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Intro and converting a Bachmann 14ton tank to EM.

halfwit

Entry posted by halfwit

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I thought I'd start another blog to cover my wagon building. I don't build many so don't expect regular updates. I prefer to kit build but I do occasionally convert a RTR wagon to EM, RTR wagons being horribly good and difficult to resist.

Some of the content of this blog will be pretty basic to a lot of you I'm afraid but hopefully I'll post something of interest at some stage! I'm not a wagon expert or great modeller, if anyone has any constructive criticism I'd be interested to hear it.

 

First up is a Bachmann 14 ton tank that I saw at Warley and coudn't resist. The livery seems accurate but the chassis is slightly wrong for this wagon, it should, I think, have double vee hangers on either side. There is a picture on the cover of 'Private Owner Wagons of Bristol' which I don't have a copy of...

 

The first job is to take it apart, after removing the tension lock couplers and wheels the 2 screws can be removed. Removing the screws also released the coupling brackets which saved me the job of cutting them off. A pic;

blogentry-6749-004957700 1290453142_thumb.jpg

 

As the coupling brackets are being left off the screw holes need deepening with a 1.6mm (or thereabouts) drill;

blogentry-6749-095655600 1290453272_thumb.jpg

 

To get the EM wheels (Gibson split spoke in this case) to rotate I had to trim back a couple of strengthening ribs behind the w-irons;

blogentry-6749-039643000 1290453404_thumb.jpg

 

I use 3-link couplings, Smiths in this case, so the moulded hook was first removed. Then I used a .55mm drill to drill 2 holes in the bufferbeam, one above the other, and by using the drill as a saw joined the holes up. So that I could glue the hooks in place with a blob of epoxy behind the bufferbeam I had to remove a lug from under the tank end, easily done with sprue cutters, in the pic the R/H one has been lopped off;

blogentry-6749-098235000 1290453887_thumb.jpg

 

And the coupling epoxied in place;

blogentry-6749-097003500 1290453933_thumb.jpg

 

And here it is re-assembled;

blogentry-6749-025904000 1290453978_thumb.jpg

 

There is more that could be done like cutting out the solid middle to the chassis, correcting the vee-hangers and finding room for extra weight (I can't see that the tank will come apart) but for now I'll just give it a coat of matt varnish.

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  • RMweb Gold
Worsdell forever
  • RMweb Gold

So simple to do. Did you have any problems with the flanges rubbing on the brake shoes? I have had a few touching on my ironstone hoppers and all of the brake vans that I have done (these are fairly easy to thin as they pull out).

 

Have to agree that the liveries are so appealing... resist, resist.

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halfwit

Extremely simple but I've never seen it described anywhere.

No problems with brakes rubbing on any conversions so far, although on this one I did take the precaution of chamfering the back edge of the brake shoes.

 

I do resist most of the time but this one was so nice I weakened!

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  • RMweb Gold
Brinkly
  • RMweb Gold

Extremely simple but I've never seen it described anywhere.

 

No it hasn't! Really useful Paul for anyone wishing to convert simply and easily, I've done this in P4 and as Tim Venton said on the Scalefour Forum, a Bachmann chassis is going to be spot on square, not slightly off.

 

Regards,

 

Nick

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