Dock Green

[Stephen 28]

Lovely work there as usual Chaz. The glimpse of your old home layout is intriguing, do you have any more pictures of it that you would be willing to show us?

[chaz]

Lovely work there as usual Chaz. The glimpse of your old home layout is intriguing, do you have any more pictures of it that you would be willing to show us?

 

 

Yes, and no, I'm afraid. Yes I have got pictures but they are not to be posted because the layout was very unfinished at the time I dismantled it and they are strictly personal record shots - sorry.

 

But think of Dock Green as a portable version of it. The main difference was a forest of signals - far more signals than a humble goods yard would ever have but we used to operate it with one taking the role of signalman and the other the driver. 

 

Chaz

[chaz]

Wagons and Vans on Dock Green 22

 

This post features the BR standard vans. 

 

 

The first is a 10T insulated meat van. Like all my BR vans it is from a Slater’s kit and I painted it in the original crimson livery. Only 150 of these were built - it soon became obvious that insulated containers were much more sensible. The van is here coupled to the LNER long wheelbase brake van.

 

 

The Hudswell Clarke “Christine” takes some vans down the grade to the estate. The two vans next to the loco are both models of the plywood-bodied version of the standard 12T van. The RH of the two is a fruit van and has the scoop type ventilators just above the bottom edge of the sides.

 

 

The Peckett “Susan” shunts some vans. Next to the loco is an 10T insulated van and next to that is a 12T standard van, the planked variety. The insulated vans were rated for 10T rather than 12T to take account of the weight of the insulation.

 

 

Another look at the planked van seen here coupled to an LNER unfitted van. I’ll leave you to speculate to what the shunter’s chalked “PS” refers. All the BR vans are on 10’ WB and are therefore branded “XP”. The Parkside LNER van has a 9’ WB - it’s days are numbered.

 

 

At the 2014 Guildex show in Telford the N7 69727 is watched intently as it shunts the two plywood vans. 68973, a Connoisseur J50, waits with a brake and will take the next freight to depart. In the distance an Ixion Fowler sits on the single track overbridge. I had just taken delivery of it but we wouldn’t use it at the show as it was fitted with 3-link couplings. 

 

 

At a later show the Fowler has Dingham couplings and is shunting one of the plywood vans and a Conflat with container on the estate lines.

 

The next posting will feature a few (I hope helpful) tips on building the Slater’s van kits.

 

Chaz

[chaz]

Wagons and Vans on Dock Green 23

 

Here are a few tips on building the Slater’s BR van kits as these are not as straightforward as, for instance, the Parkside models.

 

I like to take my time assembling the body shells. In the past I have had quite a struggle trying to get the body shell assembled accurately and found myself needing more hands so now I use a machined steel block and four magnets (I got mine from Phil’ of Hobby Holidays).

 

 

These allow me to set up a joint and adjust the position until it’s spot on before adding solvent. I start by adding one end to the floor. If you apply solvent and leave it undisturbed overnight the resultant joint will be very strong. Most of the poor or weak joints in plastic kits are caused by allowing movement before the solvent has evaporated.

 

(the plastered thumb? Not modelling - cooking!)

 

 

Once that first joint has hardened you can add the second end. Again I set it up with the blocks and magnets and leave it overnight. In the picture above that bowing in of the ends is not a camera distortion, the plastic parts are curved. No matter, providing the joint is set at a right angle the addition of the sides will pull everything flat.

 

 

In this picture I have placed a side in position and used the block and magnets to hold everything flat and in contact. Once you are certain of the accuracy of the joint you can add solvent with a brush to the outside edge of the corner - it will flow into the joint and providing you don’t keep the brush working up and down the surface will not be marked or damaged. At this stage I don’t weld the side to the floor - best to wait until the other corner joint on this side is being done. Again - leave it somewhere safe overnight.

 

With six joints to do it will take a few minutes each day for about a week to get the basic body shell complete. You need patience for this method.

 

 

When all four corners have been solvent-welded you might find your van is somewhat distorted like this one. I have had two or three Slater’s kits that did this.

