Adam Posted December 14, 2015 Author Share Posted December 14, 2015 Thank you to all the button clickers (and those people that seem to look at these posts and pass on - I've just worked out that each of these posts gets about 100 views which is incredible).* Anyhow, here's a bit more SR lowmac, this time with a tad more detail on the axleboxes, and the chain pockets have become fully formed, if not tidied up. The bits sticking out of the deck are the handles - in the real thing, these were holes inset into the lids with a bit of strip across the top. On the model, these are shallow holes at 2mm diameter. A 2mm strip of 20 thou' has been slightly rounded on the ends and let into those holes before being secured with a drop of solvent.Once they're fully hardened off in a day or two, I'll trim them flush with the deck. I'm going to have to make the springs and hangers from scratch. I'm putting that off... Adam * This proves nothing, I'm sure, but it's noticeable that the painting and weathering posts get more 'likes'. Interesting. 4 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulwell Hall Posted December 15, 2015 Share Posted December 15, 2015 Thank you to all the button clickers (and those people that seem to look at these posts and pass on - I've just worked out that each of these posts gets about 100 views which is incredible).* Anyhow, here's a bit more SR lowmac, this time with a tad more detail on the axleboxes, and the chain pockets have become fully formed, if not tidied up. The bits sticking out of the deck are the handles - in the real thing, these were holes inset into the lids with a bit of strip across the top. On the model, these are shallow holes at 2mm diameter. A 2mm strip of 20 thou' has been slightly rounded on the ends and let into those holes before being secured with a drop of solvent.Once they're fully hardened off in a day or two, I'll trim them flush with the deck. Lowmac_007.gif I'm going to have to make the springs and hangers from scratch. I'm putting that off... Adam * This proves nothing, I'm sure, but it's noticeable that the painting and weathering posts get more 'likes'. Interesting. Very nice work Adam - your models such as the Lowmac make me want to do some scratch building rather than more kit building and RTR upgrades. Maybe in the New Year I will have a go at the GWR Damo A that I have been promising myself for years! Keep up the good work and please keep us informed of what you are doing. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted December 16, 2015 Author Share Posted December 16, 2015 Thank you Gerry - it's very kind of you to say so (I enjoyed your cattle wagon build in MRJ recently too). The joy of scratchbuilding for me is mostly the challenge; the end result of something a bit different a welcome bonus.* It makes a nice change from working with other peoples' design decisions and subject choices as well. Now a Damo - assuming it's what I think it is (a kind of short CCT?) - would be something really interesting to see in model form, go for it. Adam * I'll admit that the reason I'm building four PALBRICKs is to have one more than Geoff Kent, eventually! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 Hi Adam, Very nice work as always. I somehow missed the genesis of the Lowmac wagon. It is coming along well. There is a photo of a similar wagon on Paul Bartlett's website, taken at Hastings in 1977. (For some reason the link will not paste into this reply.) For a man of your talents, the Bulleid version of the Lowmac design would be an interesting challenge... All the best, Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted December 17, 2015 Author Share Posted December 17, 2015 (edited) Hi Adam, Very nice work as always. I somehow missed the genesis of the Lowmac wagon. It is coming along well. There is a photo of a similar wagon on Paul Bartlett's website, taken at Hastings in 1977. (For some reason the link will not paste into this reply.) For a man of your talents, the Bulleid version of the Lowmac design would be an interesting challenge... All the best, Colin Hi Colin, you're very kind, as ever. You will have missed the genesis because it never appeared online! Is this the picture you meant? http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/srspecial/h393d36bf I had the basis of it from the drawing in SR wagons vol 4 and the basic elements were lifted from that, starting with the floor, scribed in 40 thou'. The side plates were a bit of a problem and are the reason that the thing sat at the bottom of a box file for a couple or three years. I was unhappy with some of the reinforcing work between the frames and concerned about the flanges rubbing on the underside of the floor (which is why the prototype has metal plates there), and had gouged the deck there away almost to nothing and I wasn't happy with the frames. Basically, the ends of the frame plates are perpendicular to the deck but the bits under the well aren't! That said, when rediscovered, all 4 wheels sit flat on the rail, the axles are parallel and the wagon is stable so I've