More Pre-Grouping Wagons in 4mm - the D299 appreciation thread.

[41516]

21 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

How would you suggest doing those in 4 mm scale?

 

20 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

Carefully.

 

I have modeller's PTSD from trying to make umpteen identical little rings to go on a BR 1/112 mineral (the cupboard door MoS 'French' wagons) which has them everywhere.  I think I got halfway and then back into the maturing cupboard it went.

 

That was winding a fine brass wire around a drill bit and then cuttting them off, shaping to try to leave a bit of a 'pin' at the back to mount in a drilled hole, rather than just gluing to the surface.

 

I mentioned as I'd missed them entirely, having got some paint on my D4 before LNWR Wagons Vol1 came through the post, highlighting what I'd not seen on photos online. "Fiddlesticks" I might have said, or words to that effect.  They are still on the 'to do' list.

 

I think the little details like the rings do make a difference and it's always nice to push kits a little further, especially with reference material to hand.

[MikeOxon]

25 minutes ago, 41516 said:

I think the little details like the rings do make a difference and it's always nice to push kits a little further, especially with reference material to hand.

I find the trouble is that once you know something should be there, you feel obliged to model it 🙂

[Mol_PMB]

1 hour ago, 41516 said:

 I think I got halfway and then back into the maturing cupboard it went.

I like that. Sounds better than than the cupboard of shame. Or in my case it’s more like the rooms of shame. Where I keep my half-finished projects that may never see the light of day again. 
‘Maturing cupboard’ provides hints of a fine wine or special cheese that is somehow better for being put aside. 

[Steamport Southport]

39 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said:

I like that. Sounds better than than the cupboard of shame. Or in my case it’s more like the rooms of shame. Where I keep my half-finished projects that may never see the light of day again. 
‘Maturing cupboard’ provides hints of a fine wine or special cheese that is somehow better for being put aside. 

 

or more likely Mouldy Old Dough....

 

 

🤪

[jamie92208]

For me it's the shelves of shame. Top for wagons, middle for Locos next for coaches then all sorts on the bottom one.  I try and forget the second workbench elsewhere in the shed. 

 

Jamie

[Compound2632]

In addition to shelves of shame, I have a display unit that I'm starting to take to exhibitions and Midland Railway Society events. This has prompted me to work towards a representative set of models showing the historical development of Midland wagons, even though doing so includes building a few that are out of period for me. Fortunately @billbedford's Mousa Models range makes this an easy task, at least as far as opens go. Here's his D663A 10-ton goods and coal wagon (with wooden end pillars) and D607 12-ton mineral wagon in progress:

 

 

The MR letters are from an HMRS Methfix sheet (thanks to @WFPettigrew) and this time they went on like a dream. Builders plates (mostly hidden by the brake levers) and tare weights are from the Slaters waterslide sheet that comes with the current issue of their kits - I never got on with the tare weights on the old Pressfix or Methfix version of this, finding it difficult to get good alignment. With the waterslide version, one has a bit more time for adjustment, and it's easier to see what one is doing. 

 

I need to make myself the artwork (in CorelDraw) to print some D-shaped numberplates.

 

I've got on order the D352 end door 12-ton mineral wagon, which was the Midland's first step into 12-ton wagons for general mineral use, and the D204 12-ton loco coal wagon, which apart from its cupboard doors, set the pattern for the D607 / D673 / D663A family of wagons.

[Grahams]

2 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

Builders plates (mostly hidden by the brake levers)

Will all the wagons on your display be in new condition? Although the number plate numbers were repainted in white, I don't recall seeing the builder's plates with refreshed white paint.

[Compound2632]

7 minutes ago, Grahams said:

Will all the wagons on your display be in new condition? Although the number plate numbers were repainted in white, I don't recall seeing the builder's plates with refreshed white paint.

 

I don't know yet! Certainly those built for c. 1902 are mostly not straight out of the paint shop. 

 

What would be really impressive would be the same display but in 5" gauge - more space for explanatory text - though we'd have to book a bigger stand!

Edited March 29 by Compound2632

[Grahams]

30 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

What would be really impressive would be the same display but in 5" gauge - more space for explanatory text - though we'd have to book a bigger stand!

I'm already strictly limited to one wagon on the bookstall 🤣. I had previously taken two wagons but Andrew has introduced a new regulation. I currently have about 10 5 inch gauge wagons. A D305, a D607, a D818, several D663As in various states of livery and dilapidation and the shunter's (or is it Way and Works??) wagon. We would need a separate stand for the wagons but I do wonder if there is really enough interest. 

The 5 inch gauge D336A is stalled waiting for other projects and I'm currently working on the 7mm, G1 and G3 D305s. 

Evidence of intent is in the attached. The wagon on the sheet of transfers is the first prototype in 7mm (as seen at the MR Society meeting in February). Plenty of opportunities for improvement. Working bearing leaf springs is the goal. It can certainly be done in G3. We'll soon see if 7mm is possible. 

Once the D305 is finished, some D299s are not very far away. 

Too many projects, too little time... 

[Compound2632]

19 minutes ago, Grahams said:

I do wonder if there is really enough interest. 

 

They might be a bit outré from ExpoEM! But otherwise, they're always a great talking-point.

