Bilton Junction Workbench

[Atlantic 3279]

Having encountered recently, in the course of building a model, evidence of three distinctly different sets of underframe characteristics within a fairly small group of Doncaster-built pantry-thirds which (probably) all were originally built with the same body layout, the variation you've found within a group of ten comes as no shock to me.

It is nonetheless frustrating when it is not possible to simply get on and build the model......

[JonBates]

Over the last couple of weeks I have made some progress. I think it is fair to say that I find the roof to be one of the most awkward parts of a coach. Shame really....because that’s the bit we probably see most of on a model!

Anyway the roof was glued on and then filling and filing commenced.....again and again. Until this stage was reached

I then noticed that some of the top lights were missing the central divider on the etch.....so bits of plastic were inserted like this

Then a good clean up and some primer to reveal any final blemishes to sort out.
Side 1

Side 2

Now to study the photos and correct any defects that the naked eye ( and it’s rose tint) have ignored. Already spotted a few....

[JonBates]

Having encountered recently, in the course of building a model, evidence of three distinctly different sets of underframe characteristics within a fairly small group of Doncaster-built pantry-thirds which (probably) all were originally built with the same body layout, the variation you've found within a group of ten comes as no shock to me.

It is nonetheless frustrating when it is not possible to simply get on and build the model......

Hello Graeme

Sorry for not replying sooner.

I follow your progress regularly and really like what you produce. Your attention to detail, and willingness to rework, is admirable. I sometimes find that I get too impatient to get to the end...and am tempted to ignore what is incorrect or poor quality.

I find that the research about all these variations can be really interesting. Also frustrating because sometimes the answer is that no one knows. There is also a balance to strike between research and actual model making. All in all, this is what makes these older coaches so fascinating for me.

Jon

[sawdust]

I've never seen a photo of one of these scumbled - I believe they were in brown paint immediately after the Lake. The two I built were finished like that.

There is a problem, especially with works photographs, often you can't see the grain even on a teak carriage. So just because a non teak carriage doesn't look scumbled, doesn't mean it isn't.

So if they would scumble and line (complete with shadow line, to make it look beaded) a steel panelled Gresley BGP, of which I have seen evidence, would they paint a relatively new non teak carriage brown?

I suspect not.

Sawdust.

[JonBates]

The colour conundrum! I’m in two minds about this I must say. One of the reasons that progress slowed on the coach modelling was that I spent way too much time on research!

I searched the NERA online photo archive and could not see anything definitive. There are a few photos that I’d like to see in the flesh, so to speak, because the thumbnails online are not totally clear. I suspect that visiting the archive is some way off though.

I then searched through some of the back copies of North Eastern express that are online. That was very interesting - especially the eye witness accounts of North Eastern operations etc. I really should have made better notes about some of the articles. There were a number of references to the NER coaches being re-painted from Lake to Teak. The question still remains, though, a solid brown teak colour or scumbled?

A comment on the NERA website forum pointed out that Harris said on page 40 that the formally painted coaches were painted mock teak and then gives details of the process, including the graining.

Finally I have seen a suggestion that they were scumbled until the 1928 economies were implemented.

I have not finally decided what to do about my model coach. My instinct tells me that they were front line coaches until the early to mid 1930s and would have been well kept. It is probable that they were supposed to be scumbled, it is possible that they actually were in the 1920s, and quite likely that, as they were cascaded in the 1930s they were painted plain brown. There are more photos from the post war period and they certainly look to be plain brown.

I’m still looking for a photo from the 1930s...

[mick b]

Personally I use a simple rule. Which is probably wrong !!

Corridor Scumbled , Non Corridor Plain Brown , I have done so on the Matchboard model I have, of the D&S Coach shown on page 1.

It would be much easier to scumble and if necessary then paint to plain Brown if new evidence ever surfaced.

Now after typing this , this beauty appeared on the dark side a few weeks ago.

[JonBates]

Hi Mick

Thanks - I agree that is a lovely photo.

I like your rule and it makes sense to me.

In the end, it might come down to how I feel on the day that I decide to paint it!

Jon

[jwealleans]

That picture is in the BRJ special edition on the North Eastern. I've read, possibly in that same article, that a few carriages were scumbled at York after grouping as an experiment but it was dropped on grounds of both time and cost. The rule I follow is, if it was painted before the grouping (as these carriages were) then they'd be painted afterwards. My two are both brown.

[JonBates]

Hello

I’ve been very quiet on here for a few months. Distracted by life.....

On the modelling front I parked the coach while I contemplated colours and lining.
However I made some progress with the Gas Works Narrow gauge loco and also with the mock up for the layout’s gas dock.

In the spirit of finishing things I resumed work on a Raven A2. I acquired this (built but non running) off eBay. I believe that it is a hand cut Jamieson kit. It seems dimensionally accurate and mostly very well made.

Last week I decided to attend to the tender.

This was how I received the tender ( minus 40 years tarnish!)

I replaced the coal rails with some from a Bradwell kit, reduced the height of the division plates, fitted the water scope dome, toolboxes, rear handrail, Westinghouse cylinder and rear lamp bracket.

I’m pleased with the end result.

I’ll be starting on the loco body next.


As for the coach........more work to come.