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Mikkel

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Blog Entries posted by Mikkel

  1. Mikkel

    God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

    By Mikkel,


    Videos
    Here's a short video to round off 2023.
     
    I won’t forget this year anytime soon, it’s been an emotional rollercoaster. Our first grandchild was born, my brother got married, our daughter turned 30, mum turned 90, and then in September dad died.
     
    This christmas I want mostly to do simple and uncomplicated things while pondering it all. So here’s a little project that began in our attic.
     
    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!
     

     
  2. Mikkel
    I’m building a GWR 1854 class saddle tank in 1900s condition, using a modified and detailed South Eastern Finecast body kit on a Bachmann 8750 chassis. The build is also in my workbench thread, but that tends to be a rather meandering discussion, so this is a summary of the main steps without the diversions.
     


     
    I bought the kit part-assembled, but a bath in hot water dissolved the glue and allowed me to break it down into its main components.
     
     
     

     
    The Bachmann chassis I'm using is the version for the 8750 model, seen here on the right (my loco ref was 32-200, I think the recent 57xx model also uses this chassis). Note that older versions of this chassis (seen on the left, my loco ref was 31-900) are higher and the chassis block is longer, so is less ideal for conversions.
     
     
     

     
    I wanted to avoid modifying the chassis more than strictly necessary, so that it could be replaced easily in case of a failure. The only chassis modification was therefore to remove a section off the front to allow the kit to fit over it.
     
     
     

     
    The body castings require more work. The locating lugs on the side frames and buffer beams were removed, and about 1 mm was filed off the central section of the footplate and splashers each side to clear the motor. Plastikard was used front and rear to get the correct ride height.
     
     
     

     
    The body and chassis assembled. The two front splashers are 0.5 mm too far out. However with careful positioning of the body it is barely discernable, so after mulling it over I decided to accept it.
     
     
     

     
    The tank sides fit neatly over the motor.
     
     
     

     
    The two tank halves were the most work intensive parts of the kit. The “skirts” need to be cut away…
     
     
     

     
    ...allowing daylight under the boiler…
     
     
     

     
    …followed by much filing and filling to get the two halves to fit together.
     
     
     

     
    The motor intrudes slightly into the cab, so the backhead was moved 1 mm forward and a center section of the floor raised slightly.
     
     
     

     
    I replaced the main SEF white metal boiler fittings with parts from Alan Gibson.
     
     
     

     
    Other details were scratchbuilt from bits and bobs. The tank steps were later redone enitrely in brass with tabs to secure them. The footplate steps need filing to the correct straight shape as seen here.
     
     
     

     
    Liftings rings, made from soft wire wrapped around a brush handle and squeezed to shape with pliers.
     
     
     

     
    Coal rails made from wire, and fire iron hooks bent to shape from flat brass strip. The early lamp brackets are from the Broad Gauge Society, and the buffers are Alan Gibson.
     
     
     

     
    While the main build was fairly quick, the detailing has been time consuming.
     
     
     

     
    So here she is, almost ready for a good scrub and then some primer.
  3. Mikkel

    GWR 1854 Saddle Tank (2)

    By Mikkel,

    My GWR 1854 ST is now done. To recap, this is a much modified Finecast body on a Bachmann chassis.





    My original plan was to find an acrylic spray paint that gave a suitable representation of the pre-1928 green. When that failed, I was recommended the Belton bottle green which has the RAL code used for landrover green. However, while this and some of the others looked fine outside in the sun, they all looked wrong under my layout lights.





    So in the end I reverted to good old brush painting. Not my best effort but I can live with it.





    Lining is HMRS Pressfix. I never use the preprinted shapes as they rarely fit. Instead I cut out individual bits and piece them together.





    I know some people do not like Pressfix. Personally I feel that it gives good flexibility and leaves no traces of film.





    The number plates are from Narrow Planet. You enter the number you need on their website and receive the plates pre-painted. We have it easy these days. No. 1853 is for a future model of an 1813 class.





    I was going to fit a cab sheet, but on the photos I have of 1854s none actually have a cab sheet, so unless further evidence turns up I’ll leave it off. The fire irons are the Springside set for tank locos.





    Incidentally, I saw this nice fire irons fret by DJM on Mark’s blog, and ordered some from Kernow. They turned out to be a bit too long for this particular loco, but will find use on my 3232 class.





    So here she is messing about on the new layout. In my defence, there is progress at the other end of it!
  4. Mikkel

    GWR 2-plank and 3-plank wagons

    By Mikkel,


    Wagons
    The first 2- plank wagon has appeared at Farthing, accompanied by a round-ended 3-planker. 
     
     

     
    The 2-planker owes much to Duncan, who kindly gave me one of his surplus 3D printed wagon bodies. Thanks again Duncan! I've been wanting to do a 2-planker since I saw Richards's early Opens some years ago.
     
     
     

     
    I’ve used the Swindon drawing in Atkins et al for reference, and the photo of Worcester built 19451 as the prototype.  Apologies to Dave for doing the same number as his 7mm 2-planker, but there aren't many prototype photos to choose from.
     
     
     

     
    The chunky brake-blocks were drawn up from the drawing and cut on my Silhouette, then laminated from three layers of styrene.
     
     
     

     
    Ribbed buffers from MJT. I had to fit a new floor as the old one cracked when I applied too much pressure. Still learning the ropes with these 3D printed materials.
     
     
     

     
    “I made this model all by myself”. I don't think so.  A word of thanks to the small-scale suppliers who make this part of the hobby possible. Not to mention all the helpful modellers out there.
     
     
     

     
    Enough with the bleary-eyed stuff, let’s paint this thing black! This is brush-painted Vallejo primer, convenient when you're in a flat during the winter months. 
     
     
     

     
    Then a base of red, and some Archer’s “rivet” transfers. The latter stick best on a rough surface, I find. The Vallejo primer is slippery, so I waited till the first coat of matt paint was on. Good adhesion, might do that again. The photo makes my standards look more exacting than they are.
     
     
     

     
    Stephen - who is doing a Saltney-built 2-planker - spotted a flitch plate and other solebar details on the prototype photo, so I tried to replicate that. Thanks Stephen. Later Microsol on top, then matt varnish, then more paint.
     
     
     

     
    The finished wagon. The prototype photo shows the paintwork in a very worn state, but I decided to be more gentle, so that it doesn't stick out too much among the other wagons.
     
     
     

     
    Having said that, my phone camera doesn't capture the weathering well, I have noticed that before. It seems to just highlight the main colour scheme.
     
