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Adam's EM Workbench: Farewell for now


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1 hour ago, Adam said:

 

Between dad and I we have (well, will have) five LMS vans. That's probably sufficient. If we're short of anything it's probably GW vans (but I can live with this), though a BR unfitted would be nice and I have the makings of one of those and, and...

 

Adam

Not sure it's possible to be short of GWR vans or to even live with that knowledge...;)

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Nearly ready for paint:

 

LMS_021.jpg.24abfef345d3855fb4f0db5eeab70710.jpg

 

Lamps, strapping details, vac' pipes (through pipes only) and roof - rainstrips, chimney for stove, location strips underneath. There won't be a fully-worked interior but since I've modelled the door open at one end, I'll have to add something even though you won't really be able to see. That can go in after painting, however.
 

Adam

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  • Adam changed the title to Adam's EM Workbench: An early LMS brake, part 4, sundry details
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  • Adam changed the title to Adam's EM Workbench: A lineside quickie
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My Granddad's cart was like that. It started out with cart wheels and shafts in, probably 1948, built by his cousin, but fairly soon got a drawbar and pneumatic tyres when he bought a tractor early 50s. 

 

2nd September 1980. (I'm second from the left)

20190323_204453.jpg.8d4cef70ad42e9254fd929d2cdc89f94.jpg

 

Massey Ferguson Combine and Fordson Dexta (still going!) My Uncle on the Combine and my Granddad behind the tractor.

20190323_204504.jpg.11eb7d786852ce9fc0dc15e8f0595170.jpg

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My friends in Beaujolais still use a Fordson like the one in the photo. Their reserve one is a grey Fergy (built under licence by Hotchkiss).

They have some trailers like the one in the model and photo- one has a back axle with wire-spoked wheels, originally from an early Jaguar; their father used to manage the vineyards of the Lyonaisse 'concessionaire', whose workshop built the trailer. Apparently, Antonin, the father, drove all the way to Lyon and back on his tractor to pick the trailer up; it took most of the day, especially when you factor in lunch etc.

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21 minutes ago, sb67 said:

Very nice Adam, what paints did you use to get the effects? It looks fantastic.

Steve.

 

Thanks Steve. Humbrol enamels! The light blue was applied neat over grey primer before a faded version of the same blue was applied over the top. Everything else was applied as heavily thinned washes in greyish browns and mostly wiped off. The red was applied using a very fine brush to represent flaked and worn paint. The final touch saw the metal parts picked out in a mix of gunmetal and a bright orange before being mostly removed with a clean, thinners-moistened brush (remember, vertical strokes).

 

Adam

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Adding thank you!
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Adam,

 

A superb rendition of the wagon. Your choice of wheels is totally plausible because farmers and growers used whatever came to hand. So everything they made was unique.  For example (at risk of overloading your thread) here is a photo of a trailer based on the entire back axle of a Vauxhall car that my Father made in the 1950s. I am unsure whether it was from the car on the horizon which itself was "decommissioned".  The location is deepest darkest south Worcestershire.

 

Ian.

 

 

 

1613166592_Trustyed.jpg.985bb1f018dec8c35d6cce4300f3916e.jpg

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On 26/03/2019 at 21:43, Ian Major said:

Adam,

 

A superb rendition of the wagon. Your choice of wheels is totally plausible because farmers and growers used whatever came to hand. So everything they made was unique.  For example (at risk of overloading your thread) here is a photo of a trailer based on the entire back axle of a Vauxhall car that my Father made in the 1950s. I am unsure whether it was from the car on the horizon which itself was "decommissioned".  The location is deepest darkest south Worcestershire.

 

Ian.

 

 

 

1613166592_Trustyed.jpg.985bb1f018dec8c35d6cce4300f3916e.jpg

 

That's fabulous - and not at all unusual, of course. I've seen quite a few trailers much like that over the years (and photographed one or two, not that I can find what I've done with the pictures...) What's the beast in front?

 

Adam

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Adam,

 

it is a 6HP tractor made by the "Trusty Tractor" company of America. I believe many were shipped to this country during WW2 to help with the food production. It had a 6HP JAP 4 stroke engine. On the right of the engine (just out of sight) was a centrifugal clutch. From this a chain drove a splined shaft which had two sets of dog gears that allowed  the drive to be engaged/disengaged individually to  the main wheels.  Behind the central box was a swinging beam with a male connection on the end on which a single furrow plough or a tool bar could be attached. The tool bar is fitted in the photo which has one of its depth wheels in view.  The trailer is attached via the tool bar. I first drove it when I was 9 years old.  HSE would not approve  now! 

