LNER 32' Van Dia 86

[brossard]

As so many of us do, I bought this kit nearly 2 years ago and only now getting it started.  Kit is D&S DS305/306.

 

I like to start by providing an overview of the contents of the kit:

 

 

Not even sure what these parts are yet.

 

 

Body sides.  The louvers and toplights can be seen.  The Dia 37 Milk van did not have center toplights and the louvers were moved to the top.  I'm inclined to build Dia 37 but getting the louvers right may be too risky.  Anyone done this?

 

 

Underframe etch.  Does anyone have decent drawings of the brake gear layout or pictures of the under gubbins?

 

 

Roof is an aluminium extrusion so that's good.  I will have to mark out and drill for the vents.

 

I haven't examined the bag of bits yet.  I am tentatively intending to use a set of Slaters standpipes along with their steam pipes.  I like the flexible springs.

 

I am also thinking of using a set of Dapol screwlink couplings.

 

I found this great article by Steve Banks:  https://www.steve-banks.org/images/historical/lner_npcs/d86_and_d87/d86_d87_pdf_3.pdf

 

More to come.

 

John

Edited October 28, 2019 by brossard

[chaz]

You might be interested in photos of my van...

 

 

 

 

Chaz

[chaz]

Just a small point - these vans were either diag. 86 or 87, not 37. 

 

I would advise you not to mess about with the sides, moving the louvres, unless you have a lot of experience working in brass - having moved them you will need to insert a patch with planking lines where they were.

 

The kit makes up into an impressive model and goes together well. You will have to do some work to the aluminium extrusion for the roof to make it fit neatly at the ends - cutting the inside lip of the slot away so that it drops in.

 

I don't have a photo of the underframe but if you follow the instructions it goes together well.

 

HTH

 

Chaz

Edited September 17, 2019 by chaz

[jwealleans]

I'm sure you've seen it, John, but for anyone finding this thread who hasn't, Steve Banks page on this van.  Don't miss the pdf article at the bottom of the page.

[brossard]

Thanks for those pics Chaz.  Also the advice on leaving the sides alone,, I think that is smart.  You are right, Dia 86 and 87, senior moment.

 

Thanks for the link jweal, I don't think I've seen it.

 

John

 

So, I guess I bought the wrong kit.  Ah well, we'll build it as is and pretend.

 

I will reiterate my request for drawings/photos of underframe/brake detail.  Always best to corroborate the instructions.

Edited September 17, 2019 by brossard

[chaz]

1 hour ago, brossard said:

 

So, I guess I bought the wrong kit.  Ah well, we'll build it as is and pretend.

 

 

 

Wrong kit? - well depends on what traffic your van is going to be said to carry. The LNER treated both diagrams as milk and general vans and BR would have cared little for the use for which they were designed, just using them as NPCS in the pool.

 

Chaz

[brossard]

Ha ha, my intent is to make a short milk train.  I have two tanks and I wanted this van for other dairy products.  As you say, the distinction is fine and for my purposes the Dia 86 will serve just fine.

 

John

[brossard]

So, this morning's session started with the underframe.  This is where the majority of effort seems to go.

 

 

 

My trusty 40W variable soldering iron doesn't seem to have the cajones for this gauge of brass.  I used an 80W iron which made short work of the joints.

 

The solebars required a detail overlay.   I got one side slightly off register so had to strip it off and do it again.  This kind of thing can wreck an overlay so I count myself fortunate to have managed it.

 

The only mystery is a comment in the instructions about the solebars being handed.  The only difference I could see was an extra pair of rivets at the middle of the lower picture.  There was a part number ref. given but by the time I saw it I had removed the parts.  Drat!

 

The instructions say to install the W irons but offer no hints about how to get the wheels in.  I imaging the W irons will have to be eased out when the time comes.

 

John

 

[brossard]

I started looking at the body.  No drama so far.   The sides needed to have a flange bent up so I used a dodge that has served me well.

 

 

I normally use a file for the anvil but didn't have a straight one long enough so the steel rule stood in.  Pretty self explanatory I think and did a good job.  Trying to use pliers would probably have damaged the sides since there isn't much material at the door sills.

 

John

Edited September 18, 2019 by brossard

[brossard]

This morning's progress report.

 

I installed the doors:

 

 

The doors are two parts to give the raised effect.  Fitting the doors was a fiddle since there are locating marks.  It all had to be done by eye.

 

Next the body was assembled:

 

 

I wanted to get a trial fit of the body and underframe.  All seems good.

 

Joining the neds to the sides was again a fiddle.  I used a tck joint first to see where I was.  Quite often I wasn't where I wanted to be so desolder and adjust.  All good now I think.

 

The body is attached to the underframe with four screws:

 

 

Nuts were soldered to the stretchers.  I avoided soldering everthing solid by painting some 3 in 1 on the screw theads and holding the nuts with these.  All worked well.

