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Adventures in O gauge - First Class kits LNER 8 shoe open merchandise wagon


Boris
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Considering how long you said it had been since the 20 had last run I thought it behaved rather well earlier.

 

A few tweaks and it should be even better still

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Considering how long you said it had been since the 20 had last run I thought it behaved rather well earlier.

 

A few tweaks and it should be even better still

I think a really good wheel clean and some oil and it should be a reasonable runner.  I think it wants some use as well, giving it a really good running session would help it all settle down.  I seem to remember it should also have had working tail lights, so I'll find out why they aren't working as well at some point.

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  • 3 months later...

So, after a little bit of doing naff all railway related - building 1/56 stuff for wargaming doesn't count - I'm back to building my first proper O gauge kit for a number of years a Piercy models LNER 21 ton coal hopper which should eventually look a little bit like this:

 

https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/br21thopperrivet

 

This is part of the coal portion of the goods train for Spital Bridge, the Whitby MRC club layout I am currently involved in building:

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/132288-spital-bridge-whitby-mrcs-7mm-urban-blt/&do=findComment&comment=3087298

 

These hoppers were distributed by DJH for many years but seem to have gone out of production recently, which is a shame as they are an absolutely superb kit, combining whitby metal for the chassis and etched brass for the body.  A hours work tonight has resulted in a rolling frame which was tacked with slow drying superglue so it could be squared up on a glass sheet and then soldered once the glue had set.

 

So this is the basic frame elements put together and free rolling, square and a little bit of oil on the journals.

 

post-4569-0-64337400-1534880212_thumb.jpg

 

This will now be put to one side so I can have a smoke and a pint.  The brake gear on this wagon is quite straight forward although the clearance behind the wheels is a bit tight, and as with a lot of these hoppers the clasp brake gear is only on one side.

 

The instructions are very comprehensive with some good diagrams and pictures and the etched hopper overlays are positively pornographic.

 

post-4569-0-72580800-1534880494_thumb.jpg

 

More on those later, hopefully there will be a little bit more progress later this week.

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Well, it looks like I may have found a small mistake in the instructions, there is apparently a small cross member a bit back from the headstock that the exploded diagrams and instructions show going in upside down!  The brackets on the underframe are right, the instructions are wrong, confirmed by looking at the one I built several years ago thinking about now I remember and went out and looked at the real thing.

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After a few busy days at work I have had the chance to sit down and push the underframe on a bit further, I've had a look at some photos of the real thing and there is quite a bit of variation in things like safety hangers so I've gone with what I like the look of.

 

The V hangers are folded and affixed along with the brackets which are for the bottom door handles, these are part of the V hanger etch, locating them is quite straightforward as one leg fits snugly either side of the stretcher on the inner frame.  You also need to add the cross shaft for the handbrakes, this will be reduced to the correct length before I go on much further.  The next 2 jobs are to add the very small brackets on the shoe clasps and make up the handbrake levers, which have a casting affixed to the bottom which is filed to shape to give the correct definition to the handbrake levers.

 

post-4569-0-44902500-1535315006_thumb.jpg

 

The distinctive LNER clasp brakes are added along with the wheels afterwards you add the operating mechanisms, the clearances for which are quite tight.

 

post-4569-0-14467700-1535315016_thumb.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

Its been quiet for a little while because I have been busy with work and family stuff but now things have settled down I have managed to get a little bit more done to the frames on this coal wagon.

 

Handbrake levers have been fitted, these are quite interested being an unusual shape and on the kit the thickened end is a white metal casting filed and sanded to the correct profile, it looks naff at the moment but once it has been painted it should look reasonable.  I quite like the distinctive LNER handbrake levers, even if they don't sit correctly at the top of the rack.  The rack is also missing a hook at the top which retains the handbrake lever, its not represented on the kit so something suitable will be made up and attached.

 

The more observant will also notice the clasp brakes have had the straps fitted, and in the flesh the whole set up looks really smart. 

 

Finally the door operating mechanisms have been fitted with brackets etc (the one on the left is straight despite the photo!), the horseshoe looking bits on the shafts are the operating catch for the working bottom doors on this model.  They are currently not soldered to the cross shaft to allow for adjustment once the body has been fitted, likewise the operating lever will sit at a much more prototypical angle once the body is on and everything can be correctly set.  Next jobs are to sweat on the etches for the end platforms and look at buffers and couplings.