[billbedford]

39 minutes ago, Grahams said:

Working bearing leaf springs is the goal. It can certainly be done in G3. We'll soon see if 7mm is possible. 

 

I once knew someone who managed this in P4. He used strips from a plastic milk bottle to make the spring leaves. 

[Penlan]

On 22/03/2024 at 17:48, 41516 said:

 The Greatest Brewery in The World A History of Bass, Ratcliff and Gretton, Owen,

So I looked up a copy on Ebay - £4.95 incl. p&p, bought it, it's as good as new and an excellent insight into the Bass company.
The book has one of the most extensive Appendices I've ever seen, but no mention of Swansea, Cardiff is only post grouping.

[wagonman]

On 29/03/2024 at 13:06, billbedford said:

 

I once knew someone who managed this in P4. He used strips from a plastic milk bottle to make the spring leaves. 

 

The old Peco 'Wonderful' Wagons attempted something similar, from memory. Only problem was it didn't work – too much friction, not enough weight.

[jamie92208]

2 hours ago, wagonman said:

 

The old Peco 'Wonderful' Wagons attempted something similar, from memory. Only problem was it didn't work – too much friction, not enough weight.

Yes there was some springing usi g a form of moulded Nylon I believe but unless you filled the wagon with lead it didn't move. 

 

Jamie

[Compound2632]

I've tried applying the method used for the sheet tie rings to replicating the circular raised rim on Earlestown grease axleboxes:

 

 

Best described as hit-and-miss. Certainly many attempts pinged away into oblivion... It might work better with slightly thicker plastic rod. 

[Compound2632]

16 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

Earlestown grease axleboxes:

 

Does anybody know of a supplier of these in 4 mm scale? There are some nice ones that come with the London Road Models D20 short cattle wagon kit but as far as I'm aware they're not available separately.

[41516]

Hopefully they will come back with the ABS 4mm range - Formerly F.734 LNW 10T Grease Axleguard x 8. I don't know of any others currently out there.

 

I need a couple to finish off the building of a couple of stragglers. While I had some time off over the bank holiday, I set up the cloneworks and made a mould of the remaining few I have. One axlebox isn't in great condition but we'll see how it comes out. I've been replacing the springs on a few wagons anyway.

 

I'll cast a few rounds of copies and pick out the best.

 

 

 

EDIT - Fresh from the mould.  Bubble on one spring, but I'm cutting them off for what I need.  Very difficult to photograph cream resin!

 

Edited April 3 by 41516

[billbedford]

2 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

Does anybody know of a supplier of these in 4 mm scale? 

 

I do those, but you have to buy a whole wagon and take them off yourself. 

[Chas Levin]

3 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

Does anybody know of a supplier of these in 4 mm scale? There are some nice ones that come with the London Road Models D20 short cattle wagon kit but as far as I'm aware they're not available separately.

 

John Redrup is always exceedingly helpful and happy to supply parts where he can so I'd suggest asking if he can do so in this case...

[garethashenden]

Yes, I’ve had some axleboxes from LRM on their own. I think they were prepackaged at an exhibition actually. A dozen in a bag if I remember correctly, but that was probably a decade ago. 

Edited April 3 by garethashenden

[Andy Vincent]

16 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

Does anybody know of a supplier of these in 4 mm scale?

 

I did these a while back for a fellow modeller at South Hants MRC. After a parallel discussion with the LNWRS, I am now a membership fee poorer but do have some additional drawings to add 3 hole buffers to this and complete a detailing pack. This is one of a number of such packs (axleboxes with springs plus buffer guides for your choice of fixed or sprung heads) that will be available by ExpoEM (and probably a bit before) with several others to follow - and, yes, there will be a MR pack (10A) for ExpoEM! 

[Compound2632]

4 hours ago, Andy Vincent said:

I am now a membership fee poorer 

 

... but a membership richer, which more than compensates!

[Compound2632]

A short Wedding Anniversary holiday in Derbyshire was, for a holiday in the heart of Midland territory, remarkably railway-free: the main objects being Hardwick Hall and Bolsover Castle. We were staying in Middleton, so there was a late afternoon stroll (in LNWR territory) down and up the incline and then along through Hopton Tunnel and back. The Midland D663A wagon posed at Middleton Top is in a rather decrepit condition:

 

 

... which draws attention to the recycling of D299 corner plates.

 

(The less said about the black buffer guides and solebar ironwork the better.)

 

On our return, there was a small parcel from Mousa Models awaiting my attention. Here's the D204 Loco coal wagon - once again illustrating the trickiness of photographing unpainted resin:

 

[Chas Levin]

Happy anniversary; unhappy wagon 🥲.

[jamie92208]

Can I ask for help please.  Some time ago the wagons of St John's Colliery at Normanton were mentionedthis was the colliery operated by Locke and Co that sent product out by both rail and canal.thelatter via Tom Pudding via Stanley Ferry.  

 

My club at Wakefield is trying to model the Stanley Rerrybarea in the early 20's.  I have offered what help that I can from afar as I once considered this as a project myself.  

 

They obviously need Locke PO wagons.  These ran with two liveries.  It seems that initially they had one with a lot of small lettering, mainly on the upper two planks, later other just had large LOCKE  over the side.  This later is produced by Slaters in 7mm.  I am trying to source transfers for the earlier livery.  Does anyone know of a supp, ier please. 

 

Jamie