GWR AA3 toad info needed please

Mr Grumpy

Mr Grumpy

Western Thunderer
My next project. will probably be a Southwark Bridge Models AA3 toad. Please can anyone help with a diagram or good photos of one of these brake vans?
As usual, my trawl through the net has brought up very little, and reading the instructions this vehicle looks a bit of a mine field! I will be building it with the metal sheeted veranda.
Thanks in advance,
Richard
 
Dog Star

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
Mr Grumps,

The place to go for information on these vans is GWR Wagons from Tourret Publishing. In this reference book you can find all of the running numbers for the GWR brake vans for most of the diagrams... plenty of photographs... and a GW drawing of an AA3 in as-built condition.

Most kits for these vans provide for vans in late condition - so sheeted verandah rather than planked and dry rather than wet sanding. The drawing in Tourret shows a van with wet sanding. The much-loved "haystack" sandboxes are for dry sanding... the wet sanding was a simple wooden box with lifting lid, much like a seat. As far as I know, the only surviving AA3 with wet sanding is (was?) on the Dean Forest Railway.
 
M

markjj

Western Thunderer
The Connoisseur kit only covers the AA3 in its very early/original days. The kit you have Richard will cover it's entire life and possibly more. The pitfall being that no 2 vans were modified the same most had very subtle differences which I think the kit pretty much covers all that are known. To model a particular van you need an exact photo of said beast from all angles. A lot of the differences where things like windows and their size plus how the handrails where made and then fitted. The other things that changed in time where as Grahame says sanding gear and if it was wet or dry sand. It's quite a minefield to be honest. It's sometimes worth keeping your eye out on ebay for any photos that people are selling I do that for things like tender types on certain loco's although it's a lot easier now there are books with a lot of this info in. I have all the GWR wagons books up in the loft so I will see if I can get to them over the next 3 nights lol....
 
Mr Grumpy

Mr Grumpy

Western Thunderer
Thanks Mark!
The thing is you really need to be sure which variant you are modelling before touching anything by the looks of it! Right down to pipe brackets!
Any info you have will be greatly apreciated:thumbs:
 
Dog Star

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
Mr. Grumps...

The Southwark Bridge Models range goes some way to sorting the development / change in the AA3 design by providing two kits for the one diagram. One kit builds a body with planking for the verandah and lower part of the cabin whilst the other kit builds a break van with sheet metal sides to the verandah and sheet to the lower part of the cabin.

That there are two kits suggests that choosing which kit is a careful and considered decision.
 
M

markjj

Western Thunderer
If you check out the instructions it's not as simple as that either Richard some were part sheeted some just had parts sheeted. It's the same with the other kit to for the earlier van it has a multitude of options. I thought a brake van was a brake van lol until I started making mine.....
 
Mr Grumpy

Mr Grumpy

Western Thunderer
markjj said:
If you check out the instructions it's not as simple as that either Richard some were part sheeted some just had parts sheeted. It's the same with the other kit to for the earlier van it has a multitude of options. I thought a brake van was a brake van lol until I started making mine.....
Click to expand...
Perhaps I will just build another standard brake.....:confused:
 
M

markjj

Western Thunderer
Pencarrow said:
Who do folk think does the best 7mm 'standard' brake kit? Plastic or metal.
Click to expand...
The one Richard is about to build must be the best I have ever come across so far.. I'm still waiting for someone to do a Standard BR or LMS van with all the proper detail in etched brass..
It would need to be to the same standard as a MMP kit to make me happy though.....
 
Mr Grumpy

Mr Grumpy

Western Thunderer
Pencarrow said:
Who do folk think does the best 7mm 'standard' brake kit? Plastic or metal.
Click to expand...
The Connesieur standard BR brake is a tad basic, but builds in to a lovely model. It was my first etched rolling stock kit, and Jim was incredibly supportive and helpful.
I cocked up the solebars and he sent me the complete etch again....free of charge :)
The kit needs a floor and I have seen someone fitting Jim's coach springing units to the chassis. I much prefered it to the Slaters kit.

IMG_4018.jpeg
 
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Pencarrow

Pencarrow

Western Thunderer
Sorry folks, I missed a word or two out of my earlier question...

It should have mentioned 7mm GWR 'standard' AA19 20T van.

I do like Jim's Connoisseur kits and he does one but are there better kits, either brass or plastic?
 
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