     
     

     
    I’ve also built a round-ended three-planker from a David Geen kit, I do like them. 
     
     
     

     
    On many of these the ends were soon cut square, but some were left alone and occasionally pop up in early 1900s photos.
     

      


    Lettering in process. The eyesight is slowly going downhill, but I swear: A glass of Jameson helps me to focus.
     
     
     

     
    I’m gradually switching from HMRS to Fox transfers. I prefer the method of the former, but the printing on recent HMRS sheets isn’t quite up to former standards. I’m told it’s hard to find a printer who can do the sheets well. I sympathize and hope the HMRS succeed. The dates are when the sheets were purchased. 
     
     
     

     
    The finished 3-planker. The wagon was started in our little forest cabin, under poor lighting. That does show in places, lesson learnt.
     
     
     

     
    The wagons together. It’s counter-intuitive, but the 2-plankers were actually an 1 inch higher than the 3-plankers.
     
     
     


    Here they are with my existing 3-plankers. I suppose that’s more than enough of these types for my 1900s yard. But I wouldn't mind a few more. Nancy Hoffman of Maine has 2000 umbrella covers, so I have some way to go. 
     
     
  5. Mikkel
    There was a time when men were men and horses weren't lasagna. I’m currently building some horse-drawn vehicles for the little yard behind my goods depot. I began with Langley’s whitemetal kit for a GWR 5 ton wagon. This represents one of the standard designs often seen in photos from pre-grouping days, especially in the London division.
     
    It should be said at once that it isn't a finescale kit - indeed it's a bit rough in places. But with a little work I thought it would be OK for a position in the middle-ground of this little layout.
     
     

     
    The kit as supplied. At 20£ this is no cheap kit, though I imagine the three horses and carter are part of the reason. There is little flash, but most parts do need a bit of filing and tweaking to make a good fit. The instructions are reasonable, although some details of the assembly are left to the imagination.
     
     
     

     
    To improve appearances, I filed thick bits down to a leaner shape. I added rails between the side boards, and used wire in drilled holes to secure items (as per photo above). I compromised on the stanchions that support the "raves": These are moulded as solid triangles, but replacing them is not really practical, I think.
     
     
     

     
    In primer. The seating arrangement follows the elevated “Paddington” pattern (as opposed to the much more basic “Birmingham” style). The parts provided for this looked overscale to me, so I basically rebuilt the whole seating arrangement. The fore carriage was fitted in a way that allowed it to actually pivot.
     
     
     

     
    There are shire horses and then there are shire horses! The one on the left came with the kit along with two others. The one on the right is from Dart castings. I opted for two of the latter.
     
     
     

     
    I replaced the supplied chain with something finer. To fit the chains to the horses, I sunk bits of wire into the beasts, fitted the chain and then bent the wire to form a small loop.
     
     
     

     
    For the lettering, I needed yellow letters. There are no ready-made transfers available for these vehicles, so I plundered the HMRS GWR goods wagons sheet, building up the wording letter by letter. The spacing to accommodate the framing was also seen on the prototypes, although it is accentuated here due to the thicker castings. The HMRS sheet does have yellow letters, but not enough for my purposes, so as an experiment I used white letters and coloured them afterwards with a yellow marker. I wouldn’t really recommend this – it works OK at first but you have to be very careful with the subsequent varnishing or it will take the colour right off. I’m not entirely happy with the lettering, but life is short.
     
     

     
    Done. The chain in the middle is a rough indication of the chains and skids used for locking and braking the wheels when parked.
     
     
     

     
    I do like the ‘osses. I was going to call them "the Finching Sisters" in honour of the two lovely ladies on Robin's Brent layout. Then I realized they were male.
     
     

     
    In position in one of the cartage bays. Although one or two details don't stand close inspection on this vehicle, I am reasonably satisfied with the overall outline and feel of it.
     
     
     

     
    The wagon seen from inside the depot. Not sure what to add in terms of load. It is tempting to do one of the sky-high loads seen in some photos (eg here), but I think it might become visually over-powering on this vehicle. Maybe on the next one.
     
     

     
    Off-topic: Looks like a leftover from the new year decorations has found it’s way into the goods depot. Happy New Year everyone!
     
    Notes on the prototype
    For what it’s worth, I’ve added here some of my own notes on these vehicles. Note that they are mainly based on my own observations from photos and drawings. I do have "Great Western Road Vehicles" by P. Kelley, but despite some useful illustrations, this book does not really go into much written detail on the horse-drawn wagons. Perhaps "Great Western Horse Power" by Janet Russell is better, and worth a purchase?
     
    Design
    These wagons were used for standard and heavy goods cartage. There were different types built to this style, some with six “bays”, some with five. Some were built for a single horse, some for two or more. The tare and tonnage varied considerably across the different designs. They had the “Paddington pattern” of seat arrangement, where the seat was elevated above the wagon. Hoops could be fitted to accommodate sheeting. A light version of the same design was used for parcels delivery vans, with hard tops.
     
    Distribution
    The wagons were especially prominent at Paddington, where photos suggest they were the all-dominant type in the 1900s. However they were also used elsewhere on the system (even as far as Cardiff, according to one drawing). In some areas they seem to have been rare though, eg at Birmingham Hockley the dominant goods delivery wagon was of a quite different design. A photo from Slough in the 1920s shows the type I have modelled alongside one of the Birmingham style vehicles, so the different types did appear together at some locations.
     
    Livery
    In Great Western Way (original edition), Slinn states that by the 1900s, station names were applied to larger horse-drawn vehicles whenever there was room for it (as seen on my model above). I have a theory, though, that this practice ended sometime after 1905 or thereabouts: Looking at photos after that date, station names are no longer present, and the “Great Western Railway” and numbering is all on one plank.
     
    Slinn also states that numbering was in random positions, but as far as I can see the numbers on these vehicles were always at the front end of the wagon. Perhaps Slinn missed the fact that the relative position of the lettering and numbers was necessarily “handed”, because we read from left to right (ie on the left hand side, it would be written “667 Great Western Railway” and on the right hand side, it would be “Great Western Railway 667”).
     
    According to Slinn, the lettering for horse-drawn vehicles in the 1900s was yellow or gold, shaded or not. I doubt gold would have been used for wagons like these, and there is no apparent shading in the photos I have seen. So presumably plain yellow (but the shade of yellow not clear?). I have sometimes wondered whether the lettering was in fact white on some wagons, because it stands out with very high contrast in some photos. However, looking at photos of parcels vans (which are known to have had white letters on their hard tops) it seems that the letters on wagons were darker than white, so presumably yellow. Later in the 1930s, horse-drawn vehicles adopted a different chocolate and cream livery and a different lettering style.
     
