richbrummitt Posted August 18, 2021 Share Posted August 18, 2021 (edited) On 18/07/2021 at 05:45, Mikkel said: Just tried that walk on Google Maps. Very nice. Though not quite the same as doing it live, I imagine! Pretty good but not quite. There’s some great views further along at the next parking spot about a mile or so on too but probably not visible in ‘Google reality’. On 18/07/2021 at 11:54, Compound2632 said: To get the full virtual reality experience, put your electric fan at the top of the stairs and set it to maximum. Then climb the stairs forty times, ideally with a small child on your shoulders, while following the path on Google maps. You are allowed to take chocolate or whatever for consumption at the top. We tried to go up Bunkery Deacon earlier this week on the way to Minehead. Said child refused to wear trousers and then complained the wind made him cold. He wouldn’t go on shoulders so we didn’t quite make the top, but we did see it from a distance. I should have taken chocolate or something for ‘motivation’. If only I’d seen your post first! The sporadic rain appears to be missing from your experience but in our reality it wasn’t helping persuade anyone onwards. Luckily it lasted only a few minutes. On 18/07/2021 at 13:42, Donw said: Except you miss out any chance of treading in Horse/Sheep/Cow/ Deer poo Chance? Surely that’s a certainty! Edited August 18, 2021 by richbrummitt Oops. I didn’t realise I was more than a page (3w) behind. 5 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium St Enodoc Posted August 18, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 18, 2021 5 hours ago, Northroader said: Slow progress, but not much to show yet, so in keeping with posting links to Model Railways which I really like, and I thought this one is excellent. Paul Rhodes 4mm. “Old Parrock”, which I came across in this months MRJ: My late uncle's name was Parrock. I never dared call him Old Parrock though. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Northroader Posted August 22, 2021 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted August 22, 2021 (edited) And here’s another link to a very good layout, not pregroup I’m afraid, but small, simple, and well done scenery. It’s a thread running on here, for many years in 4mm, but recently becoming a similar venture in 7mm. Edited August 22, 2021 by Northroader 4 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted August 22, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 22, 2021 2 hours ago, Northroader said: And here’s another link to a very good layout, not pregroup I’m afraid, but small, simple, and well done scenery. It’s a thread running on here, for many years in 4mm, but recently becoming a similar venture in 7mm. one of my favourites see here https://luggvalleyrailway.wordpress.com/llangunllo/ 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Popular Post Northroader Posted August 29, 2021 Author RMweb Premium Popular Post Share Posted August 29, 2021 Anyway, time to look at some MGWR coaches. Atock developed a fleet of standard six wheeled coaches from 1879 onwards, with a very distinctive finish. The bodyside panels were slightly stepped out above the waist level, with the lower portions having the normal tumblehome at the bottom. Windows had rounded top corners and square lower corners. There were moulding strips over the upper panels and round the windows, so quite simple to do in microstrip. First off there’s a brake third, eighteen built from 1888-90, mainly for branch line use, with 30’ bodies, and they could still be found in the 1950s. There’s a birdcage lookout, and it’s worth noting that this part of the coach is slab sided, without a tumblehome. I made it in plastikard, and the underframe has one outer wheelset mounted on to it, and the centre and outer wheelsets at the other end are mounted on a subframe with inside bearings to form a bogie, giving the necessary flexibility. Since I did it, you can now buy a representative selection of the MGWR carriage fleet from suppliers. Alphagraphix do a cheap card kit for the body, in MGWR brown, or CIE green, and etched brass kits as well. In addition, Shapeways/ Recreation 21 (the Rue d’Etropal site) do 3D prints for them. The contentious thing is what colour do you paint it, Ahrons helpfully says same brown as GER coaches, which seems to be a teak replacement brown, which was something the LNER continued doing. I fancy my version is a bit too light, I’ve since seen some done in a deeper, richer shade which are very attractive. Next is one of the first bogie coaches the MGWR had, four tricomposites introduced in 1900, with 53’ bodies. Two compartments for each class, with lavatories between the first and second class, and a luggage locker, so nearly a train in itself. With this build the roof profile changed from a low single curve to a higher elliptical form, which was retained by later series. I couldn’t say where I bought the bogies, they were RTR from a small supplier at a Guildex show. The body was built using methods of construction I copied in part from Walthers American coach