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Mikkel

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  1. Mikkel

    GWR stables (2): Internet archaeology

    By Mikkel,


    Structures
    I have a thing for GWR stable blocks.  The subject isn't systematically covered in the literature, so in a previous post I tried to obtain a tentative overview of the major types and styles. Since then I’ve been searching Britain from Above, Google street view and old online  maps looking for past and present traces of stable blocks. It's all a bit esoteric, but for what it's worth here is a selection of my favourite 'finds'.
     
     
    Westbury
     

     
    It's 1929 and a plane soars over Westbury, capturing the photo above. The small stable block with the distinctive roof vents can be seen at the entry to the goods yard, a common and logical location for them (Britain from Above. Embedding permitted).
     
     
     

     
     
    The stable block at Westbury can be seen in this 1901 map.  The station and goods area was later extensively rebuilt, as can be seen in the photos below and in this map. The stables here were built in 1899, with capacity for three horses. Many of the standard stable blocks on the GWR were built around the turn of the century, when the GWR decided to rely less on agents and do more of its own cartage (National Library of Scotland, Creative Commons).
     
     
     

     
    A grainy close-up, showing also the cattle dock. There must have been a lovely whiff in this part of the yard! (Britain from Above. Embedding permitted).
     
     

     
    Toboldlygo of this parish has modelled Westbury stables, using the 4mm Timbertracks kit.
     
     

     
    Note the manure pit, a standard feature. Thanks to Toboldlygo for allowing use of the photos, there's more about the build in his thread.
     
     

     
    So, does anything remain of the Westbury stable block today? A look on Google maps suggests that there is in fact a building more or less in the location where the stables were situated!  (Google Maps, Map data ©2019 Google, Google Fair Use principles).
     
     

     
    But alas, it is only the signal box that was built later. Nothing seems to remain of the stable block (Google Maps, Map data ©2019 Google, Google Fair Use principles).
     
     
    Basingstoke
     

     
    The stable block at Basingstsoke has had a happier fate. Well, sort of. Lost in a sea of cars, it is seen here on Google Maps in the guise of - appropriately - a car wash. Thanks to Western Star for the tip (Google Maps, Map data ©2019 Google, Google Fair Use principles).
     
     

     
    This 1949-68 series map shows how  the stables at Basingstoke were originally located at the perimeter of the goods yard, near the road. The structure does not appear in pre-1914 maps (National Library of Scotland, Creative Commons).
     
     

     
    The Basingstoke stable block in Google street view. Looks like the car park has been covered since the first photo was taken (Google Maps, Map data ©2019 Google, Google Fair Use principles).
     
     

     
    Details of the roof vents on the Basingstoke block, which appear to be in original condition (though not the colour!). The vents are often a useful distinguishing feature when looking for stable blocks in aerial photos etc (Google Maps, Map data ©2019 Google, Google Fair Use principles).
     
    Chipping Norton

     
    The stable block at Chipping Norton was built in in 1904. In 1929 it was converted - like a number of other stables - to a garage for GWR motor buses  (National Library of Scotland, Creative Commons).
     
     

     
    Alan Lewis' excellent photo of the Chipping Norton stable block in 1983 (Copyright and courtesy Alan Lewis).
     
     

     
    The stable block at Chipping Norton lives on today, the only remaining building of that station (Google Maps, Map data ©2019 Google, Google Fair Use principles).
     
     

     
    There's a Royal Mail facility next to it, so the delivery theme hasn't entirely gone (Google Maps, Map data ©2019 Google, Google Fair Use principles).
     
     

     
    The stable block itself seems to be on private property now. It isn't much to look at from the road, but think of all the stories it could tell ! (Google Maps, Map data ©2019 Google, Google Fair Use principles).
     
     
    Slough
     

     
    Moving on to the larger types, this is the stable block at Slough in 1928, again conveniently situated between road and yard (Britain from Above. Embedding permitted).

     
     

     
    The Slough stable block was a fairly large example of what I call the "Archetype" design. The large variants of this design were simply "stretched" versions of the smaller versions. Note the horse drawn vehicles outside. I wonder if they were parked there overnight  (Britain from Above. Embedding permitted).
     
     
     

     
    Like most stable blocks of the standard designs, the one at Slough had no windows at the back, presumably to keep things quiet for the horses. Prairies on the line!  (Britain from Above. Embedding permitted).
     
     

     
    Today’s, er, view. The stable block was approx. where blue container/lorry is (Google Maps, Map data ©2019 Google, Google Fair Use principles).
     
    Park Royal
     

     
    An aircraft passes over modern day London NW. The red line below shows the extent of what used to be the main GWR goods yard at Park Royal (Google Maps, Map data ©2019 Google, Google Fair Use principles).
     
     

     
    Back in the heyday of the GWR, Park Royal had a 12-stall stable block  (National Library of Scotland, Creative Commons).
     
     


    The stable block at Park Royal was almost identical to the one at Slough, but had an extra door and room for fodder. It is seen here in 1930, illustrating how substantial these buildings were (Britain from Above. Embedding permitted).
     
     

     
    Here is the Park Royal stable block again in the 1950s, now a good deal shorter! Part of the building has been torn down and has been turned into a garage or similar (Britain from Above. Embedding permitted).
     
     

     
    My 4mm model of the Park Royal stable block. Details here.
     
     
    Handsworth & Smethwick
     

     
    Multi-storey stable blocks were only found in the major urban areas, where space was in high demand. So far the smallest multi-storey block I have come across is the one at Handsworth & Smethwick, as seen on the Warwickshire Railways site. 
     
     

     
    The two storey stable block is seen at the bottom of this map, showing one of the yards at Handsworth & Smethwick. A single storey stable block was located next to it, and can be seen to the right in the photo above  (National Library of Scotland, Creative Commons).
     
     

     
    I was intrigued to find that the lower sidings of the yard can still be seen on Google maps at the time of writing, now apparently a scrap yard (Google Maps, Map data ©2019 Google, Google Fair Use principles).
     
     
     

     
    It's hard to be certain, but I wonder if the yellow structure top center in this view is in fact the cut-down and shortened remains of the old two-storey stable block? The location and door/window relationship fits - though one window on the left side is missing (Google Maps, Map data ©2019 Google, Google Fair Use principles).
     
     
    Paddington Mint

     
    Lastly, a look at the big one - Paddington Mint stables. (Britain from Above. Embedding permitted.)
     
     

     
    The original stables here were built in 1878, but expanded and rebuilt several time since then.  I've often thought that the interior yard and ramps would make an interesting diorama. There's good info and drawings in Janet Russel's "Great Western Horsepower" (Getty Images, embedding perimitted).
     
     

     
    A modern day view of the Mint stables (Google Maps, Map data ©2019 Google, Google Fair Use principles).
     
     

     
    The stables now house St Mary's Hospital (Google Maps, Map data ©2019 Google, Google Fair Use principles).
     
     
     

     
    I found a 1922 view of Paddington Mint on  Britian from Above, and zoomed in. Two horses can be seen on the upper level, bringing life to the scene (Britain from Above. Embedding permitted).
     
     

     
    I tried to zoom in further to see the horses better. But it's a funny thing, the past: When you try to pin it down...
     
     

     
    ....it slips through your fingers.
     
    Edit: If the images re-appear following the Dediserve failure, see the following in the discussion below:
    * Tim V's excellent photos of the stable blocks at Witney, Shrewsbury, Westbury, Shipston and Abingdon
    * Methusaleh's find of the remaining stable block at Birmingham Hockley
    * Ian Major's views of the stable block at Littleton & Badsey
     
     
  2. Mikkel

    Slater's GWR dia. C10 clerestory coach

    By Mikkel,


    Coaches & Browns
    I’m building a Slaters kit for a  GWR bogie clerestory third to diagram C10. The coach is intended for a motley Edwardian stopping train consisting of a variety of carriage styles, as was common on the GWR in the 1900s. But first it will be used in a re-enactment of the 1911 railway strike, and is therefore in the 1908-1912 all brown livery (as yet un-lined). 
     
     

     
    This post summarizes the build.  It's a long post but I'm told the kits are due back on the market so perhaps this can help give others an impression of what's involved and avoid my mistakes!
     
     

     
    What you get. Lots of bits. Wheels weren’t included.
     
     


    The plastic components are crisp and detailed. I did spend some time cleaning away flash. The larger bits of flash are minimal and not a problem, but there are thin strips of flash along the upper edges of the windows which require care.
     
     


    I used Limonene (two coats) to bond the sides, which worked well enough. The Magnetic Clamps are from Smart Models.
     
     

     
    The partitions were then fitted, followed by the roof. I opened out the notches in the roof for the partitions, so that the roof could be taken on and off during the build.
     
     

     
    The seats are quickly made and fit nicely in the compartments - not always the case with kit seats!
     
     

     
    The clerestory structure was quickly built up. The ends and clerestory parts are “handed” with different details at each end.
     
     

     
    The underframe, solebars and headstocks were then fitted. Etched brass snuck in via the "racking plate" , which was glued in place.
     
     

     
    I then turned to the bogies. 
     
     

     
    They fold up nicely.
     
     

     
    One mistake was to put off strengthening the  stepboard supports with solder. They are very fragile and will soon break off otherwise. The photo shows the ones I managed to rescue, the rest were replaced with wire  later on.
     
     

     
    The inside frame and rocking mechanism was then made.
     
     

     
    The principle of the kits - at least those produced until now - is that the wheels run in the inside frame using "inside bearings". Brass wire hold the wheels in place and allow sprung movement. This design has drawn critical comments from people who struggled to get good running. I understand that it will be changed when the kits are re-released.
     
     

     
    In any case, I lacked the correct axles so decided to go for an alternative approach, using Alan Gibson pinpoint axles in ordinary bearings. Thanks to @Darwinian for the idea.
     
     

     
    For this approach to work, the pinpoint bearings must fit perfectly into the recessed aperture around the hole in the bogie sides - seen here - and must be of the right depth. Otherwise the sides will splay. 
     
     

     
    Using the right bearings was therefore critical. I tried various types including 2mm Top Hat bearings but these would not accommodate the axles within the bogie frames. Eventually I used these waisted bearings plundered from old Coopercraft kits, as seen above. 
     
     

     
    The ends of the bearings did need some filing so that the axleboxes would fit over them. Filing the inside of the axleboxes also helped.
     
     

     
    With this simplified approach the inner frame was not strictly required, but I decided to fit it anyway to add strength and hold the rocking mechanism.
     
     

     
     Are you still awake? Captions welcome.
     
     

     
    The bogie interiors were gradually becoming inaccessible so I primed them and painted the Mansell wheels. The latter are brownish red as a loose indication of varnished redwood (see good discussion on Western Thunder).
     
     

     
    A silly mistake cost me dearly. I forgot to fit brake shoes until the wheels were firmly in place. Retrofitting the 16 shoes was a hellish task. As a result the various brake pull yokes didn’t fit properly, so much of that is just indicated with brass wire.
     
     

     
    Once back on track, the cross stays and scroll irons were fitted. There are useful close-ups and drawings of Dean bogies in Russell's GWR Coaches Part 1 p. 93-95.
     
     
     

     
    The scroll irons were then cut to allow the bogie to rotate. Not exactly neat cuts, they were filed later. I do need a proper flush cutter.
     
     

     
    In order for the bogies to rotate, the frames have to be modified at each end.
     
     

     
    I hope I got the position of the gas cylinders right. I peered into the murky darkness of prototype photos and Didcot's C10, which suggests it's more or less OK.
     
     

     
    Next the underframe details were fitted.
     
     

     
    I shortened the queen posts, as I felt the truss rods ended up too low if fitted as intended. Prototype photos like this one (and the C10 at Didcot) shows them higher up and fairly discrete. Unless truss rods changed over the years?
     
     

     
    I didn't fancy "trapping" the bogies with the brake pull rods, so just fitted this single rod held by (unprototypical) vertical mounts. The bogie can be slid out underneath it. Bit of a bodge but at least something is there for those rare glimpses.
     
     

     
    The main buffer components. There’s an option of springing them, though I didn’t use it. The instructions state that the buffers "consisted of a curved oval steel plate bolted onto a round buffer head". 
     
     

     
    The outer plate needs to be lightly curved and then fitted to the buffer heads. I didn't make a good job of this, it looks a bit odd. If I do another one I'll see if ready-made buffers can be obtained instead.
     
     

     
    Next the stepboard hangers went on. This required patience as the hangers, solebars and stepboards all need modification for the parts to fit, as also indicated in the instructions.
     
     

     
    The material used for the stepboards somehow managed to be both bendy and brittle at the time, though note that this is a secondhand kit of some age. My adjustable multi-purpose jig a.k.a. “The Piano” saved the day.
     
     

     
    The lower stepboards were then fitted. I later found that the bogie stepboards had to be shortened approx. 1,5 mm to clear the central stepboard. The hangers for the latter also need modification or they will stick out oddly.
     

     
    It’s striking what a difference stepboards make to the appearance of a coach.
     
     

     
    From there on it was plain sailing. The roof was detailed using the as lamp tops in the kit, and 0.3mm (0.010") brass wire.
     
     

     
    Steps fitted at one end, and putty to fill out the corner joins. In 1911 the GWR experimented with Bluetack on buffers in response to complaints about rough riding. The idea was abandoned when a Slip coach destined for Weymouth was found still attached at Penzance.
     
     

     
    After priming, the interior was painted. I decided to leave the 48 picture frames untouched. Chris: I did try painting them as you suggested but soon realized that it should have been done while the partitions were still on the sprue.
     
     

     
    The coach sides were brush-painted with my normal method of multiple coats (5 in this case) of much thinned Vallejo acrylics, using a broad flat brush. In the photo a fresh coat is being applied.
     
     

     
    The coach was painted all-brown as per the 1908-1912 livery. The photos I have show light to dark grey rooves (probably the usual darkening) with no brown beneath the rainstrips.
     
     

     
    Commode- and door handles were then added, followed by lettering and insignia. The 1908 livery had the garter in the center, and crests either side with "GWR" above. The position of the crests at the outer ends makes for an unbalanced look and takes some getting used to.
     
     

     
    But that's how it appears in this crop of a 1911 photo of a scene I'll be modelling.  Perhaps this extreme position of the crests was in fact a particular feature of the little explored 1908-1912 livery - brakes excepted? Photos of bogie coaches in the all brown livery are rare, but there is a Toplight in Russell 's GWR coaches which also has the crests just before the last passenger door at each end. The photo in Slinn's Great Western Way has the crests further in, but on inspection that coach has guard doors at each end, and so there would not have been room to put the crests further out on that particular coach (crests were kept clear of doors). Of course in 1912 the GWR did move the crests further in, with just a single "GWR" placed above the garter.
     
