Nile's kitbuilding bench - Midland 1377

[Knuckles]

I never knew these things existed until your posts. Pretty cool picture sequence. Why not film it?

[Nile]

Currently it would have to be a stop motion animation, like Wallace & Gromit. If I can work out how to do it I might build a mini layout for this.

[jrg1]

While I had the toys out of the box to take the photos I posted earlier, I thought I would shoot a sequence showing how these vehicles were supposed to operate.

 

A train of Roadrailers rolls into town behind one of those new diesel things.

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The train consists of five trailers and an adaptor bogie at the front. The trailers themselves have no means of coupling to other rolling stock.

52.JPG

 

The train stops in the platform clear of the points for the siding, much to the surprise of any passengers around.

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The train backs into the siding.

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To allow the rear trailer to uncouple, its jack struts must first be lowered to support its front. The ground around the siding has been raised to the level of the rail top to allow road vehicles to operate here.

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The rest of the train now departs to continue its journey.

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A road tractor unit now approaches.

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It positions itself infront of the trailer, ready to couple.

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It backs up to the trailer and couples with it.

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The jack struts are now raised, and the wheels switched from rail to road. This is done using compressed air, the compressor would be the other side of the trailer near the buffer stop (I forgot to put one there). The consist can now depart.

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It now heads off to its destination, like a normal lorry.

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At its destination, ready for loading. The trailer can be left here on its own if needed. allowing the tractor to do other jobs.

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I have enjoyed watching the Roadrailers being built-they are a credit to your skills, and the train looks most impressive.  I had two kits, but could not source any more, so sold them on.  A block train of a dozen or so of these would look very striking on a layout.  

[Knuckles]

Currently it would have to be a stop motion animation, like Wallace & Gromit. If I can work out how to do it I might build a mini layout for this.

You could also use fine string or fishing wire. Some shots disguise it well, for others there are programs like Adobe that can filter it out, although Adobe is currently beyond me. I like Sony Vegas.

 

I used a mix of crude stop animation and fishing wire here...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mXrxKpjlX4I

 

there is a part 2 also.

 

this layout doesn't exist any more sadly. Roll on the next ones!

[Fat Controller]

I never knew these things existed until your posts. Pretty cool picture sequence. Why not film it?

There has been a British Transport Films production about these trains, I believe. The idea was revisited in the mid/late 1980s, using something resembling a 40' semi-trailer with a longer-than-normal overhang at the back. Instead of carrying the rail wheels around, adapted rail bogies were placed under front and rear for rail transit. The whole thing went under the name of 'Trailer Train', IIRC, and ran from the Aberdeen area to somewhere in the South Midlands (Northampton?)

I just found these photos of the second-generation Road-Railer, known as 'Trailer Train', on Paul Bartlett's site:-

http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/trailertrain

Edited November 12, 2016 by Fat Controller

[jrg1]

The Roadrailer was a great idea-the drawback was that the rail axle assembly meant a deadweight of around two tonnes extra compared to a normal trailer.  The Trailer Train obviated this.  I think that if the UK was not so road fixated in the sixties, the Roadrailer would have been successful.  As it was, a broken coupling during trials was used as an excuse to drop the concept.

 

I was in contact with Peco some time ago, to try and source more kits, but there was nothing available, and the mould location was unknown.  If there was enough interest, could 3D be used to produce a run? 

[Nile]

According to the MRJ article Scalecraft was eventually bought by Airfix. It also speculates that the kits were actually made by Airfix. So if the moulds still exist then Hornby should have them. Peco was the distributor and was still selling them in the 80s.

I've thought about 3D printing them, but the cost would be more than the current second hand price of the kits. That may change if more kits get built. An N scale version would be more viable.

[Platypus]

 

 

Dear Nile of Essex,

 

Re your item on LNER N5 # 5943 dated 11 Sept 2014 message # 95 which I have just come across I have a number of questions please.

 

Did you take the gear ( Romford ? ) of the motor drive shaft so as to ensure the gear holding screw is on a filed flat surface to ensure concentricy ?