  6. 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.
     
     
  7. 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.
  8. Mikkel

    GWR large flat dray

    By Mikkel,

    Here's the third and last instalment about my recent trio of horse drawn wagons. This is yet another GWR "dray", as they are commonly known. GWR drawings generally use the term "trolley", which I understand was the original and more correct term for what is today popularly called drays.
     

     
    The wagon was built from an old Pendon kit, picked up on ebay. There is no mention of the prototype, but it resembles a 7 ton trolley drawing in the Great Western Horsepower book.
     

     
    An illustration of the variation in length and width of three kits for flat drays/trolleys – nicely reflecting how the prototypes varied too, as vehicles do of course. On the left is a Dart Castings offering (see earlier post), and on the right is the Slater’s kit which really is quite large. The Pendon kit is the middle one.
     
     
     

     
    The only structural modification I made was the addition of the rear flap (is there a proper name?). These are usually in the down position, held by chains.
     
     
     

     
    The main part of the project involved modifying the horse, the carter (aka carman) and "van lad".
     
     
     

     
    The horse is from the Dart Castings stable. The photo above illustrates some of their range (no connection), with the measurements as stated in their lists. I like their 1:87 draft horse, which has the bulk of a strong horse but isn’t visually overpowering, as I think some horses can be in a layout context.
     
     
     

     
    I had a couple of these horses so modified one of them by raising its head. The neck from a discarded old Langley horse helped achieve this.
     
     
     

     
    On the left is the original figure by Dart Castings (as used on my “Ratkin & Son" wagon), on the right is the modified one.
     
     
     

     
    Similar work was done to make the carter, using a Dart Castings body and an Andrew Stadden head. Period photos and
    show that on flat drays like these, carters very often sat on the left side, like this. Presumably it is the safest and most practical position when you have to get on and off frequently, as they did.
     
     
     

     
    The van lad was made by modifying an Andrew Stadden figure, as seen here. He has not yet reached the grade that allows him to wear a uniform.
     
     
     

     
    A load was made using surplus items from the goods depot, e.g. my DIY cotton bales and crates, and various kits and ready-made items.
     
     
     

     
    I added some indicative roping from EZ line. Just a couple of ropes, as too much of this sort of thing tends to distract the eye in my view. In any case, the roping and packing practices on horsedrawn vehicles seems to have been more relaxed than on the permanent way. Two examples here and here.
     
     
     

     
    The other side. I tried to avoid colour clashes when building the load.
     

     
    And finally the wagon in place on the layout. That concludes this little series of horsey updates for now. Keep on trotting!
  9. Mikkel

    GWR Modelling website

    By Mikkel,


    Misc.
    Just a brief note to say that I have passed on the "GWR Modelling" website to a new webmaster. This is none other than Russ Elliott, who is well-known here om RMweb (although under a different name) and in the modelling world more generally. I can't think of a better man to take over the site, and I'm sure I'm not alone in thanking him for doing so and for keeping the website going. Also a big word of thanks to those who helped facilitate the changeover in practical terms.
     
    The transition is already complete and there is even a new update by Jim Champ on his "Beginner's Guide to Pannier Tanks". As usual, it's all at gwr.org.uk
     
  10. Mikkel

    GWR Outside Framed 8 Ton Van

    By Mikkel,


    Wagons
    Been working on this little van - an Outside Framed 8 Ton Van from the David Geen whitemetal range. Still need to add rainstrips, I completely forgot about them! According to the instructions, these lovely O/F wagons were introduced in 1879 - although the Atkins et al bible seems to have different dates?
     
     

    I tried out Vallejo acrylic primer this time, brush-painted on. Doesn't look so neat at first sight, but once the van was fully painted I couldn't tell the difference between that and those of my wagons done with spray-painted primer.
     
     

    A nice feature of the kit is the inclusion of both grease and oil axleboxes (top lef and right respectively). The vans were built with grease axleboxes, but many later received oil boxes. The kit also provides for both non-reversible and reversible brake shoes.
     
     

    I went for the grease boxes, but used the reduced 8 Ton classification to suggest the 1900s. I haven't been able to find any record of when the reversible shoes were introduced?
     
     

    Posed in front of "The depot". The wagon will form part of the shunting puzzle together with other wagons currently being built. My stock weathering techniques are still rather crude, so any suggestions for improvement are much appreciated!
  11. Mikkel
    My model of the GWR stable block at Park Royal is now almost done. Here's an overview of the build and some pics of the finished item.
     

     
    The stables at Park Royal followed the classic outlines of what I call the “Style B” of GWR stable blocks. Above is a sketch. The model itself was built using the GWR drawing that is reproduced in "Great Western Horsepower" by Janet Russell and in Adrian Vaughan's "Pictorial Record of Great Western Architecture".
     


     
    I used my Silhouette cutter extensively for the build. The GWR drawings were imported into Inkscape, on top of which I then drew up my own drawings for the cutting file. Getting the hang of this was a learning process in itself, and I’m grateful to Jason and Mike for their excellent threads on using the Silhouette and Inkscape.
     

     
    The digital drawings were used to print the main sections on my Silhouette Portrait cutter. The cutting mat for the Portrait is shorter than the length of the stable block, but I eventually discovered that two mats can be used in extension of each other, with the styrene sheet bridging them, as seen here.
     

     
    The Silhouette can't cut 20 thou, which is a problem if you’re using embossed sheets, since most of these seem to be of that thickness, including the SE Finecast sheets that I favour. So I used the Cutter to score the rear side of the sheet, and then cut through manually with a scalpel.
     

     
    The cut sections were laminated onto further layers to create depth. I ended up with five layers in total. The front of the building was done before I discovered that I could cut the full length of the building in one go.
     

     
    The vents, lintels and sills were also cut on the Silhouette. This is where it started feeling like making your own kit.
     

     
    I initially struggled a bit to get the windows cut well. The silhouette isn’t really designed for this sort of detail work. The best I could manage was 0.3mm glazing bars. The hit and miss vents aren’t perfect, but once painted I think they came out OK.
     

     
    The doors were built up like this. They were quite tall and wide, which initially puzzled me until I realized that some rather big beasts had to pass through them!
     

     
    The windows and doors were fitted as the middle layer in the 5 layer sandwich.
     

     
    I modelled a couple of the windows in open position, to add signs of life.
     

     
    The rear wall was easy work. It was very plain on the prototype, as per most GWR stable blocks. I assume to give the horses a bit of peace and quiet (windows were sometimes retro-fitted when the stables were converted to garages).
     

