Two Sister's Farm

[Broadoak]

I found another 1/35 scale truck kit of an earlier version of the Opel Blitz, a bit more thirties than forties looking. It is in fact a gas producer. The long vertical tank shape on the right hand side was used to heat either coal or wood chips and the gas given off was collected in a pipe and directed round to the front of the vehicle. Here it passed through a radiator which cooled it then it was stored in a large tank fitted crossways to the front of the truck. The gas was then fed into a carburettor to power the engine. It produced about 40% of the power that petrol would apparently. It could run using petrol as well in a conventional way if required.
This time I managed to get it to fit over a Con-Cor switcher chassis. It is very similar to the Athearn but with a can motor. It came out of a loco I’ve had for years but never really liked because of its awful over scale hand rails. This time to get it to fit meant removing a flywheel and drive shaft to fit under the cab and bonnet. The body is held in place by two self tappers each side that press against the sides of the motor.

A large tarpaulin covered box in the back hides the motor and drive mechanism. I sprayed it with grey car primer then picked out the wings and radiator outer cover in black. I washed the whole body with a mix of black ink and grey acrylics to tone everything down a bit. The driver is a modified military figure.
I then added ropes and chains and a few oddments in the back to make it look more interesting and give it a bit more character.
Originally it was fitted with a Kadee coupler at the front but because the rail truck is rather longer than the other Opel Blitz it swings out too much and was a menace in the yard. Now the front sports a wooden buffer only to protect the front of the truck.
I fitted a kd coupler to the rear instead and added a petrol tank under the front near side wing. It is as far from the heat source as I can get it. Now the vehicle is started on petrol then once rolling changed over to gas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

These pictures were all taken on my OO scale shunting plank

 

Peter M

Edited April 18, 2018 by Broadoak

[Broadoak]

At this time I made a few additions to the original Opel also, mainly adding a fuel tank each side and sand boxes on the front. The original fuel tank went across the chassis so couldn't be seen so it looked as if the vehicle ran on fresh air. I also carried some strengthening of the false chassis.
The view on the bench shows the work being carried out and the hard wired Athearn switcher chassis.

 

 

 

 

 

Peter M

Edited April 18, 2018 by Broadoak

[PhilJ W]

Actually the Opel truck you have chosen is in fact more recent than your original truck, produced about 1944/45 when steel for lorry cabs was in short supply. For a vintage looking truck look out for a model of the Russian GAZ AA, an exact copy of the 1930 Ford AA truck.

[Broadoak]

Phil thanks for taking an interest.

I have only got one original Opel Kfz medium 3 ton truck. Kit no 216
The gas producer I bought later, Medium 3 ton truck - coal engine. Kit no 6457
Both are by Italeri.
I would have preferred a Bedford but at the time one was not available.
The model is set in the late 1950's early 60's, so the time frame suits me.

I do have a GAZ AA six wheeler that I converted to a fuel tanker. (details later)
Although relatively cheap I though the kit very poor, even the box fell apart.

Peter M
 

[Broadoak]

The Lifu device provided the idea to make something that could carry a small load.
So the next rail truck I built really is a bit of a critter. It is an ex- American army jeep. It is an Italeri kit and cost about six Pounds. I didn’t realise until I got it home and looked in the box that it came complete with a trailer as well. Excellent value I thought.
It sits on an On30 Bachmann Street Car chassis, which is rather high, but the Bachmann chassis was brand new and only £20, another cancellation in a shop that sadly no longer exists. It runs very well so I am prepared to put up with the extra height.

 

 

 

 

 

The ground cover was still being added a bit at a time when these pictures were taken.
The horse drawn device hidden under the tarpaulin is actually part of a German army field kitchen. The tarpaulin is kitchen towel soaked in PVA, then painted with acrylics when dry. This is then washed over in a thin coat of watery dark grey, this runs into the creases and gives it more definition. When this is dry a light flick over with a little cream on a dry brush. Like this the implement could be anything. Wonderful thing the imagination.

