Greetings... and a lack of RTR GWR stock?!

[grob1234]

Hello Everyone,

My first post here.

I am new to N Gauge, but have run an OO Gauge layout in the past. I am in the design phase of a relatively small N Gauge layout, based on CJ Freezers layout 6 in his N Gauge Track Plans book. My first question is, what's better, single track of double track? I fancied a little single track branch with the sidings and goods yard of the plan, but I am not sure if it is better to have 2 tracks?

I should have also mentioned that I am setting the layout in the mid 30's and would like to run a mixture of GWR and Southern in my little fantasy world. Although it seems fairly easy to pick up GWR Tanks and Small Locos on Ebay, GWR coach stock seems very rare indeed! Can anyone suggest anything I could try to boost my collection of 0 GWR coaches from the period!? Why is there such an emphasis on BR stock? Shame its not more balanced in my opinion!

Anyhow, I do apologise if this is in the wrong forum, or has been discussed before, but my knowledge of N Gauge and railways in general is pretty poor, so I am really hoping to tap in to the huge amount of know-how in this forum.

Thanks, Tom

[Chinahand]

Hi Tom and welcome to the  from a fellow GWR nut.

With setting your layout as a mid 1930s branch then it should definitely be single track with passing loops in the station. RTR 1930s coaches are difficult to come by. Some do come up on e-bay but generally go for quite high prices. They are not strictly correct for your era but the best I can suggest is to get hold of either some of the new Collet carriages from Dapol or the older ones from GF.

[galway]

Welcome Tom 

[grob1234]

Hi Trevor, thank you for your reply.

I have to say I am surprised by the lack of suitable stock, I would have thought that GWR would always be a popular modellers choice.

I am definitely leaning towards a single track layout, I think the interest in the siding area will make a nice bit of operational interest.

I did see a couple of the post war Dapol GWR coaches in my local model shop this morning for £15 each. Might pick them up. Like you say not correct for the era, but look the part. I can always concentrate on accuracy when I eventually build a permanent layout!

Cheers!

[REGP]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

I am modelling the GWR Shirtbutton era and when I started had trouble finding the correct coaches as well.  I started of by using BR West Region coaches because at least they we're the "correct" colour.

Osborn Models often do GWR specials and did do a set of Auto coaches which I thought were very good. However, they don't appear to be on their website any more, so maybe you should keep an eye out for them on eBay.

Ray

[REGP]

Just noticed a few Dapol GWR coaches and siphon being sold individually by same person, don't know if they fit in with your plans but may be worth a look.

Ray

[Newportnobby]

Hi Tom - welcome to the forum
I don't know if I am looking at the same layout as my book is the Railway Modeller book of N gauge plans by dear old CJ - is it the 1.95m x 0.75m one that is fairly symmetrical??
If so, and you make it single line, it will remove the need for 2 diamond crossings and excess pointwork and create more room. You will not get all the trackwork Cecil suggests in the space - fact. If you imagine the inner loop will be 18" wide using 1st radius curves then add the outer loop + 4 road fiddle yard + platform at the edge of the board, you will see what I mean. Of course, if the plan is not the same as the one I am looking at - this is all drivel

The era you have chosen is very poorly represented in the RTR market but is doable with much scratchbuilding or reliverying/numbering. You might be better off coming forward 20 years or so and having more options.
Please keep us in touch with how you progress.

[grob1234]

Hi Ray,

Are they on Ebay?

Do you have a link please?

Have you managed to build up a decent stock now? I am fortunate that I am modelling a branch line, so 2 coaches maximum on most trains, unless a special (Hall class?) happens to trundle through from time to time maybe with 4 coaches.

[grob1234]

Hi Tom - welcome to the forum
I don't know if I am looking at the same layout as my book is the Railway Modeller book of N gauge plans by dear old CJ - is it the 1.95m x 0.75m one that is fairly symmetrical??
If so, and you make it single line, it will remove the need for 2 diamond crossings and excess pointwork and create more room. You will not get all the trackwork Cecil suggests in the space - fact. If you imagine the inner loop will be 18" wide using 1st radius curves then add the outer loop + 4 road fiddle yard + platform at the edge of the board, you will see what I mean. Of course, if the plan is not the same as the one I am looking at - this is all drivel

The era you have chosen is very poorly represented in the RTR market but is doable with much scratchbuilding or reliverying/numbering. You might be better off coming forward 20 years or so and having more options.
Please keep us in touch with how you progress.

Hello Nobby, yes thats the one! I've heard that CJ likes to 'cram it in' so to speak! Ooo er!! I thought a single track branch might be better, and yes definitely wanted to eliminate the crossings etc to simplify it. Will have to have a play on anyrail and see what fits.

As this is my first foray into model rail, I want to keep things simple, and I might use modellers license in terms of the stock, so expect to see 1930's GWR Liveried Locos with late 40's GWR coaches or vice versa! Purists will hate it, but I'll be just trying to have a little fun!

[Chinahand]

Hi again Tom,

I don't know how your soldering skills are but Ultima Models do etched kits for GWR Toplight carriages. http://www.ultima-models.co.uk/catalogue/release-by-sub.cs?Section=K&Sub=PrintedGWR

Etched Pixels is a member here and Ultima is part of his empire. 

[port perran]

Welcome to the forum from a fellow GWR enthusiast.  Though my layout is late50s/early 60s. Gives me more scope with ready to run stock etc.

[REGP]

Tom

Managed to get a couple of sets of Dapol Collett coaches ND 034,35&36 I think plus a B set and the aforementioned Autocoaches.

As to the link I am not much good at that.

Just do a seach on eBay for "Dapol N gauge GWR B set" and you should find one of them, then look at their other items.

Ray

[GWR-Kris]

hope this helps

http://www.osbornsmodels.com/dapol-nc-056set-gwr-colletts-set-of-6-coaches-11583-p.asp

[EtchedPixels]

Hi again Tom,

I don't know how your soldering skills are but Ultima Models do etched kits for GWR Toplight carriages. http://www.ultima-models.co.uk/catalogue/release-by-sub.cs?Section=K&Sub=PrintedGWR

Etched Pixels is a member here and Ultima is part of his empire. 

The toplights are actually printed sides and you can build them with nothing scarier than glue. The Hawksworths are etched sides but again can be built with glue, they are really BR(W) though with only a few rolling off the production line before nationalisation.

Taylor Precision Models also do a variety of conversion kits to turn the B set coaches into other more interesting stock. These involve hacking the existing sides off and replacing them with etched overlays and then adjusting the vents etc. Again nothing scarier than glue involved.

RTR is as you say a bit limited - the Collett stock, the B sets, and autocoach being about it RTR.

The N Gauge Society 2nd hand shop sometimes has GWR ultima coaches in built form in their stock, so if you are a member it may be worth investigating if you don't want to do any kit building.


There are several reasons you don't get much RTR stock of the pre BR periods

- most N sales are BR transition period or modern. You'll note that the coaches that have been done are those that ran from grouping a long way into BR periods.

- a lot of the old coaches were not very standardised which makes the tooling expensive for RTR
  (the GWR notably seems to have taken a long time to figure out standardisation of coaches)

- much of the rolling stock was pre-grouping hand downs and that makes volume and tooling ever more difficult for RTR

In OO the volumes are higher and there are more producers so the market can support a bit more obscure stock, but even in OO the range is very limited if you want to be at all accurate for those periods.

Alan

[Mustermark]

Welcome

I'm a Western region diesel modeller.