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Mikkel

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Blog Entries posted by Mikkel

  1. Mikkel
    I’ve been building some “foreign” stock for the goods depot at Farthing. It’s a real pleasure, but also humbling to realize just how little I know about other companies, and how difficult it can be to obtain kit parts for other pre-grouping companies. We GWR modellers are a spoilt lot!
     
    My 1900s period is before the “common user” arrangement, so most of the goods stock at Farthing would have been the GWR’s own - but there should be room for a handful of foreign vehicles, especially from the companies close by. This included the MSJWR, which crossed the GWR's Berks & Hants line at Savernake, not far from Farthing.
     

     
    So first up was a MSWJR 3-plank dropside wagon. Over on gwr.org.uk I had seen a note by Paul Absalom that this could be made by modifying a Slater’s kit for the Midland Railway dia 305 (thanks Paul!). The MR design was used as the basis for 20 wagons ordered by the MSWJR from Oldbury works in 1899.The sides and ends of the Slater’s kit (above) are virtually identical to the MSWJR versions, so these were used directly.
     
     

     
    The running gear is a less straightforward matter. There is very limited documentation available on these wagons, and the only known photo has the underframe in shadow. A drawing has been made, but there is doubt about whether the running gear is portrayed correctly. So an informed guess is the best we can do. This led to an interesting discussion involving several RM Webbers – especially wagonman – as well as Neil Lover of the “Swindon’s other Railway” site and MSWJR historian Mike Barnsley (see this thread for details). Many thanks, gentlemen!
     
     
     

     
    To cut a long story short, we concluded that the MSWJR probably wouldn’t have gone for the fairly sophisticated and expensive Ellis axleboxes provided in the Slaters kit. So these had to go. An alternative option would have been to modify the existing axleboxes.
     
     
     

     
    Instead I fitted MJT units/W-irons (non-rocking). This required some of the framing to be carved away, but was otherwise straightforward. Packing was added underneath the units.
     
     
     

     
    The exact type of axleboxes used by the MSWJR isn’t known, except that they were most likely of the grease type. In photos of other MSWJR wagons I noticed a simple type not unlike the standard GWR grease box. So I fitted some of the latter (also from MJT) and modified/filed them to suit. The only other modification was to file away the MR build plate on the solebar.
     
     

     
    I couldn’t find any ready-made MSWJR lettering, so opted instead for the “white shaded black” letters from one of the HMRS P.O. sheets. These are slightly overscale but close enough, I think. The sheet is rather costly, but I wanted it anyway for lettering some Farthing based P.O. wagons at some point.
     
     
     

     
    The finished model. I suddenly realized that a dropside wagon might not often be seen inside a goods depot, as they tended to carry loose material, stone etc. But I’m thinking that a couple of large crates might justify a dropside, to facilitate unloading?
     
     

     
    Shunter George “Bulldog” Mullins studiously ignores the new wagon. A GWR man to the core, Mullins treated vehicles from the competition with poorly disguised contempt. In particular, he refused point blank to shunt vehicles from the MSWJR. The origin of this particular grudge was always a bit of a mystery, although some said it had to do with an unfortunate incident in his youth. The details were unclear, but apparently it involved his pet donkey, a sleepy MSWJR driver and a poorly guarded level crossing.
  2. Mikkel
    I’m building a traverser of sorts for the fiddle yard of my little goods depot layout. From an engineering perspective it’s a bit dodgy - yet somehow it works, so I’ve dubbed it the bumblebee.
     
    My original plan was to have a fiddle yard with points, but as space is becoming an issue I decided to go for a traverser instead. Trouble is, my engineering skills are equal to those of the common earthworm.
     
    So I’ve been putting it off, until I came across some bits and pieces in the local DIY and acted on impulse. What has developed is best seen as an experiment!
     
     
     
     

     
    Two aluminimum angles from the local DIY.
     
     

     
    Cobbled together, they make up a sturdy cassette.
     
     

     
    Aluminium tube, cut into sections and fitted underneath the cassette.
     
     

     
    Thinner aluminimum tube. Also available in brass - possibly better, but costly and heavy.
     
     

     
    Thin tubes slide into thicker tubes…
     
     

     
    …resulting in this beast: A traverser-style sliding cassette.
     
     

     
    Frame built from 10mm foamboard. Ahem!
     
     

     
    Plastic angle and screws, used to secure tubes to frame. Rawplugs inside the tubes.
     
     

     
    Everything fitted together. Looks OK but does it work? At first I wasn’t happy. There was a bit too much friction when sliding the cassette. The foamboard was still nice and square though, so I must have not got the tubes perfectly aligned. With four tubes there is very little room for inaccuracy.
     
     

     
    So I removed the two outermost “guide tubes” from the cassette, and fitted foam pads in their place (track underlay). The foam slides on top of the outermost tubes, meaning there is still support at the ends.
     
     

     
    With this arrangement, the cassette slides smoothly. I have added a cork underlay and am now waiting for fresh supplies of Sprat & Winkle uncoupling magnets, which will be installed in the cork-base on the right hand side so I can use delayed action S&W couplers. The wooden “lip” connects the traverser to the layout through a piggy-back arrangement.
     
    Testing suggests that so far this contraption works surprisingly well. The bumblebee flies. The big question is for how long! There’s clearly a risk that the foamboard will warp or get twisted from heavy use. If that happens, I’ll try a Mk2 version with a wood frame.
  3. Mikkel
    I’ve slowly started work on the next layout in the Farthing series. “The sidings” are inspired by an interesting arrangement at the back of Gloucester Old Yard, where a headshunt served a series of kickback sidings that gave access to a variety of facilities: One siding served a private “biscuit” depot, another served the local waterworks, and finally there was a backroad to the loco depot’s ash sidings and coaling stage.
     