 

 

The easy way to put this right is to add a thick piece of HIP (I used 60 thou’ on this van) cut to fit between the doors. I cut mine very slightly too wide and then rubbed it down on glass-paper until sliding it in place made the sides parallel. It might be a good idea to put a piece in like this even if the sides are flat. It will stop the joint between the sides and the roof being broken if you squeeze the model when you pick it up.

 

 

If you fix the ends of the body to the floor first it does make fitting the frames and solebars a bit more tricky. When you cut these parts from the sprues they are likely to need trimming. Take your time. Offer up, trim (a razor blade does this well), offer up again until the frames can just be slid in sideways. If you followed my method when fixing the ends to the floor the joints will be strong enough to cope with the fiddling into place you will need to do. With care the frames will fit into the rebates in the back of the headstocks and can be welded. 

 

 

I trim, fit and weld the solebars in place before I weld the frame piece to the floor. This allow a bit of adjustment - you want the solebars to be parallel as they will show when the van is on the track.

 

I must add something I have said before - this is NOT the only way to do it - there are probably lots of other approaches and I don't claim mine is better but it suits me. I explain it here as it might be helpful - feel free to ignore this posting.

 

The next posting will have a few more tips on the Slater's BR van kits.

 

Chaz

Edited October 13, 2017 by chaz

[Hal Nail]

Interesting to read this approach to the vans. Did you offer up the sides before fixing the second end to check the fit? I opted to do one end last in case the floor was too long (or sides too short!)

[chaz]

Interesting to read this approach to the vans. Did you offer up the sides before fixing the second end to check the fit? I opted to do one end last in case the floor was too long (or sides too short!)

 

 

Yes I did. With one end welded on and the second end held in place with the block and magnets it was a simple job to try the sides (one at a time!) in place. In fact I found the fit remarkably good. 

 

Chaz

[chaz]

Wagons and Vans on Dock Green 24

 

Two more tips on Slater’s vans. 

 

 

If a fitted wagon had four brake shoes as distinct from eight-shoe clasp brakes a tie-bar would be fitted between the axleguards (W-irons) to stop a brake application pushing them apart. Slater’s instructions suggest you cut these tie-bars from micro-strip. That would be a bit too fragile for my taste. 

 

Here's how I fit them…

1. Do all this while the solebars are still loose
2. Cut two lengths of brass strip
3. Place them just below the W irons and mark the position of the bolt heads
4. Drill the brass strip for the four wires
5. File the bolt head detail off the front of W irons
6. Drill one of the holes in the plastic 
7. Solder one wire into the brass strip - drill a block of wood and push the wire into it - pushing the strip against the wood will ensure that the wire pin is vertical in the hole - trim the wire to length and file the front to leave it looking like a bolt head
8. Fit the strip, pushing the wire into the hole in the plastic and use the brass strip as a drilling jig to drill the other three holes in the plastic
9. Remove the strip and solder the other three wire pins into the brass

 

 

Once the solebar is fixed on the van you can fit the brass strip but initially don’t push it fully home. Use a cocktail stick to pop a small amount of superglue between the brass and plastic and then pinch the two together with tweezers or sniped-nosed pliers.

 

 

The kits include some brass brackets which go between solebars and the body. These are lost-wax castings and need some work. After cutting them from the sprue you will need to clean them up with needle files.

 

 

I found a toolmaker’s clamp the best way to hold them. It’s a very useful tool and I wouldn’t be without one.

 

 

In the picture above you can see the three brass brackets in place. Note that the longer one goes under the doors.

 

You can also see one of the brass strip tie-bars is in place. The nearer one is not yet fixed but is ready and the W-irons have been drilled. I marked the RH end with a pen so that the brass tie goes on the right way (mark the brass as well!). When you use a part as a drilling jig small variations in the positioning of the holes may mean that it will only fit that way round.

 

In the next post I will have a look at fitting vacuum brake pipes.

