Has anyone managed to 'anglisize' their CMX track cleaner?

The CMX track cleaner is a beautifully made and very effective track cleaning wagon, BUT, being an American made article, it has the prototypical American tank car look about it - very strange on a mid 60's western region layout ! So, my question is: Has anyone who has one, managed to give it a more 'british' look? I was thinking first and foremost, of attempting to install buffer beams and underframe and then painting the whole thing - of course, theres not too much you could do about disguising those HUGE screw top filler and drip feed screws! [or IS there?]

Why would you want to? It's a tool just as a track rubber or a mini vacuum cleaner is.

Agree entirely with Rod - it is simply a tool to be used then put away until needed the next time.

Derek

Ah yes, but a track rubber is not part of a train is it? Besides, this 'tool', out of necessity, needs to be run regularly because of the length of the [outdoors] layout - so it will be spending quite a time being run as part of a train.

Why would you want to? It's a tool just as a track rubber or a mini vacuum cleaner is.

But you didn't mention that at the beginning

Indeed, I did not ! You will have to forgive my lack of relevant information:rolleyes:...................Anyway, the question still remains.......Anyone?

But you didn't mention that at the beginning

Try and find a photo of the Henry Diaper bogie latex tanks. There's one in one of the old Bradford Barton Larkin softback books. Not a perfect match, but might do the trick.

Perhaps you could put a photo of said CMX cleaner on the thread so we can see what it looks like?

Here for instance https://clarahost.clara.net/www.bromsgrovemodels.co.uk/pi894092768.htm?categoryId=43

Yes, photo no problem..............here it is

Here for instance https://clarahost.cl...m?categoryId=43

Well I don't like to be negative when someone is trying to do a bit of modelling, however with that whacking great cleaning block underneath (and the big filler openings on the top) I would just think 'No matter what I do to this it's always going to look unrealistic and a bit odd, so... is it worth the bother?'

Just looking at the height of it, you could make something like a box van body to fit over the top of it. It doesn't look long enough for a siphon, and I'm not up on my wagons enough to suggest something smaller with bogies, so I would either simply accept that it's always going to look a bit odd so I'd just put some British wagon markings on it and accept that's about as good as it's going to get, OR make a body of some suitable box wagon that you can pop over the top to cover it up.

Actually, now I think about it, if you were really serious about making a track cleaning wagon that you can haul around as part of a realistic formation, I'd investigate building something like a siphon and transplanting the essential cleaning bits such as the tank and cleaning pad onto that.

Concealing the cleaning pad requires a vehicle with the deepest and lowest side members possible, a bogie well trolley. It should be possible to make up a dummy set of outside frames to hang off the existing vehicle. Treat the tank as the load, and sheet it over completely; this can equally well be weather protection for a commercial 'whatsit' or MOD equipment going to one of the many military establishments on GW territory, concealed from curious eyes. Such loads were often out of gauge and moved under special regulations providing for line occupation, which justifies almost anything in terms of location; like using a circuitous route simply because it minimises the obstacles that have to temporarily removed or avoids disrupting services on busier lines

Aren't you pointlessly dirtying your loco wheels pulling the cleaner around instead of pushing it? I'm surprised a Pannier has enough grunt to haul one of these, they normally need a bogie diesel when full.

I appreciate the reply, and I agree that this vehicle is not an ideal candidate for a british outline makeover...........Maybe the best alternative would be to paint the thing and use some muted colour [grey?] to take that very noticeable brass shine off of it.

Well I don't like to be negative when someone is trying to do a bit of modelling, however with that whacking great cleaning block underneath (and the big filler openings on the top) I would just think 'No matter what I do to this it's always going to look unrealistic and a bit odd, so... is it worth the bother?'

 

Just looking at the height of it, you could make something like a box van body to fit over the top of it. It doesn't look long enough for a siphon, and I'm not up on my wagons enough to suggest something smaller with bogies, so I would either simply accept that it's always going to look a bit odd so I'd just put some British wagon markings on it and accept that's about as good as it's going to get, OR make a body of some suitable box wagon that you can pop over the top to cover it up.

 

Actually, now I think about it, if you were really serious about making a track cleaning wagon that you can haul around as part of a realistic formation, I'd investigate building something like a siphon and transplanting the essential cleaning bits such as the tank and cleaning pad onto that.

 

 

Hah! yes indeed! But my pannier is one of the very heavy batch [now long since out of production - in fact I have been informed it is 30 years old possibly.] It has plenty of 'grunt' and will even transport this lump [CMX] wagon up a reasonable rising gradient with no problem, and THAT with other wagons too!

Aren't you pointlessly dirtying your loco wheels pulling the cleaner around instead of pushing it? I'm surprised a Pannier has enough grunt to haul one of these, they normally need a bogie diesel when full.

Thank you for your input re this cleaning tank. I do like the idea of the well wagon and covered load, and maybe this will be another possibility to hide the very Americanish outline of this [very effective] vehicle.

Concealing the cleaning pad requires a vehicle with the deepest and lowest side members possible, a bogie well trolley. It should be possible to make up a dummy set of outside frames to hang off the existing vehicle. Treat the tank as the load, and sheet it over completely; this can equally well be weather protection for a commercial 'whatsit' or MOD equipment going to one of the many military establishments on GW territory, concealed from curious eyes. Such loads were often out of gauge and moved under special regulations providing for line occupation, which justifies almost anything in terms of location; like using a circuitous route simply because it minimises the obstacles that have to temporarily removed or avoids disrupting services on busier lines

Steven, Thank you for your very good suggestion and I do believe I will take the advice and do as you say - I was going to try and do a very detailed makeover using a different body to cover it, but I don't really have enough time to mess with the thing as I have a life sized Transit to get ready for it's MOT very soon! But the departmental thingy idea will work fine for me - after all, it's only me and maybe the next doors grandkids [looking through the fence] who'll ever see this layout anyway! I must admit, I do like accuracy, but maybe it can be taken to extremes. Just happy to have ANYTHING which will clean the rails properly whilst being pushed/pulled around this long layout.

I'd be tempted to either:

 

Make it look like a chemical tanker - paint it a suitable shade of <insert colour of choice> and add some etched ladders and walk-ways, perhaps giving it the feel of something continental thats come over on the train ferry,

 

Or to make the most of the cleaning pad, paint it black/red/yellow and dress it up as an engineers vehicle - perhaps with some "Railhead maintainance" type branding. The sort of thing Electra Railway Graphics have done for the Tomix/Dapol track cleaner

 

 

Happy modelling,

 

Steven B.

7013, many thanks to you for your idea....same as Stevens, so as I said to him, that is the way I will take this idea and make a departmental vehicle out of it.

Looks difficult to disguise, the pad underneath will always stick out like a sore thumb. If you can take the pad off when not in use then you could construct some 'caps' that resemble filling openings, perhaps put a walkway on top. But generally it is a tool really so you could remove it from the track or leave it in a siding.