Ratio Bogie Bolster A kits

[Andy Keane]

9 hours ago, watfordtmc said:

Judging by images of loaded Macaw’s, the stanchions were left in place in nearly every instance.  In your specific case, the stanchions would be the only thing that would stop the load from rolling off the wagon as further layers were loaded onto the base layer, and also would keep the load in place until it was chained up.

 

Even once the load was chained in place, realistically no one was going to take the stanchions out and as they themselves seem to have been chained to the wagon you’re going to have to model them somehow.

 

The plastic stanchions will be vulnerable, and the brass ones will damage you… and there’s, apparently, a reason why Masokits* are so named, but on a family website…

 

Regards (& good luck with the stanchions…)

TMc

05/01/2022

 

* and when I ran the spell check on this reply, it wanted to change Masokits to something quite unsuitable for RM Web!

 

Yes I have concluded they need to be there - I will start with the plastic ones but do that last of all. I am currently struggling to get my Kadee couplers onto the bogies which is proving a faff.

[mike morley]

Now the job is done, any more thoughts on the question of the width?  If you were to build another one, would you tackle that, too?

[cctransuk]

40 minutes ago, Andy Keane said:

Yes I have concluded they need to be there - I will start with the plastic ones but do that last of all. I am currently struggling to get my Kadee couplers onto the bogies which is proving a faff.

 

Depending on how fussy you are about the stanchions being highly detailed, you MAY still be able to obtain those for the Airfix / Hornby wagon as a spare.

 

They are moulded in black nylon and are indestructible; Peter's Spares MAY be able to assist - I bought loads of them some years back.

 

CJI.

[Bernard Lamb]

Try 51L Wizard Models for stanchions and shackles.

No connection, just a satisfied customer.

Bernard

[Andy Keane]

2 hours ago, mike morley said:

Now the job is done, any more thoughts on the question of the width?  If you were to build another one, would you tackle that, too?

I think the width hardly shows but it could be done - it would mean shaving the central part out of the buffer beams and then filing the floor edges off. I am not sure if the bogies would then be quite happy either and might need some work - however wheels would not be an issue - I am using metal wheel sets from peter's Spares and these are a bit narrow for the bogie kits so I have added Peco brass bearing cups. I am still deciding on the stanchions.

I guess in my view on most model railways length is always the thing I notice rather than width or height. Indeed if I really cared about width I would not be using OO track but would shift to EM or P4 with all the agro that entails. But I am obsessing about getting the correct scale length to my station despite the fact the result is physically pretty unwieldy.  I'm in reality a bit of a coarse modeller and just work to the best level I can knowing full well I will never attain "Pendon" standards.

Andy

[cctransuk]

1 hour ago, Bernard Lamb said:

Try 51L Wizard Models for stanchions and shackles.

No connection, just a satisfied customer.

Bernard

 

https://www.wizardmodels.ltd/shop/wagons/abw/

 

They do look nice, and reasonably priced.

 

John Isherwood.

[Andy Keane]

34 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

 

https://www.wizardmodels.ltd/shop/wagons/abw/

 

They do look nice, and reasonably priced.

 

John Isherwood.

I think the trouble with these etched stanchions is that in the Ratio kit the sockects they go in are not on the wagon but on the moulded stanchions themselves, so if I used the brass items I would then have to think about how to model the sockets, or combine the Ratio sockets with the brass stanchions - just too much pain.

[Iain.d]

The Ratio wagon has a multitude of faults. Some easy to correct, others less so.  With what I have learned since completing mine (off RMweb) – its about 8mm too short and 3mm too wide! The bogies while based on a prototype are far from accurate.

 

For the bolsters I glued them (complete) to the sides then chopped off the plastic stanchion and carefully drilled out the sockets and inserted .5mm brass wire. I could and should have made some sort of shackle representation. I carved off the side loops and bent some brass .5mm wire into a loop, drilled the holes in the side, threaded on a chain loop and secured it with a spot of glue behind the frame/solebar.

 

 

I discarded the plastic truss rods and used .5mm brass for the rods and .8mm tube for the queen posts.

 

 

There's about 80gm of, cut to size, lead sheet on the underside for weight. The floor didn't line up so the gap is covered with a shim of plastic card.

 

 

Buffers are from Lanarkshire Model Supplies. Wheels by Hornby.

 

 

Some chopped up matchstick to represent old dunnage and a couple of Roxey shackles.  I will add some chain when I get it. Home produced transfers - I guessed the design and location from internet searches and looking at RTR wagons.

 

 

If doing another one – highly unlikely – I would try and correct the length and width issues and use the Wizard stanchions.

 

All that said, I’m happy with mine, I think it looks okay.

 

Kind regards,

 

Iain

Edited April 1, 2022 by Iain.d
Spelling. Reload photos.

[Andy Keane]

Just the chains and stanchions to go now:

Edited April 7, 2022 by Andy Keane

[Andy Keane]

37 minutes ago, Iain.d said:

The Ratio wagon has a multitude of faults. Some easy to correct, others less so.  With what I have learned since completing mine (off RMweb) – its about 8mm too short and 3mm too wide! The bogies while based on a prototype are far from accurate.

 

For the bolsters I glued them (complete) to the sides then chopped off the plastic stanchion and carefully drilled out the sockets and inserted .5mm brass wire. I could and should have made some sort of shackle representation. I carved off the side loops and bent some brass .5mm wire into a loop, drilled the holes in the side, threaded on a chain loop and secured it with a spot of glue behind the frame/solebar.