     

     
    The 1908 livery saw the introduction of black ends. The hand rails are 0.3 mm wire from Wizard Models, which I found easier to shape than the wire in the kit. Vaccuum pipes and couplings to follow.
     

     
    So far I have never lined my Edwardian coaches, a pragmatic decision  in order to get things built and running. In this case it does add to the austere appearance though. Perhaps it's time to try out an Easi-Liner pen.
     
    Anyway, that's the current state of play. My original plan was to use this livery for a photo shoot of selected 1911 scenes and then repaint it in pre-1906 livery with cream panels. However I must admit that the sombre look is growing on me. Something to ponder.
     
     
  3. Mikkel

    GWR horse-drawn station bus

    By Mikkel,


    Horse-drawn
    I’ve built a GWR horse-drawn station bus using a modified and detailed P&D Marsh kit.
     
     
     
    A colourized postcard showing omnibuses in the station forecourt at Minehead. A perusal of period photos suggests that the outside seating wasn’t necessarily the last choice option – on sunny days at least!
     
     
     

     
    The forecourt at Teignmouth. Lettering on the door shows the fare and “A. Harvey (?), Proprietor”. Many horse-drawn station bus services were operated by individual entrepreneurs, nearby fashionable hotels, or local agents for the railway companies. Actual GWR-owned station buses certainly existed but were, I suspect, a minority.
     
     
     

     
    Old and new at Helston. The GWR’s first motor-driven road service was introduced at Helston in 1903, signalling the beginning of the end for horsedrawn omnibuses. The horse-drawn bus on the right served a local hotel.
     
     
     
     
     
    Phillip Kelley’s two volumes on GWR road vehicles feature a small but useful selection of photo and drawings of GWR horsedrawn buses. Online, a couple of rather interesting GWR omnibuses can be found here (scroll down). An agent-operated GWR service can be seen on the Fairford pages here. For non-GWR omnibuses, Gail Thornton’s website is interesting.
     
     
     

     
    The P&D Marsh kit is a fairly simple affair but does represent an actual prototype built by the GWR in 1894. There's a Swindon drawing of it in Kelley’s “Great Western Road Vehicles Appendix”. Towards the end of the build I realised that I had overlooked an actual photo of the vehicle in Kelley’s main volume (“Great Western Road Vehicles” p.29). 
     
     
     

     
    Assembly of the body leaves you with somewhat unsightly corners, as Mike also commented in his build back in 2013.
     
     
     

     
    Repeated applications of filler and sanding helped, followed by primer.
     
     
     

     
    The basic components result in a reasonable overall representation of the original vehicle. 
     
     

     
     
    Bringing it to this stage was a fairly quick exercise, but I decided to add some detailing.
     
     
     
     
     
    First step was some simple seating and glazing. The interior may or may not have been more lavish, but with the roof on very little is visible. 
     
     
     

     
    The kit’s roof casting is rather thick and does not reflect the pattern on the prototype. A replacement was made by laminating two layers of thin styrene, the top layer being a grid pattern drawn up in Inkscape and printed on my Silhouette.
     
     
     

     
    This was fixed with superglue, with temporary holes to allow the fumes to escape so they don’t frost the glazing.
     
     
     

     
    Luggage rails were fitted using 0.5 mm straight brass wire. Later I removed the front rail, as I discovered that the prototype didn’t have it. Same thing can be seen on some other omnibuses. Forward-sliding luggage not a problem on slow-breaking vehicles?
     
     
     
     
     
    The drawing and photo show what initially looks like a ladder at the rear. Closer inspection shows it to be three vertical rails with no apparent rungs. My best guess is that they are guard-/guiderails for raising and lowering heavy luggage to and from the roof without damaging the sides. Unless anyone knows better? Anyway, I fitted them using more brass wire. Also seen is the rear passenger step. The one provided in the kit is rather crude and doesn't match the drawing, so I made a simple replacement. The step could be folded down and away for stowage during transport.
     
     

     
     
    Discovery of the prototype photo led to some unpleasant surprises. I had overlooked horisontal bolections along the sides and ends, so they were retrofitted using thin wire. There are also what looks like ventilation louvres above the windows (or rainstrips?), these were indicated using thin strips of styrene. 
     
     

     
    I fashioned a pair of coach lamps using old loco lamps from the scrap box, fitted with bits from my tin of watchmakers’ spares. No particular prototype, just a nod to a certain type seen in some photos.
     
     
     

     
    Lettering and insignia will have to wait. The prototype photo shows the vehicle in factory finish in 1894, with sans-serif “Great Western Railway” below the windows in quite a small font size (smaller than on goods cartage vehicles), and a simplified garter behind the wheels. My printer can’t do such small lettering to a satisfying standard, so I’ll leave it unlettered until I find one that can.
     
     
     

     
    The bus will be parked in the station forecourt at Farthing, with passengers outside. So I decided to add some luggage. The prototype photo shows leather straps (or similar) fitted to the luggage rails, so I painted some thin masking tape to imitate this. 
     
     
     

     
    I'm not sure about the principles for how luggage was packed on omnibus rooves. Photos suggest pragmatic solutions.
     
     
     

     
    I replaced the horse in the kit. I first painted up the mare on the left, but decided it was more of a goods type. So an exchange was made with the pretentious type on the right. Both are from Dart Castings.
     
     
     

     
    I normally go with matt varnish for my horse-drawn vehicles, but couldn't resist a satin finish in this case. 
     
     
     

     
    I'm pondering my choice of driver. Current offerings aren't that good, so will probably modify a seated passenger. No reins, too impractical with my current layout arrangements.
     
     
     
     
    So that's yet another horse-drawn vehicle for Farthing. Good thing I've got a big stable block! There are plans afoot for an early motor bus, but that's another story.
     
     
  4. Mikkel
    I’ve added a selection of horse droppings to the road and yard on “The Stables”. 
     
    Obviously, prototype research was needed first! Period photos from the 1890s-1930s often show droppings in the street, especially where horse-drawn carriages were regularly parked.
     

    "Bicycle couriers with copies of the Manchester Guardian, which are being delivered to Euston station in London for circulation, circa 1920." Getty Images, embedding permitted. 
     
    Droppings can sometimes be seen strung out, as seen below. I assume that’s because the “action” happened while the horse was on the move. But just how many horses were involved here?!
     

    "A view along Holland Park Mews, London." Getty Images, embedding permitted.
     
     
    After a while, the droppings would get trampled or washed apart. 
     

    "Looking down one of the streets in the village of Hatherop, Gloucestershire, c1860-c1922." Getty Images, embedding permitted.
     
     
    In the busiest streets of large towns it could sometimes get quite messy, if I interpret the image below correctly. 
     

    "Newcastle ca. 1900. The entrance to Central Station and in the background, St Mary's church and spire." Getty Images, embedding permitted.  
     
     
    It’s worth pointing out, though, that many 1900s photos of street scenes show just a few droppings or none at all.  The street sweepers must have worked hard in the big cities!
     

    "London. Holborn Viaduct, about 1900." Getty Images. Embedding permitted.
     
     
    In villages with limited traffic, the manure would presumably have been rarer. And perhaps quickly snatched up for gardens?
     

    "Stratford-Upon-Avon, circa 1900." Getty Images. Embedding permitted.
     
     
    Despite busy horse traffic, urban goods yards also appear relatively clean, although sometimes the presence of a photographer may have helped!
     

    "Paddington Goods Depot, 1923.  Horse drawn vehicles carrying Witney blankets"  Getty Images. Embedding permitted.

     
    A study of contemporary photos and horsey websites showed that the colour and texture of droppings varies considerably. One factor is whether the dung is fresh or old. Another is the horse's diet. For example, I understand that low quality hay results in very brown droppings, while green grass will give you an olive tinge. Here's a selection, á la carte:
     

    Photos from Flickr Creative Commons. Credits clockwise from top left: Ben Schumin; Ben Schumin; David MW; Bernd Hutschenreuther; Jes; Jes.
     
     
    True dung enthusiasts will therefore need to study the fodder composition of the companies they model, which incidentally also varied across time and place. For example, Tony Atkins writes in "GWR Goods Cartage", Vol. 1, p77:
     
     
     
    I didn't go that extent though. Basically, I just tried out some stuff. From earlier experiments I knew that, when tapped repeatedly, the little balls that form in pigment bottles will move to the front and can be gently shaken onto the ground. This is Vallejo Natural Sienna pigment (ref. 73.105).
     

     

    The balls were secured by floating a little Woodlands Scenic cement alongside, letting the balls soak it up through capillary action. This binds the pigments together and sticks the balls to the ground. Once dry, a brushing of matt varnish sealed them further.
     

     
     
    Breaking up some of the pigment balls adds a more scattered impression:
     

     
     
    A light dusting of Johnson's baby powder made for a drier, more discrete look.
     

     
     
    A lick of dry-brushed paint resulted in a darker and more compact appearance. An almost black shade would be quite common,  but that turned out to be rather distracting. Little black spots tend to catch the eye! So I went for lighter brownish shades. 
     

     
     
    Standard GWR stable blocks had channels that helped carry droppings and urine out of the stable block and into the sewer. So there I went for a glitzy Wet Dung look, using a bit of gloss varnish.
     

     
     
    I used additional pigments around the edges to indicate a dissolving dropping.
     

     
     
    Arguably, my droppings are on the large side (quiet at the back!). But I think a slightly stylized look can sometimes work OK, as it helps the viewer interpret what they are seeing. Also, have you ever stood next to a shire horse?
     

     
     
    Not quite a shire horse. House-trained though. Let's see the Midland beat that!
     

     
     
    Although I like an uncluttered look, it's probably all still a bit too clean.
     

     
     
    I'm currently working on that. These are pigments brushed into the setts, after first adding a tiny drop of Woodlands Scenic Cement and letting it almost dry. The idea is to represent residue from past droppings. Must add some bits of straw too, as recently suggested by Matt.
     

     
     
    Meanwhile, Stableman John Rokesmith has had enough of it all. Not what he had in mind when he joined the railways. '"Romance of the footplate", my arse!'
     

     
     
     
  5. Mikkel

    A click-on scenic extension

    By Mikkel,


    Scenery
    I’ve made a detachable scenic extension for The Stables, using magnets. With this, the layout is more or less complete.
     
     

     
    The extension module was knocked up from 10 mm foamboard. The aim was to portray a tree-lined street at the back of the layout. It had to be detachable so as to facilitate storage in our small flat.
     
     

     
    The pavements were made in my usual way, flagstones lined out in pencil and later scribed with a round-nosed  awl.
     
     

     
    A black wash for weathering. Afterwards I stood the strips on the side to avoid unsightly puddles forming. 
     
     

     
    For the road itself I used a base of thin plasticard, curved to emulate the camber and with packing along the centerline (crown) for support. The top layer is painted sanding paper (grain 120), dusted with weathering pigments when dry.
     
     

     
    Vacuum formed retaining walls from Southeastern Finecast. I’ve used these on all four Farthing layouts, as a visual leitmotif. The brick detail is variable but you get quick results and for me they work OK at the back. 
     
     

     
    The trees were made using a combo of techniques, as described in an earlier post. 
     
     

     
    I made the trees a push fit, as I may want to replace them later. I find that masking tape works well as a way to adjust thickness on larger inserts. 
     
     

     
    GWR standard spear fencing from Ratio.
     
     
     
    As as aside, this 8 second video shows the fence at the front of the layout fitted with magnets. It allows easy track cleaning, photography and storage.
     
     

     
    These are the little critters, with a toothpick for size. They can hold 130 grams each. Thanks to Dave for introducing me to the weird and wonderful world of magnets!
     

    Anyway, back to the scenic extension. I found some posters from the 1901-1903 period, and scaled them down. Houdini toured Britain in 1903.
     
     

     
    In retrospect, I wonder if the neat Edwardians stuck posters directly to walls. Or were they exclusively mounted on backboards and hoardings?
     
     

     
    So that was the scenic part of the job, a sort of "3D backscene". In principle, the same module could be used on different layouts. In order to attach it to the main layout, I experimented with magnets again. 
     
     

     
    I first tried these neodymium magnets, capable of holding 2 kgs each, but they were too powerful. I could hardly get them apart and was worried that they would mess with my loco- and point motors (or is that not an issue?). 
     
     

     
    Instead I opted for some less powerful S&W uncoupling magnets. Cheaper magnets of the same strength can no doubt be sourced, but I happened to have a surplus and knew that these were safe for my motors. 
     
     

     
    I also fitted alignment dowels in order to reduce the downward pull of the module.  
     
     

     
    After experiments, I found that a mix of  PVA and ultra-fine Polyfilla held the magnets and dowels surprisingly well in the foamboard that I use.
     
     

     
    The extension then simply clicks on to the layout.
     
     
     
     
    Another short video clip, showing the extension being clicked on.
     
     

     
    The extension sits tight and “floats” with no supports. Obviosuly, that works because the module is narrow and light (650 grams) and is used at the rear of my desk where no one can lean on it. Actual layout modules would need supporting legs.
     
     

     
    Layout and two-level traverser on my desk. Further layout modules are being planned, and I'm thinking magnets can be a way to join them.
     
    So "The Stables" is now more or less complete.  To celebrate, here's a selection of photos. A little slice of Farthing in a Copenhagen flat 
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     
     

     
     
     

     
     

     
  6. Mikkel

    Pre-grouping livery clippings

    By Mikkel,


    Misc.
    Here are a couple of PDF files that may be of interest to pre-grouping modellers.
     
    The first document is an 1896 article from Moore's Monthly Magazine (later renamed "The Locomotive") on British pre-grouping liveries. It includes brief livery descriptions for a number of the railways (but not all).
     
    MooresMonthlyLiveries.pdf
     
     
    The second document is my personal selection of quotes and news items on GWR liveries and selected other liveries from the archives of the Railway Magazine during the period 1898-1924.
     
    RailwayMagazineLiveries_OK.pdf
     
     
    A few notes:
     
    Apart from the general observations on British and GWR liveries, the documents contain two key sources for the theory that GWR wagons were red until 1904. I'm a follower of this theory, but thought I'd have a look at the contemporary sources to see for myself. I have to say though that the references to wagon liveries are very brief, and to me emphasize the very scant attention given to wagons by railway observers of the time.
     
    More generally speaking, this material also suggests to me that contemporary magazine articles are a somewhat problematic source of livery details. I can't help feeling that the livery descriptions herein seem rather subjective and not necessarily well researched. That said, the material does provide some snippets of information on various details of GWR loco and carriage liveries that I had not previously encountered.
     
    I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions. If nothing else, it all gives a sense of the ethos of the time! Many thanks to the RMwebbers who have helped with this.
     
