commsbloke

Yep that is what I am aiming for, thanks for the reference photos John.

OK here is where the Lowfit build all went wrong. All my own fault I know. On the side fame, the one on the vacuum cylinder side, there is a raised "L" shape. This type of thing on a spare side frame. As I am an expert, having previously 90% completed another Slater's kit. I know that this is where the vacuum cylinder fits. (NB it isn't) You can even see the "L" in the instructions. Now not only did I fit the cylinder here. I also fitted some steel weights between the floor and the cylinder. Not only do they provide extra gravity but also an excellent surface to cyano the cylinder to. Next step onto the brake V hangers and the extra bracket that butts up to the non vacuum side V hanger. All cyano'd in nicely and left overnight. Next day on to fitting the shaft between the V hangers and the lever to the vacuum cylinder. While at this stage I fabricated I new T shaft that comes out of the vacuum cylinder. I found that the plastic one on the Vanwide was a little flimsy. So far so good. Looking at the lever between the vacuum cylinder and the V hanger shaft it was not even half the required length. I believed that I had put the V hangers in the wrong place and the were glued solid. A little work with a Stanley knife and some pliers had them out. A this time I had a long look at the instructions and worked out that the V hangers were in the correct place before I ripped them out. It was the Vacuum cylinder that was in the wrong place. The correct position for the vacuum cylinder is achieved using the notch in the extension to the vacuum side V hanger. It is all there in the instructions. The last part of this chapter was I needed to get the cylinder out. This was not only glued to the frame but was also cyano'd to the weight. Not my proudest modelling moment but the cylinder was eventually removed with the help of a large hammer and a screwdriver. So after a little mending this is where I am now. Nick

Thanks for the kind words Julian, I am glad that it has helped. I think that was the original plan, If anyone is helped by my build and from all the other contributors then that is all for the good. I have had some trouble with my Lowfit. Trouble is when it was not going so well I forgot to take pictures. I will update soon.

OK, the Vanwide is waiting for decals and weathering and possibly a little white paint for the lamp brackets and brake lever. I am not sure about the bright steel rims on the wheels, I think that I will need to get the black paint out again. I am thinking about a small shunting layout and am having second thoughts on scale couplings so a Dinghams kit has been ordered In the meantime I have made a start on the lowfit. This time I have used the provided strip to make the "U" channel. Is it making a U channel or an I beam. I am leaving the sides and ends off for now to make painting easier.

A start made on brake safety loops and painting. This close up photography lark is good for showing up where you have "missed a bit" Transfers ordered.

Apologies for the long absence. I have had very little free time but I am nearly there now. For the construction I have just the rain-strips to do and perhaps some safety loops on the brakes. I had some problems with the vertical door bars. On both sides I had missed drilling the holes. Its all there in the instructions so totally my fault. On the other side I superglued them in upside down. Less haste more speed. Bending the door handles to the right side was a bit of a pain. I have many oversize so I have saved them for later. On the other side I waited until my folding tool arrived from Eileen's which made the job a lot easier. (I did need to open up some holes to fit my brass rod though. Next step painting and thinking about transfers. Any thoughts on transfers. HMRS do a couple of good sheets but that will almost equal the cost of the kit. They will be enough for a whole bunch of wagons though. Next wagon is in the queue, a BR Slater's Lowfit. Coincidentally a quick look through the contents had me ordering the Dapol screw links that I now see are mentioned above. I will give the Slater's screw links a try but there are no instructions and my eyes aren't what they use to be.

Doh! facepalm. You put in links, I need to pay more attention. Thanks John.

I think that the Iain Rice book needs a reprint.

Lovely, thanks John

Next adventure may be a Parkside Dundas, how do they compare to Slater's?

Well that laminating the cam onto the brake lever was a waste of time and swears. The cam fits below the break lever not on it. I think that it is fixed now though. Point to note, the guide that the brake lever goes through (Where it is pinned on) is very fragile. Great care is neededl when cutting it from the sprue.

My 1.5mm rod arrived today so a bit of work on the vacuum pipework I started drilled a 0.8mm hole in the pipe for the smaller pipe that goes to the cylinder and then tinned. Glued in place and then fitted the small pipe That brake lever looks like it could do with some cleaning up. While the iron was hot had a play with the cam on the brake lever. That was a pig of a job next time I will solder them to a shaft and drill the V hanger to fit. Again a little more clean up required. Finally today a little bid of bracing as discussed earlier in the thread.

I was "playing" with mine the other day with my in-progress Slater's vanwide and found that the gap in the coupling hook was a little tight. I opened this up slightly with a nail emery board. Has anyone else found this with Heljan coupling hooks?

Thanks John, they look useful and do-able.

No curves and no points yet just a yard of track on the dining room table. Funny that you mentioned a coupling tool, I have just been reading about torches with a length of hooked brass attached. No desperate need yet with one loco and nearly one wagon but this is on the list. A little solder on the links is now also on the list, thanks for the tip.

OK, I know that I have work to do but while waiting for the glue to dry on the vacuum pipe connectors I thought that I would have a play with the instanter couplings. It's all new to me.

I have one and it runs beautifully but then I only have yard of track. So the 05 isn't run in yet but I am already very impressed.

Welcome aboard, at my rate of progress you may finish before me. My latest news is that I thought the 40 thou end to end airpipes looked a little thin so I have ordered some 1.5mm brass rod.

Thanks Mike, will definitely give it a go next time.

Chassis gussets on Vacuum cylinder connected to brake arm Couplers fixed in Lower door runner brackets fitted. It won't be long until Mrs Commsbloke can have the dining room table back.

Thanks Ernie, nice photos, very useful.

Thanks Mike The strip I was giving a miss as I could not see how it was forming a U channel. I was leaving the triangular and diamond shaped pieces until later. Mainly because the of the number of times i was taking the buffers and couplings out and looking at it now four of them also block the brake arms.

Some work on the fiddly bits today. First I cut a short length of the supplied brass rod and used it to connect the lever to the short A frame. This was soldered at right angles. Please excuse my soldering. The brass rod was then clipped so there was only a short amount protruding each side. Note that when the A frame is swung down to point to the axle the part of the lever with one hole points towards the chassis. Next I loosly fitted the folded etch (part 58) onto the remains of the rod. Now the A arm can be rotated into position and the flat part of etch 58 was CAed to the chassis. Etch 58 was then soldered where it connects to the lever The long A arm was then soldered to the two hole end of the lever. The same process was followed for the other axle. Here you can see that I have also added one V hanger and made a start on the shaft between the V hangers.

Some excellent info gained from the flickr user Jamerail's photos It answers my question about the brake rigging It shows that both the short "A frames" (brake pullers?) face the same way Pointy end to the right if you are looking from the vacuum side. https://www.flickr.com/photos/95430950@N07/23245573765/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/95430950@N07/36780177543/ And the long A frames pass under the axle https://www.flickr.com/photos/95430950@N07/25963668260/ Many other useful Vanwide pics in this stream Also the pictures in this stream show the same suspension and the large axle-boxes as shown in the Slater's instructions. Most of the other pictures of vanwides that I have found show the possibly later suspension with the small axelboxes.

One more question about the last picture. Should the A frame with the long arm pass above or below the axle? Or as the picture is upside down, between axle and body or between axle and track? Thanks, Nick