airnimal

Well ten sets of wheels aren't any good in there packets so I will have put them to use ! These bolster wagons are a mixed lot on the N.S.R. They seem to be different varieties of styles and with only so much information available, so there will be some guess work involved. I was going to do this one with a small body like the previous one but looking at the photos in G.W.R wagon loads were there are several photos showing flush tops to a couple of them. So I modified this body by inserting individual planks which is a first for me. I took the opportunity to make them all slightly different . I cut the runners out of 60 thou plastic with a set of dividers. The first ring of plastic was too thin so I cut out a second attempt which was better with a ring of 10 thou for the steel rubbing strip.

Schooner, thank you for the thumbs up. I am slightly embarrassed about such praise. With the the gentle prodding about single bolsters I have started a larger later version that was probably a rebuilt dumb buffer conversion. It has self contained buffers and modern brakes by my standards ( 2 brake shoes ). The buffers I am using are loco buffers from my spares box that have been modified by filing the base off and filing the body parallel. I think they could have been G.W.R tapered buffers, but how I came by them I have no idea !

Good job I have ordered 10 sets of wagon wheels from Slaters then !

Many thanks for kind comments, It is appreciated. I forgot the ends of the buffers that I made as a separate piece to go on after the painting was complete. Rarther than cut in to the frame to put the iron retaining straps on, I cut 4 pieces from black plastikard with the corners rounded off and painted body colour on one side. I then cleaned the paint off the edge to leave just the black showing. These were then glued on so they look like they have the iron band around the end of the frame. These pieces look smaller than the frame. That's not a mistake on my part they are like that on the prototype.

There are a couple of bits to do but it's more or less finished. I started on the 18th and now it's the 28th so 10 days work for a small wagon. Obviously I didn't work on it every day but there has to be about 60 hours in it. Was it worth it ? What to do next ? There are still about 10 wagons that need finishing / painting in my workshop as well parts galore hanging around. I don't have a good track record using kits so the G.W.R Cooper Craft parts I have don't excite me much. I feel we have been left in limbo wating for the lockdown to ease so we can go and look at a house move. If we don't get a move on soon I feel it will be to late and we will end up staying here and the railway will never get built. Perhaps thinking that way I should order some baseboards and just get on with it !

It's a pleasure to see such an excellent model of an unusual prototype. The chain's and shackles make the model come alive.

....no sign of heat damage ? It has nearly been chucked on the fire several times these past couple of days ! So much for saying I have a photo of each sides so I should not have any excuse for getting things wrong. The label clips were moved because I thought I had them both in the wrong place when only one of them was in fact wrong. I missed completely I had put the brake gear on the wrong side. Could I live with this stupid error ? Of course not it would forever eat away at me ever time I looked at it. So last night when our neighbors daughter and her friends were having a birthday party right outside my bedroom window, I put right the brake gear issues. My wife can sleep through anything but a dozen 23 year olds merry on Vodkas and with a healthy disco turned up loud didn't make for a good nights sleep. So so this morning when looking at where to put the chalk marks on another glaring error jumps out at at me. I spaced the N.S.R to far apart. More work. I won't win any prizes for my observational skills I think I have got it right at last. Onwards to the finish I hope.....

Hopefully I will be able to complete this wagon this weekend. Still lots of loose ends to tidy up and finish the lettering but there is light at the end of the tunnel.

After all the mistakes including putting the label clip in the same location on both sides which was wrong I have finally got to the painting stage. Even having photos of both sides I failed to notice the label clip on the brake side had been moved to fit the brake rack. At least I noticed before I started painting which was a bonus. So I have prepared all the parts after cleaning and blackening the metal bits. A quick 30 minutes with the rattle cans before the rain appeared was time enough to get to the stage you can see here. I borrowed some better wheels from a finished wagon which I will have replace.

After the hiccups yesterday I have done a bit more this morning without burning anything down. I have only the brake handle and rack to do and then I can paint at last. I cut out the axleboxes retaining straps which are an unusual shape. I soldered 4 bits of nickel together and cut them out as one. I think they do make a difference to the appearance of the wagon.

