Adam's EM Workbench: Farewell for now

[Adam]

They did indeed - but the only plant they had in West Yorkshire was in Shipley, just north of Bradford, which was a machinery building plant, and didn't produce cans (and where I worked for eight years).

 

Coils are generally used to make 2-piece cans (drink cans mainly, although some food cans are 2-piece). The two MB plants using this technology in the UK are at Botcherby, near Carlisle; and at Braunstone, near Leicester. Although just to complicate things further, around the time of the wagon, 2-piece cans were mostly aluminium and not steel.

 

All of which is a long-winded way of saying no, probably not...

 

Long-winded it may be, but it is certainly informative and thus useful. Thank you.

 

You wouldn't happen to know where their facilities were (or even some of them) in south Wales by any chance and which, if any were likely to use tinplate? There is, as you might gather a South-Walian layout plan somewhere in the back of my mind.

Adam

[Fat Controller]

Long-winded it may be, but it is certainly informative and thus useful. Thank you.

 

You wouldn't happen to know where their facilities were (or even some of them) in south Wales by any chance and which, if any were likely to use tinplate? There is, as you might gather a South-Walian layout plan somewhere in the back of my mind.

Adam

Neath; the factory is (perhaps now 'was') on the Down side of the SWML. The rail connection was off the Canalside Branch, however, and lasted until November 1983. I think this was their only facility in South Wales (factories tended to be close to the customers to save transporting fresh air); there was a firm called 'Impress Packaging' at Rhymney, which received tinplate by rail within about the last decade. If you are thinking of replicating one of their facilities, don't forget the 16t minerals loaded with off-cuts, which were returned to Llanelli for de-tinning.

There were a number of facilities in the Llanelli/Swansea area which stored finished tinplate against anticipated demand. They both received, and despatched, traffic by rail and road.

In Llanelli, the former Burry Works of RTB was converted.

In Swansea, there were warehouses at the former King's Dock and Elba works, near Swansea docks, and Duffryn Works, on the remains of the MR Swansea Vale line in Morriston. 

My father was involved in all four of the conversions, and I spent a lot of my childhood 'helping' him by holding the ends of tape measures, and the calibrated poles used to set levels.

In those days, the traffic was carried in Shoc-Vans, and sometimes ordinary vans, and was packed in bundles on stillages. However, when Duffryn was converted, it was anticipated that sliding-door vehicles would be used, and the loading platform was set up accordingly. They never arrived, so 'cupboard-doored' vans had to be stopped short of the platform, doors opened and secured, then propelled to the platform. The opposite procedure was followed upon despatch.

Should you wish to have road vehicles on the South Wales model, then HGVs from both Rosser's of Pontlliw, and Entress, have been released by one of the die-cast firms. Don't worry if the Rosser's one looks a bit dated; their fleet was antiquated.

It's worth seeking out a copy of 'The Nevill's Dock and Railway Company', which is the history of a multi-customer industrial line in Llanelli which somehow escaped both Grouping and Nationalisation. It had street and roadside running, along with two flat crossings of the mainline to Fishguard.

[Zero Gravitas]

Long-winded it may be, but it is certainly informative and thus useful. Thank you.

 

You wouldn't happen to know where their facilities were (or even some of them) in south Wales by any chance and which, if any were likely to use tinplate? There is, as you might gather a South-Walian layout plan somewhere in the back of my mind.

 

Adam

I can't really add much more to the Fat Controller's excellent answer above - except to add there was a tinplate warehouse at Eaglesbush, which was at the entrance to the Neath site. In my day, it was being used as a machinery graveyard - stuff not ready to be scrapped, but for which there was no use.

 

Stillage tinplate was dispatched from Wales to loads of MB plants. Perrywood in Worcester had a rail connection - I'm not sure about Carlisle (the other factory, not Botcherby), but I'm fairly sure the aerosol factory at Sutton-in-Ashfield had a siding as well. Wisbech also had a rail connection into the late nineties.