persevered, adding more reinforcement. Thus far it's working... The Bulleid cast steel flatrol is something I'd like to have a go at, but... http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/srspecial/h221b8e46 I reckon making the bits should be ok, it's making the wagon durable I have concerns about, and making the bits will be a big investment if I can't make the structure stable and the wagon workable. I'm keen to see how you'll go about it. Adam Edited December 18, 2015 by Adam Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmrspaul Posted December 17, 2015 Share Posted December 17, 2015 Hi Colin, The Bulleid cast steel flatrol is something I'd like to have a go at, but... http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/srspecial/h221b8e46 I reckon making the bits should be ok, it's making the wagon durable I have concerns about, and making the bits will be a big investment if I can't make the structure stable and the wagon workable. I'm keen to see how you'll go about it. adam Adam Is there a drawing in the SR books, if not there is a nice drawing in an HMRS Journal of about 50 years ago. I can copy for you if you are interested. Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted December 17, 2015 Share Posted December 17, 2015 Hi Adam, After your explanation re. the flange clearances, you really have made a good job of getting the Lowmac to sit at the correct height above rail. As for the Bulleid type, I had not got very far with the idea as in styrene, the 'cast' frames would be problematic to reproduce, with balancing strength against authentic thinness being the prime consideration. I did pester my brother about producing a kit, but no news on that! All the best, Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted December 17, 2015 Author Share Posted December 17, 2015 Hi Adam, After your explanation re. the flange clearances, you really have made a good job of getting the Lowmac to sit at the correct height above rail. As for the Bulleid type, I had not got very far with the idea as in styrene, the 'cast' frames would be problematic to reproduce, with balancing strength against authentic thinness being the prime consideration. I did pester my brother about producing a kit, but no news on that! All the best, Colin It occurs to me that the real thing must have holes under the metal plates on the ramps since they wouldn't work even with P4 flanges. I've added these plates from 5 thou' and secured them with cyano' over what remains of the gouged 40 thou'; I didn't want to involve a solvent and thus risk the structural integrity. Sitting in a presentation this afternoon sketched out a few ideas and I reckon that the core of a scratch build would have to be brass sheet, representing the floor (which I believe was a later addition) with the running gear fretted from more sheet brass. That would form the basis of the wagon but cosmetic frames and detail would be easier in styrene. This would be an *interesting* challenge for tool making in any form, but I can't help but thing the best solution would be a cast whitemetal kit. Adam Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted December 17, 2015 Author Share Posted December 17, 2015 (edited) Adam Is there a drawing in the SR books, if not there is a nice drawing in an HMRS Journal of about 50 years ago. I can copy for you if you are interested. Paul Paul - Thank you for the offer, I know about the drawing in SR Wagons - and if I remember rightly, there's a drawing of the heavier, BR-built riveted version in there as well: http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/wagon/90036.htmlwhich I reckon would be an easier build - but I will be in touch about the HMRS drawing by email. Adam Edited December 18, 2015 by Adam Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted December 19, 2015 Author Share Posted December 19, 2015 Since I've been far to busy to worry about putting off making springs for the lowmac, the Trestrol has been weathered and, since it was just about bright enough this morning, has been photographed prior to loading - because I really think this is a wagon that will benefit from it - and it's an impressive thing - just imagine the size it would be in 7mm! So that's more or less there, barring the aforementioned load and the crud of hammerscale and detritus that should be in the well. Back to spring-dodging... Adam 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted December 19, 2015 Share Posted December 19, 2015 Just found this thread. Now following. You have done some lovely work here and given me a few ideas for scratch builds. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted December 20, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 20, 2015 Since I've been far to busy to worry about putting off making springs for the lowmac, the Trestrol has been weathered and, since it was just about bright enough this morning, has been photographed prior to loading - because I really think this is a wagon that will benefit from it - and it's an impressive thing - just imagine the size it would be in 7mm! Trestrol_018.gif Trestrol_019.gif So that's more or less there, barring the aforementioned load and the crud of hammerscale and detritus that should be in the well. Back to spring-dodging... Adam NURSE, the handkerchiefs, now. Mike. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted December 20, 2015 Author Share Posted December 20, 2015 (edited) Thanks all - now, I've had a bit of a think and made a start on a set of springs for the Lowmac. There are various approaches that could be used: Spend ages seeing whether I or any of the parts manufacturers had anything suitable Making a jig of some kind and building them up leaf by leaf like the real thing. In styrene - and scale thickness would be 5 thou' or thereabouts - there is a very real risk of a big solventy mess. Photocopying the drawing, gluing that to some plastic sheet and cutting out of, say, 60 thou' sheet - this carries with it the risk of the blade going 'ping' Or...? Well here's what I did, based to some extent what Geoff Kent and dad did when similar problems turned up: make my own. First, some measurements: The spacing between the spring hanger centres is/was 3' 6" (14mm in 4mm scale) with a bit of overhang at each end - I reckoned that 15mm would be plenty long enough. I marked out two pencil lines 14 mm apart on a piece of 20 thou' styrene sheet with a centre line between them. I chose 20 thou' because it's easy to cut, and can be laminated onto 40 thou' to bring it up to thickness. Marking out the curved top edge was simply a matter of finding something of a suitable diameter, about 4"/10cm in pencil. then made a small mark with the point of a scalpel on the centreline, 2mm below the curved line and scribed all the way across the strip and gently, 1mm either side of that centreline as a guide for trimming the bottom edge of the spring. See the picture below: Note that I've trimmed the strip off over width to make up the full length of the spring and marked out one extra to allow for errors. The acceptable springs were then mounted on 40 thou', solvent welded in place and will be allowed to set prior to further shaping and detailing. Adam Edited December 20, 2015 by Adam 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted December 21, 2015 Author Share Posted December 21, 2015 (edited) And here the Lowmac rests at Christmas, no more will be done until New Year now. The springs have been shaped - steps filed into the undersides to represent the leaves (I didn't bother to scribe the leaves in themselves) - straps added and the mountings added. If I wanted to be critical, I think that I've made the springs themselves a bit too deep but you'd have to be very intimate with the prototype to notice. A few more deck-support brackets have gone in under the ramps and the access panels for the draw hook springs added to each end of the deck. So what's still to add? Many, many rivets, works plates, label clips. securing rings and, I suppose, a coat of paint. Oh, and the load... ... and the second Lowmac, an original Airfix item, yellow plastic and all: Of all the possible versions of Lowmac produced by the pre-nationalisation companies, BR chose to produce 52 examples to a GER design. The modifications made were fairly simple - new shrouds over the buffers, new buffers, brake levers and remodelled axleboxes. Its a bit shorter than the SR vehicle and lower-rated in terms of weight so should present a nice contrast when employed in a train with the same load. Adam Edited December 22, 2015 by Adam 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium ullypug Posted December 21, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 21, 2015 Oh, and the load... Adam It's got to be a one horse open sleigh hasn't it?! Have a good Christmas and I look forward to seeing your layout progress in 2016!!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 The springs look good. They are always a pain in plasticard. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted December 22, 2015 Author Share Posted December 22, 2015 The springs look good. They are always a pain in plasticard. I reckon they've come out quite well, considering - making them from solid was definitely the right option - and only one ended up junked in the process. I'll need to add the dampers/adjusters but the difficult bits are now done and the remaining details are just a bit fiddly. Having found the other Lowmac, the overall project is also on course. Adam 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Happy Christmas Adam! The low mac looks very nice with the springs added. Your posts have been very entertaining this year. I do hope that Santa will bring you a new cutting mat though... All the best, Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted January 7, 2016 Author Share Posted January 7, 2016 Happy New Year. I hope it's brought you some welcome respite, though not, on my case, a new cutting mat. Sorry Colin. Following Christmas, two opens have become three. The third is a BR-built, LMS design from a Parkside kit and, like the GW pair, would have been retro-fitted