Wagon tarpaulins the easy way

[chuffinghell]

Basically paper mache for grown ups

Edited July 28, 2018 by chuffinghell

[cctransuk]

Basically paper mache for grown ups

 

Nice work - but a little word of criticism.

 

 

The tarpaulins should be much tighter - if the wind got under all those wrinkles and slack it'd blow up like a balloon when in motion.

 

 

The tarpaulin would be roped down, and there'd be taut lines in the canvas along the lines of strain of the ropes.

 

 

Any slack / folds would be carefully secured with ropes to ensure that no loose canvas could be caught on lineside obstructions.

 

 

I hope that this is helpful.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

[SRman]

With John's useful hints and tips in mind, I think chuffinghell's method would be entirely appropriate for ground-based covered loads. The folds and wrinkles do look convincing, albeit just not for moving wagon loads.

[chuffinghell]

Nice work - but a little word of criticism.

 

1.jpg

 

The tarpaulins should be much tighter - if the wind got under all those wrinkles and slack it'd blow up like a balloon when in motion.

 

2.jpg

 

The tarpaulin would be roped down, and there'd be taut lines in the canvas along the lines of strain of the ropes.

 

3.jpg

 

Any slack / folds would be carefully secured with ropes to ensure that no loose canvas could be caught on lineside obstructions.

 

4.jpg

 

 

 

I hope that this is helpful.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

Thanks John

 

Thought I’d have a go myself before buying the ready made ones available but your examples do look far better

 

I’ll experiment further and see if I can’t smooth out the wrinkles. If not I’ll look at getting the Roger Smith tarps

 

And tie them down

 

Chris

Edited July 28, 2018 by chuffinghell

[chuffinghell]

With John's useful hints and tips in mind, I think chuffinghell's method would be entirely appropriate for ground-based covered loads. The folds and wrinkles do look convincing, albeit just not for moving wagon loads.

I’d not thought of that!

 

I could position it next to the goods shed as loosely covered goods waiting to be loaded

 

Thank you

Edited July 28, 2018 by chuffinghell

[cctransuk]

...but your examples do look far better ....

 

 

 

Not my work !!

 

Just images harvested from a Google search.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

[Pinehill]

Not my work !!

 

Just images harvested from a Google search.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

Not my work !! Just images harvested from a Google search. Regards,John Isherwood.

For tarpaulin loads I use the paper sheets from Smiths. I wet them thoroughly with water taking care not to split or tear them when wet then squeeze out excess water & shape them around a load wetting again if necessary to hold the shape. Let them dry naturally & they then stay in their moulded position. Seems to work pretty well. See some examples attached. There is a tractor underneath the tarp on that wagon!

Cheers.

[Nile]

The current issue of Model Rail has an article about using the wrappers from Tunnock's Caramel wafers for tarpaulins. I tried it out on a Peco ng wagon. I've painted it Tar black, it could do with some weathering.

One wrapper should do six wagons.

[The Bigbee Line]

We called them sheets. Heavy and stiff.... quite an art to get them over the load and tied down. The load should really be strapped under the sheet. If a big load and 2 sheets were needed, the join was mage to keep it weather tight. Folding them after use was another fun job.

[chuffinghell]

The current issue of Model Rail has an article about using the wrappers from Tunnock's Caramel wafers for tarpaulins. I tried it out on a Peco ng wagon. I've painted it Tar black, it could do with some weathering.

 

 

105.JPG

One wrapper should do six wagons.

Thank you......for giving me a valid reason to stock up on Tunnock's Caramel Wafers

[Martin S-C]

I originally spoke with chuffinghell over the possibility of making the sheet removable so that a wagon could arrive loaded into a goods yard and depart empty. With this you cannot use ropes to tie the sheet down and they must be a little loose to lift them off and slot them over the wagon. In that regard chuffinghell's method looks best for me but with fewer wrinkles and more tautness.

[Mikkel]

I originally spoke with chuffinghell over the possibility of making the sheet removable so that a wagon could arrive loaded into a goods yard and depart empty. With this you cannot use ropes to tie the sheet down and they must be a little loose to lift them off and slot them over the wagon. In that regard chuffinghell's method looks best for me but with fewer wrinkles and more tautness.

