Container Transfers - what do you need?
John Isherwood
containers, and am considering doing so; (my Sheet S1 contains
transfers for the containers produced in 4mm. scale by Parkside, but
there seems to be a demand for a more comprehensive range of
container transfers).
I am aware of the containers available in 4mm. scale, but could do
with some advice as to what is produced in the other scales. I
intend, as usual, to concentrate on lettering for the crimson, maroon
& early bauxite liveries, but could be persuaded to move on to the
boxed lettering / 'flying crate door-to-door' period.
The lettering on containers was quite extensive,and very small - it
is not usually possible to read the lettering in a b&w photo of an in-
service container. What I really need are ex-works photos of
containers - can anyone point me to to a source? (The N.R.M. is the
obvious starting point, but I'm a bit remote from York to be able to
make regular research visits).
Anyway, all contributions will be gratefully received, and could
speed the introduction of these new transfers.
Regards,
John Isherwood,
Cambridge Custom Transfers.
http://www.cctrans.freeserve.co.uk/
David E. Belcher
>
> I am aware of the containers available in 4mm. scale, but could do
> with some advice as to what is produced in the other scales. I
> intend, as usual, to concentrate on lettering for the crimson, maroon
> & early bauxite liveries
Don't forget the white ones (with black lettering) for meat, etc.
traffic too!
Also, transfers for pre-nationalisation railway-owned containers might
be a good idea; GW and LMS examples have been done to a high standard
in 2mm by Peco, as well as in 4mm by Mainline and successors - I think
Mainline also offered an LNER container in dark blue (similar in shade
to that used on the lower bodysides of "Coronation" coaching stock).
PO containers (Fraser's Removals, as per the old Airfix 4mm offering,
is one that springs to mind) could probably be tackled successfully
enough using generic PO coal wagon etc. transfers already on the
market, except where very distinctive branding was used, e.g. the
Raleigh Cycles or Crosse & Blackwell logos on the Peco 4mm card
container kits.
David E. Belcher
Dept. of Chemistry,
University of York
Churnet Valley Model Railway Dept.
How about some alternatives for the big new boxes on Bachmann's
intermodal wagons? Or is there a copywriter problem with them still being
around?
Andy
"John Isherwood" <cct...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:4f05821f.0212...@posting.google.com...
: I have been asked to produce a sheet of transfers dedicated to
John Isherwood
I already do black transfers for the Parkside 4mm. scale FM containers
- see my Sheet S1 at http://www.cctrans.freeserve.co.uk/
I should perhaps have emphasised my specialisation policy; (which is
really my own period of interest). As very much a part-time transfer
producer - this activity has to compete for my spare time with
modelling - I have never intended to produce a comprehensive 'all
periods' range of transfers. Indeed, I never really intended to
produce transfers for anyone but myself, but word does get around!!
Consequently, I tend to stick to BR steam-era subjects; simply because
this is my personal interest, and I have an extensive reference
library for that period. Any other periods are outside my expertise,
and so the research / design process is *much* more time-consuming.
So, I should perhaps have asked what BR steam-era containers do you
require transfers for? So far, I have identified the following designs
as being available or forthcoming in 3mm., 4mm., and 7mm. scales :-
GWR Diagram BC1 BC type
(did these survive into BR days? If so, any known numbers?)
BR Diagram 3/001 / LMS 20 A type
BR Diagram 3/002 / GWR A4, LMS 18, LNER 39 A type
BR Diagram 3/003 / LMS 19, LNER 38 A type
BR Diagram 3/049 B type
BR Diagram 3/050 BD type
BR Diagram 3/051 / GWR BD3, LMS 65, LNER 40, SR ? BD type
BR Diagram 3/052 / LMS 66 BD type
BR Diagram 3/125 BK type
BR Diagram 3/126 / GWR BK3, LMS 102, SR ? BK type
BR Diagram 3/127 BK type
BR Diagram 3/200,201,204 / LMS 207 / LNER 20 FM type
BR Diagram 3/250 / GWR AF4, LMS/LNER 227 AF type
BR Diagram 3/599 / LNER 32 DX type
Any others known? Remember - BR steam-era.
Finally, I don't totally rule out pre-Nationalisation subjects - if
there are repeated requests for a subject which is unavailable
elsewhere, and *if* I can easily get hold of the necessary references,
I'll consider it. (My GWR Super Saloon and Diesel Railcar sheets came
about this way).
Anything after the end of the 1960s I avoid - my printing technology
isn't really up to the kaleidoscope liveries of recent years, and
there's always the minefield of logo copyright !!
I hope that this clarifies my enquiry.
David E. Belcher
>
> Consequently, I tend to stick to BR steam-era subjects; simply because
> this is my personal interest, and I have an extensive reference
> library for that period. Any other periods are outside my expertise,
> and so the research / design process is *much* more time-consuming.
It seems that some wooden containers, namely BDs, survived long enough
to see in the "Speedfreight" service (as opposed to the early metal
containers like the old Trix one); Bachmann do a 4mm version with grey
body and a yellow band with the "Speedfreight" logo, which may just be
compatible with the tail end of steam operation, and is certainly OK
for green diesels.