 

To be honest I don't really like the buffers that come with the kit and am looking at some nice brass Markits once, I have also found the supplied Instanter links overly large for the drawbar so I shall have a think on that and decide what to do, I think three link couplings may be fitted as they are most useful on the layout I intend to run the wagon on, It's the most practical choice even if Instanters are correct.

 

post-4569-0-64637900-1536074106_thumb.jpg

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There were a couple of pairs of these kit's going for sale on the Bring and Buy at Telford. On Saturday the asking price was £90 for two kits but I noted that they were still there on Sunday and had been reduced to £80 the pair. I didn't get a chance to check later in the day to see if they had sold.

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There were a couple of pairs of these kit's going for sale on the Bring and Buy at Telford. On Saturday the asking price was £90 for two kits but I noted that they were still there on Sunday and had been reduced to £80 the pair. I didn't get a chance to check later in the day to see if they had sold.

£90 was a bit steep unless the wheels were included, I'd have had them at £80 though, they are great kits.  I keep checking ebay but no luck so far.

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For what it is worth in 2008 these kits listed on DJH price list for £46.98 inclusive of VAT. Slater's wheels were £7.44.

 

Not sure whether you are building an LNER version or the BR follow on. Either way the kit is representative of the Hurst Neilson build.

The instructions however are generic. The angle brackets (42) on the ends should be toes to the outside thus parts (43) face inwards. Don't over do part 44 or at least vary the location. The bang plates were sometimes countersunk riveted and not always fitted to the sloping plate. The etched bracket (36) should only be on the R. H. End on each side, not the left hand end.

 

Check your wheel rims don't short out on the inner frame as this can be an issue with dcc.

 

Regards

 

Alan

 

Maybe I'm just a tight arse....

 

Seriously though thanks for the advice, I'm quite lucky in that I have access to a real one of these so it gives me something to refer to, even if it is quarter of a mile from the modelling bench!  I am debating what to do with that rather nice etch patch panel with all the rivets on it, although as this is going to be tending towards being 25ish years old by the time I'm modelling it I am debating a welded repair instead for a bit of variety.  I don't think I will be using all the hammer plates, if I even fit them, looking at the photographs I have they seem almost to be the exception rather than the norm on these wagons.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Okay, so a little more progress has been made in the past month, the basic body shell has now been completed and the overlays fitted.  This is a four part body formed up as a basic rectangle and then the overlays - two on the ends and one on each side and skirts are added on the lower body sides.  You then fit the internal angle to give the two silos in the hopper itself and add the working discharge doors.

 

Really the body overlays are only tacked on at the moment and require soldering together properly and the panel lines dressing nicely.  I have dropped the body into the frames for the photos, I know its not really sat straight but this is because its only slotted in rather than properly fitted and fixed, it does sit down properly with a little bit of tinkering.

 

post-4569-0-05379800-1538509701_thumb.jpg

 

post-4569-0-51842600-1538509686_thumb.jpg

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  • RMweb Gold

When last listed on DJH website these went for £55 A pop wheels extra. I brought the last 6 riveted ones and 1 welded version. I have seen them go for £60-70 on eBay before... I'm keeping mine for an investment lol I'm sure one day they will earn me more than money in the bank will ;-)

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When last listed on DJH website these went for £55 A pop wheels extra. I brought the last 6 riveted ones and 1 welded version. I have seen them go for £60-70 on eBay before... I'm keeping mine for an investment lol I'm sure one day they will earn me more than money in the bank will ;-)

Out of production model railway stuff is becoming a sound investment choice these days!

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  • 3 months later...

Don't worry folks the coal hopper is still progressing slowly, although a large wargaming commission landed on my desk so that has taken priority for the past couple of months, but now I can finally get back to some nice 7mm modelling.  First off the bench after Christmas is a project I have been playing with for several years.  I am a big fan of early containers and have now finally managed to assemble 3 suitable wagons and containers to run on the new Whitby O gauge layout in one of the goods trains.

 

post-4569-0-05541900-1546944819_thumb.jpg

 

More coal hopper progress to follow in the next week or so.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Now, I realise when I look through this thread I have been quite remiss with my updates regarding the coal hopper, family stuff got in the way at the time although I did continue to work on it.

 

Since the last update I have added the brackets to the body side and the handrails to the ends.  I found the supplied couplings and buffers to be a little poor so I have replaced them with off the shelf Slaters ones which will be fitted once painting has been completed.  Now, there is a definite issue with the cast body brackets here in that they are slightly too short to fit correctly and stand a mil or two off the underframe, despite quite a lot of fiddling with the body position.  This is I believe a defect from new as the instructions show the photos of the finished kit to be suffering from the same issue - not to worry, a little filler and some weathering and nobody will be any the wiser.

