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Ratio SR/BR 28 ton Bogie 'B' van


westernviscount

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So i have come to realise i have a growing obsession with parcels vehicles. 

I have also been stretching my kit building muscles recently so thought i would combine the two and build the ratio kit of tge SR bogie B. 

 

Here it is in it's unboxed state. 20190510_204821.jpg.20338e9716eba88a98e649a725927b34.jpg

 

I have also just poured a wheat beer so progress of any kind is not guaranteed this evening. 

 

Happy modelling for now.  

 

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It's not a simple kit. I'm still trying to work out why they didn't just do one piece sides...

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24 minutes ago, Ravenser said:

It's not a simple kit. I'm still trying to work out why they didn't just do one piece sides...

So it would be more fun and (possibly?) there could be alternative doors?

P

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Not sure how they could have made it much simpler. Doors moulded in place perhaps but much better without. 

 

Griff

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There aren't alternative doors. While the kit is perfectly buildable, it is very much more laborious than any of the other Ratio kits - which do have one piece sides. The etched parts include etched chalkboards for the sides, door handles, etched hinges to the doors , and etched droplight frames to the doors. [I think the doors were loose in place when this photo was taken]. I still think making the sides a single injection moulded piece with all door furniture included would have simplified the kit a lot  (I wanted a 50' van on the layout rather than a long term project)

 

Transfers for BR  Blue are not provided - like me the builder seems to be a modern image modeller. I recall a certain amount of ingenuity was required to find suitable transfers - possibly the HMRS BR sheet

 

I was simply trying to warn gently that this is probably the most elaborate plastic coach kit on sale, and not an "easy starter kit", lest the builder get discouraged during a slow build and blame himself...  I remember this taking a looong  time, not helped by me mislaying the etch at one point

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Edited by Ravenser
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Progress last night was better than i thought. I reckon the underframe and body are the straight forward bits but i'm happy so far. 

 

One issue is that the image on the front of the package shows the vehicle finished in BR Blue with white number decals but the kit is only supplied with decals for finishing in southern railway green or BR(SR) green. I am now considering how to finish the vehicle as my period is 1970 so BR green could be appropriate and add interest to the layout.

 

Still a bit to do before i reach that point though....

20190510_214121.jpg.137b01ce3c08b4a235e96fc47d4b9c71.jpg

 

I rather like the etched droplights which allow one to position them in the open position (only left hand doors according to the instructions)

20190510_224014.jpg.cb9ea4bb2d48a13e4bff6c563453c541.jpg

 

I fitted the etches with the doors still on the sprue. I dab a tiny amount of superglue onto the top of the etch with a cocktail stick, place it glue up on the end of my left index finger and lower the door onto the etch so i can see the position of the etch. The small amount of glue enables the etch to hold long enough to add more glue or fine tune if necessary. 

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10 minutes ago, Ravenser said:

There aren't alternative doors. While the kit is perfectly buildable, it is very much more laborious than any of the other Ratio kits - which do have one piece sides. The etched parts include door handles etc 

 

I was simply trying to warn gently that this is probably the most elaborate plastic coach kit on sale, and not an "easy starter kit", lest the builder get discouraged during a slow build and blame himself...

P1010800.JPG

 

Yes, i think this is a fair warning, i haven't reached the fiddly etches yet for the doors but i found so far that it is challenging just enough to absorb me fully...which is what i love about this brilliant hobby. 

 

I notice you are finishing in BR Blue. What decals do you intend using? 

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In the absence of Corporate transfers and the presence of green plastic "very grubby green" may be the way to go

 

Mine was built some years ago before the Hornby model was released - I think I scrounged transfers off an HMRS sheet

 

An old blog post of mine may help https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blogs/entry/4320-news-and-parcels/

 

The grills behind the windows were Roxey etches I think

Edited by Ravenser
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1 hour ago, Mallard60022 said:

So it would be more fun and (possibly?) there could be alternative doors?

P

It has been fun so far i must say. 

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2 minutes ago, Ravenser said:

In the absence of Corporate transfers and the presence of green plastic "very grubby green" may be the way to go

My Dad loaned me an old bradford barton parcels stock pictorial survey with an example of just that. 

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I 'inherited' one of these and finished/modified it to completion, but I did not build it so this is interesting for me. I was told by someone that I shouldn't have bothered as there is a good, RTR version available!  Well, like many others I enjoy making stuff or, at least, modifying stuff :swoon:

Yes, Roxey etches are good for this kit.

P

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Sadly, progress ground to a halt due to a mislaid pin-vice. After much muttering and moving of thinks from one place to another I gave up and had an unscheduled visit to Hobbycraft. 

