Something from while the forum was off-air (which is why you get two blogs in a day). Next off the rank is this Hop 21VB/vac’ fitted 21 tonner/HTV (if you insist). So many descriptions for what is a relatively simple vehicle. Another variation for Sharpwit, if he’s watching.

This is based on the excellent Parkside kit for the unfitted version, which is much the same, albeit with different end struts and a vac’ cylinder bolted on. It’s easier to go this way than to add more ribs to the Parkside rebodied HTV. The vac’ cylinder was reclaimed from an abandoned Airfix/Dapol Presflo, and the shrouded roller bearings were spares from one of the Chivers 21 tonner kits. The brackets and sundry other details were made from scraps of plastic. Prototype details were – inevitably – taken from Paul Bartlett’s photo collection. This one will be lettered for ‘House Coal Concentration’, assuming the ancient Woodhead transfers work.* The remaining livery elements will come from John Isherwood’s excellent Cambridge Custom Transfers sheet. A version of the scheme (this is ‘Freight Brown’ rather than Bauxite and with the later boxed numbers), can be seen in this shot from 1967:

http://paulbartlett....339a0#h3ec339a0

For anyone else who fancies a go, the photos I used for the brake detail were these:

http://paulbartlett....339a0#h2ae8bc47

http://paulbartlett....339a0#h29e264e0

These shots of the model show the linkages:

Note that the actuating linkage/rod passes in front of the wheel with more than sufficient clearance. Normally, these go down the centreline of the vehicle but can’t on this because of the hopper being in the way. The steps on the ends and the hopper discharge levers come from the Dave Bradwell hopper underframe etch secured with a staple of wire which was melted in and reinforced with epoxy. The next jobs are the end struts and handrails. These look like a veritable cat’s cradle and are slightly different to the last 21ton hopper I did (covered in full on the old forum), despite the ends being similar. The triangular bracket nearest the vacuum cylinder is mounted on the support strut rather than on the hopper plating (this is true of both ends) so as not to interfere with the cylinder. You can see this clearly on the prototype shots. The two photos below illustrate the arrangement on a rebody on an LNER chassis. The technique should be similar:

Adam

* I notice that John does do the House Coal Concentration and the Charringtons branding (on separate sheets) http://www.cctrans.f...uk/products.htm