Oooh, a "Royal Post" treatment could be interesting....also kind of liked the "horsebox" mention also.Alec K said:
Martin Owen (Martino) has done a nice GWR version...could be food for thought?
I also like the idea of 798's "window" treatment.
For the electrical system mods, I have added an extra lightbulb in the "main" body on my postal cars. Nice to have a bit more light. The bus-bar system used in the model is pretty fool proof, if not a bit daft looking in the model when the roof comes out.
I think you have some real options for modification here Alec! Now I wish I had not "canabalized" one extra car (1985 blue) I had here, and my three good ones (3019N, 31190-DR brown, and 32190 green roller bearing) will not get hacked.
Another though I have had with these would be a two car graft.....on bogies.
A
Alec K
Guest
Good morning!
Another set of thanks are due for overnight contributions.
David P: Of the three derivatives you kindly selected, I think the (?) Ambulance Van struck a real chord, for it reminded me of WW1 rail vehicles. The Great War not only claimed the track of the L and CR- taken away temporarily in 1917 for use in France, or for melting down for munitions, we can't be sure at this stage -but at least one of its platelayers who is pictured in his Sunday best for a company picture in 1909 never returned from war service. I'll store that particular vehicle as a future project if I may.
David T: Oddly, for Opening Day of the model version of the Caradon line, I had to cobble together a horse carrier from a LGB stake wagon and some coffee stirrers for the benefit of the little daughter of friends of ours. That's a real suggestion, thanks. We do know that the GWR tried out a number of ideas on the Caradon line between 1910 and 1914, so, who knows, a horse box could have been one of them. Plate iron boiler bogies were certainly used by the GWR to take the parts for Britain's last new Cornish Mine Engine up the line in 1910, so there's another project!
Steve D: That's a veritable encyclopaedia of LGB Post Vans. I now know infinitely more than I did before I asked for help - and many thanks for that input. I did follow the advice posted about using Modelstrip and bagging the parts overnight in a warm place: the net result as Gizzy suggested is that a layer of grey primer has been removed after careful washing, and at least now some wood grain in the moulding is showing through. Sadly, a very thorough job indeed had been done by the previous owner in scraping/abrading the excellent LGB artwork so that only the yellow post horns and the yellow lining around the windows shows signs of survival. Your pictures show a moulded small LGB logo in the top left corner of one of the sides and there has been an unsuccessful attempt to remove this as well.
Garrett: Encouragement much appreciated. As you will see from all the above comments, a 1917 Royal Mail refurbishment is probably the most appropriate outcome for me! The additional lighting for the parcels compartment is not a bad idea at all; I've got a spare lamp holder and bulb somewhere.
Another set of thanks are due for overnight contributions.
David P: Of the three derivatives you kindly selected, I think the (?) Ambulance Van struck a real chord, for it reminded me of WW1 rail vehicles. The Great War not only claimed the track of the L and CR- taken away temporarily in 1917 for use in France, or for melting down for munitions, we can't be sure at this stage -but at least one of its platelayers who is pictured in his Sunday best for a company picture in 1909 never returned from war service. I'll store that particular vehicle as a future project if I may.
David T: Oddly, for Opening Day of the model version of the Caradon line, I had to cobble together a horse carrier from a LGB stake wagon and some coffee stirrers for the benefit of the little daughter of friends of ours. That's a real suggestion, thanks. We do know that the GWR tried out a number of ideas on the Caradon line between 1910 and 1914, so, who knows, a horse box could have been one of them. Plate iron boiler bogies were certainly used by the GWR to take the parts for Britain's last new Cornish Mine Engine up the line in 1910, so there's another project!
Steve D: That's a veritable encyclopaedia of LGB Post Vans. I now know infinitely more than I did before I asked for help - and many thanks for that input. I did follow the advice posted about using Modelstrip and bagging the parts overnight in a warm place: the net result as Gizzy suggested is that a layer of grey primer has been removed after careful washing, and at least now some wood grain in the moulding is showing through. Sadly, a very thorough job indeed had been done by the previous owner in scraping/abrading the excellent LGB artwork so that only the yellow post horns and the yellow lining around the windows shows signs of survival. Your pictures show a moulded small LGB logo in the top left corner of one of the sides and there has been an unsuccessful attempt to remove this as well.
Garrett: Encouragement much appreciated. As you will see from all the above comments, a 1917 Royal Mail refurbishment is probably the most appropriate outcome for me! The additional lighting for the parcels compartment is not a bad idea at all; I've got a spare lamp holder and bulb somewhere.
A
Alec K
Guest
Having visited the Modell-land on-line shop recommended by Garrett, I found every missing LGB part in stock that I could have wanted. Excellent. However, by applying the Windows translate function, I discovered that Modell-land require advance payment for any orders originating outside Germany. As as well as incurring heavy postal costs, a previous experience with a specialist supplier in Gottingen who produces some very good conversion kits for 'OTTO' locos had me paying my bank £20 for the privelege of transferring 8 euros (the total cost of the parts and postage) to him. Never again. And I'm not opening a PayPal account, either.
