Delivering the Goods

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David B
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Delivering the Goods

Postby David B » Sun Feb 01, 2015 6:09 pm

Railways were created to move goods - passengers came later - and I am interested in the variety of rolling stock designed to achieve this end. Because of the common carrier requirement, railway companies were asked to carry a wide variety of things and the range of vehicles they designed to do this is fascinating.

What is not always so fascinating are difficult and/or repetitious bits that need to be modelled and come up from time to time. I have already illustrated the D&S GWR Scorpion elsewhere on this Forum in regard to the Thomas Brake. Having cracked this and the brake linkages, I have moved on to the springing and come to loathe J hangers! I am finding them difficult, getting a small enough iron in to make a neat job yet delivering enough heat (because of all the brass) to make a good join. To this end, I have resorted to tacking the J hanger using a conical bit and delivering the heat afterwards with a Resistance Soldering Unit (RSU).

I have neither finished nor cleaned the wagon below, but I managed to tack the J hangers on with a small dab of 100o solder which made a fragile join. I then held the hangers in place whilst applying the RSU probe nearby and letting the heat flow through the brass. This seems to have worked well with the solder flowing in to the joint and making it quite strong.

Scorpion_0368.jpg


You can see where the probe was applied - the reddish areas with a black centre - but this will come off when I clean up. I have three of these on the go. One has cast brass hangers, the other two white metal; one has the springs attached to the axle boxes, the other two have springs and boxes separate. The photograph also showed up a bit which was not fixed properly (arrrowed), something I had not noticed but which has now been mended. It can be useful to take a photograph to examine your work.

I find one way of dealing with these tedious bits of work, satisfying to complete but not so much to do, is to change the activity. I have indulged in making some road vehicles of late but this weekend started on another wagon. This also has a lot of repetitious work with all the strapping detail which will be put on with the RSU.

Fish_0369.jpg


This is a Blacksmith kit of a GWR 6 wheel fish wagon which has been in my maturing box for about 5 years. I have been pegging away at preparing the parts which I find useful to lay out in a small tray. I can then just pick it up, set it aside and get another one to work on when I have had enough of the tedious bits. I inherited several of the trays (7" x 51/2") from my mother who used them to store dolls house food she made from Fymo.

The RSU is a tool I was originally doubtful about buying - would I really use it enough to make the cost worthwhile? Do I have any doubts now? Emphatically not. I have it set up alongside my soldering iron and use it quite a lot for joining brass to brass and brass to white metal. It has enabled me to do things I would have found difficult with just a soldering iron and it is invaluable for applying overlays. Every so often I find it useful in other ways, like fixing the J hangers.
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Last edited by David B on Wed Feb 04, 2015 10:08 am, edited 1 time in total.

John Fitton

Re: Delivering the Goods

Postby John Fitton » Mon Feb 02, 2015 5:52 pm

I have been pegging away at preparing the parts which I find useful to lay out in a small tray. I can then just pick it up, set it aside and get another one to work on when I have had enough of the tedious bits. I inherited several of the trays (7" x 51/2") from my mother who used them to store dolls house food she made from Fymo.


The tray is a very nice idea! Large enough to keep a project organized but small enough to be tucked away after use: I like it!

JF
Last edited by grovenor-2685 on Fri Feb 20, 2015 5:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Corrected the quotes. KN

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John McAleely
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Re: Delivering the Goods

Postby John McAleely » Sat Feb 07, 2015 8:54 am

Anyone looking for James' Met Railway wagons that were on this thread, will find it in a brand new On My Workbench area:

viewtopic.php?f=121&t=4129

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David B
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Something fishy

Postby David B » Fri Feb 20, 2015 4:30 pm

This wagon, which seemed reasonably straightforward in the box, has been more challenging than I imagined. I don't want to see another J hanger!

The kit is by Blacksmith of a GWR Diagram S5 'Tadpole' or open fish truck. Everything went together quite nicely but the J hangers, cast in one piece with the spring and axle box, proved to be a long job and even now I am not entirely happy with them.

