S7 scratch building

[airnimal]

Guy, according to LNWR Vol 1 page 51 they were provided from 1903 onwards. It just about fits in with my period I wish to model.

[airnimal]

I had a very slow weekend at the Poynton show. I did manage to do a small amount on the dumb buffer loco coal wagon.

One of the good things about doing demo's is the number of interesting people who come through the doors and chat.

[airnimal]

I have decided to make the ballast brake van dumb buffered. According to Vol 3 LNWR wagons two were built in 1870 so I am using modellers licence to assume these two were not converted to sprung buffers before being converted for ballast duties. Without photographic evidence I don't think anybody will be able say I am wrong.

[airnimal]

Just started the other end. A small piece of Evergreen rod is glued in the body, and the the same in the 250 X 250 Evergreen. This helps line everything up before superglueing the block in place.

[airnimal]

A bit more work on the dumb buffer brake van with the buffers have been fitted both ends. I did start to clean up the etched parts when a friend came to collect his brake van that I repaired for him. He did confirm that the brake van was made by someone else in wood probably by somebody in South Wales.

He also came with a couple of wagons needing repairs whom he said I made for him. Well technically he was right because I have made the masters for the kits and the van was one of my complete kits but both these were made by the master coach builder John Petcher.

I don't know if the furniture container is kit made or scratch built but I suspect it is hand made by John. I don't know who did the lettering but it is amazing. O how I wish I could do painting of that calibre.

They both need the brake racks replacing because they were damaged in a burglary at my friends house.

[Caley Jim]

A bit more work on the dumb buffer brake van with the buffers have been fitted both ends.

Should the headstocks not be trimmed back flush with the solebars? The dumb buffers were essentially beefed up extensions of the solebars. I have some 1887 RCH wagons to which I fitted dumb buffers, but I'm on grandparent duties at the moment and out this evening. I'll try and post a photo later.

 

Jim

[airnimal]

Jim, I have been on grandparents duty today as well. Taking my grandson to see the horses in a local field I was going over my build in my head I remembered that the headstock would not be present. You beat me too it and that was going to be my next job. It's amazing how we forget the basics when we start a new project.

[airnimal]

I have remove the ends of the headstocks along with all the details on the solebars. I then overlaid the solebars with 15 thou plasticard shaped around the central T bar. I will replace all the other bolts and any other things like label clips etc..

[Argos]

Hi Airnimal,

 

can I ask where you source your large section plastic strip from?

 

I'm probably being a bit thick but I couldn't find any in the ususal suppliers I use.

 

Thanks

 

Angus

Edited September 20, 2018 by Argos

[airnimal]

Hi Argos, the large section plastic is Evergreen No 199 which 250 X 250 thou. I started buying it years ago and I have nearly all the ones in their range. It's so long ago the price was about £1. 35 a packet when bought my first packet.The price now is £5.00 but is so good I don't think I could do without it.

A bit more progress on the brake van.

I have ask my friend who did the lettering on the container and he confirmed my suspicions that is was done by the master painter Alan Brackenborough.

Edited September 20, 2018 by airnimal

[Caley Jim]

That's looking good!

 

Here are a couple of the photos I promised yesterday:

 

 

The underframe is an etch, so I cut the headstock flush with the end of the solebar first, then attached the dumb buffer made from two layers of 40 thou.

 

 

And the finished wagon.

 

 

The Fred Whiteman is the same kit (it could be built with either rounded, raised or flat ends) with spindle buffers, as designed.

 

Jim

[Argos]

Hi Argos, the large section plastic is Evergreen No 199 which 250 X 250 thou. I started buying it years ago and I have nearly all the ones in their range. It's so long ago the price was about £1. 35 a packet when bought my first packet.The price now is £5.00 but is so good I don't thing I could do without it.

 

Thanks Airnimal,

 

I mis-read your post on my phone so thought the section was a lot bigger (but then why would it be the dumb buffers would be huge!).

 

250thou equates to just over 6mm I was looking for something about 4 times the size.

The search continues.

 

Angus.

[wagonman]

 

 

250thou equates to just over 6mm I was looking for something about 4 times the size.

The search continues.

 

Angus.

 

 

I think you're going to have to resort to laminating strips to get that sort of size.

[Argos]

Hi Wagonman,

 

Thanks, that's the conclusion I've come to so I've gone down the brass route instead.

 

I need to practice my milling skills anyway.

 

I'm worried the lamination route will leave visible lines.

Edited September 21, 2018 by Argos

[airnimal]

A small amount of work to the brake van. I have put some of the details on the solebars. The wheels are just temporary to see how everthing sits along with the axleboxes.

[airnimal]

A small amount of work to the brake van. I have put some of the details on the solebars. The wheels are just temporary to see how everthing sits along with the axleboxes.

I managed to get a coat of paint on today because we had some late summer sun. I made the mistake of not drying it properly after washing it and had to rub down a small patch on one side and resprayed it. I am not sure if it will show up later.

[airnimal]

I have put all the bits on to check all is well before I paint the axleboxes and brake gear. The footboards on one side need moving along a bit because they are not quite central. I managed to knock the van off the workbench this morning and broke one of the buffers cleanly off. I was happy to see the break had not damaged any of the paintwork and it went back with a dab of superglue.

[Western Star]

Can you post a photo of a prototype with dumb buffers?

[airnimal]

Graham, I said in post 628 I don't have a photo of a LNWR brake van with dumb buffers so I am using modellers license. However I have looked at a similar brake van in C.C. Greene's Cambrian Railways Album Vol 1 page 51.

[airnimal]

I have now carried out the repairs to the two wagons for my friend. Both were built by John Petcher who has now retired so I have used the same parts left over from some A.B.S kits that John used on the original build. I have been able to remove the old broken parts without doing to much damage to the paint with only a small amount to touch up.

Having seen this wonderful container I must put them on my wish list to model.

Edited September 27, 2018 by airnimal

[airnimal]

I took advantage of the fine weather today to paint most of the underframe parts. There is not a lot left to do to finish it but this is where I fall down and start something new. I hopefully am going to paint the vermillion but the thought does not fill me confidence. I have in the past attempted to paint one with the ends in vermillion without success.

Has anybody tried to paint bright red over grey paint ? What paint to use and would it be better to do a coat of white first.

[Tricky]

Looking great as per usual. In answer to your question about painting vermillion, personally I'd paint it over a brown undercoat. Definitely not grey!

[bgman]

I believe that the lighter the undercoat then the more a colour will "pop" so its very much a matter of taste. 

I would tend to agree with the above and use a brown to make it more of a solid finish.

[Crewe North]

I think the old dodge was to paint a white undercoat and then the red

 

John

[airnimal]

It is interesting the different views on the painting the vermillion colour on the end of the brake van. So I have painted a grey panel with different colours as a undercoat before making a mess of the model. I will try painting over to see which gives the best results. And does the background colour make a difference when photographing the models ?