     
     
     

     
    Above left is the overall layout at Gloucester (see this post for details). The headshunt is in red. On the right is the rudely simplified and manipulated trackplan that I have extracted from this to suit my available space and personal tastes.
     
     
     

     
    Trackplan
    Here is the plan again, as it will appear on the layout. The scenic part of the layout will focus on the “neck” of the headshunt (what I think the GWR would have called a shunting spur), as well as the biscuit- and waterworks sidings - all turned through 180 degrees compared to Gloucester. Also featured on the layout is the lowermost siding of the main yard, where Loco Coal and ash wagons are stored, as per Gloucester. The "backroad" siding leading to the loco depot is mostly off-scene, but still plays an important part in operating the layout. The rest of the station is represented by a simple fiddle yard. The headshunt and sidings can accommodate a minimum of 3 “standard” four-wheel wagons and a tank loco. The very short shunting spur emulates that at Gloucester.
     
     
     

     
    Operation
    The table above shows the main "moves" I can make on the layout. An interesting operational feature at Gloucester was the exchange of Loco Coal and ash wagons: These were stored in the main yard, and when needed they were picked up by the yard shunter, moved to the headshunt and turned over to the shed pilot, which then propelled them to the loco depot. The yard shunter also worked wagons into the “biscuit siding” and the waterworks. These features are carried over to my layout - although I'm taking some liberties: In reality the biscuit siding was partly operated by gravity shunting, but I’m not doing that! As for the waterworks, I don’t know exactly what the traffic was, but a bit of research and photos suggests coal in for the pumping engines, and waste ash out. As salt was sometimes used for water softening I also saw an opportunity to also run a salt wagon or two, until someone corrects me!
     
     

     
    Buildings
    I want to use this layout as a way to improve my skills at constructing prototype buildings. So I've been looking around for various prototypes that were either standard GWR or that I found interesting. Some will be replicated directly, others will be adapted.
     
    Biscuit shed. The actual shed at Gloucester wasn’t very inspiring, so I will base mine on a downsized version of the rather nice "beer shed" at Stratford on Avon. This is open at the front and thereby gives a view across the loading dock into the shed, as indicated above. It is closed at the back and thereby hides the small radius point and entry to the fiddle yard behind it.
     
    Stable block. Can’t have a Farthing layout without horses! And I’ve always wanted a stable block. It will be fairly large with 8-9 stalls, reflecting that Farthing is a medium-sized mainline junction. Similar to the one at Witney.
     
    Mess room. This was inspired by the lovely GWR building in Truro yard that CK has kindly shared some photos of here.
     
    Water works. Not sure how I will do this yet, and I may chose only to have the works lightly indicated. In any case I'm thinking something low, like these at Low Bradfield - althought it would be nice if I could find a prototype in GWR territory.
     
    Replaceable cameo. I’m pondering whether I can try out the idea of replaceable cameos in the waterworks siding, similar to the idea sketched out previously in this post.
     
     

     
    Above is an updated attempt at showing the overall scheme of things at Farthing so far. I don’t intend to actually join up the layouts in practice, but it’s nice to have a general storyline behind it all. Sadly I haven’t given much serious thought to this as I went along, which means it’s now a bit of a challenge to make it all fit into an overall plan that makes reasonable sense. Anyway, essentially we’re talking about a medium-sized junction station in a cutting, with some creative earthworks to accommodate the growing town around it. Shades of Newbury, a touch of Kings Meadow, and delusions of Gloucester!
     
    That's about it for now. My original idea was to set the layout in the 1940s, but after mulling it over I’ve decided to stick with my normal Edwardian timeframe. That won’t stop me from doing the odd “out of period” running session though!
  4. 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.
  5. Mikkel

    Moving Pictures

    By Mikkel,


    Misc.
    It's been a while since we have heard from the Farthing Station Weekly Discussion Club. Fortunately, the Club continues to meet on a weekly basis to discuss worldly matters.
     
    Recent debates have included the Zulu rebellion, the eruption of Vesuvius, Einstein's theory of relativity, the California earthquakes, the invention of flight, Gandhi's philosophy, the discovery of the South Pole, and the scandalous defeat to South Africa by one wicket.
     
    As always, proceedings are headed by Station Master A. Woodcourt - a resourceful if somewhat cautious man, who not only bears a striking resemblance to the present King, but also plans to surprise everyone by boarding a boat to Brazil after his retirement. But that, as they say, is another story.
     
    And so, to business:
     
     

     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
    Click for video: http://www.britishpathe.com/video/train-moving-through-station-aka-railway-train/query/railway
     
     
     

     
    Click for video: http://www.britishpathe.com/video/railway-accident/query/railway
     
     
     

     
    Click for video: http://www.britishpathe.com/video/speed-and-safety/query/railway
     
     
     

     
    Click for video: http://www.britishpathe.com/video/shunting-horse
     
     
     

     
    Pendon video (1958): http://www.britishpathe.com/video/hair-thatching/
    Other model railway videos (1930s-1950s): http://www.britishpathe.com/search/query/model+railway
     
     
     

     
     
     
    PS: Those rude comments about other companies do not reflect my personal opinion - I'm a great fan of the LSWR and LBSC, but I can't help it if the GWR staff at Farthing are a bit patriotic!
     
     
  6. 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.
     
  7. Mikkel

    Shoulders of giants

    By Mikkel,

    I’ve been reading Patrick McGill’s “Children of the dead end: The autobiography of a navvy”. McGill worked as a navvy in the 1900s and became known as the “navvy poet”.
     