     
  7. Mikkel

    Powsides/Slaters Private Owner wagons

    By Mikkel,


    Wagons
    I wanted some Private Owners for Farthing, so have built a couple of Powsides kits, i.e. painted and pre-lettered Slaters kits. I opted for two Gloucester designs to RCH 1887 specifications, one a 5-plank side-door wagon, the other a 7-plank side- and end-door job. 
     
     

     
    I like the overall appearance, although TBH the small lettering isn’t quite up to current standards. Perhaps I was unlucky, they look fine on the website.
     
     

     
    The kits have blank interior sides, so the moulding pips were filed away and planking was indicated with a scriber.
     
     


    The instructions recommend joining all sides first, then mounting the floor inside. I struggled a bit with this, the floor wasn’t a perfect fit and the sides were lightly curved. Some dismantling and remedial work ensued, but I got there in the end.
     
     


    I used waisted pin-point bearings from MJT. Split spoke wheels on one wagon, and plain spokes for the other one because I ran out. Did some of these wagons eventually receive plain spoke wheels? Otherwise I’ll swop the erroneous set later.
     
     


    Some of the small lettering was a bit damaged or missing as the kits came. I touched it up as best I could. Some bits I simply painted over. I’d rather have absent lettering than odd lettering.
     
     


    The built-up wagons. 
     
     


    Having admired Dave’s lovely builds of the 7mm versions of these kits, I decided to indicate the interior ironwork as he has done. For this I simply used strips of Evergreen (painted darker after this shot).
     
     


    Good interior photos of these wagons are rare, so drawing on discussion by Stephen and other helpful RMwebbers I drew up the above sketch to guide my detailing of the interior. Please note that this is my own rough and ready rendering. There are various unknowns and no one has “signed off” on this sketch. Anyone interested should consult Stephen’s drawing and info here.
     
     


    Interior ironwork in place. The kit does include a hinge for the end door. On some wagon types this was positioned above the top plank, but in this case I fitted it just behind the top plank, based on this discussion.
     
     

     

    Archer’s rivet transfers at the fixed ends.
     
     
     

    Stephen pointed out the “big nuts” that appear on the ends of many Gloucester wagons, extending from the diagonal irons inside. Looking at photos they seem to have been present on both 5-, 6- and 7-planks as seen here left to right (obviously only at fixed ends). 
     
     

     
    The nuts don’t feature in the kit, so I added them. On the 7-planker I drilled holes and stuck in bits of brass. This proved tricky as it’s just by the corner joins, so on the 5-planker I Mek-Pak’ed on bits of plastic rod instead, as seen above.
     
     

     
    As usual: Liquid Gravity and 3mm Sprat & Winkles. I'm always amazed how much difference weight makes to the "feel" of a wagon. The couplings too: Ugly they may be, but they turn it into a working vehicle.
     
     


    Weathering the interior with pigments. The “Sinai Dust” seen here is courtesy of the late Mick Bonwick. Thank you, Mick.
     
     

     
    The Ayres wagon. Phil Parker uses a fibre glass brush to fade the lettering on printed RTR wagons. But these are transfers, so would tear (I did try).  Instead I lightly dry-brushed base colour over the lettering. Helps a bit, but not quite as effective. 
     
     

     
    C&G Ayres still exist as a well-known Reading removal company and former GWR cartage agent. This (very) close crop shows one of their removal containers at Reading ca. 1905. 
     
     

     
    But a search of the British Newspaper Archive showed that C&G Ayres were also at one time coal traders [Source: Reading Mercury Oxford Gazette March 9, 1918]. So I need to decide whether to designate the Ayres wagon for coal or furniture. I wonder if this explains the difference between the red Powsides livery and the green wagon livery that I normally associate the company with.
     
     
     

     
    The Weedon wagon. You can just make out the nuts on the ends, but they aren't really noticeable. The effort would arguably have been better spent detailing the brake gear!
     
     

    I had assumed the Weedon Brothers were mainly coal and coke merchants, but again newspapers and directories of the time offered further info. [Source: Kelly's Directory of Berks, Bucks & Oxon, 1911]. It seems that manure was also a key aspect of their business. The company features on the right in this directory clipping - amongst lime burners, loan offices, lunatic asylums and other essentials of progress!
     
     


    Though based at Goring, the Weedon Brothers had stores in a number of places, as illustrated in the above 1889 advert. I’m inclined to designate the wagon for manure rather than coal. I wonder what that would mean for the weathering? Richard's latest book on Wiltshire Private Owners is firmly on my wishlist.
     
     
     

     
    Anyway, the wagons are now running at Farthing. Here's No. 1897 knocking them about in the sidings behind the stables.
     
     

     
    Overall I've enjoyed the build. May have a go at applying my own transfers next time. 
     
     

     
    It's just a couple of plastic wagons of course, but I learnt a lot along the way. That's one of the great things about modelling, every build is an entry point to railway history.  Thanks to everyone for the help.
     
  8. Mikkel

    Fifth bite: The station building

    By Mikkel,


    Layout design
    I now have four small layouts in the Farthing series, each of which can be operated on my desk or the dining table. That should satisfy my daily operating needs for a while, allowing me to take on Farthing’s main station building and platforms.
     
     

     
    For this I’m returning to the Newbury theme. When Newbury station was rebuilt during 1908-1910 four lines were laid, with loop lines along the Up and Down platforms and through lines in the center.
     
     

     
    This resulted in the above arrangement. Source: Britain from Above.
     
     

     
    As we already know, Farthing’s history and layout as a junction station was very similar to Newbury.  So I’ve grabbed this part of the Newbury trackplan and adapted it for Farthing. The two remaining bays are left out for now, but may follow later in one form or another.
     
     

     
    As usual it’s very simple. We live in a small flat and I don’t have a layout room, so I’ll join up four modules on the dining table. The modules are stored in an attic room so need to be short and narrow. We have two light work-desks which can be arranged at each end for 150 cm cassettes to slide on. It won’t be practical for my daily running sessions, this is for special occasions.
     
     

    Though limited, the plan is not completely without operational scope, as listed here. The run isn’t that long but I'd rather do something than nothing. If circumstances allow, future modules can add more length. 
     
     
     
     
    One module – the Branch Bay – was the first of the Farthing layouts and so is already done. It just needs the fascia removed, allowing another module to be fitted in front. I’ll still be able to operate it separately during my daily sessions.
     

     
    I’ve now begun the second module. It will be a scenic board, featuring Farthing’s main station building, viewable from both sides. As simple as it gets.
     
     

     
    Except that I have to build this. The station building will be a model of the main Up side building at Newbury.
     
     


    It is of course still there and can be seen in Google Streetview. Handy when you live across the North Sea during a pandemic.
     
     
     
     
    The architectural style at Newbury was not unique. This is Westbury, where the style appears to have originated when Westbury station was rebuilt in 1899 – indeed Adrian Vaughan calls it the “Westbury style” in his book on GWR architecture. Source: Wikipedia Commons.
     
     

     
    A distinctive feature of the style was the shape and decoration of the limestone lintels above rounded windows.
     
     

     
    The style was also employed on some other GWR stations in the early 1900s, although without the gables. There were several on the GWR/GCR New Line. This is Bicester North, built 1910. Source: Chiltern Railways on Pinterest.

     

     
    I spotted a simpler variant in photos of Tyseley, built 1906. Source: Wikipedia Commons.

     


    Back at Newbury, the Upside building is a long structure, as seen here on Google Earth using the handy measuring tool. In 4mm scale it comes out at just under 84 cms. The sensible approach would be to do a compressed version. But I need a challenge, so will do the whole thing.
     

      
    Here’s a GWR outline drawing of Newbury, with only the wording changed to match Farthing. It’s longer than some of my existing layouts! I’ll build the structure in three main parts, joined by magnets. I anticipate compromises along the way, so expect pragmatism.

     


    Work has begun. I’m tracing the GWR outline drawing in Inkscape in preparation for cutting out brick sheets on my Silhouette Cutter. The GWR drawing is rather rough, but OK for my purposes and I have historical and contemporary photos to work from.
     
     

     
    I'm still to decide whether I'll also build the footbridge, seen above. A big task, but tempting. Especially because it’s gone now, removed in 2018 for OLE installation. Slowly, the old world disappears. But modellers are sorcerers, we can bring things back.
     
  9. Mikkel

    GWR provender wagons

    By Mikkel,


    Wagons
    In 1884 the GWR centralized the provision of provender, so that every stable block on the system received a regular supply by rail from the provender store at Didcot, typically every 1-2 weeks. The supplies consisted of hay, chaff, straw bedding and sacks of feed. The feed included oats, beans and maize, either pre-mixed or separate.
     
    The sizeable stable block at Farthing obviously needs a regular supply of feed and bedding, so two provender wagons have been made. I began with a diagram Q1, using the Coopercraft kit.
     

     
     
     
    The GWR only made a total of 12 dedicated provender wagons, in two slightly different lots of six. The Q1 kit represents the later batch, built in 1903 with diagonal bracing. They were very camera shy, the (cropped) image below is the only one I have seen so far.
     

     
     
     
    As usual, the build involved modifications. The Vee hanger on these wagons was significantly off-center, towards the right. The instructions don’t mention this. So both vees were cut off. The solebars need shortening, and the end brackets must therefore also come off. Here is the original solebar (top), and a modified one (below).
     

     
     
     
    Then, sides and ends. The locating pips for the floor were removed. They make the floor sit too low, and the solebars in turn end up beneath the headstocks.
     



     
    As provided, the brake gear does not take the off-center Vee into account, as this trial fit shows.
     

     
     
     
    So the brake gear was modified to suit. Looks a bit odd, but that's what the drawing and text in Atkins et al shows.
     

     
     
     
     The DC1 brake gear was made using parts from the  Bill Bedford etch (recently withdrawn). The buffers are from Lanarkshire Models.
     

     
     
     
    The built-up wagon in GWR wagon red, as it would have been painted when built in 1903.
     

     
     
     
    Apart from 12 purpose-built provender wagons, most of the GWR's provender was carried in numerous standard open wagons of all sorts. Several photos show them loaded improbably high. I decided to have a go at replicating this. This close crop, from a much larger shot from Vastern Rd yard at Reading, illustrates what I was aiming for.
     

     
     

    I set to work on some plumber’s hemp, cut fine and built up in layers on a foamboard box, using diluted PVA. Not the 9 o’clock news!
     

     
     

    Then sheets (a.k.a. tarps) were made, using my usual method. Ian’s superb sheets were re-numbered and printed on regular paper, then laminated with thin foil and varnished multiple times, before weathering. The result is a shell that can be easily shaped and supports it’s own weight (see this post).
     


     

    I designed the load to fit my 4-plankers. My initial plan was to have the entire load and sheeting detachable, in line with my normal approach. In this shot, the tarp and load are separate, but magnets hold them together and allow easy removal.
     

     
     

    However, with a high load like this I felt that the lack of roping looked odd. So I decided to see how it would feel to have permanent loads and sheets. I  recruited one of my 4-plankers and added roping and side-cords, using painted sewing thread.
     

     
     

    Indents were made in the sheeting by pressing the edge of a ruler into the paper/foil shell, in order to emulate the ropes pulling down the sheet.
     

     

    This is what I ended up with. Don’t look to closely at how the cords are tied at the ends. Photos of provender trains don’t show clearly whether and how they were used in a situation like this.
     
     
     

    Sometimes, the GWR used two sheets laid sideways instead, as illustrated in this cropped detail of a train of hay bales.
     

     
     

    I decided to do the same on my high-sided Q1 wagon. Here is the usual foil shell, this time composed of two sheets.
     

     
     

    For the roping and cords, I loosely followed the cropped image above.  I also tried to fold the sheets at the ends as per that photo, but gave up:  Try as I might, it just looked weird in 4mm scale. Another time maybe.
     

     
     
     
    The wagons together. The charm of everyday solutions versus boxy functional design.
     

     
     
     
    Here are a few photos of the wagons in action on the (unfinished) new layout. A Buffalo class arrives with the weekly delivery of provender. Conveniently, the stable block at Farthing happens to have a siding alongside.
     

     

    Meanwhile, Betty is having a drink in preparation for the morning round. Proper care of railway horses was a serious matter, though hardly for ethical reasons. Horses were a company asset and an important part of operations, so obviously needed good maintenance. 
     

     
     

    The loco has left, and the wagons are sat in the sidings. The camera has exaggerated the sheen.
     

     
     
     
    A close-up, warts and all. The mind struggles to accept that the hay wasn't completely covered over. There is room for improvement with the roping and cords, several lessons learnt there.
     

     

    I'd like to experiment more with the shaping of the sheets. Here I have made slight rounded indents along the bottom to avoid a straight line. Period photos show that, although sheets were pulled as taut as possible, there were still lots of wrinkles etc. 
     

     
     
    Despite these experiments, I’m still undecided about permanent loads and sheeting. To illustrate my doubt: It's the next day and the Buffalo class is back to pick up the provender wagons. But wait, what’s this? They are still full and sheeted! More thinking needed. It never ends.
     

     
     
     
  10. Mikkel

    Undecided sky (1867)

    By Mikkel,

    More "out of period" operation here. This time going back in time quite a bit. In fact, it seems they didn't even have flush-glazing back then .
     
     

    The year is 1867, and it is early days at Farthing station. Mr Crummles gently guides his wife towards the first class carriage, while Mr Doyce looks on in anticipation of the journey ahead.
     
     
     

    Mrs Crummles is somewhat apprehensive. It is only a few months since that dreadful accident at Warrington, and who knows what could happen?
     
     
     

    Meanwhile Mr Doyce, ever the optimist, studies the magnificent engine that will be whisking them to Salisbury. For him there was never any doubt: These fine machines have forever changed the world!
     
     
     

    Plucking up her courage, Mrs Crummles asks her husband one last time if he is quite sure that it is safe to get on?
     
     
     

    While the last passengers finally board the afternoon departure, an undecided sky develops over Farthing. For worriers and optimists alike, the future seems uncertain but exciting.
  11. Mikkel

    The station building: Walls and gables

    By Mikkel,


    Structures
    Here’s an update on Farthing’s main station building, modelled on the 1910 prototype at Newbury (see this post for details). This post summarizes work on the walls and gables. There have been other developments, will update on those later.

     


    Although the structure at Newbury is still with us there have been numerous detail changes over the years. Above is a selection of those I have spotted. Most changes appear to have been made after the station was built, so I’m going with the original GWR drawing.
     
     

     
    The GWR drawing was imported and re-drawn in Inkscape, allowing me to cut the brick sheets in my Silhouette cutting machine.
     
     


    The Silhouette can’t cut styrene deeper than 10 thou, so it essentially scribes the outline on the back of the brick sheet (not the front, too bumpy) and I then cut through with a scalpel. 
     
     
     
    The brick sheets are SEF. They aren’t ideal for the Newbury brickwork, I had planned to use Slater’s, but the first batch of Slater’s crumbled in my hands and the next batch didn’t cut well in the Silhouette.
     
