Further Lockdown modelling. More wagons.

[5Bel]

Hi All,

 

First of all thanks for the likes etc. It's been a month since I last posted anything but I have been quite busy on the modelling front as well as my day job. Lately I have been re-cycling old wagons acquired mainly from the internet.  Some of these are possibly 60 years old but with modern chassis and wheels look good today.

 

 

 

 

Firstly are four Trix mineral wagons. I bought a bundle of Trix wagons cheaply just to see how close their 3 plank wagon was to scale. Turns out it wasn't but included in the package were 2 mineral wagons. These looked a pretty close to scale so I got underframes from Parkside and Red Panda and gave it a go. The first two bodies are unmodified, one wagon has the standard fitted 9ft Parkside Chassis the other has a modified Red Panda clasp braked underframe. The second two are modified to represent re-bodied examples and sit on Parkside chassis modified to represent Westinghouse fitted wagons. The transfers for these wagons are from the excellent Railtec range.

 

 

The next two are 10ft chassis examples. One has a Mainline body the other a Hornby Dublo. Both sit on differing chassis. They are all painted with Humbrol enamels and weathered using differing techniques. I have found that doing these mineral wagons is quite addictive. I have just bought a standard Parkside kit for a fitted 16 tonner to see how well the old Trix models match up and I'm on the lookout for another cheap 10ft wagon as I have seen a picture of one on a Vanwide chassis.

 

I have also built some Lowfits for use in an MOD train.

 

 

 

The steel bodied examples are the Red Panda kit all on differing Parkside Chassis. They will all eventually have Land Rovers as a load.

 

 

To add to the MOD train is this Airfix Lowmac. It has LMS buffers and Peters Spares wheels. The 4 Tonner is a JB Models kit without its rear body.

 

 

 

Lastly on the wagon front is a Hornby Dublo 12t van. This is on a Parkside chassis and represents a wagon with a 2 part end. This is different to the more modern Dapol version and I think it's turned out well. I can see me doing do a few more in the future. The main difference between the two wagons is the curvature of the roof. The Hornby Dublo one being nearer that of a GWR wagon. I've thinned down the roof edges on the sides of the wagon and it hides the difference quite well.

 

 

 

 

 

To finish are 3 Parcels vans. The first one is a standard Parkside SR CCT. The BR CCT is a modified Lima model. Running on MJT W irons and fitted with the excellent LMS buffers. The springs are the original Lima ones, axleboxes and handbrake levers are from the spares box. It has been finished with Railtec transfers. This was a satisfying rebuild to do as I have a CCT for just over a tenner! Lastly is a Ratio van B finished with plywood doors. The parcels vans have been left clean as I don't have access to my airbrush for weathering at the moment.

 

I've worked out I've built or finished 27 pieces of rolling stock so far under this lockdown period, so there are some positives to staying indoors. I've also done my bit for the planet as the combined age of some of these wagons is probably somewhere over 500 years. I think us modellers probably do more than most in regard to recycling in this modern throwaway society. Now back to the workbench.

 

Cheers and stay safe, Ian

 

 

[5Bel]

Hi All,

 

Wagon building continues apace. First is a Chivers Ling.

 

 

 

Finished as the instructions intended. These really are excellent kits. It's finished as a well worn example following a picture in the new Hornby magazine on Engineers wagons. Transfers are from a Cambrian rub down sheet and the Ling branding is hand painted.  I also have a Tunny nearing completion.

 

Next is a Parkside 16 tonner, that I got to compare my Trix modifications. I bought the PC19 kit with it's wrong 10ft wheelbase so I will be finishing it as an unfitted example with MJT W irons with the correct 9ft wheelbase.

 

 

 

As you can see the Trix body is pretty close and mine have worked out as a cheaper alternative to the full Parkside kit.

 

I have two more Ratio Van B's nearing completion, the Blue one I have had since the kit was released, probably over 20 years. It's been many colours but I've finally settled on blue. The other one was got cheap off ebay a little while ago and will be finished in heavily weathered green.

 

 

 

I now have quite a collection of SR parcels vans, but I'm always on the lookout for more.

 

Lastly is a conversion form a Replica FO into the prototype Brute carrier. It involves cutting out the coach sides and replacing with 1.5mm plastic sheet. Plastic strip marks the doors and hinges. It has DC kits vents placed in the original CK positions.  

 

 

 

 

 

This is quite a distinctive coach with its straight sides and it will be finished once I get back into my house and I have access to my airbrush. I don't mind hand painting wagons or planked vehicles but with something that has big plain sides like this I think the airbrush is the best way forward.

 

Cheers and stay safe, Ian