GWR Dean 4 wheeled carriages in gauge 3

geoff_nicholls

Western Thunderer
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The photos show the laser cut parts for the bodies of three GWR Dean four-wheeled carriages, an S9 5 comp third, a U4 4 comp composite, and a T47 brake third. It is hoped that these will be added, as kits, to the Williams Models range eventually. All three saw use on GWR branchlines even as late as the 1940's, I have made the compartments of the third 5' 7 1/4" instead of 5' 6 1/4" so you could kit-bash them to produce a 40 foot bogie clerestory.
The parts were cut by York Modelmaking from their laserable plastic/acrylic material. The floors and partitions from 2mm, the sides from two layers of 1mm, and the mouldings from 0,.5mm.
The prominent windows beading, the bolections are 3D printed. The plan is that each body will be a one piece resin casting, like the vans in Mike's range.
The underframes have not been started yet, but I'm thinking etched brass with brass castings for springs etc.
I've got a lot of other work on, at present, and Mike has several other kits in the pipeline, so I don't expect the kits to be available for at least year. we don't have a price, but I hope it will be similar to prices of other stock in the WM range.
It is important for us to know the projected level of demand. so, please let me or Mike know if you would be interested in buying one or more of these carriages.
 

Wagonman

Western Thunderer
Take one of each close-coupled, slap on a spare Van Third (any 4 wheeled type) and voilà you have a Bristol Division B-set of the Edwardian/early Georgian era. Cue old Steptoe joke...
 

geoff_nicholls

Western Thunderer
thank you, Wagonman, although I believe I chose the right diagrams, the same ones as Slaters in 7mm, and ratio in 4mm , and the most populous diagrams, I'm still learning. There is quite a bit of regional rivalry in my local club (Ilford and West Essex). The most difficult part of this project so far, has been enduring the smug expressions as the Western contingent noticed me smuggling cream coloured RCTS booklets out of the club library, instead of the usual green.
people who've seen my previous threads will know I model Great Eastern branches, which means a train of two thirds, a compo and brake third, pulled by a J65, with a J15 handling the goods, and a Y5, Y6 or J70 on the quayside. What would be the GWR equivalent?
I'm guessing that would mean a 517 class, and perhaps a Dean goods. would that be right? and which branches would fit that scenario, pre 1910?
 

Wagonman

Western Thunderer
thank you, Wagonman, although I believe I chose the right diagrams, the same ones as Slaters in 7mm, and ratio in 4mm , and the most populous diagrams, I'm still learning. There is quite a bit of regional rivalry in my local club (Ilford and West Essex). The most difficult part of this project so far, has been enduring the smug expressions as the Western contingent noticed me smuggling cream coloured RCTS booklets out of the club library, instead of the usual green.
people who've seen my previous threads will know I model Great Eastern branches, which means a train of two thirds, a compo and brake third, pulled by a J65, with a J15 handling the goods, and a Y5, Y6 or J70 on the quayside. What would be the GWR equivalent?
I'm guessing that would mean a 517 class, and perhaps a Dean goods. would that be right? and which branches would fit that scenario, pre 1910?

Depends how rural! A number of branch lines such as Malmesbury, Wrington Vale and others used a 517 tank with a three coach set consisting of a Compo (U4) sandwiched between a pair of T34 Van Thirds – that's the diagram Slater's do in 7mm, but Ratio in 4mm scale did the T47. The difference between the two brakes is that T34 has three compartments, T47 has two. Local services on routes such as the Radstock branch used the B-set referred to earlier hauled by a 517, a Metro or even a saddle/pannier tank. Branch goods trains could be operated by the branch engine itself or the branch could form part of the route of a main line pick-up in which case a Dean Goods, or an Armstrong Goods, or once again one of the ubiquitous saddle/pannier tanks. GWR branches were more varied than their GER equivalents, it seems.

B-sets were also used for local trains on the main line, often with strengtheners or vans added. This is a very late subject!

Richard
 

geoff_nicholls

Western Thunderer
This is not proving as easy as it should be. 1mm rowmark is nowhere near as flexible as 1mm styrene. It doesn't appear to be affected much by plastic weld either.
The plan was each body would be made of two layers of 1mm thick, plus the mouldings of 0.5mm thick rowmark. For the inner layer I gave up and cut the lower bodyside into 4mm strips to form the tumblehome, assuming I could then form the tumblehome on the outer layer as I glued it on top. I should have stuck to my first idea and made the whole thing out of 1mm, 2mm and 0.5mm card.

Has anyone else out there had any luck bending rowmark?

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JimG

Western Thunderer
Geoff,

Have you tried cooking it in the oven over a former? I do that with styrene to heat form it into shape - specifically for the tumblehomes on my coaches as well. I use 100C in the oven for about 20 minutes and that seems to work fine for styrene about 1mm thick. I tried higher temperatures - up to 150C - and longer times - up to 30 minutes - but I found the material tended to soften too much and would start to lose shape.

I found I had to make formers which supported the material fully. If the material was clamped into a curved shape with no support in the central part of the curve, then the material would tend to sag in the middle and the curve would flatten.

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This is a shot of my former for my 1:32 sides. The curved former was machined out of MDF on my CNC mill.

Jim.
 

jamiepage

Western Thunderer
Geoff,
Sorry, I can't offer any advice or experience on using Rowmark, but a tangential thought crossed my mind.
Feel free to ignore though !
Would it be easier to wrestle with sections of the sides, rather than the whole side at once? If so, perhaps a two step process may work? Have some sections cast in resin as a first step, then assemble a complete body and cast again off the whole thing.

The thought crossed my mind a while back when I made up some MSWJR 6 wheelers. Having assembled them using the various sections, it seemed entirely feasible to then cast again from the complete body.
The resulting one piece structure would have restored any inherent weakness in the built up version with its butt joints.
Integral seats/ compartment dividers could also have been fitted before final casting.

Resin Cast Coach Sides-- Maybe | Western Thunder

Yours
Jamie
 

geoff_nicholls

Western Thunderer
thank you all, I'll bear your suggestions in mind for the future. This this project though I think I'm going to take an easier option: cut the 1mm thick side along the waist under the lower line of moulding, and replace the lower side with two layers of 0.5mm styrene. Cheap and simple.
 
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