3D Printing - Anglesey Aluminium PAB Petcoke wagons

[CazRail]

After a few failed attempts, I've decided to resurrect my project to create a reasonable representation of the PAB petroleum coke wagons of Anglesey Aluminum. This time, I've opted for 3D printing, creating my own CAD work. During the first Covid lockdown, I made significant progress on some CAD, and got a couple of hoppers printed out. Up to now, that's how far I've got, but now I'm planning to start again from scratch.

 

This is the work I've done up to now, but I do need to re-draw the CAD as there are some mistakes, the overall height being one. Shown below are the two main types of body, skirted and non-skirted. I don't know enough about these wagons to know why some had skirts at the end and others didn't, but they're a prominent difference between both styles. There are also various differences between individual wagons.

 

The real things were built in 1970, to work from the then-new aluminum smelter in Holyhead to Immingham. Their purpose was to convey petroleum coke to the Holyhead plant, which was used as an anode in the smelting process. The traffic started in 1971 following the Britannia Bridge fire of 1970, and continued until 2001, when a fire at the plant in Immingham halted the operation. It was initially to re-start, but it never did, with Anglesey Aluminium then receiving their coke from an alternative source in South Africa by ship. These unique vehicles were cut up during 2009, just prior to the end of smelter operations at the plant. Anglesey Aluminium closed completely in 2011 following the end of the re-melting business.

 

My plan is to re-draw the CAD, and build the rake of 17 wagons. Main body and chassis to be 3D printed, finished using detailing parts already available on the market and brass rod.

[bazjones1711]

here are some 4 mm drawings of the wagon , also listed is the modified version

http://www.barrowmoremrg.co.uk/Colin_Craig/Pxx/PAB_Pet_Coke_Covered_Hopper_Wagon_PA007A_2.pdf

Edited August 29, 2022 by bazjones1711

[CazRail]

4 minutes ago, bazjones1711 said:

here are some 4 mm drawings of the wagon , also listed is the modified version

http://www.barrowmoremrg.co.uk/Colin_Craig/Pxx/PAB_Pet_Coke_Covered_Hopper_Wagon_PA007A_2.pdf

Thank you very much! This will be invaluable, really appreciate.

[CazRail]

Here's the progress I've got to so far on the new CADs. Using the drawings provided by @bazjones1711 above, I've created the basic chassis.

 

 

Then an hour or so later, refined a bit.

Edited August 29, 2022 by CazRail
Added refined image

[PaulCheffus]

Hi

 

Would the drawings be resealable to 1/148 as I also would like a rake of these wagons for my Woodhead based layout. I do have a 3D printer so could print the items from the design.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

[CazRail]

1 hour ago, PaulCheffus said:

Hi

 

Would the drawings be resealable to 1/148 as I also would like a rake of these wagons for my Woodhead based layout. I do have a 3D printer so could print the items from the design.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

I'd be more than happy to try this. Possible problems could arise with wall thickness and the capability of printers, but it's certainly worth a shot.

[CazRail]

A little progress this lunchtime. I've progressed the chassis CAD a little today, by adding holes on the buffer beams to accept buffers and coupling hook, and the beginnings of the wheel holders.

 

The main bit of progress though was the creation of the hopper body, by producing a basic master, onto which I can add the variations the wagon had. Currently, the variations I've made are for standard vent positions(vents at opposite ends diagonally) and mirrored vents(both vents at one end of a vehicle).

 

Next job is to duplicate both of these versions in order to create the skirted versions.

 

Now for some nerdy info regarding some detail differences...

 

The wagons were numbered in the BRT121XX range, from 12100 through 12116.

Of these, 12102/03//06/11//12/15 had no end skirts fitted(as CAD above), with 12112 having the mirrored vents arrangement.

 

12100/01/04/05/07/08/09/10/13/14/16 were fitted with end skirts, of which 12108/09/13/14 having mirrored vents.

 

Various other differences between wagons were extended walkways, positions of document clips, sole bar steps and position of latches.

 

As far as detail differences go, the only variations I will replicate are the skirted/non-skirted versions and position of the vents. To me, the rest are not worth the effort to cater for.

Edited August 31, 2022 by CazRail

[CazRail]

A small update...

 

I've now sent for the chassis and a hopper body to be printed, so I can then have a physical model to be able to make the process easier. I'm hoping, so long as my measuring is good, that I'll have a rolling chassis from these, allowing me to measure up to add a coupling pocket onto the chassis, and to plan ahead for the various ladders, walkways and other various details. for ladders and walkways, I'm currently pondering about custom etched parts as they will be finer than what is achievable with 3D printing.

 

I'm also struggling to design the skirted ends, despite me having managed it in the past, but with these also being a prominent feature on the ends, I'm also considering these to be etched parts as well.

 

Any feedback would be appreciated.

 

In the mean time, I've put the chassis and one of the hopper bodies into an assembly on the CAD, and it looks a bit like this...

 

Looking quite encouraging so far.

 

Thanks

Edited September 4, 2022 by CazRail

[pharrc20]

Looking good Caz, I managed to photograph and record what I could on these wagons many years ago when the wagons were stored on site, so I'm guessing around 2008 maybe? I visited with the late Peter Midwinter, as at the time he was looking to model them and so Anglesey Aluminium were more than happy to accommodate our visit on both occasions and we even managed to time it with the Aluminium billet train that ran on a Saturday too.

 

I will watch with interest.

 

Cheers Paul

[CazRail]

Thanks, Paul.

 

So here's an exciting update, Ive received the first prototype of the chassis and body! 

 

 

 

 

A few changes to make on the chassis, improvements rather than mistakes, including adding additional detail, beefing up the bearing holders and adding pedestal suspension unit detail. 