 

BTW, stillaged tinplate is phenomenally dangerous stuff. If tipped or dropped and the banding broke, the resulting cascade of sharp metal sheets could literally take your feet off. I remember a dropped stillage in the rain in the sloping yard at Mansfield factory (no rail link) slide for over 100 yards with people leaping out the way.

 

Z.G.

 

P.S. Impress Packaging are competitors to Crown Packaging (which Metal Box has been part of since 1995)

 

Reason for edit: correcting iPad autocorrects...

Edited May 18, 2016 by Zero Gravitas

[Fat Controller]

I can't really add much more to the Fat Controller's excellent answer above - except to add there was a tinplate warehouse at Eaglesbush, which was at the entrance to the Neath site. In my day, it was being used as a machinery graveyard - stuff not ready to be scrapped, but for which there was no use.

 

Stillage tinplate was dispatched from Wales to loads of MB plants. Perrywood in Worcester had a rail connection - I'm not sure about Carlisle (the other factory, not Botcherby), but I'm fairly sure the aerosol factory at Sutton-in-Ashfield had a siding as well. Wisbech also had a rail connection into the late nineties.

 

BTW, stillaged tinplate is phenomenally dangerous stuff. If tipped or dropped and the banding broke, the resulting cascade of sharp metal sheets could literally take your feet off. I remember a dropped stillage in the rain in the sloping yard at Mansfield factory (no rail link) slide for over 100 yards with people leaping out the way.

 

Z.G.

 

P.S. Impress Packaging are competitors to Crown Packaging (which Metal Box has been part of since 1995)

 

Reason for edit: correcting iPad autocorrects...

Sutton-in-Ashfield did have a rail connection, off the line from Pye Bridge Junction. My oldest copy of Baker's Rail atlas shows two plants in Carlisle, at London Road and Denton Holme. I think the last plant to receive tinplate by rail was Worcester; some bogie ferryvans from Trostre were attached to the Margam- Llanwern- Round Oak coil train until quite recently.

I can vouch for the inherent danger of the sheets, and the banding used to secure them.  I got my face cut when some Signode Banding snapped, and sprung at me, whilst dad, until the day he died, had scars on his legs where he'd been caught by the sheets coming off his grand-fathers rollers at Cwnfelin Stamping some sixty years previously.

[£1.38]

Strictly speaking, the Sutton-in-Ashfield factory was on the GN line from Langwith to Annesley and Nottingham. The MR Pye Bridge line was diverted to join the ex- GN line just south of Kirkby, rejoining the ex-MR trackbed just north of Kirkby - immediately south of what is now Sutton Parkway station. The connection to the factory was retained, using a short stub of the GN line. Some of the rails for this connection still exist in places.

[Adam]

Not a lot of modelling on the agenda just lately but I have managed to progress a few things, just a little bit. Hence, here we have the three opens which now all have door springs (of different patterns - scrap etch in the case of the GW pair and spares from Rumney Models for the BR one).

 

 

The GW opens, being modelled on earlier versions of the GW 5 and half plank, have necessitated more modifications with more to come. The most obvious are the capping clips which I have done in this instance by cutting slots in the top edge with a razor saw and fitting little bits of 20 thou' plastic solvent-welded in. This idea came from Colin Parks [thank you Colin] and works quite well; it's certainly less fiddly than mucking about with 5 thou'. The protector plate on the door has been moved closer to the centre line to match the door spring (itself moved in order to make way for the vac' cylinder).

 

 

The other side of the same wagon - the prototype picture I'm following shows different types of tie-down cleats at different points on the same side - the round ones are taken from the Rumney Models etch for tarp' rail details - and different capping clips (that type will be better rendered using 5 thou' strip, being longer and wider). Almost time for brake levers and then, paint!

 

 

That's all for another time. Meanwhile, it's currently dry and Cricket is calling...

 

Adam

[Porcy Mane]

Very nice.

 

P

[Colin parks]

Hi Adam,

 

The wagons look great and the extra detailing  gives that authentic air to them.  Looking forward to seeing them finished - cricket permitting!

