The Bigbee Line Posted December 25, 2019 Author Share Posted December 25, 2019 (edited) Merry Christmas Here in sunny Norfolk we are ready for a trip to the coast, no big trains today.. Before we go out I'm trying a 3 layer roof for my SECR van. Looking at the various pictures the roof is layered under the end eaves. So I cut 2 layers to length +2mm, then another layer at length +4mm from my best HMSO manilla index cards. This was then laid in a pyrex dish of water to soften up overnight This morning I found a piece of wood the width of a Parkside SR Van roof. The bars above the doors had been sanded off to let it be used as a former. The first layer was laid over with some weights to hold it down, Then a wipe of PVA, added the second layer, in a bit I will add the third layer... Edited December 26, 2019 by The Bigbee Line Cannot spell 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted December 26, 2019 Author Share Posted December 26, 2019 More random variety. While some adding some additional internal supports to the SECR roof, I need to wait for the PVA to dry... So looking round for a 5 minute job I chose the “Jugo”. I had dry run the brass buffers, but the spacing of the originals was too close. So yesterday I had used some styrene off cuts to create a headstock. This morning I created the holes and tried the buffers. Much better. Moving the buffers out lines them up with the sole bar, so maybe a compromise to make room for the springing. On the real thing, the buffer would have been self contained with rubber or steel springs inside... I’d also looked at fitting some better wheels. A quick axle length comparison showed that the Lima axles are a bit on the short side. So here’s the thing... I could kill more than one bird by splitting the underframe down the middle, allowing the axle boxes to be drilled out (leaving the moulded “RIV” on the bearing cover) for brass bearings. That would need the outer edge to be trimmed. As a byproduct the buffers might end up in the right position. So before I fit the headstock at the other end I’ll try it out. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted December 26, 2019 Author Share Posted December 26, 2019 (edited) The roof is on. Plus first coat of Shellac. I’ll trim to length after dinner. Edited December 26, 2019 by The Bigbee Line 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted December 27, 2019 Author Share Posted December 27, 2019 (edited) I’ve been trying out the manufacture of some T sections etc out of various cards. The favourite at the moment is a business card. Scoring down a 20mm wide strip gives something that bends cleanly. Two pieces then glued back to back onto some thin paper. After drying overnight it was trimmed and glued into position. A corner iron Views in position Finally a comparison... Edited December 27, 2019 by The Bigbee Line 3 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted December 28, 2019 Author Share Posted December 28, 2019 (edited) Pushing ahead with the SECR van, I’ve been trying different techniques to form the angles etc. The first end is being finished with “business card” as the material. However I am looking out for stiffer thin card to use for the other end. The other thing I was finding difficult is lining things up. The end stanchions look OK, but are slightly on the wonk. I used a “snap off” craft knife with about 50mm of blade extended, to slice underneath. Luckily the shellac did not bond too well with the PVA. So it pinged off easily. Then using a handy piece of wood and some plastic I made a jig.... That allowed better, more satisfactory fitting. The vent was next. Card was scored folded and glued... Staring to get there.... There is even a tail lamp bracket...... Edited December 28, 2019 by The Bigbee Line Forgot a few words 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted December 28, 2019 Author Share Posted December 28, 2019 With a coat of Shellac..... The pilot holes for the buffers and drawhook have been soaked in shellac. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted December 28, 2019 Author Share Posted December 28, 2019 Starting down below... Some thin card forms the cosmetic steel sole bars. To reinforce and support the body frame angles, where they extend below the body sides are some squares of card. Trying to get small pieces in position was a pain. By making them a small plank I could do some fine adjustment. Then trim up after it has been shellacked up. This is the re-cycled underframe. Now with the 4 supports in position, just needs to be fettled up as the PVA dries. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted December 29, 2019 Author Share Posted December 29, 2019 It rolls...... The “stanchion supports” have been trimmed and coated with shellac. My list for today includes: More stanchions. Buffers. Fix underframe. The other cosmetic sole bar. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted December 30, 2019 Author Share Posted December 30, 2019 (edited) Where the side stanchions extended down below the bottom edge of the bodyside, I wondered, were they bent at 90 degrees and then fixed to the solebar... So spent some time yesterday trying to find a suitable example. Here is a Swindon example... It is a piece of flat bar with 3 x 90 degree bends, 2 rivets at the top and a curious thing at the bottom where a couple of bits are riveted to locate the bottom part, most strange. That isn't what I was expecting, but actually easier.... Edited December 30, 2019 by The Bigbee Line Crap grammar Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted December 30, 2019 Author Share Posted December 30, 2019 Here is the first stanchion. I used some pre-shellaced high quality pre printed paper, which I believe is already treated with some china clay to stiffen it. If I can find some, I will let some superglue soak in as on another thread, that is used as a stiffener.... I know it's overscale, but when the same as the body colour is might look smaller. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted December 30, 2019 Author Share Posted December 30, 2019 No patience, that's me.. Here is the before and after of narrowing the stanchion. I used a steel rule as my fence for cutting. It needs more shellac then some fine tune trimming.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted December 30, 2019 Author Share Posted December 30, 2019 Here is one side with most detail added. The side angles are the stiff paper mentioned earlier. Quite pleased with the effect. 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted December 30, 2019 Author Share Posted December 30, 2019 The second end will receive finer end irons. “Fabbed” from the stiff paper. First make two angles.... Apply PVA and place on a piece of thin “till roll”.. Keep aligned with two steel rules...... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted January 7, 2020 Author Share Posted January 7, 2020 Card seems to be the medium of choice at the moment. In my head I had a project bumbling around... The LSWR derived Southern Bogie Ballast Hopper. I was attracted as a use for a Darstead Tank wagon underframe. So using some of my stash of re-cycled card I roughed out the body.... I think card with paper reinforcing angles in the joints will replicate the style of these hoppers. Here is a more modern version... I am setting the body to sit correctly on the under frame... More later... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted January 7, 2020 Author Share Posted January 7, 2020 I’m creating the top lip. Cutting a rectangular hole in a piece of card. The body sits in the hole upside down. A bead of thinned PVA is worked along the join. Then some paper strips are bent into angle and glued along each join. When it is dry a thick steel rule will be used as a fence to trim the edge. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted January 7, 2020 Author Share Posted January 7, 2020 Mr No Patience strikes again. I’ve rough cut of the surplus. Here sitting on the underframe. The rough top edge will “iron” out. Soften with some slight damping then clamp up overnight. When dry it will get shellac. 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted January 11, 2020 Author Share Posted January 11, 2020 (edited) The hopper is progressing. As it is really a prototype I’m making the channels on the side out of a solid piece of card. Really to see if it looks right. Here one side is clamped straight whilst the glue dries overnight. The moral is - You can’t have too many clamps.... Edited January 11, 2020 by The Bigbee Line Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted January 11, 2020 Author Share Posted January 11, 2020 (edited) How about this scene for inspiration..... Swanley in the early 80s. Taken from the rear cab of a Betteshanger to Cricklewood Coal train. I probably relieved at Ashford, Kent, then via Maidstone East and Otford Junction. Quite an interesting selection of wagons. Considering the pictures were taken on the move, the quality is not too bad, possible to read some numbers. The end of the 'GRAMPUS' shows the 'green triangle', nice. Edited January 11, 2020 by The Bigbee Line 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted January 11, 2020 Author Share Posted January 11, 2020 (edited) In the cold light of day.... It definitely has the look now. Today the chassis needs some work to allow the build to be fixed to the underframe. I'm busy with the angle grinder trimming the end set of tank supports from the underframe. As it's a dry day, outside and garden jobs might get prioritised. Edited January 11, 2020 by The Bigbee Line 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted January 12, 2020 Author Share Posted January 12, 2020 (edited) The Hopper continues... this one is a bit of a trial, with a couple of techniques being tried out. The biggest change with the second hopper wagon will be to complete the sides 'in the flat'. The sides at the moment have a mind of their own regarding curvature, especially when the first coat of shellac has been applied. But as the say 'I've started. so I'll finish'.... The stanchions (uprights) on the 'other side' of the first wagon will be actual channel section, fabricated by a middle strip of card, with two strips of business card to form the sides of the C section, here is the first attempt... and in detail The base is just a thin strip of card.. A small adjustable square is clamped ready to guide the piece of card... The card has some thinned PVA added and placed in position... Being card it is softened when the PVA is applied, so pressure to hold it in position needs to be gentle.. Some handy IKEA metal dowels are a suitable size and weight. A 6" metal rule and smallest clamp are also good... After 20-30 minutes I can add the last one, thank goodness. I know styrene could give an instant fix, but I resisted the temptation to 'cheat' with this one and to use as much re-cycled card as possible. The way to make 'output' more efficient is to have a couple of projects on the go at any one time. I will start the marking out of the second hopper this morning, as mentioned the stanchions and detail will be added 'in the flat'. In the meantime I will start building the first body around the die cast underframe, adding the chutes under the wagon and building up end detail. Edited January 12, 2020 by The Bigbee Line I added additional words for clarity 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted January 13, 2020 Author Share Posted January 13, 2020 (edited) Here are the channel sections, ready for some fettling. The width was set by using a piece of evergreen section as a former. It was a good technique. Edited January 13, 2020 by The Bigbee Line Spelling 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted January 13, 2020 Author Share Posted January 13, 2020 Work today, so only a little time for modelling. So bits of gluing etc. I’ve started building the body into the underframe. Weighing and glueing to get rid of unwanted bends. The channels have received a first coat of shellac. if they get another coat tonight they should be stiff enough to be trimmed tomorrow. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted January 13, 2020 Author Share Posted January 13, 2020 (edited) As something different I put a couple of coats of bauxite on the SECR Box Wagon. I used some 'Life Color Acrylic'. It brushes on well, has good coverage and seems to have a nice finish. I've still got some detailing to do, but like to have the base colour in place. In actuality as an early 50's overhaul at Ashford, Kimberley Wagon Works it was more likely to have been a version of SR wagon Brown... I am actually going to make a new underframe. The Slaters ex 9' WB Midland under frame has very deep sole bars and the axle guards are slightly dumpy, plus the fact that I got it in my head that it was a 10'6" wheelbase, when in fact it is 9'6"... Here is the paint... Edited January 14, 2020 by The Bigbee Line 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted January 15, 2020 Author Share Posted January 15, 2020 In the pictures of the previous post the bottom edge of the roof is 'on the wonk', I had a cunning plan up my sleeve, to add a continuous rain strip noted on DS1921 when seen at Eastleigh in 1950, when it was added to the MP list of wagons. Made from a strip of manilla card... So before.... and after... And a close up of the strip... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted January 15, 2020 Author Share Posted January 15, 2020 Next job has been to build the correct 9'6" wheelbase underframe for the SECR van. I started with a rectangle of styrene, then cut out for each axleguard. The first side is started.... Here with the strip that will back the false solebar... With 3 blobs of solvent... Pushed into place with a selection of nuts... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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