I have managed to retrieve the situation without to much damage with just 4 bolts melted and replaced. The scorched side has been rubbed down and hopefully will not be to bad when painted but it could have been worse. The offending brake block has been a success after all the drama. When people say they have had a meltdown were they refeering to me ?

*** WARNING*** Do not try to use a gas torch anywhere near a plastic model ! I was doing so well getting on with the brake gear so I thought I would use the gas torch to solder it all together. Perhaps the sun has got to me because I was sure I had moved the model out of the way. Clearly I was wrong. I suppose it could have been worse because if I rub the burnt bit down and replace the bolts I may get away without scrapping the whole wagon. Lesson leant I hope !

The fine weather is with us once again so I have not done a lot modelling wise. I have fixed a children's bike and musical roundabout to keep the grandchildren happy and be in the good books at home. The body of the single bolster wagon is finished so it's down to the running gear and brake. I had a look at using one of my own castings from my brake van kit but there are the wrong shape. I could have modified one but it seems as shame to butcher a complete casting only to use half of it., So I have cut a new brake block from an old brass door plate. This was found in the shed and stored many years ago because it's 70 thou thick and lovely and flat. I have several bits of metal in stock and they always come in useful even if it's many years down the line before I use them. Are we all hoarders at heart ?

Well the weather isn't the bright sunshine as yet so instead of going out on my bike I have done a little more on the bolster. I turned the stanchions from brass and I have soldered on a bracket for the chains on one of them. Now I have to see if I can make another one to match as good ?

I didn't get a lot done yesterday because we had a social distanced visit from our youngest daughter with a couple of grandsons. So so today after doing a bit of house work to earn a few brownie points I added the details on one end and made a start on the bolster which just leaves the other side and end to do. Looking at the photographs I need to change the retaining strap holding the axleboxes in place because the N.S.R had drop down ones on this wagon. I have looked at photographs of other N.S.R wagons and they don't have this feature. There is still plenty to do yet but as the weather is getting better this week I might not get a lot done because I am going to get out on my bike and enjoy the sunshine.

I have finally completed one side now that I have added the horse hook and label clip. The chamfer on the bottom of the plank was done by putting a small nick at the start and finish and then scrapping along with a wide flat scalpel blade resting on a piece of nickel.

Many thanks for the information about drills. I still have some in stock so I hope I will not need any just yet but it's frustrating when you get to the last one and the shops are closed. I have made a couple of errors like I always do mainly through lack of observation and poor workmanship. The 2 small metal strips on the body side were put on in the wrong place so were renewed but again I have made them a fraction to long. There is a chamfer on the bottom of the plank and the metal strips should sit above that and I have made them to the bottom. Not a large mistake and I only noticed it when I came to put the chamfer on and realise it would take the bottom of the strip off. There is still a few bits left to do on this side before I tackle the other side and both ends. I wonder at times how long it takes me to build a wagon ? Perhaps I should keep a record but that might frighten me.

This little wagon is going to take me forever because there are so many nuts and bolts in many different sizes. I hope I get to the end of the build without breaking to many drills. I am running short of certain sizes and there doesn't look likely that there will will be any exhibitions this year to restock. i can only do so much at any one time without taking a break. When I have done one side I have to lay the wagon down on a soft cloth so I don't squash any of the soft bolts on the other side. My my magnifaction clip on glasses have arrived and I have used them for a short time, but I think it is going to take me a little time to get use to them. The joys of old age. How did craftsmen managed before electricity gave us good lighting ?

Compound 2632, the numberplates came from Barry Lane at Keighley. You will be able to find him through the L&Y society. He's builds gauge 3 models of the L&Y. Jim, I think cutting thin metal strip and keeping it flat and straight would be more trouble than it's worth. The brass strip I have used is over size but I think the ease of using this far outweighs the over scale appearance. I have done one side and only broke one drill. I think the idea is sound so I am going to keep going. I don't think this would have been strong enough in plastikard.