kits, with a wood strip roof and floor, and in this case having spacer blocks in the lavatory and luggage compartments, then plastikard sides stuck on. This gives a strong and dimensionally stable build, as I was particularly concerned to have a good roof profile which kept its shape, and I carved it from a piece of gurjun, a very straight grained hardwood. This gave what I wanted, but there is a weight penalty, the finished coach is 1 lb. 9 oz, (710g) to me overweight, contrasted with the six-wheeler which is 11 oz, (300g) With the two of them coupled together, my 2-4-0 has a lot of wheelspin getting them rolling out of the station. The MGWR introduced a very attractive livery with these coaches, dark blue with light cream uppers, and also giving the locos the same blue. The pity was the pigment was unstable to weathering, and the livery reverted back to the earlier scheme a year or two later. I worked out my own blue using an equal mix of Humbrol no. 14 mid blue, and no.15 midnight blue, and brushing this on. I think this looks really nice, and would do for SDJR or GER applications. Here’s the two of them coupled together, ready for a departure. You may spot that the pva paint in the far corner of the backscene has a sheen giving a reflectivity where it shouldn’t, I think there’s a spray on flatting agent I must look into. The other thing this shows is that a bogie coach does rather tend to dominate in a small station, it would be better having four or six wheelers. For a comparison here’s C.Hamilton Ellis’ picture of the “Connemara Express”: 16 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Argos Posted August 29, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 29, 2021 Hi Northroader, Presumably you've seen the new "Rails through Connemara" book? A copy is gracing my bedside table at present, well recommended. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted August 29, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 29, 2021 very nice. agree about th bogie coach thugh two hort 4 wheelers would look much better. Don 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Northroader Posted August 29, 2021 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted August 29, 2021 2 hours ago, Argos said: Hi Northroader, Presumably you've seen the new "Rails through Connemara" book? A copy is gracing my bedside table at present, well recommended. I thought the would be MGWR Modeller was well served by Ernie Shepherds book (see p65). A couple of years back “Rails to Achill” came out from Oakwood Press, author Jonathan Beaumont (aka “jhb171achill” on the IRM website) and now “Rails through Connemara” has appeared from the same publisher and author, who says in preparing it he had the modeller in mind. These two books cover possibly the tastiest bits of the MGWR, the lines in the far West. I intend to get it, but I’m keeping a low profile on book acquisition for now, following splashing out on other books earlier on this year. The official release of the book is on Saturday, 18th September. Service train out from Dublin in the morning, special coach onwards to Maam Cross, hydraulic lunch at Peacockes Hotel, trundle on the 3’ track on the restored section of line and book launch, then return to Dublin. To me it has the makings of an Irish epic which will form the craic for a long time, and we’re all the wrong side of the Irish Sea. 4 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium St Enodoc Posted August 29, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 29, 2021 5 hours ago, Northroader said: You may spot that the pva paint in the far corner of the backscene has a sheen giving a reflectivity where it shouldn’t, I think there’s a spray on flatting agent I must look into. To me, it looks like a shaft of weak sunlight through a thinner patch of cloud. 6 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 13 hours ago, Northroader said: The other thing this shows is that a bogie coach does rather tend to dominate in a small station, it would be better having four or six wheelers. 13 hours ago, Donw said: very nice. agree about th bogie coach thugh two hort 4 wheelers would look much better. Don I dunno - I quite like 'big locos & stock on small layouts', that quart in a pint pot look. Anyone can do a small layout with 0-4-0 engines and 4-wheel stock. Making one work with bigger vehicles stands out as different. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnson044 Posted August 31, 2021 Share Posted August 31, 2021 On 29/08/2021 at 22:55, St Enodoc said: To me, it looks like a shaft of weak sunlight through a thinner patch of cloud. Beautiful carriages, especially the bogie tr-composite, which I really love. The pva has given the backscene a Turner-esque quality - as St Endonoc says, a shaft of weak sunlight through a patch of cloud. Really lovely. 