The jerry cans and large oil drum are from a Tamiya military kit as are the sacks. The sight gauge and valve on the tank are from the spares box. The fine light coloured ground cover is a material we used to use at work for dealing with oil spills.

I find 1/35 is a nice size to work in for someone like me who is not in the first flush of youth. These days my eyesight is not what it was and my hands don’t seem so dexterous as they once were because I have PMR. The main thing is it is fun.

 

 

We get a glimpse into the engine shed with its work bench and a tool box plus some parts being worked on. A vice and more tools have been added since this was picture was taken. The floor of the engine house is scribed Milliput painted a dirty black as are the sides of the rails in the shed. A set of fire irons lean against the front of the shed next to an oil drum of rubbish complete with brush and shovel. A group of oil drums containing lubricating oil sit on a balsa wood stand.

Next to the engine house is a low relief barn made of balsa painted with watered down Indian ink. It has a rusty corrugated iron roof and a brick base from yet another Tamiya war damaged building!

 

 

Peter M
 

Edited April 25, 2018 by Broadoak

[maunsel]

I too would support or encourage more 1/32 or 1/35 scale layouts on 16.5mm track. It's nigh on spot on for either 18 inch or 2 foot gauge stuff as you so ably demonstrate Peter.

 

It also has that satisfying clunk to it. My very first narrow gauge van that I built to 7mm per foot O scale ended up by accident at 1/32 scale. My modelling skills haven't developed much more over the following 40 years, but I still keep coming back to 1/32 on 16.5mm. Despite using HO/OO stuff it just seems easier to fettle about with stuff in this scale.

 

I could of course be biased - as my avatar might suggest.............

 

Peter - I think you should be immensely pleased with your work on Two Sister's Farm it is in my ever so 'umble view one of those seminal layouts that demonstrate the potential of mixing up the scales & gauges.

 

Regards

 

Eric

 

      

 

edit to correct spelling. Should have been narrow gauge van - typed narrow gauge nan...........  Good Grief!

Edited December 8, 2014 by maunsel

[Broadoak]

Thank you for your kind comments Eric, I appreciate them. As you so rightly say
1/32 ish scale is ideal for old gits like me.

 

The Chevrolet truck and its Bachmann Brill chassis performed very well being both smooth and slow running. On my layout pulling power is not an issue but I do like decent slow running. I looked around for another truck that I could motorise using the same chassis.
I had long fancied the American Army 6 x 6 GMC truck to convert to a rail truck. I ordered one and a Brill trolley I was going to power it with from my local model shop.

When the two eventually arrived the truck needed much more in the way of alterations to get it to fit the chosen chassis. It was much too long for a start so a length had to be removed from the middle of the load carrying section. This left the bonnet and cab section to build more or less as the plan, apart from removing sections of the cab back, floor and engine bulkhead. The truck chassis itself had to be shortened and a sub chassis made to fit the truck body to the Brill chassis. All a bit fiddly with lots of trial and error fitting of parts. Eventually it all fitted together well and to hide the motor I did my usual trick and made a box to go over the hole in the floor where the motor intruded into the truck load compartment. The box is then covered over with a tarpaulin. I tried using a tank by way of a change instead but it didn’t look right somehow.

 

The truck in the kit should really have a large electric powered winch mounted on the front but I thought the front looked ok without it so I fitted the winch in the back instead. It has link and pin couplers at each end. The guard around the radiator I cut so it just fitted the profile of the bonnet.
I sprayed it a rather bright yellow which I toned down with several thin dark grey washes. The canvas hood over the cab I painted with a matt oil based paint in a fawn colour then gave it a wash of very dilute Indian ink. A spare gerry can of fuel is carried each side of the cab mounted on the running boards. I then added the usual tools, shovels ropes and chains draped over various parts of the vehicle. In the load carrying area is the large tarpaulin covered crate, a forty gallon oil drum, a selection of gerry cans, a spare implement wheel some folded tarpaulins and more rope. At the very back is the electric winch mechanism.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peter M