Also, some bauxite containers carried PO branding if used by a company
for some time - this was applied (probably a paper label or maybe even
a metal sign) to the rectangular panel in the top R/H corner of the
bodyside (in the case of the BD). Photographic examples I've seen
include BMC (presumably car body pressings and the like) and
Crawford's (I think) Biscuits, though in transfer form these would be
quite specialised and there may be copyright issues with any firms
concerned.
Insulated containers which survived into the "door to door" era
received a very pale blue paint job instead of the previous white,
with a "flying crate"(!) logo as per the BDs, etc., but the typeface
rendered in black.
John Isherwood
We clearly have similar interests !!
I have a Parkside Conflat A body, a Red Panda clasp underframe, and a
Trix Speedfreight container lined, plus another Conflat A / BD
container kit scheduled for the Speedfreight grab-lift adaption of the
traditional BD. (I must check the Trix container against the BR
diagram sheet - I bet it's 3.5mm. / 1ft. scale).
References relevant to the Speedfreight wagons and containers that I
know of are :-
Working Wagons Volume 1 (Santona) - P60,61;
British Railways Wagons (David & Charles) - F95, PL142;
British Railways Standard Wagons (Bradford Barton) - P36;
Railway Magazine - 8/91.
I also have a couple of Conflat A body kits scheduled to be chopped
and married to a 12'WB underframe, to produce a Conflat B. A couple of
stretched Bachmann AF containers to produce authentic 'Birds Eye' AFP
containers, plus some custom transfers, and that'll be another pet
project done; (eventually) !! (Fortunately, I have a fairly complete
set of BR wagon and container weight diagrams).
The semi-permanent traders' labels are a bit ephemeral for transfer
reproduction, but some suitable peel-off labels are now available via
Mainly Trains; (they are produced via the same printing process as I
use for my transfers).
I believe that some BR containers were painted in PO liveries - the
Tri-ang, Raleigh, etc. models produced by Tri-ang and Peco were not,
apparently, too far off being authentic; (Model Railway Constructor
magazine - 8/63 illustrates the prototype Tri-ang version).
The 'flying crate / door to door' lettering has already been requested
- it should surface eventually; perhaps on a separate sheet for the
'boxed' lettering style.
Brian Williams
--
"John Isherwood" <cct...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:4f05821f.02121...@posting.google.com...
There are also a couple of photos of 'Speedfreight' containers on the GBrail
site http://www.gbrail.org.uk/
One of these shows a box in a livery which suggests use in the
post-Freightliner era, with 'British Rail' on the side. I was surprised at
the late date of these photos.
Brian
p.s. If you're building the Conflat B, it might be worth contacting Parkside
about buying the underframe components separately- they've been very helpful
in the past, supplying me with Clam underframes to upgrade some 21t hoppers.
David E. Belcher
>
> We clearly have similar interests !!
>
> I have a Parkside Conflat A body, a Red Panda clasp underframe, and a
> Trix Speedfreight container lined, plus another Conflat A / BD
> container kit scheduled for the Speedfreight grab-lift adaption of the
> traditional BD. (I must check the Trix container against the BR
> diagram sheet - I bet it's 3.5mm. / 1ft. scale).
Glad some of the info was of use, John. I wasn't sure how authentic
the Trix container was, and thought it might be a fudge in order to
fit their standard Conflat A model, though to be fair, most later Trix
stuff was true to prototype (except for that dodgy outside framing on
the "Western" bogies!) if a little undersized at the odd scale of
3.8mm/ft (presumably a compromise between HO and OO). Thanks also for
the mention of "Birds Eye" containers, which I'd nearly overlooked -
I'd assumed that, like the old Mainline model in that livery, they
were just bog-standard AFs rather than a stretched custom-built
version.
David E. Belcher
>
> There are also a couple of photos of 'Speedfreight' containers on the GBrail
> site http://www.gbrail.org.uk/
> One of these shows a box in a livery which suggests use in the
> post-Freightliner era, with 'British Rail' on the side.
Thanks for that, Brian - some interesting stuff there, namely (a) the
original Speedfreight livery on one of the containers, and (b) a
modification of the usual container livery of the time so that
"British Rail" (evidently done "on the cheap" with stencilling!)
replaced the "Freightliner" branding. Judging by these small metal
containers, seems the Trix model was a genuine offering after all.
> I was surprised at
> the late date of these photos.
Me too - didn't realise that old-style container wagons were still in
use (for their intended purpose, rather than as barrier wagons or
departmentals) as late as '79.
John Isherwood
The 12'WB underframe is available from Parkside as a separate kit at
an exceedingly low price. One of these, together with a pack of four
Bachmann AF containers, should by now be winging its way to me from
Mainly Trains.
You see, these rambling discourses can bear fruit - provided the bits
get cobbled together sooner rather than later !!
Regards,
John.
John Isherwood
Thanks for the BA references - duly saved. I'll try and check out the
Trix moulding this coming weekend - chances are it's 3.8mm scale,
though. I'll probably end up scratch-building - pity. (I wonder what
the practicalities of resin moulding a batch are)?
John.