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Alan's Cambrian Collection


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I did have a previous thread charting the construction of various kits, but I feel perhaps a thread in this section is more apt. So, I will open it up with a few pics of my most complete items, now I've had a chance to take them outside and photograph them in the sun.

 

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Both are made from Cambrian C100 kits, that on the right is mostly as intended, but the buffers have been replaced with 3D printed bodies and sprung MJT heads and the brake gear is from a Dragon models van kit, transfers from dragon models finishing it off. (It's an Oswestry built vehicle and has the simpler style of painting).

 

On the left, well it's obvious there's been a lot of modification! I made my own etched underframe as I struggle keeping the plastic chassis square and included corner plates for converting to fixed sides. The buffers are again 3D printed, but the etched underframe made no provision for them to be sprung so I used some Romford crankpin bushes behind the MJT heads and glued them up solid. The axleboxes are also 3D printed,representing an old style of axlebox. The whole wagon I think was a very old one, the self contained buffers suggesting it was probably converted from a dumb buffered example. I've painted it in pre 1899 livery, I just need to paint up some number plates to match now.

 

I've made some modifications to the etch, including provision for sprung buffers, and I'm attempting to add springing to the axles too. I'e made is asymetrical too, with old style brake gear with the Y hanger on one side and V hanger on the other, making it suitable for about a dozen variations of wagon! I've got another 2 dropsides and a 4 plank awaiting construction so I'm itching to get my hands on the new underframe. 

 

 

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Ive never heard of y hangers before. Though its a nice modification on the kit. Properly dirty wagons.

 

You struggle with Cambrian underframes? I find their wooden solebar ones are fairly simple if youre careful and check it at each step, but I will never build another of their steel underframes. Managed to get my first and only level after riping it apart twice.

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Ive never heard of y hangers before. Though its a nice modification on the kit. Properly dirty wagons.

 

You struggle with Cambrian underframes? I find their wooden solebar ones are fairly simple if youre careful and check it at each step, but I will never build another of their steel underframes. Managed to get my first and only level after riping it apart twice.

 

It's still a V hanger, just Y shaped. I have no idea who made the wagon, but the same hanger crops up across a few wagons, I suspect they got reused from older withdrawn wagons. 

 

I prefer etched underframes to plastic ones, I like the platework to appear like plate not castings! I haven't actually built a Cambrian steel underframe yet, I have got a couple though in the bits box. 

 

The sun's gone in now so these were taken indoors with the other camera...

 

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These are a 4 planker I built a while back but only finished blacking up and adding buffers to today. This one is especially on the skew, the floor didn't go in level and I didn't realise till the glue had set! I have MJT RTR compensation in store for this one, otherwise it's much as intended, I have even used the plastic brake gear to see what it looked like. It's not that bad I guess! 

 

This is also at the very start of weathering, it's had a light wash (basically after doing the black the brush is wiped on tissue, dipped in windolene and the whole thing soaked.) but it's still a clear example of the simple style of painting that Oswestry wagons came out in - without the solebar ironwork or end straps painted black and the V hangers black below the bottom of the solebar only. Once I've lettered it it will end up full on grimy like the rest. 

 

The last pic is a nice detail shot of my 3D printed buffers, they really are a cut above the moulded ones supplied (even if threading the springs onto the heads is a job that makes you cross eyed!) 

 

Worth mentioning too is I don't paint the grey portions - that's the grey of the plastic! It'll soon look like the fixed 2 plank though, but with a nicer interior! I won't do the final weathering till I've lettered it. 

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  • RMweb Gold

Alan,

I look forward to seeing this one.  I have a couple of 4 plankers to build and some more 2 plankers to buy plus others so I think I shall be getting some buffers and axleboxes.

 

Soaked in windolene?  Is that better than thinners?

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Alan,

I look forward to seeing this one.  I have a couple of 4 plankers to build and some more 2 plankers to buy plus others so I think I shall be getting some buffers and axleboxes.

 

Soaked in windolene?  Is that better than thinners?

