The Heybridge Railway, 1889 to 1913

[paulc]

Well, as my wife tells me I’m a rotten mind reader, I’m not sure what you might think it is! . It is a replica of Spooner’s boat, which was a four wheeled trolley used by Charles Spooner, then manager of the railway, as a means of transport down the line. The bow, allegedly, was to enable it to push its way through closed crossing gates, although there is some serious doubt as to whether that was true. The sail is to enable it to cross the cob under its own power (it would go up the line on the back of a train and gravitate back down, but the cob is a mile of flatness). The original came to grief when Spooner and guests decided to gravitate down without a token and met a train coming the other way. No one died, but there were some serious injuries and it pretty much put paid to Spooner’s career.

Nigel

Thanks Nigel , thats pretty much what i thought but without all the background so thanks for the info .

 

[RichardG]

I have not fitted a sail but I have added some wheels. These are Alan Gibson Lomac wheels with bushes cut from styrene tube to hold them onto the kit axles. Obviously the spoke count is wrong but if I cut out alternate spokes I will have four which is still wrong.

It is good to have something I can roll along the track to amuse myself, but the 3DP wheels by @simond (here) do withstand a longer look.

 

[RichardG]

Some weathering to try to represent a trolley bought new by the railway then used for a few months.

The powders have brought out the wood grain hiding underneath my painting, though the pattern at the far left might be a fingerprint!

 

[simond]

View attachment 243002

I have not fitted a sail but I have added some wheels. These are Alan Gibson Lomac wheels with bushes cut from styrene tube to hold them onto the kit axles. Obviously the spoke count is wrong but if I cut out alternate spokes I will have four which is still wrong.

It is good to have something I can roll along the track to amuse myself, but the 3DP wheels by @simond (here) do withstand a longer look.

Thanks Richard. Your trolley looks better than my 3DPs - the gaps I put between the planks are not distinct enough - so there will be another batch coming soon. Hang in there!

 

[RichardG]

another batch coming soon

If there is room on the build plate for an extra set of 6-spoke wheels it would be wonderful if you could remember the poor and needy . The Gibson wheels are EM ones c.0.090 inch thick so really a bit too fine.

 

[simond]

Might just be able to do that

They came out well. I'm going to fix the pressed steel ones though. The flange wasn’t stiff enough and came out frilly like a baby’s bonnet.

 

[RichardG]

View attachment 241893

I have had a go at painting the quarry block wagon. I am sure I have chosen a period with more than its fair share of unpainted wood.


The small black line on the buffer is a trick of the light, it isn't there on the model.


I didn't see the wood grain detail in the solebars until I looked at these photos.

I am actually quite pleased with this effort but I still want to get better at doing old and weathered wood. However much I look at examples I usually see a little brown in there, if not very much. Hopefuly I can look back on this in a few year's time and see I have got better.

 

[magmouse]

Bare wood is a complete pain to try to reproduce - especially if you want a relatively 'new' look. Older, dirty and battered wood isn't so bad, but still I find my efforts are quite hit and miss. At some point I picked up a good tip to use gunmetal paint, dry brushed, for the darker details, grain, etc., which I find works well.

For some general atmospheric inspiration for your carry block wagon, you might like:

Weymouth Dorset cargo ship unloading port hoist stone harbour

goodnessgracious.co.uk

Weymouth Dorset cargo ship unloading quayside port harbour

goodnessgracious.co.uk

Weymouth Dorset cargo ship unloading stone port harbour

goodnessgracious.co.uk

Nick.

 

[RichardG]

At some point I picked up a good tip to use gunmetal paint, dry brushed, for the darker details, grain, etc., which I find works well.

I have some Humbrol enamel 27004 Gunmetal. I have tried working this into the grain of one plank of the trolley top, and it has stripped off the acrylic coats I did yesterday down to the primer. It didn't look much like wood either! Are you sure about the 'gunmetal' colour?

PS
I think the Humbrol paint has gone off. I bought it last September and there are lumps which will not stir out of it. My tin of their 'polished steel' is even worse, just a moist lump which will not break down and disperse. Maybe there are acrylic versions.

PPS
Thanks for all the links to the photos.

 

[RichardG]

I have repainted the top.

My gut feeling is this wagon will look a whole lot better with a load. Perhaps a stationary engine bolted down onto it.