 

All the best, 

 

Colin

[Adam]

Hi Adam,

 

The wagons look great and the extra detailing  gives that authentic air to them.  Looking forward to seeing them finished - cricket permitting!

 

All the best, 

 

Colin

 

Thanks Colin (and to all the button clickers). Since we won that particular game, I'm happy. The one dayer from Trent Bridge occupied this evening, but tomorrow's game is off so modelling may be the winner. I have trimmed the clips back though.

 

Adam

[Adam]

Inching forward now, and the GW pair have taken the lead, arriving at the primer stage. I'm quite pleased with the little rope cleats which I've done using little bits of 10 thou' solvent welded in place and, once set, pinched at the ends with pliers.

 

 

The BR hybar hasn't got to the same stage just yet, but it's getting there and really, all that's left to do is the tarp' bar which will be a bit of a fiddle involving flattening and drilling 0.7mm brass - the scale of the challenge is here, but the tarp rail fittings from Rumney Models are very good:

 

 

http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/wagondetailspoetc/h1dbaf749#h1dbaf749

 

 

So, all good fun.

 

Adam

[Adam]

 Escaping the unexpected heat this afternoon, following the addition of livery colour and a first pass on the underframes, the GW opens have been given identities or, in one case, a couple of identities based on the wagon illustrated in the picture below. This has been extensively re-planked including planks from some other vehicle, retaining its original lettering:

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/david_christie/8375659451/in/set-72157625418636168/

 

The lettering is a mix of Modelmaster's (no longer available) ex-Cambrian sheet and Cambridge Custom Transfers, the arrangement being based on photos.

 

 

Finally, with the load for one posed and the first pass weathering painting in the replaced planks. Already two near identical wagons look slightly different.

 

 

Now to leave them for the paint to harden off for a day or two.

 

Adam

 

 

 

[Adam]

A view from the paintshop. First, the GW opens, now complete:

 

 

And with the first stage of weathering applied, a couple of Bachmann hoppers:

 

 

 

Adam

Edited July 10, 2016 by Adam

[57xx]

The GWR open looks great, nicely "battle scarred" with it's replacement buffers and axle boxes etc.

[Adam]

So here we are, one complete hopper (the grain), one near complete (the covhop), and one started (see below). First, fresh from the paintshop:

 

 

The better of the two sides - I've just done a bit of remedial work on the other. Transfers are a mix of CCT and the usually useless HMRS sheet. The 'GRAIN' branding is actually usable, and resembles the real thing!

 

Two sides of the covhop next. This needs to harden off properly for a few days before being treated to a bit of dust from its load. Nearly there, however.

 

 

 

Meanwhile, here's another hopper; a Parkside 21 tonner which will be based on that part of the fleet branded for Charringtons. The prototype is interesting in that it had all the fittings for vacuum brake bar the crucial ones: a hose and a cylinder!

 

 

Adam

[Zero Gravitas]

Excellent as usual Adam - thank you for sharing.

 

Any chance of a demo of how you'd get your rust effects on the bodies (and you 16 ton minerals)? - it's the most convincing I think I've seen.

 

Thanks very much in advance...

 

Z.G.

Edited July 20, 2016 by Zero Gravitas

[57xx]

I don't think I've ever seen a real covhop (pic or in the flesh), however yours looks pretty much what I'd expect a real one to be like!

[Arthur]

 

Just catching up on recent posts Adam, stunning work as always.

 

Workaday wagons captured to perfection.

[Adam]

On 20/07/2016 at 22:10, Arthur said:

Workaday wagons captured to perfection.

 

That's the aim, as well as I can, but perfection? That'd be too much to ask. Thank you everyone.

 

Anyhow, for the benefit of @Zero Gravitas, this isn't exactly a step by step (because I haven't anything to hand), but this should give you an idea. I do everything by brush and this is based on practice rather than any particular recipe and nothing is really new - Martyn Welch was my guide; I've just adjusted the ideas and techniques for the smaller scale. Would they work in 7mm? No idea. 2mm would probably need a different approach again. I start with a base coat of rust colour, to choice (this was metalcote gunmetal and a bit of orange). Allow to harden for a good while, though it may need a couple of coats.

