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Inspired by Brent June 1947


The Fatadder
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  • RMweb Gold

I am about to start on another wagon project, having just sourced 5 Cambrian Mermaid kits.  These were a BR development of a 1930s GWR design (actually built by Met Cam).  Unfortunately the kit doesnt include the required components for the GWR build, I have already built one wagon which used brakegear out of my scrap box.  This time I need to find a different solution, so will need to see what is available for brake assemblies and brake leavers from the trade.   My thinking given the small number of wagons I will have available is that it will be representing a minor working, returning from an engineers possession with 6 empty Mermaids and a similar number of loaded spoil wagons. 

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  • RMweb Gold

A little more research on the Mermaid project:

So far I have found 4 photos to work from, Figure 129 and 130 in Russell Freight Wagons and Loads shows 100011,100015, 100020 and 100025 being unloaded at Roath one year after construction in 1931.

There is a photo of 100013 in BR condition in 1978 on Paul Bartlett's website, and finally there is a 1948 photo taken in Taunton on Flickr here https://www.flickr.com/photos/bristol_passion/15884229210

 

Modifications needed:

Fit Lanarkshire Models GWR buffers 

The areas shaded in red need to be removed from the ends 

Convert to unfitted Morton brakes, the supplied brake leaver than be modified for reuse (helpful given the odd shape).  I need to find either an etch or a casting for a 12ft set of Morton brakes.  After looking on the Wizard website I have yet to find something suitable.

On the solebar there is a redundant second V hanger on one side which needs removing, while the V hanger on the other hand needs changing to a standard V.  Fortunately the photos in Russell have two wagons next to each other which are opposite ways round. 

 

One area I have yet to verify is the screwlink clamp hanging from the solebar.  I think I have read previously that these were a BR addition, they cant be seen in the Russell photos (however they would presumably be in use given the wagon is unloading).  While I havent managed to find a photo in GWR days side on which is not unloading.  The photo of  100013 does show the screwlink, however it is in BR condition.

 

 

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So Tesco delivery sorted and back to the trial panel. 
 

Seven layers plus detail bricks make up each panel. Almost prototypical thickness and makes for a robust wall even in 4mm scale. 

 

478943FE-2555-4333-BC03-0A5B7C6280D1.jpeg.e15703a1d315d4c44738e425d5774bbb.jpeg


Inside

6C5E7F61-DA78-4296-8462-8FB2961CA457.jpeg.84f65e632b2f76b260578498908d8778.jpeg

 

and outside

31220DC5-0FDD-49A8-AA4A-653B78056756.jpeg.94ea98c1690b31a63a480ffcfbc929c1.jpegB10BC744-7C62-415B-ABB7-E2EC0F3478F6.jpeg.e541c643729632cb6196470be802491e.jpeg

 

I stuffed up the detail brick overlays so will add those tomorrow. 
 

A couple of tweaks needed but I’m pretty pleased so far. 
 

 

 

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  • RMweb Gold

Lots of progress on the Mermaid project, the next 5 wagons have all had the bodies built up, including the modifications to the end removing the BR operating linkages. 

I did make a silly mistake on the first (thinking I know what I’m doing I don’t need to read the instructions.). Net result I glued the floor below the fitting line not above, so it wouldn’t fit on the separate chassis.

With 5 bodies built (and converted to GWR spec), I started on the chassis.  The Cambrian mermaid has always had a reputation for being a pain in the backside to build. It has rather lived up to that reputation, the parts for the chassis are difficult to align and take a while for the bond to cure.   
I also found the old plastic was a little brittle, and had a 50% failure rate cutting off the BR buffers (which will eventually be replaced with the appropriate casting from LMS)

Still need to make 3 more chassis, add weight to the bodies and some minor repairs to the prototype build

I will also need to find a source of 12ft Morton brake etches or casting, having looked at Wizard and Ambis I’ve had no luck so far.  I guess I could draw it up and cut out on the silhouette cutter.

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006DDB2F-CFCE-4EA5-9D16-D9EDF50739A6.jpeg

8C7DDDFF-8FBA-45ED-A15D-72761FB73208.jpeg

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  • RMweb Gold

With the basic chassis together, last night I cracked on with adding the supports for the body and the associated rollers etc which allow for the side discharge. 

2BF38F73-8FA8-4E10-BE84-38012EB5D8C7.jpeg.6628fbd5f82316ec99ed4dcfaa1161cb.jpeg

And with that the fleet is now up to 3 wagons, while the core of the chassis for no 4 has also been glued together.    I will draw up the brakes this evening (which I am planning to us the silhouette to cut from two layers of 20thou plasticard.)

 

2 more chassis to go....

 

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  • RMweb Gold

The six chassis are now built, with detailing added to number 4 this evening while the final two dry.

I did run into another issue, i had planes to modify the Cambrian brake leaver intended for the vac braked BR wagons to fit the Morton brake GWR design.  However it’s too short (even once shifted to the centre of the wagon). So I need to draw a new brake leaver as well.  (Which will be rather fragile in 20thou plastic.)  no one makes this design in brass as far as I can tell (with the large kink in the end to clear the opening mechanism 

281CCDC4-1C05-4DFD-8F29-15810E3376FD.jpeg

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  • RMweb Gold

A little more work last night and the wagons are now as complete as they can be until the missing components have been sourced.  

