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A Parkside wagon build: LNER fitted van


Guest WM183
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My Parkside LNER van:

 

P1010001-001.JPG.d834bf02e73a00ff0a23c5e336a44945.JPG

 

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I'm a stickler for safety loops and I'm mystified as to why kit manufacturers ignore the topic altogether.  There's a loop on the left hand pull rod as well.  If I have 1mm brass strip I will use that.  In this case I think I used 0.032" (0.8mm) phosphor bronze wire.  PB is malleable so can be shaped easily.  Note the connection from the vac pipe to the cylinder.

 

John

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Thank you! This will help me a lot. I have the Tatlow LNER book, but the drawing of the LNER clasp underframe in there is a bit "busy" to clearly see some things. Are those Dapol couplings?

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Underframe views are always useful I think.  I've used various couplings on my wagons, and I do think Dapol are great value.  I can't remember what these are.  I've tried Slaters which allegedly work, but they are a faff to assemble.  Recently I did a JLTRT kit and it took me 3 hours to assemble the lost wax brass coupling.  I'm certainly not going to mess about winding up the screw.

 

The vacuum pipes are Slaters.  They have flexible springs for hoses.  These can be stuck to the holder with a bit of black tack.  You can't paint them but after a couple of coats of varnish have been applied to the wagon they droop quite realistically if detached from the holder.  I dislike WM cast vac pipes, I think they are overscale. 

 

John

Edited by brossard
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1 hour ago, brossard said:

I dislike WM cast vac pipes, I think they are overscale.

Agree with that: I've tried loads.

 

I tend to put something inside the Slaters ones to try and prevent them gatting snagged and stretched out of shape - plus you can then "shape" the spring hose 

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I just leave them alone.  As said, after varnishing (my wagons always get a coat of glosscote prior to transfers and a coat of dullcote afterwards) they look realistically droopy.

 

Get a pack of spare springs.  I have snagged them a time or two.

 

John

Edited by brossard
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I guess it is a subjective thing.  I'm sure there are people who don't mind them at all.  I have upgraded them at least once by removing the hose, creating a stub and installing springs. 

 

As for couplings, Parkside are annoying in that they usually supply 3 links despite the model being fitted.  They do usually supply a ABS plastic instanter link.  Being fussy, I prefer the Slaters instanter coupling pack.  I model BR in the early 60s so most of my wagons are AVB fitted.

 

John

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  • 2 months later...

I just wanted to add an update and say that the wagon in question is complete! My Dapol screw link couplings arrived today, and they have been installed and all works wonderfully. I added the safety loops, some brake lever braces, and a few other small detail bits that the kit omitted for some reason, and compensated one end with a pivot of heavy wire. Thank you all very much for the help! The 2nd wagon kit - a Southern 8 plank open - will be here next week. 

I am unsure about the vaccuum pipes however; do they both go one the same side of the wagon end, so when viewed from one end the hose is right of the coupling, and from the other end is left of the coupling? Or should they always be on "one side". Also, are they in a certain position relative to the center line with relation to the vaccuum cylinder? Too late to make changes on this one if I have gotten it wrong, but I think my next kit will be a fitted BR standard van from Slaters', so would like to be sure i know.

389YukE.jpg

 

BbzTV2f.jpg

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27 minutes ago, WM183 said:

I just wanted to add an update and say that the wagon in question is complete! My Dapol screw link couplings arrived today, and they have been installed and all works wonderfully. I added the safety loops, some brake lever braces, and a few other small detail bits that the kit omitted for some reason, and compensated one end with a pivot of heavy wire. Thank you all very much for the help! The 2nd wagon kit - a Southern 8 plank open - will be here next week. 

I am unsure about the vaccuum pipes however; do they both go one the same side of the wagon end, so when viewed from one end the hose is right of the coupling, and from the other end is left of the coupling? Or should they always be on "one side". Also, are they in a certain position relative to the center line with relation to the vaccuum cylinder? Too late to make changes on this one if I have gotten it wrong, but I think my next kit will be a fitted BR standard van from Slaters', so would like to be sure i know.

389YukE.jpg

 

BbzTV2f.jpg

Regarding pipe position. Both ends will be identical. The pipe will change sides somewhere. 

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Yep, the pipe will crossover but not always in the same place.  The outlet of the pipe to the "bag" is located at an offset from the coupler plate where it would be secured by a bracket of some sort.  I use wire bent into a hook and glued into plastic pads.

 

Here's a bad picture of a part built Parkside van showing the pipe:

 

P1010086.JPG.893d05734004a8fbfe763f35afb540b6.JPG

 

You can see the plastic pads and the wire hooks.  Also note the wire connection from the cylinder to the pipe.