2 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Northroader Posted September 19, 2021 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted September 19, 2021 On to more coaching stock affairs. Back in July, I mentioned the acquisition of a 3D print job, and now I can review how that’s gone. I became aware of 3D printing around about four years ago, seeing and marvelling at the geewhiz technology at model shows, but have to admit I wasn’t very impressed with the end results. With a lot of water under the bridge since then, improvements have occurred to printers and materials, and I thought I’d get a sample. Originally I felt the methodology of doing a one piece print made things rather bulky, and I was attracted to the way Mike Trice does his 00 GNR coaches, as kit with separate sides, ends, and roof. He states that less material is needed, keeping costs down, and it’s easier to control surface finish. The print I’ve got, however, is a one piece item, and it really appeals in that getting to the end result is so much quicker and simpler as a result. (When you’re getting old, this does count) The one thing that counts against it is that any internal fitting out such as partitions and seats, or people, becomes very hard, although that’s immaterial on a parcels van like this. Looking through Simon Dawson’s work (http://www.rue-d-etropal.com) on his Shapeways site, I took a fancy to a four wheel brake van which will fit in well with future plans. Shapeways? Well, the general opinion is they’re an expensive way of going on, certainly a more recent print from another source gives me a direct comparison between their price and the same item obtained when the designer offers it direct from his resources, and there is a hefty mark up. Anyhow, hang the expense, results are what’s needed, so... Unwrapping the parcel I was quite taken with the finish, I did do a picture in my July post, but it is quite an awkward light coloured body to make a picture of, slightly translucent, so not too informative. I resolved not to worry about cleaning in alcohol, or any smoothing. There is a slight amount of banding on the tumblehome curve on the lower body side, but not too obvious, maybe next time I should do a rub with emery paper. Detail work is very good, nice clean mouldings, which is really why you buy these readymade models, and finely defined things like ventilators. The van in question is a four wheel brake van built by the GER in 1880, 27’ body, diagram 508. I haven’t found a picture of one in old GER train photographs, these all have the later six wheel 31’6” diagram 509 type, but comparing the model with the pictures, there’s very little difference, just some jiggery pokery to sort out the panel spacing. One was sold to the WCPR and had the duckets removed, and this forms the basis of Simons design (a lot of his output centres around stock running on light railways.) I got the details shuttling between the GERS and Colonel Stephens sites. As I want the parent version I knocked out a pair of duckets in sheet brass and added them on, and another extra was rainstrips on the roof. The body was painted in a “teak” finish, my first go at this, and I found it quite interesting. There’s plenty of advice on RMweb on doing this, first off it had a coat of Humbrol light grey primer, then a coat of a golden brown shade using a very old Humbrol tin. The fancy bit was the “scumbling” using very thinned down GWR coach chocolate. This is thinned but not runny, a bit of a contradiction, smearing on with a nearly “dry” brush, along the hypothetical grain of the panels, with dabs with a finger tip or tissue to take down bits where it had gone too opaque. The inner window frames got a coat of mahogany, the roof grey, and buffers and below solebar a charcoal grey, and footboards a sort of natural wood colour. Lettering was done with a springbow pen. Fortunately the GER didn’t line out the panel mouldings, saving one fiddly job. As the chocolate was dull I gave the body a coat of satin varnish, and was pleased at how this fetched the coach up. Then I fitted door handles and handrails, and glued round the back of the windows to take pieces of clear plastic for glazing. Brass strips went behind the solebars, so that it could carry drawhooks and trainpipes, the whole lot being araldited up after these were soldered on. This just left the wheels, from Slaters, and at the back of the axleboxes a circular depression has been left. The top hat bearings went on the journals, and I found the assembly could be “sprung” quite comfortably into the depressions, and the van would sit down quite squarely. The assemblies were taken out, the depressions filled with 24hour araldite, the wheel assemblies replaced, and left to sit on a nice flat surface. My view is that if you’re using 0 finescale wheels, the extra bit of depth on the flanges is sufficient to allow decent running on trackwork with a four wheel uncompensated chassis. Any derailments you need to look at your track. With S7 wheels compensation is a must. And, of course, a six wheel 3D print is going to need extra work to add flexibility, which the four wheel print doesn’t. Down to the acid test, how does it run? Up and down the main, in and out of the siding, no worries. (Phew!) At the start of this it struck me that the print was relatively light, weighing the