     
    The slates for the roof were cut from vinyl, a tip I got from Lee’s blog.
     

     
    Once cut, the vinyl strips can easily be pulled off the backing and are not as fragile as paper or card strip, which allows repositioning.
     

     
    Right, I thought, nearly done! But then came the roof vents…
     
    The roof vents – aka cupolas - turned out to be a whole project in themselves. I needed six, which eventually amounted to some 220 individual pieces. The photos below show how I made them. I hope they are more or less self explanatory:
     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     
    There followed a discussion in the workbench thread as to whether slate was actually used on the cupolas. Some photos *seem* to show it, but it remains an open question. The safe bet for anyone else would be to use metal sheeting instead, as several photos and one drawing shows this - although whether this was zinc, copper or lead sheeting is not clear to me.
     

     
    After painting, I realized that the individual slats in the roof vents had come out with slightly different angles. So my method for making them could be improved on. The camera is cruel though, and it's not that noticeable in real life.
     

    A view from above. The roof vents were not evenly spaced on the prototype.
     

     

     

     

    I have done a bit of light weathering, but it probably needs more. There is also the question of a manure pit, which I haven't built yet. I need to make some planning decisions first, more on that later.
  12. 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.
     

     
     
     
  13. Mikkel

    GWR stables (1): Towards an overview

    By Mikkel,


    Structures
    The following are my notes on GWR stable blocks – a subject that does not seem to have received much attention. I am about to build one for Farthing, and have noticed various style differences that may be of interest to others.
     

    Chipping Norton stables in 1983. Built 1904. Rebuilt with end doors to serve as a garage, but otherwise it features the main elements of the "archetype" standard design, ie "hit and miss" vents in windows and above doors, and those characteristic boxy roof vents. Image copyright and courtesy Alan Lewis.
     
    I first became interested in GWR stables some years ago, and received some very helpful advice and material from several RMwebbers on here. Many thanks gents! However, I wanted to obtain an overview of the designs of stables built by the GWR, and this proved tricky. While there are a number of drawings and photos in various books and line histories, I couldn’t find an actual overview anywhere (or have I missed it?). Janet Russell's wonderful "Great Western Horse Power" comes closest with a handful of selected GWR plans and descriptions, but no attempt to provide an overview of the different styles. Vaughan’s "Great Western Architecture" and Stephen Williams’ "GWR Branchline Modelling vol 2" have a few pictures and drawings each.
     
     

    The stable block at Uxbridge Vine Street, illustrating how stables were sometimes located well away from the center of stations, although usually they would be found near the yard entry/exit. Source: Britain from above. Embedding permitted.
     
    So I have tried to make my own overview. Please note that this isn't based on extensive archival research or a systematic review of the various line histories. I have used a few key books and what others have shared.
     
    I first divided the stable blocks into three overall types:
    * The standard design, with 3 major permutations
    * The small "ad hoc" designs, sometimes inherited
    * The very large designs for major goods depots
     
    In the following I focus especially on the standard designs.
     
    The standard designs
     
    Various books refer to the emergence of a "standard" design of stable blocks around the turn of the century. However, looking at drawings and photos I realized that there were detail differences in this design, which could be divided into 3 main “styles”. Two immediate caveats:
    Most of what I have found seems to have been built from approximately the 1890s to grouping. I have not found evidence of standard designs before this time, but that may just be my lack of information. Little seems to have been built after grouping as horses were disappearing, but many stables remained in use for other purposes long after that. Although I identify 3 main styles, there also seem to have been hybrids and possibly also “retro-fitting”. So rather than seeing the three styles as entirely different designs, it is probably better to see them as different expressions of a standard design that evolved over time.
    The standard designs were single-story and followed classic GWR style features, i.e. red brick structures with blue engineering bricks around doors and at corners. The main style differences were in the ventilation, windows and doors.
     
    Sizes differed widely across the same style, from a few stalls to 20+. The footprint was simply stretched in length to accommodate the necessary no. of stalls (thanks for pointing that out, Ian). They were mostly rectangular, although there are one or two examples with a V or U shaped footprint to fit in the surroundings. In the following I have used sketches of quite large stable blocks to illustrate the styles, as they are of particular interest to me at the moment - but the same styles could be found across different sizes.
     
    STYLE A “Simple”
    Plain stable doors and sash windows with 3x4 panes. Limited ventilation. No roof-mounted louvred vents, no vents in doors and windows. Examples: Uxbridge Vine Street, Castle Cary. I’m having trouble dating this style, but my theory is that it is the earliest expression of the standard designs, because it pays so little attention to ventilation.
     
     

    My reproduction of the GWR drawing of Uxbridge Vine Street, illustrating Style A. An attractive option for the modeller who doesn't want to model the complicated ventilation seen on other types. Based on the original GWR drawing in Russel's "GWR Horse Power", which also has a drawing of the smaller stable block at Castle Cary to the same design.
     
    STYLE B “Archetype”
    Classic boxy louvred roof vents. Stable doors have “hit and miss” vents above, while windows have the same vents below a 3x3 glazing pattern. Examples: Abingdon, Chipping Norton (see header photo), Westbury, Hayes (original), Hayle, Park Royal, Thame, Little Somerford. Again there are dating difficulties. Chipping Norton’s stable was built in 1904. Westbury was totally rebuilt in 1901, so maybe the stable is from that date? Park Royal doesn’t seem to have been developed until the late 1900s.
     
     

    Park Royal, illustrating the archetypical features of Type B.
     
    STYLE C “Later”
    Stable doors have 2 rows of small windows/lights above doors, main windows are 4x5 panes. No vents in doors and windows, but large roof vents that are flatter and longer than the classic style. Examples: Weston-Super-Mare, extension block at Hayes, and the unidentified large new stable block in Russel's Great Western Horsepower p. 209-210. I’m calling this the “later” style because (i) the roof vent design seems more modern and functional and (ii) the original block at Hayes was style B design, but when it was extended (no date) the new blocks were to style C.
     
     

    Weston-Super-Mare, illustrating what I call Type C. Twenty stalls is a lot, there weren't many stables this big.
     
     

    A much smaller version of Type C. This 5-stall block was erected to extend the existing Type B block at Hayes & Harlington. A comparison with Weston-Super-Mare shows that the style is the same, and was simply shortened or stretched according to need.
     
