6 wheel coach roofs

[David Holman]

Can anyone enlighten me on coach roof details in the early 1900s, please?

 Evidence in Des Coakham's book, plus Ernie Shepherd's history of the MGW certainly shows oil lamps, a bit like top hats, with a suggestion that torpedo ventilators came in from 1890 onwards.

 However, early photos show what appear to be circular fittings sitting on three legs (?), next to the lamp tops and linked by seems to be a wire. Is there a handle on the lamp tops too?

 In the Coakham book, there is a nice picture of a WLW 30' centre van third of 1895. This has gas lamp tops on the roof. Presume it was built this way?

 Any thoughts welcome.

[popeye]

I thought the small circular fittings might be lids that can be put on when it's raining, perhaps.

Just a guess.

[murrayec]

I don't like the inverted bucket roof look, I'd go with torpedo ventilators and internal lights

I also pondered on those tripod items;- they could be ventilators?, or as popeye says they could be lids? or the buckets are the lids and go over the tripod? or the wire/chain to the top of the bucket might be a control wire operated through the ventilator?......

Eoin

 

[David Holman]

Now there's a thought. Thanks both.

I looked up some Castle Rackrent photos on the web and Richard had the inverted buckets, with torpedo vents each side. As you say Eoin, they are pretty ugly.

 Ernie Shepherd's book on the MGW suggests the first conversions to electric light began in 1895, with around 20 six wheelers still on oil by 1923, so maybe that could be the route. The trouble with coach roofs is that they are far more visible than underframes!

[minister_for_hardship]

On 3/18/2019 at 10:28 PM, murrayec said:

I don't like the inverted bucket roof look, I'd go with torpedo ventilators and internal lights

I also pondered on those tripod items;- they could be ventilators?, or as popeye says they could be lids? or the buckets are the lids and go over the tripod? or the wire/chain to the top of the bucket might be a control wire operated through the ventilator?......

Eoin

 

The oil lamps were loaded with one man throwing them up to another man walking along the roofs catching them and opening each lid and putting it in. There was just a tamper proof glass globe in the coach interior. Colza oil was the fuel used. The lamp itself was called a pot lamp, had a smaller sized glass globe with burner inside, a central flue and a doughnut shaped fuel tank. Oil lighting was still used up to the 50s and 60s in the groom's compartments of horse boxes.

Edited March 20, 2019 by minister_for_hardship

[David Holman]

Gold dust. Maybe I ought to do at least one coach this way.

Many thanks!

[murrayec]

6 hours ago, minister_for_hardship said:

The oil lamps were loaded with one man throwing them up to another man walking along the roofs catching them and opening each lid and putting it in. There was just a tamper proof glass globe in the coach interior.

@David Holman

There's a scene in the station on the layout- two chaps in caps doing the light filling thing?

I think I'm liking inverted buckets a bit better now.....

Eoin

[minister_for_hardship]

A British one, but they all looked similar. Not a lot of them left as most of them were phased out with gas and electricity and casualties by being dropped in the lighting up process.

Edited March 20, 2019 by minister_for_hardship

[Mayner]

The lighting system depended on the railway. 

The MGWR seems to have used oil lighting on 6w stock with top hat lamps, some coaches appear to have had ventilators others not.

Attock 4 compt Lav 2nd

 

1908 4 Compt 3rd with brake Compt.

WLWR had introduced electric carriage lighting before the GSWR takeover but may have been restricted to new bogie stock.

WLWR 4-4-0 at Junction oil lit stock. Photographer unknown.

 

GSWR 6 wheelers had gas lighting with large torpedo ventilators and converted WLWR stock to gas lighting following 1900 amalgamation.

 

[David Holman]

More treasures and very much appreciated!

 So, top hat oil lamps for any MGW stock I build for my 1900s stock, but looks like I can put gas lamp tops on any GSW/WLW stock. Fingers crossed.