SimonD’s workbench

[simond]

Next instalment,

drilled hand holes in doors…. Mmm, only two per side on the model, and only two latch handle per side too. I’m pretty convinced the original vehicles had latch handles on all four doors on each side, and four hand holes (so you can reach out and operate the latch if you get shut in), certainly on earlier lots. So far, I’ve drilled out two on each side and discovered the wagon is moulded in white plastic, probably explains the white inners for the corridor connectors. I touched in with a tiny drop of precision coach brown, fingers crossed it won’t react horribly. I think the hand holes are quite noticable, so I’ll probably drill the extra ones.

I‘ve now fitted the battery boxes, couldn’t find any hard info, so put a single large one centrally each side, looks like the photo on page 180 in Russell, and I’ve run some watered-down rust pinwash over the bogies. Once that’s all dried, I’ll see if another does of airbrush track grubbiness is called for.

I also removed the couplings, and the little moulded turret to which the spring is secured, blacked a pair of Premier screw couplings and fitted them, with the Premier springs, which are much beefier than the originals.

Photo later, when it’s dried!

Simon

 

[Dan Randall]

Next instalment,

drilled hand holes in doors…. Mmm, only two per side on the model, and only two latch handle per side too. I’m pretty convinced the original vehicles had latch handles on all four doors on each side, and four hand holes (so you can reach out and operate the latch if you get shut in), certainly on earlier lots.

Hi Simon

That’s something I noticed in the hotel at Stafford on the Saturday evening. I mentioned it on RMweb, not as a gripe, but a more, a curiosity really….

Minerva announce Siphon G

www.rmweb.co.uk

Someone posted a picture of a prototype with the same bodyside arrangement and I think the consensus is, they’re preservation mods, that have somehow made it into the finished models. (Perhaps Minerva actually based their model on that particular prototype?). Strange really, ‘cos the line drawing that appears on the Minerva blurb that accompanies the model, has all holes and door mechanisms intact!

Nonetheless, it’s a great model and I’m sure these deficiencies can be overcome somehow.


Regards

Dan

 

[simond]

Hi Dan,

I think the later lots did not have hand holes, presumably they simply put a door handle on the inside…

bit like window bars, I suspect the main purpose was not anti-theft but prevention of something falling inside whilst in transit having potential consequences.

I believe the one in Didcot has all four, at least on the side I was looking at!

I think I’ll drill the extras. Whether I then drill the small holes and fit T handles is another question. You really don’t want to slip. Having just opened a 750ml bottle of “Licorne Black” to enjoy the last of the sun on the patio, my feeling is that it won’t be tonight!

cheers
Simon

 

[Jon Fitness]

Looks a good one! I may treat myself to a blue one to expand my 1970s parcels/newspaper train.
Not sure about the typeface of the van number though....

 

[simond]

Hi Jon,

Typeface looks ok to me, but interestingly, in the only photo I’ve got of the same version, the number and “Siphon G“ are in the opposite order.

Dan,

your link took me to the Minerva site, but not to a drawing. Did I miss something?

atb
Simon

 

[simond]

Belay that, the diagram is in the instructions and does show the four hand holes!

 

[Dan Randall]

Dan,

your link took me to the Minerva site, but not to a drawing. Did I miss something?

Simon, it takes me straight to my post on RMweb (part way down page 2 of the thread), but that might be because I was the one posting the link? Unless I was having a senior moment (quite likely!), I couldn’t see any “post numbers”, otherwise I would have mentioned which post number it was.

Looking forward to seeing pictures of your mods in due course.


Regards

Dan

 

[simond]

Thanks Dan, I must have done something dim with the link!

Seems the choice is drill holes & fit T handles, or renumber…

and if 1270 really had horizontal planks, that would be the way to go. I wonder how easy it is to get the numbers off?

sounds risky to me. Might live with the planks and add the holes.

 

[Jon Fitness]

Hi Jon,

Typeface looks ok to me, but interestingly, in the only photo I’ve got of the same version, the number and “Siphon G“ are in the opposite order.



atb
Simon

Somewhat different font from the modern one on the minerva one methinks....

 

[simond]

WEP


HMRS



Minerva


There's clearly a difference between the lower left part of the "2" on the WEP & HMRS sheets and that on the Siphon, and the Minerva "1" has a serif, which is not recommended. I hadn't spotted that!

not sure now whether to paint them out and renumber or ignore. Perhaps someone else will have a go and I can just follow...

 

[Paul Tomlinson]

Simon, CPL also list some transfers, which look the business (if available).