    HYBRIDS/REBUILDS
    One or two stables I have seen could be hybrids between the main permutations. However, this is confused by the fact that (i) stables may have been retrofitted with new ventilation by the GWR, and (ii) stables were often rebuilt when no longer used for horses, and so latter day photos may confuse. For example, the latter day photos of Witney (built 1905) show windows like a Style A, but with the boxy roof vents of a Style B. However, the stable block was rebuilt to house motor lorries, and a closer look at the photos suggests to me that the windows and doors did originally have vents, but were replaced/modified (ie it is a rebuilt style B). The stable block at Minehead is more tricky, as described in the caption below.
     

     
    The preserved stable block at Minehead. As seen here it would seem like a Style A, but an earlier hand-drawing (not GWR) shows it with hit-and-miss vents in the windows, suggesting a Style B - except that the drawing does not show vents above the door or on the roof. Were they removed before the drawing was made (when the end doors were installed, for example), or was Minehead a hybrid? Shared under Creative Commons license. Attribution: Chris Osment/West Somerset Railway.
     
    Non-standard designs
     
    This included "all the rest", worthy of a whole study in themselves, but broadly speaking:
     
    Ad Hoc small designs
    A number of usually small, non-standard ad hoc stables, typically built during the early years, and often by independent companies. In some locations, the GWR simply hired space in a building for the local shunting horse with private individuals. Examples: Henley-in Arden, Princetown (built ca 1910), or how about Camborne!
     
    Very large and unique designs
    Very large stables for the major goods depots, including (i) single-story designs such as Hockley, (ii) two-story designs, rare but see Handsworth & Smethwick (and Paddington originally) and (iii) in a league of its own, Paddington Mint.
     

    The stables at Paddington Mint. Copyright Getty Images, embedding permitted.
     
    So those are my notes for now. Many thanks to all who have provided info and allowed use of photos so far. I am hoping that this will also bring new insights to light from others, as I have probably only scratched the surface.
     
    Edit: For further notes, see this blog entry.
     
     
  14. 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
     
     
  15. Mikkel
    Everyone knows how the “standard” GWR cattle vans looked, but I’ve always fancied the earlier W2 vans with outside frames. So I dug out an ABS 4mm kit and brought it with me on the family holiday. These were "medium" sized cattle vans, with the option of adding a partition and thereby making them "small" if the customer so required. I've always wondered why this was worth the trouble, as the difference in space seems minimal !
     

     
    I decided to build the kit as supplied, which is in the post-1905 condition with oil axleboxes, an updated locking mechanism for the doors, and the Wright-Marillier partition locking bar.
     
     

     
    And we all know what a Wright-Marillier partition locking bar is, don’t we! A regular household word it is. “Good morning dear. Wright Marillier partition locking bar?”. “Oh yes please, and two sugars”. Well, above is the 4mm version of such a mechanism, as supplied in the kit.
     
     

     
    It seems that in the early 1900s the GWR was having problems with farmers who paid for only part of a cattle wagon, and then moved the partition to increase the space when noone was looking. So in 1903 Messieurs Wright and Marillier of the GWR’s Wagon & Carriage department invented a locking bar that would help prevent this. Not quite Nobel prize stuff, I suppose, but a good example of practical engineering for everyday railway operation.
     
     
     

     
    The sides require a bit of preparation. Apart from fitting the locking bar, a door latch must be fashioned from wire and the main bars fitted.
     
     
     

     
    The W2s were built with “bulb” section solebars (where the upper lip is wider than the lower one), and an early distinctive type of round buffer housing. Those lugs on the casting above the solebar caused me a lot of headscratching. They don't seem to serve a purpose and get in the way of the assembly. In the end I simply removed them. I hope I haven't missed some vital point!
     
     
     

     
    Poor man's brass. I've finally realized why I get on better with whitemetal and plastic than with brass. They are much more forgiving materials, eg I can file and tweak and fill in to correct all my mistakes!
     
     
     

     
    Modelling in the wilds of Denmark. A fly of the genus Wotsit inspects the roof bands. Actually it may have a point: I think the bands should have been a tad flatter and wider.
     
     

     
    Standard grey and a bit of lime wash. I forgot to add the small "M" and "S" to the livery (now corrected, see the first photo). I know that the lime wash was often more pronounced in reality, but I find it can look a bit odd in 4mm scale. So I prefer this understated look. I haven’t finished the lettering on the ends as I am not sure how it should be. The photo in "GWR Goods Wagons" (Atkins et al) shows an experimental livery on the ends which was not carried forward. The kit instructions indicate the “GW” as seen here, but also with tonnes and tare in italics on the left hand side. But I thought that the standard end livery should be “GW” , running number and “Medium”?
     

     
    When the GWR introduced the large "GW" on goods stock in 1904, they ran into problems with the outside framed vans. There simply wasn't enough room between the frames. The solution was to use smaller, non-standard letters. I did the same. Photos from the early 1900s also show that on some wagons, the cross-bar on the “G” differed from the later standard style. The HMRS transfers have the later style (bottom right), so I modified them with a lick of paint (top left).
     
     
     

     
    The W2 in the bay siding. Surprisingly, the photo in Atkins et al shows it with screw-couplings, so I have added an (overscale) set of these until I work out if that was standard.
     
     
     

     
    Mr Wright and Mr and Mrs Marillier inspect their invention on the W2 at Farthing. What the world does not know is that the concept for the locking bar came from a clasp on Mrs Marillier's corset. What Mr Wright and Mr Marillier do not know is that they both got the idea from the same clasp.
  16. Mikkel

    GWR weighbridge office

    By Mikkel,


    Structures
    A weighbridge has appeared at Farthing. It began as a kit, but in the end much of it was scratchbuilt. Here's a summary of the build.
     
     

     
    This was the point of departure, a lasercut kit from Rail Model. A little research showed that it is based on the prototype at Leckhampton, a drawing of which appears in the EricPlans volume on GWR and LMS structures. 
     
     

     
    The kit is nicely cut, but I noticed that the corners weren’t mitred. So I sought to remedy this with a file. Bad idea! The MDF edges began to crumble. My mistake.
     
     

     
    I eventually decided to cut a new ‘skin’ from SE finecast brick sheet. This also changed the brickwork from Flemish to English bond, thereby bringing it into line with other brick structures at Farthing. 
     
     

     
    Perhaps I should have built a whole new inner core while I was at it, but I like the idea that the original kit is still in there.  
     
      

      
     A bit of rudimentary furniture.  
     
     

     
    Also a rough outline of the scales - a Pooley design, using bits of styrene and glue brush handles.
     
     

      
    Bird's eye view of the interior. Frankly, almost none of it can be seen from outside! Regarding the blue distemper, see the discussion here – including Tim V.’s interesting photos.
      