completed van with wheels it was only 4oz. (100g), so I made it the jam in a sandwich with the loco and a Slaters sixwheeler ( 9.5oz. 260g) and ran the set up and down to see if it could get squeezed, and this went off very well, so I don’t intend to add any ballast inside the van for now. It struck me how picturesque the set was in an Irish setting, dark green loco, teak van, red coach. [Off to Ulster, BCDR, GNRI, NCC?] So all in all, I’m quite in favour of the idea of a 3D print model, its certainly a nice quick way forward with your modelling, just finding what’s available. From Simons site at present, talking pregroup four and six wheelers, there’s four wheeler LCDR, H&B, NER, District; four and six wheel GER and MGWR; and sixwheel L&Y and ECJS, besides oddities like Drummonds “Bug” and the Duke of Sutherland’s saloon. 9 1 3 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Annie Posted September 19, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 19, 2021 My word Mr Northroader your 4 wheel GER van turned out very nicely. Back before I had to give up doing 'O' gauge modelling I did have a look at some of the 3D printed 'O' coaches that were on offer, but I wasn't that impressed with them. Then Shapeways started charging like their products had a gold content so I flagged the whole idea of 3D printing away. Plainly the quality of 3D printing has come a long way since then; - and of course the fact that Shapeways has managed to successfully encourage 3D modellers to buy their own 3D printing apparatus was entirely predictable. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Edwardian Posted September 20, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 20, 2021 (edited) Excellent result with the GER Brake. Really beautiful model. Which material did you purchase it in? Given the finish you have achieved, I would guess that you either started with the higher grade material, or, put a lot of work in on the lower grade material, which may well be a more practical proposition in the larger scale, because one can get into the recessed spaces better to sand them. This is a supplier I have been interested in for sometime, however, its default material is WSF, now called White Natural Versitile Plastic/WNV. I've commented unflatteringly on this material in the past; it's rough and powdery with poor detail capture and achieving an acceptable finish without loosing the relief detail is hard. It's also very expensive relative to the quality. I have tried it, in the form of a similar coach; it was every bit as poor as I'd feared and I now shun it. However, this producer will, on request, supply in Frosted Ultra Detail/FUD or Smooth Fine Detail Plastic (which i think is the successor name for this grade). This is better but (even) more expensive, however, I recently discovered that the price differential between WNV and FUD was not so great as other Shapeways purchases had led me to expect and, so, invested in a loco body from this supplier and found the quality perfectly usable in 4mm. Thus, in relation to 4mm coaches ..... However, I was recently warned by a Parishioner - and I'll leave them to tell their own story should they wish - that this FUD material can suffer from crystallizing on the surface that can erupt even after priming and ruin a painted model. I looked it up and found a helpful summary here: https://www.therpf.com/forums/threads/problems-with-shapeways-frosted-detail-3d-printing-plastics.286382/ This risk is exacerbated because no one seems to know for sure what causes this destructive phenomenon, therefore it is hard to identify meaningful preventative actions. My reading suggests, however, that thorough cleaning and curing should be undertaken. At least, then, one has done what one can: - Hot soapy and hot running water for cleaning, and toothbrush scrubbing; - A precautionary period of window sill curing. Previously, I have cleaned FUD parts in white spirit, which seems to do no harm, so I might now wash in hot soapy water and then bathe in white spirits! Whatever gets the greasy wax residue off is worth a try, because this needs to go anyway and may play a part in the crystallizing. Certainly some time chilling on the window sill doesn't seem to hurt. I wonder what experience others have of such issues, or what treatment they give the parts? Edited September 20, 2021 by Edwardian spelling 2 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Northroader Posted September 20, 2021 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted September 20, 2021 Oh dear, James, your stories are leading me to expect a pile of teak coloured powder on top of two wheelsets one of these days. When it happens, I’ll report back and we can all have a good laugh about it (not!) I have to admit in my enthusiasm I just sailed right in and got cracking without any washing, curing, or even smoothing, as I felt the banding effect was minimal. I couldn’t say what the print plastic is, there was no options mentioned on the Shapeways site where I ordered it, or mention in the packing chit. It doesn’t have any greasy feel to it, just