 

Chaz

Edited October 14, 2017 by chaz

[chaz]

Wagons and Vans on Dock Green 25

 

Here’s a suggestion on how to fit vacuum brake pipes to Slater’s wagons so that they are more secure.

 

 

First those Slater’s springs. Bend a piece of stiff wire and cut it to fit inside with enough room each end to glue in the cast brass fittings. You will not need the wire if you intend to stow the end of the pipe on its bracket but I wanted the pipes to hang down on this van.

 

 

I also make a wire clip that will fit round the back of the pipe and through the floor of the van. I don’t try to bend it round the pipe - I’ve found it’s much easier to find an appropriate sized drill, drill it into an offcut of wood and leave the shank sticking out. You can bend the wire round the drill shank with it snug against the wood to stop the loop twisting.

 

 

I drill three holes, one in the bottom of the solebar for the peg on the top of the pipe casting and two in the floor for the wire clip. 

 

Oops! Spotted the mistake? Brake pipes were fitted to the left of the coupling hook. Silly me, I had forgotten that the van is upside down so the holes will need to be on the right seen from underneath. Later I re-did the holes in the correct position.

 

 

Here the pipe and the clip are fitted (still on the wrong side!) but not pushed fully home. I put some superglue on the wire and peg near the hole and then push it fully home. 

 

 

And here’s what it looks like (re-fitted to the correct side).

 

 

And here’s a Parkside MOGO with a similar arrangement. I bent the white-metal casting so that the back of the pipe sat against the floor. It will bend without breaking if you are careful. There is no peg to fit into a hole in the headstock but there is an angle cast into the detail that will fit against it. This is possibly vulnerable to being knocked off. The wire clip makes it that bit more secure. The larger hole is a vent to release any solvent fumes once the roof is attached. I'm not sure this is really necessary but it is an easy enough precaution.

 

Chaz

Edited October 16, 2017 by chaz

[chaz]

Wagons and Vans on Dock Green 26

 

Back to specific wagons later but for now an interlude - a few more snaps featuring mineral wagons and the coal train, both loaded and empty.

 

 

 

A couple of snaps of B257598. Before the coal train became part of the sequence the mineral wagons would run singly in goods trains, usually empty.

 

 

“Christine” has just brought a few wagons up the grade from the estate and is sitting on the transfer siding. W28894 is a favourite of mine - I think its “unpainted” weathered effect (all done with paint!) works well.

 

 

E268184 is of a type of timber mineral wagon used by both the LNER and the LMS and built from a Parkside Dundas kit. Replacement planks were not unusual for timber minerals, especially top planks, and were often left unpainted.

 

 

The loaded coal train has arrived from Ferme Park and is sitting on the reception track waiting for the yard pilot to shunt it across to the transfer siding.

 

 

“Susan” takes the loaded coal down the 1:32 to the estate. I hope that someone has pinned the brakes down on some of those wagons - the 0-4-0ST will not fare well if they run away on the grade. In the background the yard pilot 11135 is on the headshunt with the brake van from the coal train. This will shortly return to Ferme Park with the train engine.

 

 

The coal empties sit on the transfer siding waiting for the BR yard pilot to come and collect them.

 

Chaz

[chaz]

STOP PRESS - HOLD THE FRONT PAGE

 

This morning I had a phone call from the organiser of the Central Southern Gauge O Group one day Wimborne show that is happening on this coming Sunday, 22nd October. He had been let down at short notice and wondered whether Dock Green was available to fill the gap. A few quick calls round to my team of operators and enough of them can help out so....

 

If you are in the Wimborne area and at a loose end on Sunday 22nd why not troll over and see DG in action?

 

The venue is....

 

Allendale Centre, Hanham Road, Wimborne Minster, Dorset BH21 1AS

 

See you there?

 

Chaz

Edited October 17, 2017 by chaz

[N15class]

I always liked the Wimbourne show. It was close to home too.

[daifly]

Well done Chaz and team!

 

I just wish I could make it but work has made a prior call! 

 

Hope everyone has a great show.

