S7 scratch building

[kitpw]

17 minutes ago, airnimal said:

I don't know if it is ink or paint

Thanks.... it's listed as an acrylic ink at Jacksons Art (which is one of the few suppliers that I can reach on a walk - almost everything comes by delivery nowadays).  I'll give it a try, the ink I'm using dries on the nib too quickly and flows too well, causing a few blobs here and there. The detailed description on Jackson's website says that Magic Colour is water soluble but dries waterproof - so ideal. The dip-pen/nib I use belonged to my grandfather so probably dates to the 1900s - maybe I should upgrade that too while I'm about it!  

 

The cattle wagon is well up to your usual exemplary standard... an inspiration for sure.

 

Kit PW

[airnimal]

Glad to be of help with the ink, one of the reasons we are all on here.

I have found my white metal vacuum pipes which I will probably use because they are so well cast. I don't think I could make them myself from brass that good. 

I have glued on the axleboxes and springs and painted the roof. If I keep going at this rate I could finish everything this weekend. I am pleased at the fit of the roof. Now I will spray on some matt varnish and fit the buffer heads and couplings.  Does anybody know if vacuum pipes were painted a different colour than the body colour ? I seem to remember that the ones on the LNWR were painted red.

[Mol_PMB]

Presumably it is just vacuum piped rather than vacuum braked? If so, the pipes should probably be white. 

I say probably, that was certainly the practice in later years but not sure if it was the case in your time period. 

Red pipes would indicate a vacuum braked vehicle. 

[Compound2632]

1 hour ago, Mol_PMB said:

Presumably it is just vacuum piped rather than vacuum braked? If so, the pipes should probably be white. 

I say probably, that was certainly the practice in later years but not sure if it was the case in your time period. 

Red pipes would indicate a vacuum braked vehicle. 

 

A vacuum (or Westinghouse) braked wagon of this period would undoubtedly have had clasp brakes. However, I'm fairly sure the distinction in colour of fittings belongs to a much later period.

[airnimal]

The NSR wagon book states that these wagon had " through train pipes ". 

I don't have a very technical mind set to understand much regarding brakes. I am just a simple model maker and not much else. I much prefer a simple wooden brake block acting on one wheel. I don't do modern !

 

I have drilled both ends for these white metal pipes and cut a length of brass tube to connect them together.  Before I glue them and paint them can anyone say if this is right or not. 

[Mol_PMB]

That certainly looks plausible for a through-piped wagon. 

 

[Caley Jim]

A through piped wagon means just that.  The brake pipe ran through the wagon, but didn't activate the brakes.

 

Superb work as always, Mike.

 

Jim

[airnimal]

I have decided to paint the pipe with black from a rattle can. I won't glue it yet just in case I have repaint it later. I came to fit the buffer heads only to find the cast buffer bodies had been drilled off centre. I bought them at an exhibition years ago already drilled and wasn't expecting them to be drilled by hand. I wished I had checked them before I glued them to the body. I may still replace them because they are not good quality with poor bolts lacking any definition.  The only thing I could do was turn a small brass sleeve and to counteract the offset and glue them in. They are not perfect but they are better than they were because one was pointing up and one was pointing down.

I have still to make up the screw couplings and then weather everything.

Edited July 11, 2021 by airnimal

[airnimal]

 I have decided to make replacement buffer bodies even if I don't use them. I have a bag of solid white metal buffers that I have cut the heads off and drilled to accept steel heads. I have drilled them in the lathe so they will run true. I have cut the blobs of metal that were meant to represent bolts and will replace them with Masterclub bolts. I could have turned brass bodies but being lazy I will use these bits rather than throwing them away.

[airnimal]

Looking at the photograph in the NSR wagon book of this cattle wagon taken at Market Drayton shows it heavily lime washed around the bars but not much on the solebars. So I have done the same on my model which won't be to everyone's taste but the photographs don't usually lie. So that is about that for this model, still the screw couplings to do but I don't think I will do a lot more to it. 

 

I will start tomorrow on the mammoth task of deco................... anything to keep the peace. I knew I wouldn't win.

 

[Compound2632]

36 minutes ago, airnimal said:

Looking at the photograph in the NSR wagon book of this cattle wagon taken at Market Drayton shows it heavily lime washed around the bars but not much on the solebars.

 

I think that's right. The limewash was applied inside the wagon and leaked out through the grills or slats, so would drip over the side rail but the solebars would be in "shadow". Some dripping onto the axleboxes through, perhaps? I think there's just a hint of that on the one axlebox visible in the Market Drayton photo?

[airnimal]

I thought I had finished but when I glued the pipes on the ends and the brass tube joining them together but I found the tube to be vulnerable to handling.  So I glued some 60 thou black plasticard underneath to form a channel to protect the tube. It's not noticeable from normal viewing angles so I can live with it. I have fitted the screw couplings as well. I am not sure if they are of the right type but they are all I have. 

[airnimal]

Going back to the buffers I cleaned up some of the castings and drilled a washers that slips of the base of the bodies to act as a drilling jig. It was easier then to get them with the holes in the right place before putting the Masterclub bolts in. These will go in stock for some more NSR wagons with the  3 bolt pattern. 

