57xx

This leads me to ask - should 5814 have bunker steps? I thought they were a later addition? This image of 5811 in the same livery shows none.

They also used another nomenclature in official books such as the "GWR Engines" series, using a full 4 digits and this is explained in the forward pages as how they refer to their classes. For example: 5700 class, 4000 class for the Stars and Castles being 4073 class. Page 17 of the 1946 edition also uses ** when describing number allocations, to quote '... the "5700" class of 0-6-0T type engines the serial numbers are 57**, 67**,77**, 87** and so on'.

That was part of my thinking behind my earlier post asking about one. Reason 1 - a trailer for the railmotor; reason 2 the same nice Churchward autotrailer would go with the 48xx also being released. Beats using the ancient Airfix mishmash or a Hawksworth one that is only suitable for post WWII modellers.

I wouldn't worry about it, not sure whether it was done before or after your post, but this person will not be trolling on here any more, their account has been removed.

I would think this is just a cut 'n' paste editing error given the amount of liveries they are delivering.

Curious to know, Dave - Was there any hint from Kernow about making a trailer for the railmotor? Is this something we need to be emailing to them and suggesting...? I could see these selling just as well.

I'm liking the pic by Andy Y of the decorated sample at Warely The detail on it looks superb. Also looks like the top feed might be a separate item, still have the pipework, steps etc to hack off requiring livery touch up, but a step forward.

Oh wow, there is a god! Finally someone producing a pre-war model variation without the blessed topfeed! Now here is a challenge, do I get my Mainly Trains detailing kit applied to the old Airfix body and the High Level chassis built before or after this is released (for anyone off to Ladbrookes, an insider tip, it won't be me first across the finish line ) I'm sorely tempted by this, can I justify it on top of a 1363 and a steam railmotor.... It does seem quite high, but perhaps that is the price you pay for someone willing to do 16 variations with proper detail differences instead of a one moulding fits all with inappropriate liveries applied? Higher prices is a trend that is not going away given the rising costs that keep coming from China. Unfortunately we will have to get used to it and be more selective with our choices, but giving detail options like Hattons are doing gives the consumer better choice than something like say the new 64xx from Bachmann.

Oh bother... more money winging it's way to Kernow MC! Thanks for taking this one on Dave.

That would be great, I'm sure others would appreciate it too.

Hi Marcus, I spent a while searching but could find no one who made a suitable underframe so I had also thought of using the supplied wooden solebars with MJT W irons, but the thought of redoing the rivet detail put me off. Have you got any pictures of the one you have done?

Looking back over the thread I realised I've missed another item of modelling I did to take my mind off the D1839! It was another D1666 kit from Cambrian, but I wanted to try something different with the painting to give it a distressed look. So instead of the normal grey undercoat, it got a spray of red oxide followed by Humbrol #83 Ochre for the planks and #70 Brick Red for the metal work. This was then painted with the regular LMS grey, transfers applied and then attacked with a fibre glass pencil to take off the outside layer of paint and reveal the "wood" and rust beneath. I had to take if very easy on the Pressfix transfers otherwise it would have been all too easy to remove great chunks of them rather then thin them down and make them look flaky. Once this was done, the wagon got a coat of grot wash inside and out, also bolt detail was picked out on the inside with the Brick Red. Finally it got a waft with the airbrush for the frame dirt (probably the Ochre with some browns and black added to dirty it down) to finish it off.

14 months on and the D1839 is still not finished completely, it is however getting much closer. Detail has been added and the wagon primed ready for final livery. The door chains were inspired by the work of Adam on his wagon thread, but I need more practice to get the shape right so they look like they are hanging properly. The door spring is not the right profile, but after several attempts with some strip brass I gave up and resort to ones on a piece of spare sprue, might even have been the originals from the kit. The cruel harshness of the pics shows I need a new can of primer! Meanwhile, the wagon works at Swindon have churned out another 5 plank... Ready for a bit of weathering!

Not sure how I missed this thread before, but I think I'm going to have to order one of these too. It will have to be a Shirt Button one if none actually carried Great Western. I like the previous idea someone had of just plain green too, so if they somehow became available I'd have one.

You've made a good job of finishing off the coke wagon. Thinking on the load, perhaps you could find some charcoal granules. I seem to remember having some years ago and they were a lot duller and more rounded than the coal load.

Put me down for an 00 one when you announce it in 2 years time, Dave. It good to see a few new models being announced, but also tempered by some openness and realism with time-scales. Keep up the good work!

Looking good. Is the compensation unit on the right of your pic the one in "non-rocking mode"?

Thanks Nelson. I am enjoying following your own workbench and have just been catching up on your latest updates.

The brake gear as supplied looks to be correct. The instructions are referring to the hand lever which would only be on one side, the brakes themselves for a vac fitted wagon would be of the clasp type as supplied. There is only one picture of the D361 fruit van in my Midland book, it is of a vac fitted version in MR livery c1905. It is showing the side with no hand lever, the clasp brakes are clearly visible. Whilst there is a line drawing of a handbrake only van, it does state "as originally built" and there is no text to state how long thy may have stayed in that condition. cheers Ric

Your 4 wheeler is looking excellent. Do you have any constructional pics? I have one waiting in the wings although the only Ratio part used will end up being the roof! I also have the Mainly Trains chassis/ends and a set of Shire Scenes U12 Brake Composite brass sides.

Crikey, when I was working on the D1839 last night, I never realised it's been sat languishing for 7 months!!! Not long after the last post, I completed one of the sides using the Mainly Trains rivet etch. the result is as below: However, despite the ease with which the etch allows you to add strapping, I wasn't 100% happy with how it looked overall and my modelling mojo ebbed away. Having had a copy of John Hayes's The 4mm Coal Wagon out on loan from my local library (a fantastic modelling book, much better than The 4mm Wagon of which I have parts1 & 2), I was inspired to have a go at making the strapping from plasticard and adding the nuts for the coach bolts on. Eventually when my mojo returned after finding an original copy of Bob Essery's Illustrated History of LMS Wagons at a bargain price and having an excellent reference picture to work off, I ordered up some .01 x .03 and .01 x .04 strip and got stuck in. The coach bolt nuts were made using .01x.01 strip and trying to cut them into cubes, not an easy task! You will see quite a few rectangular nuts on there which I will try and trim now they are in place. The black marks are where I used a marker pen on the strapping so I could see where I was placing the nuts. White on white was not very visible. Now I have the cruel enlargements of the pics I can see a couple of details that need adding on.

David, did you ever get your fruit van query sorted? If not I can go and dig out my Midland wagon book and see if I can find anything for you. cheers Ric

I've seen so many threads debating the colour of GWR departmental wagons I though it best to check. Especially as I will have a lot of stock to paint up too! Thanks for your input Nick.

Hi Castle, Cambrian's instructions say that the GWR livery for the crane was "wagon grey", have they got it wrong? ta Ric

They aren't GWR pattern self contained buffers though.