LSWR Early Second Class Carriage

[Jon Nazareth]

This is a kit that came through Mike Williams of an LNWR second class carriage. It's not quite the same as the LSWR version, the latter has the extra windows, but it will do for my purposes. I did think about cutting out some openings for the extra windows but thought against it. If I made a mess of it, there wouldn't be any replacements.

There is one picture to show the LSWR version and one picture of a side and end etch. It'll be nice to get the soldering iron out and it will make a change from working with styrene.

Jon

 

[Jon Nazareth]

There is/was a detail that has/had individual droplights that could be held in several different positions in their openings. The droplights would sit on those tabs that can be seen in the upper photo. I thought that this was a brilliant idea as it meant that I could then pain the droplight frames a different colour to the body. I had a lapse of concentration with the First Class carriage which meant that this wasn't possible. Unfortunately, the droplights were the same size as the openings and therefore kept falling out of the inner skin of the coach! After a considerable amount of thought, I decided to scrap this idea, remove some of the tabs, file away the cusps and reduce the head of the window opening by about .5mm. My idea is to make up some droplight frames from thin styrene, paint them a different colour and then glue a representation of the glazing onto this. When they are painted, I intend to glue them in place. That's the cunning plan, anyway.
In the pictures, the lower inner skin has already been altered.

Jon

 

[Mike W]

I should point out that these etches were originally desined by David Viewing in Gauge 1 and enlarged to Gauge 3 by him, for me. I take no credit for the design. I do however take some credit for the information as it was done by my brother and I measuing up a surviving body which is in reamarkably good condition.
Mike

 

[Mike W]

I should perhaps explain these droplights. Many years ago we were discussing the merits of different materials for making carriages and I casually remarked to David Viewing that all methods have compromises and even with etching you can't get the angle on the droplight. Droplights were generally not quite vertical, being angled inwards at the top so that pulling the leather strap pulled them over the lip into a vertical position and then they dropped into the door. David took this as a challenge and went one stage further so they could be stopped in several positions between open and closed.

He certainy proved the point that it could be done with etchings and its a good job there wasn't a bet riding on it! But mine were assembled solid and I don't think David used the design again.

Mike