Liver & Fry's workbench
- Thread starter Liver & Fry
- Start date
Herb Garden
Western Thunderer
Even when you are on the operating table you still don't stop being a radiographer! Typical!
Suffolk Dave
Western Thunderer
Good to hear!
Liver & Fry
Western Thunderer
I've had an upgrade!
We're calling this one 1948 Experimental Purple!
Follow up today went well. Ortho are happy with everything. Now in this much lighter (and potentially model friendly) cast that allows me a little more use of my hand. Review in 6 weeks and hopefully I'll be back to normal!
I've not gone mad yet, but did walk 11 miles this week due to cabin fever...
- James
We're calling this one 1948 Experimental Purple!
Follow up today went well. Ortho are happy with everything. Now in this much lighter (and potentially model friendly) cast that allows me a little more use of my hand. Review in 6 weeks and hopefully I'll be back to normal!
I've not gone mad yet, but did walk 11 miles this week due to cabin fever...
- James
Suffolk Dave
Western Thunderer
Good to hear!
Herb Garden
Western Thunderer
Take it easy and don't try too much too soon... But good to hear and see you are on the mend
Liver & Fry
Western Thunderer
M&GN 3 plank opens
Liver & Fry
Western Thunderer
I've learnt that I can indeed hold a paint brush. I don't *quite* have the freedom of movement I'd like, but I have enough to give something a go.
So what have I chosen? Well the threadmark no doubt betrays me, but I shall elaborate!
I have three kits for some M&GN 3 plank opens (I know, finally something closer to my stated modelling aims!). These were sourced from 'Pre-Grouping Railways' and are, I believe, the easiest wagon build I have in the queue currently, hence why I decided their time had come!
Any additional information on the prototype would be welcomed. I have a copy of a drawing of M&GN No.287 and the accompanying information suggests these were a GNR design, however, I could not find any matching vehicle in Tatlow's LNER wagons series, in either the GNR or M&GN sections. Nos. 283/5/6 are however listed as "lowside open wagons" that passed into departmental use as ballast wagons in later days.
The kits consist of a 3D printed body, springs, buffers and a selection of brass etchings for W-irons and brake gear. These are all nicely turned out and are of a good quality. For the most part the body matches the drawing well, although the outer strapping on the sides of the wagons is a bit too close to the corner plates.
Here are said wagon (bodies):
These required a minimal amount of clean up before I gave them a coat of brown oxide, as seen below:
For now, this is as far as I've got, but given I feared I'd be out of modelling for the summer, I'm pleased to achieved this much! I'm not going to push myself. These will be worked on as and when but at least I'll have something to update you with!
- James
So what have I chosen? Well the threadmark no doubt betrays me, but I shall elaborate!
I have three kits for some M&GN 3 plank opens (I know, finally something closer to my stated modelling aims!). These were sourced from 'Pre-Grouping Railways' and are, I believe, the easiest wagon build I have in the queue currently, hence why I decided their time had come!
Any additional information on the prototype would be welcomed. I have a copy of a drawing of M&GN No.287 and the accompanying information suggests these were a GNR design, however, I could not find any matching vehicle in Tatlow's LNER wagons series, in either the GNR or M&GN sections. Nos. 283/5/6 are however listed as "lowside open wagons" that passed into departmental use as ballast wagons in later days.
The kits consist of a 3D printed body, springs, buffers and a selection of brass etchings for W-irons and brake gear. These are all nicely turned out and are of a good quality. For the most part the body matches the drawing well, although the outer strapping on the sides of the wagons is a bit too close to the corner plates.
Here are said wagon (bodies):
These required a minimal amount of clean up before I gave them a coat of brown oxide, as seen below:
For now, this is as far as I've got, but given I feared I'd be out of modelling for the summer, I'm pleased to achieved this much! I'm not going to push myself. These will be worked on as and when but at least I'll have something to update you with!