     

      
     I decided to make the roof detacahable in case something inside comes loose, or I want to add some staff. 
     
      

     
    Some GWR weighbridges had sliding windows. Some offices had six panes per window, others had four.  The windows supplied in the Rail Model kit provide for this. They’re a bit deep though. Sanding them down is an option, but I didn’t fancy the MDF dust. 
      
      

     
     So I drew up new windows in Inkscape and cut them on my Silhouette. I had some trouble getting the ‘crosses’ neat. 
     
     

     
    A trial fit of the main windows. A closer study of GWR weighbridge offices show that details differ in almost every case. The windows on the Leckhampton structure were positioned relatively high compared to other designs, and centrally rather than off-set to one side.  
     
     

     
    The roof slates were cut from self-adhesive vinyl on the Silhouette, as per the stable block. Once again thanks to Lee for this tip.
     
     

     
    Inspired by @Dave John (a.k.a. the Magnet Man) I stuck a magnet under the roof. That way I can lift it off without damaging anything. 
     
     

     
    Gutters from Wills, and some downpipes fashioned from brass wire.
     
     

     
    The door opens inwards. Makes it harder for those Midland Railway rogues to barricade it from the outside. 
     
     

     
    A 'warts and all' view of the window end. The Leckhampton structure was unusual here: Most GWR weighbridge offices had no window in the end wall, or just a small one.  The Leckhampton building had blue bricks at the base, common but not universal. I decided to go for plain red bricks in order to match the stable block. 
     
     

     
    Trial fit on the layout. I'll have to shift the whole thing further into the yard, so that the staff can better access the door. Slight planning c*ck-up there!
     
     

     
    The weighbridge itself is a Smith etch of a Pooley design. The instructions say it is based on the one at Knightwick, installed 'around 1889'.
     
    That's it for now. Thanks to everyone who helped with information! 
     
  17. Mikkel

    Hand-me-down coaches

    By Mikkel,


    Coaches & Browns
    Supposed to be cleaning the basement today, but ended up sorting through a box full of half-forgotten rolling stock that I've picked up second-hand over the years. Obviously I had to give them a spin on the layout. (“Just to see if they’re still working, dear"). The above trio of Victorian coaches were originally scratchbuilt by Chris Edge. I couldn’t resist them when they were up for sale a few years back, even if they are a bit early for my 1900s timeframe. If I’m not mistaken, the models represent coaches introduced in 1854 (photos in Russell's GWR Coaches, page 11) although the underframe suggests that they are modelled in their later period. I’m not sure when they were actually withdrawn, so any info would be much appreciated...
     
     
    .
     
    According to Russell, this First Class coach was originally built by Wrights for the Chester & Birkenhead Rwy, before being taken over by the GWR. The origins in stage coach design are very obvious, including luggage rack on the roof. For an artistic interpretation of what the compartments would have looked like inside, have a look at this painting. Victorian elegance in full flourish – but only for some!
     
     

     
    By contrast, the “Thirds” look cramped and boxy. Apparently, many of these were built for branchline service. The photo in Russell - on which I suspect this one is modelled - appears to show an example from the Culm Valley. Provision of Third class coaches became mandatory for the railways in the 1844 Railway Act. Incidentally, the Act is available for download here.
     
     

     
    Here’s another rather unusual rake of coaches! I bought them on ebay some years ago - there was no photo, just a brief description of a set of “kitbuilt GWR coaches” in etched brass. It turned out to be NER branchline stock from the 1880s, built from Connoisseur kits, but painted in GWR 1930s livery! Perhaps the previous owner used them as examples of GWR Workmen's coaches?
     
     

     
    My initial disappointment soon turned to interest, when I discovered that the NER sold many of these coaches off to light railways prior to WW1. I'm currently pondering whether to backdate them and employ them on "The bay" as absorbed coaching stock, acquired with the take-over of the Overbourne line - as per the Lambourn Valley Railway coaches.
     
     

     
    The NER introduced the coaches in the 1880s. This Brake Third was to Diagram X. I have always liked "Birdcage" look-outs, a pity the GWR didn't employ them!
     
     

     
    Just to round things off, this little loco was also out for a spin today. It is one of the Sharp, Stewart & Co. 2-4-0s, originally built for the Cambrian in 1866 but seen here in its Swindonized form. It's another ebay purchase and has been built (I believe) from the GEM / Mainly Trains kit. Not sure whether I'll ever get around to finishing it, as it is out of my period, but it trundles along nicely enough.
     
     
  18. Mikkel

    Here's looking at you

    By Mikkel,

    It was the winter of 1997 and I was in London for the Watford show. Or to be honest: My life was a bit of a mess, and I was trying to escape from some difficult decisions that had to be made.
     

     
    I had arrived a day early and was staying in a cheap and gloomy hotel not far from Paddington. The idea was to spend the day touring the model shops around London, but things were not going well: The weather was cold and windy, the shops were uninspiring and I couldn’t escape my own thoughts.
     

     
    So I caught a train down to Eastbourne. The warm carriage and gentle rocking of the train lifted my spirits a little. In Eastbourne I stood on the empty pier for a long time and tried to clear my head.
     
     

     
    Then I walked over to the Train Times model shop to see what was on offer. I saw her almost immediately, and I knew I had to have her.
     

     
    Sitting on a shelf was a 633 class loco, slightly scarred by life and hardly glamorous. Yet beautiful in her own way and longing to be loved.
     

     
    I bought her and walked out into the streets of Eastbourne, feeling a little lighter. On the train back to the chaos of London, I finally made those difficult decisions.
     
    ...
     
    So that was the story of the day I bought No. 643. I'm telling it here because I've just sold the loco, and I thought she deserved a proper goodbye. She'll be going off to another man now, but that's how it had to be. Here's looking at you, kid ;-)
     
     
  19. Mikkel
    Here's a brief illustrated write-up on my recent experiences with modified and detailed HO figures for Farthing.
     

    My normal source of figures is to backdate OO whitemetal figures from Monty's and other ranges (see this separate blog entry). But this can be time consuming, and for pre-grouping modellers the options are limited. Like others before me I have therefore been attracted to the large German HO ranges, and especially Preiser who have a small series of figures from the Victorian and Edwardian period. Some of these can be seen on the Preiser website. The big issue is size. The photo above shows medium-sized figures from Preiser and two UK ranges. In this case, the height difference is not particularly noticeable. As an aside, the different OO ranges also seem to differ in average size, with Monty's often being slightly larger (and I suspect thereby more correct) than eg Langley.
     
