Same but different - early 1900s GWR wagons





For the past year or so I’ve been adding to my fleet of early 1900s GWR wagons. The idea is to make each wagon a little different. Here’s a summary of some of the detail differences so far. First up is this gang of Iron Minks (click images for large size).






The Iron Minks were built from ABS kits, with replacement roofs from MRD. The grease axleboxes on 57605 were scrounged from another kit, and the deep vents on 11258 were made from styrene. The unusual hybrid livery of the latter van is based on my interpretation of a photo in Atkins, Beard & Tourret. See my workbench thread on RMweb for details.








Next is a brace of three-plankers, seen here at rest in the still rather bare sidings at Farthing.







David Geen does whitemetal kits for both the round- and square end 3-plank wagons. The 5 inch "G.W.R" insignia was moved from left to right in 1894, but wagons still carrying left-hand "G.W.R" occasionally appear in photos as late as 1905.








No. 1897 of the 1854ST class shunts a pride of 4-plankers in the sidings.







The 4-plankers are Coopercraft kits, with modified floors and running gear. The rarely modelled Thomas brake gear on 71508 was fashioned from handrail knobs and wire, while the DC1 brakes on 781 is from a Bill Bedford etch. The irregular font of the Tare numbes on 64493 are based on a prototype photo, as with most of the wagons.







All good fun. Having said that, I've had enough of building little red wagons for the time being, so now it's on with the layout.