The difficulty comes from the way the kit is designed to allow the 6 wheels to go round corners. The end axles swivel and the centre can move from side to side. This means that the axle box, if the whole J hanger casting is attached to the sole bar, has a lot of fresh air between it and the W iron. In the end, I separated the parts and applied them individually.

The rest of the kit was fine though there is no planking detail inside so that has been scribed. I replaced the outside brake compensating gear, making new forks from scrap etch. All that remains to put on are a couple of pieces of brake rodding and tie bars between the W irons, though how the latter is going to work with the end axles swivelling remains to be seen. I have a plan . . .

If the axles appear slightly skew, it is because they are not properly fixed on yet.

Tadpole_0439crw.jpg

Tadpole_0437crw.jpg
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billbedford

Re: Something fishy

Postby billbedford » Sat Feb 21, 2015 11:22 am

David B wrote:The rest of the kit was fine though there is no planking detail inside so that has been scribed.


Should there be planking detail on the inside? My understanding is the the planks were only chamfered on the top outside edge.

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David B
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Re: Something fishy

Postby David B » Sat Feb 21, 2015 12:07 pm

billbedford wrote:
David B wrote:The rest of the kit was fine though there is no planking detail inside so that has been scribed.

Should there be planking detail on the inside? My understanding is the the planks were only chamfered on the top outside edge.


In Tourret, there is a picture showing the inside of the broad gauge trucks. The planks are seen clearly (though they may be flush) as is the inside of the doors. The plain, unscribed brass of the kit does not look right. I have lightly scribed just the planks, not the door detail, a compromise. I imagine that as the sides are a single thickness of brass, etching the plank detail on both sides would not be practical and weaken the brass too much. Double thickness would be more prototypical and allow proper detail to be etched.

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David B
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Getting horsey

Postby David B » Fri Oct 30, 2015 12:03 pm

After some disruption on the family front, modelling has been lower down in the priority order. Having paid a short visit to the local Medical Correction Facility for a minor readjustment, I have a few days' enforced R & R and have taken the opportunity to reacquaint myself with my tools and kits.

I picked this up from the Bring and Buy at Scaleforum and rather than consign it to the Maturing Box, now seemed an ideal time to make it. It is an Alan Gibson kit of a Midland Railway Clayton horse box, D397. I notice it is no longer in the AG range; the instructions are signed by Bill Brown, so perhaps someone can give me an idea of how old the kit might be.

Before anyone makes the comment, the top is yet to be fixed to the under frame once it has been painted and glazed which will have to wait for a while. In the meantime, what next . . . ?

MR-horsebox_1132.jpg

MR-horsebox_1133.jpg
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David B
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Re: Delivering the Goods

Postby David B » Tue Jun 14, 2016 1:30 pm

It has been a while since I completed any wagons but building has begun again. I had just started this London Road Models Deal Wagon when Gareth posted his pictures with his painted up.

I must say this is a deceptively simple wagon that has more work in it than one would think. I enjoyed making it, not least working with nickel silver etches. Some parts, like the protection strip along the top edge, the V hangers and brake ratchet, I applied using resistance soldering which helped me to make a much neater job than I could have done with an iron.

A lovely kit to make and recommended if you want to make something a little different.

Deal_1569crw.jpg

Deal_1570crw.jpg

Deal_1571crw.jpg
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Lord Colnago
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Re: Delivering the Goods

Postby Lord Colnago » Tue Jun 14, 2016 3:06 pm

Very nice David. The wagoneers seem to be taking over of late. As I'm not familiar with pre-grouping wagons, can I ask what the triangular looking holes in the floor are for?
The second best priest

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David B
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Re: Delivering the Goods

Postby David B » Tue Jun 14, 2016 4:42 pm

Thank you, John. The holes are apparently, chain lockers (loads, for the securing of). I am more a GWR man so am learning about 'other companies'.

There will be more wagons in due course, all pre-grouping.

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David B
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Re: Delivering the Goods

Postby David B » Tue Dec 31, 2019 3:57 pm

I am ashamed to see it is (ahem) years since I last posted on this thread. Work has moved on and I will post more in time.

Currently on the bench are a couple of Taff Vale iron minks (Taff Vale Models, formerly Dragon Models). They are going together well but I have been particularly impressed by the door catches - simple, easy to make and effective.