     

    In other cases, however, the size difference is quite noticeable. As this photo illustrates, it's not just the height difference, but just as often the difference in "bulk" that gives the game away.
     
     

    So in my view, HO figures often cannot be mixed indiscriminately with OO figures, and often need to be used on their own or in carefully selected places on the layout. One place where I find them particularly suitable is in cramped loco cabs, where their small size is a distinct advantage. There are other examples of that in this earlier blog entry.
     
     

    The large number of figures and poses in the German ranges means that there is good scope for light modification. Even if a particular type of figure isn't available, there is usually always one that has a similar stance and which can be modified with a little tweaking. This driver was originally a portly civilian frozen in mid-stride.
     
     

    The Preiser figures are fairly well detailed compared to some of the UK whitemetal ranges, although it does differ from figure to figure. Further detailing doesn't hurt though, and beards are great period markers. Here I've added a beard using plastic putty from Model Color, applied with a wet needle to ensure it goes on without clumping.
     
     

    Funky Victorians! Victorian beards are a whole study in themselves, it seems. These gentlemen sport different styles of plastic putty beards, based on the illustrations that I found on the internet.
     
     

    The Preiser figures are rather brightly coloured as they come, so I tone down or repaint them. There are, of course, lots of figure painting techniques available on the internet, but some are a bit out of my league, and some just don't seem to work for 4mm scale. So I usually go for something simple and indicative.
     
     

    In my view, faces are a particularly criticial area, and a model with a well-sculpted face (such as this one) makes a big difference in terms of realism.Painting eyes etc is particularly tricky in this scale, so if a face is well-moulded, I often simply give it a blackened wash and let it settle in the right places, touching up lightly with skin colour afterwards.
     
     

    The difference when toned down/repainted is usually very significant!
  20. Mikkel

    Horse-drawn parcels van and coal trolley

    By Mikkel,


    Horse-drawn
    Here are a couple of horse-drawn vehicles for "The bay".
     
     


    This GWR parcels van is based on No. 131, representing a type introduced in the 1890s. It was made using a Langley kit.
     
     
     

     
    The lettering is based on photos from the period (including the use of different fonts), and drawn up in Word with a brown background to match the van colour. It was then printed on thin paper and stuck to the van side. This shot is ruthless but from a normal viewing distance it looks OK. The poster is an original GWR example from 1907, reduced to scale size and printed.
     
     
     

     
    A Coal-merchant's trolley from Shirescenes. The kit also includes parts to make it up price boards and scales if so desired, a nice touch.
     
     
     

     
    Later I simplified the model, turning it into a straightforward flat trolley as seen here.
     
     
  21. Mikkel

    How to eat an elephant

    By Mikkel,


    Intro
    Question: How do you eat an elephant?
    Answer: One bite at a time
     

     
    "The Farthing layouts" are a series of OO micro-layouts that depict small sections of the same overall junction station. The period is Edwardian, although I occasionally have heretic out-of-period operating sessions. The layouts are operationally independent of each other, ie they are not connected or modular. In this way, I can explore my interest in larger stations in a very limited space. In other words, I'm eating an elephant one bite at a time!
     
    The station of Farthing is located on the GWR line between Newbury and Westbury, and serves as the junction for the fictional "North & South Railway" line from Swindon to Salisbury, now part of the GWR system. It is also the starting point of the local branch to Overbourne.
     
     

    Map showing Farthing and the old North & South Railway, now absorbed by the GWR
     
  22. 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.
  23. Mikkel
    Last week I was browsing a secondhand bookshop here in Copenhagen. Imagine my surprise when I suddenly came across a dog-eared copy of "A Traveller's Guide to the Great Western Railway" from 1926. What really got my attention, however, was that this was one of the rare illustrated versions, with photos by J. Peerybingle, a well-known photographer of the day.
     
    Feigning complete indifference I managed to obtain the book for a very reasonable price. I particularly like the chapter entitled "Journey to Didcot", and have decided to reproduce it here. I hope I am not infringing on any copyright laws by doing so!
     
     

     
    Our journey begins at Paddington Station, that most famous of railway stations from where tracks reach out for thousands of miles across the Kingdom.
     
     

     
    Under these mighty arches the traveller may choose to commence his journey with a pleasant meal in one of the numerous dining establishments.
     
     

     
    Perhaps a Cornish pasty would suit the traveller? Surely a suitable choice for the Great Western traveller. Side-crimped, of course!
     
     

     
    Waiting rooms are to be found in several locations around the station concourse. Naturally, separate rooms are provided for Ladies.
     
     

     
    In preparation for the journey the traveller will want to synchronize his time-piece with that of the grand clock in the station hall. One can only wonder at the scenes this clock has witnessed!
     
     

     
    Should assistance be needed in finding one's train, the courteous station staff will be of assistance, as will the numerous timetables posted throughout the station.
     
     

     
    Porters are available for those who carry heavy luggage, and the station staff are always on hand to assist the less sure-footed.
     
     

     
    The Great Western Company provides a variety of services in the direction of Didcot, depending on the needs of the traveller.
     
     

     
    The fastest and most direct service is provided by the sleek expresses that stop only at the major stations.
     
     

     
    Even the most experienced traveller must marvel at the elegant liveries and the lovingly polished engines for which the company’s crack expresses are known around the world.
     
     

     
    Alternatively, the traveller may choose to go by stopping train. These provide a more sedate mode of travel, and an opportunity to fully experience the beauty of the countryside along the way.
     
     

     
    The interior of the stopping trains are a study in lavish design and tasteful colour selection...
     
     

     
    ...and the comfort is second to none.
     
     

     
    As we embark on our journey, we soon pass Old Oak Common, the renowned locomotive depot of the Great Western Company...
     
     

     
    ...where the observant traveller may be fortunate to see some of the graceful locomotive classes of the Great Western. Here it is one of the legendary Castle Class, namely Pendennis Castle sporting the well-known coat of arms.
     
     

     
    As we proceed along the line we observe many examples of the lineside industries that keep the wheels of our industrious nation turning...
     
     

     
    ...and which are served by endless rows of heavy goods trains that cross the country from one end to the other.
     
     

     
    Indeed, whereever we look there is evidence of the country’s great reliance on our railways.
     
     

     
    As we stop at stations along the way, it is difficult not to be charmed by the railway architecture for which the Great Western Company is so well known.
     
     

     
    Elegance is the key word...
     
     

     
    ...station gardens are lovingly groomed...
     
     

     
    ...and local artists have enthusiastically helped decorate the station buildings.
     
     

     
    Everywhere we witness the company’s loyal dedication to personal and attentive service.
     