 

20190513_191702.jpg.391b4e76864a68863b143f383f28fb48.jpgThe v hangers and cylinder cranks needed the holes opening to .5 mm to receive the brake gear bar, made from .5mm brass wire (supplied in the kit)

 

20190513_203118.jpg.704862e9df239b426460b0fa81020506.jpg

 

The V hangers and cranks are all connected to the brake cylinders. Each hanger and crank is thread onto the connecting rod before cementing them into position. 

20190513_204623.jpg.fee6012a4cabde89c122620d4e2bafc2.jpg

 

Next to the battery boxes. These were gloriously fiddly, made up from 3 mouldings then filament cut and glued in place by a speck of superglue applied with a cocktail stick. 

20190513_215513.jpg.2ce6b144a38605a91a0ea3495f7facfd.jpg

 

Next the dynamo was assembled from four pieces, illustrated in the first picture on the bottom right of the sprue. At this stage I am much enjoying the amount of detail going into a section of model unlikely ever to be noticed. I am being cautious how much I celebrate this about the kit as glancing ahead the bogies and detailing etches look very fiddly!

20190513_205717.jpg.5c27bb447c0da63dfc3113681e1b1e22.jpg

 

My homemade cradle has been invaluable to this build and I wonder how I have managed without this piece of kit for so long. Its simply foamboard hot glued together with sponge to hold the kit or loco tight. I built it to assist with wheel cleaning originally. 

 

Anyway, hope this has brought some interest to you. Onward!

 

Hope you have a happy evening of modelling ahead. 

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This can build into a very good model, but, as others have said, it is unnecessarily over-complicated. I agree the sides, or at least the doors, could have been done in one piece - the separate etched  hinges for the doors offer no real improvement over a single plastic moulding.

For all of that, Ratio omitted to include the grilles for behind the windows. I used some from Blacksmith Models, but Roxey Mouldings also offer similar items.

That's not to say it's not worth building: quite the contrary. This kit will be a very rewarding experience once you have finished it.

This photo was taken after I had repainted mine, so it lacks any transfers here. It was previously heavily weathered in Southern olive green, so the windows remain weathered, but you can just make out the grilles behind them.

40905448553_354c843d47_b.jpg
Ratio Kit Bogie B by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

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Nice build so far but I must say the foam board cradle looks the part. 

 

Any chance of a couple more photos? 

 

 

Rob. 

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MRJ issue 18 has an article on building this van.

From what I remember it's an in depth build and adds on missing bits, although ISTR some kit parts are undersized.

 

Mike,

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17 hours ago, NHY 581 said:

Nice build so far but I must say the foam board cradle looks the part. 

 

Any chance of a couple more photos? 

 

 

Rob. 

Hi Rob, 

 

These are all I have at the moment but will take some more detailed shots if needed. It isn't very complicated as I needed to knock up something quick to aid in last minute wheel cleaning for an exhibition! Foamboard is so easy to use, is very rigid when joined and is very very light weight. 

20190513_205710.jpg.4f2184c20cd19ab4ede4f499347b7bcc.jpg

20190513_205717.jpg.322b3d654a31ab5cad0e59d069278c90.jpg

20190513_215541.jpg.a9a137836f31e4cb1c901e30157e764a.jpg

 

Cheers

Dave

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The boss and daughter went out this afternoon so....

20190518_175909.jpg.5b590135685132c6d188f63f38a3ee96.jpg

 Buffers were fitted  to both ends ensuring the step was at the top of the shank. The locating pins were too long so were cut done to save interfering with the chasis. Holes for the buffers were opened out with a 2mm bit (bigger than stated in the instructions). 

 

20190518_180052.jpg.ca9bab7cdd43ea85d5639bc928166096.jpgOnto the roof. Holes for the Torpedo vents were drilled from inside were locators are moulded. A smaller bit than is required was used first then the holes opened up with a 2mm bit (the instructions recommend a 1.6mm bit) 

 

The hole are cleaned with fine wet and dry rubbed over the roof surface. 

 

20190518_180617.jpg.83ef098f792de01b8b1d06be4df7f73e.jpgTorpedoes fitted. I am unsure whether they should stand up straight regardless of their position on the curve of the roof or they should be set 90 deg to the roof. I went with the latter. 

20190518_180646.jpg.bbcf01c8d1840c0a2618b7dc9314a82e.jpgA quick slotting together to check all looks well. 

20190518_181252.jpg.5ea372f2a1126e762630a6b900039715.jpgAnother item which appears overly complex are the guards look outs for the roof. There is a lot of flash in the opening which I needed to clear. It was sat in the vice and gently scraped away with a fresh blade. 

