Spitfire2865 Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 Hello everyone, Im new here so please forgive me if this is in the wrong topic. I recently purchased a 4mm Slaters 3plank kit and one of the brake levers/v hanger was broken(v hanger snapped clean through) on the sprue. Ive tried to brace it with plastic strip but the results arent too appealing. And Ive contacted Coopercraft for replacement but they are having issues with Slaters. Now my question is, where could I get replacement parts, preferably plastic (cant solder, so no brass etches) for the brake lever/v hanger. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Fatadder Posted February 3, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 3, 2014 Cambrian will sell parts by the spur, as I think will parkside Both will have something suitable Abs do one in white metal Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfire2865 Posted February 3, 2014 Author Share Posted February 3, 2014 Cambrian will sell parts by the spur, as I think will parkside Both will have something suitable Abs do one in white metal The Slaters brake lever is differently shaped than that Ive seen from cambrian. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Fatadder Posted February 3, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 3, 2014 Can you post a photo of the part in question? Might help in identifying Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffalo Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 Presumably this is a Midland Railway 8Ton 3-plank wagon? If so, it appears to have the old type of Midland short lever which is rather different from the longer levers found on most other companies' wagons. There probably are short levers amongst other kits, but just because you can't solder (there's no time like the present to learn) doesn't mean you should ignore brass as it can be stuck with cyano or impact adhesives. Perhaps take a look at this etch from Mainly Trains. Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwealleans Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 Wizard Models also do small etches with brake levers for wagons of varying wheelbases. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Holliday Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 One possibility, if you are modelling the pre-grouping era, would be to do away with the brake lever on one side altogether, leaving just a single sided brake. All you would then need to do is carefully pare off the v-hanger legs from the solebar. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfire2865 Posted February 3, 2014 Author Share Posted February 3, 2014 One possibility, if you are modelling the pre-grouping era, would be to do away with the brake lever on one side altogether, leaving just a single sided brake. All you would then need to do is carefully pare off the v-hanger legs from the solebar. Im modeling LMS era so that doesnt work. Also, Ive already painted and glued it all together, with both brake gear. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfire2865 Posted February 3, 2014 Author Share Posted February 3, 2014 Yeah, heres a picture of it with a standard sized brake lever for comparison. The painted one is the one I need. Actually, cant attach picture, wont attach, too large. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
garethashenden Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 Is it at all repairable? Put some glue on and hold it while it sets? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfire2865 Posted February 3, 2014 Author Share Posted February 3, 2014 Is it at all repairable? Put some glue on and hold it while it sets? Well seeing as ive already had to repair it twice, and the brace isnt very appealing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Fatadder Posted February 4, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 4, 2014 Looking at the photo linked in Nicks post, I think parkside have something similar but not exact (possibly with a short air break wagon) which may be as close as you will get in plastic Other options, try the classifieds, someone may have built the kit and used a replacement brass leaver, else hopefully someone can advise if there is a match from abs (if I remember rightly there's not an illustrated list online) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzyo Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 Why not contact Slater's directly? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffalo Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 Why not contact Slater's directly?Because Slaters have had little or nothing to do with their 4mm wagons for quite a few years. Hence the OP's reference to the dispute with Coopercraft, who otherwise appear to be the current supplier. Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Holliday Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 Although I know you have decided that a single sided brake arrangment isn't an option, just for the record, the building of new wagons with only one sided brakes was outlawed in 1911. However, the larger companies were given 20 years to bring their older stock into line, and then were given a further 7 years stay of execution. So it was possible that examples could be (legally) seen up till 1938, and it wouldn't seem improbable that a few might have slipped the net and lasted longer. In R J Essery's book there are photos dating from 1936 showing MR wagons with only one brake lever in full LMS livery. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfire2865 Posted February 5, 2014 Author Share Posted February 5, 2014 Although I know you have decided that a single sided brake arrangment isn't an option, just for the record, the building of new wagons with only one sided brakes was outlawed in 1911. However, the larger companies were given 20 years to bring their older stock into line, and then were given a further 7 years stay of execution. So it was possible that examples could be (legally) seen up till 1938, and it wouldn't seem improbable that a few might have slipped the net and lasted longer. In R J Essery's book there are photos dating from 1936 showing MR wagons with only one brake lever in full LMS livery. Haha, The more you know....but now Im too scared to attack the wagon just to get some brakes off. I ordered a slaters short wheelbase kit with hopefully a useable brake lever. Or if that fails I have some spare solebars with v hangers which I may be able to harvest and glue onto the original short brake lever. Ill probably scratchbuild a body for the remainder of the underframe, this time only single braked. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Sasquatch Posted February 10, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 10, 2014 Slaters kits are now produced by Coopercraft who are having problems with their injection molding equipment. So no joy there. Try cutting a new one from 2 bits of micro strip. You're bound not to be happy with the first attempt so persevere ! regards Shaun. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfire2865 Posted February 11, 2014 Author Share Posted February 11, 2014 Slaters kits are now produced by Coopercraft who are having problems with their injection molding equipment. So no joy there. Try cutting a new one from 2 bits of micro strip. You're bound not to be happy with the first attempt so persevere ! regards Shaun. Sorry, microstrip? Like plastic?And I heard something about legal issues rather than molding problems. Though I may have been misinformed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Sasquatch Posted February 11, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 11, 2014 Yes styrene strip very handy stuff! Comes in all sizes by Evergreen or Slaters. .020 x.030 should do it! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Holliday Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 I'll probably scratchbuild a body for the remainder of the underframe, this time only single braked. If you are going to try scratchbuilding, I'd suggest you should check out Essery's book on Midland wagons (Volume 1) so that you can build something slightly different, rather than a clone of the Slaters' version. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Haha, The more you know... Know what else happened? Wagons were involved in accidents and suffered natural in-service breakages and degradation. Busted brake gear ironwork not uncommon. Damaged wagons, 'cripples', were worked to the nearest wagon repair yard in most cases. Large marshalling yards often had a 'cripple road' for setting aside the wagons needing attention, to give an idea of the scale of this activity. So there's another option. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfire2865 Posted February 11, 2014 Author Share Posted February 11, 2014 If you are going to try scratchbuilding, I'd suggest you should check out Essery's book on Midland wagons (Volume 1) so that you can build something slightly different, rather than a clone of the Slaters' version. Would a wagon ever have 2 different styles of v hanger/ brave lever? I realize at the time of the LMS' beginning the railway was worked to pieces due to the war. Could a replacement have been made which resulted in a wagon with 2 different ones which survived through use? I dont think I could find a book on the MR/LMS anywhere in the states without resorting to the internet, And in my current situation Id rather spend my money on actual kits or parts rather than a book on them. Although Id love to one day add such books to my collection. Would you know any internet databases with photographic libraries on such wagons? Google search usually ends in models rather than The prototype. Know what else happened? Wagons were involved in accidents and suffered natural in-service breakages and degradation. Busted brake gear ironwork not uncommon. Damaged wagons, 'cripples', were worked to the nearest wagon repair yard in most cases. Large marshalling yards often had a 'cripple road' for setting aside the wagons needing attention, to give an idea of the scale of this activity. So there's another option.Would a repair yard throw on the first working part they found or would they search for the right one? Could a different style had been slapped on. Like how the RCH type of v hanger is different from the Gloucester type? Sorry if what Im saying makes no sense, dont really know how to explain it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfire2865 Posted February 11, 2014 Author Share Posted February 11, 2014 Yes styrene strip very handy stuff! Comes in all sizes by Evergreen or Slaters. .020 x.030 should do it! I have styrene strips already, thats actually what i used to brace the original. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 57xx Posted February 13, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 13, 2014 You can always just replace them both with long levers. There are plenty of pics in the Midland Wagons book with the 3 plankers having such arrangement of levers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfire2865 Posted February 14, 2014 Author Share Posted February 14, 2014 You can always just replace them both with long levers. There are plenty of pics in the Midland Wagons book with the 3 plankers having such arrangement of levers. My problem is on the kit, the brake lever is part of the v hanger which is broken in my case. The brake lever itself is fine, its how its attached is the problem. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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