Edited April 19, 2018 by Broadoak

[Broadoak]

The next shunting locomotive is not to be taken too seriously really. I built it from a selection of unused body parts and a switcher chassis from my spares box. They came about as I have been updating my American switching layout with more modern locos and stock.
It’s a device I really don’t think there is a prototype for! The fiction is that it has a Gardner four cylinder diesel engine at one end (the side with the vertical exhaust and radiator). This drives a generator at the other end by a long shaft that passes through the middle of the loco behind the driver’s seat. It can be used as a portable generator out in the fields as well as being a conventional diesel electric to power the traction motors in both bogies.
A new driver is in the throes of being modified, the original was a Siku tractor driver and a tad too large I thought. It is fitted with KD's at one end and link and pin at the other. This is merely a U shaped piece of paper clip that works both with chain link or KD,s

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peter M

Edited April 19, 2018 by Broadoak

[Broadoak]

 

 

 

 

 

Another picture of the odd Bo-Bo shunter, note the black Labrador puppy inside the wood cutter's shirt. 

 

 

Peter M
 

Edited April 25, 2018 by Broadoak

[Broadoak]

Due to the small size of the layout four wheel shunters are a bit more flexible and more like the shunters used in reality. So I added another to the growing fleet of locos and rail trucks.
Because the bauxite coloured Simplex type ran well using the Model Power Chassis I bought another. Roaring inflation had increased its price by some 50%, but I thought it still reasonable in today’s inflationary times.

This time I managed to find a drawing of an armoured Simplex and used the basic dimensions to build mine with the exception of the curved sides. Again the Two Sister’s engineers shied away from curving metal and squared up the sides of the second hand ex WD chassis they had acquired. Because it was wider I was able to put more weights into each side of its plasticard footplate. The cab, engine cover, radiator are all plasticard with some Cambrian 16mm scale rivets and nuts strategically placed. Odds and ends from the spares box serve to represent parts of the engine and transmission seen below the bonnet cover. The wire grill is made from the reinforcing from some industrial tape soaked in ACC to make it rigid. The vertical motor means there is no room for a driver so I made a canvas door from masking tape suitably coloured.
This time I sprayed the body with grey primer then painted it a light green colour purely to make a change. It is very lightly weathered because I assumed its regular driver looks after it.

 

The extra weight means it tracks and runs a bit better than the original one, which is good considering its humble origin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peter M

Edited April 25, 2018 by Broadoak

[Broadoak]

 

 

I have found another picture of the little loco at rest one Sunday morning.

 

Peter M

Edited April 19, 2018 by Broadoak

[Broadoak]

The next shunter I made was powered by another Athearn switcher chassis that I had been given.
Again it is a purely freelance design and was built out of plasticard on the base Athearn switcher basic footplate that had had the body removed.
I removed one of the flywheels and a drive shaft to give more room at the back end for the cab and this allowed a seated driver figure to be fitted in.
Someone suggested that it looked rather Germanic, I don't know the mechanics in the farm workshop just used whatever they could lay their hands on.

The body is the usual bodge with a couple of doors to allow access into the engine compartment. The radiator was from an Athearn Hustler body and it is open to allow air in to keep the five pole motor cool. It’s got the usual handrails and bits of rope and chain hanging from them. It had link and pin couplers at both ends originaly but now has a KD at the rear.
The body is slightly weighted, the Athearn chassis on its own is quite heavy so it tracks well and is a nice slow runner.
It is painted in my faded industrial green colour with a little wear and tear weathering.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The driver now has a small helper, I'm pleased with the way canvas cover has turned out. It is masking tape

suitably painted and dry brushed.

 

 

Peter M

Edited April 24, 2018 by Broadoak

[maunsel]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The driver now has a small helper, I'm pleased with the way canvas cover has turned out. It masking tape

suitably painted and dry brushed.