 

Hold fire on the buffers and axleboxes, I'm making a few tweaks to the artwork so there will be new and improved ones on shapeways soon. 

 

Windolene is a great thinner for Acrylics, although I still prefer working with enamels for washes, Acrylics just don't behave the same. (Everything pictured has been painted entirely in acrylic)

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  • 4 weeks later...

Here's the mk1 sprung/equalised underframe in action:

 

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What a nightmare it is trying to thread the spring beam through that lot, going to be changed in mk2 version!

 

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Looks pretty good!

 

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Here you can see the gap between underframe and floor, saves having to file those pips off the plastic floor and gives a pocket for weight. 

 

Need to make a few minor adjustments here and there but it's getting there! Soon a fleet will be in hand! 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Finally got the results back from the new 'super dteailed' axleboxes, not a great pic but you can see the 3D print is lightyears ahead of the plastic moulding:

 

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Also made some oil axleboxes:

 

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I'm retrying all these in FXD now, hopefully the cast year will become legible too then! (Cambrian Railways wording is just about legible in FUD). I've also redrawn the buffers with proper nuts and washers on the mounting studs, hopefully they will also become visible in FXD.

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On ‎16‎/‎04‎/‎2015 at 19:11, Quarryscapes said:

Finally got the results back from the new 'super dteailed' axleboxes, not a great pic but you can see the 3D print is lightyears ahead of the plastic moulding:

 

attachicon.gifFI-P1040534.jpg

 

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Also made some oil axleboxes:

 

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I'm retrying all these in FXD now, hopefully the cast year will become legible too then! (Cambrian Railways wording is just about legible in FUD). I've also redrawn the buffers with proper nuts and washers on the mounting studs, hopefully they will also become visible in FXD.

 

They do look amazing.  The only downside to be able to read the casting date is that you can only use them on vehicles after that date, or the eagle eyed will complain that all the wagons were built in the same year!     ;)

 

As my son said about the A C Stadden figures, even if you cannot see the detail at normal viewing distance the fact that you have so much detail close up actually makes them look better at that distance, so the same will be true of these.

Edited by ChrisN
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They do look amazing.  The only downside to be able to read the casting date is that you can only use them on vehicles after that date, or the eagle eyed will complain that all the wagons were built in the same year!     ;)

 

As my son said about the A C Stadden figures, even if you cannot see the detail at normal viewing distance the fact that you have so much detail close up actually makes them look better at that distance, so the same will be true od these.

 

I did a load of different dates, but sadly I can't tell them apart. Even with the strongest magnification I could muster from the camera(s)!

 

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I've also edited the springs for future versions so they don't look so crude. 

 

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Edited by Quarryscapes
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Aren't they just (The etched W irons help too)! I've got Oswestry versions in the pipeline, and another version that I think is also Oswestry originated but I haven't been able to find a photo clear enough to read the text on the axlebox. 

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Something I've been working on, a 1912 Brake Van which was actually my local van at Pwllheli. This is the second version which is better but needs a few more corrections before I build a paint ready model from it. I started this project before I found out Jidenco did one, however I'm pushing on with mine because it's simply better - I have fully planked verandah insides and floor and the correct T section stanchions, not angles and flat rivet strips! 

 

The only problem I have is the brake gear. I know it was clasp, but I have no clue as to how the linkage was assembled.

 

I'm also redesigning the springing  on the open wagons AGAIN! The equalised wagon ran nicely, very nicely in fact, but it was impossible to get it to sit level, one end would always drop. So by fixing a side, we get it back to being compensated but without the annoyance of having a moving W iron and the split spring/axlebox fiddly-ness.
 

 

 

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Have you seen the Dragon Models Cambrian range:http://www.dragonmodelswales.co.uk/price.php

 

Regarding your wagon springing. Do you have a suspension point between the axle and buffer beam? Can't see one on the photo. Then you'll have a continuous springy beam which should work well.

 

Yes, built 2 not impressed with either, won't pain myself with a 3rd! 

 

The wagon above does not have a CSB, it's equalised with a spring beam which works but as described above the wagon won't sit 100% level, better suited to bogies I think. (or a pair of bolsters with a structural load). 

