airnimal

I am glad I am not on my own dropping changers but as you said, easily fixed. I still haven't found the retaining straps or the axleboxes so I have made my own straps. I tried soldering 4 strips of nickel together and cutting them out as one without success. Then I tried filing them up individually but that was even more problematic. So I have bent a strip of nickel with some half round and half flat pliers. This deforms the strip in all sorts of shapes before I put it in the vice to flattend it. I then had to dress it with with files and wet and dry before embossing the couple of rivets in it. Now where did I put those axleboxes......

Well nan has taken our grandson to Pets at Home to see the rabbits so I was able to do a quick fix and now all is well. Ten minutes work and no one will be any wiser. After his afternoon nap it's off to the airport to see the planes. Such is life being a grandad.

Oh the shame, the shame ! 40 years scratch building wagons and now this. I will go and stand in the corner. I blame it all on be harassed by my 18 month old grandson who is such a live wire he makes my head spin. Still it is better to be so full of life and energy than be sat in front of the television all day. Yes I dropped a big one but at least it is an easy fix. I will go and sit on the naughty step and await my forgiveness.

Thank you to everyone for all the input, it all helps. I have Just fitted Ambis brake racks with home made brake handles. I am near the end now but I have managed to misplace both the axleboxes and the retaining straps. I put things down or in boxes and can never find them for ages. The joys of old age !

I found this brakegear not as difficult as expected once I got going. Just a few more bits to do including the safety loops and the brake rack and handle. It will make an unusual wagon with the different brake gear with both brake handles pointing to the same end and the steel under frame.

Having got the buffers correct there is just the brakes to make. I couldn't find anything on the market that looks like the L&Y brake shoes. The only thing for it was to scratch build them myself. So I cut out a couple of shoes which have a very distinct shape not seen by me on any other railway. I have made a start to assemble the parts on the wagon which I find is not easy at all. How do the 4mm boys do this I can only guess at.

I have now drilled out and replaced the bolts on these L&Y buffers. I had to drill them first before using a small broach to open the hole to size. The second photo has the old buffers next to new ones.

I did a demo stand at the Leigh show yesterday and managed to get the correct L&Y buffers. When I got them home and had a good look at them I was slightly disappointed with the bolt details on them. I think perhaps the moulds have become worn. So I have removed the mis shaped bolts and drilled the body to accept some plastic bolts from the MasterClub range. The photo was taken before the buffers were modified. Many thanks to all the people who stop by at Leigh to say hello.

I have had another look at the buffer issue and have come to the conclusion I have used the wrong ones. I went back to my L&Y van and looked at the buffer I used on that and they don't have a rib down the side and I know where these came from. These also have a backing plate on which has distinct shape which the other two don't have. From my parts box I had two packets of buffers one marked CR and one without any labels on. The photo of the buffers has the CR ones on the right and the Unknown one on the left. i also found some v-hangers that were just right.

All the rivets and bolt heads are now on with just the label clips to cut out and put on. I keep looking at the buffer housings and thinking although they look like L&Y they could be Caledonian. I have had these in my parts box for many years and the packing and labels has been lost so I am unsure of the origins. The rib down the side looks to be to long although they are the same shape and style as L&Y. i may change these if I can get some more this weekend at the Leigh show.

I have started to put the many rivets on the solebars. I even put some on that weren't there and had to remove them and fill the holes with filler. This is not the most entertaining job I have ever done, so much so I have only do one side. The other side can wait untill tomorrow.

I have replaced the iron work on the ends because I filed the angles to shallow. I can now start to detail the body after all the messing about trying to get the dimensions of the body right. The corner plates I have made from 10 thou plastic which is to thick. I should try 5 thou but I never seem make a good job using plastic this thin.

Signal man Rich, Thank your kind comments regarding the new arrival. I hope in time to have him in the workshop with tools in hand teaching him how cut metal and solder the same as I have with the first grandson. The second grandson is only 18 months old but always wants to go into the workshop to see grandad trains. This latest grandson may be a bit more of a problem as he is in Australia.

Finally I think I have got it spot on with the body dimensions, so I have added the iron work on the ends and drilled holes and glued in the buffers.

L&Y 1 plank open part 3. I managed to get the height on the body right but got the plank line in the wrong place. So I removed the body and made it again. Before I replace the angle irons on the end I will go over this with a fine tooth comb to make sure I finally got it right. The Easter bunny brought me a new grandson today so perhaps things will now go right on the modelling front.

