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Variations on Parkside's PC81 GWR Open Wagon Kit

WillCav

Entry posted by WillCav in GW Wagons

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I have a bit of a problem with plastic kits. I don't often follow the instructions - I like to see if there are similar wagons I can make.

 

I think the Parkside choice of making an O11/15 5 plank open wagon is a good one. So many kits are of wagons that you only really need one of, this one makes over 12,400 wagons!

 

Looking in Atkins et al, there are a few other diagrams that are similar:-

O11 use the kit non-vacuum

O15 use the kit vacuum

O18 as O11 but sacktruck door

O20 as O15 but 12ton rated

O22 as O11/15 but sacktruck & Moreton brake

O23 as O11 but sacktruck & Moreton brake, no sheet rail

 

There are 3 more variants (O3/9/14) that could also be done if you're willing to scrape off the diagonal bracing and replace with 'hockey stick' shape ones. O3/9 also need the side angle bracing made into flat strip.

 

Even without these more difficult conversions, we get an additional pool of 6,436 wagons with O18/20/22/23.

 

Here are the modifications:

 

1. Sacktruck door

This is where the bottom plank of the door is angled out to make it easier to wheel things over the hinges from a loading platform.

Take the sides of the unbuilt kit and slice up the sides of the door one plank from the bottom - I used a razor saw.

20210620_143156.jpg.958bada47619fd0ff7b9148e0d82ddb1.jpg

Deepen the groove above the bottom plank on the inside, and bend the plank out to the jaunty angle.

 

This moves the edge of the floor out as well, so file that back between the hinges. (Not shown in photo below as I only realised at the end.

Glue a spare bit of plastic behind the back of the door level with the rest of the side, I used 40thou square.

 

 

2 Morton brake

Don't add the triangular bits to the ends of the solebar (keep them in your spares box for other wagons).

Add Morton hand brake levers- I used ones from a peco O29 kit as they were for 9' wheelbase, other ones can be used but may have to be cut and shut to be the correct length. 

I fit everything to the solebars when they are separate as I find it less tricky.

 

 

 

3 vac or non-vac

O22 was a mixture. If vac, add a vacuum pipe at the ends (Parkside, you forgot this)

 

 

4 Sheet Supporter Bar

Best to check on photos as not all were fitted and some were removed as they were allegedly kept on other Railways under common user arrangements as they were better!

If you do omit it, don't forget to remove the fixing on the ends and fill the hole.

 

5 Offset V hanger

This is suggested in Atkins for some O11/15s. The diagram on the parkside packaging shows it. I've researched and only found a few photos of any. If you stick to the large blocks of numbers built by outside builders for the GW then you will be safe with central V hangers as provided.  My guess is that some of the early GW lots used secondhand or pre-built underframes and some were offset.

 

Here's an O22 ready for the paintshop.

 

20210627_110504.jpg.7cd8ed6f31e68cf19b07f20d38a012a4.jpg

 

Hope this gives you all some ideas for increasing the breadth of your wagon fleets.

 

Thanks for reading

 

Will

Edited by WillCav
Improving photos, typo and adding line about sheet Supporter bar fixings, 2nd edit, another typo, 3rd edit, a further typo

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Siberian Snooper
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Excellent work and very opportune, as I have just taken delivery of a few kits and can add some additional variation.

 

 

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Compound2632
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I bought some of these chiefly to use the sheet rail parts to improve Coopercraft O4s. I've built two up as O11 and O15 in 1950s condition; the sacktruck door modification may send me back to the others. Parkside kits are generally superb but on this one I couldn't really get on with the buffer heads and the spring door-stops, components that are victims of a slight mis-registration between the two halves of the mold. You seem to have made a good job of the buffers but the step on the door-bangers is still very obvious. After much scraping and filing, on the second one I built I gave up and made some from brass strip.

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WillCav
8 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

... Parkside kits are generally superb but on this one I couldn't really get on with the buffer heads and the spring door-stops, components that are victims of a slight mis-registration between the two halves of the mold. You seem to have made a good job of the buffers but the step on the door-bangers is still very obvious. After much scraping and filing, on the second one I built I gave up and made some from brass strip.

Compound,

 

I cut the buffer heads from the sprue with too much plastic on them and drilled out the holes a little. When glued and set, I could then file them to shape without them pinging off.

 

I had to file the door bangers to get a good fit between the solebar projections. Definitely easier to fit before the solebar is attached to the floor. The mould lines are still there but hopefully some more filing and painting will help.

 

Thanks

 

Will

 

 

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WillCav

Hi all,

 

I've now found a better way to make the sacktruck door.

 

1 Cut along below the door separating the section of floor edge with the hinges on. Keep this bit for stage 3.

 

2 Cut the sides of the bottom plank, deepen the groove on the back and bent the bottom plank out as before.

20210709_190046.jpg.222a3589aa49b1c2a75ce02e2d4a4b60.jpg

 

 

3 Now that the door is bent out, glue the little bit back where it was

 

20210709_190000.jpg.445844b0022c7753c299ef6b88d1dc86.jpg

 

This is a bit more accurate than what I did on the first one.

 

Will

Edited by WillCav
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