Helston Revisited

[Harlequin]

Vaughan, "A Pictorial Record of Great Western Architecture" pages 410-413, shows multiple different designs of lamp "head" (if that's the right word) and seems to suggest that a yard lamp head was a much bigger beast with the "panes" more angled than platform lamps.

 

[Andy Keane]

I am back on the structure of the boards and have next put in the ramp leading up to the goods spur where the gas company unloaded their coal. The walls will get covered in stonework embossed plasticard, a coping added and then safety rails on top of that. The walls were about 18" high on the track side and had a three rail iron fence running along the top.

[Andy Keane]

In addition to provide a bit of variety I have been making a ham-fisted attempt at a farmer's horse and dray. It needs some chains and reins plus a load of milk churns. Compared to to those @Mikkel produces they are rather clumsy, especially when exposed to brutally large photos:

Edited April 19, 2023 by Andy Keane

[Mikkel]

I like that colour scheme. A little matt varnish might take off the shine?

[Andy Keane]

27 minutes ago, Mikkel said:

I like that colour scheme. A little matt varnish might take off the shine?

I think I will dust the whole thing with a little Matt track dirt diluted with Matt varnish in my airbrush

 

[Andy Keane]

Suitably toned down and with chains and reins added to his rig, our farmer strokes his chin wondering where to collect his load from:

 

[Andy Keane]

I found this link today that has some great colour photos of a GWR goods yard. Hopefully it will help when I get to colouring the ash / gravel / ballast / general cr*p in my yard.

http://www.fairfordbranch.co.uk/Fairford.htm

 

[Neal Ball]

1 hour ago, Andy Keane said:

I found this link today that has some great colour photos of a GWR goods yard. Hopefully it will help when I get to colouring the ash / gravel / ballast / general cr*p in my yard.

http://www.fairfordbranch.co.uk/Fairford.htm

 

 

At one time when I was contemplating which station to model I seriously looked at Fairford and only rejected it as I couldn't have run my Castle class locos!

 

Thats a nice set of photos Andy.

[Andy Keane]

On 13/04/2023 at 08:20, Harlequin said:

Yes, you absolutely need raised lettering for the running-in boards because the relief is much more visible than on the signal box nameplates.

 

Here's my attempt:

 

And the first 4mm scale print looks promising, although I need to do a bit of work on a few things.

 

Phil

While I am reasonably clear on the colour scheme for the front of a running in board what colour would the back face be? Black or stone or even white?

[Neal Ball]

14 minutes ago, Andy Keane said:

While I am reasonably clear on the colour scheme for the front of a running in board what colour would the back face be? Black or stone or even white?

Definitely a black face with white letters.

 

Pretty sure it’s in the Architectural book… failing that it’ll be on my painting scheme notes - I’ll dig it out tomorrow and send over to you.

[Neal Ball]

11 hours ago, Andy Keane said:

While I am reasonably clear on the colour scheme for the front of a running in board what colour would the back face be? Black or stone or even white?

Morning Andy. Do you have a copy of the OPC book Great Western Architecture by Adrian Vaughan - long out of print, but available on eBay - my copy is a reprint from 1991. If you can get hold of a copy it’s certainly worth it. (Not to be confused with the current book from Crecy publishing.)

 

This is from page 424:

 

 

There are also useful photos and drawings of lamps on page 410 - 412

 

I also have a GWR painting guide that I printed out from somewhere…. Written by a former Severn valley railway member of staff.

 

Regards, Neal.

[Andy Keane]

31 minutes ago, Neal Ball said:

Morning Andy. Do you have a copy of the OPC book Great Western Architecture by Adrian Vaughan - long out of print, but available on eBay - my copy is a reprint from 1991. If you can get hold of a copy it’s certainly worth it. (Not to be confused with the current book from Crecy publishing.)

 

This is from page 424:

 

 

There are also useful photos and drawings of lamps on page 410 - 412

 

I also have a GWR painting guide that I printed out from somewhere…. Written by a former Severn valley railway member of staff.

 

Regards, Neal.

Thanks for that - and also reminding me that there is loads of info in that book - I do have a copy somewhere!

[Andy Keane]

I can resist anything except temptation. So I grabbed a non-runner all brass Samhongsa 57xx from eBay for a knockdown price (No. 5764 so one of the first Swindon batch). They are nicely made locos with fully sprung axles and are a change from more modern versions. It needs new plunger pickups making and a proper universal joint on the coupling from motor to gearbox, but otherwise should soon be good to go, though as an originally Blue rated loco not strictly eligible for Helston until after the war. Here are a couple of slightly dodgy images - I must get a real camera out.

 

[Harlequin]

8 minutes ago, Andy Keane said:

I can resist anything except temptation. So I grabbed a non-runner all brass Samhongsa 57xx from eBay for a knockdown price (No. 5764 so one of the first Swindon batch). They are nicely made locos with fully sprung axles and are a change from more modern versions. It needs new plunger pickups making and a proper universal joint on the coupling from motor to gearbox, but otherwise should soon be good to go, though as an originally Blue rated loco not strictly eligible for Helston until after the war. Here are a couple of slightly dodgy images - I must get a real camera out.