     

     
    The outer “skin” for the sides were then ready.
     
     

     
    A first inner layer was added, using 1mm Foamex from Green Stuff World. The Silhouette cuts this well but again only partly through, so more scalpel work followed.
     
     
     
    The first layer of Foamex fitted behind the brick skin. I gave up replicating the prototype’s bullnose bricks and subtle profile around the window edges.  I did try, using good advice from RMwebbers, but couldn’t achieve a convincing look. 
     
     

     
    Instead, the brick edges around the windows were simply indicated by indenting the foam with a suitable tool from a scribing set. It’s the biggest compromise on the model but I can live with it.
     
     

     
    The basic sides and ends, a DIY kit of sorts.
     
     


    I then set about adding the Bath stone embellishments.  Here, different types of styrene rod have been joined to represent the profile of the lintel bands.
     
     


    The lintels were cut on my Silhouette, with decorative parts fashioned from triangular rod and small “V’s” cut from Evergreen sheet. 3D prints would have been more accurate, but I enjoy piecing things together on my own – despite the compromises.
     
     


    The prototype stone sills had an overhanging lip, replicated with laminated strips of styrene. Try not to get too excited by these riveting photos :-)
     
     


    The parts were sprayed with Plasti-kote primer, and later painted Dark Sand (Vallejo 70.847).
     
     

     
    The walls were painted using a new approach I hadn’t tried before. Will post separately on that.
     
     


    Next the roof bands were stuck on.

     


    Then the lintel- and sill bands were fitted (or is it “string courses”, my vocabulary fails me here).
     
     

     
    The plinth, with the blue bricks that were such a distinctive feature on 20th century GWR structures.
     

     
    And finally the lintels were stuck in place. I cheated as they should be flush with the brickwork, but that would have entailed some very tricky cutting of the SEF sheets which I think wouldn't have looked neat. The vertical ornaments help conceal the dodge.
     
     

     
    I then set about decorating the gables. Won’t take long, I thought.
     
     

     
    But there followed much faffing about with bits of styrene, combining various shapes to compose the ornamentation. 
     
     

     
    The faux gables including raised brick courses above the lintels, and the ornamentation coming together.
     
     


    The decorative “pinnacles” (what's the word?) were tricky, being hexagonal yet slim. I first fitted strips of brick sheet on a hexagonal Plastruct rod, but the thickness of the SEF sheets made them overscale.
     
     

     
    So instead I just scribed the hex rod directly to indicate mortar courses, as seen here. Far from perfect, but it blends in OK. Decorative balls were made from pinheads, stolen at night from my wife’s sewing table. She knows, but pretends not to.
     
     

     
    There were two gables, so it took a while. If deconstructed each gable would consist of 101 separate bits. Probably not unusual for a scratchbuild, it’s just that normally we don’t count!
     
     
     
    An overview of all the brick sides. My camera exaggerates the colours. A few final details (downpipes etc) will be added later.

     


    The Bath stone was looking a bit plain (bottom), so was lightly weathered (top), though the camera doesn't show it well. I want the structure to look new, i.e. within a few years of construction. [Note to self: Vallejo Pigments Natural Sienna 73.105 + MIG Panzer Grey Fading P035].
     
     

     
    At 83 cms this is the longest structure I have built. After years of happily snapping small layouts, I’m struggling with the photographic challenges of such a long structure.
     
     

     
    First passengers have arrived! (click image for larger size). I had planned to divide the structure into 2-3 separate sections for easy storage but am now thinking it’s easier to just build it as one whole unit.
     
     
     
    A dry run with all sides in place. The windows are almost ready to fit, and parts are being cut for the interior carcass. More on that later.
     
  12. Mikkel

    One morning long ago

    By Mikkel,


    Stories
    One morning long ago, an 1854 class shunted the Old Yard at Farthing.  
     
     
     


    The crew were slightly bored. Nothing much ever happened in the Old Yard. Just a handful of sidings.

     
     


    A carman (sic) watched them roll by, perched on his trolley (Birmingham pattern). The carmen at Farthing were famous for not using reins. 
     
     
     

     
    William Simmons was particularly skilled. Known as The Horse Whisperer, he worked without reins for 46 years and never had an accident. People did wonder why his rounds took so long. It turned out his whispers worked on women too.
     
     
     
     
     
    On the other side of the tracks, lad porter Herbert Pocket was busy cleaning the lamps.  
     
     
     

     
    Herbert had two goals in life: He wanted to drive locomotives, and he wanted to die like a hero.
     
     
     
     
     
    He was last seen in the Congo in 1924, hanging off the tender of a runaway loco. They say he was smiling.
     
     


     
    Meanwhile, porter Alfred Jingle watched the train draw closer.  The morning fog was thick as pea soup. He liked a good pea soup.
     
     
     
     
     
    As the wagons rolled past, Alfred tried to avoid eye contact with Thomas Grig up in the lamp. They hadn’t spoken since the lardy cake argument. They’d been friends for years, but you have to draw a line somewhere.
     
     
     

     
    Thomas, for his part, had other matters on his mind. A lamplighter for 26 years, he had so far scaled the lamps at Farthing 81.121 times.  He knew, because he counted. He counted, because secretly… 
      
     
     

     
    …Thomas had an intense fear of heights.
     
     
     

     
    When he finally retired, Thomas bought a one-storey cottage in Holme Fen, sawed the legs of all his furniture, and heaved a long sigh of relief.
     
     
     

     
    The train rumbled on through the pointwork. The unsheeted Open carried a shipment of Empty Promises. A local MP would pick it up later.
     
     
     

     
    Shunter John Redlaw changed the points to No. 3 siding.
     
     
     

     
    Known as "The Phantom" he had a manner of appearing from nowhere exactly when needed, only to disappear again as soon as the job was done.
     
     
     

     
    The loco propelled the wagons into the siding...
     
     
     

     
    ... towards the covered goods dock. 
     
     
     

     
    Goods porter Samuel Slumkey watched the wagons approach. 
     

     

     
    As a veteran of the Red River Rebellion, the Urabi Revolt and the Sikkim Expedition, Samuel had travelled to the ends of the earth.
     
     
     

     
    It turned out, however, that the real edge of the world was right here in Farthing.
     
     
     

     
    As the train came to a halt, the porters prepared to put in some heavy work.
     
     
     

     
    Not Tom Roker though. Comfortably seated on his favourite barrow, he always found an excuse for not working. In fairness, whilst sat there thinking he invented a universal vaccine, a waterless crop, and an unlimited supply of clean energy. He never wrote it down though. He couldn’t be bothered. 
     
     

     
     
    As the crew prepared to pull back, George Rouncewell said good morning. Not to the crew, but to the loco. He often spoke to the locos.
     
     
     

     
    They all thought he was potty, but George had his reasons. He had worked ten years in the A shop in Swindon, before an errant bar of hot iron put a stop to it.
     
     
     

     
    So these weren’t just locomotives, they were old friends.  He would even order pints for them at the pub. And drink it all. On their behalf, you understand.
     
     
     

     
    Uncoupled, the loco backed away, leaving the wagons behind.
     
     
     

     
    As they drove off, bunker first, the driver said: “Staff here seem quiet today”.
     
     
     

     
    “Yep”, said the fireman, “Bit of a dull lot”.
     
     
    ***
     
    PS: Most of the figures have been modified, some extensively. The captions are all true, only the facts have been changed.
     
     
  13. Mikkel

    Regrettable incident at 3 PM

    By Mikkel,


    Stories
    Over the years I’ve gathered a small collection of anecdotes and photos that document quirky situations and customs on the real-life railway. The idea is to re-enact them in model form while the glue dries on other projects. The Slipper Boy story was one attempt at this, although admittedly that one got a bit out of hand!
     
    Here’s another, simpler one.  First, the props:
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     
    *****
     
    Clear as mud, I suspect! Here’s what it’s all about:
     
    Railway Magazine, January 1906:
     

     
     
    Just another incident on the everyday railway, but we can’t allow this stuff to be forgotten! Below is an attempt to re-enact it in my Farthing setting. I’ll see if it works without words:
     
     

     
     
     

     
     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     
    *****
     
    That was the event as reported.  But I wonder what happened afterwards? All those tasty eels, and no ice left to keep them fresh... A quick discussion among the staff, perhaps, to find a solution?
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     
    🙂
     
    *****
     
    PS: I couldn’t find a period description of exactly how live eel were transported in Edwardian days, so the container seen here is loosely based on a 1970 FAO publication which documents a method that does not seem out of place in earlier days:
     
    "Live eels can be transported in small quantities in tray-boxes […]. A typical wooden tray-box contains four lift-out trays about 50mm deep, each designed to hold about 10kg of eels graded according to size. The top tray is usually filled with crushed ice so that cold melt water trickles down through the eels during the journey to keep them cool and lively. […] Each tray has drain holes and is divided across the middle to make a total of eight compartments holding about 5kg each, that is about 40kg for the whole box. The lid of the box is nailed on, and the whole is steel-banded both to prevent pilferage and to prevent the eels escaping through the joints. Boxes of this type are used successfully for live transport not only within the UK but also for 24-hour journeys from the Continent with little or no loss."
     

     
    Source: http://www.fao.org/3/x5915e/x5915e01.htm#Live storage and transport
     
  14. Mikkel
    I’m building an 1854 Pannier Tank for Farthing in ca. 1919 condition, using a modified Hornby 2721 body, a Bachmann 57xx chassis and various parts from SEF and Brassmasters. Pure it is not. The project has been described on occasion in my workbench thread, but in a fragmented manner. This post summarizes progress to date. Prepare for many close-ups of green plastic 🙂
     
    Background
     

     
    It's a bit of a nostalgia project. I wanted to do something with the old Hornby 2721,  a model I've had a liking for since first seeing it in the magical Hornby 1980 catalogue at the tender age of 11. Note the "X", it was high on my wish list back then. When I finally got one several decades later the running was a disappointment. So it went to sleep in The Big Box of Lost Souls, until I decided to bring it back to life.
     
     

     
    The original plan was to make a backdated 2721, but along the way I decided to do the outwardly very similar 1854 PT class instead. The components I'm using match an 1854 PT a bit better, including the plain Bachmann conrods and the absence of visible springs behind the Hornby splashers (a feature of the 2721s).  The 1854s were also a bit more widely dispersed during the period in question. Above, I have plotted the 1921 allocations of the 1854s and 2721s into Google Maps. See details below this post.
     
    So the goal is a pragmatic 1854 PT in ca. 1919 condition, a period I have a growing interest in. Ironically I have yet to find a 1919 photo of an 1854 PT. Instead I'm extrapolating from early 1920s photos (including a couple on the gwr.org.uk pannier page), and drawings in the Finney/Brassmasters kit instructions and Russell's "Pictorial Record of Great Western Engines" Vol 1. Thanks to Brassmasters for making their instructions freely available, I try to repay by purchasing fittings from them. The RCTS "Locomotives of the GWR" part 5 is a key reference. Jim's book "An Introduction to Great Western Locomotive Development" has also been useful.
     
     
    Chassis and body
     

     
    I’m using a Bachmann 57xx/8750 chassis for the project.  Various chassis versions exist, including 32-200 (left) and 31-900 (right). I’m using the former, which is shorter and lower. 
     
     

     
    Closer look at the chassis. The weight block has been removed to test the fit. Later it went back on.
     
     

     
    The Bachmann chassis and Hornby body. There are various well-known issues with the Hornby 2721. Hornby used a Jinty chassis, and so the splashers don’t line up with the more correctly dimensioned Bachmann chassis. The frames and bunker are also too long, and there’s no daylight under the boiler. The chimney is appealing, but wrong shape.
     
     

     
    I disassembled the body and was surprised to see that the tank/boiler top is a separate component, well disguised under the handrail.
     
     
    Butchery
     

     
    The first job was to get some light under the boiler/panniers. I used a scalpel, scoring repeatedly along the edges of the moulded sides with a used blade, then eventually cutting through with the tip of a sharp new blade.
     
     

     
    And there was light. 
     
     

     
    Then the interior was cut, carved and hacked about until the chassis was a good fit along the sides and ends. The photo is early on in the process, a good deal of material was removed.
     
     

     
    The chassis and modified body. There’s ample room for the Bachmann weight block, so that was re-fitted.
     
     
     

    The backhead was cut away to allow room for the gears. The motor does protrude a bit into the cab, but will disappear behind a new backhead.
     
     

     
    From the side.
     
     
    Footplate
     

     
    The Hornby body is too long for both an 1854 and a 2721. This is in fact the 2721 drawing from when that was the aim, but the principle is the same for the 1854.
     
     

     
    So I shortened the footplate by about 2,5 mm at each end, doing cut-and-shut.
     
     
    Splashers
     

     
    The center splashers, being out of line, were then attacked along with the toolbox.
     
     

     
    The incorrectly positioned toolboxes, half-relief injectors, and very low sandboxes were also chopped off.
     
     

     
    I considered scratch building the replacement splashers as per my Dean Goods rebuild, but wasn’t in the mood. So I dug out a broken old Finecast 1854 that came with an ebay job lot. 
     
     


    The Finecast splashers were cut off, cleaned up and fitted to the Hornby footplate.  There are no rear splashers on the Hornby body, so these were also fitted. Will fit bands to the front splasher later.
     
     
    Bunker and Backhead
     


     For the bunker I again turned to the old Finecast 1854…
     
     

     
     …and cleaned up the parts as best I could.
     
     


     The 1854s and 2721s had the same frame and cab width, so in theory the 1854 bunker should be a direct match, but it was too narrow. I thought the Hornby body must be wrong, but checking the measurements again showed that the Finecast bunker isn’t as wide as it should be. Food for thought!
     


    Anyway, I rebuilt the bunker with styrene panels. Later, plated coal rails were fitted. The original Hornby weight block was filed to suit. Along with the weight block on the Bachmann chassis, the loco now runs quite nicely.
     


    The worm and gears were concealed using an old Bachmann backhead, moved slightly back and with a raised section of cab floor beneath it. I’ve done this before, once the crew are fitted I don't notice it.
     
     
    Beneath the tanks
     


    The Hornby balance pipe is a blob one each side of the motor block, so I made some new blobs.
     
     

     
    New firebox sides and rear tank supports (adapted to allow room for the injectors) were also made. Drawings of 1854 and 2721 PTs show the balance pipe fitted just behind the front splasher, but photos suggest that they were soon relocated to a position nearer the center of the tanks. So that’s what I have done.
     
     

     
    Removal of the “skirts” on the Hornby body exposes the Bachmann motor and lets too much light in. Strips of brass sheet were curved, painted and fitted each side to hide the motor.  Testing for shorts showed no problems.
     
