RobboPetes

Hi eldavo, The nice thing about Easitrak and Finetrax is the ability to mix and match. You could use either for points or plain track, whichever is your preference. Regards, Rob

Thinking about it earlier, I'm wondering if you can use the N Gauge Society Grainflow Polybulk hopper as the basis for this build. I shall have a look later and might take that route to build my own.

Paul This looks great and has got me thinking about trying one for my own layout. I have a question: Where did you get all the brass bits, such as the hopper bits and other parts of the undercarriage? Thank you in advance for your answer.

Very nice job done - it certainly tones down the stock and brings them to life. I've got some OBAs that I'm thinking of using as a Speedlink service for some brick traffic on my own layout. I might even treat myself to a handful in the Plasmor livery to do the same job and use my OBAs as concrete sleeper carriers as part of the engineering fleet.

Thank you ess1uk.

Thanks Paul. I enjoyed doing these. Having done them I can see mistakes I have made which will drive me to improve the next bunch. The shape of the model is fine but the detail work on the model is poor. Thanks to Bernard Taylor, the kit certainly makes a difference to end product and helps lift the model to a more acceptable level. I am happy with the ends, as I feel they are too long and the overhang is too much for my liking. Regards, Rob.

Only the chassis are left to do. This has been one project that has been both a joy to do and frustrating and the same time. There were certainly times when I thought about reducing the amount of work I did to complete the models in order to get them finished but perseverance and determination kept getting in the way. There were a number of re-visits to the drawing board and a number of times when just I felt like giving it all up. A number of the things done on these wagons are new to me and so needed time to think about their execution. One thing being the grab rail located on the upper part of the tank just below the walkway. I was originally going to use brass wire for this but found it too thick once it had been put on. Brass wire being much more pliable. After much thought the wire comes from the excess DG loop wire. The larger lower grab rail is micro rod glued between the pillars. On one wagon I used a razor saw to make the cuts whilst on the other I used a craft knife. The razor saw left cut marks on the body which was cleaned up with paint being used as a filler. The knife was easier to control. On close inspection the saw gives the better cut of the 2 methods used. The filler hatches and walkway are those supplied in the TPM kit. To me these give a better 3-D effect than those used by Farish. I have used all the parts supplied with the TPM kit except the thin pipes that run along the solebar that I believe were on the first PCAs when introduced??? The main work on the body shells was the reduction in their length. Anyone familiar with these wagons will know the ends on the model are too deep. These would be reduced in size by cutting through them with a razor saw - but how could I do that satisfactorily??? It took me a while to work it out but I used 2 1p coins laid on a piece of glass with the razor saw blade laying flat on these. The end, with the pegs cut off to allow it to lay flat would gradually be rubbed against the blade whilst moving it round once I was satisfied with the cut that was made. This takes time and is messy but the work I feel is worth it. Once the cut is deep enough I cut the rest free-hand so to speak. Be warned! One of the bodies was moulded in white plastic while the other in perspex. I cut one of each and glued them to the ends. No problem. When I cut the third end I found the cut was deeper than the first 2??? When I sized this up the the barrel the end was now SMALLER than the barrel! Problem. It looks to me that Farish use a mould for each side and possibly a mould for each end. If they do, it looks like one end is deeper than the other??? The other problem is the end should have a slight lip on it which the first model doesn't. What I did was to put a piece of 40-thou plasticard underneath the end when cutting it to raise it sufficiently to give it that lip. One end might be slightly longer than the other due to the aforementioned problem. Here is a photo of the wagons alongside a Farish wagon for comparison. An excellent source of pictures of the prototype are available from the Paul Bartlett website: Another problem was always going to be the final colour for these beasts. I posted a question on here several weeks/months ago and came to the conclusion that it is a matter of personal taste and there appears to be no definitive answer. I have a few shades of grey here and the one I have used is the Phoenix/Precision P133 B.R. Rail Grey (dull) (1966-85) colour. The match I feel is very near to the current metalair tank, as seen here: It just leaves me to add the brake wheel to the chassis and prepare the chassis for DGs. Once done I'm going to have to find a suitable way to successfully glue the body to the chassis. Overall, a project I am very pleased with despite the hurdles along the way. I have another 6 to do and these will be done in much less time thanks to my experience in doing these. If anyone has a nagging doubt about an item of stock, give it a go. I am another of the countless number of modellers who has overcome an obstacle and will certainly not be the last. As I and many other have said - 'give it a go'.

The Siphon looks excellent. Inspiration for my own model...

I watch with envy! No, only joking. Absolutely superb work and am enjoying reading this blog. Keep up the good work and I look forward to seeing more progress and learning as a result.

PRIDE OF LAIRA - please look at my track plan http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/1132-marsh-lane-sidings/ to see what I mean.

Hi Douglas The PECO wheels will ride OK on 40 thou track, as I have just been testing a chassis on some copperclad 2mm track. Therefore they will not drop in the points as per code 80 track with modern wheels. Yes, you are right - the only difference will be the finer flangeways. The only problem with Finetrax is, according to their website, the back-to-back needs to be 7.4mm as opposed to what seems to be the standard of just over 7mm. I intend to replace all my old Farish stock (PCA vee-tanks, VAA/OAA wagons) with the new NM25 spec wheels from Farish, as per their current stock. The plastic wheels are fixed and cannot be widened to this new standard. Regards, Rob.

Thanks Chris I intend to use the Finetrax points, so a back-to-back of 7.4mm is needed. Regards, Rob.