It was only 1mm to high on the body sides but I couldn't live that error. It has only taken a couple of hours work to make new sides and ends but I think it does look better for replacing them.

O dear ! I have made a start on the simple body and forgot to check against the drawing before glueing everything together. The sides are to high. My better half said just file the top of the planks down but then the lines would be in the wrong place. I have now removed the body and will make new ones.

I have not done anything about the design of the layout but I have started another wagon this time a L&Y single plank steel under frame open. I made one of these before in finescale many years ago. The basic under frame is is complete but without any details applied. I am quite pleased with the result although one of the solebars has got a slight curve along its length. i have taken the details from Vol 1 L&Y wagons page 106/7. I have both buffers and axleboxes in stock but not the small brake shoes which are such a feature of these wagons.

I have finished the bodywork on the latest loco coal wagon. I must get back to trying to design a small layout but domestic means modelling may have to take a back seat for a while.

I have attempted to simulate the iron hoops on the dumb buffers after all this intrest. I did think of putting on hoops made from 5 thou plastic strip on but the drawing looks like the hoops are flush. So I scribed them on with my Olfa cutter, not to sure wether it looks right or not. It is very easy to take close up images when the wagon is in the unpainted state.

Compoud2632, i dont know the answer to your question I just follow as close as possible the drawings and photo's at my disposal. I try to model with what we have available of prototypes built over 140 years ago and at best, we will never get 100% accuracy.

Well it looks like we are staying put and not moving house so I have been stripping wallpaper and preparing to decorate. We also had grandchildren to stay for the last week so very little modelling time. i did a small amount on one of my many unfinished wagons putting on the small rivets on the corner plates. There is still lots more to do but it's a start after a couple of weeks off. i still have not drawn up a track plan for my proposed layout, but I will have to get going soon so we can get the baseboards made while the weather is kind to us as my friend Peter's woodworking machines has to be taken outside his workshop to be used. He has so kit that he has to wheel most outside to use hence the need for good weather.

Tricky, if you are wanting to model a standard LNWR wagon then any from Dia 1, 2, or 4 would be perfect. They all share the same headstock shape which is why I made a jig to to ease construction of my models. I dont really think you need a blow by blow account on how to build any of these wagons with your level of skills having seen the quality of models on Midlands in Bristol. I would recommend Vol 1 of LNWR wagons which is brilliant with lots of drawings and photographs. Ian, as you say it is not easy for S7 modellers especially with the lack of space in modern houses. I have laid out on the floor in my workshop a B6 template next to both B7 and B8 types and i think the deference between them is worth making a B7 the minimum for visual reasons. You only save a couple of inches between a B6 and a B7. Another problem is both my wife and I would both like to move house. We have lived in this house for 35 years and before we spends lots of money renewing things we have to find a house that fits both our needs in a area we both like. And then there is the cost. My wife wants lots of bedrooms for our grandchildren and I want a bigger workshop. Who do you think will win !

Tricky, thanks for the vote of confidence in my ability, I wish I had as much in myself as you do. Laying out a couple of templates on the floor along side a rule gives a clue on how little room I have for a S7 layout. A B10 turnout is 24" long with a B7 at 21". So I think B7 is going to be the largest size I am going to use. Laying out my chopper tank and 6 wagons on the floor works out at 38". Some people have the vision of what they want from a railway but I have never been blessed with that skill.

I have started to clear my workshop ready to start my small diorama type layout. It's amazing how much stuff we collect that we find hard to part with. If I place the layout at a height of 4' high I will have a space of 14' long by 3' tapering to 1' 6" at one end. So basically a small shunting plank. I have bought a small glass cabinet to store and display the models so far built or bought and the layout will be placed above this along with space for a couple of bikes underneath. I now need a track plan something along the lines of Arun Quay built by Gordon Gravett. The problems I have that in S7 the length of the points will be nearly double that of the layout built by Gordon in finescale. Anyway the room has nearly been emptied ready to make a start. Another new addition came today in the form of one of Minerva's Manning Wardle saddle tanks which will need converting to S7. I will take it to my friends layout later to give a shake down to check everthing works as it should, but I don't think I will have any worries as it looks very well made.