20190518_224932.jpg.0759fd5f441ca334a08c48b043faf890.jpgThis picture is out of sequence but shows a part that confused me a little. Her are the lookouts in place but now with wiper pivots either side. The instructions say to glaze the lookouts and use the filament to create a wiper blade! I need to hang fire as I will be priming the body prior to painting and will need to glaze after this stage. 

 

20190518_182454.jpg.44806b36699c0ce64402ba1d34f93443.jpgAfter mislaying the pin vice, this is the second set back for the project. I attempted to remove the rain strips from the sprue only to break the very first one. I promptly lost the big bit! I ensured I used a knife and not a sprue cutter for the rest! Each time I removed one strip I lightly sanded the flash away from the next rain strip in situ as trying to do this off the sprue would lead to more disasters!

20190518_183632.jpg.ccb2e376f3a538172a3ca37056915db9.jpgObviously the strips have to line up with the doors so the roof was placed in the correct position and taped in place (tape well away from the rain strip positions). There is an overhang at each end so I made sure these were equal at boths ends as the strips would be misaligned later.

The height of the rain strips was determined by the diagram provided in the kit which appeared to be on the curve. A set calipers was set at this height and gently run along the roof edge to scribe a line. This was done so gently as to be barely visible. 

20190518_184042.jpg.6df37f476a5fe0df97a1abf659f87ee8.jpgMasking tape was used to mark the position and the rain strips placed on with tweezers. These are so delicate!

 

20190518_224909.jpg.f484c348f85b89e4e5f67b0aad92a9c0.jpg

I began construction of the bogies but needed to let the cement cure completely before continuing (I forget to photograph this). Pipes were cemented to the ends just to finish for the evening. The second rain strip from this end is hand made from .6mm plastikard cut as thin as possible. Dependent on how fast you cut through the plastic, a curve is naturally put into the strip. 

 

Hope this is of some interest. 

 

Nos da. 

 

20190518_183640.jpg

Edited by westernviscount
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So the story continues. Onto stage 3 of the instructions which cover the bogies. This led to much head scratching and self doubt about my ability to complete this kit!

20190519_115315.jpg.e30b5b488dbfc635e89de57f99bddf3d.jpgThe two centre cross members are cemented in place onto one of the bogie side frames. The pivot is then loosely placed in the centre and the second side frame cemented in. I left these to fully bond before proceeding. The wheels were sprung into place and a quick spin highlighted a distinct wobble. 

20190519_115813.jpg.835c006873db500301bc3a557ad1e805.jpg20190519_115907.jpg.0af7b7976f2cf165daefd3c7c081d381.jpgTo correct the wobble and set the back to back at the same time I remove one wheel by hand and loosen the second. The back to back gauge is held tight against the wheel still on the axle,  then the second wheel is squeezed tightly onto the axle against the gauge. The axle is then pulled with the pliers to ensure the wheels are set evenly and to try to make the wheels sit true on the axle. 

20190519_141015.jpg.b303d446cdae0209ac1230328fd80df5.jpgThe bogie end plates are set in then the L girders between the wheels. This was fiddly but the length of the pieces are spot on and didn't require fettling. 

20190519_141120.jpg.2f1adea0ec935065e8281bf15254dca9.jpgAt this point the instructions turned a little vague....or was it my brain? The best I could decipher was there needed to be some sort of plate between the bogie and chassis and this was the part that seemed to fit nicely!

20190519_150218.jpg.47f6d275531bdcb4bc003f411763f63c.jpg

20190519_150200.jpg.25c55bace57aedc185845e0f2a1945af.jpgNow the bogies are mounted with the screws supplied and then the brake shoes put in. The mouldings are universal with one of the pips being removed to make them either left or right hand.

20190519_155728.jpg.bc7a8f81e7acbdbe347accfe27062c90.jpgAnd Viola!!! The damn thing's ride height is a full scale foot too tall! Much muttering ensued. The issue goes back to my vague grasp of the instructions when mounting the bogies. Luckily I never cemented the mounting plates in place to removed them and tried again. 

20190519_160228.jpg.b2e3a630a09e7be6078cf3a25d1cc08c.jpgRide height was corrected but a distinctive lean replaced the height problem. 20190519_160958.jpg.1d9620277dc19795c1d987a78928fbe0.jpgThere are two pips on the pivot outer circle which I needed to file away to allow the body to sit flat.

20190519_161127.jpg.32e8024759980c1b658b435bed0f7166.jpg20190519_161243.jpg.ce88f157e131611cc30c0a759dcad0de.jpgPhew, the height looks loads better and the lean has been corrected. And, I AM still enjoying this kit!!

