airnimal

Graham, I am having the axleboxes and springs printed. They are the same ones I had done about 2 years ago. I didn't know that Guy did them when I had them done as I would probably have used his. These things only come to light after the event. I made a mistake when I said that the Cambrian used sheets with zigzag lines on, that should have been the CLC. My memory is very poor these days. I have repainted this wagon with a lighter grey and I keep trying with these wagon sheets. I tried putting twisted wire thread on the sheet which had been backed with foil before glueing a second sheet on and leaving to dry. But I think it is going to take a lot more work before I am satisfied.

Wanted a Chowbent etched brass kit unmade in 7mm scale for a class D 0-6-0 tank. If anyone has one lurking in a cupboard that they are never going to build please get in touch.

Adam, yes I have seen those wonderful models with envy. If I could get mine to look anywhere as good I would be very pleased. Unfortunately I don't have the computer skills to do mine that way. I am trying as many different ways as I can but without success as yet. I have tried sticking baking foil to the back of the paper I am using. This hasn't been as good as I'd hoped. I think the baking foil isn't thick enough. I have some black tissue paper to try next. I did make the brake handle and rack today which is good but I don't have any axleboxes left, but they are on order.

Stephen, thank you for the information from Bob Essery's article on wagon sheets. That is just what I wanted with all the different railway companies sheets. I found in my pile of paperwork an Exactoscale paper wagon sheet for the Caledonian Railway. I have never used these before although I have had it many years. I did have others but they seem to have been lost over the years. The instructions say to wet them gently before folding them over the wagon loads. I did wonder whether this me would work with my home made one. No is the answer as can be seen. Everything that I had drawn on just bleed everywhere. Perhaps I should have sprayed Matt varnish over the entire paper before wetting it. The other option is to paint all the markings with Humbrol oil paint. I may try another way like I did with the dust covers on my ballast wagons which was to glue baking foil on the back of the paper first and left to dry before folding. It may not work but I can have fun trying.

Playing about with this black paper to try and make something like a wagon sheet I found in my children's toy cupboard a pair of scissors that cuts a zigzag line. Remembering that the Cambrian had zigzagging along the bottom of there sheets I decided to try to cut out of thin card template to spray such a line. So I cut a couple of strips and tapped them down to a piece of board before spraying them with White primer from a rattle can. It's not perfect but it does show promise.

Until I can find the information about wagon sheets I will play around with bits of black paper and coloured crayons. I have found the sheet size that was used before 1910 which was 19' 6" X 15' 5" on the LNWR. So I have cut out several sheets that size and will make up a few to practice on.

Graham, yes I have used self tappers to screw the W-irons into the floor. And yes they do come through the other side but as I am going to fix a tarpaulin on top permanently I won't be trying to cover or colour match anything. Crude but effective. I have cut out a brake block out of the same brass washer that I have used in the past. Marc, I don't think that the one plank Dia 1 were ever fitted with a sheet rail support bar. The two plank ones were photographed with them as a trial but how many were fitted in traffic I couldn't say. I have seen articles about companies wagon sheets but my old brain can't remember where or even which magazine or book that it appeared in.

I have found an old resin body of a one plank LNWR open wagon that has some damage. Rather than scrap it I thought I will make one with a tarpaulin sheet to cover the damage. I was going to start making some brakegear but then we had a phone call from my daughter who has hurt her neck. So we have got the grandsons here today which is great but not so good for modelling.

The lime wash has been applied. How well it's up to others to judge but I am happy with it for once. I have used drawing ink applied neat with bits were taken off with a wide flat brush and water.

I am happy that the brake block is correct as modelled. I have copied the castings that came from Adrian Swain and would have used one if I had any left. I am aware that one should not make models of other models but most people would say Adrian was a stickler when it came to being accurate about details. One of the photographs is from the rear of a brake shoe that came from ABS. I have painted the roof a darker grey but as yet I haven't done the lime wash. If fact I have been to my youngest daughter school where she is a teacher. Some of the equipment has been damaged and was being thrown away that just needed some small repairs costing very little in monetary terms but just a bit of attention.

I said I didn't have any numberplates for this cattle wagon well ...... When looking at the photograph in LNWR wagons Vol 1 at this wagons to see how much lime wash was on the body I went through all the information and numbers that have been recorded and the first on the list was 934. That rang a bell in the old grey matter, so I went looking through my bits box. Sure enough I had just such a pair of that number. Also there is a tare weight listed so both these were fitted along with screw couplings. I have also painted the roof the same colour as the body. Tomorrow I hope to paint the roof a darker colour and give it a good coating of lime wash providing the weather is kind and a bit warmer. Then it will be finished.

