Dave John

I really like the look of that. Something very different, full marks for having a go at it. You have made a cracking start, that backscene looks fantastic and the damaged buildings are making me want a 3d printer.

Ah yes , I did read through that very good thread. The comment was made that although the van looked clean it wouldn't stay that way for long running just behind the loco. I think I will build it up sheeted and see how it looks to the eye. If it looks wrong there is a brass kit for a van from dart castings.

Agreed Magmouse, I think I will make up a chocking bar. For the van I will just go for something anonymous. Very little of it will be seen. I know that people have made very fine models of vans on wagons in the past with wonderfully painted liveries. However I don't think they would have travelled like that. Those vans were expensive, especially when full of the house contents of affluent people. Travelling a long distance across several railway companies I think the owners would want a proper sheet over the whole thing. Makes sense to me anyway

There is a photo in “Caledonian Railway Wagons” by Mike Williams of one of these wagons of which it it thought nine were built from 1878 onwards. No drawing but they were known to be 18’ long on a 11’8” wheelbase, enough to reasonably estimate the other dimensions. Construction is from styrene sheet and section. Metal strips on the top of the sides had a series of holes for roping pegs, though I think they may have been threaded for an eyebolt. Perhaps a bar was pegged across the wagon to chock the wheels of the load ? There were also sheet hooks under the curb rails. The little grey dots are masterclub bolt heads. They are tiny, drill a 0.3 mm hole and glue them in. It is the first time I have tried them in 4mm scale so it will be interesting to see whether it is worth the effort. perhaps after painting they might just be a dome and a rivet transfer would have been simpler, we shall see. A view of the other side. The photo in the book shows the side with no brakes. I think I can just see the bottom of a brake block on the far side, so a standard Caley type Scotch brake seems a safe bet. A furniture van wagon needs a furniture van. An approximation of one. Some paint next.

I'm another one that grew up on Airfix kits. Biggles, Hammond Innes, Alistair Maclean. The indestructible learning curve of Dublo 3 rail. Real steam in mamod engines . Real rockets in jetex engines. Tony and all of you are right, we learned so much from these "toys" . All the basics of physics and chemistry, possibly biology too. We learned about fire and steam and electricity . We learned about metal and plastic and wood. We learned that putting a candle in an airfix county cottage leads to a sore behind. We learned that wagons roll better if you don't glue the wheels in. We learned that mistakes go bang. I could go on. I really hope that there are still youngsters out there that are still on the learning curve that formed us. We shall see.

It is an interesting idea, though that would put the layout somewhere in what is now China. I'm vaguely thinking about the eastern Adriatic amongst other places.

Thanks Adam, useful pics. The snowplough looks as if it has been built with parts from some sort of older vehicle.

It is a thought. I do like wagons in use with realistic loads so long term I will add one, though probably not gold. Those tie down loops are fully working. I am still trying to work out where in the world all this odd metre gauge stock runs. I think I may have to invent a country.

I have been running trains on Kelvinbank. Some cleaning needed but things are running smoothly with one slight annoyance. That tool/riding van I butchered from a Hornby brake. I got annoyed with the wheel flanges hitting chairs and rattling so I swapped the wheelsets out for a proper pair of 51L EM ones. Ahhh, much better….. That left me with a pair of 14.2 mm 00 wheels rolling about on the bench. Not going to be used on Kelvinbank, but in 1/50 th thats 710 mm dia. Perhaps a bit small, but that got me thinking about wagons with small wheels. For instance low loaders. A sheet of styrene through the silhouette, masterclub rivets and bolts, some bits of brass tube and wire. I reckon that looks reasonable. A nice relaxing build, inexpensive, bit of imagination thrown in. Gets those wheels off the bench too.

I do like creative modelmaking, some good ideas on this thread. Starting with a bit of waste water pipe I ended up with a tank wagon ; Most of the brass bits came from an old piano.

The Caledonian treated the digram number as an operational designation, so a variety of different build types could be allocated to the same diagram, 1316 in total to D 67. Build dates vary between 1903 and 1918. I think A64 as photographed above is from order G 280, built 1909, Morton brakes both sides. A lot more info in "Caledonian Railway Wagons" by Mike Williams.

