Prototype BR Mk.1 SO no. 4808 - details

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
Second Open no. 4808 is within a garden centre and accessible to the public during the opening hours of the garden centre. The carriage is an extension to the cafeteria and can be used by those taking tea in the cafe. The Vintage Carriage Trust Register has an entry for this coach, the details of previous use suggest that this coach has been re-furbished since entering the heritage arena - indeed the coach has currently "first" totems on each window and separate armchair seats in a "first class" style. `Although masquerading as a "first" the seating is 2+1 with an offset passage way / vestibule screens.


This set of photographs was taken 28th May 2015. Coverage is not a comprehensive, rather the content follows aspects of Mk.1 design that are relevant to our current modelling activities.

To start with a subject which has graced WT - the manner in which door hinges and commode handles are mounted to those carriages which have corrosion strips adjacent to the door openings. On this carriage the hinges and handles are on top of the strips (rather than the strips being cut to fit around the hinges and handles). My understanding from @Bob-65B is that the strips were a single piece top to bottom... on this coach a couple of the strips are in several pieces and held in place with screws (the appearance is of a post BR service modification). The first picture is of a top hinge, then a picture of the middle hinge, followed by the bottom hinge. The final picture of this section is of a commode handle.

SO 4808 a.jpg


SO 4808 b.jpg


SO 4808 c.jpg


SO 4808 d.jpg


The detail on the end of Mk1 is far more complex than might be expected... particularly if a coach is either dual brake or dual heat (or dual brake / heat). In the case of SO 4808 the buffer beam has fittings for vacuum brake and steam heat, there are no signs of the underframe having carried either ETH or air brakes. What is missing from the end details are the covers and cables for the RCH carriage lighting connections... although there is a shore supply connection at one end of the coach (appearance is of a post BR service modification).

The first photo of this section shows how the control rod of the emergency brake gear passes from side to side and over the gangway. The second photo shows a plate which provided the fixing for the chain which secured the loose end of the RCH carriage light connection. The next photo shows a lamp iron attached to the gangway rubbing plate, this item is made from several pieces of strip (rather than being cut / smithed in one piece) - there is a second lamp iron "resting" on the gangway fall plate. Finally, because the photos are of the toilet end of an open carriage, note that the gangway door is hinged (rather than sliding) and that the door is fitted with a handle and a seperate dead lock plus a bolt (which can be worked only from the exterior of the coach.

SO 4808 f.jpg


SO 4808 g.jpg


SO 4808 i.jpg


SO 4808 k.jpg


SO 4808 j.jpg

For those who may wish to include some of the detail on the gangway door, the door handle is within a casting / pressing of 4" outside diameter and the centre of that part is 37 1/2" from the gangway fall plate.
 
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Dog Star

Western Thunderer
Some kits are more accurate representational than others... and occasionally information is needed to place an item correctly. In the case of the battery boxes, the first photo shows the relationship of the battery box to the solebar... the front face of the box being 6 1/2" from the front face of the solebar. There is a plate on the end of the box and the wording appears to be 3 1/2" belt above 18' 8" long (could be 13' 3")... might this refer to the size of the dynamo belt and, if so, why is the plate bolted here?

SO 4808 l.jpg

BR Mark One Coaches (K Parkin, HMRS) includes an underframe drawing for stock with non-equalised brake gear... there are no drawings to show how the brake was arranged for coaches with equalised brake gear (all coaches with Commonwealth / B4 bogies and some later builds with the BR Standard bogie). SO 4808 has equalised brake gear and hence is a candidate for recording some aspects of the brake arrangement - in this case the way in which the brake cross-shaft connects to an intermediary fulcrum lever and on to the bogie... although this coach is lacking the pull-rod between bogie and fulcrum lever. The remaining photos of this section show how and where the fulcrum lever is attached to the underframe... and how the brake cross-shaft is connected to the fulcrum lever. From the top of the fulcrum lever there are four "holes", being:-

* pivot for attachment of lever to frame;
* attachment of pull-rod to bogie;
* stiffener between the two fulcrum lever plates;
* attachment of pull-rod from brake cross-shaft.

The distance between the top and bottom holes is 16 1/2".

The distance between centres of the brake cross-shaft pull rod hole and bogie pull-rod hole is 9 1/2 ".

The distance between centres of the pull-rod between the lever on the brake cross-shaft and the fulcrum lever is 13 1/2".

SO 4808 n.jpg


SO 4808 o.jpg

SO 4808 p.jpg


SO 4808 q.jpg
 
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Dog Star

Western Thunderer
Open coaches have a vestibule at each end and have a sliding door to gain access to the seating area... a part of coaches which does not rate highly in the photo stakes. All of the photos in this section are of the non-toilet end of the coach. The first couple of photos show the vestibule screen and the manner in which the track for the sliding door is covered. Next is a photo showing how a fire extinguisher is fitted into the end wall of the coach. Then there are a couple of photos to show the steam heat radiator and cover. The last photo shows the fixing and support bracket, within the gangway, for the shroud which was to protect passenger's clothes from being marked by the inside of the gangway material.

SO 4808 r.jpg


SO 4808 s.jpg

The vestibule door is 27" wide and approximately 1 1/2" thick, the door "hangs" clear of the vestibule screen. The cover for the upper door track is clear of the vestibule door such that the front face of the cover is 3" proud of the screen. The brackets which support the vestibule door are "D" shaped - 2 1/2" wide and 1 3/4" deep (the part which is visible in the photos) - and placed at 20 1/2" centres (3/4" inboard of each door edge). There is a window in the vestibule door... centred in respect of the door width.

The glass of the window is:-
* 21 1/2" clear height;
* 17 1/2" clear width.

