Custom Building Henrietta

BakerJohn

Baker, Modeler, future husband
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As some of you may recall, shortly after I bought my Toby the Tram, I also bought a Bachmann G Scale Annie (of Annie and Clarabel). I had always intended to turn Annie into Henrietta to go with Toby. After a couple false starts, I am finally well under way.

When I first bought the car in 2019, I removed the face (sanding down the nose), took out the window glazings, and fabricated metal grab rails. I'd actually planned to build a Victoria instead of Henrietta, at this point. After really really poorly painting the existing roof, I set the project aside for years.

When I returned to the car lately last year, this is what it looked like (minus the 3 holes, which I drilled right before I took this photo.
Henrietta - 2024168-1.jpg

These holes were the beginning of removing the plastic from the filled in window cavities.
After that, I cut the ends off the car, and started filling in the detailing I didn't need.
HenriettaProgress4.jpg
I'd hoped that I'd be able to use the existing floor, which is why I cut it awkwardly. I also filled in below the windows with styrene.

Again the project sat for a while, but after I built myself a proper workbench, I have been able to put energy into actually completing some stock projects, including this one.

Another false start, the way I cut the body and the way I added styrene didn't work for Henrietta's prototype. So, off it all came. Forward 2 steps, back 1.

Next, I needed to start properly filling in all the little groves and such with plastic putty. I also re-added the styrene at the bottom of the body, but I did it differently to account for the slight curve that many British passenger cars seem to have. I also had to fill out two of the four ends because I cut too close to the windows.
20250217_071740.jpg20250217_104221.jpg

And now we are up to speed. This is what I did yesterday...
I switched my focus to the chassis of the car. I always hoped I could find a way to remove the buffers and hooks from each end so I could repaint it all. Well, I did. But, I had one casualty in the process and actually damaged all the buffers.
Next, the ends needed floors. So, I cut those from styrene. and test-fit everything. Looks pretty good!
Though I didn't take any photos, I also test fit the roof and body ends and cut into the underside of the roof so it all fits together.
20250217_113103.jpg 20250217_132817.jpg

And finally, today:
I woke up very early this morning, even for a baker. Couldn't sleep. So, I got to work.
I started working on the details of the ends; windows and doors. The main piece is cut from a 1mm piece of sheet styrene. I cut the door from the piece, then detailed and re-glued it in place, using Xacto blades as spacers to set is back about .5mm.
20250218_055828.jpg20250218_061052.jpg20250218_065022.jpg20250218_070249.jpg

I have also begun work on the stairs and cutting off the excess plastic on the sides of the chassis (which you can sort of see in the last photo).
I'm eating breakfast as I write this, but I will have more updates later. Let's see how far I can get today!

P.S. I am using reference photos from the prototype, Rev. Awdry's original stories, and his models. I have a few reference photos on my Henrietta page of my website.
 

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As some of you may recall, shortly after I bought my Toby the Tram, I also bought a Bachmann G Scale Annie (of Annie and Clarabel). I had always intended to turn Annie into Henrietta to go with Toby. After a couple false starts, I am finally well under way.

When I first bought the car in 2019, I removed the face (sanding down the nose), took out the window glazings, and fabricated metal grab rails. I'd actually planned to build a Victoria instead of Henrietta, at this point. After really really poorly painting the existing roof, I set the project aside for years.

When I returned to the car lately last year, this is what it looked like (minus the 3 holes, which I drilled right before I took this photo.
View attachment 339055

These holes were the beginning of removing the plastic from the filled in window cavities.
After that, I cut the ends off the car, and started filling in the detailing I didn't need.
View attachment 339057
I'd hoped that I'd be able to use the existing floor, which is why I cut it awkwardly. I also filled in below the windows with styrene.

Again the project sat for a while, but after I built myself a proper workbench, I have been able to put energy into actually completing some stock projects, including this one.

Another false start, the way I cut the body and the way I added styrene didn't work for Henrietta's prototype. So, off it all came. Forward 2 steps, back 1.

Next, I needed to start properly filling in all the little groves and such with plastic putty. I also re-added the styrene at the bottom of the body, but I did it differently to account for the slight curve that many British passenger cars seem to have. I also had to fill out two of the four ends because I cut too close to the windows.
View attachment 339065View attachment 339064

And now we are up to speed. This is what I did yesterday...
I switched my focus to the chassis of the car. I always hoped I could find a way to remove the buffers and hooks from each end so I could repaint it all. Well, I did. But, I had one casualty in the process and actually damaged all the buffers.
Next, the ends needed floors. So, I cut those from styrene. and test-fit everything. Looks pretty good!
Though I didn't take any photos, I also test fit the roof and body ends and cut into the underside of the roof so it all fits together.
View attachment 339063 View attachment 339062

And finally, today:
I woke up very early this morning, even for a baker. Couldn't sleep. So, I got to work.
I started working on the details of the ends; windows and doors. The main piece is cut from a 1mm piece of sheet styrene. I cut the door from the piece, then detailed and re-glued it in place, using Xacto blades as spacers to set is back about .5mm.
View attachment 339061View attachment 339060View attachment 339059View attachment 339058

I have also begun work on the stairs and cutting off the excess plastic on the sides of the chassis (which you can sort of see in the last photo).
I'm eating breakfast as I write this, but I will have more updates later. Let's see how far I can get today!

