Overseer
Western Thunderer
The Altrincham gasworks tramway is a slow burning project which has been mentioned previously. I build wagons (and locos) for it as the mood and available time coincide. One of the wagons I have wanted to make for some time is this Empire colliery wagon photographed by JIC Boyd and published in his Saga By Rail : Great Briatain and the Isle of Man. This is a cropped scan from the book for research purposes only. The book is well worth a read. I think the photo was taken in 1946 as the loco is still clean, so pre BR and P numbers, but I am not certain.
![Empire boyd 1.jpg Empire boyd 1.jpg](https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/data/attachments/117/117782-7613923d265484b59a76e0a378f83eb8.jpg)
I bought the Slaters kit of the Charles Roberts 1907 RCH 7 plank wagon as the closest match to what I could see in the photo several years ago but didn't think I had enough information to complete the model. Then recently I found this photograph on the web, it looks like it has been copied from a book but not sure where, which shows a similar wagon and provides enough detail of the sign writing to copy.
![Empire 743.jpg Empire 743.jpg](https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/data/attachments/117/117783-3653ab12c53d317b560c2c5568dcb70e.jpg)
Wagons with grease axle boxes were rare after about 1952 as BR put a ban on replacing any of the main structural timbers if they rotted or were damaged, in order to only have stock with oil axle boxes running. But the earlier RCH wagons make a nice change from the larger 1923 RCH wagons.
A straight forward build of the Slaters kit with the plastic W irons replaced with some original brass Exactoscale sprung W irons, interior planks scribed and grain added using coarse sand paper, inside knees added, the crown plates changes (the ones moulded on the solebars are too wide to match the W irons), the ears on the axleboxes filed to match the prototype, Ambis brake guard (remainder of Ambis brake gear still to be added), and commode handles added to the ends as it was a Welsh wagon.
![Empire IMG_8732.jpg Empire IMG_8732.jpg](https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/data/attachments/117/117784-e9f559a2246b719e64149051c1fadc0b.jpg)
![Empire IMG_8736.jpg Empire IMG_8736.jpg](https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/data/attachments/117/117785-147965fcf83ff435ea5e038df330d4fa.jpg)
![Empire IMG_8737.jpg Empire IMG_8737.jpg](https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/data/attachments/117/117786-746904871b248c7611a7de925dcb6752.jpg)
Before assembling the wagon I drew the lettering on the computer to match the kit and the photos. Printed black on paper as a trial and in white on transfer film to apply tot he wagon. PO wagon lettering always looks odd when drawn as the signwriters adjusted each letter to suit the wagon ironwork etc, although maybe not too successfully in this case.
![Empire IMG_8745.jpg Empire IMG_8745.jpg](https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/data/attachments/117/117788-04ac52fc1c17db7c52ba71f2e53cadca.jpg)
The wagon body has been sprayed gloss black ready for applying the waterslide transfers.
![Empire IMG_8742.jpg Empire IMG_8742.jpg](https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/data/attachments/117/117787-ff1aa218484725a69047b0b90604e264.jpg)
Now waiting for the paint to dry.
Edited to correct the kit used - Slaters 7041 Charles Roberts 7 plank PO side and end door.
![Empire boyd 1.jpg Empire boyd 1.jpg](https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/data/attachments/117/117782-7613923d265484b59a76e0a378f83eb8.jpg)
I bought the Slaters kit of the Charles Roberts 1907 RCH 7 plank wagon as the closest match to what I could see in the photo several years ago but didn't think I had enough information to complete the model. Then recently I found this photograph on the web, it looks like it has been copied from a book but not sure where, which shows a similar wagon and provides enough detail of the sign writing to copy.
![Empire 743.jpg Empire 743.jpg](https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/data/attachments/117/117783-3653ab12c53d317b560c2c5568dcb70e.jpg)
Wagons with grease axle boxes were rare after about 1952 as BR put a ban on replacing any of the main structural timbers if they rotted or were damaged, in order to only have stock with oil axle boxes running. But the earlier RCH wagons make a nice change from the larger 1923 RCH wagons.
A straight forward build of the Slaters kit with the plastic W irons replaced with some original brass Exactoscale sprung W irons, interior planks scribed and grain added using coarse sand paper, inside knees added, the crown plates changes (the ones moulded on the solebars are too wide to match the W irons), the ears on the axleboxes filed to match the prototype, Ambis brake guard (remainder of Ambis brake gear still to be added), and commode handles added to the ends as it was a Welsh wagon.
![Empire IMG_8732.jpg Empire IMG_8732.jpg](https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/data/attachments/117/117784-e9f559a2246b719e64149051c1fadc0b.jpg)
![Empire IMG_8736.jpg Empire IMG_8736.jpg](https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/data/attachments/117/117785-147965fcf83ff435ea5e038df330d4fa.jpg)
![Empire IMG_8737.jpg Empire IMG_8737.jpg](https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/data/attachments/117/117786-746904871b248c7611a7de925dcb6752.jpg)
Before assembling the wagon I drew the lettering on the computer to match the kit and the photos. Printed black on paper as a trial and in white on transfer film to apply tot he wagon. PO wagon lettering always looks odd when drawn as the signwriters adjusted each letter to suit the wagon ironwork etc, although maybe not too successfully in this case.
![Empire IMG_8745.jpg Empire IMG_8745.jpg](https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/data/attachments/117/117788-04ac52fc1c17db7c52ba71f2e53cadca.jpg)
The wagon body has been sprayed gloss black ready for applying the waterslide transfers.
![Empire IMG_8742.jpg Empire IMG_8742.jpg](https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/data/attachments/117/117787-ff1aa218484725a69047b0b90604e264.jpg)
Now waiting for the paint to dry.
Edited to correct the kit used - Slaters 7041 Charles Roberts 7 plank PO side and end door.
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