Dock Green

[Tove]

I very much like the tip for holding the brake cross beam`s in place,very usefull...and probably something i`d have never thought of doing myself.

 

Thanks Chaz.

 

Brian.

[chaz]

Wagons and Vans on Dock Green 30

 

B479328 is a BR 13T steel open with only the floor in wood. 

 

 

These open wagons were based on an LNER design which first appeared in 1947. The model was built from a Slater’s kit. There isn’t much to say about this - a straightforward build but it is one of the wagons that I assembled with Slater’s springing upgrade which includes etched brass W-irons. 

 

 

Whether sprung or not this wagon is very light and definitely needs some weight to make it track well. On Dock Green I weight it with a Skytrex load of oil drums, a resin casting which seems to be about the right amount of ballast. 

 

 

The oil drums are a good fit in the wagon and do not need roping. In the photo you can just see the reason for the dimples - they contain internal roping rings - obviously the steel sides would not accept nails or staples.

 

 

 

I have run the wagon empty on occasion but being so light it is more prone to derail when being propelled in a rake of other wagons.

 

Chaz

 

[Northroader]

When you say the resin oil drums are a good fit in the wagon, this can lead to problems with temperature variations, as they do have quite a high expansion coefficient. I have had the corners of wagons spring open with this type of load, and now make sure they’re a very sloppy fit.

[chaz]

When you say the resin oil drums are a good fit in the wagon, this can lead to problems with temperature variations, as they do have quite a high expansion coefficient. I have had the corners of wagons spring open with this type of load, and now make sure they’re a very sloppy fit.

 

 

Golly, I wasn't aware of that, thanks. I will check but I don't think they are that tight a fit. 

 

Chaz

[chaz]

Wimborne Interlude

 

I took the chance of our recent appearance at the Wimborne show to take a few more photos.

 

 

The GWR loco coal wagon was my guinea-pig to test AK's "worn effects" fluid. I like!

 

 

It's that Tube again - magnificent beast is it not?

 

 

 

Green lorry...

 

 

Red lorry.

 

 

V2 lurking.

 

 

And to finish this post, let's bring up the rear with...

 

 

...two snaps of the LNER brake van. Nice.

 

Chaz

Edited October 28, 2017 by chaz

[Willy]

Unfortunately I can only see the first and last photo. (GWR open and NE Brake)  Is there anyone else with the same problem or is it me?

[CUTLER2579]

Unfortunately I can only see the first and last photo. (GWR open and NE Brake)  Is there anyone else with the same problem or is it me?

 

Me as well I am afraid.

[Siberian Snooper]

I'm the same as the last two and when I click on the links, I get an error message "Not found ".

[chaz]

Unfortunately I can only see the first and last photo. (GWR open and NE Brake)  Is there anyone else with the same problem or is it me?

 

 

I think I know why. Hang on, I will repair the post this evening...

 

Chaz

[chaz]

Well, I mended the post (it is OK now isn't it?) but now we have every snap twice. That's got to be better than not all!

 

Chaz

[Willy]

Well, I mended the post (it is OK now isn't it?) but now we have every snap twice. That's got to be better than not all!

 

Chaz

 

 

 

I still can’t see the originals but I can see you have added them below so much appreciated, thank you.

[chaz]

I still can’t see the originals but I can see you have added them below so much appreciated, thank you.

 

 

Well providing you can see eight snaps in total it's OK. Something annoying happened when I tried to be clever and copy the post into "How realistic are your models" thread and then edit one of them.

 

Chaz

[Siberian Snooper]

Got 'em all now, great stuff. Thanks.

[chaz]

Wimborne Interlude 2

 

Unrealistic!

 

Three more photos taken at Wimborne.

 

 

They are totally unrealistic in one respect - very few people would ever have “wasted” precious film on such subjects.

 

 

That's a pity, because photos of commonplace situations like these would be of great interest now.

 

 

Chaz

 

[chaz]

Wagons and Vans on Dock Green 31

 

E70215E is a model of a four wheel passenger brake van to diag. 120. The LNER were not keen on non-bogie NPCS but the GE section specified this arrangement. Four wheel NPCS are useful on Dock Green where sidings are short, in fact there is only one bogie wagon on the layout.