 

Dave

[chaz]

Wagons and Vans on Dock Green 27

 

E76804 is a NER 20T low machine wagon coded Lowmac L by the LNER.

 

 

It was made from an excellent Connoisseur etched-brass kit. The ramped deck and headstocks are all one piece and once they are folded (aided by half-etch crease lines) the side pieces click into place, having a half-etch into which the deck fits - very satisfying.

 

 

At one time it was loaded with a pole wagon, assembled from a Duncan Models white-metal kit. 

 

 

This seemed a rather unlikely load for Dock Green so I made up a large crate. It’s actually a block of wood planked with strips of 0.6mm ply’. I didn’t weather the crate, it’s brand new. The chains include 4mm screw couplings as tensioners, unfortunately non-working.

 

 

Here the Peckett is shunting the Lowmac and an empty Tube wagon passed the factory yard. 

 

 

The Brush type 2 waits at the GNR somersault starter, the Lowmac at the head of the train.

 

Chaz

Edited October 18, 2017 by chaz

[chaz]

Wagons and Vans on Dock Green 28

 

E301583 is a model of an LNER 20T diag. 98 tube wagon. This is the version that had drop-sides, other diagrams had fixed sides, some of them with two sets of side doors. 115 0f these wagons were built from 1935 and had a 17’ 6” wheelbase and vacuum brakes.

 

 

"Susan" brings the Tube up the grade from the estate coupled to the Lowmac. This wagon is a recent addition to my collection so I am a bit short of photos of it on Dock Green.

 

 

A close up of the two wagons as they come up the grade. My next posting will give some details of the build - how I got from this…..

 

 

….to this….

 

 

Chaz

 

Edited October 19, 2017 by chaz

[chaz]

Wagons and Vans on Dock Green 29a

 

Building the Connoisseur Tube wagon

 

 

There’s no point in duplicating the instructions in the kit, which are pretty good, so the following are some tips which builders might find helpful. Some it is of more general appeal and may help with other etched-brass kits. 

 

 

The floor and the inner sides and inner ends are one piece of brass sheet. A second layer is later to be soldered to the outside of the sides and ends to make these look a more convincing thickness. In the picture above one side is gripped by the folding bars, positioned so that the whole of the half etch fold line is just visible. There is a piece of thick card in the bars to protect the pressed-out rivets.

 

 

I put a length of pine behind the brass and pulled it steadily over until the fold was at 90. Holding it all securely in a decent bench vice makes the job straightforward; a fold this long needs a significant force.

 

 

Both sides are folded up and I checked the angle along the lengths with an engineer's square. The ends need folding next but you can see that folding bars are no use.

 

 

Two blocks of wood which will fit between the sides are positioned either side of an end and held securely with a G cramp. A piece of pine pushes against the floor. You can see a piece of card peeping out from under the pine - protecting the rivets.

 

 

This is the basic shell folded up. The inside layer of the ends fit inside the sides and there is a neat overlap which will align the outer layer when it’s laminated on. The important thing was to bend the folds without any of the plank half-etches bending - they will if you let them!

 

 

Folding a headstock. Note how I set the part - the whole of the half-etch is just visible above the bars and parallel to them.

 

 

Depending on your folding bars you may not be able to achieve 90 degree bends with both flanges. 

 

 

In that case I would use parallel pliers to pinch the folds a little at a time moving up and down the length until both flanges are set at 90.

 

 

My own-make folding bars were (luckily) just long enough for this wagon. This is a solebar with the rivets pressed out ready for folding. 

 

 

I decided to chamfer away the corner of the folding bars to allow both flanges to be folded to 90 degrees. As my bars were made from BMS a few minutes work with a coarse file got me the clearance needed.

 

That’s probably enough for one posting - if you want me to continue the story just click “like”. If there is enough interest I will.

 

Chaz

[N15class]

Never thought of taking the edge off the folding bars. Out comes the big file next time I'm at the bench.

[chaz]

Never thought of taking the edge off the folding bars. Out comes the big file next time I'm at the bench.