 

The top of the chassis was painted (along with the underside of the body) before gluing the two together, a V hanger was added to the non brake side before mounting one of the Cambrian brake leavers.

 

It is now waiting on delivery of the buffers from LMS, and the Morton brakes i still need to draw up.  Once the buffers are fitted it will get painted (the brakes can follow later).  

 

What I do need is some more photographic help please,

Can anyone confirm if there is a side on photo in either the latest release of Atkins or Russell's a Pictorial of Great Western Wagons.  I have looked in my older release of Atkins along with the two Russell wagon books that I have copies of (the appendix and the loads book), so have seen the photo of the wagons unloading in the latter.  But I really need to see a closer view (ideally from the 40s) showing the side of the wagon.  I want to confirm the lettering, positioning of said lettering and ideally whether they had been repainted with the later small GW over number livery.

5E2EA447-5B59-409E-B386-537E8D1BB6C2.jpeg

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8 minutes ago, The Fatadder said:

If I ever talk about building more of these someone needs to throw something at me!

 

It's safe to say that on here, we get you.

Don't ever say it to your significant other. They often find it hilarious to take such statements literally....

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There is one picture in Russell Pictorial Recird of GW Wagons of 100015 at Hook Norton in 1945. It is a front three quarter shot with good end detail and a reasonable view of the side without the brakes. This one retains the large lettering.

 

The same photo is in Cheona GWR Wagons before 1948 volume 1, along with another of the opposite side of the very same wagon in BR livery.

 

Mike

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  • RMweb Gold
56 minutes ago, 37079 said:

There is one picture in Russell Pictorial Recird of GW Wagons of 100015 at Hook Norton in 1945. It is a front three quarter shot with good end detail and a reasonable view of the side without the brakes. This one retains the large lettering.

 

The same photo is in Cheona GWR Wagons before 1948 volume 1, along with another of the opposite side of the very same wagon in BR livery.

 

Mike

Thanks, one day I will find a reasonably priced copy of that book as its a pretty big omission from my library.  (that said the wagon plans one is more pressing at the moment).

I hadnt heard about the Cheona books, so will be keeping an eye out for those as well.  (Although they also seem to be going for silly money now).   

 

 

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The chassis mouldings look brittle even on my phone screen. I've built enough old Ratio Open A's to know that making my own door drop springs is far less frustrating than trying to cut the kit ones from the sprue.

You both clearly have more patience than me!

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  • RMweb Gold
7 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

I built one Mermaid.

 

Just the one.

It’s a shame it was never revisited with one of their one piece chassis (I’m assuming the cost of a one off tooling and the awful RTR model killed it off).  The design of the chassis is just awful, and even on quite old production kits the tooling appears to be shot given them amount of flash.  
 

That said I think this is a perfect example of a kit where a white metal chassis would have been the perfect choice, in that it would have given more weight lower down where you want it.   Such a shame that the Flangeway model was so poor (with a solid lump for the chassis on something which is so distinctively see through).

 

Still they are done now, although the research has now opened up another question in that Atkins (original edition) refers to them being used originally for transporting material to a land slip on an embankment as opposed to ballast.  No idea when that changed (but I’m assuming BR days) so I will keep them empty and not worry about a ballast plough to go with the working...

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  • RMweb Gold

A few small jobs tackled on the layout tonight , with the first 7 ratio ground signals glued into place (should have been 8 but I broke the disk off the last and promptly lost it on the floor while trying to reattach it.)

 

I have glued the first section of the rear bank in place, once this is dry I can continue across the rear of the platform.

 

Finally the cattle dock has been moved inside to finish the painting.

 

I would really like to get on with ballasting, but I’m concerned about the Klear setting in the cold garage once the heater has been turned off.

 

 

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  • RMweb Gold

After a couple of days of struggling to find something that I want to work on, before remembering the half finished cattle dock.  Today after the arrival of a couple of packages I have far more to work on than there is time...

 

An order from LMS has arrived with the buffers for the Mermaids, which will allow them to be semi finished (with the exception of the brakes which I remain undecided as to how I will tackle) 

 

My Comet order also arrived with the bogies and wheels for the TPO and also some Markits crankpin washers so that I can finally fix the rods in place on 4707 and push that towards completion.

 

I also have the final bufferstop to add protecting the headshunt to the west of the up platform.  On the prototype this was a gravel trap which finished just before the Vicarage Road bridge.  However thanks to the necessary alignment changes which were required to get the plan to fit my garage, the bridge had to be slightly moved.  Net result the headshunt now passes under the bridge rather than terminating before it and the plan needed changing to add an additional set of buffers 

 

Over lunch today I made some good progress on the cattle dock, with the newer timber built half completely rebuilt to repair the damage caused when painting the stonework.  This is now awaiting the timber parts painting.  While the earlier half of concrete / metal construction is now fully painted with the exception of the wooden gates which will be finished with the rest of the woodwork.  The gates are not right for the prototype, however they will have to do for now at least.....

 

 

 

 

 

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That sounds like progress in any number of directions, I have been dealing (that's probably an exaggeration) with a similar situation, materials and parts have arrived, namely 5 thou plasticard strip, 3 link couplings (which I prefer to fit before assembling the buffer beam) and several sets of roof ridges etc. 

I will be watching with interest to see the cattle dock progress though. I am still trying to decide how big or not the cattle dock should be on my layout. 

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