Progress has been quite swift today with a lot of work completed on the cattle wagon. It will need numberplates ( which I dont have ) and other lettering before it can be weathered and lime washed. I am not sure what to do with the roof. I think they were white when newly built but I am sure they turned very nearly black in the 1890's.

With the sun shining I managed to get the rattle cans out and put some paint on the cattle wagon. I made a little jig to hold the axleboxes while I spray them. Thinking about the roofless cattle wagons being outlawed early on I suppose that they could be used for barrels of beer. That may explain why we have photographs of them as late as 1912.

Richard, the answer to you question is no it is a different one. I have built 3 now with this latest one. I would like to build a few more open topped ones and make a small cattle train. In the NSR wagon book there is a photograph of Uttoxeter goods yard in approx 1912 which has such a wagon still in existence and with the large lettering on the side. But I have run out of etched bars and other parts to make any more. I find these early cattle wagons attractive and there is not likely to be many or any kit manufacturers bringing out models of them. I have seen it written somewhere that open topped cattle wagons were to be outlawed quite early but they obviously hung on for sometimes after the cut off date.

I have fitted an Ambis brake rack with a brake handle cut from nickel. This is the last my own axleboxes and I still have 5 more wagons needing them. I am starting to struggle for fittings now. I will have to spend a bit of brass and stock up. I know lots of people buy stuff online but although I do have occasional buy parts this way I do prefer to buy parts at exhibitions. I will hope to paint this cattle wagon tomorrow.

I have reprofiled the brake shoe and soldered it to a base plate that screws to the floor. I have also added the cast white metal brake pivot plate.

Guy, I don't have written evidence of the size ( I am not an historian ) but scaling from the drawings this works out at 3" 1/4" The castings I have used in the past from Adrian all work out to this size or as close as possible and I have used brass tube which is slightly smaller than that. Steel brake shoe hangers are tapered and are thicker.

I need to do something to save myself from going daft until the lockdown is relaxed so I will try and finish some of my half completed wagons. This cattle wagon needs brakegear making from scratch because I have run out of castings that Adrian Swain let me have years ago. I never thought I would use them all but it was 2004 when he gave them to me. So I have cut out the brake block from an old brass washer that was the right thickness. The brake hanger was made from a length of square brass tube.

I have read somewhere that the GWR had a daily pickup goods service starting from Manchester and going through Stockport taking the Altrincham line and on to Market Drayton. I do have a Lee Marsh GWR 0-6-0st on order but I'm not sure if I really want one. I don't have a single GWR wagon in my collection and the money paid might have been better spent acquiring a NSR loco. Still I have read that the have all been accounted for before they have been delivered so I can always sell it on when it finally arrives. As for this horse lorry I am trying to build, my heart isn't in it. I have put the loops on that hold the shafts to the front of the vehicle but I think that's as far as I am going. I will put it away for another day.

A change is good as a rest or so I'm told. Having a box of white metal wheel castings for horse drawn carts for about 30 years I decided to look a making a small 4 wheeled vehicle. This is not to a particular prototype but just a general type looking at various ones in Great Western Horse Power to give me ideas. I had the horse for many years when I built a few of the smaller wheeled ones. I am not sure this is going to get very far because I'm not mentally committed but it would be nice to do something di.

Thanks to everyone for all the likes and comments. Dave at least when you go into your workshop you can marvel at all your handbuilt loco from your own hand. My locos and coaches that are any good all came from other people / companies. My own efforts in that department are hidden away half completed and will probably never get finished. I have added the saftey chain to the door but it needs toning down a little.

Hopefully I have finished this van. One of the letters has lifted that will require attention. It has been a bit of a journey.

The drawing that we both have copies of has a V-irons that is very similar to the one on a Cambrian sand wagon. The other Y shaped one is seen in the background of some Cambrian official photographs like on page 206 in Great Western Way.

One of the other V-irons is the Y shape. This photograph illustrates a Cambrian wagon with just like one on the etch.

I found some letters for the NSR but one of them was slightly different. So I have had to tamper with one of them to make it fit. A good waft over with some road dust might blend it in a bit better. I have treated myself to a little bit of Belgium's finest to celebrate the end of the build. Well nearly.