Entry posted by RobboPetes
1,262 views
Only the chassis are left to do.
This has been one project that has been both a joy to do and frustrating and the same time. There were certainly times when I thought about reducing the amount of work I did to complete the models in order to get them finished but perseverance and determination kept getting in the way. There were a number of re-visits to the drawing board and a number of times when just I felt like giving it all up. A number of the things done on these wagons are new to me and so needed time to think about their execution.
One thing being the grab rail located on the upper part of the tank just below the walkway. I was originally going to use brass wire for this but found it too thick once it had been put on. Brass wire being much more pliable. After much thought the wire comes from the excess DG loop wire. The larger lower grab rail is micro rod glued between the pillars. On one wagon I used a razor saw to make the cuts whilst on the other I used a craft knife. The razor saw left cut marks on the body which was cleaned up with paint being used as a filler. The knife was easier to control. On close inspection the saw gives the better cut of the 2 methods used.
The filler hatches and walkway are those supplied in the TPM kit. To me these give a better 3-D effect than those used by Farish. I have used all the parts supplied with the TPM kit except the thin pipes that run along the solebar that I believe were on the first PCAs when introduced???
The main work on the body shells was the reduction in their length. Anyone familiar with these wagons will know the ends on the model are too deep. These would be reduced in size by cutting through them with a razor saw - but how could I do that satisfactorily??? It took me a while to work it out but I used 2 1p coins laid on a piece of glass with the razor saw blade laying flat on these. The end, with the pegs cut off to allow it to lay flat would gradually be rubbed against the blade whilst moving it round once I was satisfied with the cut that was made. This takes time and is messy but the work I feel is worth it. Once the cut is deep enough I cut the rest free-hand so to speak. Be warned! One of the bodies was moulded in white plastic while the other in perspex. I cut one of each and glued them to the ends. No problem. When I cut the third end I found the cut was deeper than the first 2??? When I sized this up the the barrel the end was now SMALLER than the barrel! Problem. It looks to me that Farish use a mould for each side and possibly a mould for each end. If they do, it looks like one end is deeper than the other??? The other problem is the end should have a slight lip on it which the first model doesn't. What I did was to put a piece of 40-thou plasticard underneath the end when cutting it to raise it sufficiently to give it that lip. One end might be slightly longer than the other due to the aforementioned problem. Here is a photo of the wagons alongside a Farish wagon for comparison. An excellent source of pictures of the prototype are available from the Paul Bartlett website:
Another problem was always going to be the final colour for these beasts. I posted a question on here several weeks/months ago and came to the conclusion that it is a matter of personal taste and there appears to be no definitive answer. I have a few shades of grey here and the one I have used is the Phoenix/Precision P133 B.R. Rail Grey (dull) (1966-85) colour. The match I feel is very near to the current metalair tank, as seen here:
It just leaves me to add the brake wheel to the chassis and prepare the chassis for DGs. Once done I'm going to have to find a suitable way to successfully glue the body to the chassis.
Overall, a project I am very pleased with despite the hurdles along the way. I have another 6 to do and these will be done in much less time thanks to my experience in doing these. If anyone has a nagging doubt about an item of stock, give it a go. I am another of the countless number of modellers who has overcome an obstacle and will certainly not be the last. As I and many other have said - 'give it a go'.
-
7
4 Comments
Recommended Comments
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now