S7 scratch building

[Doncaster]

Hi Airnimal.  Thanks for your interest. 

 

The lamp brackets are from etched ones left over from a carriage kit although I'm happy to use scrap strip brass.  I cut the strip to the length I want then form a bend before filing the "horizontal" bit to form a spigot which locates in a drilled hole.  I then added plasticard bases and attached rivets.

 

Similarly the centre footboard has 2 pieces of brass wire soldered on to the bottom to form mounting spigots.  I filed the soldered joint back to make it less obtrusive but it's lost in the shadow anyway.

 

It's important to me that my models withstand layout life.  So I beef up fixings to make them robust.  Hopefully I don't lose too much realism.

 

I'll attach a couple of pics in a mo.

[Doncaster]

Oh yes, I got the axle boxes and springs from Danny Pinnock. I made the spring anchors to suit. The springs are slightly too long but they they are the closest I could get.

Edited November 6, 2018 by Doncaster

[Doncaster]

Oh yes, I got the axle boxes and springs from Danny Pinnock. I made the spring anchors to suit. The springs are slightly too long but they they are the closest I could get.

[airnimal]

Most of the body is now done with the first attempt at the canvas roof. I have laid a double thickness of tissue paper on and coated it with a mix of resin-w and water and I will let it dry before cutting it to shape over the door. I am not sure this is going to be a successful but untill it dries I will not know.

[Compound2632]

Most of the body is now done with the first attempt at the canvas roof. I have laid a double thickness of tissue paper on and coated it with a mix of resin-w and water and I will let it dry before cutting it to shape over the door. I am not sure this is going to be a successful but untill it dries I will not know.

 

My interpretation of the drawings and photos in Coates' Lancashire & Yorkshire Wagons is that the roof opening and canvas cover is only on one side of the wagon - see Vol. 2 Plate 161. Here's my 4 mm scale narrow-plank D3 at a similar stage in construction, from the David Geen whitemetal kit, alas no longer available:

 

[airnimal]

Compound2632, I have gone with what it says on page 199 of Vol 2 ( However, another possibility is the change from roof openings on both sides of the van, as Drawing 479 implies, to access from one side only , which is definitely the case from Drawing 3003 onwards.)

As I have used drawing No 479 to build my model so I will go with doors both sides.

[Compound2632]

Compound2632, I have gone with what it says on page 199 of Vol 2 ( However, another possibility is the change from roof openings on both sides of the van, as Drawing 479 implies, to access from one side only , which is definitely the case from Drawing 3003 onwards.)

As I have used drawing No 479 to build my model so I will go with doors both sides.

 

You're quite right, of course. I've now read the relevant paragraphs! I have to confess I only had Vol. 1 when I built mine. I think mine is right for the Geen kit, which does have the narrow planking and higher arc roof of Drg. 3003 - these are the wagons seen in the Great Howard Street yard photo, plate 161, and yours is of course right for the earlier wagons.

[airnimal]

With the sunny weather this morning I was able to spray the roof with a rattle can. I then dusted the canvas part with some weathing powders. I will not be able to paint the body because I have not finished the solebar details until I get the etch w-irons.

[airnimal]

Not much progress on the L&Y van untill I get the right w-irons. I have fitted the door chains made from twisted 4 thou brass wire and placed the body on some w-irons that were in my bits box. I am not sure where they originally came from or from what railway.

Also found were some printed number plates made many years ago by Barry Lane. As you can by the spaces in the sheet I have made a fair few L&Y wagons over the years, not sure where they are now.

[airnimal]

I went to the Wakefield exhibition on Saturday and bought the correct w-irons for the L&Y van. I enjoyed the show and met several RM members and stocked up on Evergreen strip and Peco wagon buffers.

[airnimal]

I folded up the Ambis w-irons and inserted the wheels. With the long bearings on 7mm wagons this is not as easy as on 4mm wagons. I find the w-irons never quite go back to pre bent shape. And how does one paint them ? Do you paint first and then assemble ? What does one do about the amount of side play ?

I think the long bearings are a left over from pre etch w-irons days when wagons were made from wood and card and nobody has questioned the reason for such length.

So for ease of painting and assembly I have broken up the parts and I will add a length of angle to the bottom of the w-iron and make a new base plate and keep the parts separate and use my own method of screw in wheels. That way I can take the wheels in and out to paint / adjusts them as many times as I wish.

[airnimal]

I cut a small length of angle and solderd it to both the w-iron and a small off cut of nickel. I just need to drill the fixing holes in the base plate. Just after finishing the cleaning of the parts I dropped it on the floor and managed to crush it flat under my foot ! Oh dear or something like that springs to mind. I have bent it back and hopefully it will not show when painted.

I also filled the bearing hole slightly longer by about 1mm to give a bit of up and down movement.

Shown along side is one of my LNWR w-irons.