 

 

It took a while for the penny to drop for me Peter. Once I had done it I was left wondering why I didn't do it when I made them. I did put a slope on the top edge with a milling cutter (while I was a CDT teacher I had access to a milling machine) and this allows a proper 90 degree bend to be formed. The metal always springs back a little so you need to push a bit passed 90 to get a right angle set.

 

Chaz

[chaz]

I am looking forward to the Wimborne show on Sunday, a chance to operate Dock Green again, to meet some friends and, I hope, to get more photographs of the layout and the stock. The last may be tricky - we will be setting up on Sunday morning so there is unlikely to be much time before the doors open to the public so I may have to snatch chances later in the day when it goes quiet. 

 

Chaz

[chaz]

 9  12 likes, so I will continue the story of building the Tube. It won't be until this evening though as I am about to load the van for Wimborne (with an anxious eye on the sky!).

 

Chaz

Edited October 22, 2017 by chaz

[chaz]

Wagons and Vans on Dock Green 29b

 

Building the Connoisseur Tube wagon 2

 

 

These are the etched hinges and strapping and some other detail parts. As I was going to solder them in place using an RSU I tinned the back of the parts. 

 

 

I find it easier to tin the parts whilst they are still attached to the fret. I use a liquid flux and 145 solder. It’s easier to get the flux to spread on the surface, rather than "blobbing", if the brass is scratched with fine wet and dry. A 25 watt iron is fine for this tinning.

 

 

It is certainly easier to solder the hinges etc to the side overlays before they are soldered to the body shell which would act as a considerable heat sink. I hold the parts in place with an aluminium clip, flood the joint with solder and then heat with the RSU until the solder “flashes” along the edge.

 

 

Here are the two outer sides with the hinges and strapping soldered on. The top side is still showing the scorching effect that seems inevitable with an RSU. The bottom side has been cleaned up with CIF cream, vigorously worked with a stiff brush and washed off with plenty of water. It has a mildly abrasive action which gets rid of most of the scorching and it also neutralises the acid flux.

 

 

The overlays for the ends need to be tinned ready for the white metal end stanchions but these can’t be added until all the brass soldering on this part of the kit has been done.

 

 

Here I am soldering a side overlay in place. There is no need to solder along the whole length of the outer edges, a tack here and there with the RSU will suffice. Don’t worry about those hinges coming adrift - if you wanted to remove them you would probably need a torch to do so.

 

 

I found it impossible to solder the headstocks in place with an iron - I just couldn’t get enough heat into the joint fast enough to make the solder flow. Even the RSU was struggling so I tinned the faces - the top side of the headstock and the underneath of the floor and then set up the job as above. A piece of plywood is cramped to the end and the headstock fixed in position with crocodile clips. One of the secrets of easy soldering is to set up the joint so that it can't move whilst the heat is applied.

 

 

Playing the torch flame up and down the length of the joint had the solder flowing beautifully and produced a very strong joint (although I couldn’t avoid setting fire to the plywood! - have some water ready). If you use a torch of this kind be careful - the flame can be almost invisible in bright light and will deliver very nasty burns. You also need to keep the flame moving along the joint - it’s certainly hot enough to melt the brass and dwelling in one place too long will damage the work.

 

I will continue this soon.

 

Chaz

[Joseph_Pestell]

Enjoyed seeing this layout at Wimborne on Sunday. Pity that I only had a short  time to visit (was in Wimborne for another event and found this show by accident).

[Northroader]

I've never been happy with torches for soldering, it's always tending to overkill with not much control. Jobs like that I have a Weller 120watt soldering iron, which will do all you want.

[chaz]

I've never been happy with torches for soldering, it's always tending to overkill with not much control. Jobs like that I have a Weller 120watt soldering iron, which will do all you want.

 

 

In my experience it depends on the torch. The one in my photo' gives a very small intense flame that goes just where you put it. I also have a Weller 120W iron (probably just like yours) which I never use.  (Anybody want it? Make me an offer!) However it obviously suits you so it can't be wrong! 