 

Is there a reason why you do not use thrust washers ?

 

I also think you have done a very nice job on restoring this kit built loco into a runner, and I for one felt your description was both informative and helpful

 

Best wishes and regards, Platypus

[Nile]

Hi Platypus

 

Did you take the gear ( Romford ? ) of the motor drive shaft so as to ensure the gear holding screw is on a filed flat surface to ensure concentricy ?

 

No. That would be good practice and I probably would do it now. As this loco is unlikely to see much use it doesn't really matter in this case.

 

Is there a reason why you do not use thrust washers ?

 

Where do you think I should be using them?

[Nile]

A whole month has passed by with not much to show for it, it would seem. Exhibitions, illness, work etc have got in the way of modelling, but I haven't been completely idle.

I wasn't going to post any more Roadrailer stuff for a while, but I recently bought some EFE lorries that are a better match than those I've been using. So I took a few photos of them.

An Atkinson and an AEC mkV Mantador in BRS livery.

 

And now for something completely different. I've been trying my hand at card modelling.

I downloaded the Scalescenes fishing boat kit that is a freebie for Model Rail subscribers. It takes a while getting used to this method of modelling. First you make the kit, then you build it. Despite all its curves it goes together quite well. As a first attempt I'm quite pleased with it.

I've now started building a  Clyde Puffer, which is a similar size to this.

Edited December 15, 2016 by Nile

[Nile]

Another month and time for another update. Recently I've been trying to finish off some of the partly built kits I seem to be accumulating. First up is a Cooper Craft GWR V4 Mink, built as per the instructions, with a few additions

.

 

 

The kit doesn't include all the parts for the DC brakegear, so I've made a representation of the missing parts from some nickel silver (left over from an etched fret).

 

 

I don't claim this to be totally accurate, but hopefully it looks better than nothing at all from the front.

 

 

Not so easy to see after it's all painted grey

.

 

Edited November 27, 2022 by Nile

[Nile]

And now for some photos of recently finished kits.

First is the GWR Mink from the last post.

 

 

This is Cambrian's latest kit, a LSWR D1410 van.

 

 

A Slater's D363 Midland 10Ton van.

 

 

The three together.

 

 

This is the odd one out, a post grouping GWR open wagon from a Ratio kit.

 

 

Edited November 27, 2022 by Nile

[Nile]

And now for something only slightly different, narrow gauge wagons. I have a need for some stock for a developing 009 layout (yet another project), and what better to go with my recently modified Bagnalll loco than some Bagnall wagons (aka Bag-Wags). It helps that I have a pile of parts for them.

This is the basic model, fitted with Greenwich couplings.

 

 

I may have got a bit carried away with the brake gear.

 

 

The painted model, posed with my Minitrains Bagnall wing-tank.

 

 

The brake gear can be seen if you look hard enough.

 

 

Edited November 27, 2022 by Nile

[Nile]

One Bag-wag isn't much of a train, so I've made some more.

 

 

The eventual aim is for most of these to operate in fixed rakes, so I've experimented with semi-fixed couplings for these.

 

The kits come with buffers, which are fitted here. They are not used when working couplings (such as Greenwich) are fitted as they get in the way. My fixed coupling bar hooks around this buffer.

This is the coupling bar, made from some 0.5mm brass rod.

 

 

It locates in a hole drilled in the underside of the wagon, allowing for movement.

 

In theory the buffers can lock when being pushed, but it would have to be on very sharp reverse curves to happen.

A retaining plate made from bits of plastic card (30thou) stops it falling out when it's the right way up.

 

 

A pair of nearly finished wagons, with working couplings at one end.

 

 

And here they are all together in a train.

 

Edited November 27, 2022 by Nile

[Corbs]

Nice one Nile, are you going to be doing a layout thread for this new venture?

[Nile]

Eventually, it's still at an early stage.

[Nile]

In the last photo I posted there is a train with a loco and wagons. A brake van is needed to complete it, that's what I'm going to tackle next.