Mink-door_C8522.jpg


There are only two parts to the catch, the rod which is just that - brass rod, and the hasp where the pin has been etched as part of the hasp with a hole on each side of the pin. It is folded part way round the rod and soldered on. In the door are just three holes, two for the rod's brackets and one for the staple. Brackets and staple are made from thin copper wire (from an electrical cable) which is passed through from the back up one side of the rod and pin, then passed back down the other side. All is pulled tight then soldered at the back.
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Noel
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Re: Delivering the Goods

Postby Noel » Tue Dec 31, 2019 5:30 pm

David B wrote:They are going together well but I have been particularly impressed by the door catches - simple, easy to make and effective.


I fear that there is a poor bit of kit design in the doors themselves. The doors should close together; what the 'infill' between them is supposed to be I don't know. The rail above the doors should be continuous, and should be deeper [front to back, not top to bottom], as the top of the bolt should be housed in it when the doors are secured. Only then can the staple be fitted over the hasp and the pin inserted on the real thing. This is a GWR version in preservation https://www.flickr.com/photos/camperdown/47627067082, but I believe the TV ones were similar. There is more detail of the doors in https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blogs/entry/11531-detail-hunting-at-didcot/ in several images about half way down the page.
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Noel

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Re: Delivering the Goods

Postby CornCrake » Thu Jan 02, 2020 4:08 pm

Certainly looks as though it works!
Thanks for posting, any chance of pictures of rest of the build?
Regards Steve

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David B
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Re: Delivering the Goods

Postby David B » Thu Jan 02, 2020 5:19 pm

Yes, Steve. The doors are not finished in the picture but I was rather taken with the way the catch was made. The gap in the doors is not there on the second mink so I feel criticism of the design is unwarranted - it looks as though there was a glitch early on. As I bought the two kits at different times, I imagine the first batch may have had an error which was corrected.

Looking at the photograph, I was not happy with the size of the bar, made with wire (0.7mm) that came with the kit and I used without thinking. I have since taken the catch off and to replace the bar with 0.45mm wire. The gap has been filled with 0.4mm lead wire and I should have the rest done in the next few days - I have a number of other non-modelling jobs to do as well.

I will put some pictures up when I have finished the job.

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David B
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Re: Delivering the Goods

Postby David B » Sun Jan 19, 2020 4:31 pm

I promised some time ago, a photo of the rest of the build. Super-enlarged, it shows a couple of defects which will need tweaking. Try taking a few photos of your own wagons then enlarging them up the computer. It's frightening. You may not want to make another wagon!

I filled the gap in the door by soldering in a piece of lead wire (0.4mm), flattening it with pliers then using a very sharp chisel to take off the surplus. I have also replaced the 0.7mm bar on the catch (which came with the kit) with 0.45mm wire which I think looks better. The rest of the door has been finished with the rivet strip at the top.

This wagon, part made, makes an appearance in the next S4 News.

Next is the bit I do not enjoy - painting.

TVR-Iron-Mink_8548.jpg

TVR-Iron-Mink_8551.jpg
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Terry Bendall
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Re: Delivering the Goods

Postby Terry Bendall » Mon Jan 20, 2020 8:39 am

Looking very nice David.

David B wrote:Try taking a few photos of your own wagons then enlarging them up the computer. It's frightening.


My son and I have found this when taking pictures for future publication. Enlarging these on the computer for cleaning up the image shows up all sorts of very small things such as places where the paint has missed or some other small defect and these are things that cannot be see with the eye, even with the aid of a magnifier.

Of course, if it cannot be seen in the normal course of events we then need to question if it matters. :)

Terry Bendall

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Serjt-Dave
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Re: Delivering the Goods

Postby Serjt-Dave » Mon Jan 20, 2020 10:53 am

Yes very well done David. What I do is take a finished model put it about a mile away in a poorly light area and if it looks okay without squinting at it, it's a pass. So far I have a 100% success rate. LOL.

Looking forwards to seeing your Mink painted.

