Colours.

Hi all,

I'm still pressing on with Wadebridge and have managed to get 3 cattle wagons from Hattons: one used and two new at not a bad price given what everything is priced at nowadays.

Anyway, two of the wagons are unpainted and one is in what looks to me like BR bauxite. I've decided that Wadebridge is going to be preserved… I know, I'm a coward. I don't know what colours they should be painted. I have a mix of Southern Railway, SECR and LB&SCR loco's so any of these raiway colours would suit me. I have looked around but couldn't find anything, and I don't want to get too far away from what's right.

Any help appreciated.

 

I have 2 cattle wagons Pete, 3 if you count the one I built for a friend.  These run the gamut of LNER, LMS and GWR.  Cattle wagons would run in fast goods trains, so they were vacuum fitted or through piped.  BR painted their fitted/through piped wagons bauxite.

The use of lime wash for disinfecting was banned in the 1930s.

Cattle wagons were usually found behind the loco, because this was a smoother ride.

Cooling technology permitted the transport of killed meat from about 1950 and by 1962 the number of cattle wagons had dwindled to a few dozen.

One of mine:


John

Hello Pete.  Which railway company do the cattle wagons come from and which era you want them to represent?

Terry

Well I've decided to call it a preserved Wadebridge, because I'm not a good enough 'modeller' to make it authentic. So anything SECR, LBSCR or Southern Railway. I suppose GWR or other companies at a pinch, but I'd prefer one of the former.

Basically,

Southern Railway = dark brown with white lettering/numbers
LBSCR =  grey with white lettering/numbers
SECR = dark grey with white lettering/numbers.

Might I suggest that you decide on which company and buy the appropriate paint from Precision Paints. if they are available to you.  
That will ensure that you get the right shade of any company colours.

Terry

Thanks, Terry. Unfortunately I can't find precision paints over here. It's not easy finding it over there either. I'll have another look later.

Apparently, the company is now called Phoenix Precision Paints.  Unfortunately, it looks like you won't be able to access them from Australia.  The paints are solvent based and Royal Mail won't carry them.  I suggest that you look for an acrylic alternative from another manufacturer.

Terry

I have the same issue with getting authentic paint.  The colours listed by Terry don't look too challenging so you could use Tamiya (for example) paints.  I don't get all bent out of shape if my freight colours aren't an exact match, I always weather anyway.

I daresay you have online shops that specialize in British models.  These places may well have the exact colours you need.

John

Thanks for the replies,

I do have dark and light grey, so as you say, John, I'll make do with what I've got.

Terry,

I saw the name change, but as you say, nearly all enamel and can't be sent over. It's discrimination I tell ya. :)

Have a look at any colour album with pictures including goods stock in them, and you'll see that almost no two are in the same colour, after the effects of weathering and aging occur.

BR bauxite is appropriate for BR days - lighter colour pre-1957 (roughly), or darker after that, but goods stock wasn't repainted as often as coaching stock, so older liveries could persevere well after a changeover date. SR brown persisted well into the 1950s, albeit with BR lettering, but I would suggest that the cattle wagon you illustrated might be a Midland Railway or LMS type (I'm not expert on those railways but the M prefix suggests that), so an appropriate livery for one of those railways might be more appropriate.

I've got light and dark grey, so shouldn't be too much of a problem. I've also got a fair few bottles of Floquil enamel, so I might even have a try with that. I suppose I can't do too much damage as mistakes can usually be covered up… I hope.

Mistakes !!  Who makes mistakes ???  Not me. never…..


Of course people who never make mistakes, yeah I know why coz they don't they do any modelling…

The photo appears to be of an LMS D1661 cattle wagon. (LMS Wagons Volume 1 by R.J.Essery, Page 24, published by OPC 1981).  Probably a Parkside kit No. PC87, currently manufactured and sold by Peco @ £14.95

Terry

col.stephens said

The photo appears to be of an LMS D1661 cattle wagon. (LMS Wagons Volume 1 by R.J.Essery, Page 24, published by OPC 1981).  Probably a Parkside kit No. PC87, currently manufactured and sold by Peco @ £14.95

Terry

From “Post #288,236”, 17th July 2023, 10:10 AM

Terry, correct as to the prototype, however, it is a Slaters 7mm model.

Yes, Parkside have a 4mm kit of this:

Parkside Kits PC87 LMS Design Cattle Truck Wagon Kit OO

I am surprised because I recall, years and years ago, struggling to find a kit of this wagon.  (The Bachmann RTR is totally unacceptable, being too short).  The only place that had them was Coopercraft at the time, and they were notorious for not delivering.  I persevered and ended up getting three kits:


Interestingly, as I look at them years later, they are obviously different from the Slater's and Parkside.  Essery only shows one type, Dia 1661.  So this begs the question, where do these three come from?

John

Edit: … and here's the answer, they are Midland Dia D298, built from 1895 - 1903.

 

Hello John.  I assumed that the photo was of a 4mm scale wagon.  Apologies for that.  Interestingly, Cambrian Model Rail has acquired some of the former Coopercraft kits and hopes to re-introduce them gradually.  It is not clear from their website whether that includes the wagon kits or just the lineside kits.  Being that Cambrian Model Rail primarily produces wagon kits, one hopes that the wagons are included.  I have to say that I have found Cambrian Model Rail to be most obliging when ordering wagon kits.

Terry

col.stephens said

Hello John.  I assumed that the photo was of a 4mm scale wagon.  Apologies for that.  Interestingly, Cambrian Model Rail has acquired some of the former Coopercraft kits and hopes to re-introduce them gradually.  It is not clear from their website whether that includes the wagon kits or just the lineside kits.  Being that Cambrian Model Rail primarily produces wagon kits, one hopes that the wagons are included.  I have to say that I have found Cambrian Model Rail to be most obliging when ordering wagon kits.

Terry

From “Post #288,242”, 17th July 2023, 6:06 PM

Ah yes, I read somewhere that Coopercraft were making a comeback.  These are important kits and deserve to be in the hands of modellers again.

John

I'm back again and wondering if the Fox tranfers in the following link would be OK for the two cattle wagons that I bought, unpainted.
SER Cattle Wagon

Those transfers, as far as I can tell, look to be for the pre grouping era, ie before 1923.  Is this your time frame?

Pics of SER wagons here:

ser cattle wagon - Recherche Google

John

Thanks John. Yes that'll suit me OK. I'll get some ordered.