The CR and the PLA vans have wooden underframes. The brake gear of 2080 shown above has been modified since it is a later vac fitted version. There is one at the srps, with morton cam rather than the original either side brakes. http://www.srpsmuseum.org.uk/10048.htm http://www.srpsmuseum.org.uk/10047.htm

Agreed , it is a Caledonian D 67 van. 51 L do a wm kit. I have a couple, straightforward build. https://www.wizardmodels.ltd/shop/wagons/crd067/

Somewhere under this there are bits of the anchoridge/jidenco/falcon etches. Shame the Caley only built two of them. I reckon they were a reasonable scratch aid at the time and I wouldn't be critical of them in that context. It is on a scratch built compensated chassis and will happily shift four grampian corridor coaches as an ecs working.

It has been discussed here On page 2 I explain why I prefer a blog. Of course it is entirely personal preference, but once a blog develops the structure seems to suit my way of recording and discussing my modelmaking activities. I do seem to get a few views and the comments and subsequent discussions are interesting. From my point of view having those discussions attached to a particular blog is useful, I can find references easily. As to the number of views I'm not too bothered, like minded modellers pop by when they can.

Its a shame I was never in the right place to see the layout, amazing that it is 2mm. I would be easy to spot. The bloke with the large magnifying glass trying to spot the difficult to spot details.

Well, I am going to have to disagree. You say that "I have moved rather too far from what most people think of as ‘railway modelling’ " A far as I am concerned you are are doing what I consider to be the most important aspect of railway modelling ; using models that you have made to illustrate the history and development of railways. The information available to you is sparse and I think the models you create as a practical realisation of that information are excellent. I try to do the same, but 60 years on I am working with a bit more information and some photographs. I have learned a lot from your blog, please continue.

Hi Eric, had the same issue with my 1999 plate T4 van a couple of years back. Going over the Kingston Bridge in Glasgow, stuck in 2nd. Got a replacement off the net , 7 quid delivered. I reckon they are all the same too. Fitting requires a bit of brute force and ignorance. Helpful to have a lump of 2x4 timber about 4 foot long handy.

I had a look, but the mystery kit doesn't match any of the horizontally planked Caledonian wagons. Model Wagon Co. was mentioned as a possibilty, certainly that is how mwc cast buffers on a sprue back then. For anyone interested there is a discussion with lists of what used to be available over on the CRA forum; https://www.crassoc.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1611&p=10905&hilit=mwc#p10905

Once I had the frame painted and assembled I made up a mounting plate from 3 mm ply. All the connections are via a 37 way connector from the spares box so that the whole module can be easily removed from the layout to the bench if maintenance is needed. It was a bit of ply from Eileens, some brass sections arrived taped to it so I’m glad it got used for something constructive. A front view. I have followed the Caledonian practice of fitting a description board behind the levers. The switch and dimmer on the right controls the signal lamps. Mikkel challenged me to incorporate a cocktail stick into the design, note that neat little peg on the left hand side. A view of the module in place. It plugs into an interface board that connects to the layout wiring and has some relays for electric interlocks. From the other side. The little cocktail stick peg is for the signalman to hang the duster on. A Caley blue one of course. So, it looks fine but how is it in operation ? Well, I had a good operating session today, ran about 20 trains. I am pleased with the way the levers feel, a smooth action with positive locking. They are about the right size, comfortable to use but without intruding on the layout. In the past I have posted videos with signalling errors. Hopefully the mix of mechanical and electrical interlocking means I can no longer do so. It certainly forces me to try to plan moves and signal them properly.

This may be of help. Full drawings are available from the CRA.

For urban cuteness I'd go for the Miller designed Kelvinbridge, the local station for Glasgow University ; Gone now sadly, but imagine turning that into a house / railway room.

That looks very good. Difficult to balance what the eye sees to what the camera sees, as I have found out.

I'd certainly agree with making detailed wiring lists. Use whatever software is freely available to you and remember to update the lists as you make changes. Kelvinbank is a simple layout, yet there are 30 + pages of wiring lists and 40 + pages of circuit diagrams. Many years ago before kelvinbank 0 I had an N gauge layout. I thought I could just remember the wiring. I discovered that memory, like hair, is temporary ...

An excellent read as ever. It does illustrate the variations within a class for these early locomotives. I shall refrain from suggesting that "Red Star" should be allocated to parcels traffic.