 

As suggested before you need to do the research and get the end details right as they varied from wagon to wagon and really you need to look at photos on the interweb and model a specific wagon.  The light in the room at the moment is terrible so photos will appear in the not too distant future.

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So, having finished playing with toy soldiers whilst in lockdown I have returned to O gauge - despite a quick rest to make up some Hod containers about 6 weeks ago for Spital Bridge.

 

Now first off I have had this Heljan 25/1 for the best part of a year and have been trying to put enough money together to get it numbered at TMC, and after biting the bullet I did it myself using Fox transfers, ok, so its not 100% pro finish but I am happy with it.  Because our club layout is going to be set in the mid 60s when these locos were quite new I have removed the air brake pipes as these weren't fitted until around the mid 1970s, leaving the multi cable, vac bag, steam bag and 2 control air pipes, I know this is about right having found a photo of D5176 at Malton in the mid 1960s, this is also one of the reasons I went for the loco number, I can prove it worked in the local area early on.  To finish it off I am waiting for 2 55A (Leeds Holbeck) shed plates, and then this can go back in the box pending weathering.

 

1.jpg.4b9e3f82b3e88113f4a1e6bddbe99ae8.jpg

So, on to my main project, in this case an MMP dia 1/108 mineral wagon - the standard BR 16t mineral wagon from MMP.  I paid a little extra for the preshaped body as the top lip has the look of a bit of a pain to fit.  First off are a couple of shots of whats in the box, including some of the excellent detailed instructions.

6.jpg.a622101e2c3e1f616eb2894d2c3d6cfa.jpg

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3.jpg.4d87cf34160c368cef923196c56476e3.jpg

 

This kit comes with pre rolled phsphor bronze springs that will actually work as the wagon ambles over your trackwork.

 

So far I have folded up the headstocks which are part of the top frame and made up the inner solebars and the 2 cross members. This kit is increibly finely engineered and the basic frame parts just slot together and will stay in place in their slots without solder, which is fine until you try and turn the thing the other way up.  So I have slotted one solebar and the 2 crossmembers together to show how it goes together intending to put it together properly and solder it up later.  I like the idea of soldering this as a single entity (the instructions say do it seperately) but if you do it this way you can be 100% sure it is fitted correctly and square.

2.jpg

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Now this is interesting.  I had a go at this kit some while ago and fell down when it came to making the springs work.  I ditched the chassis and wound up using the Peco chassis kit.

 

The body was no cakewalk but I managed that.

 

I shall be watching as you get the springs to work.

 

John

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Somewhere amongst the blogs on RMweb is an account of building the kit so the springs work. 

If I remember it involved thinning some of the leaves.

They are very good and accurate kits and make up a super model but they demand care. 

I have built several and still have two 8 shoe to build they will be interesting. 

Nick

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That link is great.  Ian is a craftsman alright.  Despite building many etched kits my skills were not there for this kit.  I remember trying to thin the leafs but Ian's method looks very good.  I simply couldn't shoehorn them in.

 

Anyway, history now.  I have 3 MMP mineral wagons with Peco chassis.

 

John

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Thanks guys, that link is well worth looking at, especially the trick with the springs, that might be the future for me.  I made the glass wagon a few years ago and that has a working handbrake, I am tempted to do that with this one but that is a long way off.  My soldering isn't as neat as Ians.

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A little more progress, the underframe reinforcement plates have been added to the wagon as have the coupling assemblies.  The couplings are made up from a 6 part laminate and filed/sanded to a pleasing rounded shape and then fit through the headstock (adding a plate on the headstock first), you then add a spring and backstop to the drawhook so it has a little movement in and out.  Now this all orients round a plate that sits in the channel between the inner frame members and is to be honest a total pain to shape and fit, but you get there eventually.  The kit includes 6 buffer springs which are lovely and long, the idea being that the spares are good for the drawhook as well, although they are overly long so cutting one in half gives 2 springs an ideal size for the drawhook giving you a spare spring for when one of the buffer springs flies off into the carpet.  Ok, my soldering isn't mega tidy, I have to clean a fair bit off when I finish, but I'm getting there and the kit goes together really nice.  And for the first time ever I have the drawbar spring working correctly on an O gauge brass model.  Yes, the retainers on the drawhooks are a little bit wonky, but they are solid and out of sight underneath so I'm not worried, the important thing is that the mechanism works properly.

1.jpg

2.jpg

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