 

I have often said, and repeat here, my methods suit me - they are not necessarily the only way or even the best. You are, of course, free to use your own tools and methods. I write and illustrate mine - they may well help or interest others - but I'm happy to listen to other's views.

 

Chaz

[chaz]

Wagons and Vans on Dock Green 29c

 

Building the Connoisseur Tube wagon 3 - the buffers and axleguards

 

Before I deal with buffers here is a picture of the wagon end with the headstock soldered. 

 

 

 

I know it doesn’t look flush in the photo but it is. You would not need to fill any gap between the end and the sides - remember the sides hinge down so any gap there is OK. I soldered that coupling slot plate to the headstock before I used the torch to solder the headstock to the floor but it didn’t come adrift. All the joints were made with 145 solder.

 

————————————————————————-

 

I don't like white-metal buffer rams. They are too fragile IMHO - certainly since Dock Green has "been on the road" I have had a couple snap off. 

 

 

So on this wagon I decided to replace them with steel rams. The ones I used are Parkside. I didn’t want to use the Parkside plastic buffer guides - you can’t solder them in place and I avoid glue when building a metal kit.

 

 

The white-metal buffer housings need drilling through. First step was to put a 1.8mm drill in a pin chuck and give it a twirl or two in the outer end. This puts a "centre" indent in the bottom of the blind hole. You can't rely on the drill finding the centre of the hole as cast - the bottom of the hole is likely to be very uneven. Then I put the housing in a machine vice and drilled a 1.3mm hole right through with the pillar drill.

I use white spirit as a lubricant, splosh it into the hole with a brush. Without a lubricant you risk the the drill "snatching" in the white-metal. Once this hole is drilled right through the outer part of the hole can be opened out to 1.8mm to accommodate the spring. I don't do this in the machine but with the drill in a pin chuck. It would be too easy to drill right through and we need a shouldered hole to make the spring work. I find it doesn't take long to open the hole out to sufficient depth. 

 

 

Testing the buffer spring action after drilling. 

 

A problem with axleguard castings

 

I decided to put a compensator in for the axle at one end and run the other in brass bearings in the axleguards.

 

 

There was a problem with the castings in my kit. As you can see the bearings did not seat and were held at an angle. Putting a drill in a pin chuck and holding it vertical to the back face whilst rotating it trued up the hole. The white-metal is so soft that you can hold the drill so that it does not follow the angled hole. You need to be wary though, it's very easy to go right through.

 

 

Here are the two castings with the bearings pressed home. Did I say I don’t use glue on metal kits? - in this instance a touch of superglue is the neatest way to scure the bearings. I also scribed a centre line on the casting tops. This will help align them when they are soldered in place. 

 

 

Not my most exciting post but worthwhile (I hope!).

 

Chaz

Edited October 24, 2017 by chaz

[chaz]

Wagons and Vans on Dock Green 29d

 

Building the Connoisseur Tube wagon 4 - the last few tips

 

 

I put all the detail on the solebars before fitting them to the model. I used the tweezers and the sharpened dowel to place and hold the details whilst I soldered them. A wooden dowel makes a good holder-downer as it will not conduct heat away.

 

 

Cramping a couple of bits of wood to the underside of the floor supported the solebar in the correct position to be soldered. As you can see the kit has dashed lines etched to guide this placing.

 

 

A long wagon like this really does need compensation. I put one axle in a rocking cradle and shortened it so that it doesn’t touch the white metal axleguards. This subterfuge is only visible from a low viewpoint end-on.

 

 

 

This is a good way of keeping the brake cross beams at the right angle while soldering them.

 

 

I soldered all these white metal parts in place. The brass was tinned with 145 degree solder first and then detail added with 70 degree low-melt solder with a temperature controlled iron set to 165 degrees - just a tad below the melting point of the castings.

 

 

A view of the underneath featuring the brake gear. This kit was fun to build and I enjoyed figuring out ways to make the work easier. The result is an impressively large wagon with some very good detail.

 

 

I think that’s probably enough stuff about the Tube wagon.   

 

Chaz

Edited October 25, 2017 by chaz