     

     
    At the stations the railway enthusiast has the opportunity to study the railway officials going about their duties.
     
     

     
    Several of the stations along the way provide opportunities for the traveller to connect with branchline services if he so desires.
     
     

     
    Gangers may be encountered along the way...
     
     

     
    ...whose job it it is to ensure that the track is well maintained so that passengers may have a smooth and speedy ride.
     
     

     
    Indeed, the railway infrastructure itself is worthy of study as our train speeds westwards.
     
     

     
    As we gain sight of the company’s new coaling stage at Didcot we know our journey has come to an end. For the traveller who wishes to further explore this intriguing railway town, we refer to the next installment in our series.
  24. Mikkel
    Here's an idea for a potential future layout in the Farthing series. The idea is to show a small section of the yard and sidings at Farthing. The trackplan is based on a real-world prototype, namely an interesting ladder of kick-back sidings in Gloucester Old Yard, which served a variety of purposes. By focussing on one end of the track ladder, the layout can feature a variety of stock movements in a limited space, while still following the prototype.
     
     

    Crown Copyright 1936
     
    Above is an OS map showing Gloucester Old Yard (as of 1936, hence past the 50 year copyright date). Goods depot on the left, engine shed on the right, and lots of sidings in between. Lovely!
     
     
     

     
    Here is the map again, after I’ve been at it with my crayons! As you can see, the red headshunt in the middle served a variety of interesting facilities (is headhunt the right word in this case? Americans would call it the lead, I think). This included the coaling stage, and a yard where the loco department deposited ash and stored the occasional loco. The engineers also had some special vehicles in these sidings, including an inspection saloon with its own carriage shed. The sidings also served the Gloucester water works, and a private goods depot used by, among others, a biscuit company.
     
     
     

     
    Here’s a close-up, showing how all sidings to the right of the headshunt were effectively kick-back sidings. Consequently, trains had to be propelled/drawn almost to the end of the headshunt to access the sidings. Two locos worked the sidings: The yard pilot and the shed pilot.
     
     
     

     
    Looking at photos I also noticed that by the late 1940s an additional point had been provided linking the headshunt in question with the mileage sidings (not visible on this 1936 map, but drawn in here). This included the two sidings seen here in green, which led to an end-loading dock and seem to have featured a good variety of vans and mineral opens.
     
     
     

     
    So how does all that translate into a small layout? Well the idea is that the layout will feature just the extreme uppermost part of the yard, as indicated here with the green outline. The rest of the yard is represented by an off-scene fiddle yard.
     
     
     

     
    The plan above illustrates the variety of stock and moves that can be justified on the layout. For 1-5, trains are drawn back/propelled into the headhunt (and hence onto the layout) before being moved into the relevant siding (ie back off-scene). Movements of the Loco Coal wagons were especially interesting: They were exchanged between the yard pilot and the shed pilot. The two mileage sidings (6) provide for a bit of general shunting (edit: and coaching stock storage, see below). The small section of track (7) is a scenic indication of the rest of the mileage sidings.
     
     
     

     
    Apart from the shunting, there could be a few interchangeable cameos/dioramas to indicate the passing of the day in a yard. See the “flexible layout” idea. I am playing with the idea of setting the layout in 1947, which would be a departure from my normal Edwardian timeframe. EDIT: On reflection I have decided to stick with the Edwardian period. An OS map from 1902 suggests that the trackplan displayed above was largely similar around the turn of the century, give or take one or two sidings.
     
    Note: Much of the inspiration for the layout comes from an article in GWRJ No. 45, which describes operations in Gloucester Old Yard. If I have misunderstood something (including terminology) please don’t hesitate to correct me.
     
    Edit 1: I have found the following 1932 photo on the excellent "Britain from Above" site. The layout will focus on the busy sidings upper right, where the road bends. Registered members of the site can zoom in on the photo - and this reveals that the two mileage sidings that I intend to include on the layout are crammed with coaching stock! More stuff to run and model then :-)
     

    Original image here. "You may, print, display, and store for your personal use at home and you may copy to a blog or personal web page as long as the page is freely available with no login restrictions and no charges."
     
     
    Edit 2: Since writing this post I have decided to stick with my Edwardian timeframe. The above post has therefore been lightly edited to avoid confusion.
  25. Mikkel

    Kit-bashed GWR light dray

    By Mikkel,


    Horse-drawn
    I've been finalising a batch of horse-drawn vehicles for Farthing. First one done is a light one-horse dray – or trolley, as the GWR called them. It's of a type that some GWR drawings refer to as the “Birmingham pattern”. There was a variety of designs of this type from the 1890s onwards, but the main distinguishing feature was the front-mounted protective tarp, and a carter’s box seat beneath it. The name shouldn't be taken too literally. Photos and drawings show that they were widely distributed around the system, including at e.g. Slough and Ilfracombe.
     
    I’ve previously scratchbuilt another Birmingham pattern vehicle, but that took ages so this time I decided to modify a generic Dart Castings kit (ref L45). I found a drawing in 'GWR Horsepower' which is a reasonable fit, give or take a mm here and there. The following photos show the main steps.
     

     

     

     

     

     

     
    I initially fitted bolections to the sides, but later dispensed with them (see below). Probably shouldn't have.
     

     
    The carter was composed of a Langley body and head from the Andrew Stadden range.
     

     

     
    The horse is from Dart Castings. The subtle colouring of our equine friends is hard to capture, I find. Here I tried dry brushing lighter colours on a dark base, i.e. white from below and light brown from above. Works OK in close-up, but once on the layout you can’t really tell the difference!
     

     

     
    The tarp on these vehicles could be pulled back and draped over the load in case of rain. I folded it from a spare Smiths tarp, cut to size.
     

     
    A central box seat was made for the carter. It's a bit lower than it should be, to accommodate his short legs.
     

     
    Lettering is always a problem for company vehicles. I first used coach lettering off the HMRS sheet as per my earlier model of this type, but wasn’t happy with the result - and the font isn’t right anyway.
     

     
    After much back and forth I had a "modeller's fit", ripped off the bolections, and fitted a simple printed side. It’s not ideal, next time I’ll make my own transfers. Fortunately, photos show much variety in lettering style in the 1900s. The fine chain is from Cambrian, great stuff and still available from H&A Models.
     

     
    The new trolley posed next to my earlier model on the left, which shews a different type of headboard (and no box for the driver, must get roundtuit). The scratchbuilt one has more character I think – but the kitbashed one was a lot quicker!
     
    I'll leave it there for now, these entries are becoming too long and unwieldy! More on the other vehicles shortly.
     
     
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