    It’s a fascinating read, and it made me realize just how much we owe to the men who built the railways, canals and towns. Talk about standing on the shoulders of giants!
     
    So instead of the usual progress report, I’ll let the navvies do the talking this time. The lines are excerpts from McGill’s poem “Have you”.
     
     
     
     
     

     
    Have you tramped about in Winter, when your boots were minus soles?
    Have you wandered sick and sorry with your pockets full of holes?
     
     
     

     
    Have you sweltered through the Summer, till the salt sweat scared your eyes?
    Have you dragged through plumb-dead levels in the slush that reached your thighs?
     
     
     

     
    Have you worked the weighty hammer swinging heavy from the hips,
    While the ganger timed the striking with a curse upon his lips?
     
     
     

     
    Have you swept the clotted point-rods and the reddened reeking cars
    That have dragged a trusty comrade through the twisted signal bars?
     
     
     

     
    Have you seen the hooded signal, as it swung above you clear,
    And the deadly engine rushing on the mate who didn't hear?
     
     
     

     
    If you want to prove your manhood in the way the navvies do,
    These are just the little trifles that are daily up to you.
     
     
     

     
    And if you haven't shared the risk, the worry and the strife,
    Disappointment, and the sorrow, then you know not what is life.
     
     
    PS:
    The young gent in the left hand foreground is McGill (click image for larger size). His book "Children of the dead end" can be downloaded free here, and his poems "Songs of the dead end" can be found here.
  8. Mikkel
    I've managed to finish my early GWR one-planker, built mostly from styrene. Just to recap, the prototype is one of the 18ft types with wooden solebars, originally built in the 1870s. We don't hear much about GWR one-plankers, but there were more than 2300 in service in the early 20th century. They appear to be a bit of minefield with a variety of dimensions, so mine is based on the drawing in "GWR Goods Wagons" by Atkins et al. Details are based on no. 5141, of which a couple of photos exist.
     
     
     

     
    Here she is with a light dusting of grey primer, in preparation for the rivet transfers. It seemed a shame to cover all those nice brass detailing bits, but sooner or later we all loose our shine!
     
     
     

     
    For the rivets I used Archer's resin transfers, as discussed in this thread (thanks gents!). I bought the mixed-size sheet as it is a bit difficult to assess beforehand what size you need. There doesn't seem to be many UK stockists, but DCC supplies have them. They are not cheap, but there should be enough here for several jobs.
     
     
     

     
    Pacman? No, rivet transfers. The clever bit is that you can cut out strips of rivets and therefore don't have to add each one individually. But it depends on the prototype of course. In my case I did have to add a lot of them individually to get the right spacing.
     
     
     

     
    The transfers need to be soaked in warm water prior to application. The instructions suggest retaining the backing paper until the rivets are in place, and then sliding it out from under them. I personally found it easier to tease off the backing paper with a brush while in the water, and then simply add the transfer directly to the wagon.
     
     

     
    As long as they're wet, the transfers can be gently nudged in place and repositioned as required. Once they dry up they start to harden. As RMwebber Sasquatch advised me, the transfers really do need a coat of primer to stick to if you want good adhesion. As you can see, the transfer film is fairly obvious...
     
     
     

     
    ... so as recommended in the instructions I used Microsol on top of the transfers, which interacts with the primer and transfer film so that the latter essentially dissolves.
     
     

     
    Train spotting. The transfer film is gone and the rivets are stuck in place. One of the fun things about scratch-building is that you can replicate the idio-synchrasies of a particular wagon. The real no. 5141 also had a rivet head missing on one corner plate, and lacked rivet plates on one end of the solebar. The ribbed buffers are from MJT and this close-up is a little unfair to them.
     
     

     
    Another of those little imperfections that I rather like, and that noone else will ever notice! Photos of no. 5141 show the wagon with two different wheel types, one axle with split spokes and the other with solid spokes. I'm sure it wasn't built like that, but something happened along the way. We all know the feeling!
     
     
     

     
    Here she is again after another coat of primer to cover the rivets. The brake is a bit of an enigma. We know that these wagons had a single large wooden brake block, but the details of the arrangement are not clear. The two photos that exist of no. 5141 are from the unbraked side, and the brake is only seen as a ghostly shadow. Photos of other wagons with single brake blocks suggest that there were several different types, so that is not much help. The arrangement seen here is therefore my guesstimate, based on consultations with knowledgeable RMwebbers (any mistakes are entirely my own!).
     
     
     

     
    Then came the question of livery. As discussed elsewhere, my working assumption is that wagon bodies were red right up to 1904. But what about the bits below the solebar - the axleguards etc? Were they red or grey? I tend to think grey, but looking at photos of the real 5141 it does look as if it's the same colour all over. I can't show the prototype photos, so above is a shot of my model instead, taken with the "monchrome" setting on my compact camera. As you can see the wagon is clearly the same colour all over....
     
     

     
    ...except that it isn't . This photo was taken immediately after the one above, and to me it indicates just how difficult it can be to tell colours apart in monochrome, even with today's technology. Admittedly, these shots aren't of a very good quality (they were taken with the macro-focus on), and I realize that it is problematic to compare modern photos with those of the 1900s.
     
     
     

     
     
    No doubt it also depends a lot on the colour shade and lighting: This photo was taken indoors with artificial lighting, after I had given the wagon a second coat in a different shade, and treated it with weathering and varnish. Here you can actually see a colour difference between the axleguards and the body. This may explain why the evidence from prototype photos is so ambigious. In any case, for the time being I'll stick with "red on top, grey underneath" (to paraphrase the old Kerryman joke).
     
