NWNG Mystery coach.

[River Lin]

Hi all.
Been applying transfers to my NWNG Mystery coach this afternoon. From the very few photos available to scrutinise there is no trace of any lettering remaining on the coach sides. Opinion suggests that it was built in the late 1890s by Ashbury and adopted the number 3 to replace the 3 four wheelers that were scrapped around this time and that it was classed as a workman's carriage and not intended for general passenger traffic.
I have therefore applied the lettering N W N G RY as per other Ashburys of that date BUT if it was just a workman's carriage would each door have been assigned a number 3 or left blank?


David.

[Marquis DeCarabas]

Bit late to the party; but this might help - the NWNG did quite a trade in Workmens tickets, and it would appear from looking at their timetable that there were suitable paths in their diagramming that would cater for weekly and daily workmen. Given the nature of the quarries, I'm sure that there was a bias towards daily travel, so workmens coach goes out on the first train and returns on nearly the last.

I don't think that there would be any need for class transfers.

[River Lin]

Thanks for that De Carabas . That's basically how my thoughts were going.

As for the transfers Piotr, they are the newly advertised ones by IP Engineering. They are water transfers not rub down ones so I would not use them outside without a coat of laquer to waterproof them. These have not yet been done as I was wondering about the 'class' situation. I tend to cover the whole coach side where possible to give an extra protection and gloss to the paintwork.
Be careful with these transfers however. 'Googling' suggests using tepid water BUT I found that the transfers became too soft very quickly and were impossible to apply before breaking up. I quickly changed go cool water and got on much better though it does mean I have to order some more to finish the three coaches I was doing.

David.

[River Lin]

This is an example of the transfers applied to my home built NWNG Picketing brake and IP engineering Gladstone coach. (The Pickering is missing a '3' as this was one of the transfers that disintegrated in tepid water.)
David.

[GTB]

Be careful with these transfers however. 'Googling' suggests using tepid water BUT I found that the transfers became too soft very quickly and were impossible to apply before breaking up.

I've never had that happen, but I usually use cold water straight out of the tap anyway. Warm water will reduce the time taken for the transfer to separate from the paper, but it shouldn't attack the transfer film.

I'm not sure which printing process Ivan is using. Maybe the clear lacquer he uses is water sensitive......

I print my own decals and always coat them with Microscale 'Liquid Decal Film' to make them more resistant to handling damage. You should be able to find it in any good hobby shop that caters to the plastic kit builders. It contains a solvent, so may not be available by mail order.

Regards,
Graeme

[River Lin]

Hi Piotr.
I have built up a total of 5 NWNG/WHR bogie coaches so far.



The first is the WHR Buffet coach. This was originally a NWNG workmans coach. For this I made a framework from 3mm hardwood, infilled with balsa panelling and then covered with scribed ply to represent planking on the outside of the coach. It has opening internal doors and a lifting serving counter.
The second is the NWNG 'Mystery coach'. I drew the plan from only 4 photos that are known to exist of it and made it in the same way as the Buffet coach.
The third is the NWNG/WHR Pickering brake. This I made using a three layer sandwich method with the middle layer having larger window cutouts to accommodate and hold the window glazing. It is now deep maroon in colour with gold beading still.
The forth coach in this view, the first I made, is a NWNG. IP Engineering Gladstone coach kit.



My fifth and latest coach is certainly my most ambitious. It is my version of the early NWNG all third Cleminson 6 wheel vehicle. I have attempted to replicate the crudely built original with a 3mm hardwood frame infilled with 1mm ply in a groove on the inside edge, leaving a boxey look to the outside as on the original. This has been my most challenging work to date as I had to devise a method of putting a rebate along 3mm strip wood to take the panelling below and individual glazing panes above the waist level. Other challenges I set myself were to make the articulating 6 wheel underframe, opening doors and opening droplights. I feel happy with the finished job but if I had the time again there are some things I would do differently.

David.

[River Lin]

Hi Piotr.
Firstly. Balsa is a 'hardwood' but is actually very soft and extremely light. It is used widely in the Model flying fraternity due to these characteristics but I would not use it for coach construction purposes, apart from internal panelling, seat making etc. due to its lack of strength.
For coach framing I use 3mm square hardwood from my local model shop (or online). Obeche I think.
For making rebates in this stripwood for glazing and panelling etc. I made myself a simple jig from workshop scrap as the following drawing tries to show.



I then slid a strip of 3mmx3mm wood (yellow) into the slot and carefully planed with a shoulder plane lying on its side until just touching the top guide on the jig. This cut a rebate 1mm deep and 1mm wide.



What doesn't show, is that there is a thin ply stop glued at the far end of the jig to stop the strip sliding right through it.
Take care when planning not to cut sideways into the top guide as this will take out more than 1mm of wood over time. My guide has been replaced once already and I need to replace it again as it has worn away too much again.
One problem I did find was that the 3mm strip could be a little over size in some cases and not fit into its intended slot on the jig. I was lucky in that I had way too much of the strip wood anyway so could pick and choose which bits I used but it is worth bearing in mind to buy more than you need. I also found that although I was cutting the strip into 100mm lengths before rebating, the thickness along the strip may vary, so I could use some bits from the original length if maybe not all.
If you need a strip for glazing on both sides, make one rebate then turn the strip around to rebate on the other edge to end up with a 'T' section.

On the subject of weathering, I ensure there are no sides and edges that have not been painted or varnished. Even the glazing rebates discussed above are primed and glossed with the rest of the coach sides before the glazing is glued in place. After a running session all of my rolling stock is brought into a warm room overnight to completely dry.

Sorry to disappoint Piotr but the station buildings are not mine I am afraid. Being a member of the Association of 16mm NGM, here in England I have the very enjoyable pleasure of visiting and running on other members lines in the South Leicester area. That particular station is on the Brixworth and Lamport garden railway.

David.

[River Lin]

Piotr et al.
My Cleminson 6 wheeler at Brixworth. Summer 2016.



David.

[LNR]

David, I wholeheartedly agree with your choice of hardwood timbers for modelling parts such as this. Your coachwork is exquisite. I do admire your patience with the rebating plane and jig.
I use our local hardwood (Eucalyptus Regnans) as well, and find the fine and long grain can even be milled like metal into fine shapes without splitting. The painting of all edges inside and out is also a "must do" requirement for sealing timber work. Out of habit from boat building I still bed most external fittings in compound as every fastening is a source of moisture entry.
Grant.

[River Lin]

Hi Grant.
It is the more intricate side of the hobby that I enjoy. After I retired from teaching 5 years ago I bought a few coach kits from IP engineering and Brandbright. I enjoyed building these and after putting together the IP Gladstone coach and making a few modifications including lighting and fitting individual glazing panels I decided to try building a coach from scratch. My NWNG/WHR Pickering brake was the result.
I have now built 4 NWNG/WHR carriages from scratch over the past four years. I like to take my time and put my own ideas into each build. Some of the processes are very time consuming such as rebating all of the framework for my Cleminson coach or cutting 44 window apertures in the layers making the sides of a Pickering brake or fitting out the inside of my WHR buffet coach but this is all part of the appeal of the hobby for me.
I cannot match the quality of much of the work I see on this forum but I enjoy doing what works for me.

[Peter Butler]

You are too modest, all of your coaches look excellent to me.