 

[Pencarrow]

View attachment 196036

WEP

View attachment 196037
HMRS

View attachment 196038

Minerva


There's clearly a difference between the lower left part of the "2" on the WEP & HMRS sheets and that on the Siphon, and the Minerva "1" has a serif, which is not recommended. I hadn't spotted that!

not sure now whether to paint them out and renumber or ignore. Perhaps someone else will have a go and I can just follow...

As chief bodger I would probably just take a sharp blade and remove the serif on the 1. The 2 might be slightly misshapen bottom left but the 1 stands out. After that, and a bit of weathering, nobody will notice.

 

[Chas Levin]

As chief bodger I would probably just take a sharp blade and remove the serif on the 1. The 2 might be slightly misshapen bottom left but the 1 stands out. After that, and a bit of weathering, nobody will notice.

Or at the very least, you could take a serif'd '1' and try it out with the serif cut off, to see if it looks right?

 

[Heather Kay]

Looks to me Minerva's just used the default Arial font rather than bother to design the marking properly. Appalling laxity.

 

[simond]

Thanks all.

bit more info here

Diagram O33 Siphon G Bodies

Hi All, A while ago, I found the useful information on making RTR Siphons more accurate on GWR.org. I probably wouldn't have spotted that the planking was wider on the Lima version than the 'regular' O33. I brought the Slinn book on Siphons to get more information but it doesn't say which numbers...

www.rmweb.co.uk

and here

Detailing options for the RTR Siphons

GWR Modelling provides links, notes, galleries and inspiration for modellers of the Great Western Railway in Britain

www.gwr.org.uk

and I found another photo in Russell that I’d missed yesterday (indexed O.33, rather than Siphon.G) which confirms that earlier vehicles did indeed have all four hand holes, notwithstanding the vehicle in the thread that Dan referenced a few posts back, which appears to have only two per side.

A number such as 2052-2057 would fit in well with my model era (1930) and the vehicle would be really quite new.

This does look rather like a renumbering, along with the four hand holes and extra handles.

After spending ten minutes looking for my set square (which was in an eminently sensible place and only slightly hidden) I cut a template from some 30 thou PK, drilled the holes 1.8mm, flipped the template and drilled handle holes 0.7mm. The handles are from my penultimate pack of Blacksmith T handles.

Now I have to bite the bullet and paint out the numbers…. This clearly has the potential to go very pear shaped if the paint reacts badly.

Wish me well, I’m going in…!

 

[simond]

Hopefully the Precision dull coach brown will be a little less obvious once it’s dried, and hoping a bit more, it’ll disappear once I put some new numbers on top, and at that point, a bit of weathering should do the trick.

 

[simond]

Happy to report that the Precision paint caused no issues, and is a reasonable match for the vehicle. I’d put it on a bit thin yesterday, and have added a little more this evening. Hopefully the new numbers will go on tomorrow evening, and I’ll find a dynamo. I can then touch up the airbrushed track grime on the lower body, and with a bit of luck, will be able to call it a wrap.

 

[simond]

Got one!

I now also have a CAD model

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Looks to me Minerva's just used the default Arial font rather than bother to design the marking properly. Appalling laxity.

Wholly concur, a lack of attention to detail. Unfortunately it's the way today - use the default computer rather than find the correct typeface/font as it appears right. Having the correct typeface/font is one of my geeky traits - so much so - as I have managed to find and download: Gill Sans for later LNER and British Railways up to 1965; Johnston (or Johnston Sans) for London Transport from 1933; Rail Alphabet (Jock Kinneir and Margaret Calvert) for British Rail from 1964; Futura Mb BT for Deutsche Bundesbahn 1950s-80s station signs and alte DIN 1451 Mittelschrift for german road signs.

There's clearly a difference between the lower left part of the "2" on the WEP & HMRS sheets and that on the Siphon, and the Minerva "1" has a serif, which is not recommended. I hadn't spotted that!

Yes the '2' appears to be more Maunsell SECR/SR style. Also the 'G' at the end of SIPHON. G on the model doesn't have the vertical tail as on the CPL decal sheet - similar to the G in GW.

However, it is possible the GW simplified their typeface with the introduction the the shirt button monogram.

 

[Dan Randall]

I have managed to find and download: Gill Sans for later LNER and British Railways up to 1965, Rail Alphabet for British Rail from 1964

Do you have a link for the BR Gill Sans and Rail Alphabets please Dave? I could make good use of those!


Regards

Dan