a slightly dry “frosty” appearance. Wonder if it was cleaned prior to despatch? There are no “pips” left from any support structure in the print, either. If they’re doing this it would help shove the charges up, I suppose. Thanks for the applause, Annie, your views that Shapeways prices are encouraging parishioners to get their own printers could well be valid, certainly you can see plenty of evidence for it on RMweb, and it’s nice to see the expertise and growth of confidence they’re gaining. For me the whole set up of 3D computer design and printing is too much of an intellectual exercise, I have enough problems understanding the menu on my old mobile phone. For the future, I’m sure it’s the way to go, everyone setting up cottage industries with the advantage that you just produce items as called for, rather than having a minimum batch requirement as per etched brass, or huge tooling costs for plastic extrusions. I hope the folks doing it remember 7mm scale exists as well as 4mm. Just imagine someone coming along with all of Penrhos Junction items at cost price! More 3D comments very welcome. 4 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Annie Posted September 20, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 20, 2021 (edited) I amuse my daughter hugely by my mutterings at my 'smart' phone when I attempt to navigate its menus, so I think you'll understand why I have an early generation 3D printer still unassembled in its box on a shelf in my bedroom. I know my limits, - I might be good with graphics software, but 3D modelling makes my brain blue screen and fall over. I think 3D printing will continue make its mark in railway modelling, much in the same way that cottage industry white metal kits and then etched brass made an impact in the hobby. The new generation of resin printers where models rise up out of some kind of primordial soup still seems like impossible magic to my eyes. Edited September 20, 2021 by Annie Um......... 4 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium St Enodoc Posted September 20, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 20, 2021 8 hours ago, Annie said: The new generation of resin printers where models rise up out of some kind of primordial soup Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Northroader Posted September 21, 2021 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted September 21, 2021 (edited) For a good turn of phrase, Annie is tops. Thanks for the link on your last post, James, it gives a much clearer understanding of the sort of advanced kit Shapeways are using, floating the plastic/resin in a bath of wax, rather than all those little supporting columns I’m used to seeing, and this would explain the pipless appearance of the job. No visible traces of wax to be seen, it did have a nice clean finish, which must involve more processes to get it looking so good, and fingers crossed the surface won’t break up under the paint. So moving on to what’s parked in the carriage shop now receiving attention, yes, another 3D print, which I thought I’d show as a work in progress to start with. This one is done by what might be termed a cottage industry, and the print is done in house, involving all the tiny prop supports. It’s from Mannin Models, and as the name suggests they do IoMR models as the main stock in trade, 7mm bodies for 21mm or 16.5mm gauge chassis. This summer he’s produced some prints for his father, old LSWR coaches, also in 7mm, and these can be obtained through eBay. They’re four wheelers produced by Nine Elms 1872-4, to make up into closecoupled sets, which trundled out of the old hotchpotch Waterloo to Windsor, Richmond, and suchlike. Later on you can find individual coaches from these sets turning up in photographs of Yeovil Town or Lyme Regis. The models cover various classes and a brake end, and the brake third is what I’ve got. This print shows a different approach from the Rue d’Etropal method, which gives you a one piece print. It comes as the ends and sides, with solebars and headstocks, as one unit, and the roof as another piece, and this does offer the advantage of managing the interior furnishing more easily. I found that some filing was needed to get the two mating up snugly, and I did go go over the roof curve with a file to reduce some banding. Oil laps and plugs, also handrails, have been fitted to the roof and it’s been primed. The rest of the model hasn’t been painted yet, it’s a nice peachy looking plastic, but no indication of just what it is on the paperwork. Separate blocks of seats with partitions are glued inside, then the floor, which is some sort of regurgitated mdf, laser cut is glued in from underneath, and I added a small wood block to support the floor at the brake end. The floor acts as a jig to locate the axle guard units, and I would invite you to look at the springhangers on these, a really delicate piece of work. Doing a dry run with the axleguards and wheelsets, I decided to try and put a pair of axleguards plus a wheelset in all together, rather than any springing in later, so the top hat bearing were araldited in, the upper part of the axleguards araldited and fed into the floor slots holding the wheels in place as this was done, then left to set with the wheels touching down on a flat surface, as with the GER van. I’ve just added the footboard hangers, not such a happy job, as they have a rather brittle neck, and some bodging was needed. There’s more bits to add, but it is shaping quite well. Edited September 21, 2021 by Northroader 8 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Annie Posted September 21, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 21, 2021 I've just had a look on the Bay of Fleas and I have to give praise where it's due. These really are beautifully designed kits and for an 'O' gauge kit the price is definitely right. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Edwardian Posted September 21, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 21, 2021 12 minutes ago, Northroader said: For a good turn of phrase, Annie is tops. Thanks for the link on your last post, James, it gives a much clearer understanding of the sort of advanced kit Shapeways are using, floating the plastic/resin in a bath of wax, rather than all those little supporting columns I’m used to seeing, and this would explain the pipless appearance of the job. No visible traces of wax to be seen, it did have a nice clean finish, which must involve more processes to get it looking so good, and fingers crossed the surface won’t break up under the paint. So moving on to what’s parked in the carriage shop now receiving attention, yes, another 3D print, which I thought I’d show as a work in progress to start with. This one is done by what might be termed a cottage industry, and the print is done in house, involving all the tiny prop supports. It’s from Mannin Models, and as the name suggests they do IoMR models as the main stock in trade, 7mm bodies for 21mm or 16.5mm gauge chassis. This summer he’s produced some prints for his father, old LSWR coaches, also in 7mm, and these can be obtained through eBay. They’re four wheelers produced by Nine Elms 1872-4, to make up into closecoupled sets, which trundled out of the old hotchpotch Waterloo to Windsor, Richmond, and suchlike. Later on you can find individual coaches from these sets turning up in photographs of Yeovil Town or Lyme Regis. The models cover various classes and a brake end, and the brake third is what I’ve got. This print shows a different approach from the Rue d’Etropal method, which gives you a one piece print. It comes as the ends and sides, with solebars and headstocks, as one unit, and the roof as another piece, and this does offer the advantage of managing the interior furnishing more easily. I found that some filing was needed to get the two mating up snugly, and I did go go over the roof curve with a file to reduce some banding. Oil laps and plugs, also handrails, have been fitted to the roof and it’s been primed. The rest of the model hasn’t been painted yet, it’s a nice peachy looking plastic, but no indication of just what it is on the paperwork. Separate blocks of seats with partitions are glued inside, then the floor, which is some sort of regurgitated mdf, laser cut is glued in from underneath, and I added a small wood block to support the floor at the brake end. The floor acts as a jig to locate the axle guard units, and I would invite you to look at the springhangers on these, a really delicate piece of work. Doing a dry run with the axleguards and wheelsets, I decided to try and put a pair of axleguards plus a wheelset in all together, rather than any springing in later, so the top hat bearing were araldited in, the upper part of the axleguards araldited and fed into the floor slots holding the wheels in place as this was done, then left to set with the wheels touching down on a flat surface, as with the GER van. I’ve just added the footboard hangers, not such a happy job, as they have a rather brittle neck, and some bodging was needed. There’s more bits to add, but it is shaping quite well. Excellent. These home-built LSWR block-sets were based upon those supplied to the LSWR by the MC&WCo, who supplied both 'loose' composites and close coupled sets comprising 1sts, 2nds, 3rds and 3rd Brakes. I mention this, because it is these coaches, which Weddell considered to be a MC&WCo house-design, that are the basis for WNR coaches that I am having 3D printed in 4mm. So, you will be seeing a very similar Third Brake on Castle Aching in due course. Here is the composite: Yours makes an interesting comparison. It has separate upper-footboards, as built, whereas mine has retro-fitted continuous boards, something the LSWR did. Mine has also been retro-fitted for through vacuum braking and has Mansell wheels. The LSWR also converted them the gas lighting, but the WNR has not upgraded its fleet! The Isle of Wight Central also gained some of these coaches. The main difference is that your coach has small radius corners to all four corners of the quarter lights and to the vertical blind panels. This is what distinguishes it as one of the coaches built by the LSWR, as those built by the MC&WCo had square lower corners and large radius upper corners, as you can see on my Composite. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted September 21, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 21, 2021 somewhere along the way an image of simple 3D machine printing better ones which again print even better ones in a sort of evolution process dreamt up by Douglas Adams where the ultimate will be a monster 3D printer churning out new self expanding universes. Don 2 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Edwardian Posted September 22, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 22, 2021 Here, by the way, are some pictures from Weddell. This is the MC&WCo composite. It's not the subject of the 7mm models, which only deal with the block-set coaches and then only the LSWR-built ones with the revised window/panelling corners. It is an Isle of Wight example. It has gained a continuous upper foot-board, and a difference grab rail on the coach end, but retains its oil lighting. Here is a block-set coach, also one of the MC&WCo coaches, in service on the LSWR. We can see, again, the continuous upper foot-boards. It's also gained gas lighting and a torpedo vent over the end smoking compartment. A further difference from the drawings of the as-built condition is that the coach now has the LSWR pattern combined hinge-door stop fittings, in a slightly different place from the original hinges. 4 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Northroader Posted September 22, 2021 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted September 22, 2021 (edited) Thanks for the two pictures, James, I’ll probably do the continuous top footboard, but stick with oil lamps, as more of a remote country thing.* The footboards that come with the kit bear a close resemblance to coffee stirrers, and may get changed for something slightly thinner. I owe the floor an apology, too, on the subject of materials, as I was looking at it this morning, and can see a grain, so it’s actually thin plywood rather than mdf, and I do like plywood in model building as being good for not warping. There are variations in the wheels on these coaches, the brake van had spoked wheels rather than the Mansells the rest of the set was fitted with, I suspect because the tyres would get too warm when the guard applied the screw brake. * Mind, here’s a thought for a minimum space line: A set of these coaches close coupled ending a trip from Waterloo, A set of old coal wagons in a siding.(something for Stephen) A brick built Sir William Tite building in the dead end corner. the River Thames in the foreground, with “Three Men and a dog in a boat”. Windsor Castle looming in the back scene. Edit, more thoughts, little Nellie goes fishing, another lift from Weddell: you'd need a Beattie well tank, in chocolate perchance, and not totally suitable, but Dapol are bringing out a B4 soon for shuffling wagons around. I could do it with Washbourne, apart from the Thames bit, more lack of foresight. edit2 p.p.s. Did you spot the old ”half moon” signal? Edited September 22, 2021 by Northroader 9 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Edwardian Posted September 22, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 22, 2021 15 minutes ago, Northroader said: There are variations in the wheels on these coaches, the brake van had spoked wheels rather than the Mansells the rest of the set was fitted with, I suspect because the tyres would get too warm when the guard applied the screw brake. Funnily enough, I was eying hungrily a picture of a LT&SR Dia.19 Brake Third of 1879. It, too, had spoked wheels in distinction from the non-brake coaches. Anyway, I dug out Weddell vol.1 and checked that the MC&WCo block sets are given as 1872-3 (the stand alone composite is 1871), and the LSWR-built ones, like yours, with the revised corners, were produced from early 1873 at Nine Elms. Weddell's drawing of the M&CWCo Brake Third is probably good as representing the brakes on the early LSWR examples, but I note with interest that the sets the LSWR built in 1875 featured Clark's chain brakes on the brake third. The stand alone composite featuring the LSWR revised panel style dates from 1876. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Compound2632 Posted September 26, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 26, 2021 On 22/09/2021 at 12:14, Northroader said: A set of old coal wagons in a siding.(something for Stephen) No better resolution I suppose? Any idea of date? These will have come from the north via Willesden or Cricklewood, I suspect. Note that low sides are no bar to a good load if you've got large enough lumps of coal to build a wall! Windsor Castle is alleged to have been a customer of Morris & Shaw's Birch Coppice Colliery, on the Midland's Kingsbury Branch serving that part of the Warwickshire coalfield, hence my particular interest. The earliest wagons of theirs I know of are from 1908. 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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