West End Workbench

[65179]

1 hour ago, jwealleans said:

Hi Mark,

 

I'm going to go through the build in detail - I've been working on a couple more and photographing over the last couple of evenings.

 

Thanks for sharing your work on these Jonathan. As you note, with the steel containers, a real signifier of the Scotch Goods at a particular point in time.  I was quite surprised how long-lived these early LNER conflats were. The conflats V were modified to be more like conflats S, but there's a 1962 view of a Conflat M at Millerhill looking very much as built in Geoff Kent's The 4mm Wagon Part 3.  I'm currently separated from the relevant volume of LNER Wagons so hadn't appreciated that the Diagram 76 had a wooden floor.

 

Regards,

Simon

Edited September 7, 2023 by 65179
to add photo details

[46444]

1 hour ago, jwealleans said:

Hi Mark,

 

I'm going to go through the build in detail - I've been working on a couple more and photographing over the last couple of evenings.

 

Think I'm jumping the gun Jonathan.

 

I'll wait with anticipation...

 

Cheers,

 

Mark 

[jwealleans]

Apologies to those awaiting the D76, but it's been too damn hot to spend any time in the workshop this week.    I have now put together two more D76s and hopefully taken enough photos to allow you to see what I've done.   Incidentally, thanks to everyone who was too polite to point out that I had fitted the brakes to the first one the wrong way round.

 

From the PA06 packet we only need the floor and solebars to start with.   As I always tell people when demonstrating plastic wagon building, fit one solebar to the floor and leave it overnight to harden.  That way you have a fixed point to work against when you fit the second one and the wheels and can check the axles are square.  

 

 

The buffer beams are Evergreen 264, their 1/8" channel.  I also use this for solebars on scratchbuilt wagons and coaches, it's a very useful item.  You'll need to cut the lip away to allow it to sit tight up to the solebar and there will be a small amount projecting out past the end of the floor.  Don't worry about this for now.

 

This is usually all you need out of the PA06 pack, but knowing that not everyone solders, I decided to build one of these using the PD brake gear.   The other was done with my usual Mainly Trains MT225 LNER fitted brake gear etch.  For the plastic gear, I've taken the four sets of shoes off the sprue and drilled them 0.5mm just behind the middle of the shoe.

 

 

For the one with the brass brake gear, you need to remove the V hangers from the solebars and attach the brass ones from the etch.   These are superglued.   For those (like me) who can't remember, the double V hanger goes on the side opposite the cylinder.

 

 

Irrespective of brake gear, we need to finish the ends.   The buffer beam ends slope in to the solebar, so cut them using floor and solebar as guides.  This one is slightly unequal - it's not a massive issue but some light filing will deal with it if it upsets you.    Find the centre (I use dividers) and make a guide hole for the coupling, then use that to space the buffer holes each side.   I drill these fairly small then use a small round file rotated between my fingers to enlarge the holes.  A 2mm drill will shred the bufferbeam.   Ask me how I know this. 

 

I've also stuck a strip of Evergreen along the top of the bufferbeam to bring the floor out flush.    This might be 10x40 or 20x40, there's some variation in the Parkside mouldings.   Once this has hardened, file the front flush so there are no steps.  

 

 

Buffers are LMS B004.   I had to wait for some more of these this week as well, but Dave Franks is faster than his own shadow so it didn't delay anything.  the slot for the coupling hook is opened up with a very small file.   You can also see here where I've drilled the Parkside brake shoes and the V hangers to thread .45 wire through them later on.

 

 

I did the deck next.    Start with a piece of 10x30 Evergreen along the long edges.   Once this is stuck, a piece of 20x60 on edge makes the quite distinctive angle along the side.    It's probably overscale, but it needs to be able to take the container fixings and also have room for the lettering.  Leave this to harden.   Once it's solid, the visible decking picees can be added.  As two of these will be carrying B type containers I only did the very end fittings.   I didn't have a drawing for these, I just worked out what I thought the dimensions were from the photograph in Tatlow 4A.   The thin end plates are 10x40 Evergreen 8mm long, the long cross pieces are 60x80 24mm long and the short intermediate pieces are also 60x80 2mm long, but turned through 90 degrees.   Later I added the small L shaped fixing brackets for the large cross piece from 10x30 strip - you can see them in the last photographs below.