 

Good night all!

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I found the completed van had a distinct tendency to wobble on it's bogies . The layout is ultra-minimum space - though it manages not to look it - clearances are often tight, and it had a nasty habit of clipping the bridge abutment as it left the fiddle yard . I had to tighten up the screws - which required a little effort to tackle this

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I concluded that the funny plates actually fit on the bottom of the bogies, but it takes a bit of head scratching to see how. There isn't then much space between bogie tops and chassis, but the buffer centres stand around 13.5mm above rail height, which is a good number as it should be 14mm max., equivalent to 3' 6''.

 

I may be barking up the wrong tree, but is your layout by any chance Bolton Trinity St., before the main building was demolished? If so I do remember that side platform being used often for parcels work, this would be back in the '70's.

 

John.

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On ‎23‎/‎06‎/‎2019 at 19:04, John Tomlinson said:

I concluded that the funny plates actually fit on the bottom of the bogies, but it takes a bit of head scratching to see how. There isn't then much space between bogie tops and chassis, but the buffer centres stand around 13.5mm above rail height, which is a good number as it should be 14mm max., equivalent to 3' 6''.

 

I may be barking up the wrong tree, but is your layout by any chance Bolton Trinity St., before the main building was demolished? If so I do remember that side platform being used often for parcels work, this would be back in the '70's.

 

John.

Sorry John this comment passed me by. The layout is a fictitious location. I took inspiration from the raised station building at Tysley but mine is a small terminus with single island platform. I imagine it to be like the branch from West Drayton to Uxbridge Vine street. It is set in 1970. My interest in parcels vehicle has outgrown the layout I am afraid and I have plans for a new one, perhaps based on a dark corner of a parcels only station, perhaps like Manchester Mayfield. 

 

Cheers

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Thanks for the clarification. I can see the resemblance to Tyseley very clearly now.

 

Funnily enough I spent yesterday afternoon putting most of the etched detail on my effort. What a performance! As SRman says the thing is really over-complicated, and there's no reason the large door hinges couldn't have been moulded. Still it looks fine when done, and I suspect mine will be getting a coat of SR green in due course.

 

John.

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I may be a bit late coming to this! However, I share the predilection for Parcels traffic, and requested a few relevant kits for Christmas. Just starting this one. I agree it seems over-complicated - I am dreading fitting the etched door handles. However, undaunted, I  am looking for this red monofilament. No sign of it! I suspect the conversion to Parkside. What diameter is it supposed to be? Many thanks for sharing your experience.

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1 hour ago, BampaOwl said:

I may be a bit late coming to this! However, I share the predilection for Parcels traffic, and requested a few relevant kits for Christmas. Just starting this one. I agree it seems over-complicated - I am dreading fitting the etched door handles. However, undaunted, I  am looking for this red monofilament. No sign of it! I suspect the conversion to Parkside. What diameter is it supposed to be? Many thanks for sharing your experience.

Hi @BampaOwl

 

It has been a while since I built this and it is "stored" at the moment. Is the monofilament used for the periscope lookout wipers? If so I think you would get away with .5mm brass wire. I might be way off of course. 

 

I hope this is of some help. I have the feeling my periscope wipers fell off after a post exhibition disaster when I dropped an entire stock box with contents spread nicely on the pavement!! I got away with it lightly I think. 

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25 minutes ago, westernviscount said:

Hi @BampaOwl

 

It has been a while since I built this and it is "stored" at the moment. Is the monofilament used for the periscope lookout wipers? If so I think you would get away with .5mm brass wire. I might be way off of course. 

 

I hope this is of some help. I have the feeling my periscope wipers fell off after a post exhibition disaster when I dropped an entire stock box with contents spread nicely on the pavement!! I got away with it lightly I think. 

Ooerr! Sounds nasty. The said red monofilament is also supposed to be used to retain (?) the battery boxes. I suspected .5mm wire would probably work, but thanks for confirming. They supply three lengths of wire, more than enough.

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12 minutes ago, BampaOwl said:

 

Ooerr! Sounds nasty. The said red monofilament is also supposed to be used to retain (?) the battery boxes. I suspected .5mm wire would probably work, but thanks for confirming. They supply three lengths of wire, more than enough.

I was able to dig out the van and the battery boxes use .4mm monofilament as you say and the vac cylinder rigging uses .6mm (using my vernier calipers) but my original commentary of the build says .5mm.

 

So, my calipers measure the monofilament as .4mm amd this I assume is used for the periscope wiper also. Mine are missing and in truth I dont remember ever fitting them.  

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