Old wooden kits

[MikeWilliams]

Somebody mentioned in passing this week that they had acquired a (built) wooden kit for a Gauge 3 wagon.  It sounded like an RCH 1923 coal wagon design and was made by an individual some years ago.  Axleboxes and buffers were described as 1923 type, so may have been from the Doug Hewson patterns now sold by Chris Barron, but that's a guess.  Does anyone know who may have made the kits?  Were they any good?

Mike

[Traininvain]

Doug Hewson built a number himself. I know someone well known in live steam circles with a couple (v nice too) and they were built by Doug. I've been trying to get hold of some for myself so anyone reading who wants to sell pls let me know!

[MikeWilliams]

Following on this (very) old topic, at least ten years ago somebody did wooden bodies for Furness Railway wagons.  Now using "Gauge 3" and "Furness" in the same sentence you might think "Alan Headech" but I believe it was not him!

Please does anyone have information, or does anyone have one they don't want?

Mike
(always on the lookout for quality pre-Grouping wagons!)

[IanT]

At one time I know Chris Barron offered a range of running gear components for G3 and certainly had a drawing for an RCH type wagon available in his G3 'plans' range (I have one of these somewhere). I also knew that Doug Hewson had scaled some of his 5" wagon parts down to 2.5" (I think he said so in one of his early EIM wagon articles) but I didn't know there was any connection between the two...

Apart from the better known 'wagon' kit suppliers - GRS, Brandbright, Williams (  ) - and now Slaters, there was a guy called Tony Riley who offered pre-cut wooden bodies for a SE&CR 5-plank and a LC&DR 6-8ton 'covered' wagon. The planking was described as "machine cut" but there was no running gear supplied, they were 'body only' kits. The cost was £17 for the 5-plank and £20 for the covered one (but this was back in the '90s).

Other than that, I can't think of anyone else (at least in recent times & not counting any 'member' efforts) apart from the guy who comes to the AGM these days (sorry - I cannot recall his name offhand)

Regards,

IanT

[Jon Nazareth]

I've just sent Tony Riley an email.  The link I used said that he produces 'stuff' in G1 and I'm hoping in G3 too.

Regards
Jon

[MikeWilliams]

Thanks Ian,

Doug Hewson decided not to carry on with G3 and sold the patterns to somebody down south.  He in turn sold them to Chris Barron, so there's the connection.  However, Tony Riley sounds like our man and I look forward to hearing how Jon gets on.  SECR and LCDR are both neglected, so would probably be welcomed back now.

I saw three Furness wagons for sale at an AGM about ten years ago and Ian Norman has one.  Other than that - I know nothing.

Mike

[Jon Nazareth]

No reply from Tony Riley, I'm afraid

Regards
Jon

[MikeWilliams]

There were posts on this forum a few months ago about Tony Riley's very nice Gauge 1 wagon kits.  Apparently he also did one type of Gauge 3 wagon over 20 years ago, that being a SECR open for the late Peter Stroud.  Cliff Barker speaks glowing of Tony's kits on his own website.

I am now talking to Tony about the possibility of a Gauge 3 LSWR D14 or D15 open wagon with low rounded ends, built from the early 1880s and lasting to c1940, depending on fittings.  This would be made of plywood cut and "scribed" with slitting saws in the lathe.  Tony describes his own kits like this "The kits make up into highly detailed wagon bodies. Construction comprises a basic plywood ?box? on to which, when required, are glued outside framing which is made from wood. Ironwork and other fittings are represented mainly with plastic injection mouldings together with bits of wire and the like. Open wagons are complete with all internal ironwork. There is a minimum of cutting and fitting required, and the kits can easily be assembled on the proverbial kitchen table. The kits come with instructions detailing information on the prototype as well as construction of the model."

Buffers, couplings and everything below the solebar would be parts from my own LSWR van kit and the price would be similar to my other wagon kits.

However, I need to order a sizeable batch to make it viable for Tony and that means I need expressions of interest for at least ten if I am not to be very out of pocket and left with a lot of LSWR wagons for myself!  If anyone is interested please let me know or post on here without obligation.  The wagon would look something like this one:

http://www.aardstorm-models.com/Models/ModelView.php?Model=LSWROpen-D1309

Thank you.

Mike

[jamiepage]

Three please.
Thank you.

[Jon Nazareth]

Dear Mike

That looks an interesting wagon.  I try to model early stock and so, my question is, what did it look like in say 1880?  If the early version can be made from this kit, then I may be interested in one.

Regards
Jon

[blagdon]

Mike, put Mrs Pirate and I down for one each; if they are the same construction as the Furness 'G3' kits, one will be suitably modified to an 8Ton Private Owner - shaping rounded ends when scratch-building is tricky.

Ian the Gauge '3' Pirate

[Geoff Nicholls]

I'll have one as well, nice looking wagon, his method sound interesting, and a change from grey!
And that probably completes the basic set for modellers of LSWR when you add the GRS LSWR stock. You're beginning to fill in  the pre-grouping gaps quite nicely, Mike.

[MikeWilliams]

Well, thank you very much all.  That is sufficient encouragement for me to carry on, and in less than 24 hours.  The Gauge 3 community may be small, but we are dead keen and supportive of the trade.  The wagons will probably done by April and I'll borrow one of Tony's Gauge 1 bodies for examination at Biggleswade on 21st.  In the mean time I'll borrow the LSWR wagons book and try to answer Jon's question above.

Mike

[Andy B]

Mike,

I'll be interested too - to try out a different construction method and have something that is accurate and well detailed.
I'll join the queue to have a look a the G1 sample at the AGM.

Andy

[John Candy]

According to the LSWR wagon book, SR D1309 (on a timber underframe) incorporated no less than 7 different LSWR wagon types (listed as 1,2,3,5,14,15 & 16)!

Building period given as 1880 to 1913.

Just to complicate matters further....D1309 also included wagons on a steel underframe, designated type 6 by the LSWR!

The two early photos in the book show just 4 wide planks on the sides and single wood-block brake with very long lever pivoted from the solebar underside (i.e. no V-hanger).
The corner plates are a little different to those of the model shown in Mike's weblink.
One of the two wagons illustrated (a type 3) is said to have been scrapped in 1902!

There are photos of type 14 and 15 wagons in SR days, which differ from the model both in ironwork and plank sizes (one photo states that secondhand ironwork has been used for rebuilding).

Since the kit is to be supplied with separate strapping, etc, then there should be scope for producing a variety of designs!

One later photo shows wagon in SR days with 5 planks on sides and (reduced height) straight ends.

Surprisingly, there is a photo taken at Ashford Works in 1948 (just repainted and numbered S7280) showing one which is in the condition displayed by the model .... and it states 76 of this type were still in revenue service at nationalization but not all retained the rounded ends....and you can reckon there would have been a few more in departmental use.

John.