 

[magmouse]

Cripes - I feel like I have vandalised your model at a distance - sorry.

Enamel paint over acrylic isn’t generally a good idea, especially if the acrylic is relatively fresh (I find the Vallejo acrylics I use take several days to harden fully). You can get acrylic metallic paints.

The technique can definitely work - see the foot boards of my brake van about half way down this blog post, made of brass with a top surface of plasticard, painted to look like wood:

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/blogs/entry/26761-gwr-brake-van-diagram-aa3-part-1/

The dry brushing needs to be really dry - hardly any paint on the brush, and a fairly stiff brush So you can scrub it on. The idea is to pick up the fine texture of the underlying paint, which must be matt.

Nick.

 

[RichardG]

Cripes - I feel like I have vandalised your model at a distance - sorry.

No worries, I can have another go. Your footboards look just right.

It is rather hot in Essex today (31C tops in the garden shade) and I must accept, higher temperatures may well mean paint dries quicker but they do not mean it cures any quicker. I can give this trolley a week or so and try dressing it up again. The same Humbrol Metalcote worked really well on details of metalwork on my locos and other wagons.

I bought some 3DP cats a while ago. Painted one of these today, the forceps holding it fell off the bench and the tail broke off. Tried to cut a second cat off the base and a front leg broke off. So it's been one of those days! I usually find patience and persevere for these things but sometimes I wonder quite why I am obsessed with making things. Then I remember it is because I enjoy it.

June has been a productive month for me, three new wagons built (two rather small ones!) and a fourth one refurbished and all good to go into service

 

[Dog Star]

Richard, when I paint a plastic floor to represent weathered wood... and the "expected" load is not going to stain the surface (eg. Wet coal, dry portland stone)... then my final dry brush coat is done with "plaid folk art" acrylic paint called "metallic champagne" which gives a silver sheen to the surface.

 

[alastairq]

Given the prices vets charge these days, .....

 

[Rob R]

Bare wood is a complete pain to try to reproduce - especially if you want a relatively 'new' look. Older, dirty and battered wood isn't so bad, but still I find my efforts are quite hit and miss. At some point I picked up a good tip to use gunmetal paint, dry brushed, for the darker details, grain, etc., which I find works well.

For some general atmospheric inspiration for your carry block wagon, you might like:

Weymouth Dorset cargo ship unloading port hoist stone harbour

goodnessgracious.co.uk

Weymouth Dorset cargo ship unloading quayside port harbour

goodnessgracious.co.uk

Weymouth Dorset cargo ship unloading stone port harbour

goodnessgracious.co.uk

Nick.

Ermm...
Given the number of buildings around the world built with Portland Stone I would suggest that they are loading not unloading......

Lovely little wagon though.

 

[RichardG]

Lovely little wagon though.

Yes it ought to look the part as a sort of "tools and equipment tender" coupled onto one end of Lady Marion while the works train is coupled onto the other end.

The attempt at restoration was too blue and too shiny. It is quite infuriatung how easily a "grey" can turn out too warm or too cold. So I rubbed the surface with wire wool, repainted with only a dry brush of a warm grey and then added a brown powder.


One good thing to come out of all this handling is the straps around the ends of the dumb buffers are taking on a patina like metal.

I think I really will stop here, for at least a week

 

[simond]

I think that it’s a good idea to look at stuff for a while. In my world, sometimes the while gets a bit long..

But anyway, I think the metal bands round the ends of the solebars would benefit form looking a bit more metallic. Some gunmetal or steel metal coat, or acrylic steel? Suitably rusty of course…

 

[RichardG]

Daylight has returned swiftly, as it does this time of year. The wagon looks just right to me. It is probably the best painting I have ever managed under artificial light.

 

[Osgood]

I think the metal bands round the ends of the solebars would benefit form looking a bit more metallic

Don't forget the square cast tie bar plates and nuts
I think that would really set your wood finish off nicely.

Unless in a dusty / muddy working environment where the whole wagon takes on a similar finish, anything iron will stand out against wood.

 

[RichardG]

Yes it is worth keeping a look out for textures on surfaces and taking photos which might be useful.



I took these photos at the Forest of Dean Heritage Centre on 15th July 2018.


When we returned on 16 May 2024 we saw this.

Incidentally, there is (yesterday) a pair of short BH rails just east of Stowmarket station, placed on two sleepers at right angles to the Up main. But no trolley.