 

 

Once you've stuck that lot on you're ready to go underneath.    If you want one of these for an A type then you can carry on along the floor and use the photograph referenced above as a guide.  

 

How much detail you add underneath is up to you.   EDIT - added picture of the one made using the Parkside components:

 

 

I use .45 wire as the parts will fall apart if you drill larger holes.   You also have to be careful attaching the pull rods - I fitted the central piece off the wagon so as not to melt the V hangers and was very quick with the iron fitting the rods.

 

If you use the brass gear then you just work your way through it and you can use a more accurate thickness of wire for the cross shaft.  I add the outside safety loops but not the inside (and I've missed the one on the brake lever linkage on the right hand wagon below) and I don't usually bother with the stay to the axleguard from the brake lever either.   The safety loops on the ends are secured into extra lumps of plastic, just offcuts usually.   I melt them in with a soldering iron, but you can dril and glue just as easily.

 

 

Body fixing brackets are quite visible, though, so I add those.   These are 10x80 Evergreen cut to the depth of the solebar behind the wagon edge (about 3mm in this case) then cut in half diagonally.   Make one more pair than you need and use the best of them.   The one above the brake lever is smaller than the others and they're also slightly truncated at the wagon edge, so don't worry if they stick out slightly, just cut or file them off when set.  You'll also need to take out a notch in the top corner to clear the solebar top.

 

 

Pretty much ready for paint now - I've added the dangly vac pipe and lamp iron on the end (all fitted LNER wagons had at least one lamp iron on each end).   The containers have had a couple of coats of filler primer and then white in preparation for a coat of silver.   The A type is by the same designer.

 

 

I hope that's been useful.   Any questions?

Edited September 11, 2023 by jwealleans

[46444]

Brilliant work Jonathan.

 

Thankyou for sharing this build with us.

 

Watch this space for some PA06 action in the West Riding..

 

Looking forwards to seeing you D76's finished.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark 

[jwealleans]

Question.   Where are the chain attaching points on a Hydra?

 

Brian's own model from a PMK kit here has them just past each end of the sloped section of the floor.

 

Sandy Croall's version here doesn't seem to have any visible, but the chains pass suggestively close to where the Russell book suggests they might be, which is on the ends to the inside of the buffer housings.   The Russell photographs aren't clear enough to tell.

 

Jim McGeown's instructions contains a drawing, but no visible rings or captive shackles.   

 

Guidance will be appreciated.

[Penrhos1920]

The lashing ring locations on GWR hydras and loriets were very similar.  On the buffer beam just above the buffers and near the end of the well:

 

 

On the hydras that have little plates above the buffers they are inboard nearer the coupling hook.  I have a drawing of a G6 hydra that appears to show a ring 2 planks along the well just inside the side girder.

[jwealleans]

Well, that was nicely timed and thanks very much.   It confirms what I suspected and I'll now put fixings there to attach chains.  I plan to run this empty, so it'll have a set of chains crossed over the floor as they seemed to do.  To assist with that I've filled the underfloor space with lead and it's nice and heavy now.     This is the current state of play:

 

 

I lettered the Coral and also had a change of mind about the crates, repainting them to what hopefully passes for newer wood.   The support frames still need touching in again.  I've added brake levers to both vehicles and the Hydra has brake shoes outside the axles and a dangly vac pipe as well.

 

 

I moved the other wagons along over the weekend.    Fruit van is now painted and lettered.   Hopefully the subterfuge with the buffer beam works at normal viewing distances.   I'll get hold of a plate for the door whenever I see Ambis at a show.

 

 

I also started to letter the D76, but soon realised that the transfers I'd had speculatively printed some time ago were nowhere near correct.

 

 

I've spent some time making up a new sheet and I'll get that off to John Peck very soon.  The other two and the containers are painted.

 

 

Finally, a bit of nostalgia.   61645 was one of the first locos I built, in around 2004/5.   We wanted a decent B17 for Thurston, so we concocted this one from a Hornby body, Comet frames and valve gear and a Dave Alexander tender.   It had to be the subclass  with the high vac cyiinder on the tender rear and we went for a regiment rather than a stately pile, just to be different.   It was the first time I'd erected valve gear.   I put it together, then Graham Varley made it work properly and it's run round on club layouts ever since.   I noticed in May that it was looking a bit tired, so I brought it away to touch up.   Jamie observed that it was nose heavy, so I had a go at doing something about that too.   