In the photographs I am using one side of the wagon has damage to the plank at the top leaving the capping strip exposed. If I modelled this in plastkard as I usually do it would be a weak point prone to damage. So I have decided to model this in metal. But where to find metal thin enough to look good but thick enough to be able make reasonable well. I have being making the capping strip from 5 thou plastkard, but to cut metal strip from similar size metal is beyond me. So so I had a look in my store of metal and found some 40 thou wide by 8 thou thick brass strip which I bought over 40 years ago. There was on 2 strips but enough for a couple of wagon worth. I cut a piece the length the size of the side and drilled a series of holes with a 16 thou drill. I then turned down a brass lace pin in the mini-drill with needle files to the smallest size possible before the head disappeared. This is going to be oversize by a long way but other than soldering the pin in place and filing flush I don't think I have much option. The pins will need shortening before pushing them in pre-drilled hole in the plank. I may solder them in the brass strip before blackening with in Birchwwod gun blue.

kitpw, with your help I have ordered a pair of clip on magnification glasses from HS Walsh. One of my favourite builds this year was the Midland dumb wagon because I had photographs of both sides which is very unusual. I was able to follow every blemish and scratch without guessing what was on the other side which is what I normally have to do. I have just started a very small N.S.R single plank bolster wagon which was photographed in Swindon yard by the G.W.R. officials cameraman when it was involved in a derailment. There are a couple of cracking pictures in the book Freight wagon and loads in service by J.H.Russell of this wagon which shows all the rough bits as well as the faded lettering. So so with this in mind I have knocked up the basic body. I don't have any spilt spoke wheels left so I am having to use the last pair of solid spoke I have in stock which I can swap when I next buy wagon wheels. The photos are dated April 1910 so the wagon is probably 30 years old when the derailment happened. The bodywork has a few splits and holes which will be incorporated in my model. On one end there is a hole which I have put in before i glued the plank in place.

kitpw, thanks for the input regarding clip on extra lens. I will try to find something similar to try. I have chained down my load of carboys and added the return to plates. I could do with some chalk marks as well and possible safety warnings on the side. The straw has been stuck down with diluted resin W. The straw is just cut up coarse string. I don't know if this is a authentic load carried like this but I am sure someone will point me in the right direction if not.

The box tank is back on the shelf. Enough said ! A bit of light relief but in plastic. I have had these carboys casting for a few years now so I built a small wooden case to pack them in. I'm not sure if they ever had cases to transport them in or if they were loaded individual but this makes a Interesting load. I cut out a strip of nickel after I had soldered 4 blank nickel bits together so they were all the same. The wooden box is just made from 60 thou plasticard and the bolts from MasterClub. I have some fine chain to secure the load but I will have to do a bit more research to find the correct method.

I believe I should have stuck to my guns and not tried to go back to building loco's. Perhaps with the present climate being in lockdown for 3 months has not helped my frame of mind as well as getting to be a grumpy old ba*tard. Anyway i tried again to make a new bunker without success. I made a new base plate with brass rod for the corners instead of brass tube and some new parts for the plate work. I made up some test pieces to make sure the rivets would be in line and spaced correctly before trying again. Lady Luck deserted me once again. More scrap for the bin Other things didn't go according to plan last week including receiving my magnification loops which was a present from my wife for my birthday. There is nothing wrong with the quality it's just I can't get on with them. I took advice on what to buy and they do the job perfectly but I just don't like them. I feel guilty because it is what I choose for a present. I think I need a holiday before the men in white coats come knocking on my door.

Alan, thanks for the suggestion regarding the forming block with the different sizes punches. I don't have one of these but I do have a good selection of steel rods to use as formers. Now is is another tale of woe. I cut most of these parts along time ago but I made a basic mistake which has now come back to haunt me. When I cut out the bunker front I didn't take into account the the curve front which has now shone up to take a scale 3" out of the overall width. So the bunker part doesn't fit the top which is the correct width. What to do now ? Put it back in the box ? Throw it at the wall ? Take up stamp collecting ?