 

John

[Father Dougal]

Very neat job.

[brossard]

OK, se here's a question about soldering.  First I have a lot of experience with brass kits in 4mm and 7mm.  I use a Weller variable temp system with tip temp feedback.  This has served extremely well and enabled me to build a couple of 7mm kits, including one with quite heavy gauge brass from Dragon models.  That was a struggle but I got it done.

 

This kit is different for some reason.  My Weller variable doesn't seem to be able to get enough heat transfer to the work to make a joint.

 

I mentioned I bought a Weller 80W iron.  This does generate enough heat to make a joint but the bit goes black quickly.

 

Question 1, what do people use to clean bits?   I did tin the bit when I first used the iron and I have used a wet sponge to try to keep the bit clean.  I think the oxidation limits heat transfer to the work. 

 

Question 2:  should I be using a mini torch?

 

Frustrating -- I spent the whole day yesterday trying to get door runners on.  I finally did it but it was fraught with annoyance.

 

John

Edited September 20, 2019 by brossard

[pwr]

I just bought a Dremel gas torch which has a fine and a broad bit. You can also get others.

 

I also use a Litesold 75w iron for larger bits of brass and bearings. I simply wipe to solder off on the damp sponge in the soldering iron stand. When the bit burns so its no longer flat I just file it straight and re-tin it. Done it for years and only replaced the bit once.

 

 

 

 

Paul R

[brossard]

Thanks for the feedback Paul.  I do have a mini torch but haven't used it.  I guess I'm afraid of burning the house down.  I must gird up my loins and have a go.

 

I went out today and got some tinning compound, a bit cleaner (looks like brass wool) along with a steel wire brush.  I'll give those things a try.

 

John

[brossard]

Time for an update.  First, soldering has been going better but is still a trial.  About the best thing I got was a cheap brass wire brush.  This scrubs the crud off the tip improving performance.

 

I think the majority of solder work is done on the chassis.  Here's where I am:

 

 

 

Brakes, vee hangers and compensating rocker unit shown.  Steps are on as well.

 

The wheel bearings sit in the U shaped cutouts.

 

 

 

Wheels placed loosely and free running confirmed.  Pivot rod is not installed yet.  I need a cunning plan for painting all this.

 

I think most of the rest of the details will be fixed with cyano.

 

John

 

 

[brossard]

Wow, a long time since I posted progress on this.  Priority has been getting the layout boards constructed.

 

Over the last while, I have been detailing the underframe:

 

 

 

I installed bracing from plastic strip.

 

Vacuum, Westinghouse and steam pipes were also installed.  These will come out for the next phase - painting.  Oddly, the routing for the Vac and air pipes is shown in the instructions but steam pipe is not mentioned.  My routing is someting of a guess but it goes more or less down the center of the underframe.  I used larger tube for the steam pipe because these were lagged.

 

The body braces on the buffer beam were royal pain.  I tried soldering but that was a dead loss.  In the end, I drilled one of the "bolts" on each bracket.  This resulted in damage to four of the blasted things so I had to make new ones.  Finally I drilled the buffer beam and glued wire in.  The brackets were then slid over the wire and glued in place.  There's no harm in using cyano to add details but I like to pin and glue whenever possible.

 

John

 

 

 

[brossard]

I am actually progressing this build.  Trying to juggle this with turnout building.

 

I have done the roof:

 

 

Rain strips are 0.020" x 0.020" plastic strip, fixed with cyano.  Believe it or not, 25% of the roof is plastic.  I made a stupid mistake cutting it to length and spent quite a lot of time shaping and sanding the plastic to fit.  You can't even see the join.

 

Other parts are coming together as well.

 

John

[brossard]

Question:  does anyone know how the LNER Westinghouse brakes were set up.  I'm detailing the underframe and the connections from the Westinghouse cylinder to the main brake rod have me baffled.

 

John

[brossard]

I got on with my underframe detailing today.

 

 

I left the things I did unpainted so you can see better.  Brake levers as received are not right.  I suspect the fret is standard one.  I got my cues from photos in Steve's article (linked above).

 

 

Safety loops all over the place, even on the vac cylinder.  Note the safety loops around the brake yokes.

 

Couplings are Dapol.

 

 

Overall view of the undergubbins.  I bit the bullet and made a dual lever for the Westinghouse cylinder,   I don't know if it's right so if anyone has better info, I'm happy to hear it.  Note the connections to air and vacuum lines.  Note also that the yokes are not oriented the same.

 

John

[brossard]

Phew!  Finally got the van done.  The roof gave me all sorts of trouble.

 

 

 

Yes, I know that the Westinghouse system would probably have been removed.  However I like it and I'm invoking Rule 1.

 

John

 

 

[Adrian Stevenson]

Nice work.

 

Cheers, Ade.