 

 

I discarded the plastic truss rods and used .5mm brass for the rods and .8mm tube for the queen posts.

 

 

There's about 80gm of, cut to size, lead sheet on the underside for weight. The floor didn't line up so the gap is covered with a shim of plastic card.

 

 

Buffers are from Lanarkshire Model Supplies. Wheels by Hornby.

 

 

Some chopped up matchstick to represent old dunnage and a couple of Roxey shackles.  I will add some chain when I get it. Home produced transfers - I guessed the design and location from internet searches and looking at RTR wagons.

 

 

If doing another one – highly unlikely – I would try and correct the length and width issues and use the Wizard stanchions.

 

All that said, I’m happy with mine, I think it looks okay.

 

Kind regards,

 

Iain

What a lovely model - I think I may steal your idea about the stanchions - brass wire will be much more robust than the thin bits of ABS in my kit.

Interestingly you have a tare of 6-7 while I am at 16-0!

Andy

[Iain.d]

Thanks! Yours is coming together well.

 

I think your 'tare' is closer to right. I always thought mine was wrong, but 6-7 is what the drawing on the instruction shows.

 

Kind regards,

 

Iain

Edited January 6, 2022 by Iain.d
To add something

[Andy Keane]

1 hour ago, Iain.d said:

Thanks! Yours is coming together well.

 

I think your 'tare' is closer to right. I always thought mine was wrong, but 6-7 is what the drawing on the instruction shows.

 

Kind regards,

 

Iain

The sketch drawing in the wagons book certainly says 16-0 and looking at the list of other bogie macaws with similar capacity they are all around the 14-16 ton range.

Andy

[Andy Keane]

Finally finished my pair of Macaws:

 

Edited April 7, 2022 by Andy Keane

[MrWolf]

I've got three of these, due to be loaded up with felled spruce logs (cracked willow sticks cut with a razor saw and given a minute in the microwave) I think I'll sack the plastic stanchions (before I inevitably break them) and fit 0.5 rod, @Iain.d  thanks for the tip!

 

 

 

Edited January 13, 2022 by MrWolf

[Andy Keane]

The various waterslide transfers on mine came from a mixture of suppliers - the key issue being the height to get them to fit if you plan to get some. Also the chain was "fine chain" from scale model scenery - they do a "very fine chain" which was is too fine given what photos show of these wagons when loaded. Finally I found the bogie kits are a little too wide if using metal wheels and brass bearings as the wheel sets I could get were slightly narrower than the plastic ones in the kits, but much nicer when installed.

[MrWolf]

It's turned out really nicely and will  sit well on the layout Having had fun and games in the past trying to replace those fifty year old plastic wheels, I used top hat bearings and Bachmann wheels. That solves the problem. The rest of the revamped Ratio range seem to have metal wheels, perhaps width is an issue that Parkside / Peco haven't sorted out yet? 

BTW my experiments with fumigating the timber loads apparently

"Made the house smell of cooked stick". 

Possibly a sentence that hasn't been heard in quite that way before.

 

[Andy Keane]

9 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

It's turned out really nicely and will  sit well on the layout Having had fun and games in the past trying to replace those fifty year old plastic wheels, I used top hat bearings and Bachmann wheels. That solves the problem. The rest of the revamped Ratio range seem to have metal wheels, perhaps width is an issue that Parkside / Peco haven't sorted out yet? 

BTW my experiments with fumigating the timber loads apparently

"Made the house smell of cooked stick". 

Possibly a sentence that hasn't been heard in quite that way before.

 

I painted my dowels with a dark oak wood stain that leaves a slighty satin and geasy finish if applied thickly which is not a bad representation of fresh creosote on a telegraph pole. Took ages to dry on a radiator top!

[MrWolf]

One of mine, as yet unfinished, loaded with the infamous cooked stick. They may have their faults, but I like them and they're not too big for a branch line.

Without them, we have a few large capacity RTR and maybe some expensive brass kits?

 

Edited January 13, 2022 by MrWolf

[Andy Keane]

Yes, good size for a branch. My pair will be in keeping with the rest of my goods wagons.

Are they disc wheels on yours?

Andy

[MrWolf]

No, they're Bachmann eight spoke type. I've got some three hole disc wheels, but for prewar models that I am building they're only really of use on LMS wagons not inherited from pre grouping companies.

[Andy Keane]

Right, I used eight spoke wheels as well - could not tell from your photo.

ANdy

[MrWolf]

Admittedly a lousy photo. I've lost the ones that I took when I posted the build on my thread.

[Andy Keane]

Have now been and weathered my macaws on the Missenden course. Now a bit less in your face. Before and after:

 

Edited April 7, 2022 by Andy Keane

[MrWolf]

I meant to say that I used brass "top hat" bearings in the bogies on my models, eased in by a drop of MEK in each hole, that took up enough of the slop to allow Bachmann wheels to run smoothly.

Your wagon looks really good now, I really must get mine finished!

[Andy Keane]

On 05/03/2022 at 19:55, MrWolf said:

I meant to say that I used brass "top hat" bearings in the bogies on my models, eased in by a drop of MEK in each hole, that took up enough of the slop to allow Bachmann wheels to run smoothly.

Your wagon looks really good now, I really must get mine finished!

If I were doing the bogies again I too would put in brass inserts - I think they do help.