 

 

I did have the missing nameplate but it's evaporated from my toolbox, so there's another set on the way from 247.   I still have the regimental badges from the first set I fitted as they were not present by the 1950s.  I've replaced a missing smokebox handle, touched in paint here and there and also rerouted the wires to the motor so all the space between the rear axles is now full of lead.   It's quite heavy.  I'm due down in Ely in a couple of weeks for a stock fettling session, so I'll have it ready for trials by then.

[billbedford]

1 hour ago, jwealleans said:

Well, that was nicely timed and thanks very much.   It confirms what I suspected and I'll now put fixings there to attach chains.  I plan to run this empty, so it'll have a set of chains crossed over the floor as they seemed to do.  To assist with that I've filled the underfloor space with lead and it's nice and heavy now.     This is the current state of play:

The chains on the Hydras were inboard of the buffers. The wheel plates over the buffers were close up against the side rails and were likely to have been damaged if the chains were outside them. There is a GA of diagram G16 in Atkins, Beard and Tourret, though it doesn't show attachment points for the chains. 

 

[jwealleans]

5 hours ago, billbedford said:

There is a GA of diagram G16 in Atkins, Beard and Tourret, though it doesn't show attachment points for the chains. 

 

I know.   It's been frustrating me ever since I went to it.

[jwealleans]

I'm calling these finished.  They can await weathering and then proper securing of the loads.

 

 

These are nice kits to put together - the Coral is really only a case of fitting the wheels, the modelling is in the painting.   The Traction wagon: were I to do another I'd overlay the sides where the printing is a bit variable, but there's scope on there to add detail to your own satisfaction and there were enough batches of these built with small variations that you can have more than one and make them different.

 

 

 

 

[jwealleans]

As mentioned above, I was down to Ely this weekend for a running and fettling session on Wickham Market.  As it turned out there was a lot more running than fettling, although quite a bit of work was done on the branch set and sidings to get those into good order.   I didn't have masses of time for photographs, but I did manage some later in the day when we were mainly running freight.  It was good to bring a lot of this stock out which has largely only run twice since we retired Thurston in 2015.

 

 

64671 is from a Crownline kit.   It's being hinted that I should provide a J20 as well.   

 

 

The Hymac by 247 Developments which appears above.   I was quite taken with the details in the garden as well, having acquired a Suffolk Colt with the house I now live in.

 

 

I think I've mentioned it before, but this lovely scratchbuilt gas tank was in a job lot of wagons I acquired from 53A Models a few years ago.

 

 

65388, from a Gibson kit, was the first loco I built for Thurston in about 2003.  The Palvan behind is a detailed Ks kit.   

 

 

Parkside trestle wagon, Chivers LMS Tube, ABS twin bolster, Ks unfitted van, D & S GE van, then the warwell with bowser which featured on here recently.

 

 

Towards the rear, Hornby brake van, Bachmann grano, then an Acorn grain hopper which has the distinction of being the worst brass kit I have ever built.

 

Thurston used to feature a lengthy lie-by across the front in which we would park an Engineers' train or the weedkilling train so the public could get a good look at them.   There's no such feature on WM, but there is a road at the back of the up platform which we thought might lend itself to parking a train up.   

 

 

61562, the Coopercraft B12, was the usual motive power for this; here the driver has brought it to a halt at the starter, eased past until clear and then started to set back once the road was set.

 

 

The train is now clear of both main lines and passing behind the signal box and into the back road proper.   It accomplished this successfully.  The other place the weedkiller might well be sent is up the Framlingham branch (both the Dr Ian Allan photographs I have of it were taken along that line).   The loco objected to the qute sharp curve into the branch sidings, however, so it will probably require different haulage for that working.

 

For anyone interested in seeing more, Andy Wilkinson kindly allowed me to post his videos from the day onto my YouTube channel.

Edited October 3, 2023 by jwealleans

[JamieR4489]

One of your wagons loved the trip to Ely so much it decided not to go back home with the others...

[Compound2632]

Prompted by exhibiting our club layout in 1955 mode recently, I've been delving into my box of Parkside kits - built, part-built, and unbuilt. I've been putting together PC47, the BR(S) version of the Southern 4-wheel CCT; there's a splendid-looking restored example at the Bluebell that I'm using as reference:

 

 

[Embedded link.]

