West End Workbench

[LNER4479]

These from the excellent 'Return to Grantham' chaps:

Thinking on, they would probably be quite old vehicles - the LNER is hardly likely to ground a van it only built a few years' previous. Mind you, do bear in mind these are 1960's photos... (oh dear!)

[jwealleans]

First one is hard to tell, I'd have to spend a while with the GN stock book (if it's even GN, although the cupboard doors suggest it is). The others look like the 19' vent vans, I'd be almost sure. You have at least one yourself. These can be scratchbuilt, as per the two below which I completed a while ago:



Put those into the 'to do at a future date' pile. Is there room for them on the layout?

[LNER4479]

These can be scratchbuilt...

Is there room for them on the layout?

There's certainly room for the first one - it's irresistible as a makeshift 'bothy' with its windows and leaning stovepipe! Second one could be done as a single body, turned through 90 deg, right at the front of the layout. They're so typical of a shed yard where the need for additional accommodation and storage constantly ebbed and flowed.

I did think scratchbuilding was the way to go (running wagons are too precious!). I'm minded to have a go at the first one myself (particularly if I've got an existing wagon to take dimensions from) as a quick knock up for the time being for Grantham.

Edited to add:

Here's another view of the second van body. Cropped from another photo on the RTG site.

[jwealleans]

I hadn't seen that. Definitely a 19' vent van. I think the first one is as well, but with the vents removed or a new roof.

Been beavering away the last week or two but nothing terribly visually interesting - Dart Castings delivered the bogies I've been waiting for.



Nice as they are, there's only so much you can say about assembling MJT bogies.

I did build another pair for this to run on:



This 52'6" luggage brake is required to be added to/removed from a train at Grantham and so has Kadees mounted at both ends. Height gauge kindly lent by Mr. Oliver.

There's a weathering queue forming for Grantham and this is currently at the head of it:



It's had a repaint and renumber and will get the treatment shortly, as will the O4 just out of sight and another which I took delivery of on Monday.

Final preparations for Thurston are all but complete - this had been repainted for Grantham but when I went looking for numbers I find it''s a 1947 build, not late 1930s as per the Parkside instructions. So a rapid redeployment to East Anglia has followed.

[JASd17]

Jonathan,

I agree about the 'bothy' being a GN van, and 19ft version too.

But I wonder if a 19ft would have been grounded in 1938, unless something horrible had happened to the u/f. They were still relatively new. This is the LNER remember.

A little query about Coronation/WRL sets too, yours or Roy's - maybe best placed elsewhere in time.

Are the twin Restaurant car formation of the Kitchen portions pre-Feb 1938 or post that date?
There was a change, not noted by Harris or Bishop, but certainly detailed on the John Edgson Isinglass drawing, and confirmed by photos.

Hope you have a good weekend with Thurston. I may have a pint of Adnams' beer despite not being able to get to Southwold for the show.

John

[jwealleans]

Morning John,

I wondered whether those 19' vans would have been OOS by then. I was going to check back through my GN books to see when they were built or whether there was anything similar but older we could sensibly substitute.

My only knowledge of the Coronation set comes from Harris, so if he doesn't mention something I'll be completely in the dark - what did they change in 1938?

[LNER4479]

All good steady progress young sir

My only query re the grounded van is the difference in roof vents. The two vehicles you show scratchbuilt and indeed the whitemetal one I have show the two central vents being off set from each other whilst the ones on the grounded van show them in line. Is that a clue as to its provenance or were roof vents habitually juggled about with?

So far as Roy's Coronation set is concerned, he builds for Mark (Allatt) based on a very specific date - 3rd July 1938(!) It'll be interesting to check next time we see the set (Grantham in September) whether he has got this detail change correct!

[earlswood nob]

Good morning all

I an almost envious, JASd17, as I enjoy Adnams beer, but we seldom get it in Surrey.

Earlswood nob

[jwealleans]

Now then, 4479, I had a question for you.

This O4 of yours... all the Cawston photos show O4/1s on the ironstone (and indeed everywhere else). Shall I make yours into an O4/1 while I'm on? ISTR I did the same to one of mine, the other is 5001 which was one of the handful of O4/1s with vac brakes.

[Dave]

I also built that Parkside loco coal wagon being lead to believe it was a late 30's model and as like you discovered when I came to apply transfers it was a latter version. It's now sat minus wheels awaiting it's fate......the bin probably.

[jwealleans]

If you have a look on RMWeb you'll see it also has the wrong axleguards. I'm not rushing to correct mine but it's a bit disappointing.

[D2100]

It's quite an early kit and uses the standard 21T underframe parts from the BR flat bottom minerals. It is possible to find the odd one that's had BR axleguards fitted - and on one example roller bearings - but admittedly not many. I think mine, when I get it sorted, will go on the old Airfix 21T chassis.

[jwealleans]

Now as it happens I had a couple of those on the bench at the same time and wondered about that.

The other option would be one of Bill's springing units, I guess.

[LNER4479]

Now then, 4479, I had a question for you.

This O4 of yours... all the Cawston photos show O4/1s on the ironstone (and indeed everywhere else). Shall I make yours into an O4/1 while I'm on? ISTR I did the same to one of mine, the other is 5001 which was one of the handful of O4/1s with vac brakes.

Very happy to leave it in the hands of an expert to make it as correct as possible so go right ahead...

And any time you want an LMS Duchess putting in the right configuration I'll be happy to return the favour

[jwealleans]

Expert? Hah. I reread my own post and realised it was rubbish - when I said O4/1 (ex-GC, vac fitted) what I meant was O4/3 (ex-ROD, very much not vac fitted). Anyway, unfitted and dirty it shall be.