Irrespective of which gauge you model the Rockware Glass one is wrong. Both the Hornby (00) and Farish (N) are modelled with 2 hatches whereas the prototype has 4 hatches. This version was used to carry soda ash, as mentioned previously by Fat Controller. As the Albright & Wilson and the Lever Bros were used in the movement of detergent components, neither wagon had the bottom discharge chute fitted. The Albright & Wilson version had a pipe protruding from the lower central body area to aid discharge of the product at Corcickle in Cumbria. The grey ones were used predominately for the movement of cement. The Hornby model and the old Lima models are good models of the prototype. The Farish model, being one of the later Poole-based models, is a poor representation of the prototype. The basic shape is right, if a little too long in the body because of the extra thickness to the ends. The model can be further enhanced by the purchase of a detailing kit from TPM. I'm currently finishing off 2 of these and will have photos on my blog in the next week or two, once I have finished with the filling and filing not forgetting the painting. These models have been shortened to make them more prototypical in length. Regards, Rob.

Thank you for all the comments. Having read them all and considered the advice being offered, I am going to to go the Finetrax route. I will be able to get the layout built and running, but if I'm not happy with the appearance/running of the stock, I can sell the layout as it is then build another using 2mm as the standard. After all, it is ones conscience that is the deciding factor in these situations. Regards, Rob

Thanks for the consideration Tim. The decision wasn't an easy one to make. The advent of Finetrax has helped me in that decision, as this is similar to the 2mm Scale Easytrack.. The problems I find with N gauge are the wheels and track. The wheels are now considered acceptable whilst the track is not. I'm going to annoy the diehard 2mm modellers by saying I see 2mm track as finescale N gauge, as all my ready to run and kits are N gauge. Therefore the argument is not just economic. All I am doing is changing the track. The rest of the scenery would be if I'm modelling in 2mm scale. Regards, Rob.

Indeed you can Lisa. You can also make the points using the usual copper cladding. Both options are certainly cheaper than using the Finetrax points kits that are also available. Regards, Rob.

I have come to a crossroads regarding where I take this layout and one important thing that needs to be considered is cost. One thing that bugs me about standard N gauge is the PECO track. For me, it is crude and the sleeper spacing is wrong - for others it might be OK. There are now 2 finescale versions on the market - the 2mm Scale Easitrack and the new N gauge Finetrax system. As I want to go down the 2mm scale route I need to consider the cost of re-wheeling my stock. For the Easitrack option: To convert the locos to 2mm scale I would be looking at £4.50 per powered axle and £2.50 per unpowered axle. At the moment I have a class 08, class 37, class 45, class 46 and a class 47. The class 45 and 46 work out at £32 each and the class 37 and 47 at £27 each. That is £118 in total (without the class 08)!!! Ouch. The 2mm scale underframe etches for the class 08s are £20 per loco and I would eventually be looking at 2 of these. The loco fleet would eventually swell to about 12/13 units as and when the stock and funds become available. The wagons work out at £1.05 per axle. For my air-braked stock I currently have 18 bogie vehicles and counting and the 4-wheelers are 43 and counting. There is vacuum braked stock to consider too. As I learn more about the type of freight carried so I will add more wagons to the fleet. The cost to upgrade my current wagon fleet is £165.90. I would eventually be looking at over £200 just for my wagons. The total price for conversion would be £500-600, if not more. Looking at the Finetrax option: I need 2 points (£16.50 or £18 each) and several yards of plain track (£4 per yard). For the fiddle yard I could use PECO track to save costs.I would need to purchase enough wheelsets to convert almost 20 Poole-based Farish vehicles to run on this track. The cost of 10 axles is £6.95. I would not need to convert any locos as they are all the new models. The total cost of conversion here would be about £100. What with having a family to consider and a home to run, the choice is made for me. There is no way I can justify the amount needed to convert all my stock to 2mm scale. What started out as a small layout with a few locos and some items of rolling stock has lead to this. I still have limits on the amount of rolling stock I need per train. I just did not realise how many wagons I had purchased over the last few years, let alone the kits I have to build??? Any one reading this who feels the 2mm route is best for them should consider the outlay needed to convert all their stock. I did not think it would cost so much to convert. With the move in recent years away from the old crude dimensions for wheels and the availability of finescale N gauge track I think we will see more layouts moving away from PECO track to this new standard in N gauge.

Hi Dave Any idea of the location of the siding at Colchester and of the types of wagon used in this service? Regards, Robert.

Nice work Julia. The milk tank looks superb! I'm looking at the possibility of 3D printing for the ends of my cement vee-tanks. Robert.

Nice concept. This would look good in N gauge/2mm scale. Look forward to see it develop.

The VTG vans were introduced back in the early 80s and are still in use. The VTG lettering was painted out on these vehicles back in the mid-90s. These models are to continental N gauge and are a bit small for British outline stock. The Dapol Ferrywaggons were introduced at the same time and are longer than the VTG types (known as F2s). The newer VTG types (F3s) were introduced about '83 and were longer than the F2s. The liveries for the Dapol ferrywaggons: black lettering on a white background as new (as new from 1981); blue lettering on a yellow background - 1983; the blue livery is suitable for your period.

The 3D printing outcome will be interesting...???

Good luck with it. Look forward to seeing how it develops. Rob.

Superb! Looks great. A fantastic achievement and admire your persistence and determination.

As far as I know they all started with complete boards on both sides. Certainly by 1985 some vehicles had lost some boards and in some cases, parts of one or more boards: it was entirely random. If they were separate, I would model a vehicle with the weathering applied to the body and a patch of freshly exposed silver where the board, in whole or in part, would have been.