 

 

I built this van from a D & S etched-brass kit. Fairly straightforward although the roof needs careful fitting. It’s an aluminium section with slots down the sides into which narrow strips on the top of the sides fit - a neat solution to a tricky join but some careful cutting away is necessary at the ends.

 

 

As you will see looking at the two photos above the van only has a ducket on one side. The eagle-eyed will also spot the lack of a number on this side. Woops.

 

 

I like this van with it’s coach-style tumblehome. I finished it in grubby crimson livery - the real vans would have been varnished teak before nationalisation, as I believe the sole surviving van on the North Norfolk is.

 

Chaz

[chaz]

Wagons and Vans on Dock Green 32

 

The LNER 12T low sided wagons first appeared in 1937. Coded “Lowfit” these wagons had both drop-sides and drop-ends so that they could be easily loaded with, for instance, road vehicles.

 

 

It was built from a Connoisseur etched brass kit and includes some nice representations of the hinges.

 

 

Here the Lowfit is posed with a 9’ WB LNER van under the rail overbridge. It’s a very simple wagon that might benefit from an interesting load. Any ideas?

 

 

And here it is posed on the bridge with the Ixion Fowler diesel. It would be nice to have trains crossing the bridge but the layout shape rules that out.

 

Chaz

 

 

[chaz]

Wagons and Vans on Dock Green 33

 

This post features a BR Conflat A. 

 

 

This was made from a Slater’s kit which I remember as being a surprisingly complicated affair to assemble, with the brakes involving a fair bit of work. I suspect those buffers are a bit out of period but what's one more anachronism among friends.....?

 

 

The container is a GW one, from Parkside. Using this kit has the advantage that it comes with a set of transfers (which includes both BR and GW lettering).

 

 

I used the cast brass retaining chains which Slater’s make (BR container shackles M7022). Geoff Kent suggests, in The 4mm Wagon Part 3, that retaining chains should be soldered up solid with the rings etc and then offered up to the model in one straight piece. I would certainly try this technique were I to build another loaded Conflat. It is otherwise a pain getting the chains to look taut, involving quite a fiddle with tweezers and snipe pliers and a lot of naughty words.

 

Chaz

Edited November 2, 2017 by chaz

[chaz]

Wagons and Vans on Dock Green 34

 

The last posting was a weathered Parkside container on a clean Slater’s wagon, this one is about a clean Slater’s container in a very dirty Parkside wagon, a GW 5 plank open. I don’t have much to say about the wagon which IMO is one of the most boring things running on Dock Green, or at least it was until the container was popped into it.

 

 

The container must be brand new as it hasn’t a trace of dirt. The lettering is hand done and doesn’t bear close scrutiny, maybe a bit of weathering might help but I am loathed to remove the container now. I really don’t want to do the roping again.

 

 

Although it against the rules to load a container into an ordinary open wagon, and must have been a real nuisance at the destination, there are photos to show that it wasn’t that rare.

 

 

I suppose there ought to be more containers on Dock Green to be typical of the period (and probably fewer unfitted wagons) but I don’t plan to change the goods stock much. I do have a few vans to finish which will allow me to retire a few make-weights. I will post on these if and when they join the roster.

 

Chaz

 

[The Bigbee Line]

Wagons and Vans on Dock Green 34

 

........The container must be brand new as it hasn’t a trace of dirt. The lettering is hand done and doesn’t bear close scrutiny, maybe a bit of weathering might help but I am loathed to remove the container now. I really don’t want to do the roping again.

 

 

I think from normal viewing distance the lettering is fine, the colouring and proportions are what the eye is expecting to see.  Regarding the use of a 5 plank, I have seen plenty of pictures of such wagons loaded with containers.

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

Ernie

 

 

[HeatherKay]

Nearly there! 64253 now has an identity.

 

 

[chaz]

Nearly there! 64253 now has an identity.

 

IMG_5090.JPG

 

IMG_5091.JPG

 

 

Looking good. If you were to put temporary connections in between the pickups and motor for DC we could give it a run on the test track at the Reading show. Could I just glimpse red on the tender buffers?