 

The trees in the background were Wakefield's Nursery, beyond that was Tolkien's Nursery. I believe a relative of his wrote some books. 

 

Ian.      

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Adam,

There is one thing that was common to all of these trailers/wagons, they had bald tyres because they were already past their best. So your wagon tyres are spot on!

 

Ian. 

 

Edited by Ian Major
To correct my orful spelin. I had tyres that were brave rather than bereft of tread.
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12 hours ago, Ian Major said:

Adam,

 

it is a 6HP tractor made by the "Trusty Tractor" company of America. I believe many were shipped to this country during WW2 to help with the food production. It had a 6HP JAP 4 stroke engine. On the right of the engine (just out of sight) was a centrifugal clutch. From this a chain drove a splined shaft which had two sets of dog gears that allowed  the drive to be engaged/disengaged individually to  the main wheels.  Behind the central box was a swinging beam with a male connection on the end on which a single furrow plough or a tool bar could be attached. The tool bar is fitted in the photo which has one of its depth wheels in view.  The trailer is attached via the tool bar. I first drove it when I was 9 years old.  HSE would not approve  now! 

 

The trees in the background were Wakefield's Nursery, beyond that was Tolkien's Nursery. I believe a relative of his wrote some books. 

 

Ian.      

Variations on these machines are still to be seen in use in France and Italy, and probably elsewhere. I've seen some that have seats, similar to a bike saddle, so they can be driven in (relative) comfort.

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Both sides of the latest wagon, a Parkside Tube, modelled as one of the first 450 of BR's diagram 1/448 with RCH long link brakes, so about as simple as a big wagon can be. Because it's such a good kit the only additions were minor - new brake levers, those tricky little cruciform tie-down cleats (short lengths of 0.3mm wire with oblong washers of 10 thou' superglued in place) and new buffers and most of them are now invisible...

 

Tube_001.jpg.68e716a11daf12ae78f3d475ced496cf.jpg

 

Tube_002.jpg.76b1533afebc09a1bb148974ab43c373.jpg

 

Adam

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  • Adam changed the title to Adam's EM Workbench: A wagon quickie, Parkside Tube
  • Adam changed the title to Adam's EM Workbench: Boxfile round up
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  • Adam changed the title to Adam's EM Workbench: from shop-fresh to coalyard, an ex-PO mineral
  • 1 month later...

And now for something more sophisticated. Dave Bradwell is best known for his hi-fi 4mm loco kits but also does a small range of wagons and wagon chassis. I've built several, all for coal hoppers but what I really wanted to have a go at, long before Bachmann and Hornby got in on the act with their plastic renditions was the chassis for the BR standard 20 ton brake van. The rarest of these standard vehicles was the unfitted version and this chassis will sit under an old Airfix/Dapol body (with a new roof). The chassis is fiddly, but cleverly and thoughtfully designed and goes together very well indeed.

 

Bradwell_001.jpg.024e7590400a6f7887f11706d4758a17.jpg

 

The footboards are made up from a laminate - two layers being stronger than one - with a half-etched layer, including the bracket detail and a full-thickness layer with the toe boards folding up at the back. As we can see the design doesn't have these folded back on itself which might make things a little easier but this doesn't matter all that much as working slowly from one end to the other carefully the two can be soldered together without a banana-shaped result. All this means that the brackets folds are reinforced with solder. Dave's got the half-etched lines spot on for bendability and durability.

