This is my first blog entry so please bear with me on this. I was ill heath released last October 2015, and I have been looking for further employment, but owning to a very limited skills base it is proving a challenge so I brought a Slater's wagon kit to help the time pass and to prevent me from going round the bend.

This is not a criticism about "Slater's kits " they do make a nice and detailed wagon, but if you build as the illustrated instruction, it is a challenging to construct and how to work round the problem that I encountered.

The making of the van and the under frame is simple enough, and it is recommended to attach the couplings before construction of the wagon ends. It is important that the sole bar marked with "V" is orientated correctly on the right of the wagon and, tag" A" which has a lip and marked is at the front of the wagon. Otherwise the brake rigging when assembled will not correctly line up. (More on that later). the next stage it shows to attach the details buffers door locking bars door catches and buffers vacuum pipe fittings, personally I would leave them off and add them on at completion of the next few steps.

The next step "3" shows a illustration of how to turn the under frame it to U channel by using 0.020" X0.070" microstrip, all well and good and where to attach the under frame strengthen triangles , stop there, if you do attach all of the as per diagram you will have hack 4 them about to get the brake shoe hangars in place

In the diagram 4 it shows to add the "W" irons and springs, and brake shoes, it is better to leave them off until completion of the central brake rigging as it is easily damaged and brakes off so I have found to my cost. The important parts to be added at this time is the vac cylinder and outside brass etched "part no 56 &56A"

When starting this part start from one end and of the wagon and work through it methodically checking you work as you go through, do a dry run as well, drill out all the relevant holes while the brake rigging is attached to the etch with either a 0.5 or 0.55mm drill in a pin chuck, and open up the 1/16" holes to take the brake pivot bar. Folding up of the following brass etches is straight forward you can solder the to add more strength but that is an option for the constructor.

The way that I did mine was to use short lengths of 0.5mm brass wire pushed through each so that are a loose fit before fixing into place with a thick super glue or evo-stick. Part 57 the actuation lever needs to have all the hole drilled out on the narrow end.

When you have dry assembled the central braking rigging put to one side, then take time to construct items for the central pivot bar.
The little "T" bar that goes into the vac cylinder is plastic, but I changed my to a brass version made by using 2 lengths 0.7mm brass rod soldered to form the "T" shape.

Then attach the relevant components for the central pivot bar carefully and in the correct order.
Fit the central brake rigging and sundries as a dry run being sure that part 57a and the longer of aligns with bar on the central brake rigging and solder all joints and remove excess 0.5mm rod.

After you have completed that challenge I attach "W" irons brake shoes springs and axle boxes and pull bars for brake shoes before attaching hand brake levers, and that wheels rotate freely.

At this point take a brake (no pun intended) have a cup of strong coffee.

As you can see from the pictures that I have attached to illustrate this blog are of help to explain what I have done.
The next part will be to fit the hand brake levers.

Thank you all who read and think that the information is of help in construction of what is a good wagon kit

Trainshed Terry.