The Evil Bus Driver Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 (edited) Part 1 of an occasional series So. Here is somewhere that I can post pictures of my efforts at kit building wagons, after a loft clearout brought a few unmade kits to light. To start here is a Dapol meat van recently built and painted. It has a few bits of touching up to do yet but I think it's getting there. Sorry about the slightly ropey picture quality, they are from my mobile phone camera. Perhaps the laptop isn't the best photographic studio... The same clearout turned up these too. I'll probably keep the Airfix van as it is, I have another Dapol one to do as well as a brake van. A Parkside Grampus has also come to light too so I'll post build pics of these soon, at least, when I have my old work bench back. Much fun to be getting on with anyway. Hopefully people will find it interesting and I'll try to make it enjoyable to read. Edited May 23, 2013 by The Evil Bus Driver 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzgresleyfan Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 Ah, the memories! This was my first ever wagon kit, built at the age of ten following a visit to the NRM. I still have it although it will never run again, having suffered numerous injuries it has finally donated its roof to replace a missing Parkside one. Rob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Bus Driver Posted May 24, 2013 Author Share Posted May 24, 2013 Nice! I found an old Ratio van in my box at the clubroom so i built that as well. I'm always on the lookout for good kits as well as getting RTR parts and making a good wagon from them, got a tanker I made that way. I#ll be posting a build of the other van when I get back on Monday, although they could do with some more weight to them. I'll remembr to make the doors open on this one as I glued them shut on the one I posted, then i can put the weights inside if I forget before doing the body. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted May 26, 2013 Share Posted May 26, 2013 Hi EBD, The picture of the Airfix meat van takes me back. I wonder what possessed the company to mould it in bright red?! Considering the kits go back nearly fifty years, these kits still look good. All the best, Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Bus Driver Posted May 27, 2013 Author Share Posted May 27, 2013 (edited) Hi EBD, The picture of the Airfix meat van takes me back. I wonder what possessed the company to mould it in bright red?! Considering the kits go back nearly fifty years, these kits still look good. All the best, Colin Yeah I was thinking that, Complete with moulded plastic wheels on a sprue (shudder). I have another unbuilt (as yet) one of thee to build and I'll put build pictures up soon. Edited May 27, 2013 by The Evil Bus Driver Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted May 27, 2013 Share Posted May 27, 2013 Hi EBD, The Airfix/Dapol lowmac makes up into a nice model if you tweak it a bit. My Dapol kit even came with a set of 10.5mm Romford wheels. All the best, Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium cctransuk Posted May 27, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 27, 2013 The picture of the Airfix meat van takes me back. I wonder what possessed the company to mould it in bright red?! Because the original BR colour for fresh meat vans was passenger crimson. OK, not as red as the Airfix plastic, but it was a decent base for a colour that is notoriously translucent. Regards, John Isherwood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Bus Driver Posted May 27, 2013 Author Share Posted May 27, 2013 Because the original BR colour for fresh meat vans was passenger crimson. OK, not as red as the Airfix plastic, but it was a decent base for a colour that is notoriously translucent. Regards, John Isherwood. Hmmm. Crimson. Apparently the plastic Airfix used was different too, but I'll keep this one unbuilt until I get desperate. Probably won't use those wheels though. Might go for some VEAs soon. I'll be wanting a rake of approximately 15 vans at some point so I might buy the kits and build them when needed. Hi EBD, The Airfix/Dapol lowmac makes up into a nice model if you tweak it a bit. My Dapol kit even came with a set of 10.5mm Romford wheels. All the best, Colin Ooh! Might have to get one of those. Sounds like a good one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Bus Driver Posted May 27, 2013 Author Share Posted May 27, 2013 (edited) With Added Meat vans Here are some build pictures of the other meat van kit I had. 1. The basic chassis. This whole kit had quite a bit of flash which is normal for these. 2. Chassis sides and brake gear added. 3. Buffer beams and sides added.At this stage I broke the hinges on one side. hence the doors will not open on this van. I won't add the roof until some weight has been added inside. 4. The van with added sides and doors. Conveniently I found a piece of steel to cut to make a few weights but equally conveniently the saw to cut it with is sitting in our club room at Brighton MRC (doh). That'll be all for now. Thanks for watching. Edited May 27, 2013 by The Evil Bus Driver 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castle Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 Hi David, I suspect that what may be more of an issue is the age of the tooling rather than just the grade of plastic being used. Most of this tooling was made in the 1960s or so and as a result it is a little long in the tooth. Any impression you get from the original runs by Airfix will be cast when they were much newer moulds. I hope this helps! All the best, Castle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Bus Driver Posted May 29, 2013 Author Share Posted May 29, 2013 (edited) She Rolls Weighting has just been added by means of some Euro Cent coins I found. 