7mm Pre-group brake fittings

[sulzer27jd]

Can anyone point me in the direction of pre-grouping brake fittings? I am looking for a source of brake levers, blocks, retainers and crown plates suitable for use on 10' wheelbase pre-group vans and opens. I have had a look at my usual suppliers, but can't see anything. Any guidance will be much appreciated.

 

The first set will be going on this GNSR diagram 14S van. Thanks

 

 

John

[Western Star]

Nice and clean work in the picture. How are the diagonal braces arranged behind the uprights? Recessed maybe?

 

As for your request, I suggest that you look at the S7 LNWR scratch build wagon thread by Mike Osbourne in the pre-grouping part of the special interests section.

[airnimal]

That is a very fine wagon. I hope this will be one of many. I have some G.N.S.R castings which I hoped I would build a couple of their wagons but they may be to late for the period I wish to model.

Brake levers and brake racks can be had along with crown plates from Ambis. They are available from Hobby Holidays.

I make my own crown plates with a simple paper hole punch and a little jig to cut them out. I think the pictures speak for themselves. Just punch a hole and push the tuned jig into the and cut around to make a washer. Clean up and cut in two. Bingo a pair of crown plates.

Sorry if the pictures are in the wrong order.

Mike

Edited July 2, 2018 by airnimal

[sulzer27jd]

That is a very fine wagon. I hope this will be one of many. I have some G.N.S.R castings which I hoped I would build a couple of their wagons but they may be to late for the period I wish to model.

Brake levers and brake racks can be had along with crown plates from Ambis. They are available from Hobby Holidays.

I make my own crown plates with a simple paper hole punch and a little jig to cut them out. I think the pictures speak for themselves. Just punch a hole and push the tuned jig into the and cut around to make a washer. Clean up and cut in two. Bingo a pair of crown plates.

Sorry if the pictures are in the wrong order.

Mike

 

Many thanks, Mike, I will give that a try. 

 

I took Western Star's advice and went looking at your wagon builds. That's is the sort of standard I am hoping to get to. What do you use for the bolt-heads and how do you get them so neat? 

 

Thanks again

 

John

[airnimal]

John, bolts if they are square on as on early wagons I cut them from Evergreen strip depending on size. Small bolts usually are cut from 10 X 20 thou but bigger bolts like on the end of L.N.W.R wagons are cut from 15 X 30 strip. I pick the bolts up on the end of a scalpel and float them on with a tiny amount of mex.

But if they are hex headed bolts I drill holes and use the moulded bolts from MasterClub.

To line them up I mark the top and bottom bolts with a pencil and draw a line between the two. I always look down the line at eye level to check that they are going to be straight. I do this from all sides especially turning the wagon upside down.

I find the wagon sides have all sorts of reference points like plank lines and where iron works cross that acts like a grid.

Edited July 5, 2018 by airnimal

[hartleymartin]

That is a very fine wagon. I hope this will be one of many. I have some G.N.S.R castings which I hoped I would build a couple of their wagons but they may be to late for the period I wish to model.

Brake levers and brake racks can be had along with crown plates from Ambis. They are available from Hobby Holidays.

I make my own crown plates with a simple paper hole punch and a little jig to cut them out. I think the pictures speak for themselves. Just punch a hole and push the tuned jig into the and cut around to make a washer. Clean up and cut in two. Bingo a pair of crown plates.

Sorry if the pictures are in the wrong order.

Mike

 

 

I have literally spent years trying to figure out a good method for doing this! How did you make the jig?

[airnimal]

hartleymartin, do you mean the little turned piece that goes through the hole in the plastic sheet ?

If that is what you mean I turned a small bit of leftover Peek which is a hard plastic that I used when I was working full time before I retired.

I just push this bit through the hole and cut around the base to produce a small plastic washer. A quick clean with a small file and cut in half gives you a pair of crown plates.

The hole punch is of course a normal paper punch.

[Doncaster]

I'm with airnimal. I'm using Ambis etched W irons and brake gear where possible. I've got a W-Iron etch which has crown plates and angle plates included as well as coupling hooks and coupling plates . I also use ABS castings but they are no longer available. So I keep my eyes open at shows etc.