The ingredients for this kit-bash are these parts from Meridian Models Talyllyn coach kits.

 

 

I started by shortening the sides to match the chassis.

 

 

I modified the ends to make it more like a typical brake van, with windows at both ends.

 

 

With some 40thou plastic for the floor I glued the ends and sides around it.

 

Edited November 27, 2022 by Nile

[Nile]

I used one of the plain end pieces to make a new inner end, complete with windows and a door, with the addition of some Microstrip.

 

 

 

To make use of the duckets I cut holes in the sides and glued them over the holes.

 

 

 

The footboards had to be shortened to fit. After that I gave it a coat of Humbrol brick red as an undercoat.

 

Edited November 27, 2022 by Nile

[DLT]

Excellent kit-bash Neil, really looks "right"

Cheers, Dave.

[Nile]

Thanks Dave, it may have been the sight of your own ones at Shepton last month that spurred me to have a go at making my own.

For the top coat I used Revell brick red, which is darker than Humbrol's. This underside view shows the brake gear I lashed up from bits and pieces. The brake shoes are from Colin Ashby/009 society chassis kits. These kits have extra brake parts that come in handy for projects like this. The wheels are 7mm Romford's.

 

 

After some weathering I added the glazing.

 

 

Now with added roof and couplings it's mostly complete.

 

 

 

The stove pipe is some plastic rod that continues down to the non-existent stove.

 

 

Finally, for now, a photo of it next to a bag-wag. A good match I think.

 

Edited November 27, 2022 by Nile

[Nile]

I'll start this update with a scenic photo. I recently took the wagons I'd built so far for a run around Willesden Junction, with my modified Bagnall wing-tank loco.

 

 

It turns out I had enough bits left over to make another brake van body. For the chassis I used a Colin Ashby one from the 009 society. As this is shorter I shortened the body, this also creates a bit of variety. Here is the basic structure next to the first one.

 

 

The duckets left over were the ones with an opening for selling tickets. I filled these holes in to create normal duckets.

 

 

For a bit more variety I've fitted the little doors to the open end, and short footboards. This is the finished body awaiting paint.

 

Edited November 27, 2022 by Nile

[Nile]

Here it is after painting and weathering. And yes, I've also fitted a brake wheel.

 

 

Now glazed, roofed and with couplings.

 

 

I've added some hand rails to the larger van. Not sure about the other one yet.

 

 

It's also been out for a run.

 

Edited November 27, 2022 by Nile

[DLT]

Lovely stuff Neil, they really do look good.  Wonder how a 7mm scale one would look?

 

Regarding the handrails, I would definitely have them each side of the entrance on both vans.  And probably the horizontal one as well? It all adds to the "look"

 

As you've probably noticed, I like brake-vans.

 

Cheers, Dave.

[BernardTPM]

The horizontal handrails make some sense on the longer van as it has full length footboards. The other van only has short footboards at the verandah end so I'd have thought horizontal ones along the side wouldn't really be appropriate.

Nice pair of brake vans though!

Edited March 29, 2017 by BernardTPM

[Nile]

I will eventually get around to adding more handrails to the brake vans. Meanwhile I've built a few more bag-wags, I now have enough for two rakes of 5. Each rake has one non-braked wagon.

 

They are seen posed on the 009 layout I am building. I've started a topic about this in the narrow gauge section.

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/121058-niles-ng-modelling/

I'll also be posting further ng train building there, so this topic will be back to standard gauge stuff soon.

Before that I have another small diversion. Over the years I've built many 1/72 scale aircraft kits. I now find this collection taking up too much valuable space and I'am trying to scale it down to 1/144 scale. A growing number of kits are available in this scale, but I've not managed to find a Mosquito until recently (on ebay). This was made by F-Toys in Japan and came already painted with only a few parts to be fitted and some transfers to be applied. Some of the paintwork needed touching up, such as on the propellers, but it was pretty good as it came. I've posed it here with a N gauge wagon as they are near enough the same scale.

 

Edited November 27, 2022 by Nile