 

 

Peter M

 

 

I fear that dog will be all teeth and no yap....... You're right about the canvas - very well done, and again shows the benefit of the bigger scales for stuff like this.

 

The second Lister is also fantastic. I'm sure I've seen the same body work in real life somewhere. All I've got to do now is rummage through my collection to find out where. Did you have a prototype for the Lister?

 

Congratulations on more fine modelling

 

Eric

[Broadoak]

You are too kind Eric thank you.

You say the second Lister but I think you mean Simplex actually.
I don't have a drawing of the body I made I'm afraid, I got the dimensions, height, and
width from a sketch of an armoured one from the First World War. The wheelbase of course is the standard Model Power chassis which is 50mm approx.
It is a collection of ideas from several Simplex machines so is generic I suppose.

The drawing is on the Gnatterbox site, I hope this helps.

 

 

 

 

Regards Peter m

Edited April 19, 2018 by Broadoak

[maunsel]

Simplex! Yes. 

 

Why was I thinking Lister...............?

 

Oh I know - someone was tempting me with:-

 

http://www.ipengineering.co.uk/page73.html

 

 

As if there wasn't enough temptation in the world already

 

 

Doh!

 

 

Eric

[maunsel]

Of Course - the Simplex reminded me of "Nocton" which had a similar cab and went from The Nocton Estates off to the Lincolnshire Coast Light Rly:-

 

http://www.uklocos.com/ngrs/gallery4_files/nocton55.jpg

 

 

Eric

[Broadoak]

Eric although I have never actually said so, it was the W. Dennis & Sons estate at Nocton that gave me the idea for the layout in the first place.

A few pictures showing a couple of Diesel tractors on test for possible future purchase. The blue one is A Fordson Power Major that used a modified Ford truck engine. The red one a Fergie 35 which was powered by a three cylinder Perkins engine.
Both are Universal Hobbies models and come ready made, if not that well stuck together.
The Opel rail truck is seen arriving into the yard from the fields.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peter M

Edited April 19, 2018 by Broadoak

[Broadoak]

 

 

 

 

 

The next device I made for haulage on the farm was an ex army Quad gun tractor.
I had long fancied using the Tamiya kit as a basis but they had been out of production for some time. Eventually I managed to get one and used an early Bachmann trolley as a chassis, it has a ringfield type motor and with some added weight runs very well.
The motor is hidden under a box in the back of the cab and the fiction is this covers a powerful electric winch with a cable emerging from the back of the vehicle. It is now fitted with a KD coupler on the front. It has four seats so is used to take tractor drivers out to the fields.

 

Peter M

Edited April 19, 2018 by Broadoak

[Broadoak]

 

 

 

 

 

 

These five pictures were taken by the official photographer at Spalding exhibition and show a view the punters get.

 

Peter M

Edited April 19, 2018 by Broadoak

[Broadoak]

My old friend Andy Knott who usually helps me at exhibition hates this loco, he says it is a waste of two good switchers. I like it myself and it has proved to be very popular with narrow gauge modellers.

 

 

 

 

In these pictures the loco has been photographed on my OO shunting plank pulling a water tanker. The latter is a much shortened Bachmannn flat car with a plastic tank and a balsa tool box added to it. I was going to make it a weed killing wagon but on the estate the weed killer of the day, sodium nitrate, not only killed the weeds it also rotted the track and metal sleepers. Much of their track was second hand from the First World war. The tracks to the fields in any photographs of the estate always look very overgrown.
I have assumed the amount of traffic in the yard keeps this area relatively weed free.

The loco now has a new driver figure that I have just finished converting from a soldier.

Peter M

Edited August 31, 2022 by Broadoak
missing text

[maunsel]

 

The next device I made for haulage on the farm was an ex army Quad gun tractor.

I had long fancied using the Tamiya kit as a basis but they had been out of production for some time. Eventually I managed to get one and used an early Bachmann trolley as a chassis, it has a ringfield type motor and with some added weight runs very well.