 

Did I say "looking good"? What I meant was - looking quite excellent. 

 

Chaz

[HeatherKay]

Chaz, the loco is currently wired for DC and has been running one my test plank happily. I'll explain when we meet, as it makes it easier to show you how it's been set up. It should be fairly simple to install DCC and sound.

 

The buffer beams are indeed red. I was reminded of my late Nan, who would never leave the house without a dab of powder and a spot of lipstick - even if she only popped to the corner shop! Later this coming week I will get a coat of satin varnish everywhere, and then finish the cab detailing. 

[chaz]

Wagons and Vans on Dock Green 35

 

A pot-pourri of a few other wagons.

 

 

Two pre-grouping vans, both built from Connoisseur etched -brass kits. The one on the left is a Great Central 10T van and on the right is a Great Northern insulated meat van. It is unlikely that the latter would still have the ladders and roof-hatches for ice in BR days but I liked these details. Maybe Doncaster missed this one.

 

 

Two unfitted wagons from the Parkside range. The van is an LNER 12 tonner on a 9’ WB and the open is one of the ubiquitous LMS 5 plankers which were so numerous they ought to feature on any model railway set from the twenties to the end of steam.

 

 

Two GW opens, a four plank and a three plank both made from Coopercraft kits. The nearer of the pair has Moreton brakes, the other has the Churchward type that comes in the kit.

 

 

Another GW open by Coopercraft - this one a five plank. I was a fan of this brand of kit, even though they were exclusively GW. They are very nicely moulded although the buffers are poor - I discard them and replace them with Peco turned brass items. Both the wagons visible in this snap have lots of shunter’s chalkings. I used a white Caran D’Ache pencil to apply these. I don’t think white paint looks right - too opaque for chalk. 

 

 

 

The open tucked between the two vans is a Peco model, a pig-iron wagon. Quite what it’s doing in Dock Green yard is anybodies’ guess. Maybe it was needed for a very heavy load - the wagons had heavy duty W-irons, axleboxes etc and were rated to carry 20 tons.

 

Chaz

[chaz]

Wagons and Vans on Dock Green 36 - the last one

 

It seems a good idea to end this series of posts on the goods stock with a brake van.

 

 

B596723 is a BR 20T brake. This was a development of the LNER design with the footboards extended to the full length of the wagon and with handrails fitted above the concrete platform weights. The LNER switched to concrete ballast during the war when the scrap metal previously used became valuable for the war effort.

 

 

My model is from the excellent Connoisseur kit. I have said before that I prefer brass to plastic for brake vans as the detail is more secure when soldered in place - important for an exhibition layout where the stock is liable to be handled more.

 

 

The cabin body can be tricky to assemble accurately so I adopt the method shown above. I fold the bottom flange attached to the sides to an accurate right angle and screw them to a piece of flat board (MDF is a good choice). There is no need to drill the flange, screws with washers under their heads will grip the edge with a bit of scrap etch to pack the screw and keep it flat. This ploy allows me to adjust the two sides so that they are exactly parallel, lined up and the right distance apart. Once the screws are tightened the cabin ends and verandah ends can be soldered in place with no risk of introducing odd angles or other errors as the sides can’t move.

 

 

A comparison between the BR fitted (bauxite) and unfitted (grey) vans that run on Dock Green. The latter is from the Slater’s plastic kit. The only obvious difference between the kits is the height of the duckets - looking at photos of the real vans I think the Slater’s model may be more accurate in this respect. 

 

Strictly speaking the BR fitted vans were only piped, so that the guard could apply the vacuum brakes of the train, the van’s brakes being applied with a hand wheel, as they were in the unfitted brake.

 

 

A last snap of the brake van at the rear of a train that has just arrived in the yard.

 

****************************************************

 

I may not have covered quite every wagon that runs on Dock Green (the odd one or two may have slipped through the net) but that’s the end of this series.

 

Phew!

 

Chaz

[Adams442T]

An excellent series, Chaz, thank you so much for the photos of your, again, excellent stock!