richard i

the wagon works have been in full swing.

First up a D13 done as an insulated van.

i am pleased how the spot has come out. It was a piece of masking tape placed on paper, hole punched and the chad retrieved from the hole punch. then stuck on the side before over spraying in grey.

ssshhhhh.... the brake gar appears to be different but then if i dont tell you then you wont notice.

The next wagon is progressing therough the works. It is a Mousa Models kit. the packet said it was a D16van, but the etch says it is a D14 and it clearly does not have the outside bracing of a D16. A surprise but then i will have to re order to get the D16. The kits go together so well i would recommend them to all.

The only other unbuilt one i have is a D17 and that has just entered the works so i will need to get more.

Good thing a birthday is coming up.

The loading dock is cut out and is awaiting filler and plastic sides.

i shall do that once i return from the UK where i intend to get more plastic cement as the stuff over here seems so savage it melts the two components rather than just the seam.

Will all three wagons be finished before i fly?

Richard

I think the side lamps should theoretically have both a red light, to the back, and a white light to the front. When a train was in a loop, or siding, the lamp nearest the running line would be turned from red to white, so that express drivers approaching from the rear would not have a heart attack.

 

This is pretty much impossible to reproduce even in 7mm scale, but it wouldn't surprise me to learn that someone has done it, in these days of DCC and other complicated stuff well beyond my simple ken.

 

At least one batch of these appears to have had vermilion ends. At least I have seen a photo where the end, and corner timbers, are a distinctly different shade to the body. However although this was common practice on certain other railways, I have never seen a written source for the GC, so it should be adopted at risk.

The next one might have to have the vermilion ends for a bit of a change. As for the lamps, changing lenses is beyond me.....the colour of the lamp i could change.

Richard

While you had the grey out did you re-visit the warflat?

 

Nice looking van BTW, The guard is by whom?

 

Andy G

no warflat will be brush painted as i like the wood too much to risk lifting it with masking tape, as for the figure i can't be totally sure, he was in my people box, he was white metal so i think he wasa dart casting. They certainly do a great guard pose, but i used him in another brakevan and i could not have all my guards identically posed. For that matter i can not have all guards out so one willbe built with the guard in the cabin, maybe with the door open. .....that means modelling the interior too.

a layout with a lot of retaining walls, i think i know of another one like that, not a million miles from here.

Also do not worry about the time frame, i am 7 yrs into a 10 to 15 yr build.

it takes longer from scratch, but it makes it different from the rtp offerings that duplicate each other out there.

Richard

And the silence is broken. Due to needing to paint and transfer the model and little spare time to do so as it is coming to the end of the year here.

Here it is finished and ready to take its place in the fleet.

I tried to have the guard looking at something on the brakevan, or just watching the ballast go by.

The side lamps are cut down Hornby ones. some pictures suggest they should be black/red?

the steps end.

what next? i ought to do the woodwork for the loading dock.

Richard

that is coming along nicely.

Progress has happened on the behind the scenes siding. Unlike Granthams mine does not have a fancy traverser for removing wagons.

yes i know the retaining wall is wonky, the wood underneath shrank as the air is so much dryer here than in the UK

Just like the atmosphere of this next picture even without any trains in it.

The crane has been bedded in.

And the real reason for slow reporting. Now i have a beefy US soldering iron i can brass model again.

A GCR brake van from Mr Bedford's Mousa models range. Goes together well and he has great back up service as i had a question about the build which he replied to quickly. I could not ask for more from a kit supplier.

(therefore any mistakes with the build are all my responsibility)

Now for the painting, the fitting of wooden floors and a guard.

Richard

p.s. ignore the small dragon, it is my father in laws contribution to modelling i think he thinks the old country has dragons because that is how it is portrayed by Hollywood. Where as we all know that is not true........except in Wales.

Continuing the signalling theme, I've been adding the rodding on Heyside put in the cranks to take the run under the branch. Since this photo, I've been adding the facing point lock. I did take a later shot, but shaky hands and a cameraphone didn't work..

I feel your pain, having to lay all the point rodding on my layout.

In plan 1 you could keep the line going from cardington st to the bridge over the railway, that would straigthen up your baseboard edge and make it easier to build.

Several projects are being run concurantly.

The dock i feel needs extending and turning around to make it fit better into the scene.

The crane is moving and getting a base as all seem to in prototype photos.

Before

and after shots.

The ballasting is done

and now a loook down the layout from the station end. Still have the goods yard to finish.

The hidden branch is getting a back board, it will stop derailing trains jumping off the baseboard and as it will be done as a retaining wall it will harmonise with the front for those who look through the gap.

And i have started work on a brass kit for the first time since moving as i have invested in a USA compatable soldering iron.

More when it is finished.

Richard

If you really want to build on your own, build in the states - you have little choice. A lot needs scratch building as small items would take several weeks to get here and postage costs are high, so it is easier and faster to make your own. I have actually enjoyed the liberation of self building since moving Dettingen layout to the states.

Hi Richard

 

Where is the end loading dock? Gotta 'ave some means of getting that 'orse cart on the OCT.

It comes off sideways.

That is why the sides come down as not everywhere had an end loading dock. Have a great picture of a GCR OCT being loaded with gun and limber from the side 11th August 1914 on the Warrickshire railways website. (looks like i will be building another one then! I really should cast a master then.

On my trawl around i did see some that were earth with a face on the track side as if the original builders had shifted all the dirt from leveling the site and deliberately put it to create the height differential. It would also break up the flat earth look of the last 6 feet. Though a new facia piece would be needed. It would have to come back down at the bridge end.

I have mocked up a mk2, sorry the photo is slightly blurry, it protrays the idea though.