with vacuum brakes. The mouldings are excellent, marred only by the axleboxes supplied which were not quite one thing nor the other. The whitemetal ones shown are from MJT/Dart Castings and will be altered - the groove in the top filled in with Milliput - before painting. All the various holes in the ends are for Rumney Models tarpaulin bars - these would be really good in 7mm for those so afflicted - drilled using a supplied jig. Clever stuff. The GW one (rear) has also received new axleboxes, this time LNER pattern which were occasionally retro-fitted, Masokits screw couplings and MJT buffers of a Dowty hydraulic type. The other alteration on the GW opens was to scribe the extra 'half' plank in, using my digital vernier gauge. I know this isn't what they're meant for, but... The container, by the way, is complete and ready for paint. This one will be crimson. Adam 6 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium ullypug Posted January 7, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 7, 2016 Happy New Year to you too! Very nice by the way (as always) 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted January 8, 2016 Author Share Posted January 8, 2016 (edited) This was the other railway-related Christmas item - a Bachmann grain hopper. All I have done thus far is to change the wheels (EM wheels just drop in), remove the tension lock couplings, add some three-links and to trim off various moulded grab handles before drilling for replacements (there's more to do of these). I have also filled the larger than acceptable gaps with Milliput and taken off the extraneous step moulding on the side without the inspection hatch. The damage to the paint finish doesn't matter because the vehicle will be repainted. Bachmann, btw, have clearly used this picture as their exemplar: http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brgraincgo/hc5b1c99#hc5b1c99 The big remaining job is to replace the brakeshoes in order to bring them somewhere near the wheels. The moulded ones line up with OO wheelsets, even if they aren't desperately close to the treads; replacing them will resolve both these issues and should be straightforward. I fully expect the paintjob to take longer than the rest of the work... Adam Edited January 8, 2016 by Adam 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted January 8, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 8, 2016 Glad youre a tool abuser too Adam, makes me feel a lot better, I've lots of alternative uses for my digital spanner. Mike. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted January 8, 2016 Author Share Posted January 8, 2016 (edited) Glad youre a tool abuser too Adam, makes me feel a lot better, I've lots of alternative uses for my digital spanner. Mike. Ha! Dad has a rather nice pair of draughtsman's dividers which are perfect for this job (offset scribing, marking out planks, that sort of thing) but can I find a pair as good? All those I've seen are either far too big, have too much slop - poorly made - or come as part of expensive sets. The verniers do the job nicely - 8mm of the top edge if you've a Ratio GW open that needs doing, by the way... Adam Edited January 8, 2016 by Adam 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium ullypug Posted January 8, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 8, 2016 This was the other railway-related Christmas item - a Bachmann grain hopper. All I have done thus far is to change the wheels (EM wheels just drop in), remove the tension lock couplings, add some three-links and to trim off various moulded grab handles before drilling for replacements (there's more to do of these). I have also filled the larger than acceptable gaps with Milliput and taken off the extraneous step moulding on the side without the inspection hatch. The damage to the paint finish doesn't matter because the vehicle will be repainted. Bachmann, btw, have clearly used this picture as their exemplar: http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brgraincgo/hc5b1c99#hc5b1c99 Grain_001.gif Grain_002.gif Grain_003.gif The big remaining job is to replace the brakeshoes in order to bring them somewhere near the wheels. The moulded ones line up with OO wheelsets, even if they aren't desperately close to the treads; replacing them will resolve both these issues and should be straightforward. I fully expect the paintjob to take longer than the rest of the work... Adam Be interesting to see what you're going to do to this. I've had my eye on one of these for a while. Will it take P4 wheels do you think? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted January 8, 2016 Author Share Posted January 8, 2016 (edited) Be interesting to see what you're going to do to this. I've had my eye on one of these for a while. Will it take P4 wheels do you think? I reckon so, but the brakeshoes may well act neatly on the flanges... 22.93mm between W irons if that helps at all. Adam Edited January 8, 2016 by Adam Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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