     
     

     
    So here she is in more or less finished condition. I say more or less because the prototype photos of no. 5141 show her with broad gauge-style incised lettering on the solebars, and a variety of chalk markings on the sides. I must admit I am at a loss on how to reproduce these, especially the incised letters, so I might have to compromise and leave it off. As for the shade of the red colour, I wanted to try out something a little more worn and toned down that on my other wagons. Experimenting is half the fun of modelling, I think.
     
     

    Lady in red. Not much to look at really, and quite labour intensive. But she's all mine!
     
     
    Edit August 2015: I recently came across a photo on the web which I think may show one of these wagons. There aren't a lot of photos of them around and I have never seen this photo mentioned before in the literature. Note especially the enlargement available in the r/h column: http://www.dudleymal...ak/roundoak.htm
  9. Mikkel
    As part of the wagon building programme for Farthing, I wanted one of the early 1-plank opens with wooden solebars. There is no 4mm kit available, but then RMwebber Wagonman pointed out that they are in fact a very straightforward design. So I thought it would be a good opportunity to gain some experience in scratchbuilding wagons, which I’ve never tried before.
     
     
     

     
    I chose to build one of the 18ft types - namely no. 5141, of which there is a drawing and photo in "GWR Goods Wagons" by Atkins et al. Thanks to RMwebber Buffalo, another good photo was found in the BGS Broadsheet No. 46.
     
     
     

     
    Yet another RMwebber - Miss P - recently pointed me in the direction of the MJT range of underframe components. This etch for their (rocking) axleguard units is very nice and has the added advantage of some good plates and rivet strips.
     
     

     
    The axleguard units fold up nicely in just a few seconds. They are designed to be compensated by allowing one unit to rock under the wagon, but I didn't really see the need in my case. There are guide holes on the back for punching rivets, but I didn't have an appropriate tool and so will add them later.
     
     
     

     
    I built the wagon directly on the axleguards. This seemed easier and safer at the time. In light of what happened later, it would probably have been better to build the body first, then add the axleguards. Regardless, this shot illustrates that scratchbuilding a wagon doesn't have to be rocket science.
     
     
     

     
    "GWR Goods Wagons" has a useful cross-section diagram in the introductory section which shows how wagons with wooden solebars were built up. I tried to follow this as far as possible. Here the "side rail" has been added to the solebars. On these particular wagons, the side rail extended over the headstocks as seen here.
     
     
     

     
    Gotta keep things level. This wagon was partly built while on holiday, so I used an app in my smartphone which turns it into a spirit level - a tip I got from Phil Parker's Blog (the exact page eludes me). There are various apps available for this purposes, I use one called "Carpenter's Friend".
     
     

     
    I tried to build up the underframe bracing using an illustration in "GWR Goods Wagons." That's one of the nice things about scratchbuilding, you begin to understand how things were constructed.
     
     

     
    Here the floor has been fitted between the side rails. The floor planks should extend to the end of the wagon, but because the styrene sheet is thin it would look wrong when seen from the end. So I added separate deeper styrene sections at the ends. This trick cannot be seen when the wagon is fully built up.
     
     
     

     
    Uh-oh! Up to this point things had been going smoothly. I was becoming smug. I had visions of scratchbuilding the Eiffel Tower. Blindfolded. In 1:1. Then I put the wagon on the drawing and came right back to earth: The body was sitting too high on the axleguards.
     
     
     

     
    There followed a lengthy process of dismantling nearly everything, swearing, becoming impatient, getting glue all over the place, blaming the government, swearing some more and finally managing to re-assemble the whole thing. I ended up back where I started, but with the axleguards now at the right height and the side planks added.
     
     

     
    The side- and end- planks were 11 inches heigh.The siderails can be seen inside the wagon, as per the prototype.
     
     
     

     
    MJT have some nice GWR grease axleboxes (right) that are a good fit with the axleguards unit I was using. But they are fitted with the standard 4 (5?) leaf springs, which later became standard - whereas no. 5141 that I was building had 9-leaf springs. MJT also have some universal 9-leaf springs, but only separately (left).
     
     
     

     
    So I cut away the 4-leaf springs and prepared the 9-leaf ones for adding to the grease axleboxes instead.The hole in the back of the axlebox fits over the bearings in the axleguards.
     
     
     

     
    Miss One Planker wearing her jewellery. Axleboxes, springs and detailing in place.
     
     
     

     
    For the detailing I bought this nice set of wagon detailing etches from Mainly Trains. As it turned out I only used a few of the parts, as most of it was already on the MJT axleguard etches, which are even crisper.
     
     
     

     
    The one-plankers had wooden end stanchions with metal plates, which adds character to the wagons, I think. I had planned to use the cornerplates from the Mainly Trains etch seen above, but the rivet pattern was wrong. So instead I used scrap parts from the etch, and will add the rivets later.
     
     

     
    So this is how far I've come. She's a little dirty here and there after the unplanned rebuild, but that should clean up. I need to add buffers, brake gear and not least rivets. For the latter I've ordered some rivet transfers, which will be interesting to try out. Many thanks to Wagonman, Buffalo and Miss P. for the help and tips so far.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. Mikkel
    I spent an enjoyable morning installing my two shed cranes in the goods depot. As previously mentioned, the cranes are copied from the ones used at Paddington Goods, although similar types seem to have been used in other large goods depots in the 1900s. I have not been able to find any technical specifications, but I doubt if they were able to handle anything heavier than light goods in vans and wagons.
     
     

     
    The cranes were scratchbuilt using plastikard and various other bits and pieces. I've decribed the build here.
     

     
    Looking at prototype photos I noticed that when a shed had multiple cranes, they tended to be grouped together in strategic positions. This makes particular sense with these cranes, whose purpose was to move goods from the vans/wagons to the cartage bays.
     