Thank you for the comments, all your concerns had to some degree been bugging me too. By widening it i have been able to increase the length of platform without increasing the overall length. I could make the ramp shallower, what is the norm? 1:10? 1:20

I did not envisage it as a cattle dock because of its semi-urban setting, but then there might have been a slaughter house near by. It was more for getting things out of vans, Fish in that instance or cars off OCTs, the edge being used for transshipment to cart or lorry.

I had also thought about a low relief warehouse, but at the front. Would it really work? i am not convinced as of yet.

Richard

Nice to see progress, the ballasting does add a lot to the scene. I think maybe the loading dock looks a little narrow?

Yes i had been thinking that, its length is set at three wagons long which in my view it needs to be, so it is only the width that can change. Half again or double?

It has been a little quiet on the posting front. However, ballasting does not lend itself to works in progress shots.

It has certainly tidied up the station throat

and goes through off scene, which will be tied up with its own retaining wall/ sky

An allows interesting shots down the branch.

I am starting to play around with a cardboard prototype of the possible loading dock. This allows, fish , milk, and cars to be dropped off. I have not found a GC one to copy other than Calverts wodern affair which would be too flimsy for cars and has no ramp.

Too big? Too small? Too thin? there at all? All ideas welcome

Richard

This is some superb modeling, I will certainly steel some ideas for building all the GCR coaches that I need.

thank you Clive and Andy,

light battleship grey it is. though over here i will have to buy light battleship gray.

First tanks, another Mortimore claim to fame. Maybe i will have todo up a mark I in his colours and markings.

Richard

Hi Richard

 

I think you will find the warflats on both sides of the channel were painted the same colours. In fact they may even be the same wagons. Once loaded with new tanks, guns etc. they would be ferried across to the continent with the same load on board. On the return journey they would carry damaged and broken equipment that could not be repaired in France.

so grey it is then, so back into the paint shop, pity i liked the green. Now lets hope i get the right grey.

Smurfing around the interweb I've landed at http://www.wdlr.org.uk/wdlr/blog/ it would appear that they are painting their WW1 light railway wagons in lead grey, even though their trench locos are in karki.

 

I wouldn't have thought there would be any difference been gauges..

 

WD models also suggest battleship grey for their light railway vehicles and do WD transfers for them here: http://www.wdmodels.com/page10.htm

 

Andy G

This is an expensive post. What a great link for WW1 kit. The lorries and wagons would look great in the streets after decommisioning and reused by local hauliers. Also the guns and accessories would make nice wagon loads. It also does lean the colour towards light grey for the warflats. However, were they painted a different colour if used in the UK rather than France/Belgium. Any view on if there was one colour or not?

thanks for your advice and time.

Richard

Amazing thread, I don't know why I haven't stumbled across it before.

 

One question though, would the warflat have been in olive green? It just doesn't look right, looking more ww2 than ww1. I would have expected it to be in lead grey...

 

Thanks for sharing your layout

 

Andy G

thank you for the kind words,

i am more than happy to take advice on that one and put it back into works. Prior to this the concensus was no one was sure and only black and white photos exist, but if it can be confirmed one colour or another i will happily repaint the wagon. Do you have a source for the grey colour? Do you know what markings it would have? Most photos are of ROD warflats in France so even that from what i have found has left uncertainty. A lot of military modellers of the western front seem to be painting them black for French livery - i can't remember why i discounted that now.

Any thing that helps historical accuracy please let mw know

Richard

Buffers.

It should be possible to place a layout without any trains being on it. The buffers were not letting me do this

Don't get me wrong, they worked fine as a quick fix for the Wolverhampton show in 2013 but they are the standard peco product, good in its self but it is not GCR.

The differences can be seen in the support width and the front and rear rails are cast as seperate items.

The buffers fitted in place and then with stock posed with it. Iknow it is RTR, it will enter the works and be brought up to spec.

Also found time to ballast another two feet,

only another 12 feet to do. it is restful to do, however, i need to be in the mood to do it and i have to have a 2 hour stretch to do it. Something that is a rare occurance with kids.

Richard

At an exhibition a few years ago I bought some very fine chain at "Rural Railways" stand. It is astonishing just what they have tucked away under the counter, just because they have such a range they couldn't possibly put it all out on show.

 

On enquiring about fine chain, a couple of boxes containing many packets of different sized chain were produced and the one I got was very fine indeed!

 

As for the brakes, there is very little information about exactly when the OCTs were changed but the LH facing lever is quite correct for "as built".

 

There are some photos of wagons with LH facing brake levers in LNER livery in "Tatlow" so not everthing had been altered by 1923.

 

Tony

Yes when i lived in the Uk i too used Rural railways an enjoyed the rabbit from a hat way they can pull supplies from under the counter. Good to get confirmation of the brake gear. Thanks for the feedback

Richard

 

I remain completely in awe of the amount of progress you have made and the quality of the work.

I nominally have nothing to do and cannot begin to match your progress.  I always enjoy the next set of photos.

 

Andy

many thanks, it is amazing how having three small kids focusses the mind on intense hobbying as stress relief when you can get to it. Plus with little kids you go out less so counter intuatively you end up with more evening to model.

I'm guessing you got one of the Tatlow books huh?

yes, it has some decent diagrams even if the longer stock needs to be mirror printed on the photocopier at work and then spliced together.

Loving the wagon builds Richard. Very good work on the rivets.

Load shackles here by Roxey Moldings. There's some great detail stuff on their accessories page!

Roco mini tanks market some bendy chain, it's not the best detail but works really well. I dip it in some metal black first.

 

Regards Shaun  

Thanks for the kind comment about the wagons, it is actually quite theraputic building them from scratch, though i did start doing it out of necessity.

Also thanks for the heads up on the roxey products, they do appear useful.

Richard