     
    Fittings
     


    The Hornby tank top isn’t that bad, but the chimney (odd shape), tank fillers (too small) and grab rails (moulded lump) had to go. I'm wondering what the small pipes/cables running along the top are for, and when they were fitted.
     
     
     

    The chimney was sawn off, and the tank fillers removed (vertical slices in both directions, followed by a parallel cut along the bottom). The bluetack is for protecting details.
     
     


    Finney/Brassmasters chimney from the 1854/2721 kit, the rest is from Alan Gibson. 
     
     

     
    Dry fit of the Finney chimney and tank fillers. The safety valve cover is so far an RTR item, can’t seem to find the appropriate shape in brass. I'm confused about the chimney position, forward or center on smokebox? I'm aiming for a pre-superheated version, but despite good photos on gwr.org.uk, I can't work out what it implies in my case.
     
     

     
    Tank vents from bits of filed styrene, seen here with the Alan Gibson tank fillers.
     
     
    Smokebox
     

     
    The front also needed work. As it comes, the Hornby body has a Churchward pressed steel front. I rather like it.
     
     

     
    But pre-1920 tank smokebox fronts tended to be plain, so it was all sanded away. Difficult, and it shows. A ring was added to the smokebox door, not quite the dished look but better than nothing. Alan Gibson door darts fitted, and new steps from scrap bits of brass.
     
     
    Tank and cab sides
     

     
    Pannier tanks fitted before ca. 1917 were flush-riveted. After that they were snap head rivetted (1917-1924) and then had welded seams (after 1924).  I decided that my loco was fitted with panniers before 1917, and therefore sanded away the Hornby rivets. That took the shine off her!
     
     

     
    The lower cabsides are too narrow on the Hornby body, so these have been extended. This photo also shows the plated coal rails on the bunker (which is still loose).
     


    After a hiatus the project is now on the move again. I'm making a new cab roof and have started fitting details. More on that later. Thanks to all who helped with info and advice. 
     
    For part 2 see: 
     
  15. Mikkel
    Farthing, 1904. With a rising sense of panic, Goods Porter E. Sparkler stared at the pigeon baskets he had just knocked over.
     
     
     

     
    A lid had opened, and the pigeons were escaping.
     
     
     

     
    The pigeons soon scattered around the goods yard.
     
     
     

     
    They were white show pigeons, en route to a prestigious event at the London Philoperisteron Society.
     
     
     

     
    One of the pigeons flew into the goods depot.
     
     
     

     
    At first it flew aimlessly about...
     
     

     
    ...then the clouds parted, the depot filled with light and the pigeon seemed suddenly to know where it was going.
     
     
     

     
    It settled on a roof truss, and immediately relieved itself of a huge dropping…
     
     
     

     
    …which fell right into the paperwork…..
     
     
     

     
    …of Goods Checker J. Vemmick.
     
     
     

     
    As he hurried to restore his notes, Vemmick unknowingly made a mistake: He recorded a crate as loaded, although in fact it was not.
     
     
     

     
    As a result the crate was left behind, and despite the best intentions of the GWR goods handling system….
     
     
     

     
    …the crate ended up in a forgotten corner of the depot, where it remained lost…
     
     
     

     
    …for 58 years. The crate was finally found in 1962, when BR pulled down the old goods depot. A scrupulous clerk decided to forward the crate to its original destination. With passing interest, he noted that it was addressed to the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg.
     
     

     
    After a circuitous route and numerous security checks, the crate eventually landed on the desk of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, who at that time was in the middle of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
     
     

     
    Upon opening the crate, Khrushchev found 15 bottles of Welsh wine labelled “Castell Coch, 1904”. The bottles were accompanied by a card, hardly decipherable after all those years. It said: "From the Marquess of Bute to Tsar Nicholas II, with compliments".
     
     
     

     
    "Well!" thought Kruschchev, "the Tsar is long gone, but that wine looks tempting!" And so he shared a glass with his staff. They stood there tasting it, then burst out laughing: The wine was terrible! Quite simply horrific! Khruschev immediately relaxed: If this lousy wine was all the West had to show, what was there to fear? The West would destroy itself, this awful British wine proved it! He might as well end this whole Cuba crisis thing. He sat down and drafted a letter to Kennedy.
     
     

     
    The rest is history. The Cuban missile crisis was over, and the two Presidents congratulated each other on their cool heads and statesmanship: They had spared the world an all-out war.
     
     
     

     
    But on that morning in 1904, Goods Porter E. Sparkler knew nothing of all this. He just stood there among the escaping pigeons, cursing his clumsiness. "Why", he thought, "can I never do anything right?"
     
     

     
    He was wrong of course, he had saved the world, but no one knew. No one except maybe a certain white pigeon. For many years afterwards it could be seen in the goods depot, flying at night, happy to have escaped.
  16. Mikkel

    Copenhagen to Penzance by rail

    By Mikkel,


    Misc.
    Back in June I had some work to do in London. I live in Copenhagen, so a devious plan was hatched to extend the work trip with some time off for railways and family. I even managed to do a bit of research for the Farthing layouts.
     
     

     
    I went by rail to London. It was 16 hours on 5 trains, but I enjoyed the views and got most of a day’s work done on the laptop.
     
     

     
    Early departure from Copenhagen Central at 5.44. No rush to the airport hours before, no security checks, no queues, no boarding hassles. Loved it.
     
     


    We crossed the belts from Zealand to Funen and then to Jutland. Part of me misses the old ferry crossings with the coaches on board, but the bridges are certainly faster.

     


    I got off at Fredericia, an important Danish junction. While waiting for my connection I watched the trains divide for different destinations in Jutland.
        
     


    A lengthy car train had come up from Germany. Quite a fortune here.
     
     

     
    Modern day shunter at work.
     
     


    Then on to Germany and Hamburg. I’d chosen an itinerary that gave me 45-90 minutes at each interchange. It avoids the stress of small delays and allows time for a quick bite or drink.
     
     

     
    That proved a good idea. In Hamburg the schedules are tight and platform space limited. There was a 15 minute delay and we went through a series of “platform hopping” exercises. I watched a tired and rather sarcastic train manager on the platform:
     
    Passenger: “What platform for the train to Bremen?”
    Train manager: “It has just been announced”
    Passenger: “Yes but we couldn’t hear it”
    Train manager: “Then you must listen better”.
     
     

     
    Next was Cologne, with its light airy feel and the iconic advert for “Echt Kölnisch Wasser” on the end wall. There’s a lovely vibe to these big German stations in summertime.
     
     

     
    But for some it’s just work of course!
     
     


    Then on to Bruxelles Midi (French), a.k.a. Brussel Zuid (Flemish). I liked the large destination board, no tiny screens here!
     
     


    Next the Eurostar, my first trip. TBH I was a bit disappointed, a dull interior and the Chunnel completely dark. No starched uniforms, no silverware, no sips of champagne. Oh well.
     
     


    St Pancras made up for it though, sleek and modern yet carrying history forward.
     
     


    Outside St Pancras, the old Midland hotel beckoned. Fat chance on my budget! I headed for my drab little hotel nearby, with a tiny basement room where you could hear the Tube rumbling by. At least it felt real.
     
     

     
    Next morning I had a few hours before work began, so took a walk and paid my respects to the other termini in the area.
     
     

     
    King’s Cross first.
     
     


    I liked the architecture here, those arches mix aesthetics and function so well. Good looking trains too.
     
     


    I’m a steam type but can appreciate modern stock, and Kings Cross was full of it this morning. 
     
     


    The booking hall also works well, I think. 

     


    Then, er, Euston. 
     
     


    Good idea.
     
     


    But I enjoyed the outside seating area. I understand there was quite a commotion when the old station was demolished. No wonder.
     
     


    The stone lodges are among the last remains of the old Euston. The station names are a nice touch. It's now a pub, but sadly too early for beer.
     
     


    After a week of work I had a weekend + two days off, and duly headed for Paddington.
     
     

     
    They say that time travel is impossible. But sometimes if you pause and squint a little…
     
     

     
    … it is not so difficult. (Source: Getty Images).
     
     
     


    Nice trains too.
     
     


    When at Paddington I have a tradition: A Cornish pasty and a mag from Smiths. After a long absence it was nice to repeat it - though I doubt that the Kernow fraternity on here would approve of mass-produced pasty!
     
     


    I headed West, stopping first at Reading to see if anything remained of the old goods yards there.
     
     

     
    I was especially interested in Vastern Road Yard, photos of which I have often pored over. The tree-lined perimeters provided inspiration for the goods yards at Farthing. (Source: Britain from Above).
     
     


    Well, there are still trees. The rest is a shopping center and car park. Such dazzling ingenuity.
     
     


    I looked for the site of an atmospheric photo that appears in the excellent GWRJ articles on Reading goods workings by Chris Turner and John Copsey (Nos 81 and 82). 
     
     


    The view today. Ho-hum.
     
     


    Further down the road, the old King’s Meadow Goods Yard is now an office/ industrial estate. But the bridge that carried the GWR over the connecting line to the SECR remains.
     
     

     
    A Google Earth view of the bridge. Seemingly the connecting line to the SECR is still there. I couldn't spot the track from the ground though, has it been recently lifted/re-arranged?
     
     

     
    Anyway, here’s one for @Compound2632, who has an interest in the Huntley & Palmer’s biscuit factory. If I’m not mistaken this is the “Biscuit Tunnel” through which the factory sidings connected to the GWR yards.
     
     

     
    The tunnel can be seen from the other side here, in 1928. Huntley and Palmer’s at the front, with the outer reaches of King’s Meadow yard top left. (Source: Britain from Above). 

     
     
    And then it was Newbury. I started my model of Newbury's main station building during the pandemic, so it was quite an occasion to finally arrive here.
     
     

     
    We pulled into the old Didcot bay and I alighted from our set of clerestory coaches.
     
     

     
    Oh sorry, wrong century. Here we are in 2023. Same bay platform, though the footbridge disappeared recently to make way for the OLE.
     
     

     
    Newbury station was rebuilt to this condition during 1908-1910, with through lines in the center and loop lines along the platforms.
     
     
     
    The core of the layout is still there, as are the main station buildings and original canopies.
     
     


    I spent a pleasant couple of hours photographing the station for my model. 
     
     


    The station buildings have been through major refurbishment recently, and the approach is still being developed.
     
     

    The canopy is a standard design used elsewhere on the GWR.
     
     


    The supports can be found in the Ratio GWR canopy kit, seen kit-bashed here at Farthing.
     
     


    The buildings may look intact but have seen multiple detail changes over the years. This, for example, is the front of the old tea rooms, next to the refreshment rooms. The window on the right has been blanked out, the other windows are modern, and until very recently there was no door here.
     
     
     

     
    I took many nerdy photos. Let me know if anyone wants the rest. My build has benefited greatly from photos shared by others, thanks again gents!
     
     

     
    I walked up the embankment. These are the Lambourne and Winchester bays (left and right) in their heyday. (Source: LVR website).
     
     

     
    The view today. Both bays gone. At least the biodiversity benefits!
     
     


    The old GWR spear railings still linger. Note nonconformist pattern top right. A replacement? Model that!
     
     


    I said goodbye with a coffee and cake from the café, still housed in the old 1910 refreshment rooms. One hundred and thirteen years of munching and slurping, right here.
     
     


    I then met up with mum. She turned 90 this year and I invited her on a trip to Cornwall. After visiting old friends Up North she joined me on the GWR to Penzance.
     
     


    Along the way we enjoyed the breathtaking views and glorious blue skies, enhanced by the spotlessly clean carriage windows.
     
     


    Then reached the fabled Penzance, bang on time.
     
     


    The next three days were spent exploring the delights of Cornwall, staying in some wonderful B&Bs.  Everyone knows how Land's End looks, so here's a shot of the fish & chips at Sullivan's, just across from Penzance station.
     
     

     
    Luckily mum enjoys a scenic train ride, so St Erth-St Ives was a must.
     
     

     
    The semaphores at St Erth were a complete surprise to me. I had no idea that they were still operational.
     
     


    Great stuff .
     
     

     
    The box at St Erth, built 1899.
     
     

     
    We also visited the Helston Railway. 
     
     

     
    I was intrigued by the forest environment at Prospidnick where the line starts, a lovely atmosphere. This is, I think, BR Mk1 suburban brake No. E43147.
     
     

     
    Hauling power was 0-6-0 No. 2000. 
     
     

     
    Class 127 coach No. 51616 at Truthall Halt. The line ends here, but extension to Helston is planned. As always, I’m full of admiration for the preservation movement.
     
     


    Changing the lamps for the return trip. I’ll end the tale here too. It was a great journey, though time was short. Isn't it always.
     
     
  17. Mikkel
    My 1854 class open cab Pannier Tank in ca. 1919 condition is now done. To recap, it’s a heavily modified Hornby 2721 body on a Bachmann 8750 chassis, using modified Finecast parts, Finney/Brassmasters fittings and various scratchbuilt items.  Here is a summary of the last part of the build (see this post for earlier steps).
     
     


    The bunker uses modified Finecast sides. Plated coal rails from wire and styrene. DIY fire iron hooks, and lamp irons from a Brassmasters etch.
     
     

     
    Cab windows were given a profile using circles of styrene cut on my Silhouette. 
     
     
     
     
    The cab roof on the Hornby 2721 body was retained but sanded down, including the strips along the sides which make the roof look thick and the cab too high. New slimmer raintrips were added, following the pattern seen on the prototype.

     

     
    The cab was pragmatically detailed with various bits from the spares box and springs nests from Brassmasters as used in the Finney 1854PT kit.
     
     

     
    Splasher bands cut from styrene were added to the front splashers, which are the only ones retained from the original Hornby 2721 body. 
     
     

     
    Steam injector from Alan Gibson, IIRC. Center and rear splashers are from an old Finecast kit.
     
     
     
    The chimney from Brassmasters was then fitted, as used in the ex-Finney 1854 PT kit. Safety valve cover and bunker only loose fitted at this point, hence the lean.
     
     

     
    The dome lubricator is also from Brassmasters.
     
     

     
    Alan Gibson buffers, with white styrene for the square bit on top. Sand boxes are off a Mainline Dean Goods, I think.
     
     

     
    The lamp irons are from this neat little Finney/Brassmasters etch.
     
     

     
    This shot illustrates the ungodly mix of RTR components, whitemetal parts, finescale fittings, and scratchbuilt bits and pieces.
     
     

     
    All grey primer from a rattle can. 
     
     

     
    Then various filling and sanding, followed by Archer’s rivets which I find bond better when fitted on primer. Micro-Sol was later used to “melt” away the decal paper.
     
     

     
    Next a base coat of matt black, to add depth to the top coats.
     