     
     

     
    I therefore placed the cranes so that they were able to swivel between the goods stock and the cartage bays, thereby allowing goods to be transferred directly, as per the arrangement at Paddington.
     
     
     

     
    One of the cranes was placed so that it could also reach the balcony of the mezzanine floor. This is inspired by the arrangement at Hockley. The safety chains for the balcony have been temporarily removed as I wasn't happy with them.
     
     

     
    The cranes were operated by a lever which connected to a mechanism beneath the deck...
     
     

     
    ...and the lever was protected by a small cage. The latter hasn't turned out very well and I think I will have to redo them with more care.
     

     
    We discussed the livery of GWR cranes here. In my case I opted for the wonderfully ambigious "Medium Grey". Photos of the prototypes of these particular cranes alongside wagons suggest that their colour was not far from GWR wagon grey.
     
     

     
    Finally, a photo with the roof on. I do like the look of these cranes, it's a very neat design I think.
     
    The final photo also illustrates a couple of challenges that I have to address as the next step: The weathering of the walls is a work in progress, and is tricky because it shows up too strong in photos, while it looks fine in reality. I am also repainting parts of the roof structure, as I wasn't entirely happy with the shades I had used. It never ends, does it? :-)
  13. Mikkel
    Books are good, but there are some things you only notice in real railway environments. Here's a selection of detail shots from my recent quick visit to Didcot. I know that preservation isn't the same as the actual railways, but there are still things to learn from and be inspired by, I think.
     

     
    Lubricated points... I don't recall seeing that modelled, but maybe I haven't looked hard enough. It would be easy to replicate, but would it look odd in model form?
     
     
     

     
    Track keys. First time I've had a chance to study them in close-up since I began dabbling in hand-built track. Before that I was happily indifferent to this sort of thing!
     
     

     
    I wonder just how perfectionist gangers were back in the day. Was a rotting key like this commonplace, or would it have been replaced before it got to this condition?
     
     
     

     
    The key on the right is centered, thus breaking the right/left pattern. Maybe to make up for rail creep?
     
     
     

     
    A ballast wagon to dia P15 of 1936. I see Cambrian have a kit for it. A couple of these would make a nice little project in case I decide to do a 1940s shunting layout at some point.
     
     
     

     
    Peeling paint, but of a very subtle kind. How to model that? Slice up the paintwork with a scalpel, maybe? Then again, that sounds like something that could go awfully wrong!
     
     
     

     
    Can of worms! Two P15s in different liveries. My knowledge of GWR PW stock liveries is very sketchy. As far as I remember, there is a debate about black vs dark grey, but the details evade me. I remember reading a piece about this on-line recently, but can't for the life of me find it now. Can anyone help?
     
     
     

     
    We never get to model wagons that are actually braked. Would be nice to do one in model form. A small removable diorama at the end of a siding with a wagon being unloaded. And the brakes on!
     
     

     
    Close up of the DC3 (I think?) hand brake. Jim Champ has done a nice intro on GWR brake types
     
     

     
    Loco Coal to dia N34 of 1946. Another interesting wagon to model, I think. Either scratchbuilt or a modified version of the (incorrect) Dapol Loco Coal.
     
     

     
    Note the cobweb here on the N34. Now that would be a modelling challenge :-) Strings of glue maybe? Problem is, once you go down that route, everything about the wagon has to be the same level of detail!
     
     
     

     
    Morton handbrake lever on the N34. Note weathering on the brake lever.
     
     
     

     
    My first "live" Iron Mink. I do like them. I have one of the old ABS kits in the pipeline for The Depot (1900s).
     
     
     

     
    Very nice attention to detail here. These little things are what makes a preservation scene come alive.
     
     
     

     
    I assume the lighter colour on the Iron Mink doors is a temporary measure, but the question arises: Did this sort of thing also happen on the real GWR at times? Or was the painting process too standardised/systematic for that to happen?
     
     
     

     
    Looks familiar, doesn't it? Anyone who ever had trouble with transfers will recognize this. I don't recall seeing this kind of thing in prototype photos though. Were transfers ever used for numbering GWR wagons?
     
     
     

     
    The little imperfections that make it real: A bent step. Don't get me wrong: I find the standard of maintenance very high at Didcot. The question is, could we model this sort of thing and get away with it?
     
     

     
    Again: The everyday wear and tear of things. Ideally it would be an interesting challenge to replicate in model form. But the irony is that it would probably just look like sloppy modelling!
     
     

     
    Foot crossing with more room on inside of rail, to allow for wheel flanges I assume.
     
     
     

     
    Point levers with newly replaced boards. A nice little bit of detail to model.
     
     
     

     
    More replacement wood, this time inside the loco shed. Wish I'd done something like this inside "The depot". Maybe next time. Lovely copper cap, eh? :-)
  14. 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.
  15. Mikkel

    Low-tech coach restoration (5)

    By Mikkel,


    Coaches & Browns
    Well I finally got around to finishing my little restoration job on these old coaches.
     

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Got the painting done reasonably quickly, but then followed the usual issues: “Now for the glazing. Oh wait, I’m out of Testor's. Must order some more. Now where did I order it last time? Better google it. Ah there’s RMweb, well maybe just a couple of minutes on there then. Oh look, someone's discussing the cost of tea at exhibitions. Gotta follow that! Well that was a pleasant hour on RMweb. Wait, did I forget something? Oh well, tomorrow then.” Etc!
     
     

     
    But I got there in the end (click images if not sharp). Here's the 6-wheel Van to dia V13, converted from a W3 . I use a simplified version of the livery as it would have been seen around 1906 on my coaches. I did have a bit of trouble painting the panels on a couple of them, as my normal method works best on new and sharply defined panels.
     