3 of them superglued inside and it feels about right. Then the roof was glued on and buffers added. She has wheels!! And coupling hooks with the fake instanter chain thing removed. I might well take off the brake pipes as they foul the TL couplings, otherwise this will go in a rake of 3-linked wagons. I'll decide later. I have added a coupling to one end (and bent up the brake pipe) so maybe a converter wagon would work. Here it is on a scrap piece of track. All that's left now is to paint it. Now where did I put my brushes? Edited May 29, 2013 by The Evil Bus Driver 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Bus Driver Posted May 29, 2013 Author Share Posted May 29, 2013 (edited) Another wagon I recently found was one I have had for years which is made up of various odds and sods. Bachmann chassis, Not sure about the tank bit but I thought it could do with an airing. All superglued together with a good bit of weight. IIRC this was always a problem wagon for derailing. You always get one or two that no matter what you do they always derail. Edited May 29, 2013 by The Evil Bus Driver Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Bus Driver Posted May 30, 2013 Author Share Posted May 30, 2013 It all appears to be going together well. I have, in recent yeras, experienced problems with distortion of some Dapol components, particularly floors and solebars so there has been a lot of straightening and re-inforcement carried out on my part to make sure everything goes together squarely and without gaps. My photograph is of a recent effort where the edges of the floor have had 10thou strips attachedi and sanded to width because of the floor being narrower than the distance between the lugs on the ends for location of the sides, and square section added to help with the straightening and location of the solebars. 003.JPG With the grade of plastic used does anybody think that shrinkage as well as distortion is much of a problem? I might even try to obtain something by Airfix off Ebay to build for comparison. Yeah a couple of the parts were a bit distorted but I managed to get them on with brute force in the end. I think Dapol do use a different type of plastic (there's a question for Dapol Dave). I picked up 3 Airfix pltform kits on eBay for 99p so really it'd be rude not to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Bus Driver Posted May 31, 2013 Author Share Posted May 31, 2013 (edited) I just finished painting this Dapol 16ton mineral wagon. Like most I have glued the doors shut as having them open whilst on a train would only cause derailments at the least accessible part of any layout. Sods law of course. Weathering to follow. Edited May 31, 2013 by The Evil Bus Driver 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Bus Driver Posted June 17, 2013 Author Share Posted June 17, 2013 (edited) Hmm. Look what I've just acquired... 3 lengths of P4 flexi track and a Scaleway 00 gauge point kit. Interesting. Edited June 17, 2013 by The Evil Bus Driver Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Bus Driver Posted June 25, 2013 Author Share Posted June 25, 2013 Time to start learning how to build points, methinks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Bus Driver Posted June 21, 2014 Author Share Posted June 21, 2014 I just picked up one of them there new fangled Hornby Railroad coaches. The idea behind it is to see what they are like in the flesh (heh) and I am pleased to report they are a great match for the Hachette mk1s, in this case providing a Brake coach for my "Experimental" rake. Pictures to follow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Bus Driver Posted October 25, 2014 Author Share Posted October 25, 2014 (edited) Parkside Dundas BR Grampus Build I have finally started building the Grampus kit. I have started with the baskets for the planks that sling underneath. these are the pig to do that they looked like at first so i have started with them to get them out of the way. They will of course end up painted in "rust" . All I need now is a suitable container. Sorry about the poor picture quality but mobile phone cameras and all. A start will be made on the body and under frame tomorrow. Once this is done that is as far as I'll go as I need more paints and transfers. Then I'll be able to finish it. Hope you enjoyed reading this and if you made it this far, my commiserations. Edited October 25, 2014 by The Evil Bus Driver 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Bus Driver Posted February 20, 2016 Author Share Posted February 20, 2016 (edited) So. After a ridiculous amount of time i now have a dedicated modelling bench made out of an old computer desk. Just needs a backboard and a couple of shelves and all should be cool. I also managed to finish the Grampus (Unpainted yet, I need some Olive Green) and I'm half way through doing a Ratio 4 Wheel GWR coach I picked up. Tenner for 3 wasn't bad though. Edited April 20, 2016 by The Evil Bus Driver 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Bus Driver Posted April 20, 2016 Author Share Posted April 20, 2016 So I found this old Tri-ang wagon chassis in my odds and sods box. Cue some spare wheelsets (Lima, I think) and some wooden coffee stirrers I came up with a nice wood planked flat wagon. Not sure what function a wagon like this would have but it looks way better than just a random chassis. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
South Central Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 (edited) I thought i'd seen that wagon somewhere...skip to 1:05 ish (or don't, and enjoy some Newhaven of old!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex0ByIwVt8Q&t=1m6s Any old Oxford diecast cars lurking in your spares box? Some twisted wire "chain" to hold it down and you've got a nice little item there! Edited April 20, 2016 by South Central Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wagonman Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 So I found this old Tri-ang wagon chassis in my odds and sods box. Cue some spare wheelsets (Lima, I think) and some wooden coffee stirrers I came up with a nice wood planked flat wagon. Not sure what function a wagon like this would have but it looks way better than just a random chassis. I have severe doubts about the longitudinal planking... Normally wagon floors were laid across the underframe and with a curb rail to keep them al in place. Also probably not over 12 inches wide planks! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Bus Driver Posted January 16, 2019 Author Share Posted January 16, 2019 I have severe doubts about the longitudinal planking... Normally wagon floors were laid across the underframe and with a curb rail to keep them al in place. Also probably not over 12 inches wide planks! (Resurrected thread from the dead alert) This is true, although I might score the planks at some point so they/re more like 4-6" I might also put a load of them on transversely. You could say they're just resting there and not fixed down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now