before turning the sides over for soldering. I used 60/40 solder with phosphoric acid flux.
     

     
     
    At this point, the instructions start to describe assembling the body. I always 'read ahead' a little, to help understand the processes and to foresee potential pitfalls. In this case, it proved valuable since, after assembling the body, the instructions move on to fit the hinges from the inside. This might be reasonable in 7mm scale but space is very limited for this sort of assembly, inside a 4mm scale body.
     
    There are several 'hinges' provided on the fret but, even with the sides laid flat and fully accessible, I soon realised that fitting these was going to be the proverbial PITA. They may have been a reasonable size in 7mm scale but, even using my finest tweezers and a good magnifier, they were, to put it mildly, 'difficult' in 4 mm. I tried soldering one but when I looked again the 'hinge' had disappeared. I next tried a dot of super-glue but alignment was still a great problem and I lost another one! (eventually, these all turned up – two stuck to the Q-tip I had used to apply flux and one to the nozzle of the super-glue bottle)
     

     
     
    The instructions suggest “you may prefer to replace the etched ones with 2mm wide pieces ...” - yes, indeed, although this translates to 1mm at my scale.
     
    I've decided to take a break at this point to think about the best way forward
     
    Regarding the prototypes, they seem to have been rather shy of photographers, although one can just be seen (note the stepped roof), next to the engine, in the 1880s photo of a train at Ivybridge, which appears in 'Great Western Way' (1st edition, p.6) There is also an excellent article in the BGS Journal 'Broadsheet' No.75 (Spring 2016).
     
    Mike
     
    Link to Part 2
  24. MikeOxon
    My small layout includes a building representing a creamery, so I have been considering the traffic needed to serve this facility. I remembered that I had an old K's plastic kit of a six-wheel low Siphon, which had been put on one side as it had no chance of negotiating my small-radius curves.
     

     
    Looking at this model again (30 years after building it!), I think it is an attractive vehicle, representing the earlier low-roof Siphon, with only two doors each side. I intend to change the roof to an earlier single-arc design and apply an earlier style of lettering but the main problem is how to get it to stay on the track!
     
    I laid the vehicle and a section of curved track on my scanner, and the image shows the magnitude of the problem rather well.
     

     
    Looking at this image makes me realise how remarkable it was that manufacturers, like Hornby Dublo, made large Pacific locomotives negotiate such track reliably! It also increased my admiration for those fine-scale modellers who manage to make true-scale models stay on the track at all.
     
    I remembered that I had tried both removing the centre wheel flanges and also using a 'floating' axle on a centre support, both without success. The Mansell wheels that I had fitted had rather fine flanges, so I replaced these wheels with coarser Bachmann coach wheels and found that, as a four-wheeler, it would now navigate my curves successfully.
     
    I 'd be interested to hear from any one who has suggestions for any alternative ways of tackling this problem (apart from the obvious "use larger-radius curves"
     
    I've also been exploring the 'GWR wagon red' subject and happened to have some Farrow & Ball 'Rectory Red' paint left over from house decorations. According to their catalogue "Vermilion red was often made cheaper by the addition of red lead which blackens with age, so changing the colour to Rectory Red". This sounded quite a likely description for the make-up of GWR wagon red, so I tried it on one of my 3-plankers:
     

     
    I think this matches the 'light red' given in several descriptions, rather well and also has the potential for being 'weathered' to a much darker colour.
     
    Mike
  25. MikeOxon
    Following my initial trials with the Silhouette Portrait (described in previous blog posts), I began to think about pre-printing the sides, so that no painting would be needed at all! The Silhouette machines have the important provision to align the cutter with a printed image, which makes this possible.
     
    Just after I had been exploring this, JCL posted another excellent tutorial in the Silhouette Forum at http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/79025-a-guide-to-using-the-silhouette-cameo-cutter/?p=1298181 but, since I have adopted a complementary approach, I think it is worth posting my method as well.
     
