RCH wagon plates

[Dog Star]

For those with a peculiar interest, these photos show a drawing which may be of use in preparation of artwork for etched plates (well, at least in 7mm). If anyone has similar drawings or information for other railway companies... please offer pikkies as the vagaries of wagon registration are such that PO wagons for owners on the GWR could have been registered with other railway companies. So, for example, my interest is the GW&GC Jt where a significant number of PO wagons passing along the New Line would have carried RCH plates for registration by the MR, the GCR, the LNWR...





The original from which these photographs were taken is of poor quality hence a photo of the plate and a photo of the title block. Anyone know the identity of Mr. E.O.H?

thanks and regards, Graham

 

[AndyB]

Graham,
Are you just looking at registration plates, or builder / repairer plates too?
I think I have a photo and dimensions of a MR registration plate somewhere - I'll dig them out.
Andy

 

[Dog Star]

Are you just looking at registration plates, or builder / repairer plates too?

Thank you Andy - if you have MR info then please post to this topic .

The reason why I started the topic is in part because of a "self-help" ethos which permeates WT. I have the information and WT is a place where such data can be shared, I hope to obtain some 7mm etches by means as yet unknown and maybe WT-ers might be attracted to the idea. If there is a problem with RCH registration plates it is that in 7mm the plate details are just about readable and hence plates ought to be appropriate to the region / period of a model... and RCH plates carry a date and a registering company.

Builder's plates? Yes please, especially for Chas Rbts as I rather wish to add such details to some Manvers Main wagons.

thank you, Graham

 

[7mmMick]

Graham,

As you probably guessed this is right up my street and I will follow this thread with great interest. As yet I have nothing with regards drawings that would help but it is something I certainly wanted to address in the future. If you think I can help in any way please let me know and I certainly will do what I can. For now here's some inspiration, devoid of plates I'm guessing but look at the colours and textures of the warn timber here, much more decrepit than it would have been in service but I think the weathered timber is something to go by;



ATB Mick​

 

[Mike W]

Graham, I have the original artwork done by Jim Richards for various P.O. plates. They are pen on film and I'm not sure what scale, but he used them for 7mm plates. This was maybe 30 years ago. There is a large number of types and I'd be happy to copy to you if they are of use?

I also have a set of real Roberts plates taken from a wagon maybe 40 years ago if you need any details. That is builders, repaired, registration etc.

Mike

 

[Osgood]

Perhaps the GWR just had to be different, as a drawing for the LNWR RCH plate clearly shows mounting hole centres at 7 1/2", not 7 3/8" as the drawing above

The LNWR drawing is to be found on P23 of 'British Goods Wagons from 1887 to the present day' by Essery Rowland & Steel. Rounded ends to the mounting lugs on this baby too (4 plates shown, drawn by KR Morgan and based on RCH drwg 10331).

The RCH plate design is specified in the 1907 RCH Specification. I do not have a full copy of this document, although I can state that it specifies they should be mounted both sides as close to 2ft from headstocks as possible!

A good book for wagons plates of all shapes is 'British Carriage & wagon Builders & Repairers 1830 - 2006' by Sambrook, mainly close-up photos of actual plates albeit sadly with no dimensions.

 

[Rob Pulham]

For anyone wanting Charles Roberts builders plates I had some commissioned from Narrow Planet, they were from memory £3 per set including drawing up the artwork. If a few of us want a bigger number (I got 4 set's at the time) they may well be cheaper.

 

[Steph Dale]

Rob,
They look good! Have you got a URL for them, please? I need some Cowans Sheldon 'plates...
Steph

 

[Rob Pulham]

Hi Steph,

http://www.narrowplanet.co.uk/ the guy's name is Steve.

 

[Dog Star]

For anyone wanting Charles Roberts builders plates I had some commissioned...

Rob, there is no date on the etch plates - I could guess that if the prototype had a date then omission on a model version avoids the question of period.

 

[Rob Pulham]

Hi Graham,

I deliberately omitted the date because I wanted to be able to use them across a few different wagons in my chosen period 1923-1948 without having to resort to individual plates for each wagon/ year of build. Cheating I know but it does give them a bit more flexibility.

I really ought to look at some LNER plates too but they would need to have the individual wagon number on to be most effective, like those that David supplies with his MMP kits.

 

[Mike W]

I've seen at least two designs of real LNWR registration plates and suspect there may have been more. I guess the works interpreted the RCH drawings loosely as it didn't really matter to them exactly where the bolt holes were. There must have been more than one pattern and maybe several patterns, for each railway?

Mike

 

[AndyB]

Here are photos of MR & L&Y registration plates.
The L&Y one is 7 3/4" diameter, with the central band being 10 1/8" x 1 1/4".
The MR one is 6 3/8" diameter, with the central band 8 3/4" x 1 5/8"
I haven't yet drawn these up.
But here's one I did earlier - the Burnett plates were done on 12 thou brass for Gauge 3.
They look much better than my crap photo suggests. They are about 9mm x 9mm in G3.
Edit - see a photo of the original here
Andy

 

[hrmspaul]

This site has a huge archive of photographs of plates, wagon and many others. http://www.gloucesterrailwayana.com/front.htm

I must admit I was surprised to see the square end to the cross bar on the drawing and the L&Y plate, I thought they were more usually round.

Paul Bartlett

 

[Brian Wainwright]

I wonder if there's enough demand for the registration plates for a co-operative effort to produce a few sheets? I would certainly be glad of some, I've over twenty POs, plus not a few 'hired' GC coal wagons which should also carry them. Makers plates are also highly desirable. I do have some of the Narrow Planet Charles Roberts ones, and very good they are. But there were loads of makers some very obscure. I think at one time Slaters planned to produce some maker's plates, but it must have been one of their ideas that fell by the wayside.

 

[Rob Pulham]

I do have some of the Narrow Planet Charles Roberts ones, and very good they are.

Hi Brian, can you recall how much they were?

 

[Brian Wainwright]

Sorry Rob - not off hand. But it was a cheque I wrote without sweating too much.

 

[7mmMick]

I wonder if there's enough demand for the registration plates for a co-operative effort to produce a few sheets? I would certainly be glad of some, I've over twenty POs, plus not a few 'hired' GC coal wagons which should also carry them. Makers plates are also highly desirable. I do have some of the Narrow Planet Charles Roberts ones, and very good they are. But there were loads of makers some very obscure. I think at one time Slaters planned to produce some maker's plates, but it must have been one of their ideas that fell by the wayside.

Hi Brian,

Sounds like a great idea to me, I have sero skills on CAD but would be happy to contribute towards any costs,

Cheers Mick

 

[Rob Pulham]

Sorry Rob - not off hand. But it was a cheque I wrote without sweating too much.

Thanks Brian I just wondered if they were cheaper without having the art work drawn up too - at £3 a pair I thought they were very reasonable initially.

 

[Brian Wainwright]

Mick - I am in the same boat. Artwork, CAD - I know no more than a daw, to quote Shaks. But I'd be very willing to chip in cash to a common enterprise.