 

I've assembled the underframe, as far as adding the lower footboards. The width over these turns out to be 36 mm - scale 9 ft. Now, having been conditioned by much pre-group modelling, anything wider than 8 ft bothers me - 8 ft 6 in at a pinch! Do I need to trim these footboards back a little?

Edited October 3, 2023 by Compound2632

[jwealleans]

7 hours ago, JamieR4489 said:

it decided not to go back home with the others...

 

At least I know where it is.    I still haven't found the D178 open.

[jwealleans]

5 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

The width over these turns out to be 36 mm - scale 9 ft. Now, having been conditioned by much pre-group modelling, anything wider than 8 ft bothers me - 8 ft 6 in at a pinch! Do I need to trim these footboards back a little?

 

I don't have a drawing - best I can do is measure the Hornby one I have.  

 

 

 

[65179]

8 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

Prompted by exhibiting our club layout in 1955 mode recently, I've been delving into my box of Parkside kits - built, part-built, and unbuilt. I've been putting together PC47, the BR(S) version of the Southern 4-wheel CCT; there's a splendid-looking restored example at the Bluebell that I'm using as reference:

 

 

[Embedded link.]

 

I've assembled the underframe, as far as adding the lower footboards. The width over these turns out to be 36 mm - scale 9 ft. Now, having been conditioned by much pre-group modelling, anything wider than 8 ft bothers me - 8 ft 6 in at a pinch! Do I need to trim these footboards back a little?

 

The drawing in the NPCCS volume of Historic Carriage Drawings has the 32ft CCT as 8ft 4 1/2in over angles and 9ft extreme width (which happens to be over footboards).

 

Simkn

[Darryl Tooley]

2 hours ago, 65179 said:

The drawing in the NPCCS volume of Historic Carriage Drawings has the 32ft CCT as 8ft 4 1/2in over angles and 9ft extreme width

Over the upper footboards - about 6" less for the lower ones.

 

D

[jwealleans]

Last week, having some time between applications of paint and transfers on different models, I made a start on another 3D printed wagon.   I'd been pointed in the direction of https://bygone-wagons.com/ before, but had only seen GWR prototypes on there and nothing which immediately grabbed my attention.   I was then advised to look at the 'Upcoming Wagons' page as there was a planned LNER build refrigerated van.   The website is behind, in fact, as this kit is available now.   I have one of these on Grantham which was made up from some Jim McGeown etches shot down, but another couldn't hurt, so I made contact.

 

Amanda was very easy to deal with; she's happy to supply wagons built up or in component form and she's not precious about her parts being replaced with those other suppliers.   I ordered a couple of the refrigerated vans and also one of the Dyson wagons and tankers on page 2 for another project.

 

 

The kit is designed quite differently from others I've put together; there's a basic carcass, top left, to which you then add roof, sides and ends.   There's then an underframe piece , solebars, brake gear and ladders to add.   Bearings are provided - nice touch, not everyone does that - but not wheels except by special request and EM only.  

 

 

Having test fitted a few of the components, I decided the best order of assembly would be roof - sides - ends.   The roof had what amounted to locating holes where the ice hatches are, so it could be fitted in exactly the right place.   The sides will then butt up to the roof and are exactly the same length as the carcass, so they can be placed exactly.  The ends then overlap the sides and seal the box.  I glued the roof with epoxy instead of superglue so I had a bit of time to adjust it and made sure it sat down properly onto the curve of the former.   There are print striations on the roof, but my paint/talc roof mix will disguise those.   You can make a new piece with 20 thou plasticard if it offends.

 

 

The roof having set, I stuck a lump of lead inside while I could stil get in.

 

 

We've jumped a couple of steps here so sides and ends are on.   The sides were too wide and so the corner posts were proud of the sides.   I've primed it so you can see where I had to file them back to make the whole side flush.   You can also see that the bolt heads on the strapping are overscale and there are threads of resin between them which it's worth taking the time to remove.   I think those overscale bolt heads are my major criticism of this design and they're not too obvious at normal viewing distances.

 

 

At this point I had to assess how I was going to complete the van.   Above are the underframe components, at least some of which I planned to replace with brass parts.   3D printed resin simply isn't robust enough for the rough and tumble of exhibition use.   Looking at the design of what has been supplied here and given that I'm not doing any sort of formal review for the manufacturer, I decided to discard everything and make a new underframe.