The body will now be measured to add holes that will hold the ladders and walkways, which I envisage to be etched components. 

[CazRail]

A quick question!

 

I've now decided that the ladders, walkways and end skirting will be made with metal etch, can anyone point me in the right direction in terms of CAD software or someone who could do the the etching please?

 

Ive decided to 3D print the brake equipment, which will then simply glue into position.

 

tia

Carwyn 

[PaulaDoesTrains]

Aren't you using a CAD package already to design you 3D printed parts?

[CazRail]

3 minutes ago, PaulaDoesTrains said:

Aren't you using a CAD package already to design you 3D printed parts?

Yeah, I'm using DesignSpark Mechanical.

 

[PaulaDoesTrains]

15 hours ago, CazRail said:

Yeah, I'm using DesignSpark Mechanical.

 

 

That's not a program I'm familiar with. In terms of what capabilities you'll need I think that depends on the complexity of the part you're trying to make. If it's a simple plate-like structure then a drawing package 9e.g.,Inkscape) would probably do the job. If there are any folds then a CAD package which supports sheet metal design (such as FreeCAD or Fusion 360) is probably the best way forward IMHO.

[CazRail]

2 hours ago, PaulaDoesTrains said:

 

That's not a program I'm familiar with. In terms of what capabilities you'll need I think that depends on the complexity of the part you're trying to make. If it's a simple plate-like structure then a drawing package 9e.g.,Inkscape) would probably do the job. If there are any folds then a CAD package which supports sheet metal design (such as FreeCAD or Fusion 360) is probably the best way forward IMHO.

Thank you! Ill have a look at them software, I'm sure I have FreeCAD already installed. I'll give it a go.

[CazRail]

Small update, I added various components to the model, basically buffers and suspension units I had in stock. I also added a Symoba kinematic NEM pocket at one end.

 

 

The buffers appear to be the correct type for the wagon, so I will order more in due course.

 

The pedestal suspension units used are Cambrian ones, but I will make my own on cost grounds. 

 

I will use the Symoba coupling pocket to get dimensions for adding a NEM coupling pocket to the CAD, which will just be a fixed unit.

[Michael Hodgson]

Don't recall ever seeing these wagons, but an attractive prototype, and the model looks great so far.  The most significant omission that strikes me as not having been mentioned so far is those simple struts supporting middle of the hopper ends.  I assume you'll be doing those with the walkways as part of the etch?

[PaulaDoesTrains]

3 hours ago, CazRail said:

Thank you! Ill have a look at them software, I'm sure I have FreeCAD already installed. I'll give it a go.

 

For FreeCAD you'll need to install the Sheet Metal workbench. There's a good tutorial about it here

 

 

[CazRail]

21 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said:

Don't recall ever seeing these wagons, but an attractive prototype, and the model looks great so far.  The most significant omission that strikes me as not having been mentioned so far is those simple struts supporting middle of the hopper ends.  I assume you'll be doing those with the walkways as part of the etch?

The plan is the support struts will be added to the main body, and will be on the limit in terms of minimum wall thickness, which is 1mm.

 

19 hours ago, PaulaDoesTrains said:

 

For FreeCAD you'll need to install the Sheet Metal workbench. There's a good tutorial about it here

 

Thanks! Ill have a play about with it later.

[PaulCheffus]

21 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said:

Don't recall ever seeing these wagons, but an attractive prototype, and the model looks great so far. ?

Hi

 

As far as I am aware they only ran between Immingham and Anglesey and there were only 17 built.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

[Mark Saunders]

2 hours ago, PaulCheffus said:

Hi

 

As far as I am aware they only ran between Immingham and Anglesey and there were only 17 built.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

There was a period when they were running out of North Blyth, possibly late 1970’s.

[CazRail]

4 hours ago, Mark Saunders said:

There was a period when they were running out of North Blyth, possibly late 1970’s.

I didn't know they worked to North Blyth! Thanks!

 

Managed to do some more to the body CAD today, adding the end support struts...

Next on these bodies will probably be locating lugs for the walkways and ladders.

 

The chassis also got a bit of attention tonight too, mostly improvement work from the first print which were chamfering the inner hopper support, adding thickness to the wheel holders and adding various details.

 

Details added include foot steps, chassis ribs, and brake cranks and cylinders.

Edited September 11, 2022 by CazRail

[CazRail]

So, kicking on from the last prototype, I've gone ahead this week and created the remaining major parts to be 3D printed, including the parts I had intended to etch. I've also added locating holes on the hopper bodies to take the walkways and ladders. 

I've created a parts list below as a summary for the parts needed for each wagon.

Obviously, each wagon will not require all parts, for example only 11 of the 17 require the skirts, each of which is different on them wagons. Each wagon requires 2 sets of ladders and walkways.

 

 

I've also ordered each part for a second prototype, which will test the details I've added, and the fit of each component.

[CazRail]

Time for an update!

 

This morning, a parcel arrived from the 3D People containing my latest 'sample', so I set about putting it together...

 

 

 

 

 

So this test print has the more detailed chassis, walkway, ladder and end skirts. It's gone together really well, with only a couple of adjustments to be made for the next print. I need to open out the holes that take to walkway and ladders to 1.5mm, tweak the brace on the skirts, as well as the opening for the brake equipment on one of the skirts.

 

I will now crack on with finding suitable brake leavers for this wagon, or make my own.

[CazRail]

A few more mods done to the chassis, as I opted to use 51L's pedestal suspension units for these wagons (part ABWC008). This has involved extruding the wheel holders inwards 1mm. whilst removing 1mm from the outer face to accommodate these suspension units. This puts them about the right position, as the did stand proud of the chassis solebars on the real thing.

 

 

Also seen in the screenshot, I've added some brake lever detail.

Another test print ordered, hoping this wagon will end up being 12102.