Mikemeg's Workbench - Building wagons for Hessle Haven

[mikemeg]

About twenty years ago, when I returned to this hobby after a thirty year lay off, I began building wagons from various kit suppliers. Almost without exception the wagon kits were plastic, from Ian Kirk and a variety of other suppliers. I built about a hundred wagons of various types, some with added detail, some built 'just as they came'. Towards the end of my wagon building 'fest' I looked for a model of the LNER fitted guards van, with no success, as no-one seemed to produce one. The nearest thing to that was the old Airfix BR 20 ton guards van, which was based on the LNER design but with a number of differences, I seem to remember that this kit was subsequently acquired by Dapol and re-issued by them, largely unchanged.

 

So, using this kit as the basis, I set out to produce models of the standard LNER fitted guards van, using information and drawings from Peter Tatlow's wonderful book on LNER wagons.

 

The result of this work is shown in the photo below, though I still have about another four of these to finish. This one is finished in LNER red oxide, with LNER markings, though I am told that post nationalisation, many wagons continued to run with their 'big four' livery and markings for quite a number of years.

 

Unless anyone is specifically interested, I won't go into all of the details on the construction other than to say that all embossed detail was removed, the solebars were completely reworked as were the footsteps, new roofs and glazed ends were made to the guards compartment and all handrails were individually added.

 

The dog roses and cow parsley on the grassy bank, behind the wagon, are just coming into blossom!!

 

Cheers

 

MIke

 

 

 

Edited April 6, 2022 by mikemeg

[Chas Levin]

Nice build Mike; not sure if you saw it and/or referred to it, but there's a long and very useful thread on the LNER Info Forum about various mods, differences etc between the incarnations of this vehicle and what can be done to the kit. Looks like you did a splendid job though, whether you referred to it or not!!

I built one a while back but pretty much as the kit suggested, so not exactly historically accurate... Peter Tatlow's books are wonderful resources and also wonderful browsing material.

[mikemeg]

Hi Chas,

 

No I didn't know of the thread on the LNER Info Forum, so my sole source of information was Peter Tatlow's book. I actually have four more of these awaiting completion, some with the fully glazed cabin doors, others with the non glazed cabin doors and one built as an unfitted version as built for and used by the Cheshire Lines Committee.

 

The basic rework process is the same on them all :

 

Remove all embossed detail - handrails, lamp irons, etc.

 

Rework the solebars in the kit by reducing the thickness of the webs on the solebars and then adding a plasticard overlay, into the solebar, containing the rivet detail, works plates, etc.

 

Make new cabin ends, fully glazed with the appropriate doors.

 

Make new roofs with added detail - chimney, handrail, ventilators, etc

 

Make new running boards for both sides of the vehicle. These were actually shorter on the LNER vans than on the later BR vans.

 

Rework the lamps on the sides of the vehicle and add new lamp irons, both ends.

 

Add brake yokes and brake linkage, along with the guards which prevented any brake linkage from falling onto the permanent way.

 

Add new buffers and screw couplings.

 

Complete repaint and new markings.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

 

Edited April 12, 2022 by mikemeg

[Chas Levin]

Hello Mike, you have a pretty comprehensive list there, but in case there are any other details or information you might find interesting, I went and had a look and found that I'd mis-remembered and the Airfix/Toad conversion is actually part of Jonathan Wealleans's excellent 'West End Workbench' thread, starting here: https://www.lner.info/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=937&start=393 .

 

Please ignore this if it's not of interest, but I had to go and find it for myself as it was niggling me and it seemed a pity not to share it...

[mikemeg]

Hi Chas,

 

I did read through Jonathan Weallean's description, as you referenced above. It is fairly similar in approach to mine, though I do rework the solebars by adding strengthening and detailing sections and completely replace the running boards, both sides. I also scratch build the brake operating apparatus. Apart from those processes,  very similar.

 

Regards

 

Mike

 

[41516]

Any tips on scratchbuilding the running boards Mike? I have about half a dozen Airfix brake vans in various states of completeness and modification to different diagrams and have largely stalled on the running boards.

 

I've got some 3mmx1mm right angle brass angle and have been giving some thought into building a jig to both create and then space the support stantions correctly for each side for soldering up.

Edited April 13, 2022 by 41516
spelling

[mikemeg]

3 hours ago, 41516 said:

Any tips on scratchbuilding the running boards Mike? I have about half a dozen Airfix brake vans in various states of completeness and modification to different diagrams and have largely stalled on the running boards.

 

I've got some 3mmx1mm right angle brass angle and have been giving some thought into building a jig to both create and then space the support stantions correctly for each side for soldering up.

 

On the brake van in the photo at the top of this thread, the running boards were scratch built. The basic running board is .015" plasticard and is cut into a strip 2.5 mm wide. At the back of the strip is a further piece of .015"  plasticard, 1.0 mm wide which is attached, to the edge of the 2.5 mm strip, flush with the bottom, to produce an upstand at the back of the running board, thus making the running board around 3.0 mm wide (a scale 9 inches). So I finish up with 3mm x 1mm 'L' angle but made from plasticard!

 

As you suggest, I built a jig to space the support stanchions, which are made from 0.8 mm x .005" nickel silver strip (I bought loads of this stuff to build the lattice girders on my signals). This jig allows both running boards (there are two each side) to then be glued (superglue) to the stanchions.

 

Once the whole running board assembly is assembled and set. then it is glued to the solebar, using a small curve at the top of each stanchion which fits over the bottom web of the solebar.

 

Sounds like a lot of work but each set of running boards took around half an hour to cut and assemble and perhaps ten minutes to fit to the solebar.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

 

Edited April 13, 2022 by mikemeg