 

 

The main part of the underframe assembly which gave me pause were the solebars.   In the end I decided not to use them for two reasons.   One was that by omitting the main underframe piece, which fits behind and reinforces the buffer beam at each end, I would have a gap at each end.   The other was the printed axleboxes which looked a bit vertically stretched to me.   Here they are against the MJT parts I eventually used and you can judge for yourself.  I made new solebars from Evergreen 1/8" channel.

 

 

Wheelsets first; MJT axleguards.   The fixed one was positioned and checked for squareness then left to set and the Brassmasters jig used to set the other in place.

 

 

Solebars and brake gear now fitted.   Brake gear is the usual Mainly Trains etch.

 

 

The end ladders are Wizard Models signal ladders with their .45 square rodding added to beef them up and make them look more realistic.   Note that I'm not fitting the (LMS) buffers until it's painted as it'll be easier to cut the black buffer beam in with the buffers off.

 

 

This is more or less where we are now; side and ice hatch handles added and I've since painted the roof grey.  

 

 

Edited October 4, 2023 by jwealleans
Spilling.

[cctransuk]

1 hour ago, jwealleans said:

Last week, having some time between applications of paint and transfers on different models, I made a start on another 3D printed wagon.   I'd been pointed in the direction of https://bygone-wagons.com/ before, but had only seen GWR prototypes on there and nothing which immediately grabbed my attention.   I was then advised to look at the 'Upcoming Wagons' page as there was a planned LNER build refrigerated van.   The website is behind, in fact, as this kit is available now.   I have one of these on Grantham which was made up from some Jim McGeown etches shot down, but another couldn't hurt, so I made contact.

 

Amanda was very easy to deal with; she's happy to supply wagons built up or in component form and she's not precious about her parts being replaced with those other suppliers.   I ordered a couple of the refrigerated vans and also one of the Dyson wagons and tankers on page 2 for another project.

 

 

The kit is designed quite differently from others I've put together; there's a basic carcass, top left, to which you then add roof, sides and ends.   There's then an underframe piece , solebars, brake gear and ladders to add.   Bearings are provided - nice touch, not everyone does that - but not wheels except by special request and EM only.  

 

 

Having test fitted a few of the components, I decided the best order of assembly would be roof - sides - ends.   The roof had what amounted to locating holes where the ice hatches are, so it could be fitted in exactly the right place.   The sides will then butt up to the roof and are exactly the same length as the carcass, so they can be placed exactly.  The ends then overlap the sides and seal the box.  I glued the roof with epoxy instead of superglue so I had a bit of time to adjust it and made sure it sat down properly onto the curve of the former.   There are print striations on the roof, but my paint/talc roof mix will disguise those.   You can make a new piece with 20 thou plasticard if it offends.

 

 

The roof having set, I stuck a lump of lead inside while I could stil get in.

 

 

We've jumped a couple of steps here so sides and ends are on.   The sides were too wide and so the corner posts were proud of the sides.   I've primed it so you can see where I had to file them back to make the whole side flush.   You can also see that the bolt heads on the strapping are overscale and there are threads of resin between them which it's worth taking the time to remove.   I think those overscale bolt heads are my major criticism of this design and they're not too obvious at normal viewing distances.

 

 

At this point I had to assess how I was going to complete the van.   Above are the underframe components, at least some of which I planned to replace with brass parts.   3D printed resin simply isn't robust enough for the rough and tumble of exhibition use.   Looking at the design of what has been supplied here and given that I'm not doing any sort of formal review for the manufacturer, I decided to discard everything and make a new underframe.

 

 

The main part of the underframe assembly which gave me pause were the solebars.   In the end I decided not to use them for two reasons.   One was that by omitting the main underframe piece, which fits behind and reinforces the buffer beam at each end, I would have a gap at each end.   The other was the printed axleboxes which looked a bit vertically stretched to me.   Here they are against the MJT parts I eventually used and you can judge for yourself.  I made new solebars from Evergreen 1/8" channel.

 

 

Wheelsets first; MJT axleguards.   The fixed one was positioned and checked for squareness then left to set and the Brassmasters jig used to set the other in place.

 

 

Solebars and brake gear now fitted.   Brake gear is the usual Mainly Trains etch.

 

 

The end ladders are Wizard Models signal ladders with their .45 square rodding added to beef them up and make them look more realistic.   Note that I'm not fitting the (LMS) buffers until it's painted as it'll be easier to cut the black buffer beam in with the buffers off.