If any forum member has in their spares or scrap box two LGB vac pipes and two balcony gates for the 31071-type coaches, I would be very grateful for a 'PM'. I will be more than happy to meet reasonable purchase and postage costs - provided that they don't approach the potential total bill from Modell-land! The vac pipes are for the Post Van refurbishment, and the end gates are for another 'casualty'; more to follow on the latter.
All the very best,
Alec
If any forum member has in their spares or scrap box two LGB vac pipes and two balcony gates for the 31071-type coaches, I would be very grateful for a 'PM'. I will be more than happy to meet reasonable purchase and postage costs - provided that they don't approach the potential total bill from Modell-land! The vac pipes are for the Post Van refurbishment, and the end gates are for another 'casualty'; more to follow on the latter.
All the very best,
Alec
Alec K-
PM sent....
Also, on an EUR 8 purchase, consider mailing bills. True, not recommended, but I have sent "a lot of birthday cards" to Europe in the past ten years containing Guilders, Pounds, Marks and lately Euros. The banks and shopping centers here in Tennessee are more than happy to dump the currency, so often a good exchange rate is given.
PM sent....
Also, on an EUR 8 purchase, consider mailing bills. True, not recommended, but I have sent "a lot of birthday cards" to Europe in the past ten years containing Guilders, Pounds, Marks and lately Euros. The banks and shopping centers here in Tennessee are more than happy to dump the currency, so often a good exchange rate is given.
[/quote]
Oooh, a "Royal Post" treatment could be interesting....also kind of liked the "horsebox" mention also.
Martin Owen (Martino) has done a nice GWR version...could be food for thought?
I also like the idea of 798's "window" treatment.
For the electrical system mods, I have added an extra lightbulb in the "main" body on my postal cars. Nice to have a bit more light. The bus-bar system used in the model is pretty fool proof, if not a bit daft looking in the model when the roof comes out.
I think you have some real options for modification here Alec! Now I wish I had not "canabalized" one extra car (1985 blue) I had here, and my three good ones (3019N, 31190-DR brown, and 32190 green roller bearing) will not get hacked.
Another though I have had with these would be a two car graft.....on bogies.
[/quote]
Thanks for remembering Garrett! Took me ages to find a photo.
I'm still using this - at the moment it's running with one of my locos that is based on a Stainz chassis. I find this too short, so the van is being used as extended pick ups! However, my long term plan is to make this more UK outline and perhaps convert it into a Horse Box - one of the GW's 'brown carriage stock".
Oooh, a "Royal Post" treatment could be interesting....also kind of liked the "horsebox" mention also.
Martin Owen (Martino) has done a nice GWR version...could be food for thought?
I also like the idea of 798's "window" treatment.
For the electrical system mods, I have added an extra lightbulb in the "main" body on my postal cars. Nice to have a bit more light. The bus-bar system used in the model is pretty fool proof, if not a bit daft looking in the model when the roof comes out.
I think you have some real options for modification here Alec! Now I wish I had not "canabalized" one extra car (1985 blue) I had here, and my three good ones (3019N, 31190-DR brown, and 32190 green roller bearing) will not get hacked.
Another though I have had with these would be a two car graft.....on bogies.
[/quote]
Thanks for remembering Garrett! Took me ages to find a photo.
I'm still using this - at the moment it's running with one of my locos that is based on a Stainz chassis. I find this too short, so the van is being used as extended pick ups! However, my long term plan is to make this more UK outline and perhaps convert it into a Horse Box - one of the GW's 'brown carriage stock".
A
Alec K
Guest
Yet more good advice, both on international transactions and refurbishment!
I have replied to Garrett's 'PM' and we may have found a way forward- for which offer, many thanks.
Martin, if I can achieve anywhere remotely as professional a refurbishment as your GWR luggage van, I shall be a happy man indeed. Quite remarkable. Because of family connections with Royal Mail, I will persist with the production of a 'might-have-been' mail van in a livery far less striking than yours - red-brown, I'm afraid, the standard mineral line and light railway colour, it seems to me. The horsebox concept does seem to be attracting a few votes, though!
Thank you, all, for your interest and involvement. Just heard that the replacement brushes are on the way, so I'll press on...
Alec K
I have replied to Garrett's 'PM' and we may have found a way forward- for which offer, many thanks.
Martin, if I can achieve anywhere remotely as professional a refurbishment as your GWR luggage van, I shall be a happy man indeed. Quite remarkable. Because of family connections with Royal Mail, I will persist with the production of a 'might-have-been' mail van in a livery far less striking than yours - red-brown, I'm afraid, the standard mineral line and light railway colour, it seems to me. The horsebox concept does seem to be attracting a few votes, though!
Thank you, all, for your interest and involvement. Just heard that the replacement brushes are on the way, so I'll press on...
Alec K
Martino, thats a great job!
paint makes all the difference and this a perfect example of the impact a good paint job can have on a familiar model
paint makes all the difference and this a perfect example of the impact a good paint job can have on a familiar model
Re post 20 by stevendever, the picture kind of reminded me of my time on British Rail in the 70's. I used to be responsible for the Brake vans on the Southern Region and occasionaly we had to 'PAY' Brake vans from one Division or Region to another when they got badly out of kilter. So that on occasion you would get an Engine dragging 5 or however many Brake Vans in "Payment" to the other Region/Division, you never see such a thing on an exhibition layout. Most people would think it did not happen..
JonD
JonD