LarryG's Wagon w.b.

LarryG

Western Thunderer
I mentioned on the Corwen Layout thread that my Dapol wagons needed weathering if they were to look the part on a scenic layout, but the project really needed a thread of its own. So this is it. A start was made on a steel mineral.....

The body and chassis were separated (four screws) and the body sprayed Howes 'Sleeper Grime'on this first wagon. I will mix a similar colour in cellulose for the future. When dry, I drew the rust design on with ruling pen loaded with Mascol.....
WEB Steel minerals 1.jpg

My cellulose BR grey was sprayed all over the body and when dry, the Mascol was carefully peeled off with the point of a knife and tweezers...
WEB Steel minerals 2.jpg

If one wagon is tackled at a time, it can be interesting ....
WEB Steel minerals 3.jpg
The annual Winter break from modelling is almost upon me. In previous years it was a tradition to pack in about now and despatch layouts to the council tip. Not this one though.........Just in case anyone wus wondering! :p
 
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LarryG

Western Thunderer
And then there were two.

A wooden 7-plank coal wagon was done today. It had been on PhilH's colliery layout and was painted grey by him along with the one at the back of the row, so I simply weathered one and 'replaced' a few planks......

WEB wagon 3.jpg
WEB wagon 2.jpg
 
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Geoff

Western Thunderer
Nice work on the wagons Larry, the weathering of the 7 -planks will come in very handy as a reference point for when I get around to doing mine.
What colours have you used?

Geoff
 

LarryG

Western Thunderer
Thanks Geoff. I think the following notes might be of assistance.

This wagon had also been one of PhilH's, so the first thing to do was paint the solebars and buffer planks Railmatch 322 Early Freight Grey, which was pretty close to what Phil had used on the body.....
WEB Wagon 4.jpg

The replacement planks on on the previous wagon represented unpainted wood after some years in traffic and was a mix of Tamiya X-9 brown, XF-24 dark grey and XF-1 Flat Black acrylics.

Filling between the planks was like adding mortar to bricks: I mixed Precision Paints P981 Dirty Black with P977 Rusty Rails well thinned with White Spirit and brushed it all over the sides and ends (each one at a time) and wiped it off the surface of the planks. Then a tissue was dipped in clean turps and the planks cleaned up. This left residue around raised details.....
WEB Wagon 5.jpg

Underframes were sprayed Railmatch Sleeper Grime, but in this instance the colour was put through my spraygun so as not to completely obliterate the grey paint. When everything was dry, Humbrol powders were used to add coal dust and rust. Finally, every bolthead was dabbed with PPC Rusty Rails paint in a ruling pen. I only varnish wagons when they have new transfers applied to kill the gloss black backing to the insignia....
WEB Wagon 6.jpg

The inside walls were sprayed Howes rattle-can sleeper grime and the lower part and floor Grimy Black, but I have noticed that coal does not stain timber like other minerals and so the interior unpainted woodwork could be finished quite pale in colour.
WEB Wagon 6B.jpg

So that's three out of the way.....
WEB Wagon 7.jpg
 
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Geoff

Western Thunderer
Thanks very much for explaining your methods and for listing the colours you used Larry, much appreciated.

Geoff
 

LarryG

Western Thunderer
The next two wagons were repainted BR grey before being weathered using the paints and powders as described already......
WEB Wagon 9.jpg

Oops....forgot to paint the white stripe...
WEB Wagon 10.jpg

It is doubtful elderly 5-plank general merchandise wagons like this would have been fully repainted by BR.....
WEB Wagon 13.jpg
WEB Wagon 15.jpg
 
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Phil O

Western Thunderer
Hi Larry,

Without wishing to criticise your excellent weathering, but I think the bang strips on the drop doors could do with a bit of rusting where they strike the banger spring below the solebars.
 

LarryG

Western Thunderer
Agreed Phil.

It is a shame to have to repaint these pre-war private owner liveries. From 1944 this wagon carried the new company name of Steetley Lime in place of S L B. BR appears to have painted over the PO lettering, but it left the corner plates in black according to a photo taken in 1958 at Llangedwyn. The buffer planks were also painted black. I am guessing that numbering, tonnage and tare were added on the usual black patches. Grist for the mill tomorrow....
WEB Wagon 16.jpg
 

AJC

Western Thunderer
Agreed Phil.

It is a shame to have to repaint these pre-war private owner liveries. From 1944 this wagon carried the new company name of Steetley Lime in place of S L B. BR appears to have painted over the PO lettering, but it left the corner plates in black according to a photo taken in 1958 at Llangedwyn. The buffer planks were also painted black. I am guessing that numbering, tonnage and tare were added on the usual black patches. Grist for the mill tomorrow....
View attachment 113103

I would have thought that as a specialist PO it would have escaped the pool during the Second World War and remained in private hands - thus what BR did is irrelevant: no black patches and no BR number because they weren't BR stock and the lime industry wasn't nationalised. What individual wagon repairers got up with painting could impose variations but I wouldn't expect very much - black headstocks would be about the limit (could be a steel-framed wagon?). This Mike Lloyd photo from '55 shows what I would have expected - and in fact it's the same number!:

Steetley (Llyclys) apex roof van (Non-Pool) 527 1955 F3R Photo at Porth-y-Waen by M.E.M.Lloyard.

Note the 'Non Pool' markings on the doors and the broken iron plate on the left. The registration plates are on the solebars and carried over from the pre-Nationalisation registers.

Adam
 

LarryG

Western Thunderer
Thanks AJC for the link. I had seen this picture, but didn't know it was dated 1955. Going off a photo taken in 1958, there appear to have been at least four of these wagons. The angle is such that no side detail is visible.

I mixed a matching colour (white mixed with a touch of BR grey and GWR brown) to cover the original company lettering and the black ironwork. Buffer planks were painted Grimy Black. Then the whole was given a coat of Halfords Matt Lacquer to seal the paint before starting weathering. It is a compromise using the information and transfers that I have by me (no 'Non Pool' or 'Steetly & Co. Ltd' transfers). Two of these wagons look to be in a cement train of sheet covered wagons passing Oswestry in early BR days, so I wonder if they carried cement bags apart from lime?....
WEB Lime wagon 2.jpg
 
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LarryG

Western Thunderer
Although this Llyclys lime wagon would be more at home on the Cambrian mainline, it will serve to deliver bags of cement to Corwen Road Goods for redistribution (my layout is circa 1957). The Halfords lacquer broke down under a wash of tinted 'weathering' to expose the private owner lettering I hadn't fully rubbed off....
WEB Lime wagon 3.jpg

This ancient wagon doesn't look too bad amongst other wagons considering it is almost at the end of its useful life. The solebars ended up brownish grey to hide not successful weathering. I am still tempted to put black-patch BR insignia on it...
WEB Lime wagon 4.jpg
 

LarryG

Western Thunderer
The later style 1960's insignia was rubbed off this plywood van and the areas covered with a light coat of Railmatch Early Bauxite. It's a very close match. HMRS BR 'Methfix' insignia followed, which adheres better to enamel paint than plastic. Weathering to follow...
WEB Wagon 17.jpg
 

SECR25

Member
Hello Larry,

Excellent weathering on the mineral wagons, they looks very realistic all in a rake.

Are the PO wagons kit built or Dapol products?

I thoroughly enjoy reading your thread keep up the excellent modelling!

Chris White
 

LarryG

Western Thunderer
Hi Chris, they are all Dapol products. They were from a very good friend, and knowing I would repaint them, it wasn't necessary for him to ensure they fitted the mid-1950's period that I am modelling. They gave me a good start in O gauge.
 
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