Western Star

Stephen, @Compound2632, your comment set me thinking about how the introduction of the reversible brake block impacted upon PO wagon construction - so I did a cheap and cheerful assessment of the GRC&W photo archive, or rather a localised part of that collection. Ian Pope has published a tome about the PO wagons of the Forest of Dean - roughly 150 pages with (say) two photos per page and a good percentage are of GRC&W origin... most of the GRC&W images include order details, paint details and date of the photograph. Working my way through the GRC&W photos in "Private Owner Wagons of the Forest of Dean" (Lightmoor Press, ought to be on everyone's bookshelf) I cannot see an official view of a wagon with the non-reversible brake block dated after August 1912 nor can I find an official view of a wagon with the reversible brake block dated before September 1912. Initial reaction is that Gloucester had made the change in the summer of 1912. regards, Graham

Referring to the title of this topic... D299 wagons were built with cast iron brake blocks which had two pin holes per block... one hole for the pin to suspend the block from the block hanger and one hole for the pin to connect the block to a push-rod. If the block incorporated a lug to wrap the block around both sides of the wheel flange (to be substantiated) then the block was "non-reversible" and the arrangement of the brake gear required two patterns for the blocks (one LH and one RH). The design of cast-iron blocks was revised at some point such that each block had three pin holes... one hole at the middle of the block for the connection to a push rod and two holes, one at each end of the block, with one of the two holes used to suspend the block from the block hanger. Such blocks were "reversible" and the brake gear arrangement required just one pattern of block. Reference to "Midland Wagons Volume 1" shows that the reversible brake block was fitted to open goods wagons by or during the LMS period - I am not able to determine if any photos in the volume show wagons with reversible blocks in MR livery or prior to 1923. So when was the reversible brake block introduced to D299 / D305 / D351 wagons? regards, Graham

Agreed - and hold the wire in a pin-chuck to make life that much easier.

For those of us who are not members... and not likely to be so.... what delights hide behind such a simple direction?

Please explain how you come to that conclusion. Thank you. regards, Graham

The company was "Cambian Railways" (plural) rather than "Cambrian Railway".

Same concern for accurate axleboxes of late Victorian / early Edwardian GWR wagons.... for which one answer is 3D printing. And yes, that reply brings a different question.... where to get information?.... for which the answer comes from:- * official drawings held at the NRM; * measurements of prototypes - generally at Didcot.

A layout based on the High Wycombe area in the pre-grouping era shall have timber traffic, probably trunks rather than boards so single bolster timber twins shall abound. I have the Dragon Models kit for the BR dia. 60 wagon - anyone have photos or drawings of this prototype that they can share please? thank you, Graham

In the years from 1960s towards 1990s I believe that Reading General used platforms 9 and 10 for passenger services - I have memories of Brush type 4s with passenger services crossing the up/down main/relief lines to access the SR route towards Wokingham. Time to ask Mike @The Stationmaster for his opinions. regards, Graham

Sorry to disagre with you on this matter. In the immediate period after the closure of Reading South the Waterloo services used a single face platform, known as platform 4A, to the east of platform 4 of Reading General with the platform face towards the GWR main line. The later two faced platform 4A / 4B occupied the space of the old platform 4A plus some additional land to the south of the original platform 4A. regards, Graham

Stephen @Compound2632, your response to my earlier posting illustrates the difficulty of giving an accurate picture of the history of (a) a coal merchant and / or (b) the life of a coal wagon when the available evidence is drawn from a small number of primary sources. I have gone back to Ian to check my interpretation of his comments... (a) from the GWR PO records we know that Jesse Martin purchased or leased several wagons from S J Claye in 1923 / 24, those wagons were 12T capacity. Since no PO wagon register started a "registration record" with a second hand wagon we know that the wagons acquired from SJ Claye were new builds at the date of registration. (b) the photo shows a wagon which I would describe as "6-plank, raised ends, grease-box with two independent sets of brake gear", this does not seem to be an appropriate specification for a new build in the early 1920s. Of course, I could be wrong in my analysis of the primary sources (in this case a GWR document and a dated photograph). regards, Graham

Information from Ian Pope (in my words):- The wagon in the photo is written for Jesse Martin. There is a record of Jesse Martin acquiring a wagon from S J Claye of Long Eaton circa grouping and registered with the GWR (so probably not the wagon in the photo above). There are other records for J Martin / J Martin and Son which may or may not be associated with Jesse Martin. Whilst there is no record as to the location of Jesse Martin one record for J Martin is associated with Bradford. regards, Graham

Just one of many good reasons for visiting a Basingstoke show - when the club is allowed to hold an exhibition.