     

     
    Top coat and two coats of varnish. Cab windows glazed with 4.4 mm circles of 0.25 mm clear styrene. Flat base safety valve bonnet is from the old Mainly Trains range, happily still available from 51L. 
     
     

     
    Medium handrail knobs and wire from Eileen’s Emporium, which sadly had to close shop recently. We owe suppliers like them a lot.
     
     


    Coaling with diluted PVA and a drop of detergent. The rush is sensational!
     
     

     
    Kernow MRC do a nice etch of fire irons. They are the long variety, so I shortened them and stuck the shafts behind the business end.
     
     

     
    Photos tend to show fire irons fitted with the rings around the left hand hook, presumably for easy reach by the fireman. Couldn’t find a decent bucket in my spares box, does anyone know a source for buckets that are actually hollow? 
     
     

     
    Loco lamps are from Modelu. These are actually tail lamps, but they’re what I had for now. This is the 1918-36 headlamp code for a class K ordinary goods. Must include some lenses with the next order.
     
     

     
    The number plates were purpose-made from Narrow Planet/Light Railway Stores. They are very good.
     
     

     
    Footplate crew also from Modelu. Both were too tall to go in the cab, so the driver’s legs were shortened while the fireman has a new set of legs off an Andrew Stadden figure. You can’t see their legs behind the cab sides anyway.
     
     

     
    That’s about it. Screw couplings are on order from Wizard Models.
     
     

     
    I like my locos clean, but I suppose I ought to give this one a light weathering?
     
     


    No. 1899 is part of a scheme to expand my Edwardian timeframe to allow occasional 1919 workings on my Farthing layouts. Allows me to build more goods stock from other companies, since it’s post-pooling.
     
     

     
    The main work done. No doubt someone will release a brand new RTR version shortly (@RapidoCorbs& Co. maybe?). But I enjoyed the process.
     
     


    And so at last I have an open cab pannier, 42 years after the Hornby 1980 catalogue triggered the itch with their 2721 class. 
     
    Speaking of years, there's a new one looming. So I've dug out this old photo. Happy New Year!
     

     
     
  18. Mikkel

    A Pantechnicon for Farthing

    By Mikkel,


    Horse-drawn
    A horse-drawn furniture removal van has appeared at Farthing. The kit is a reborn Gem product, marketed under the John Day Models label alongside other re-introduced whitemetal ranges. It’s all run by Daryle Toney who is very helpful (no connection).
     
     

     
    The main parts are a fair fit. As usual I used Loctite Gel to stick it together. Unlike most superglues it does not require a perfect join to bond well.
     
     

     
    Some parts did require fettling. This is the front of the van. I filed the sides a bit and shortened the supporting bracket.
     
     
     
    Coming together. It’s quite a beast. If Wikipedia is to be trusted, Pantechnicons ranged from 12-18 ft in length. That’s 49-72 mms in 1:76 scale. The kit is 67 mms long. It’s also quite tall, more so than the common types seen in photos.
     
     


    For some reason the parts for the end section get in the way of each other, so required a bit of work. First the brackets on the end panels were shortened, using the “Salami method”.
     
     

     
    The lower floor casting doesn’t line up with the end panels. The instructions suggest shortening the panels, but after consulting prototype photos I chose instead to saw off bits of the floor casting itself. 
     
     
     
    This allowed everything to line up nicely, with a section of styrene employed as gap filler. 
     
     


    I then entombed the ghost of Mrs X in the van. Mother of a childhood classmate, she once tore into me for spilling cocoa on her sofa. It wasn’t my fault, her son pushed me, but she wouldn’t listen. I hereby condemn her to travel forever in this empty furniture van, with not even a pillow to sit on.
     
     

     
    Two padlocks seal her fate. Goodbye Mrs X, nobody messes with a railway modeller.
     
     


    I couldn’t find room to fit the rear springs properly, so cut a notch in them for the axle.
     
     

     
    You can’t see the dodge once the wheels are on.  I would have preferred slimmer wheels but couldn’t find appropriate replacements. Filing the spokes rarely leads to good results, so I’ll live with it.
     
     

     
    A simple piece of plastikard prevents the fore-carriage from dropping off, while still being free to rotate.
     
     
     
    The driver’s seat was filed to a more discrete size. Judging by preserved Pantechnicons, it was actually more common for the driver to sit on the roof, but I did find one or two photos with a lower seat.
     
     

     
    Bits of 0.45mm wire were added for arm rests and supports. The foot-rest was raised a bit to match the driver. Forgot to scribe it but managed it later.
     
     
     
    The shafts are fitted with bits of wire, which plug into holes in the fore-carriage.
     
     

     
    The horse is included in the kit. The driver is a seated passenger from Andrew Stadden’s range. 
     
     

     
    At this point I was confronted by a delegation from United British Draught-horses for Liberty and Equine Defence (UNBRIDLED). They informed me in no uncertain neighs that a large Pantechnicon requires at least two horses.
     
     

     
    So I hastily fashioned a two-horse drawbar...
     
     

     
    ...and ordered a couple of Shire horses from Dart Castings.
     
     

     
    Fearing further industrial action, I added some steps and grab handles for the driver. Then primed the whole thing.
     
     


    Next, the livery. The prototypes were often extensively lettered.
     
     

     
    And colourful. I normally go for subdued colours, but it’s been a dreary winter and I felt like a bit of Rock & Roll, so took inspiration from this striking example.
     
     

     
    I spent some time drawing up various designs in Microsoft Word, which has more options for sizing and spacing text than is at first apparent.
     
     

      
    The curves were made to fit by importing a photo of the model into Inkscape, drawing the appropriate curves and then copying the shapes back into Word.
     
     
     
    I printed selected designs on paper, sprayed them with matt primer to protect the colours, and cut them with a fresh blade. Paper is of course a bit crude compared to DIY transfers, but it’s straightforward and you can test designs directly on the model. @kirtleypete has even used it for locos.
     
     

     
    The van was painted yellow and black, and the paper then mounted with a thin layer of lightly diluted PVA.  
     

     
    Final details included a driver’s handwheel for the brakes, plus tarps, rope and other rooftop clutter. 
     


     
    I added some chains from Cambrian Models and finished off with MIG weathering powders. The odd-looking loading flap is prototypical, if rather chunky.
     
     

     
    I also fitted chains to the Shire horses, mounted with a wire loop drilled into the harness. Looks like the Oryx wants in on their gig, probably an agent from DISRUPT (Dissident Ruminants for Progressive Transport).
     
     

     
    As usual, there are no reins. My layouts are set up and dismantled all the time, so the normal solutions – e.g. fuse wire - are just not practical. What I need is something thin yet robust enough to fit quickly with a pair of tweezers. Ideas welcome.
     
     
     
     
    As you can see, Bailey & Sons’ strategy was to locate their offices at railheads along the Berks & Hants line. This worked well and the company grew to become one of the major removal firms in the area.
     
     

     
    Yet for Mr Bailey, Senior - lover of all things yellow – it was a source of constant irritation that his horses didn’t match his vans. 
     
     


    Eventually Mr Bailey proposed to dye the horses yellow. 
     
     

     
    But his sons - brought up in a sickening sea of yellow - finally rebelled and said no, father, enough now.

     
  19. Mikkel

    GWR horse-drawn trolley

    By Mikkel,

    Here’s another horse-drawn vehicle for my goods depot, this time a scratchbuilt light trolley in the GWR’s “Birmingham” style. The model was built from styrene and bits in my spares box, with wheels bought in from Langley.
     
    Drawings and photos suggest that there was a bewildering amount of detail variation within this basic type. I based my model on a drawing on page 241 of P. Kelley's "Great Western Road Vehicles", which was built in several lots. Another almost identical version can be seen on page 243 of the same volume. Various photos of the trolleys in action at Hockley can be seen here, although my particular version is closer to one depicted at Slough on page 38 of "GWR Goods Services" Part 2A.
     
     
     

     
    The vehicles had a protective canvas cover over the driver which could be extended backwards over the load in wet weather. The canvas was held by hoops over the seat, which – unlike many other goods delivery vehicles – seem to have been permanently fitted. In typical old-world fashion, these otherwise mundane vehicles had moulded panels along the sides. I fashioned the latter from strips of Evergreen - could've done with a Silhouette cutter there!
     
     
     

     
    The wheels were a bit of a problem. The closest I could find were Langley’s 12mm wheels. These are 0.9 mm too small and have 11 spokes where they should have 12. In the end I compromised and used them. If I find better wheels I'll replace them. The springs are modified leftovers from Coopercraft wagon kits.
     
     
     

     
    The fore carriage and shafts were a nice little puzzle to build. The drawing does not clearly show the type of shafts used. The GWR used several varieties, with designs becoming simpler over the years. To cut a long story short, I chose the graceful “curvy” style of the earlier types.
     
     
     

     
    Main parts assembled and ready for painting.
     
     
     

     
    Lettering presented the usual problem when you need non-standard sizes. Photos of trolleys from the 1900s show some with serif lettering, some with sans serifs. Some have numbers at the front, others at the rear. I eventually used HMRS Hawksworth coach lettering (!), which is a compromise but not too far off for sans serif lettering. I've only just noticed the broken spoke - a fault in the casting it seems.
     
     

     
    The weather sheet fitted. Again there was variety on the prototypes. On some vehicles the sheet extended all the way down over the sides, on others it stopped short above the deck. The sheet was fashioned from a wagon tarpaulin from the Smiths range, turned over to hide the lettering.
     
     
     

     
    Final detailing included adding a few bits of this fine chain which I've only recently discovered. It is imported by Cambrian Models and has the great advantage of being pre-blackened. It is 33 links per inch, and can be obtained from Cambrian themselves or by internet order from H&A Models (I have no connection to either).
     
     
     

     
    For horse power, I chose the recently introduced "feathered" Vanner from Dart, seen here on the left together with a mate from Shirescenes for comparison. As always with figures, I prefer relaxed/calm poses - and I liked the way the Vanner was bending its head down. The bucket was fashioned from bits in the spares box. Keeping draught horses in good shape was taken very seriously, and photos show them both feeding and drinking while waiting at goods depots (eg here).
     
     
     

     
    So that's about it. It's been interesting to scratchbuild this vehicle and thereby learn about the design of these vehicles. Sometimes doing a small project like this can bring as much satisfaction (and challenge!) as a whole layout, I think.
     
     
     

     
    For a couple of other scratchbuilt GWR horse-drawn vehicles, see Jerry Clifford's lovely little vehicles, and Beachcomber Bob's dray here on RMweb.
  20. Mikkel
    I thought it was about time that I finished my Dean Goods, so here it is virtually done.
     
     
     

     
    It has taken an awfully long time to do, although in fairness it has been resting untouched for long periods while I worked on other projects.
     
     
     

     
    The loco has the original twin flywheel Oxford mechanism that came with the lined pre-grouping version. Mine is a very smooth runner, which is why I found the project worthwhile in the first place. Indeed I've bought another one at a sale, which also runs very well.
     
    Below is a summary of the main steps since the first post on the project, with some further photos of the completed item towards the end.
     
    Cab
     

     
    The cab floor and interior splashers were built up from styrene.
     
     
     

     
    A cut-out was required in order to clear the motor when fitting the body.
     
     
     

     
    The cab detail is a bit quick and dirty. I found a backhead in the spares box, spruced it up a bit and moved it 0.5 mms into the cab to clear the motor. It’s too low, but don’t tell anyone. The raised floor section in the right hand side of the cab can be seen on No. 2516 at Steam, but I’m not sure if it was there in the 1900s? According to Martin Finney, cab seats were a later feature so I didn’t fit any.
     
     
     

     
    Brassmasters have some lovely Finney fittings for the cab, but I wanted to save my pennies, so modified the Oxford lever and springs to look a bit more accurate.
     
     
     

     
    The cab side beading was made from 5 thou strips, cut on my Portrait and curved gently with my warm and healing fingers. Stuck down with Limonene and secured by rolling a brush handle against it.
     
     
     

     
    Further beading and handrails were made from wire. 
     
     
     

     
    The cab roof was built up with four laminated layers, here are the first two (10 + 5 thou).
     
     
     

     
    And the uppermost two (2 x 5 thou). 
     
     
     

     
    The join between cab and boiler was also built up piecemeal, very close to the spectacles as per my prototype. 
     
     
    Fittings
     

     
     Handrails were fitted using my well established formula: "Measure once, drill thrice !".
     
     
     


    Boiler washout plugs from Coast Line Models. Alan appears to have temporarily withdrawn these, I hope they’ll return. 
     

     

     
    I fashioned a new reversing lever, and fitted a loco jack from the Broad Gauge Society.
     
     
     
     
    Photos of the uprights on which loco jacks were mounted during this period are rare, here's a crop from an image I found (left). Also a standing version, which I suspect was an earlier arrangement.
     

     
     
     The curvy “piano lid” cylinder cover was a feature of some locos during the short smokebox period. They were sometimes left in open position while running! Fittings on the smokebox side were cobbled up from bits of brass. 
     
     
    Chassis
     

     
    The loco chassis required very little modification, which means it can be easily replaced in case of a major failure. However, an indication of the ash pan and nearby components was needed. So I nicked Coachmann’s idea and made a simple screw-on unit.
     
     
     

     
    Later the ashpan was painted and Archer's rivets applied.
     
     
    Tender
     

      
    The Oxford tender is generally a good representation of the 2500 gallon variant, but various mods were needed to backdate it to 1900s condition. First, the fenders were cut off using a scalpel, and the area was filed clean.
     
     
     
     
     
    The protecting plates at the rear and front were too high for my 1900s prototype, and were therefore filed down to appropriate height and shape.
     
     
     

     
    I left the casing for the water filler untouched. Subsequent discussions suggest that the shape may have been different during this period - but I will leave it for now.
     
     
     

     
    Next up were the coal rails. I first tried cutting some 10 thou Evergreen on my  Silhouette cutter. It looks OK here, but as might be expected it was just too flimsy.
     
     

     
     
    Instead I used wire from Eileen’s Emporium, halfround as per the prototype. I considered soldering but thought the joints might come undone every time I applied heat, so used epoxy. The result is quite solid. 
     
     

     
     
     The uprights were fitted into holes just inside the flare of the tender sides, taking care not to break through the sides. I think the top rail sits a trifle high. Ah well.
     
     
     

     
    Photos suggest that most of the fittings at the front of the Oxford tender are not appropriate for my period.
     

     
     
     
    Replacement toolboxes and air vents from Brassmasters (ex-Finney) were fitted. Maybe the latter should be smaller on a 2500G tender, not sure. Sandboxes were cobbled together from bits of styrene.
     
     
     
     
     
    The front steps of the early 2500g tenders had an inward curve. A couple of round files solved this. The plastic protects the chassis from metal dust.
     

     

     
    Here is the result. 
     