 

 

Is the topfeed easy to remove? Certainly looks like the pipework is.

 

[Andy Keane]

6 minutes ago, Harlequin said:

 

Is the topfeed easy to remove? Certainly looks like the pipework is.

 

Not sure Phil. Clearly some of this class did get top feeds but not obvious when or if 5764 did. Anyway I will probably put her on the back burner or maybe when fixed even sell her on and take a bit of profit for my efforts. A YouChoos set up would be around £140 and for a loco that would never have gotten to Helston in my period I am not sure I can justify it. She just sounded so unloved on eBay I could not resist. I ought really to go and see if I can find a picture of that actual loco, though I can find no mention in any index.

Edited April 24, 2023 by Andy Keane

[Neal Ball]

10 minutes ago, Andy Keane said:

Not sure Phil. Clearly some of this class did get top feeds but not obvious when or if 5764 did. Anyway I will probably put her on the back burner or maybe when fixed even sell her on and take a bit of profit for my efforts. A YouChoos set up would be around £140 and for a loco that would never have gotten to Helston in my period I am not sure I can justify it. She just sounded so unloved on eBay I could not resist. I ought really to go and see if I can find a picture of that actual loco, though I can find no mention in any index.

Generally top feeds started to appear on 57xx from 1942 onwards.

[Andy Keane]

23 minutes ago, Neal Ball said:

Generally top feeds started to appear on 57xx from 1942 onwards.

OK - so that suggests she would have been unlikely to have "Great Western" on the side and a top-feed, but perhaps not impossible?

[Neal Ball]

Just now, Andy Keane said:

OK - so that suggests she would have been unlikely to have "Great Western" on the side and a top-feed, but perhaps not impossible?

“Great Western” would be unlikely….. probably the GWR shirtbutton logo as the earliest livery.

[longchap]

21 minutes ago, Andy Keane said:

OK - so that suggests she would have been unlikely to have "Great Western" on the side and a top-feed, but perhaps not impossible?

 

We'll never know of course, but it's not beyond belief that the manufacturer was simply copying all the other earlier lazy efforts from Hornby, Mainline, Bachmann, to name a few.

 

Nevertheless, a really lovely looking loco, which I'm sure  you'll turn into a great runner.

 

 

[Neal Ball]

41 minutes ago, Andy Keane said:

OK - so that suggests she would have been unlikely to have "Great Western" on the side and a top-feed, but perhaps not impossible?

Pannier papers vol 3 page 13 shows 5764 without top feed in Great Western livery at Old Oak shed - it remained at the shed until passing to London Transport in May 1960.

 

Sorry no details about when this particular loco was fitted with a Top feed.

[Andy Keane]

2 hours ago, longchap said:

 

We'll never know of course, but it's not beyond belief that the manufacturer was simply copying all the other earlier lazy efforts from Hornby, Mainline, Bachmann, to name a few.

 

Nevertheless, a really lovely looking loco, which I'm sure  you'll turn into a great runner.

 

 

I think these were mostly sold from Korea as bare brass models and then painted to the customer’s choice. Maybe that customer was less well informed than we are today? I have two other Korean brass locos, a Samhongsa 45xx and a Dongjin 45xx. The Samhongsa one has a much better chassis construction. They come up on eBay a fair bit but good running ones typically make over £200. They don’t really stack up against a new RTR from Rapido and co, but I am rather fond of them as being a bit vintage / old school.

[Andy Keane]

2 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

Pannier papers vol 3 page 13 shows 5764 without top feed in Great Western livery at Old Oak shed - it remained at the shed until passing to London Transport in May 1960.

 

Sorry no details about when this particular loco was fitted with a Top feed.

Removing the top feed would be possible but would entail a full repaint. Given the current paint is rather good I will probably just leave it.

[Andy Keane]

3 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

Pannier papers vol 3 page 13 shows 5764 without top feed in Great Western livery at Old Oak shed - it remained at the shed until passing to London Transport in May 1960.

 

Sorry no details about when this particular loco was fitted with a Top feed.

The pannier papers (and indeed those on prairies and other tanks, 14 vols in all) are new to me. Do you have a full set? Is it just one photo for every loco there ever was? Not sure I could justify buying a set.

[Neal Ball]

2 minutes ago, Andy Keane said:

The pannier papers (and indeed those on prairies and other tanks, 14 vols in all) are new to me. Do you have a full set? Is it just one photo for every loco there ever was? Not sure I could justify buying a set.

Yes every loco has a page…. Although some locos are missing, but it’s not many.

 

Plus there are shed allocations for all the locos as well. 

[gwrrob]

6 minutes ago, Andy Keane said:

The pannier papers (and indeed those on prairies and other tanks, 14 vols in all) are new to me. Do you have a full set? Is it just one photo for every loco there ever was? Not sure I could justify buying a set.

 

A brilliant reference collection @Andy Keaneand I highly recommend them. Irwell Press are retiring but I think someone else is talking their stock.