Access this web page... https://djb-model-rly-articles.blogspot.com/ and then look for this text - detailing articles with plans by Michael Longridge from Model Railway News in early 1950s...

I am known for my interests in the GW&GC Jt circa 1910 and Large Logo Blue in the West Highlands during the summer of 1987... neither of those interests get in the way of my appreciation of your modelling - I have enjoyed reading your topic throughout 2020 (and before), please continue to delight us all. Just a thought, how maany D299 wagons can be found passing through? regards, Graham Beare

I understand that I can buy these chairs from suppliers... just asking if anyone has spare, unwanted, stock in hand and for sale. There are two styles of GWR plain line chair which are available as brass castings, there is the circa 1885 style which can be ordered from C&L Finescale (part number 7CHB02A) and the early 1900s style which can be obtained from the Scale 7 Group (this casting has its origins in Exactoscale and was sold by C&L Finescale when that company was trading under Pete Llewellyn). Two or three sprues of each type required. Thank you, Graham Beare

What is your reference number for Scaleseven variants?

Can you please provide a page reference? I have asked Ian Pope about the image and he is not able to find such in the Cheddar book.

CraigW on Scaleforum in November 2015? As to your question... by 1920s I would expect to see all P7 hoppers with vacuum cylinders and a form of DC3 brake gear - which I have chosen for my 7mm model of a P7 in the late Edwardian period. Adam has posted some photos of the underneath of his 4mm model and those photos illustrate a vac-fitted wagon with DC3 arrangement, regards, Graham

Isn't the wagon in question Thomas Meakins of Dorking, No. 48? Stephen @Compound2632 , you are correct, how did you deduce that answer? As for FoD wagons in the Birmingham area, I have spoken with Ian Pope and he tells me that there are no references or photographs to substantiate that suggestion.

You need to purchase Private Owner Wagons of the Forest of Dean (Ian Pope, Lightmoor Press) where there is a rather nice A5 image of the Lydney Coal Co. wagon, the RCH plate is legible and shows that the wagon was registered by the LB&SCR in 1899. Ian has informed me of the original operator... I recollect that that operator is also in Slater's range!

Just do not ask David about the historical accuracy of the Ocean model. Agreed that there is a photo of the wagon in the Gloster photographic library.... just that the wagon in the photo was never registered with the GWR as being owned by Ocean. MInd you, Ian Pope and I have yet to find which coal supplier was the eventual owner of that wagon. On a similar point, consider the recent Lydney Coal Company from Dapol. Nice looking, inaccurate, livery. The model has a RCH registration plate which can be read as registered by the GWR.... oh dear, if you look at the corresponding photo in the Gloster library the RCH plate shows that the wagon was registered by the L&BSCR. Gloster had taken the wagon back from the original operator and then re-sold the wagon to the Lydney company.

Adam @Adam, I recognise what you are saying, just not in this context - ought your post to have been in another topic (P7 given your mention of a hopper)?

Mike, I am guessing a bit here because I have neither used this product nor seen the details of the etch parts. My take on what I can see goes as:- 1/ The axleguards have a removable section between the legs... either use as is for a fixed bearing or remove for a sprung bearing. Removal of the section between the legs leaves a slot for the bearing and carrier hence the axleguards can be bent up to fit the wagon without worry about fitting the bearings. 2/ The bearing seems to fold up so as to create a slot in the sides, the carrier then fits into the axleguard - presumably there is a bridle / keep provided to stop the bearing carrier dropping out of the axleguard. 3/ As the bearing carriers are removable then you can fit "bearing+carrier+wheelset+carrier+bearing" into the axleguard unit and estimate the side play of the wheelset. I use the S7 wagon wheels from Slaters and I minimise side play by using washers between the top-hat of the bearing and the inner face of the bearing carrier. 4/ Springing... not obvious... the bearing carrier has a half etch fold at the opposite end to the bearing hole. Suppose that the top section of the carrier is folded to 90 degrees... and bears against a wire which is suspended in the slots at either end of an axleguard... that arrangement is going to give suspension to the wheelset. 5/ I am building currently a Southwark Bridge Models brass etch kit for the GWR P7 Ballast Hopper and the suspension system is similar to what I have described above albeit the wire is crimped into "fingers" on the carrier. There seems to be nothing to stop the carrier dropping down other than the bridle/keep. The instructions suggest using guitar wire and recommends something in the range 10 to 14 thou. 5/ Big question, what keeps the suspension wire in place for this design? regards, Graham

I wish to purchase any un-built Dragon Models 7mm kits for these owners:- 1/ Trimsaran 3-plank open wagon; 2/ Leadbeter of Newport. thank you, Graham Beare