 

Bradwell_005.jpg.7c11c4b5d9342538aa2d9a12dfa5f8f6.jpg


 

A bit later - and using the clever jig supplied - the top footboards are added. The brackets are soldered through holes in the solebar and because, this once, I read the instructions and didn't use too much solder, this worked first time without having to re-drill or open out holes. These are really quite robust though not much more so that the comparatively unsophisticated D&S version of the very similar chassis found under LNER ballast brakes I built some years ago. Here's the body offered up to check positions/clearances. The axleboxes and springs are from Rumney Models and the buffers from Lanarkshire Model Supplies. The style of these items shows that this will be one of the early unfitted versions with the multi-part handrails like this one: https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brbrakevan506/h88825DFD

 

Bradwell_004.jpg.598ca5a64bb70d26e2187e13eb4af38a.jpg

 

Dave Bradwell's etches provide for new cabin partitions to replace the rather chunky Airfix ones. To fit them you have to file a rebate in the sides which meant levering them off the long assembled carcasss (pretty easy as the original join was less than substantial). This is messy, but far from problematic. Dave reckons that the sides are a mite low in height, probably to accommodate the armour-plate roof so I've added some 15 thou' strip along the eaves and a chunk of 60 thou' to space the sides firmly apart.

 

Bradwell_007.jpg.c0d647d1ecb236885f183e74ac32897e.jpg

 

More later, but right now the sun is shining...

 

Adam

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  • Adam changed the title to Adam's EM Workbench: Brakevan special
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Guest Jack Benson

Adam,

 

This is one of the few threads (plus Mikkel of Farthing) that I have bookmarked and really look forward for reading over and again.

It spurred me to have another 'go' at wagon building, despite the arrival of the trembles and failing eyesight, the fact that I chose a Cambrian kit was a momentary aberration.

Thanks once more.

 

Jack

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Hi Adam,

 

I've just finished reading this thread over several lunchtimes, and I can only echo what others have said in that your models are absolutely incredible! So inspiring! I'm not ashamed to admit to bookmarking a number of the posts that have interested me the most.

 

Please do keep posting your work and updating the thread, I'm sure there are many other forum members who would also like to see more! Incidentally, did you finish the Ratio Open C and Parkside Tube?

 

Best regards,

 

Mark

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3 hours ago, 2996 Victor said:

Hi Adam,

 

I've just finished reading this thread over several lunchtimes, and I can only echo what others have said in that your models are absolutely incredible! So inspiring! I'm not ashamed to admit to bookmarking a number of the posts that have interested me the most.

 

Please do keep posting your work and updating the thread, I'm sure there are many other forum members who would also like to see more! Incidentally, did you finish the Ratio Open C and Parkside Tube?

 

Best regards,

 

Mark

 

Hi Mark,

 

Thank you - I'd seen the alerts! I've finished both, but haven't got around to putting them in front of the camera; I'm toying with loads for them but what with one thing and another, they're sitting in boxes. I am doing up a house at present, and it's the cricket season so I'm pretty busy. When I get a minute...

 

Adam

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An interlude. Last weekend, I went to RailWells (fine show, lovely city, go next year) and got talking to @lapford34102 which resulted in a brief guest operating spot on his Sheepcroft layout and also thoughts about the Heljan class 14. Now I bought one of these when they first appeared and converted it to EM by the simple expedient of pulling the wheels out and adding some spacers behind them (a bit of Milliput in the resulting holes finished that part of the job - simple).

 

So for Stu's benefit here's a quick run down of the other cosmetic improvements:

 

1. The thickness of the buffer beam seems to have been double counted and thus they're about 1mm too proud. These pop off fairly easily and trimming a bufferbeam's width of material away is not too difficult using a new scalpel blade. The beams were remounted and the buffers replaced (I used GW models non-rotating sprung ovals but you might consider Lanarkshire Model's LB124 http://www.lanarkshiremodels.com/lanarkshiremodelsandsupplieswebsite_124.htm or Hornby class 50 spares).

 

D9514_001.jpg.f81d0d51b5d0a09a8fb845503234a599.jpg

 

2. Decommission the lighting with scissors. It's too bright, the wrong colour and getting the wiring loom in and out is a pain.

 

3. Replace the handrail round the bonnet. This is a bit fiddly but essential as the plastic version supplied is very fragile and looks a bit naff. I've used 1mm nickel silver strip to which I soldered 'L's of nickel silver wire and fixed these into the existing mounting holes.

 

D9514_002.jpg.27c750ef1451f545e1dc346ff5479fc1.jpg

 

4. This is the one I haven't done (yet). Replace the coupling rods. The Heljan ones are a bit feeble and Brassmasters do a set. I must fire up the soldering iron and sort this out.

 

D9514_003.jpg.760d36559cf5eabede68e7f5524aa3db.jpg

 

Still, as it stands it's  good solid model that runs well. Hope that helps, Stu!

 

Adam

 

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