[airnimal]

I have now made up the wheel assemblies and by putting them side by side can check they are both the same. There is 1mm up and down movement with out any side play which is ample so these can now be glued to the wagon floor. Once these are in I can add the solebar details and knock up the single sided brake shoe with the one brake lever and rack.

I don't think I will be able to do that tomorrow as we have our little grandson on Wednesdays.

Edited November 20, 2018 by airnimal

[airnimal]

Nearly there. Just the brake gear to make and fit. I have found some old axleboxes in my scrap box that may be of use if I can make them fit. It comes down to the length of 7mm bearings. Is there going enough depth to the axleboxes without drilling through the face. I have ground down the back of one of the white metal axles and there will not a lot of metal left.

If I had the time or the equipment I would make my own bearings a lot shorter with new axles to match. I say again why do we need bearings this long ? Is it because they have always been that long and nobody has questioned why ? I suppose this is one of the perils of going S7.

Anyway I have got the ride height correct and the wagon runs to my satisfaction.

[airnimal]

I now have the answer. There is not enough meat in them as can be seen.

Does anybody known were I can get L&Y axleboxes from ?

[Western Star]

 I say again why do we need bearings this long ? Is it because they have always been that long and nobody has questioned why ? I suppose this is one of the perils of going S7.

Hello Mike,

 

I do not know the answer to your question about the length...  I have used Slater's wheelsets since mid 1970s and the bearings have been a constant factor.  I am not sure why you think that the concern is a peril of S7 for the Slater's bearings and Slater's axles are common between S7 wheelsets and 0-FS wheelsets (the B2B difference is achieved by the collar which is moulded to the rear face of the boss of S7 wheels).

 

Graham

[Western Star]

When I have encountered real-estate concerns with axleboxes (for example JLTRT TTA kit) then I put a chamfer on the end of the brass bearing so that the shape of the bearing matches the hole which is produced when I drill the bearing hole in the axlebox.  If I had the capability then I would use a D-bit to produce a flat bottom to any hole that I might drill in the axlebox and avoid chamfering the bearing.

[airnimal]

Graham, I to have put a chamfer on bearings in the past and use flat bottom drills or cutters to drill out white metal axleboxes but there is very little metal left. These old axleboxes have the w-irons cast in and the thickness of the w-irons is 50 thou plus a extra boss where the bearings go. All this extra metal is fine when drilling for bearings but remove all this extra metal to use etched w-irons for S7 and this is where the trouble comes in.

In 4mm the bearings are much smaller so the etch w-irons can be sprung apart without damage but you cannot do that in 7mm scale.

So I pose the question again why are 7mm scale bearings so long ? I am sure for most people they work fine but can someone explain how one folds up a etch w-iron and then insert the wheels keeping the w-irons at 90 degrees and do people paint them before they put the wheels in.

[airnimal]

After a lot of work with drills I have managed to reduce the thickness of the w-iron. I have had to bevel the edges behind the springs so they do not show. I now have to do the other 3 axleboxes. It's a good job I found another one in my scrap box. That's the beauty of modelling for 50 years you accumulate lots of scrap.

Edited November 22, 2018 by airnimal

[airnimal]

Finally managed to drill out and elongated the bearing holes in the axleboxes without going through the front face. Just the brake gear to knock up now. I am quite pleased with this van as I have wanted to build one for a long time, I did make one about 30 years ago that I was not happy with so I binned it.

[airnimal]

I had a bit of luck ! I had a look in my bits box and found a cast brake block just right for this van. I have no idear who made it or how old it is but it is near prefect as I am likely to get off the shelf. Just the brake handle and rack to do.

[airnimal]

I have finished the L&Y van at last. I made the brake handle this morning at the second attempt but I have noticed the Ambis brake rack has been bent back to front ****** Will it matter or will anyone notice.

[Doncaster]

That looks lovely work. As to the brake guard..... you've told us now!

Vernon

[airnimal]

I have started to paint the van today. It is from a rattle can from one of the pound shops the we have on most high streets. It has not come out to bad, a bit coarse but that could because it's a bit to cold to paint outside. I warm the can up before starting and leave the kitchen door open a give the van a very quick light blast outside ands then rush inside and put the hairdryer on it. Not the best way to paint models but I don't have much choice.

It shows the difference between the outside frame LNWR van and the inside frame L&Y van but there are both the same size before both companies built larger longer wheelbase examples.

 

I went to Warley show on Sunday with my good friend Peter. I enjoy the S7 Love Lane layout watching the wagons glide through the point work which I hope mine will do the same when I start my layout hopefully next year. We are going to the Manchester show this coming Sunday where I hope to see Geoff Stenner new S7 layout. Geoff's old layout Oakhurst was the reason I went S7 in the first place. I was so impressed with the smooth running of Geoff's rolling stock that I would try to follow his high standards.

[airnimal]

On the homeward straight now with the finishing line insight. A bit more painting and the tare weight and illiterate symbols to put on. Then a coat of flat varnish and some weathering to tone it down. I have tried to chemically blacken the buffer heads but they do not want to turn black.i will try again tomorrow.