The glass sits within a bolection:-
* 22 1/2" over external height;
* 18 1/2" over external width.

with a 2" radius to the inner edge of the corners of the frame.



SO 4808 v.jpg

The recess for the extinguisher is 26" high, 7 1/4" wide and 1 1/2" deep (at the centre as the back face is curved acroos the recess). The top edge of the recess is 68" from the floor.


SO 4808 w.jpg

Visible in the photo above - and in the first photo of this section - is a substantial wood section that forms a door shut for the sliding gangway door. This piece of wood is 2 1/2" wide and 2 1/4" deep, there is a chamfer on the corner such that the front face is reduced to 1 3/4" wide. This section is used also for the door shut of the sliding vestibule door.


SO 4808 x.jpg

The radiator cover is 11" wide and 10" tall, with the top surface of the cover at 26" from the floor.


SO 4808 u.jpg

Not photographed during this visit... the gangway door is:-

* 74" tall (visible portion to bottom of door track cover);
* 34 " wide;
* supported by two door track runners, each runner appears as a rectangular plate of size 3" wide and 4 1/4" tall (visible part). The plates are placed so as to leave a 3/4" gap between a plate and the door edge.

The gangway door has a handle mounted on a rectangular plate, 2" wide, 8" tall with the top of the plate at 47 1/4" above floor and a gap of 1/4" between the plate and the door edge.


And finally, the interior of this SO has been re-furbished in line with "first class expectations" together with the removal of seats from the bay adjacent to the vestibule screen. The removal of the seating enables inspection of the screen / wall / flooring and reveals a mechanical linkage at floor level. Neither prodding nor poking has established the purpose of the brass fittings... although I suspect that this is part of the mechanism by which passengers could control the interior temperature with the mechanism hidden mostly behind adjacent panelling.

SO 4808 y.jpg
 
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The Penguin Of Doom

Western Thunderer
Some very useful shot here which will definately come in useful for my next 7mm project, (when I eventually find time to crack on with it....).

Cheers.

Sean.
 

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
I was down in the West Country earlier this week - in search of an answer to a Mk.1 conondrum - and visited the garden centre at Tickenham to make some notes about the interior of an open carriage (SO 4808 which is disguised, thinly, as a FO) An underframe detail took my eye and so I photographed the "object" for comment from other WTers.

Bogie bird nest.jpg

Creating such a fitting from plumber's hemp is a good starting point. What I could not decide is the number and colour of the eggs as "the bird had flown"... suggestions please.
 
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Dog Star

Western Thunderer
Further photos of the brake and electrical fittings on the underframe of Mk.1 SO 4808 which is to be found at one of the garden centres in Tickenham.

Mk.1 coaches do not have V-hangers at each end of the brake cross-shaft, this photo shows the outer face of the support bearing, attached to a longitudinal girder, which supports the inner end of the cross-shaft.
SO 4808 aa.jpg

The short brake pull-rod between the brake cross-shaft and the fulcrum lever.
SO 4808 ab.jpg

The fulcrum lever from the bogie side.
SO 4808 ad.jpg

The brake cross-shaft from the Vacuum Cylinder end and showing the inner face of the support bracket.
SO 4808 af.jpg

Direct Admission valve.
SO 4808 ae.jpg

Vacuum hose between DA valve and vacuum cylinder, also shows the brake release cord.
SO 4808 ag.jpg

The steam drip trap - otherwise known as a "Sheep's Head".
SO 4808 ah.jpg

ETH equipment - anyone know what is the purpose of this box? or the dimensions?
SO 4808 aj.jpg

Dynamo support bracket and steady rod.
SO 4808 ak.jpg

Safety chain for dynamo, shows the attachment loop for the chain and the hook for adjusting the chain length.
SO 4808 al.jpg

SO 4808 am.jpg

This bracket is described as a "dynamo lifting bracket" in Parkin. I am not sure that the bracket is used when lifting the dynamo into place as the bracket is roughly 20" from the dynamo support bracket - I think that the trimmer might be used to raise the dynamo up and towards the bogie when fitting a dynamo belt.
SO 4808 an.jpg

Emergency lighting socket - one on each side of the underframe.
SO 4808 ai.jpg
 
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Dog Star

Western Thunderer
Previous visits to the "Carriages" cafe at the Tickenham garden centre have concentrated on the bodyshell and the underframe as such are generally common to the majority of Mk.1s as built. Now that Mk.1 modelling has moved on to the interior of SO and TSO coaches I realised that I had omitted to record some aspects of the inside of this coach. Ian (@Railwaymaniac) and I made a visit yesterday for lunch and the Chicken Chasseur was a delight.

I needed some photos showing the vestibule and saloon partitions.... together with a detail of how the saloon partition "edge" is finished on this coach (one of several styles used over the years). This coach has a "hockey stick" bead to both corners of the partition and then a thin lath added to that bead - maybe Bob (@Bob-65B) can offer the correct names for these pieces of woodwork.

S4808-100.jpg


S4808-200.jpg


S4808-300.jpg

This coach has a severe dose of Jekyll and Hyde... built under Lot 30376 in 1957, sold into preservation circa 1989 and then converted to mock FO style for use in a dining set at the Llangollen railway including first class stickers on the exterior windows. Since 2002 the coach wandered the rails until cira 2012 when the carriage was incorporated into the restaurant facility at the garden centre in Tickenham. The Vintage Carriage Trust register entry for this coach records the preservation details and notes that the seating was upholstered with blue and gold moquette... not as currently.

Just how much else of the current interior is in the original style of a 1957 build SO is open to discussion.

regards, Graham
 
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