P.S. I am using reference photos from the prototype, Rev. Awdry's original stories, and his models. I have a few reference photos on my Henrietta page of my website.
You can probably get more images of the original carriage if you search for 'Wisbech and Upwell Tramway' - there's quite a lot of stuff on the 'net about it, largely because of the tram locos which were so unusual in England at the time.

Rev Awdry didn't take many liberties in general - apart from the faces, colours and shapes were frequently simplified without dramatic change. All of his original characters are easily recognisable from BR prototypes.
 
An update!
After breakfast I returned to my mini workshop and I accomplished quite a bit. I finished the ends of the coach & got them attached to the rest of the body. I was planning on glazing the windows. But, thanks to Flying15 Flying15 , I was able to go a bit more prototypical and "fill in" behind the windows. This photo is from me test-fitting all the main parts so far. It looks like Henrietta!!
20250218_155411.jpg

In between rounds of work and drying time, I was also able to finish removing that side plastic from the chassis and cut down some screws to actually attach the styrene end floors to the frame.
20250218_105751.jpg

Lastly, I fabricated some custom grab rails for the ends. I have to paint first, this is a test-fit. Also, here's a good photo of the completely hand-made ends to the coach.

20250218_172319.jpg


Next on the to-do list:
sanding the body
finishing stripping the roof so I can repaint
figure out how to attach the stairs
build the railings from either styrene or metal rod
 
Looking good. The Rev. Awdry and his son, who took over the writing, based everything on proper British Railways practice. As Rhino says, forget the faces and obviously the talking engines, and everything else is prototypical.
 
Looking good. The Rev. Awdry and his son, who took over the writing, based everything on proper British Railways practice. As Rhino says, forget the faces and obviously the talking engines, and everything else is prototypical.
Not sure that filling loco tanks with fish, dropping pompous Pacifics in turntable wells, or coating a brakeless 2-6-0 with tar is proper practice. Not to mention walling a rain-shy 4-6-0 up in a tunnel -- although I suspect Fezwig might have approved of disappearing a 66 or two in such manner >:)
 
Not sure that filling loco tanks with fish, dropping pompous Pacifics in turntable wells, or coating a brakeless 2-6-0 with tar is proper practice. Not to mention walling a rain-shy 4-6-0 up in a tunnel -- although I suspect Fezwig might have approved of disappearing a 66 or two in such manner >:)
I believe it was the TV company that produced the Thomas series decided on going away from railway practice to make it more 'entertaining'....
 
Not sure that filling loco tanks with fish, dropping pompous Pacifics in turntable wells, or coating a brakeless 2-6-0 with tar is proper practice. Not to mention walling a rain-shy 4-6-0 up in a tunnel -- although I suspect Fezwig might have approved of disappearing a 66 or two in such manner >:)
All sounds pretty accurate to me going off some of the stories I've heard, plus one or two things that happened to me over the years, as for 66s blocked up in a tunnel, we'll they're not that bad, class 31s however, I could quite happily shove them in the hole Rhinochugger Rhinochugger dug to grizzmo grizzmo
 
I believe it was the TV company that produced the Thomas series decided on going away from railway practice to make it more 'entertaining'....
I recall all those events from the Rev's books, read to me by Mum long before we had a TV, let alone a Thomas series. I'm fairly sure all those events happened, just not that they were "proper practice". Indeed, I'm sure every effort was made to avoid them ;).
 
Not sure that filling loco tanks with fish, dropping pompous Pacifics in turntable wells, or coating a brakeless 2-6-0 with tar is proper practice. Not to mention walling a rain-shy 4-6-0 up in a tunnel -- although I suspect Fezwig might have approved of disappearing a 66 or two in such manner >:)
I’m pretty sure preserved 45212 dropped in to a turntable-well in BR days as it’s cab in early preservation wasn’t square to vertical. There are plenty of photos of other engines in trouble resting at strange angles in T/T pits. As for walled up steam locos in tunnels it was rumoured the locos In Scandinavia countries Cold War strategic reserve were kept in such a manner. Perhaps such instances inspired the reverend!?!
 
Not sure that filling loco tanks with fish, dropping pompous Pacifics in turntable wells, or coating a brakeless 2-6-0 with tar is proper practice. Not to mention walling a rain-shy 4-6-0 up in a tunnel -- although I suspect Fezwig might have approved of disappearing a 66 or two in such manner >:)
OK, not everything :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
 
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