Cosmetic bogie sides

[doktorstamp]

Professing a desire to model as accurately to a period a possible, and I fear I am not alone in this, information on bogies within the literature I possess, lacks certain detail.

My interest being in the GWR, LSWR, and SR. The book on GWR Siphons has a very good listing of bogies with illustrations to help the modeller, well it's a very good start, but the descriptions are minimal to say the very least, being limited to wheel base in most cases. Helpfully it does say which can be found under which diagram, however rarely at what date, and compounded by the illustrations which clearly show there are several types of each wheel base. With regard to the LSWR and SR matters would appear on the surface to be a trifle less complicated, neither company could be described as "cash-rich", and a consequence of this was that tried and tested design remained in use for much greater periods of time.

Manufacturer's descriptions of their products are also IMHO unhelpful and lacking in qualification. The more so when one is confronted with the so-loved-list without any illustration. Yes I know it's cheap, and that depicting items costs time and money, however reflect upon the fact that a picture is worth a thousand words, and I believe manufacturers would actually sell more, ergo time and money well spent.

Those well versed in their chosen company/companies may well question what all the fuss is about. But where is the information I seek?

mfG

Nigel

[Russ Elliott]

The HMRS Siphons book is probably the best there is available for identifying which prototypes ran with which bogies. Generally, vehicles did not change their original bogie type. It helps to have other GWR carriage books for cross-reference, and then spending some time getting attuned to the bogie 'names'. I agree bogie sideframe manufacturers don't do themselves favours by not providing illustrations, but one could say the same for all sorts of parts.