     
     

     
    Here's the R1 All first. A big word of thanks to all who helped find the right running numbers for this diagram, both here and on the gwr e-list. The R1s were numbered 1-8 and I initially thought this was a great opportunity to have a coach numbered "1". I even applied the first transfer, but then found it simply looked odd! So I chose no. 7 instead.
     
     
     

     
    Here's the G20, a Third class saloon. The glazing has been fitted, I just like it clean. So much for the interior detailing, you can't really see any of it. Oh well. In case you're wondering, the Weasel is on the other side.
     
     
     

     
    Here's one I restored earlier, one of the little 4-wheel V2s. I have to say Colin had a great taste in coaches when he originally built these a long time ago.
     
     
     

     
    Another one from the first batch I restored, the U16 6-wheel compo, with the luggage windows now appropriately "blinded".
     
     
     

     
    And finally a line-up of the three newly done coaches, ready for service. As the header says, this is all very low-tech but it has been a nice project and I like the idea of giving Colin's old coaches a new lease on life. There's a message in there for all of us balding old farts, I think: It's never too late!
     
     
  16. Mikkel

    Edwardian daydreams

    By Mikkel,

    Nörreport station, Copenhagen. Every day after work, I wait here for my local train home. Today it’s late, rush hour is over. Everyone is tired, noone is talking, noone is present. We’re not really here, we’re already somewhere else.
     

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    While I wait, commuter trains roll into the platforms and leave again. Many are nearly empty, having already dropped off most passengers at Copenhagen Central. They will terminate soon, at the next station.
     
     
     

     
    Then an ICE train pulls into the platform, all the way from Berlin. At the sight of it, something stirs inside the weary commuter: A slightly unusual train, an arrival from far away. Is there anything like it? And thoughts begin to wander...
     
     
     

     
    Imagine a fine summer’s day in 1906. Imagine the bay platform of a junction station. A 517 class arrives with an autotrailer. Bit of a cliché, I grant you, a bit twee. But as a tired commuter, I’ll go with twee any time!
     
     
     

     
    And the autotrailer, which one is that? Ah, it’s the unusual A12 from the Plymouth area.
     
     
     

     
    Oh and look, here’s another train. River Class No. 69 “Avon”. Odd that, I thought I’d sold it some time ago? And what’s a fast engine like that doing in a bay platform? Never mind, it’s my daydream so I can do what I want!
     
     
     

     
    Argh, what’s all this disturbance now? Oh, it’s the Nivaa train. Well that’s no use for me. And quit staring at me people, I’m not really here, can’t you see that?
     
     
     

     
    Ah that’s better. Now this is what I call passengers! Stylish, sophisticated and not a care in the world. No ashen-faced commuters here!
     
     
     

     
    A-ha, here's the River again. And the infamous fireman known as "Mad Charlie", in conversation with Station Master A. Woodcourt. I wonder what they’re talking about? How she’s running today, maybe. Or the qualities of different kinds of coal. Or the Bambatha Rebellion. Certainly not tax forms or car repairs or any of the other trivial matters of today's world.
     
     
     

     
    Speaking of the Bambatha Rebellion (yeah well, look it up), here’s some real buffalo power! And it’s propelling an interesting 6-wheel U28 clerestory.
     
     
     

     
    And here’s a Buffalo with a tender! Well sort of: The Armstrong Goods were pretty closely related to the Buffalo tanks, if I’m not mistaken. And in my daydreams I’m never mistaken!
     
     
     

     
    Now what? Oh, it’s the train I’m in. So it arrived? I got on board? Never even noticed! We commuters are like robots sometimes. But look, it’s been snowing again. Looks nice with the lights, eh? And these are decent DMUs: comfortable, sleek, effective. Come to think of it, reality isn’t that bad after all. I wonder what’s for dinner?
     
     
    Click images for full size
  17. 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.
  18. Mikkel
    Here's a little scratch-building project that I'm working on in-between the coach painting. The prototypes were used extensively at Paddington Goods in the 1900s. A similar but more austere type was used at Hockley. I couldn't find any drawings, so the dimensions are guesstimates based on photos. The build was a real pleasure, especially sourcing the parts. I'll let the pictures explain the rest - gradually!
     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
    In other words, a shed crane. I still need to model the operating lever which was situated next to the crane, and which (as far as I understand) connected to a mechanism beneath the deck. I plan to build at least one more of these - although possibly a more heavy duty type.
     
    There are a couple of things I might do differently on the next one. I think the counter-weight is a little underscale. I will also do the pulley wheels different next time. We live and learn!
     
    PS: Thanks to Missy for the tip about the watchmaker's parts, available on ebay.
  19. Mikkel
    When I was a boy I hated The Weasel with all my heart. The Weasel was our maths teacher and to me he was the prototype of the Evil Teacher. When he taught he got all worked up and saliva formed at the corners of his mouth, and he would walk down among the desks while talking and suddenly pounce on you and slap his hand into your desk and hiss “Am I RIGHT, or am I WRONG?!” It was a rhetorical question of course. We were expected to confirm that we was right, and we always did even if we understood little of what he said. Because quite simply we were scared to death of the man.
     
     

     
    One of The Weasel’s particularities was that – unlike any other teacher at school - he would not allow toilet visits during class.
     
     
     

     
    This became a big problem when one day I had the runs.
     
     
     

    I put up my hand and asked to be excused, but he would not allow it.
     
     
     

     
    A few minutes later I asked again and explained that I really needed to go, but he refused. By this time my mates were snickering and I stopped asking.
     
     
     

     
    So for the rest of the class I endured the stomach cramps and the urge to go, horrified at the thought of involuntarily soiling myself in front of my mates - and particularly in front of a certain girl. It was probably just half an hour but it seemed like a lifetime.
     