 

So in future the side beam will be restricted to one side and will act as a compensating beam, which will also work well but won't be lopsided! (Unless it's weighted over the beam to the point it deflects). 

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The clasp brakes may be like the LNWRs, cant exactly explain it, some weird linkage outside the w iron. Niles built a brake van with the linkage. Didnt make much sense to me though.

 

It's all hidden behind the solebars from what I can see, only the cross shafts between shoes are visible but all my pics there's another wagon in front so I can't see how that cross shaft is then attached to the rest of the linkage! 

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Is the brake van the same as the one that used to be at Harlech and was photographed? I am not an expert on Cambrian anything (though am learning) but it looks similar.

 

Jonathan

 

One does appear in a 40s picture at Harlech at the end of a cattle special headed by a Dukedog if that's the one you mean? All my pictures were by Mike Lloyd and were taken at Pwllheli in the 50s, the vans being allocated to Pwllheli and Porthmadog under BR and apparently little used. 

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  • 5 months later...

Been a while since I added anything to my collection, here's what I'm working on at the moment - a D&S 45' Bogie Composite with luggage compartment. Had great fun trying to get all the turnunders to converge at the corners, close but not perfect! Filling all the gaps up with solder at the moment then squaring them off. 

I'm making a few adjustments, I'm using MJT compensated Bogies with cast sideframes instead of the etched assemblies provided. Once this one's done I've got an all 3rd to do to similar design. Incidentally I've just compared this one to the Hornby short clerestory coach - and they are a rather good match! Change the roof profile, add some detailing and you've got yourself a Cambrian coach! 

 

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Think I saw this one on EBay.  Glad it wet to someone who really wanted it for what is what and not to sell on for profit. It does look good.  Very interesting about the Hornby Clerestories, shame the bogie coaches are just after my time period.

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  • 3 months later...

Been a long time since I got to do any rolling stock work! 

 

Here is the Mk2 sprung wagon chassis, already adapted for alteration to mk3! 

 

The springing wire is far too light when supported only in the centre, the weight of the wagon fully compresses it. Not a problem in itself, If I altered the datum height it would ride against the stops and any dip in the rail would cause the wheels to drop keeping the body level, but it would do nothing for bumps. 

 

SO moved the fulcrum point outwards as far as I dared by soldering some brass rod under the spring beam. The Mk3 version will feature several holes in the solebar to take the cross shaft at various points. 

 

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Here it is doing it's job, a large weight has been carelessly loaded into a corner - yet the wheels all remain in contact with the ground. 

 

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This wagon is actually being finished in GWR condition with fixed corner plates and OK axleboxes.

Edited by Quarryscapes
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Ready for paint. 

 

And today's project, slightly off topic but only just - a Manchester & Milford Railway Van. The 3D printed bits arrived last year, I'm only just getting round to doing the rest of it! Running gear is not shown in the drawing and there are no known photos so I can at least not have to worry too much. I've fitted plain Cambrian W Irons from my own range, Wizard wheels, brakes will be leftovers from a Slaters PO wagon and buffers are TBC at present. I think something round base would be most likely. 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Better get on with building mine Alan-have some half dozen to do!

 

BTW Which paint do you use?

 

Well there's no easy answer to that! Excuse the blurriness for these pics. These first 3 are all in Revell 76, It's an old tub and has gone a bit blue. Different weatehring has changed the colour considerably on the lime wagon and dropside. 

 

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These 4 are unpainted for the grey, the black is Vallejo. Weathering on the 4 plank is only Humbrol smoke powder, nothing else and is by enamel wash on the 7T 2 plank. The unpainted 2 plank is going in GWR grey. 

 

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In the background however you'll see a lime wagon in a darker grey - which IIRC was 3 parts Vallejo grey to 1 part Panzer Grey (all surface primer). The M*M van and the other open are both in Vallejo Light Ghost grey surface primer, the van has had a wash of black over it too. This I think will be the new standard base for  anything that needs weathering as otherwise they end up a bit too dark for my liking. 

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