     
     


    The finished tender (less brake gear).
     
     
     

     
    Loco and modified tender.
     
     
    Painting and lining

    The loco in primer. 
     
     
     

     
    After recovering from an "orange peel" disaster I got the paint job done. The green is Vallejo 70.850 with a touch of black (5:1), the red is 70.814. 
     

     

     
    Lining was done with HMRS Pressfix transfers.
     
     
     

     
    One side done. The triple panels on the tender were tricky.

     
     

     
    Halfway through I ran out of lining, and discovered that new HMRS lining sheets are a different colour from the older ones.  The samples above show the old sheet, and three new sheets. The latter came directly from the HMRS, whose own illustration still shows the older shade. A Fox sheet is also featured. In the end I cobbled together the remaining lining from an old sheet, using 26 pieces for one cabside . It does show in places.
     
     
    Final details
     

     
    Cab windows were made by filing and sanding the teeth off watchmaker's cogs.
     
     
     

     
    The glazing was cut on my Silhouette cutter.
     
     
     

     
    Not perfect, but I can live with it.
     
     
     

     
    Bit of fun: The Oxford model comes with a choice of coarse or fine screw link couplings (bottom two).  I modified mine by adding a “Tommy bar” (top), fashioned from a part that I found in my box of watchmaker’s spares.
     
     
     

     
    A last few shots of the loco. Photos of 2487 and some other Dean Goods shows the safety valve slightly off-set from the center of the boiler band, so I copied that. Annoyingly I forgot to add the safety valve lever. Too late now, I can't get in there to fit it properly.
     
     
     

     
    The big compromise is the seam line in the boiler, although I only notice it from certain angles. I  had planned to distract from the join by carrying the lining all round, but experiments showed that it had the opposite effect, so I left it off.  Were I to do it again I would give more attention to matching the angles of the two edges as they meet, which could have been better.
     
     
     

     
    Still, I'm happy enough with it. The short smokebox and piano-lid cylinder cover makes it a bit different from available kit versions. No other comparison intended! 
     
     
     

     
    So that's about it. Loco lamps and crew are on the workbench, and I need to fit couplings bars between the buffers. I also need some work plates, the one seen here is a stand-in of unknown origin. Does anyone know a source of 4mm works plates?
     
     
  21. Mikkel
    No, this is a not a post about my financial situation - though it could have been! This is about building and painting wagons for my goods depot layout , which is set in the period ca 1900-1908. For wagons this was a real transition period, with a diversity of styles, technical developments and liveries. So I’ve started a wagon building programme which tries to capture some of that variety. Here are some photos of developments so far.
     

     
    First off was this 3 planker, which I built some time ago from a David Geen kit. It has those nice “old world” round ends. Many were later rebuilt to straight ends, but photos suggest that a few still had those enticing curves in the 1900s. The livery is the pre-1894 version, ie with the small 5inch “GWR” on the left side. It seems this livery could still be seen here and there into the 1900s.
     

    In 1894 the “GWR” was moved to the right hand side of wagons. I wonder why – did someone at Swindon wake up one morning and exclaim “I’ve had a vision! Bring out the paint brushes!”. The non-standard tare numbers seen here are copied from a photo of the real no. 64493. Others had the numbers in the normal italics. The 4-plankers were the dominant type among GWR Opens in 1900. This model is a Coopercraft kit but with the oil axleboxes substituted for (David Geen) grease boxes, which still featured on the majority of wagons at the turn of the century. Nick, I forgot to add the vertical hanger, will see to it shortly!
     

     
    It's been fun experimenting with the shade of red. Contemporary sources indicate a fairly bright (some say light) red. In my opinion, pristine bright red doesn’t work well on layouts, so I’ve gone for a toned down look but with a bit of variety from wagon to wagon. The photo above shows an Iron Mink in the the base coat, which is a mix of bright red and orange. This was then later toned down with dry-brushing, mostly more orange and pale sand.
     

     
    Here is the finished Iron Mink in the post-1894 red livery. I couldn’t fit “To carry 9 tons” in the panel on the left. The GWR painters had the same problem and some photos show use of smaller letters to fit it all in. So I'll order some 2mm transfers and do the same. The iron minks were numerous in the 1900s. This old ABS kit was in fact a Barry Railway version that I had lying about, which I modified to GWR style. I only now see that the doors have issues in one corner. Mutter, groan, grumble!
     

     
    Then it was crunch time. There comes a time in every man’s life when he has to decide exactly when he thinks GWR wagon grey was introduced! For my part, I've been torn between 1898 and 1904.Until recently I was leaning towards 1898, which was the year when the GWR introduced cast number plates as standard on new wagon builds. If that was the case, then new wagons built between 1898 and 1904 would have looked something like the 4-planker above, which I built and painted quite some time ago.
     
     
     

     
    The cast number plates seem only to have been applied to new builds (see notes below). If GWR grey was introduced in 1898, then older wagons that were repainted between 1898 and 1904 would presumably have looked something like this 3-planker, which I initially painted in the grey livery.
     

     
    Then I changed my mind! I went through the sources and debates one more time (summarized here), and began to see the logic of 1904 as the year when the grey livery was introduced. So I decided to adopt this as the assumption on “The depot”. The implications are interesting. For one thing, it means that wagons with cast plates would generally have been red. This 4-planker is the same as the one shown in grey above, but now in red. Quite a different animal to look at! (but where's the V-hanger, must have broken off while taking the photo - back to the workbench!).
     

     
    Another implication of the 1904 cutting-off point is that older wagons repainted during 1898-1904 would have carried the 5inch right hand side red livery right up to 1904. This 3-planker is another David Geen kit, but built to represent a 1900s version with straight ends and retro-fitted with oil axleboxes. The tare numbers are again a deliberate deviation from the norm, reflecting that these numbers were often painted on after the main lettering job. Whether or not the underframes on these wagons were in fact also red is a separate discussion!
     

     
    And then, at last, came the good old "GW" livery, which was applied from 1904. Together with the Iron Minks, these pre-diagram outside-framed wooden wagons were the standard vans at the turn of the century, until the "new generation" of wooden V5 vans began appearing in 1902.
     
     
     

     
    Finally a few of my own notes on cast plates, based on the info and photos I could find in my books.
    Plates experimented with from 1894, standardized from around 1898 (sometimes 1897 is mentioned), and in principle applied until 1904 Photos suggest that number plates were only applied to new builds during this period, not retro-fitted to older wagons Photos also indicate that cast no. plates were always seen in combination with oil axle-boxes, which makes sense as wagons built during this time would have been fitted with oil axleboxes A small number of wagons seem to have carried a transition livery after 1904 which had the cast no. plate and the large “GW” letters (but not the cast “GWR”). There are examples of an Iron Mink and (oddly) a 7-plank 02 in this livery. Photos suggest that wagons with cast plates were greatly outnumbered by wagons with painted numbers. Regarding the latter point, see eg the very interesting photos from Reading Kings Meadow yard around 1905-06, in GWR Goods Services Part 2A, pages 16 and 18-19. These show many wagons with pre-1904 small GWR lettering, together with wagons carrying “GW”. Only 1 or 2 wagons with cast no. plates can be seen.
  22. Mikkel
    Here’s an attempt to reenact the 1911 railway strike in OO. The strike was an important but sometimes overlooked event in the social history of Britain's railways, and involved some very unusual scenes. The cameos are based on contemporary photos, but transposed to my own Farthing layouts.
     
     
    1. The strike begins
     

     
    “The Great Unrest” was a period of labour unrest during the years 1911-1914. 
     
     

     
    The period saw more industrial disputes than any before it.

     

     
    During the years 1911-14 there were 4229 officially recorded strikes in Britain.
     
     

     
    This included Britain's first official national railway strike which took place over three dramatic days from August 17-19, 1911. 
     
     

     
    The strike arose from dissatisfaction among railway workers with the lack of progress in the so-called Conciliation Boards that were supposed to negotiate worker’s conditions. 
     
     

     
    In June 1911 railway workers in Liverpool joined dock workers and merchant sailors in the Liverpool Transport Strike, demanding shorter hours and better pay.
     
     

     Source: Ronramstew on Flickr.
     
    The strikes in Liverpool gradually gained broader support and spread to other towns. With some delay the railway unions decided to back the strikes and expand them. A formal national railway strike was declared on August 17.
     
     

     
    The unions sent telegrams to 2,000 railway centers across the country, urging all railway workers to abandon work and go on strike.
     
     

     
    According to sources this increased the number of workers on strike to approximately 150-200,000 of the 600,000 railway workers recorded at the time.
     
     

     
    Action was most intense on the railways that connected with the North, including the MR, LNWR, NER, GCR and GWR. On the southern railways, few workers got involved in the strike.
     
     
    2. Bearskins on the line
     

     
    The railway companies refused to accept the strike and met with the PM Asquith, who guaranteed that they would be able to continue railway operations.
     
     

     
    After a failed attempt to negotiate an arrangement with the unions, Home Secretary Churchill approved deployment of 58,000 troops around the country.
     
     

     
    The army’s brief was to secure running of the railways and avoid interference or sabotage by the strikers.
     
     

     
    Numerous photos from around the country show troops guarding stations, signal boxes, junctions and loco sheds.
     
     

     
    This scene was inspired by a photo in the 1911 edition of "The Sphere", showing troops guarding GWR facilities.
     
     

     
     Many of the deployed troops wore an unusual combination of field uniform and full-dress headgear.
     
     


    Perhaps an early spin doctor had been at work?
     
     

     
    Similar scenes were captured at e.g. Leicester, York and Clapham Junction.
     
     
     
    3. Crossing the picket lines
     

    Source: Sarah on Flickr
     
    The army was also employed to assist the police escort horse-drawn deliveries.
     
     

     
    Photos show horse-drawn wagons lined up in small convoys.
     
     

     
    The stable-men were all on strike, so no reins 😊. No, reins are just not practical on my layouts which are constantly set up and dismantled.
     
     

     
    With the protection from troops, some goods got through to their destination.
     
     

     
    Other cartage vehicles were stopped by striking workers. 
     
     

     
    Pictures show confrontations in the streets… 
     
     

     
    … as workers sought to halt deliveries and confront strike breakers.
     
     

     
    In some cases, horse-drawn wagons were overturned to stop their progress.
     
     

     
    The disturbances fuelled some sensationalist reporting in the media, but the strike also led to more fundamental debates about the salaries and rights of railway workers.
     
     
    4. Impact on passenger operations 
     

     
    Passenger operations were differently affected across the country. 
     
     

     
    In areas with little strike activity, services were maintained to some extent.
     
     

     
    Nevertheless, knock-on effects led to delays and cancellations in many parts of the system.
     
     


    In some areas most of the staff were on strike and trains came to a complete standstill. This scene was inspired by a photo from Manchester which shows passengers walking along the tracks, having left a deserted train and making their way into the station.
     
     


    The largely unstaffed stations must have been a strange experience.
     
     


    Without staff, what is a railway?
     
     
    5. A Siphon Special
     


    With so many men on strike, it became a challenge to secure sufficient stock for passenger services.
     
     


    Special measures were therefore required. This is an old K’s Siphon that I got off ebay. The doors were cut away…
     
     

     
    …and new ones made from laminated styrene.
     
     


    New doors in place…
     
     

     
    … and a few details added.
     
     

    This short video clip shows the roof fitted with magnets, thanks to Dave John for that idea.
     
     


    A Siphon Special.
     
     

     
    Perhaps you think I'm pulling your leg.
     
     


    Surely the glorious GWR wouldn't transport passengers...
     
     

     
    ... like this?
     
     

     
    But once again...
     
     
     

    Source: Embedded from Getty Images.
     
    ...reality beats fiction.
     
     
    6. Tragedy at Llanelli
     
    Despite the lighter moments this was serious business, and at Llanelli it went all wrong.
     

     
    In a confrontation between the army and strikers on August 19, two civilians were shot and another four lost their lives in the explosion of a gunpowder van. There's an account of the sad events here.
     
     

    Source: Embedded from Getty Images.
     
    I didn’t feel like modelling the tragedy itself, so decided to portray a scene from the following day when locals came out to inspect the damaged stock, as seen above.
     
     


    Several GWR clerestory coaches were damaged in the clashes between army and strikers. Photos show them in 1908-1912 all-brown, so I painted my Slater’s C10 in a simplified version of that livery.
     
     

     
    Some distressed glazing was then added.
     
     

     
    Pictures show police, staff and curious locals inspecting the coaches.
     
     

     
    I wonder what they were thinking?
     
     

     
    There’s certainly a sombre mood in some of the photos…
     
     


    …the shattered glazing a reminder…
     
     


    …that beneath the elegance of the Edwardian era…
     
     

     
    …lay great tensions...
     
     

     
    ... and deep divisions.

    ***
     
    By then the strike was over. On August 19 the government mediated a deal between the railway companies and the unions.   The agreement addessed few of the workers' immediate concerns, and some workers felt betrayed by it. The deal did however strengthen the role of the railway unions as legitimate players in negotiating worker's conditions. The unions considered it a win and called off the strike. The years that followed saw more railway strikes, some of them more succesful. But the 1911 strike was the first, and it showed that something was changing.
     
    ***
     
    PS: Please note that this is just a rough account of the strike, and I am not a historian. For further online reading see e.g. David Turner's write-up about the strike, the Brighton ASLEF page, and the Llannelli Rail Strike website. 
     
     
  23. Mikkel

    Sprat & Winkle couplings

    By Mikkel,


    Misc.
    Shunter George "Bulldog" Mullins critically eyes stock fitted with Sprat & Winkle couplings.
    His shunter's pole is legendary among shunters for being rather crude!
     
    The following notes on Sprat & Winkle couplings seemed to generate some interest when first posted over on gwr.org.uk, so perhaps they are of of use to someone here also. I have taken the opportunity to take some new and better photos for illustration.
     
     
    Hooked
     
    Although the latest RTR offerings have helped enhance the looks of the RTR tension-lock coupling considerably, I still find them a bit too bulky and not quite reliable. They also do not offer the opportunity of "delayed action" uncoupling, which allows you to propel stock forward after uncoupling.
     
    Looking for an alternative, I have taken to the fairly well-known Sprat & Winkle coupling, which - although a compromise in some respects - has proved quite reliable and fairly easy to fit. I find the delayed-action feature of these couplings simple and effective, and a plus for me is that they allow cosmetic 3-links to be retained.
     
     

    Hook and bar. It could be argued that it is no less obtrusive than the modern tension-lock coupling.
    But I find it less bulky and with more functionality.
     
     
    One-hook operation
     
    The Sprat & Winkle couplings are available in 2,3,4 and 7mm scale versions. As I model in 4mm my choice was between either the standard 4mm version or the "finescale" version. The latter is in fact intended for 3mm modellers but works fine for 4mm (including OO), as long as your curves are not too severe ( ie less than 4' radius according to MSE). This is fortunate because the standard version is a bit on the large side for my liking, and so I have opted for the finescale/3mm version.
     