     
     

     
    When I finally got to the loo I sat there swearing revenge. One day Mr Weasel, one day!
     
     
     

     
    They say that time heals all wounds, and that the best revenge is to live well. But they are wrong.
     
     
     

     
    A few days ago, as I was finishing off the interior of my G20 Saloon, I spotted a figure in my parts box that reminded me of The Weasel. A devious plan formed in my mind.
     
     
     

     
    Following the ancient rituals of Voodoo, I glued The Weasel to the loo. I did not paint him, because ghosts from the past have no colour.
     
     
     

     
    I then fitted The Weasel in the lavatory of the G20.
     
    I did not model any doors to the lavatory.
    I did not model any water supply.
    And I did not model any toilet paper.
     
     
     

     
    I then glued a lid onto the lavatory.
     
     
     

     
    So there you have it. The Weasel is now forever entombed in the lavatory of a GWR saloon, with no means of flushing and with no means of wiping his royal a***.
     
    Revenge at last. You were wrong Mr Weasel, you were wrong.
     
    Go to part 5
     
  20. Mikkel
    A couple of the coaches I’m restoring had buckled or sagging rooves, so I’ve been rolling and detailing some new ones from Plastikard. It’s one of those pleasing tasks where you get the satisfaction of making something from scratch without things getting too stressful - although with brass rooves it can of course be a bit more tricky. Here's a brief illustration of what I've been doing.
     

     
    “So tell me dear, should I be worried?“ In retrospect, I can see why my wife was slightly concerned! But what we have here is of course just the Plastikard roof cut to shape and rolled tight around a tube. This particular tube is 3.1 cm across, and is in fact a bit of plumbing from a sink.
     
     
     

     
    The tube immersed in a tub of boiling hot water, left for 10 minutes and then cooled down quickly under the tap.
     
     
     

     
    The resulting curve works out right for the single-arc roof profile on these coaches. The Plastikard is 0.5 mm which I think is the thinnest I can get away with while still keeping it relatively sturdy.
     
     
     

     
    Gas piping from Alan Gibson straight brass wire (should it have been a smidgen thinner?) and lamp tops from IKB. The rainstrips are plastic strips from Evergreen.
     
     
     

     
    I’ve been ambivalent about grab rails on coach ends (life is hard for the railway modeller!). Partly because it can sometimes look too obtrusive on models: If you look at a real coach, it is not really something that captures the eye. And partly because I like to have my rooves removeable, and the rails gets in the way of that. So some of my coaches only have the grab rails indicated. But now I’ve decided I want it there in full, so the rooves will just have to be fixed in place.
     
     
     

     
    A trial fit and things look OK. But it seems I’ve gone and squashed the lamp brackets – hope I can get them straightened out!
     
     
     

     
    Glueing down the roof on a V2 that I finished some time ago. I kept the original roof on this one. The coach is on a flat surface with bits and pieces stuck in below to get just the right tension on the elastic bands - enough to keep it tight but not so much as to bend/damage the roof.
     
    I realize that plastic rooves are not as good as brass ones, and they require good internal support. But so far I haven't had problems with other rooves I've done in the past, so it seems to work.
     
    Go to part 4
  21. Mikkel
    As mentioned in the previous blog entry, I've been restoring a small collection of secondhand scratchbuilt 4- and 6-wheelers. I should point out that I'm cutting some corners here: The premise for this project has been to see what I could do with the coaches with simple means and materials, and without breaking them down into their constituent parts and starting over.
     
     

     
    First job was to remove the rooves and discard the glazing and droplights, which were beyond saving. The coaches have etched brass sides, but have been assembled with glue. However the original builder did it properly and only the coach seen here (another First to dia R1) needed a bit of reinforcement in the corners.
     
     
     

     
    This 6-wheel First/Second Compo to diagram U16 was restored some time ago. Most of the repairs are hopefully self-explanatory. The coach was built with droplights in the luggage doors, which it shouldn't have. This mistake is probably due to an error in Russell's Great Western Coaches vol 1 (p47). Fortunately I have a copy of the Newsletter of the Great Western Study Group No. 51 (1996), which includes an invaluable list of known errors in the Russell volume.
     
     
     

     
    The windows were blinded with plastikard filed to shape. A bit tricky, but filing and fitting can be a strangely pleasing exercise, I find.
     
     
     

     
    This 6-wheeler was originally a W3 parcels van. Certainly an interesting prototype, but I already had a W1 parcels van and didn't really need another. So feeling a bit reckless I converted it to a V13 PBV, which as far as I can see has virtually the same dimensions. The main difference was that the V13 had guards lookouts, and I found some in an old K's kit that happened to have the right measurements. I wait with baited breath for someone to tell me that there was some major difference between W3 and V13s that I haven't noticed! (if so please do tell, it has not been painted yet so there is still time to change it back!).
     
     
     

     
    On some of the coaches I added new springs, while on others I repaired the existing ones with thin strips of glazing (the thinnest material I had to hand). I am not sure the latter is totally rational, but then modellers rarely are :-)
     
     
     

     
    Here we have another unusual beast - a six-wheel saloon to diagram G20, the one that is preserved at Didcot. It is currently receiving the standard treatment of repairs.
     
     
     

     
    The interior of the G20 Saloon, which has had a new lick of paint. I haven't been able to find any drawings of this diagram, so I am not sure if the arrangement of the seating and tables is correct?
     
     
     

     
    The brake gear has been replaced on some of the coaches. This is of course a simplified representation. In fact, brake gear has for too long been one of my blind spots and I'd like to learn the details better.
     