 

For the ironwork I either use Evergreen strip or just cut my own from 10 thou plasticard. My eyes won't let me see the difference in photos between domed coach bolts and square or hex bolt heads. So I use domed rivet heads for everything. I think uniformity is very important. I get Masterclub plastic rivets from History Agents in Dover. Great product. I use 0.7mm domed heads on the body and 0.8mm domed heads on the underframe.

 

That's just how I do it!

[Doncaster]

This is GNR brake van I'm working on at the mo.

[airnimal]

Doncaster, that is the start of a mighty fine model, very clean and tidy. I do love pre-grouping wagons. Have you any more we can see.

Do you have any problems with wrapping when you put in internal bracing in.

Mike

[Doncaster]

Thanks for your kind comments airminal. I've moved on a bit and fitted the sole bars now. I'll only fit bracing to thick sides and I'm careful to ensure an interference fit before adding the barest amount of less aggressive solvent (limonene).

 

I won't add more photos scratchbuild work in progress because I don't want to hijack the thread. I'm finding my way seeing how much of my 4mm approach works in 7mm. I've attached a couple of photos showing where I'm at with underframes .

First off is a Slaters RCH kit. I've used the Slaters moulded brakes but fitted Ambis w-irons, door bangers, brake levers and guards.

The second is an HMRS (I think) resin body. This time its Exactoscale sprung w-irons used with a mixture of ABS brakes with Ambis vee, door banger, brake lever and guard.

 

I don't claim to have the definitive answer but mix and match works for me. I'm happy with cast or moulded brakes hidden away in the shadows, but I like the finer lines of etched components where they can be seen clearly.

[hartleymartin]

hartleymartin, do you mean the little turned piece that goes through the hole in the plastic sheet ?

If that is what you mean I turned a small bit of leftover Peek which is a hard plastic that I used when I was working full time before I retired.

I just push this bit through the hole and cut around the base to produce a small plastic washer. A quick clean with a small file and cut in half gives you a pair of crown plates.

The hole punch is of course a normal paper punch.

 

 

What is the best way to make it? I don't have a machine lathe, but I suppose I could jury-rig up something using a power drill chuck. Also, what thickness of styrene sheet do you use for this? 20 thou?

[airnimal]

I have just been in my workshop and I noticed next to my lathe a box of bits with a spare turned jig. Would you like it ? I think it was left over when I was making a few of them for friends.

The coloured plastic is 20thou but if that is to thick I some times do them with black plastic which can be had in 10 or 15thou.

I remember buying 5thou from Slaters years ago but David White tells me they have never sold 5thou.

I disagree but we are taking over 40 years ago.

I have a tiny square left that I only use when I have to.

[airnimal]

John, I am sorry for hijacking your thread.

I have only just realised your G.N.S.R van is for your Rosehearty branch line. I presume that it will be painted in B.R grey. I had not made the connection.

I looked at building one of these vans with the channel head stock in reverse. I have all the castings but I found out they were built to late for for the period I wish to model.

Is there any information if any were built before 1900.

[sulzer27jd]

On 11/07/2018 at 10:17, airnimal said:

John, I am sorry for hijacking your thread.

I have only just realised your G.N.S.R van is for your Rosehearty branch line. I presume that it will be painted in B.R grey. I had not made the connection.

I looked at building one of these vans with the channel head stock in reverse. I have all the castings but I found out they were built to late for for the period I wish to model.

Is there any information if any were built before 1900.

 

Firstly my apologies, I have only just found this posting and would not have ignored your question. The van above is indeed for Rosehearty and is now complete in GNSR livery. It is shown on the layout - here

 

The steel underframe variations were built from 1902 with the diagram 15S, so just a little after 1900. The earlier wagons are not covered in the diagram book, but appear to be very similar in size and basic shape to the D14S. There is, ironically, a number of photos of these, as it was the earlier vans that were often used as stores on station platforms. These appeared to not have the cross bracing that was present on the later versions.

 

John