    In fact, even the finescale version is a bit more prominent than I would personally have wished for, especially when uncoupled. To minimize the visual impact I therefore fit a coupling hook to one end only, adding just the loop at the other end. This obviously requires stock to be facing in a particular direction when placed on the track, but on my layouts (and I think many others) this isn't really a problem. The absence of a coupling at one end also facilitates the fitting process (since you only have to fit one hook per wagon) and means I can add a prototypical (but cosmetic) coupling hook here instead, enhancing appearances a bit.
     
     

    Coupled up using the "one-hook" approach
     
     
    Mounting the couplings
     
    The coupling hook features a square "paddle" at one end, which works as a counterweight beneath the wagon or coach body. The MSE website has an instruction sheet for fitting the couplings, and details on various extra parts not described here (including custom-made mounting plates). The instructions suggest two possible ways of mounting the hook: An "Upper" method in which the coupling hook is inserted through the headstocks (ie the "buffer beam" of the wagon), and a "Lower" method in which the hook rests immediately below the headstocks, hinged to the wagon floor with wire bent to the shape of a paper staple.
     
    It is necessary to standardize on one of these two methods, and in principle I prefer the latter, which also comes recommended in the instructions: This requires only minor modification to the wagon or coach body, and is also - in my opinion - rather less fiddly. That said, I have made two minor modifications to this approach:
     
    * Firstly, I replace the curled-up wire included in the pack with straight brass wire from Alan Gibson. I find that this makes it far easier to craft the wire-staple needed for fitting the paddle. The staple is then fitted to a section of square plastic rod mounted on the wagon floor. The plastic rod is not always necessary - it depends on the distance between the floor and the lower edge of the headstocks.
     
    * Secondly, I find that the "Lower" method of mounting the coupling can sometimes give problems in ensuring that the coupling hook is fully horisontal: Exactly because it is underhung, the hook may come to rest at a slight upward angle against the bar of the loop on some wagons, which is neither aesthetically pleasing nor good for operation. I don't think it's just me, as I have heard others mention this issue also. My solution is rather crude I suppose, but effective: I simply open out a slight slot in the wagon just above the coupling hook, thereby allowing it to move freely to a full horisontal position against the loop. This may not be to everyone's taste, but the slot is really quite unnoticeable and can always be padded over with a filler if the coupling is removed.
     
     

    The "Paddle", anchored with a wire "staple" to a supporting section of plastic rod
     
     
     
    Un-coupling
     
    Uncoupling is by means of magnets located beneath the track, nested into the track base. The magnets attract the 3-links, thus tilting the hook downwards. When moving back up, the hook comes to rest in a position which allows the wagon to be propelled forward and left where you want it in the siding. Hence the "delayed-action" concept. The following photos illustrate the four main steps of this process:
     

    1. Wagons are propelled in fully coupled condition
     

    2. Coupling hook drops down as it is attracted by a magnet beneath the tracks
     

    3. As wagons are propelled forward the coupling hook moves back up, but does not fully engage the bar
     

    4. The uncoupled wagon is left where desired, and the rest of train is drawn backwards
     
    For me this works well, with one important modification: Because I use only one coupling hook, the very powerful magnets occasionally uncouple the stock even when they are not supposed to - ie when the stock is passing slowly by. This happens even with a good layer of ballast above the magnets, and attempts with a sliver of Plastikard above the magnet doesn't help much either.
     
    Again, I resort to cave-man technology for the solution: I simply break the magnets in half, thereby reducing the overall magnetic field. I say "break" because cutting will get you nowhere with these magnets - they need to be broken in two by holding the magnet with one pair of pliers and breaking downwards with another pair. Crude stuff, but it works.
     
    Finally, I should perhaps emphasize that I have no affiliation with the manufacturers, and that these are the experiments of a novice: I do not have experience with the other non-RTR types of couplings available (see jim s-w's blog for an interesting entry on the Dingham coupling).
     
    Edit 1: For a discussion of fitting the couplings to locos, see the comments to this entry.
    Edit 2: The video in the link below shows the Sprat & Winkles in operation on the goods depot layout:
     
  24. Mikkel
    When in danger or in doubt, get the model railway out. The fourth layout in the Farthing series is taking shape, a welcome relief from the lockdown blues.
     
     

     
    Above is a reminder of the trackplan. So complicated that it broke Templot. Only very advanced modellers can do that.
     
     
     


    A test piece to see what the new Peco Bullhead track is all about. I decided to give Peco a go as a change from handbuilt track. The chairs are wrong for GWR, will be interesting to see how much I notice it. 
     
     
     
     
    One advantage of the new Peco track is that it’s voice controlled.  You simply tell it where to go and it will lay itself.
     
     
     

     
    The layout will be operated as a micro on a daily basis, but I may add a further module for extended operation, or even a direct link to my "Old Yard" layout.
     
     
     

     
    The rear siding therefore extends to the baseboard edge, and is protected by a removeable buffer stop, knocked together from balsa in the stopgap style of the old N&SJR.
     
     
     


    The other stops are standard GWR, built from the Lanarkshire Models kit. In order to fit them on the Peco track, I had to carve off most of the chairs. Have others found a better solution?
     
     
     
     
     
    For replacement, I dug into my stash of C+L GWR chairs. Ironic, as I now have proper GWR chairs next to the Peco ones. Maybe I should slice up some Peco chairs and fit them instead. What a cruel close-up by the way, I need to get out the filler.
     
     

     
    I wanted some sort of 'inset' track for the front siding. Photos suggest that while proper inset track was certainly used in some GWR yards, more pragmatic solutions were preferred when feasible. This includes leaving the four foot unpaved, as seen in the bottom three photos here (all heavily cropped).  That seems to have been a favoured solution where cartage vehicles needed firm ground to off-load or pass alongside the rails, but didn’t have to cross them. I haven’t seen this modelled much, so gave it a go.
     
     
     


    The outer sections of the sleepers were cut off to avoid the chairs fouling the paving. At this point I was seriously wondering why I hadn’t just made my own track! Here, DAS is being applied to the four foot.
     
     
     

     
    The rail was raised slightly above the edging stones to allow for track cleaning. Partly modeller's license, but also in compliance with one or two prototype photos.
     
     
     

     
    While not as elegant as proper inset track, I like how it creates a visual break in the setts.
     
     
     


    The setts were made using old paintbrush heads, fashioned to shape. 
     
     
     


    The material is Forex, a.k.a. ’foamed PVC’ but apparently now without the PVC. The technique also works in DAS clay. The photo is a bit misleading as I used a ruler while pressing the setts, in order to ensure straight lines.
     
     

     
    A scriber was used to individualise a few setts and sort out mistakes.
     
     
     


    The material can be curved slightly if necessary.
     
     

     
    The method has pros and cons. You tend to get a fairly uniform look and it’s hard to avoid the occasional gap between the grooves when pressing down the brush heads. But with practice I found it speedy and tidy, and I like that it can be done away from the layout – especially as I have to work in our living room.
     
     

     
    Drainage channels were made by drawing a screwdriver tip along a ruler…
     
     

     
    …then pressing in setts as appropriate.
     
     


    This drainage channel was done differently, by simply pressing the setts deeper than the surrounding ones.
     
     


    The ground in front of standard GWR stable blocks was often paved with either cement or bricks. I went for red bricks, forgetting that one drawing I have says blue engineering bricks (better quality). I may repaint them, but then again I may not.
     
     


    For the entry to the goods depot, I used a Green Scene roller on blue foam as described in my workbench thread.
     
     

     
    The arched setts are a nod to the yard at Birmingham Moor Street. The Pooley & Sons weighbridge is a Scalelink etch. The weighbridge office is a temporary mock-up. 
     
     

     
     The flagstone pavement was done using the same Forex material as the setts, with the kerbs and flagstones lined out in pencil and then scribed.
     
     

     
    My original plan was that the road the front would be laid with setts, but after encountering this thread I began to examine photos and realized that 1900s urban roads were very often laid with various forms of non-tarred macadam or similar.
     
     
     

     
    Here is Worthing South Street, captioned ca. 1900-1920. Even some parts of central London had streets like this. Sometimes such roads had gutters paved with stone, at other times setts were used or there was no gutter at all. Copyright Getty Images, embedding permitted.
     
     


    Call me a romantic but I like the dry, light and almost ethereal appearance that such roads exhibit in certain summertime photos of the period. I used sanding paper, painted with Vallejo light sand and ivory. It still needs some weathering and a good smattering of horse dung!
     
     
     

     
    For the GWR spearhead fencing, the initial plan was to use an old Scalelink etch - but it's rather fragile for a position at the front of the layout. So I used the Ratio GWR fencing. Photos suggest that the verticals should extend to the ground, beneath the lower horizontal bar. Never mind. The fencing sometimes had supports, may add those in due course.
     
     

     
    I wanted the fencing to be detachable, to allow for close-up photos and easy replacement if I break something. So far it rests in a groove lined with blue tack. If that proves a botch too far, I could try micro magnets. 
     
     

     
    Some stations - e.g. Minehead – had a lovely display of enamel signs mounted on the spearhead fencing.  I used those from Tiny Signs, cut with a scalpel, varnished twice and edged with a brown marker (in that order, otherwise the marker may discolour the sign).
     
     
     


    The signs act as view blocks, and also help draw in the eye to what will become a staff entrance. 
     
     
     


    Here’s Charlie the horse admiring the adverts. He looks a bit out of focus. It must be the provender. In his opinion, the GWR always did mix in too much bran.
     
     
     

     
    Work to be done includes a scratchbuild of a GWR weighbridge office (the mock-up seen here is the old Smiths kit), and one or two other structures. The elevated rear section of the layout is a whole little project in itself,  I'm hoping it will add further depth to the scene.
     
     


    Lastly, an overview shot. It’s all wired up, but I can’t operate it without a traverser. So that’s next.
     
     
  25. Mikkel
    I’ve been painting 4mm figures. Here are some photos and platform scenes.
     

     
    I wanted to find a better way of holding figures during painting. Above is the good old bluetack solution, straightforward and good for spraying, but it doesn’t hold the figures very firmly during brush painting.
     
     

     
    Another well-known solution is wire in the legs. Useful for mounting on the layout, but not always an option, I find. Some 4mm shoes won’t take a drill well, and on 3D printed figures the material can break.
     
     

     
    So I’ve been experimenting. I made some wooden blocks and fixed double-sided heavy-duty “Nano” mounting tape to them. This works reasonably well. The tape is elastic, though, so if left overnight a heavy figure may keel over.
     
     

     
    So I'm now trying out “Tesa Powerbond Ultra Strong” mounting tape, which seems good so far. The tape does need replacing after 1-2 figures, and loses strength if you spill water on it. 
     
     


    Anyway, back to the figures, starting with some Andrew Stadden ones. This is porter N. Pipkin, painted a while ago. Despite a ligelong struggle, he never did manage to grow a moustache. 
     
     

     
    This is the young Maria Lobbs. She's a bit teared up, a common sight on railway platforms. All those difficult goodbyes.
     
     

     
    I sometimes wonder if I should use more shading on the figures. The dilemma is that it looks good from a distance but can appear rather stark in close-up.
     
     

     
    I think the big plus of hand sculpted figures is that they tend to have a lot of character. It can be overdone, but the Andrew Stadden range gets it just right, in my view.
     
     
     
    An attempt at an early GWR bus driver, made using an Andrew Stadden head transposed to a body from the spares box (unknown origin). Photos show a variety of greatcoats in use by period drivers, this one resembles a 1909 example in the Steam collection, second picture down here.
     
     

     
    On to the Modelu range. I’ve done a few of Alan’s railway staff in the past, but thought I’d have a go with some Edwardian passengers.
     
     

     
    Free at last! If I'm not mistaken, recent Modelu figures have more supports than earlier ones. They come off easily enough.
     
     

     
     I’ve only just discovered that the Modelu figures don’t need priming. I was sceptical about that, but Vallejo acrylics go on well and in fact stick better than on my primed metal figures. 

     


    Most figures in the hand sculpted ranges have slightly oversize heads and facial features. By contrast, laser scanned faces such as the Modelu ones are quite subtle. Prototypical, but harder to paint. Until recently I just left them blank, but on this batch I’ve tried to lightly indicate eyes and lips/moustaches.
     
     


    The black band on the boaters was made from narrow masking tape. Gives a nice clean edge.
     
     


    I tend to go with sandy and brownish shades on my figures, to blend in with the overall colour scheme on my layouts.
     
     

     
    But I’ve been advised not to overdo colour coordination, so here is – somewhat grudgingly - a splash of green.
     
     

     
    In close-ups the printing pattern does show on some Modelu figures. But this is many times the actual size, and you certainly can’t see it with the naked eye.

     


    Mrs Sanders is billed as an Edwardian figure but the bustle and skirt seem distinctly Victorian. The bustle went in and out of fashion during the 1860s-1880s but was largely gone by the 1890s. See also the useful Vintage Dancer website.
     
     

    Henley on Thames, colourized. No date. Source: Getty Images, embedding permitted. 

    La belle epoque - for some at least! There's still some way to go before the platforms at Farthing can be filled with crowds like these at Henley on Thames, but below are some test shots from the bay platform. 
     
     


    Mrs Martin and Mrs Hunter lament the moral decay among the working class.
     
     

      
    Why, only this morning - says Mrs Hunter, hand firmly on hip – my purse was stolen in town!
     
     

     
    Mrs Martin expresses her sympathy, omitting to mention that the very same purse is hidden under her corset.
     
     

     
    Meanwhile, Porter N. Pipkin is on thin ice.
     
     

     
    Maria does not seem to believe his excuse for neglecting her recently. Perhaps the bit about cheese rolling was a fib too far?
     
     


    Further along the platform, two writers from the Railway Magazine are weighing their options.
     
     
     
    The brief was to do an in-depth piece on Great Western wagon liveries. But it’s a rather hot day to be trudging around a goods yard.
     
     

     
    Perhaps field research isn’t really necessary. Better to have a good lunch at the Stag’s Head, then head back to London for a spot of creative writing. After all, who really cares about wagon liveries?
     
     

     
    Meanwhile Mrs Toodle and Miss Toppit discuss the upcoming wedding of the Browns.
     
     
     
     
    They agree it will be a wonderful event and it is such a lovely young couple.
     
     
     
     
    Secretly they hope it will end in scandal and despair.
     
     
     
     
    At this point Mrs Sanders appears in her hopelessly outdated Victorian dress, and everyone studiously ignores her. Such old-world eccentricity really won't do. We are the Edwardians, modern, efficient and sophisticated!
     
     
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