All Best

Dave

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David B
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Re: Delivering the Goods

Postby David B » Wed Apr 22, 2020 2:35 pm

On another thread, I referred to springing some buffers, a job I have now done. These are on two wagons, the same kit but having different fittings where I could not work out how the buffers were supposed to be made.

On both wagons, the buffers go straight through the housings - one hole the same diameter as the buffer shank. On one kit, the shank is slightly over 2mm but on the other it is 0.8mm, so I was not able to employ the same solution. The wider shank was simpler; the narrower one required some additional work.

On the wider shank, I filed a flat on the end of the shank then drilled a 0.35mm hole to take a 10thou piece of guitar string. This was threaded through the coupling hook which meant that not only were the buffers sprung, but the coupling was as well. The plastic tubing washer sets how far out the buffer head can go which was simple on this kit. I pushed the washers up tight then eased the heads out to the required distance using a jig.

Sprung buffers 2_C8665.jpg


On the narrower buffer shank, not being wide enough to drill a hole, I used a short piece of (square) tube to graft on to the end of the shank a handrail knob. I shortened both the shank and the pin on the knob, soldered the knob in to the tube then the tube on to the shank once the buffer had been threaded. The tube serves the same function as the plastic sleeve above but this time had to be set before soldering in place. Rather than solder the tube at the end, I drilled a 0.8mm hole in the tube just back from the end and applied solder here. With plenty of heat, the solder flowed inside the tube, leaving the end clean.

Buffer bits_C8667.jpg


In situ, the sprung buffers and coupling look like this, not my neatest work but it works and is out of sight.

Sprung buffers_C8664.jpg


The two wagons will appear when they have been completed which I hope will not be too long now. It's too hot out in the garden this afternoon!
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David B
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Re: Delivering the Goods

Postby David B » Tue Apr 28, 2020 2:42 pm

Finished bar a good clean and painting. These have taken a mere 4 years to make, being started when DRAG put on a display at the Exeter show in 2016 for the Society's 40th year. The kits are PC and the sides being made from 5 layers were ideal for demonstrating resistance soldering. Since then, they have come out on occasions and a bit more has been done but today, at long last, it has rained, so I have been able to spend most of the day modelling.

The wagons are LNWR Cattle Boxes, for more prime specimens, what would be called Beetles in GWR code. My usual area is GW territory but as I get nearer the magnum opus (don't hold your breath), I have found I need some stock from other companies.
Cattle-boxes_c3676.jpg


The colour scheme calls for LNWR Quick Brown with yellow lining. Could someone please suggest a suitable paint? I must steel myself to paint the other 35 items waiting outside the paint shop.
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Brinkly
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Re: Delivering the Goods

Postby Brinkly » Tue Apr 28, 2020 9:49 pm

Lovely models, David.

Best wishes,

Nick.

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Re6/6
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Re: Delivering the Goods

Postby Re6/6 » Wed Apr 29, 2020 12:54 pm

Indeed!
John

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David B
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Re: Delivering the Goods

Postby David B » Sat May 02, 2020 5:02 pm

Another job done that has been hanging around - a pair of single bolster wagons, GWR code: Mite. These are from an ABS white metal kit and I made the bodies some time ago but the floor was plasticard whose planks ran lengthways. I cut some 15thou brass and scribed the planks, then fitted them and hung a couple of slabs of lead underneath. Yet again, they await painting.
Mites_c3691.jpg

Mite-2_c3692.jpg
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Craig Warton
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Re: Delivering the Goods

Postby Craig Warton » Sat May 02, 2020 11:46 pm

David, good to see someone else actually getting somewhere too. I really do like the Mites, sadly they are one of the ABS wagons I never obtained.

My ready to paint, or finish painting collection currently runs to about 15 so I have some way to go to rival you.

The LNWR cattle vans look very nice indeed, are you planning to put some sort of block in them to remove the see through effect of the louvres?

Regards,

Craig Warton

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David B
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Re: Delivering the Goods

Postby David B » Sun May 03, 2020 7:28 am

I had not thought to blank them off as they would be open on the originals.

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PeteT
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Re: Delivering the Goods

Postby PeteT » Sun May 03, 2020 8:37 am

Interesting cattle wagons - the brake cylinder arrangements looks different too.


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