magmouse

Photos showing pantechnicons loaded on wagons don’t seem to be all that common. The ones I have seen show them loaded on agricultural implement wagons, rather than well wagons (crocodiles, hydras and loriets, in GWR-speak). So, for example, the photo here: And the glorious picture at the top of this page: http://phils-pba-hstry.com/archer-cowley--co/archer-cowley--co-photo/archer-cowley--co-history/acco-containers-on-railway.html As well of course as the LSWR example you posted, Mikkel. I suspect most 4-wheel well wagons would be too short for a Pantechnicon, and you can’t end-load onto a Crocodile or similar. Nick.

How easy it is probably depends on the hosting company’s system. I would suggest having a look at the available settings and seeing if it is obvious (or there is an article in the support documentation). Otherwise, raise a help ticket. Hopefully it is straightforward, as it is a common thing to want to do. Nick.

I have one of those in the kit stash, with a Scorpio diagram G8 GWR implement truck to carry it. Your experience is a useful reminder to check the loading gauge clearances carefully. Nick.

No problem - if it's possible, it might be worth getting the URL with the www pointed at the site. At the moment, it points to a minimal page that just says "It works!". Then people like me who have polluted their browser history with erroneous URLs would still find your amazing resource. Nick.

I realised that my problem was caused by having incorrect URLs in the browser history, which the browser would then use as the basis to auto-complete the URL I was typing. It seems some browsers with auto-correct the URL to what it thinks is right, even if you have specifically typed something else - another one of those behaviour which is mostly very handy, but occasionally trips you up. I have now deleted all the incorrect entries on my browser histories, so normal service is restored! I don't think it is the browsers as such - URLs with and without the "www" point to different places and will result in the browser fetching different content, as we have just seen. However, in many cases there is some 'behind the scenes' work by the hosting provider so that "www.mysite.com" and "mysite.com" point to the same thing. As you say, the distinction of with and without "www" is getting blurred, and will possibly go away in the end. Nick.

I think I have solved it - as well as using "https://" (secure address - note the 's') you also need to not have "www", so: https://gwrcoaches.org.uk Nick.

This may be browser-dependent. I have just tried using Chrome, and it works. in Safari, it still fails, as described above. I am on a Mac, with latest versions of the browsers and operating system. On my iPad, it fails in both Safari and Chrome. I suspect some kind of security issue, such as the certificate, which different browsers are more or less fussy about. See my post above - it still fails, although differently. Nick.

I get the same, or, if I go to the same URL but with https at the front, a message saying “it works!”. It has been like that, intermittently, for a while. Hopefully it gets fixed, as the site is the most wonderful resource. Nick.

I like this very much - especially (as with your other schemes) the use of strong diagonals to create visual interest. One thought - can you extend the Engineering Out building so you can fit a wagon into it? The more wagons can seem to arrive at purposeful destinations on the layout, the more satisfying shunting will be, I suspect. Even a ‘lean to’ extension or covered area would do it. Nick.

I had to look up that flag code, but now I have…. Cripes! Looking forward to seeing the ship model, assuming it’s acquisition comes off. Nick.

Well, if you thought the matter of red/grey wagon livery was a mystery wrapped up in an enigma, the question of which wagons received cast plates and when is far worse... Having said that, I don't recall seeing a picture of a digram V5 (which I think your model is of) in original condition, so I don't think you need worry too much. Shouldn't it have central ventilation bonnets, though? Nick. [Cue torrent of photos of V5s with cast plates...]

Great news about your improving health, Annie. I’m looking forward to seeing the ongoing work on Minehead, but please don’t forget about Tristyn - the winter scene is so atmospheric. The two layouts make a nice contrast. And thanks for all the cheer-up pictures - always cheering and often inspirational! Nick.

Thanks, Chris - that's very useful. Having said that, care is needed as signwriting styles are not the same as print fonts, but there is presumably some correlation as styles change over time. Nick.

Very lovely work, as always, Mikkel, and a delightful continuation of your 'narrative' approach to modelling. I am looking forward to seeing what stories and characters we may encounter when Bailey's pantechnicon arrives in the good yard at Farthing. For anyone considering loading a pantechnicon on a wagon, as in Penlan's example posted by @jwealleans, it is worth noting that the roof boards were either removable or in some cases hinged to fold down. This reduced to height, to keep within the loading gauge. The HMRS website has their archive of images with quite a few examples of pantechnicons, which are useful for liveries. Also, pantechnicons feature in this discussion on the closely-related topic of 'lift vans' (early containers intended mainly for furniture): Regarding the number of horses, in the pictures I have found, two seems standard. I haven't found any pictures showing four, and given the main use of pantechnicons was the transport of furniture and household effects, I suspect the load would never be that great. I write this in the hope that someone will prove me wrong, and so expand the body of available evidence! Nick.

Rich - if you are able to share, I would appreciate it. I am planning a W4 in 7mm scale in due course. Thanks - Nick.

I think the reason we don’t see lime wash coming through the end slats is that the movable partition would be against that end when the wagon is in Large configuration. And if in Medium or Small, then presumably the unused part of the wagon would not be treated. We need a picture of the other end to corroborate. It would make it easy to position the strips if they line up with the door pillars - it could be done by eye, without needing to measure. Nick.

That's an interesting thought - we need one of Stephen's graphs of build rate over time, to see if there is a spike in build/replacement for a relatively short time, with a more typical steady state rate either side.

Any thoughts as to why that might be the case? The rot-accelerating properties of bovine ordure? Is this specific to the Midland, or did other railway companies also replace cattle wagons more often than other types? Not expecting you to necessarily have all the answers to these questions, but your observation has piqued my curiosity. Nick.

IANA(H)E, but I think 'bowler' would be a fair description - they seem to vary somewhat in shape (height, radius of the domed crown, brim...): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowler_hat Certainly commonly worn by working class people in the later part of the 19th century, according to the wikipedia article. Nick.

I agree, but then we have a mystery: 11" tall, non-standard slates.

That's disappointing - like Stephen, I have a Cambrian 2-plank wagon waiting in the wings for a load of slate. Not sure what else would bring a Cambrian wagon to the Dorset coast in the pre-common user period... Nick.

I think we are looking at 10” wagon sides, with 12” slates. At the far end of the wagon, there is a row of 10” slates, and we just see the cap strip of the wagon end.

Singles are 10”, doubles 12”, and upwards from there, in the traditional sizing of Welsh slates - see http://www.penmorfa.com/Slate/sizes.htm Nick.

In other situations, two or more people can load... Embedded image from https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/gallery/look-nostalgic-pictures-show-north-7946482 ... though hopefully passing more than one slate at a time. (I like the guys on the right who look like they are at a record fair) Nick.

Possibly - what I have seen in photos of narrow gauge slate trucks is slates used as wedges. See for example: R0608d (RD10054). Padarn Railway. August, 1961. by Ron Fisher, on Flickr Nick.