    That's it for now. So far I'm very much enjoying this work. It may not be text-book modelling, but I find it relaxing and it's nice to breathe some life back into these old models.
     
    Go to part 3
  22. Mikkel
    Some years ago I picked up a number of secondhand GWR four and six-wheel coaches, originally scratchbuilt by Colin Edge. They were lovely models but had been worn by time.
     

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    I have since been gradually restoring the coaches - not to finescale standards but to general working order. This and  the following blog entries is a lighthearted illustration of the work done.
     
     

     
    First job was to inspect the damage (with apologies to Chris Nevard!). The example seen here is a diagram R1 All First 4-wheeler in the lake livery.
     
     
     

    There must be a thousand coaches out there with broken or warped stepboards!
     
     
     

    Springs gone too. And the paintwork is looking a bit sad. Anyone aged 40 upwards will recognize the symptoms
     
     
     

     
    The roof has buckled, and the glazing isn’t so pretty anymore.
     
     
     

    So to summarize, this little R1 exhibits some very typical signs of wear and tear on kitbuilt coaches. But as long as the basic model is sound it is well worth the restoration effort, I think. More on this to follow...
     
    Go to part 2.
  23. Mikkel

    A roof for "The depot"

    By Mikkel,

    I’ve been working on the alternative side of the goods depot recently. The sides and roof are now more or less done and I'm preparing to lay the ground and track in front of it. The roof has caused much muttering and swearing. Some time ago I dropped the whole thing on the floor, and had to rebuild much of it. Because of the accident, the roof is now slightly out of true in some places. That's not really visible, but it meant I had to give up on flush-glazing it. Certainly a compromise, but I was getting close to abandoning the whole thing, so decided that I had better just accept it and move on.
     
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     
    I like looking down through the glazing to the scene below. Not really what the layout was designed for, but a nice extra bonus.
     
     

     
    The roof structure gives a nice play of light and shadow inside the depot, which varies greatly with the lighting and time of day.
     
     

     
    I prefer it when the shadows appear naturally...
     
     

     
    ...but they can of course be further enhanced by "staged" articifical lighting as above.
     
     

     
    My struggles with the roof have been a mental barrier, so it's nice to be past that point. I can now get down to things I enjoy more, such as weathering these walls further, and getting the details in place.
  24. Mikkel

    A flexible layout

    By Mikkel,


    Layout design
    I have been thinking about an idea for a "flexible" layout. This is still very much developing, and what you see here is not an actual trackplan, but an illustration of the concept. The basic idea is a layout where selected drop-in modules can be removed and replaced with other modules. So a particular cameo, building or siding can be exchanged with another cameo, building or siding – thereby changing the look of the layout. This in turn allows for variation in rolling stock and operation.
     
     
     
     

    Ultimately, such a concept gives endless possibilities of varying a layout from one operating session to another.
     
     
     

     
    In my case, though, the aim would be to have a layout that can capture a little of the way in which a railway scene changes over time. In real life, sidings also frequently changed their length and purpose over the years, as stations were rebuilt, trackplans changed etc
     
     
     

     
    I also like the idea of having the layout change over the course of a single day. Exchanging one lineside diorama for another could be used to indicate that we have now passed from morning to afternoon.
     
     
     

     
    Buildings and their immediate environments could also be prepared as individual dioramas and then used on the layout as appropriate. It would be interesting to buy a couple of ready-to-plonk buildings and then have one in pristine state while distressing the other one, in order to show the passage of time.
     
     
     

     
    The layout could be designed to be viewed from all sides. That would add to the feel of an "interactive" scenery.
     
    Anyway, it would be interesting to hear if people think it is actually feasible? Joins will clearly be the big issue. But I'm sure something similar has been tried before, so if there are any thoughts or experiences out there I'd be happy to hear them.
     
  25. Mikkel

    The treachery of images

    By Mikkel,

    Modellers try to recreate the real thing. But sometimes we don't know how the real thing looked. Then what? These photos show my experiments with what I think was a standard livery for larger GWR goods depots around 1907, following lots of browsing of photos in books, and a brief discussion in this thread (many thanks gentlemen!).
     
     
     

     
    The trouble is of course that photos from the period don't have, er, colour - and are full of light and shadow. So it's hard to tell grey from light stone, or light stone from dark stone, or dark stone from chocolate. Above is the same photo again, without the colour. I think it highlights how hard it can be to interpret colours in b/w photos. Also, the photos themselves are just reproductions. Alas, the treachery of images !
     
     
     

     
    You'll be forgiven for thinking that this livery doesn't look very GWR. Neither did I at first. In fact I hated it, and thought it was completely counter-intuitive. I felt that shades of dark grey would be more appropriate. Or at least dark stone which was the preferred livery for ironwork on the GWR's public station buildings. But certainly not this BR look!
     
     
     

     
    Still, the photos that I could find suggested that light stone ironwork with a darkisk chocolate base (to hide wear) was in fact common. And that it was often more clean than I would have thought. So I left it for a couple of days, and I began to get used to it. I also realized that it made a lot of sense: In a place like this you'll want things to be as light as possible.
     
     
     

     
    Looking at the results so far, I think it may need a little more weathering after all. Maybe I should also align the height of the chocolate base so that it's the same all around (at 4ft heigh?). Plus, the weathering highlights in the chocolate has made it look too grey.
     
     
     

     
    Perhaps this livery didn't just apply to goods depots. Looking at photos of other large non-public buildings on the GWR at this time seems to show the same livery (see eg the photos of the Swindon Works Road Wagon workshop in Kelley's GW Road Vehicles p27)...
     
    But then again, I fully realize that this livery may turn out to be all wrong. So, any further comments and info would be much appreciated.
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