 

 

This is more or less where we are now; side and ice hatch handles added and I've since painted the roof grey.  

 

 

 

Shame about the overscale bolts and flash on the strapping; current 3D printing is quite capable of producing a scale representation.

 

IMHO, 'Ironmink''s designs on Thingiverse are current cutting-edge, with zero striations / flash.

 

CJI.

[Compound2632]

1 hour ago, Darryl Tooley said:

Over the upper footboards - about 6" less for the lower ones.

 

Many thanks; rather as I suspected. That's 1 mm off each side.

[65179]

5 hours ago, Darryl Tooley said:

Over the upper footboards - about 6" less for the lower ones.

 

D

 Thanks Darryl, 

 

I'd missed the 'lower' in Stephen's query.

 

Simon

[Compound2632]

2 hours ago, 65179 said:

 Thanks Darryl, 

 

I'd missed the 'lower' in Stephen's query.

 

Simon

 

I'm not complaining; I've got two pieces of information for the price of one!

[St Enodoc]

5 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

I'm not complaining; I've got two pieces of information for the price of one!

Complementary not conflicting too - that's rare!

[jwealleans]

Overscale bolt heads and all, the first wagon has been lettered and I think it's come up quite tidy:

 

 

 

I had some lettering made up for the conflats as well.   They will look the part once the chains are fitted.

 

 

 

Ths sheet was printed by John Peck, if anyone wants to order one; enough wagon lettering for 6 conflats (assuming you have the HMRS or another sheet for the star and Non-common user marking) and also for 4 or 6 of the Type A container.

 

I lettered the Hydra while I was on as well.   I can see I'm going to be wrangling a lot of chain this weekend.

 

 

I was at Shildon show over the weekend operating a 7mm layout.   Having my uusal grub through the rummage boxes on trade stands, I was reminded of Sir's present interest in what can be done with cheap or basket case wagons.   Here's one I found:

 

 

Two quid from a box of loose wagons.   Ratio, square and mainly complete (missing buffer and roof vent) and you can never have too many LMS vans.  How could I resist?

 

 

Just out of the paint stripper, no apparent damage and a fairly tidy build under the paint.

 

 

Brass bearings and proper wheels, LMS buffers, whitemetal roof vents and the door handles replaced with wire.   Plenty of change from an hour's work.

 

 

Primed and drying.   I found the wheels fairly cheap at the same show, so the whole lot probably stands me less than twelve quid including the two pounds for the wagon to start with.

 

[jwealleans]

Something of a hiatus on the wagon works as Grantham is out at Newcastle show in three weekends time, so stock servicing and repair takes priority.   I've been cleaning loco wheels for several days and picking out items to repair as i go.  There's also a page and a half in the notebook to work through once all locos have been attended to.  To give you an idea of the sort of thing, here's a glance across the test track to what is currenty being worked on:

 

 

4469 is a Hornby from the Tom Foster stable.   Both pickup wires from the tender drawbar had snapped, so it's been rewired and the DCC gubbins thrown overboard at the same time.

 

7515 and 6246 both had footplate crew who had abandoned ship and have had to be put in their place.

 

3622 still awaits weathering (it's now been started) in order to make its debut.  The O4 without its clothes is 6272, which habitually works the Iron Ore empties.   It's a Ks kit, the first kit built loco I completed and has become problematic over the last few shows.   It was American pickup, but I've added both side loco and tender pickups more recently.   I'm going to review the loco/tender coupling and have a look at the motor brushes in case it's just getting tired.    We plan to use the O2 I refurbished last year on the Iron Ore empties at Newcastle, so I can put 6272 onto the coal empties and keep a close eye on it.

 

Not visible here is C1 4401 which had started to be an unreliable runner.   That proved to be due to the motor - chassis connection which had worked loose in the hole it was soldered into and so must have been intermittently losing contact.   That at least was a straightforward fix.

 

 

I have lettered and varnished the LMS van from Shildon.  I also picked up an Oxford Rail 6 plank open there - boxed, but with a coal load glued into it and weathered with what looked like Olive drab all over.   Paint stripped, better buffers and correct brakes and it's ready for weathering and a load.     If you don't mind a little work, these Oxford wagons are often very good value.   This one cost me eight quid.