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KH1

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Am afraid that this is still a bit of a work in progress which I was hoping to have finished this week but you know how things go......

 

Am continuing on my quest to get better loads for my wagons and more importantly complete loads for each one. As always I believe using pictures of what actually happened is the best policy so sorted out a few mainly from Roy Link's WDLR Album. I wanted to improve on the shell loads so selected one pic and from known dimensions of the wagons worked out that the load was of 12 inch shells. A quick Google found some very useful dimensioned drawings of such shells which (not by me on this occasion I have to admit). were turned (literally!), into four brass masters.these were mounted on a piece of plasticard with double sided tape, some walls built around with foam board and and then filled with rubber mould compound. The next day I had a mould which was soon set to work with the aid of a some casting resin. After a couple of days I had enough shells to start making up the loads but not before each one was drilled and a small split pin fitted to represent the lifting eye.

 

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The last pic really reminds me of the terracotta warriors!

 

60 or so shells a time were then mounted on a piece of card on top of a turntable and as the weather was OK a makeshift spray booth was constructed. My research (greatly aided by Web Compound of this site), had established that these being shrapnel shells there would have been a red identifying band on the nose. So out with the lining pen, the electric drill to mount a shell in, set it revolving slowly and a steady hand. And repeat 200 times!

 

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The propellant charges for these shells were carried separately in canisters so I turned up four masters in brass and made a little jig to bend the wires for the handles. Another bit of mould making later and the first batch were ready to be painted. These will be toned down greatly and weathered in as will the shells. I have made a start on the boxes for the fuses to complete the load but at this rate it will be another week before they are all finished.

 

Here is a mock up of the work so far.

 

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Yes, the canisters are there in the last photo. I have just made a second mould for them which will double the production rate. There is some debate (mostly amongst myself!), as to how many charges there are per canister. One source suggests that the charges were in three parts and were used in proportion to the range required. 1915 manual on ammunition only seems to show one which is 24 inches long which is the size I have established from pics that the canisters were. From the very limited number of pictures available it does look as if there may have been more shells per truck than canisters so not sure where to go with this one yet. 

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