[Adam88]

On 13/07/2021 at 09:46, airnimal said:

... for some more NSR wagons ...

 

Looking forward to the next instalments.

Edited July 14, 2021 by Adam88

[airnimal]

While my better half decides what colour she want the rooms painting and which one first, I managed to slip out for the day to source new parts for forthcoming projects.  

I had run out of wagon and coach wheels so I had a run out to Slaters at Darley Dale to pick up supplies.  I spent a very agreeable hour sitting out side the works talking railways with David White and a couple of his staff. 

 

So I have stocked up on wheels and axles plus I came away with a brass casting for a Manning Wardle fluted safety valve to go on my little industrial tank. David said he has hardly sold any of these which surprised me because of how popular these little locos are. 

 

Anyway I got out of painting today which was a bonus. 

[airnimal]

I am pleased with my parts from Slaters today as well as the natter with David White. 

I decided that I wouldn't start any bid modelling jobs but a little play wouldn't do any harm. 

So I cleaned up the safety valve and polished the top before dunking the lower section in Birchwood chemical black. A quick rub with a cotton bud and it looks brilliant. 

Edited July 15, 2021 by airnimal

[daifly]

You might have to go back to Darley Dale - the 3'7" spoked coach wheels (7127) are FS not S7! Or was that deliberate?

Dave

[airnimal]

Some people don't miss a thing. 

 

Funny you should say that because that's what I had to do.   I picked up the parts and left and went for a coffee just down the road. I sat with my drink and had a look at my parts only to find David had given me a set of  S7 3' 6" wagon wheels. I had ordered 10 sets of S7 wheels and one set of F/S wheels. 

One set is for a  friend who has not yet seen the light. 

 

 

[airnimal]

Until the Lady decides what colour she wants the rooms painting, it would be be rude not to utilize the time to tinker in the workshop. 

 

Taking the plastic saftey valve off leaves a large hole in the top of the firebox. Unfortunately the new brass casting doesn't cover completely over this hole. So I cut a piece of 10 thou black plasticard out to cover over the space. This I then screwed to the saftey  valve with a 12 BA but and bolt. Later when the good Lady has arisen from her slumber and had breakfast, I will paint this round part with the green body colour. 

[airnimal]

Joy of Joy's I have been given the day off from dec..........    Do some modelling today said the boss because she's off shopping. I may be some time... Do I wait until she is out of hearing range before jumping up and down. 

 

Anyway I taped the plastic washer to a curved brass tube and placed it in boiling water to pre curved it before spaying it with body colour.  The top of the safety valve was sprayed with clear lacquer and then they were screwed together.  Now I will fit the fine scale wheels for my friend's wagon. 

[airnimal]

With nothing to report from my own bench I can now show what came in the post this morning. 

With thanks to Graham  Beare and his son Peter and Chris Brown I have got enough parts for many more projects.  The quality is excellent and I hope I can do them justice. Will I be able to punch all those rivets out without making any mistakes ? The other alternative is to drill out all the holes and fit Masterclub rivets ? Which ever way I go this one will be for a clear head and no interruptions. 

The plates for the tank wagon are a particularly fine example of artwork and etching. 

 

I haven't started the dreaded dec...........  life has got in the way of everything just lately but mainly  grandchildren and other family matters. I am just grateful I have such a lovely family. 

[Mol_PMB]

That looks a superb rectangular tank - I look forward to seeing it come together! 

[airnimal]

Despite saying I am not going to start anything new until after the dec...............

My good lady has gone to lunch with the girls leaving me with strict instructions not to start anything household without her permission.  Well would I ever ?

 

It would be rude to disagree  so I had a look at the etchings that came this morning to see how easy or hard it would be to do the riveting. Before I started to emboss the rivets , I pre rolled the curved top plate to the shape of the ends.  I cautiously tried a scrap piece of nickel of nearly the same thickness to gauge the depth of the rivets mindful of the the piece I was using hadn't got the half etch dimples. The test piece went well so with heart in my mouth I set off on the tank top. There was a little hiccup near the start where I didn't quite support the sheet enough which has made a little ripple but I think it will it will be fine with a bit of attention.  There is just the matter of the several hundred more to do now with the same level of success.  Easier said than done. 

[Western Star]

The "bigger" rivet in the middle of the top plate is to mark the centre of the piece so giving you a start when thinking about the filler.

 

What wagon diagrams go with the LNWR plates?

 

best wishes, Graham

Edited July 20, 2021 by Western Star

[airnimal]

Well after getting off to a good start everything went down hill rather rapidly.  A couple of misplaced rivets were never going to be easy to disguise on a wagon so plain. So I decided to file the ones off that I had already done and drill out to take Masterclub rivets. This is going to be a long job. I tried some .6mm rivets but they looked a bit weedy. So I have used a larger diameter drill and will use .7mm ones instead. 

 

I knew this wasn't going to be easy because I tried several times to scratch build this wagon. I gave up after messing up the rivets on multiple sides. I don't think there is any thing worse than a model with badly applied rivets. 

 

Graham, the numberplates are for Diagrams 1, 2, 14, 32,   There could be some more but I am afraid I don't keep good records being a bodger and with such a poor memory doesn't help things.