    JCL started from an image and placed the cut-lines onto it, whereas I already had a vector drawing, made with AutoSketch, and wanted to add colour to it. Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, the basic Studio software does not facilitate printing the cut pattern to an ordinary printer (EDIT - see footnote). One possibility would be to draw with a pen (using the Silhouette pen holder) and then scan the drawing into Photoshop. I found, however, that I could transfer the image directly, by using the 'Print Screen' command in Windows. Providing you have a reasonably high screen resolution (mine is 1680x1050) and you zoom into the drawing so that it fills as much of the screen as possible, then you can get a reasonable image by importing the screen-grab into Photoshop, with the 'New from Clipboard' command. I used the 'Sharpen Edges' command, to make the image crisper, and the 'Levels' control, to improve the contrast between the cut lines and the background.
     
    I believe that 'Inkscape' has provision to export a drawing directly as a bitmap, so this could also transfer a drawing to Photoshop. I use an old version of AutoSketch, which does not have this facility, but I do have a very handy free program called 'PDF Creator' (from http://www.pdfforge.org/pdfcreator ). This utility installs as a printer driver, which then allows almost any document to be 'printed' to a PDF file. Once the image is in PDF format, by whichever method, it can be opened in Photoshop and edited there, as indicated below:
     

     
    Once in Photoshop, the various layers of a cutting diagram can be coloured as appropriate and the final image saved as a TIFF file, which can then be opened in Silhouette Studio. Open the TIFF image in Studio, copy it and paste it into the cutting diagram. Use the 'Arrangement' command to sent the TIFF image to the back and then re-size and align the image with the cutting marks as accurately as possible on the screen (use a magnified image and make sure that 'Snap to Grid' is 'off'). Once you are content with the alignment, turn 'on' the Registration Marks in Studio and Print the image on your colour printer (in my case an HP Deskjet 6980), using the highest print-quality settings and good quality heavy-weight paper, which will form your model. The print-out will include the alignment marks, which will be read by the Silhouette cutter.
     
    Attach the print-out to the cutting mat, make sure that 'Alignment Marks' are still turned on, and start cutting the image. The cutter will first seek out the alignment marks and should respond with a screen message that they have been found. The cuts will then be made in the appropriate places on your image.
     
    I tried all this and it worked very well, so I became more ambitious! I had already coloured an old photograph of my chosen U29 carriage, so decided to see if I could import this into Photoshop and incorporate it into my cutting diagram. My method was to open both the real coach photo and the cutting diagram, alongside each other in Photoshop. I adjusted the photo of the coach side to be roughly the same size as the cutting diagram as shown below:
     
    [
     
    Then I selected the cutting diagram and pasted it over the photograph. Make a duplicate of the background ('Layers' menu), so that the image can be moved and re-sized. Next, reduce the opacity of the top image to about 40%, so that the photo shows through, select the photo layer and adjust both its size and position for an exact fit. Re-set the top layer opacity to 100% and select the areas where you want the photo to show through, then use the 'Cut' command (Edit menu). There's more about manipulating layers in this way on my website at http://home.btconnect.com/mike.flemming/layers.htm
     

     
    I superimposed this image on the cutting diagram in Silhouette Studio, as described above, and cut out the layers to produce the 4mm-scale coach side shown below.
     

     
    This is just a test assembly (and not firmly stuck together) but the alignment seems to be very good and I find it satisfying to think that this model shows all the scratches and wear patterns that were on the original coach, on the day it was photographed in the 19th century!
     
    Mike
     
    Next Post
     
    Footnote (added Aug 2014) thanks to a post by JCL, I now know that it is possible to print a cutting diagram from the Silhouette software. See http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/79025-a-guide-to-using-the-silhouette-cameo-cutter/?p=1542453
    "To print out the outline of your objects, you need to select all of the objects you need to print, then click on the "Open the Line Style Window" button (to the left of the "A" and tick the "Print Lines of Selected Shapes" box."
×
×
  • Create New...