- James
M&GN 3 plank opens
Liver & Fry
Western Thunderer
I'd like to start by retracting/clarifying a comment made previously regarding the model matching the drawing I have - Whilst this drawing does not match 100%, @Dave Sutton was kind enough to share a drawing that matches these wagons perfectly and would, I imagine, be what these kits are based on. The dimensions for this drawing were obtained in 1920 which leads me to ponder my next question:
I have here a wagon kit that is accurate for 1920, but how much earlier can I push it? My interest in the M&GN is much earlier (but at latest, pre-WW1). I would imagine I can get away with painting these in a pre-1917 scheme (brown oxide, as I've started to do) but if anyone knows different, or has something to add, please let me know!
In the meantime, I have given an initial undercoat to the inside of the wagons, as well as painting the undersides black. The insides of the frames with be touched up in brown oxide at a later date.
- James
I have here a wagon kit that is accurate for 1920, but how much earlier can I push it? My interest in the M&GN is much earlier (but at latest, pre-WW1). I would imagine I can get away with painting these in a pre-1917 scheme (brown oxide, as I've started to do) but if anyone knows different, or has something to add, please let me know!
In the meantime, I have given an initial undercoat to the inside of the wagons, as well as painting the undersides black. The insides of the frames with be touched up in brown oxide at a later date.
- James
Dave Sutton
Active Member
Don't forget that during the 1914-1918 war wagons weren't maintained or improved as many engineering workshops moved over to munitions. Painting also wasn't undertaken as frequently. (this backlog/debt to the companies ultimately led to the grouping)
In the case of the wagons you could easily take 10 years off (back to 1910).
In the case of the wagons you could easily take 10 years off (back to 1910).
M&GN 3 plank opens
Liver & Fry
Western Thunderer
Interestingly the only two photos I can find showing M&GN 3 planks pre-war are photos from 1900, during the construction of South Lynn, and 1912 at the rebuilding of Blackwater Bridge - both photos being of engineers trains...
Red oxide, maybe?
- James
Red oxide, maybe?
- James
Overseer
Western Thunderer
Unfortunately, if the drawing is by Ken Werrett as the ‘measured’ date suggests it is likely to be a work of fiction. A search on WT for Werrett will find previous discussions on the topic.
M&GN 3 plank opens
Liver & Fry
Western Thunderer
I took my time yesterday to slowly work on the wood effect inside each of these wagons. Hand ached a little by the end which was my cue to stop, and I need to touch some of the brown oxide back in, but I'm pleased with my efforts so far:
"Ah, but James, there's only two wagons there? What about the third?"
Well, about that...
I've decided to go all in with the theory that one of these would be relegated to engineers use as a ballast wagon, and so using Nigel Digby's livery guide for the M&GN and the photo I have of the construction of South Lynn, I'm going to add some variety to this trio by having a red one. I'll probably be proven horribly wrong when the book on M&GN rolling stock comes out later this year, but based on what I currently have available, this should work nicely...
- James
"Ah, but James, there's only two wagons there? What about the third?"
Well, about that...
I've decided to go all in with the theory that one of these would be relegated to engineers use as a ballast wagon, and so using Nigel Digby's livery guide for the M&GN and the photo I have of the construction of South Lynn, I'm going to add some variety to this trio by having a red one. I'll probably be proven horribly wrong when the book on M&GN rolling stock comes out later this year, but based on what I currently have available, this should work nicely...
- James
AJC
Western Thunderer
Liver & Fry
Western Thunderer
Liver & Fry
Western Thunderer
M&GN 3 plank opens
Liver & Fry
Western Thunderer
I had a choice of soldering the w-irons and brake gear, or lettering and finishing the bodies. I chose the latter. I think soldering will have to wait til I have both hands, or at the very least, til I'm feeling a bit braver in this cast!
Still, here's the progress thus far:
One side only, but you get the idea!
- James
Still, here's the progress thus far:
One side only, but you get the idea!
- James
M&GN 3 plank opens
Liver & Fry
Western Thunderer
The other sides have now been lettered to match, posed here with the "extended family" for interest's sake:
This may well be where this project pauses for a bit, but it was nice to get them this far rather than not being able to do anything at all! And I'd just like to say thank you again for all the kind words and positive responses in the past few weeks - It's helped a lot!
- James
This may well be where this project pauses for a bit, but it was nice to get them this far rather than not being able to do anything at all! And I'd just like to say thank you again for all the kind words and positive responses in the past few weeks - It's helped a lot!
- James