 

This is the finished van showing the vacuum pipe and buffer beam:

 

P1010092.JPG.d30b61f162fe3e368cf1a0e5f5162003.JPG

 

The vacuum pipe is from Slaters.  I dislike the heavy whitemetal castings supplied by Parkside.  The vacuum pipe set from Slaters also includes lamp brackets.  These are cast brass and can actually be used to hang lamps.  The plastic lamp brackets will most likely break if you try to do that.

 

John

Edited by brossard
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On 13/11/2019 at 14:54, WM183 said:

Hi folks.

I went ahead and did a 3-wheel compensation type modification as this seemed simplest and easiest to conceal with a minimum of fuss. The pivoting axle doesnt roll quite as nicely as I believe I'd like, but some more fettling here and there can likely solve that. Now I need to figure out how to do the safety loops under all the brake bits while still permitting disassembly to work on axles and such if required, and do some more weathering. It was preshaded, painted with Vallejo model air acrylics, and then given an oil wash so far. 

Criticisms welcome!

Amanda

vIiKcQt.jpg

 

iV4RII1.jpg

I’ve a part built fruit van with brake work and safety loops on a plate between the axles. I’ll get it finished. 

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Git'r'done Ernie.

 

I forgot to mention that your van looks good Amanda.  Special props for doing the safety loops.

 

My wagon building techniques have evolved over the last 3 years, the LNER van was done 3 years ago, the Fruit van last week.  Yet I still managed to get the brake rods on wrong. :rtfm:  I fixed them by cutting them off and regluing in the correct position.

 

John

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4 hours ago, The Bigbee Line said:

Regarding pipe position. Both ends will be identical. The pipe will change sides somewhere. 

Not on LNER wagons, they are handed.. This is true for the other Companies and BR. This is clear on my LNER photos - this one shows on the left. https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/lnercoveredmerchandise/e23db13d5

 

Paul

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2 hours ago, hmrspaul said:

Not on LNER wagons, they are handed.. This is true for the other Companies and BR. This is clear on my LNER photos - this one shows on the left. https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/lnercoveredmerchandise/e23db13d5

 

Paul

Paul

 

Thanks for the tip.  Is it true for the different workshops: Doncaster, Darlington etc.  I will now get drawn to this when I look at Pictures.  I did note that later wagons have low level pipes.  It would be good to be able to unravel the builders logic..

 

From a reality check point of view I would have a couple of observations:

 

The LNER handed pipes as illustrated, it puts the pipe directly above the coupling.  Other companies pipes are to the left hand side (proved to be wrong on that one I expect), so would cross over at some point under the wagon.. I did find one vehicle with the pipe appearing under the headstock on the right hand side and then running up and over the hook to the left hand side..

 

shark.jpg.fe9954366b9d803892dc92abe42435e6.jpg

 

Never a surprise..

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, hmrspaul said:

Not on LNER wagons, they are handed.. 

 

Paul

Funnily enough I just bought a brake van from a slaters kit and at first thought the pipes were on the wrong side (right of the hook as you look at them) but checked your site and saw evidence of that. Sounds like one end is wrong tho!

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i'm coming to the conclusion that if there is an upright vacuum pipe then it may be handed - for example the BR Shark - because they can be designed to end up on the centre line above the coupling.. https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/sharkzuv  

Although in conservation (thus risky to quote) this BR built LMS van has handed pipes https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brlmsvan/e5fcca86b  https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brlmsvan/e5fcca88b   https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brlmsvan/e2743354d

 

Paul

 

 

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HI all. I'm a bit relieved to hear my brake pipes are OK on this one. However, I'm not quite done just yet as I've forgotten lamp irons! I'll bend a few up from scrap brass I think. 

 

I've also changed the thread title as suggested.  This has been a productive little thread! 

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Gasp, oh no!  A Jinty would be a better fit for LNER stock.  There is no affordable RTR LNER loco AFAIK. (I have a J39 and J50 from Tower but the price is a bit eyewatering).  I have Dapol's with sound and it is superb and a very decent price too.

 

Parkside do an LNER brake van, Slaters as well.  I recommend the Slaters since the step hangers are cast brass, Parksides are plastic and not strong.   I fabricated brass step hangers for all my Parkside brake vans.

 

John

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Hi Brossard,

Such a wagon would certainly wind up on GWR rails from time to time, yes? While not in the common user pool, the van might still travel west, it would just need to head back to LNER rails ASAP? I was planning to get one of those wonderful Dapol pannier tanks to see if 7mm might be for me.

Edited by WM183
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You are right of course.  Post nationalization anything goes really.  In the grouping era less so I think.  Rule 1 applies here as in everything.   I just think that there is just too much GWR stuff and I'd like to see people look beyond.  In the end it is your choice.  My friend does GWR so I have messed about with panniers and built a lot of GWR wagons.

 

While wagons from all the companies could be found on trains, brake vans were always from the same company as the loco.

 

John

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