The five brake vans are almost ready for painting; just the Alex Jackson couplings to fit.

These will be soldered to a ‘flat-U’ brass bracket held to the vehicle by the central 8BA screw that holds the three main sections together. This will allow them to be removed easily when ever the vehicles are working away from home on layouts that use three-links rather than Alex’ coupling.

To ensure that the correct couplings go back in the correct position on the correct wagon when they get home again, these ‘U’ brackets are located with brass wire dowels randomly drilled so that the dowel position is relative to only one bracket.

The following pictures were posed on my S4 layout ‘Bowton’s Yard’, using Globe Cotton Mill as a back-ground:

Left to right:

LNER built & owned, exterior ballast weights, vacuum brakes – again!

BR built & owned, exterior ballast weights, vacuum brakes. Generally as above but without body side lamps & with side lamp brackets on end pillars.

LNER built, originally Cheshire Lines owned, interior ballast weights, hand brake only, but re-furbished and numbered by BR.

All the lamp brackets have been made by using 0.45mm brass wire annealed and then forged to a flat section but with a 0.45 round tail to be pushed into a 0.5mm hole. I'll see if I can manage some photographs to show what I mean. But that's for next time.

Remember - enjoy your modelling whatever you do.

Dave