Mr Grumpy

I thought I would have a test fit of the platforms, and so far all ok :-) Still a fair bit to do on this wagon, then two more!

I’ll look out for the build :-)

Hi John, You have put in a lot of effort there! I think it would have been easier to have started with a Slaters kit! I built a GWR tanker a few years back, and was very interested when Dapol announced their range. I thought I’d hold back and see how the models turned out. I decided I couldn’t put up with the’generic’ almost LMS creation, and decided I would build my fleet from Slaters kits and perhaps CRT in the future. I see you were looking for a suitable brake van, I wholeheartedly recommend the SideLines Stove R. It was such an enjoyable kit to build, and Malcolm Binns is very helpful and happy to add or exchange parts of the kit for your needs:-)

All four platforms are complete and had a dust over with primer. As usual, once viewed in a photo little snagging jobs crop up, and a few of the ‘bolts’ need filing back. These have been put aside in wait for my ex-GWR wagons to be built, the first of which is patiently waiting on my bench to be assembled.

That’s as far as I’m going with the weathering. I’ll be adding a couple of chalk written destinations once the paint has fully hardened, but for now the coach will be boxed away while I complete the tankers.

I have weathered the chassis and roof and varnished the coach body. It’s looking conspicuously clean when coupled to the milk tankers. It should probably be the dirtiest item of rolling stock in my collection, but I can’t bring my self to apply the grime just yet :-)

The Railtec transfers are very good. However, the running number I wanted wasn’t provided, so a little cutting and shunting took place. Once the coach is varnished and weathered, I’ll re-fit the glazing and corridor connector rain covers. In the mean time, it’s back to the tankers :-)

Hi Ray, I used Halfords Upol Acid 8 primer and their Vauxhall Burgundy Red cellulose. Regards, Richard

Following a bout of flu and a continuing chest infection, I’m not really in the zone to add the transfers yet. However, I thought it would be nice to see the coach in one piece as it were while I fully recover. It is a lovely little coach and a joy to build. I’ll pop a photo up once the transfers are on next week. Edit: Glazing in duckets is ‘Glue & Glaze’

...it wasn’t fun to bend :-)

Hi George, The M&M dogfish was the 2nd wagon I built a couple of years ago, so the build quality wasn't brilliant, but I think the top of the hopper should be folded over? Regards, Richards

You will need lots of 0.5mm wire Brian :-) All the etched holes need opening out to 0.5mm, which takes a while. I think this is one of the fiddliest things I have made! That’s not a bad thing, it’s nice to have a challenge now and again. Having said that, everything lines up perfectly, but I found myself having to think a few moves ahead to allow for cutting back the wire. Here’s a photo of the frame about to have its 6 ‘bolts’ soldered through the frame and manhole bracket. The next photos show a little more advancement in assembly. The frame is very fragile and flimsy prior to fitting the platform base. Once that is in place, the whole structure becomes firm. Still need to fit the sole bar fixings, but I may need to build a chassis first to ensure the correct fit. ....just noticed the left hand bracket is a tad wonky :-(

While I patiently wait for the rain to subside, I’m going to crack on with my three remaining GW milk tankers. Two of them are being modified to represent dia 0.39 with central platforms, produced by Rumney Models. Before the platform build can begin, a jig is built (which has to be bought separately). I chemically blackened it to prevent accidental soldering of the platform to the jig. The instructions run to 21 pages including a couple of prototype photos. The first part of the construction is the platform bases which need to be laminated and six 0.5mm pins soldered through. The top side of the base then has the wire filed back to around 0.5mm to represent the bolts. I’m going to build four platforms together. Here’s the jig....

Following a fair bit of rain dodging, my coach is in primer, awaiting it’s top coat of paint and transfers. The beading on the roof is 2mm masking tape. I tried 1mm, but it hardly showed. It was a really enjoyable kit to build, and I think one that is suitable for a first build.

It’s more fun than getting on the scales myself:-)

Just out of interest, I lobbed the parts on to the scales....

All the castings in the kit were superb, I’m amazed how inexpensive the kits are. Ok, a little basic, but they do go together very quickly and well :-) Nice coach BTW :-)

Just the window bars and roof vents to fit now. I thinned the roof ends after cutting, and also keeps 1.5mm of gutter overhanging the ends. I may file this back and shape it a little more. The chassis is due in the paint shop (garden) later :-)

I added a safety chain, drive belt and electrical cables to the dynamo, which is a very nice casting.

All the suspension castings went on without any trouble. The centre wheel ‘floats’ and one axle is accommodated in a compensation unit. The coach is nice and heavy and runs well :-) Edit for apple spell check :-)

The leaf springs, hangers and axle boxes come as separate castings, and are excellent. The instructions advise making the components up on the bench, with the hanger rods pushed up against ‘dimples’ in the leaf springs. I could foresee a lot of faffing around, so drilled the ends of the leafs to take the rods. I clamped the leaf springs and axleboxes and soldered them together first and will solder the assembly to the hangers once mounted on the solebars Here’s the first one ready to solder in place....

...The step boards were the same as the buffer beams...very undernourished:-) so they have had the same treatment as the buffer beams. I did manage to solder the scrap etch to the top of one board, but with the help of the gas torch, it was soon rectified:-) When soldering to the solebars I slid a piece of scrap etch between the boards and solebars as the real ones are stood off, also I will need the room for step hangers later.

The bottom flange of the sole bars turns in on this coach. The buffer beams look quite innocent but took a lot of work to fit. As supplied they were too thin and also have a turn in at the bottom, deeper than the sole bars. So I doubled their thickness and added the turn in from scrap etch. I drilled the buffer beams for the vacuum pipes and got it all soldered to the floor. The buffer housings took a fair bit of heat to solder in place.

Once I have sanded the interior, the body will be ready for a coat of primer. Transfers are on the way. The roof, body and chassis can all be painted individually. So, I’m moving on to the chassis.

I got the other end almost finished, I’m just waiting for some cast lamp brackets to arrive. I decided to model this corridor connection closed. It took a bit of playing around with scrap etch, but came out ok. I bolted the assembly to the coach as I thought the whole lot may come apart with the heat of the iron.