The motor is hidden under a box in the back of the cab and the fiction is this covers a powerful electric winch with a cable emerging from the back of the vehicle. It is now fitted with a KD coupler on the front. It has four seats so is used to take tractor drivers out to the fields.

 

Peter M

 

I have sat in the driver's seat of one of these - just the once - before I got caught - I was surprised at how low the seat was, and the driving position. Like a Formula 1 racing car, but without the oomph. the advertising or the Ecclestone dolly birds oozing out of their tailor made boiler suits.........

 

Keep up the good work, I like the cut of your jib sir!

 

Eric

[Broadoak]

Thank you Eric you are too kind sir.

 

 

 

 

The last conventional shunter to emerge from the works is a bit of a Rustonesque affair.
I found a side view drawing in a book called “Diesel Rail Traction” showing a Ruston and Hornsby narrow gauge tractor. It gave a few dimensions and so I was able to roughly scale the drawing up to 1/32 scale. The wheelbase was fixed at the Bachmann 44 ton bogie I was going to use to power it.
The body is my usual bodge of plasticard and wire, working on the principle that if it looks right, it is right. It is well weighted with lead and runs rather well. To my mind at least I think it captures the look of a little Ruston if not that dimensionally accurate.

The first two pictures show the loco working late into a Summer evening at the height of the potato harvest.

 

 

 

 

A close up and a general view both photographs by Mick Thornton.
When this bogie wears out I shall have to find something to replace it as I’m rather fond of it. A Tenshodo or Black Beetle being favourite I suppose.

 

Peter M

Edited April 19, 2018 by Broadoak

[Broadoak]

 

Another shot of the Canadian Ford Quad gun tractor. It always seems popular at shows and over the years have spoken to many people who
have driven them.
Although this model is fitted with the older type of Ringfield  motor I prefer it to the later versions which are smaller with a  tiny can motor.

Again the pictures were taken on the OO test track.

 

Peter M
 

Edited April 19, 2018 by Broadoak

[Broadoak]

_{One of the biggest problems I’ve found working in 1/32-1/35 is finding suitable figures. There seem to be two basic sources. The first are 1/32 scale figures intended for the tractor collecting community. There are serious collectors of the more detailed and delicate models, the rest of course are sold as children’s toys. Mostly these depict seated figures with one or two from the Britain’s range being standing figures. They are made of a hard flexible plastic that is not easy to modify. These are all 1/32 scale.
The other source are military figures who in the main are wearing a uniform of some sort. These can be modified with a scalpel and files but it isn’t easy. These are all 1/35 scale.}

 

_{The photos show a couple of examples of the modified military figures. The first shows a dairy man driving cows over the bridge for afternoon milking. The hat he is wearing is a circle of ten thou plasticard with a hole cut in it to fit over his head and thus form the brim of his hat. I think more people wore hats in the 1950’s, the period of the model than do nowadays. Incidentally the scale cow pats are blobs of solder painted a greenish black.}

 

 

 

 

_{The mechanic checking the tyre pressures on this Fordson E1A is from a Tamiya tank repair crew and had his hat made in the same way as the man herding the cows. The tractor, an early diesel example is being demonstrated on the farm.}

 

_{Peter M}
 

Edited April 19, 2018 by Broadoak

[Broadoak]

I have mentioned the Bachmann Brill Trolley and I’ve taken a few photographs to illustrate its size and how useful it is. The chassis itself is a flat piece of plastic so is easily shortened or lengthened.
The first pictures show the old ring field type motor which I used to power the Quad having shortened it so that it now measures 109 mm long overall. I don’t know how available these are as they are no longer made.
One could of course use the power bogie on its own giving a very short wheelbase of about 22mm.
I am not sure how available these are today as this type has been updated.

Here are a couple of views of it and one with the body showing how it fits together using a couple of small screws in the centre.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peter M

Edited April 19, 2018 by Broadoak