46444's Blog

I remember those articles in RM and still have my sand tippler, vacuum brake and 'top flap removed' versions in a box somewhere. I must admit I also left the bar across the top of the side door, probably the article was a bit misleading and we didn't have Paul Bartlett's pictures.... Or the internet!

 

This looks like a fun project.  I'm doing one in 7mm from an old kit.

 

You might find useful snippets here:

 

Can I be a bit pedantic, looking at the brakes, in the picture shown, that should be the clutch side (compare to the linked photo).  I have got my brakes back to front countless times. 

 

1mm brass strip should be about right for the tie bar.  Attaching it is another story.  I think CA is about the best bet.  The existing W iron keeper will need to be removed.

 

John

There were lots of rebuild methods. The full rebuild has the bottom of the sides curved under -Bachmann do this.

 

Your original would have been fine for the type of simple rebuild where the alteration was to remove the top door and weld a steel sheet in place https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brmineralweld/e3dc0fa4c

 

Paul

1 minute ago, hmrspaul said:

There were lots of rebuild methods. The full rebuild has the bottom of the sides curved under -Bachmann do this.

 

Your original would have been fine for the type of simple rebuild where the alteration was to remove the top door and weld a steel sheet in place https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brmineralweld/e3dc0fa4c

 

Paul

Couldn't edit. Should add that not all had the turned under bottom, such as https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brmineralweld/e2eb19b1f

 

PAul

Hi Mark,

 

Attached are some photos that I took at the Ribble Steam Railway in 2013. They are of B575554 which was built with Morton unfitted brake gear by Pressed Steel in 1956. Its condition at Preston shows it to have been rebodied at some point and also given four shoe fitted brake gear with two brake cylinders. These were, I believe, to be of slightly different diameters but under a 4mm wagon I wouldn't worry too much about that! The more puzzling aspect for me about such an arrangement is that, unlike their 21T counterparts with two cylinders there is no changeover lever for loaded/unloaded conditions nor a self-adjusting brake to achieve the same result. Perhaps Paul could come up with an answer.

It had obviously spent its final years carrying spent ballast for the civils as it has the twin cuts in the sides to prevent overloading. It also has a distinctly non-standard end-door stripe! As Paul has mentioned it shows the curved bottom edge to the side which was a feature of many rebodies. The end-door is at the 'wrong' end compared to when it was built where on the clutch side of the brake gear the door would be to the left. Also note that the tie-bar between the axleguards is made of angle and not flat strip and the hand levers also have reinforcement for part of their length.

Coincidentally there is a photo of B569425 from the same Pressed Steel lot in BR Wagons Volume 1. It is in traffic use in 1978 and shows all the features of B575554 apart, obviously, from the cut-outs and that odd white stripe.

Hope this helps.

 

 

 

 

David

David, thanks for the pictures, very useful indeed.  I am building a 7mm MCV mineral wagon with clasp brakes, so these are going to be very useful.

 

Vacuum cylinders were 21" and 18" dia.

 

The tie bar is also interesting.  L section brass is available.

 

John

22 hours ago, Ramblin Rich said:

I remember those articles in RM and still have my sand tippler, vacuum brake and 'top flap removed' versions in a box somewhere. I must admit I also left the bar across the top of the side door, probably the article was a bit misleading and we didn't have Paul Bartlett's pictures.... Or the internet!

 

 

Thanks Rich. Glad someone also remembered those articles. I wonder who the author was and which copy they were published in. Very inspirational for the time. 

 

Kind of brings back happy memories of a more inoccent time. 

 

Be good to see your conversions by the way. I'm contemplating a few Iron Ore tippers in the near future. 

 

Cheers, 

 

Mark 

22 hours ago, brossard said:

This looks like a fun project.  I'm doing one in 7mm from an old kit.

 

You might find useful snippets here:

 

Can I be a bit pedantic, looking at the brakes, in the picture shown, that should be the clutch side (compare to the linked photo).  I have got my brakes back to front countless times. 

 

1mm brass strip should be about right for the tie bar.  Attaching it is another story.  I think CA is about the best bet.  The existing W iron keeper will need to be removed.

 

John

 

Evening John, 

 

Thanks for your indepth reply. Very useful and thanks for all the info. 

 

In some ways it's a bit of retro modelling using the old Railway Modeller article as inspiration. These old Airfix kits have their place still and perhaps a good place to start kit building. Everything other than glue, paint and patience is there.

 

Thanks for the tip re: tie bars and also the brake levers. 

 

Cheers, 

 

Mark 

21 hours ago, hmrspaul said:

There were lots of rebuild methods. The full rebuild has the bottom of the sides curved under -Bachmann do this.

 

Your original would have been fine for the type of simple rebuild where the alteration was to remove the top door and weld a steel sheet in place https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brmineralweld/e3dc0fa4c

 

Paul

 

Thanks Paul. 

 

I never knew such a simple conversion existed. Definitley one to model and a nice 16T variance. 

 

Cheers, 

 

Mark

21 hours ago, hmrspaul said:

Couldn't edit. Should add that not all had the turned under bottom, such as https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brmineralweld/e2eb19b1f

 

PAul

 

A very useful picture Paul. 

 

Thanks for the link. Much appreciated. 

 

Cheers, 

 

Mark

5 hours ago, DavidLong said:

Hi Mark,

 

Attached are some photos that I took at the Ribble Steam Railway in 2013. They are of B575554 which was built with Morton unfitted brake gear by Pressed Steel in 1956. Its condition at Preston shows it to have been rebodied at some point and also given four shoe fitted brake gear with two brake cylinders. These were, I believe, to be of slightly different diameters but under a 4mm wagon I wouldn't worry too much about that! The more puzzling aspect for me about such an arrangement is that, unlike their 21T counterparts with two cylinders there is no changeover lever for loaded/unloaded conditions nor a self-adjusting brake to achieve the same result. Perhaps Paul could come up with an answer.

It had obviously spent its final years carrying spent ballast for the civils as it has the twin cuts in the sides to prevent overloading. It also has a distinctly non-standard end-door stripe! As Paul has mentioned it shows the curved bottom edge to the side which was a feature of many rebodies. The end-door is at the 'wrong' end compared to when it was built where on the clutch side of the brake gear the door would be to the left. Also note that the tie-bar between the axleguards is made of angle and not flat strip and the hand levers also have reinforcement for part of their length.

Coincidentally there is a photo of B569425 from the same Pressed Steel lot in BR Wagons Volume 1. It is in traffic use in 1978 and shows all the features of B575554 apart, obviously, from the cut-outs and that odd white stripe.

Hope this helps.

 

 

 

 

David

 

Hi David, 

 

Great images and most useful.

 

Those door shots have given me a few ideas. The L section tie rods are interesting. I wonder whether 'L' section plastic strip would fit the bill?

 

Cheers,

 

Mark 

38 minutes ago, 46444 said:

 

Thanks Rich. Glad someone also remembered those articles. I wonder who the author was and which copy they were published in. Very inspirational for the time. 

 

Kind of brings back happy memories of a more inoccent time. 

 

 

 

The gentleman was called Keith Allen and the articles were published in Railway Modeller at intervals between November 1980 and January 1983.

 

David

9 hours ago, DavidLong said:

 

The gentleman was called Keith Allen and the articles were published in Railway Modeller at intervals between November 1980 and January 1983.

 

David

 

Thanks David. 

 

Not the Keith Allen? 

 

I'll have to find some copies of these articles. 

 

Cheers, 

 

Mark