GWR wagon sheets. Where do we buy them?

We've got a few GWR open wagons with sheet rails on the SVR.
I'm sure I've seen photos of other GWR wagons in preservation with sheets on, so I was wondering where people get the sheets made?
Can anyone recommend anywhere that will make accurate reproductions?
Failing that, has anyone got the specification for the material used, or a modern alternative, and a drawing of the sheet showing dimensions, eyelet positions etc.?

 

Ask Pat Goss!

 

Any lorry wagon sheet maker should be able to do you one.
Also isn't there a specialist manufacturer in Malton N Yorks?

 

I can't remember the last time I saw a lorry with a sheet on, it's all curtainsiders and containers these days. We'd probably have better luck looking for a sail maker, but then we'd still need the material specification and dimensions.
I spoke to Pat and he doesn't know of a source for the original style tar impregnated canvas. The nearest he could suggest was black vinyl curtainsider material.

 

You can still get traditional woven canvas tarpaulin material, it isn't all shiny plastic out there! Just Google and you'll find it. You've obviously got to find someone with the facilities to cut and sew it to the design you require.
You then need to decide what to impregnate it with, to preserve it and to give the correct appearance. I've been through all this in years gone by to get the correct material to 'cloth up' ex-working narrowboats (rather than the 'shiny black bin-liners' used by a lot of folk, sadly). The problem with the authentic concoctions of tar and linseed oil is that they tend to 'set' if the cloths aren't regularly rolled and unrolled on a daily basis as they would have been in service. We found that Solignum Architectural Paint worked incredibly well although certainly not in an application its makers ever intended! But it's certainly not cheap.

Andy

 

This is advice we received from a Sailing Barge Trust:-
"Whilst we are in the world of traditional sail, the traditional sail dressing mix of fish oil, red ochre, water, is not the modern choice for either cotton flax or duradon sails. Most sailing barge operators, including the Trust, use good quality fence panel treatment. Those with a good wax content. As we dress the sails each season the advantage of this, other than cost, is a quicker drying time. This allows us to do both sides of the sail on the same day. We have been doing this for several years and found no problems with it coping with the weather and UV rays."

For canvas, your roof canvas supplier should be able to supply a tarp to your drawing. You may wish to specify reinforcing around the brass rope eye holes. You should be able to research drawings of GWR sheets. Black fence panel paint is available. You can also get non nylon rope which looks better than modern nylon rope.
Pillbox Man.

 

"You should be able to research drawings of GWR sheets." That's what I'm doing by asking here. Nobody's come up with a drawing yet.
I know there are companies who make one off heavy canvas covers for historic military vehicles, so I'm sure we could find someone to make the sheets if we had all the dimensions.

Thanks for the suggestions so far. When you say Solignum Architectural Paint Andy, is that the actual paint or the woodstain?
I would have thought paint, but as Pillbox Man suggests fence panel treatment, I'm wondering if you meant the Opaque Woodstain listed here. http://www.solignum.co.uk/
Other than that, any recommendations for a particular brand of high wax content wood treatment that would do the job?

 

I know the Bluebell recently prepared a new wagon sheet for one of their vehicles, so they may be able to help with names of suppliers etc. There was a brief thread about it here:

https://www.national-preservation.com/threads/help-wanted-waterproofing-canvas.534005/#post-1219601

Tom

 

Try Metcalf in Nottingham, http://www.metcalf.co.uk/ I used them some time ago for a one off cover for a machine and they specialise in the supply and manufacture of canvas sheets etc.

 

The stuff we used called itself 'Architectural Solignum', and was meant for wood, so it could well be stuff in your link. We used black, which was certainly very very black, and completely obliterated anything underneath! The canvas it was painted onto was called 'Regentex' which it soaked into really well, and if the surface got a bit tired there was no problem, just slap another coat on! It was solvent based, not water. I'm sure the colour was described as Ebony, which doesn't appear in that link, so maybe things have changed?
What colour were GWR wagon sheets?

Andy

 

A year ago we used Ronseal Fence Life One Coat (Tudor Black) on the canvass and the lettering was done with ordinary gloss white paint.