 

This pair of NCB hoppers from Dave Bradwell kits give you the next phase, the livery colour splodged roughly over the top (copying photos, that's the key).

 

 

Again, that's allowed to dry for a few days (quicker if you use acrylics, and why not?), before lettering, by hand in this case, before damp brushing - a sort of dry brushed technique with thinned rust colours with washes to fill out the corners. Note that I've left rust showing through at the seams where water and other things would attack the edges of the platework.

 

Once that's dry you can either knock back the effects with a thinners-moistened cotton bud or accentuate it with 'normal' dry brushing to simulate knocks and chips and so on.

 

 

There's no substitute for looking at the real thing (builders lorries provide an excellent and readily accessible simulation of the kind of abuse steel wagons got and still receive).

 

Hope that helps?

 

Adam

Edited October 11, 2019 by Adam

[Paragon]

Adam, stunning work as ever.

Thanks for sharing

Paragon

[Adam]

Thank you for the likes, the clicks on the other buttons and the kind words; these have come out quite well, I think.

 

I don't think I've ever seen a real covhop (pic or in the flesh), however yours looks pretty much what I'd expect a real one to be like!

 

Thanks, I don't think there are any preserved, but Paul Bartlett has an excellent gallery of the type, here: http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brcovhop

 

It's not done yet - there are some streaks that are not quite vertical and these need tidying up. There's also the question of load spillage which was characteristic of the type. I have some ideas about this, but haven't tried them yet.

Adam

[Pixie]

Adam - lovely stuff, as ever!

 

I don't think there are any preserved

There's at least one - http://www.ws.vintagecarriagestrust.org/ws/WagonInfo.asp?Ref=9223. I've never been able to get near it on various trips to the Glow Warks but it's nice that one clings onto existence, I think it's a vac-braked one too.

 

Pix

[Zero Gravitas]

Adam - thanks very much for the demonstration! Just off to the shed...

[Adam]

... This needs to harden off properly for a few days before being treated to a bit of dust from its load. Nearly there, however.

 

Covhop5.gif

 

 

 

Anyhow, a few days later, lightly dusted and dusted with talc (smells lovely):

 

 

 

And from above - note the work done on the catwalks; boltheads dimpled and painted to represent the wood of the originals. Since we tend to veiw models from above, this is worth the effort.

 

 

Adam

[Fat Controller]

Adam - lovely stuff, as ever!

 

 

There's at least one - http://www.ws.vintagecarriagestrust.org/ws/WagonInfo.asp?Ref=9223. I've never been able to get near it on various trips to the Glow Warks but it's nice that one clings onto existence, I think it's a vac-braked one too.

 

Pix

There may still be a heavily-modified one at Earle's Cement in Derbyshire; it had been adapted with ladders and working platforms for the maintenance of the loading gantries. 

Though most were to be found the industrial areas of the NE and NW, individual wagons would be seen travelling to various oil refineries around the country, and they also worked the Delabole slate powder traffic at one point.

[Adam]

There may still be a heavily-modified one at Earle's Cement in Derbyshire; it had been adapted with ladders and working platforms for the maintenance of the loading gantries. 

Though most were to be found the industrial areas of the NE and NW, individual wagons would be seen travelling to various oil refineries around the country, and they also worked the Delabole slate powder traffic at one point.

 

Thanks Brian - there's more detail on the wagons (Covhops and Presflos) used for Delabole traffic here: 

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/9674-north-cornwall-railway/?p=123647

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/75331-kernow-model-rail-centre-cornish-exclusive-wagons-oo-gauge/?p=1138789

 

One thing that is very evident from other published information is how many different traffics these were used for and how, in the early period of their existence, they could evidently be found in penny numbers in mixed freights all over the place. All this means is that I have a pair; that's probably plenty.

 

Adam