 

I also went for the loose-fit option. You lose a bit of realism but I like the option of being able to remove them. It requires that they are self-supporting though. I've made mine from 0.05 mm alu foil (slightly thicker than the stuff you use in the kitchen), laminated beneath a print of the design I wanted and then treated with varnish and powders. 

 

 

[chuffinghell]

Second attempt using the same method but with newspaper instead of tissue.....nearly there?

Edited July 29, 2018 by chuffinghell

[cctransuk]

Second attempt using the same method but with newspaper instead of tissue.....nearly there?

 

Might I suggest that your loads are rather too high and rounded.

 

Try http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/gansg/9-loads/9-tarps.htm?showpage=true .

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

[chuffinghell]

Might I suggest that your loads are rather too high and rounded.

 

Try http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/gansg/9-loads/9-tarps.htm?showpage=true .

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

Thanks John, I think you’re right.

 

I’ll take your suggestion on board as I’m still experimenting

 

Chris

[Ray H]

John
 
I couldn't see any images on the page your link related to and trying to find other pages on the same site suggested that the host was no longer accommodating the site.
 
The site now seems to be hosted here.

[cctransuk]

John

 

I couldn't see any images on the page your link related to and trying to find other pages on the same site suggested that the host was no longer accommodating the site.

 

The site now seems to be hosted here.

 

Ray,

 

The link works for me - but your link produces exactly the same content.

 

Regards,

John.

[chuffinghell]

Might I suggest that your loads are rather too high and rounded.

 

Try http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/gansg/9-loads/9-tarps.htm?showpage=true .

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

[cheesysmith]

I wonder if you could use some thin stiff wire for the rope. This attached to the removeable tarp and hanging down to correct(ish) places.

[chuffinghell]

I wonder if you could use some thin stiff wire for the rope. This attached to the removeable tarp and hanging down to correct(ish) places.

Good idea, I’ll try that once I’m happy with the tarpaulins

 

I’ve got a few more methods and materials to try yet until I’m satisfied with the results

 

Chris

[Martin S-C]

I wonder if you could use some thin stiff wire for the rope. This attached to the removeable tarp and hanging down to correct(ish) places.

Yep, you could... but how would you store the sheet model when its not on a wagon? I can see these little wire "legs" suffering quite quickly. Unless you could find a very sturdy steel wire and keep them in a tupperware box of cotton wool.

 

Its all beginning to get a bit... fiddly.

[Skinnylinny]

Yep, you could... but how would you store the sheet model when its not on a wagon? I can see these little wire "legs" suffering quite quickly. Unless you could find a very sturdy steel wire and keep them in a tupperware box of cotton wool.

 

Its all beginning to get a bit... fiddly.

 

If the load were, say, a block of wood, to fill the bottom of the wagon, would this not support the tarp clear of the legs? I imagine the ropes would project a little way beyond the floor of the wagon, but it'd be better than trying to support the whole thing on them.

[Martin S-C]

If the load were, say, a block of wood, to fill the bottom of the wagon, would this not support the tarp clear of the legs? I imagine the ropes would project a little way beyond the floor of the wagon, but it'd be better than trying to support the whole thing on them.

But securing lines always go below the floor of the wagon, all the securing points are on the solebar or lower. A sheet would never go as low as the solebar in case it interfered with the workings of buffers, couplings, brakes, wheels, etc so in my mind this method will always give you a "spider" effect with vulnerable lines.

 

I am suffering a bit with my health at the moment and am in no frame of mind for modelling but when I am I shall have a play about. My first thought though is to do away with lines entirely and make up a sheet that the wagon wears like a hat, in suitably stiff and robust material, maybe heavier gauge aluminium foil.

[chuffinghell]

.......I am suffering a bit with my health at the moment and am in no frame of mind for modelling but when I am I shall have a play about. My first thought though is to do away with lines entirely and make up a sheet that the wagon wears like a hat, in suitably stiff and robust material, maybe heavier gauge aluminium foil.

 

In the meantime I'm happy to continue to experiment on your behalf, hope you get well soon

 

Chris

[chuffinghell]

Thicker tissue, saturated with watered down PVA first and the wet sheet draped over the cling film covered wagon