Mol's MSC Wagons

[Mol_PMB]

Over the past few days I've finished the brake gear on the two container wagons, though there are still a few bits left unsoldered to allow a little movement so I can fit the wheels.

The last parts were the long brake levers on the Morton brake fitted variant, which were drawn in the corner of my new etch.

The remaining tasks on the wagons are a good clean-up and then the final bits of soldering (springs and horn keeps) which will have to be done with the wheelsets in.

Then they can be cleaned and painted.

As noted above, my etches arrived today for the fruit rack containers. Eager to see how they went together, I've built one of them.

95% went together fine, a few bits have needed a small bodge or a slightly different approach to what I had originally intended.

The result needs a more thorough clean and can then be painted. Looking at the photos the camera can be a bit cruel with the details, but I'm happy with it and from a couple of feet away the little niggles disappear.

I can't help wondering whether anyone has modelled a fruit rack container before!

I've got three etches so will probably make all of them up. The photo I keep posting shows just two loaded ones, but I do have another photo taken at the same time which shows an empty one in a stack of containers in the background - look on the left margin of this picture:

 

I received another early Christmas present today, a new tool which may help me finish these wagons. More of that tomorrow as it's still in the box at present.

[Sweet pea]

Mol the rack work on the wagon looks very good. 

[Mol_PMB]

Thanks Kevin!

 

The new toy I alluded to yesterday is an ultrasonic cleaner. Today I've given the fruit rack containers a blast in it, it certainly removes some gunk especially when used just after soldering.

 

And yes, I have built another one of the containers. The first is now painted, the second one just completed and cleaned. Here posed on two in-progress container wagons:

[Sweet pea]

Mol a lovely piece of kit especially for cleaning of metals.

[Mol_PMB]

A little update, not quite there yet but progressing well...

[cctransuk]

Identical to my own; make sure you add a sprinkle of caustic soda and a drop of washing-up liquid for best results.

 

CJI.

[Sweet pea]

Mol progress on the wagons look great.

[Ruston]

On 02/12/2021 at 17:05, Mol_PMB said:

The new toy I alluded to yesterday is an ultrasonic cleaner. Today I've given the fruit rack containers a blast in it, it certainly removes some gunk especially when used just after soldering.

Interesting... Do you need any special cleaning fluid in it, or is it just water?

[Mol_PMB]

19 minutes ago, Ruston said:

Interesting... Do you need any special cleaning fluid in it, or is it just water?

 

36 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

Identical to my own; make sure you add a sprinkle of caustic soda and a drop of washing-up liquid for best results.

 

CJI.

I’ll let someone else answer that one ;-)

Best to avoid hard water too, but that’s not a problem here. 

[hmrspaul]

Some very nice work. 

 

Apologies, totally off topic but I was amused by these fruit and veg containers being used in the Galapagos in 2018. 

 

 

 

 

Paul

[Mol_PMB]

Thanks Paul! 

I like those modified fruit and veg containers in the Galapagos - a more modern solution to the same requirement. Thanks for the photo. 

[Mol_PMB]

Regular readers will know that finishing projects isn't my strong point, but two short rakes of wagons are nearly over the line!

The steel Highs, seen here outside in some nice winter sun, now just need a dusting of grime from the airbrush and a few scrawlings from the shunter's chinagraph pencil, and then they will be ready for service:

 

The container flats converted from LMS diagram 1674 bolsters are also nearly finished, they still need lettering and some more weathering stages but they're not far off.

At present they're carrying the two fruit containers which are now also complete apart from transfers. There will be more container variety in due course, but I'm putting most of the container story on the Mol's Containers thread.

 

Next wagon projects to finish off are the 'First Class Kits' lowmac conversion to a Conflat ISO, and a similar conversion to a Skytrex RTR lowmac which I've managed to pick up secondhand on eBay, That will give me a couple more intermodal wagons.

Mol

[Sweet pea]

Mol the rake of steel high wagons do look very good and the container flats are progressing nicely.

[Mol_PMB]

This has just popped up on Facebook. Peer into the background and there's a nice rake of MSC container wagons with Manchester Liners containers. The date is 1972, the ship is at the Hovis berth on Trafford Wharf and we're looking across to 8 Pier where the wagons are.

 

[Mol_PMB]

This week's wagon is another container flat but of a different type. It's still work in progress and will be followed by a second similar one.

Seen here posed on one of my previous pair of container flats, to highlight the differences:

 

The new one has a slightly shorter body but a much shorter wheelbase. In reality they were both conversions of LMS double bolster wagons.

The new wagon is one of a batch (diagram 2029) that were built by the LMS on surplus WWI War Office underframes, hence the unusual W irons.

The underframe is also slightly asymmetric with different bufferbeams each end - this is because these underframes were originally intended to have a brakeman's balcony at one end, continental style, like the van here:

Construction is a custom chassis etch designed by me and made by 4Dmodelshop, together with a scratchbuilt wooden body. I'm currently sourcing suitable buffers and springs and will then be able to finish it off.

 

In MSC days, one appears in this photo just to the right of the word 'LINERS':

A better view here, the nearer wagon is of this type:

 

 

 

 

[Phil Traxson]

Mol, off topic a little. I don't suppose you have any info on the rather tired and battered vessel in the foreground of this shot? It just appears interesting, basic, and small enough to be built in 7mm scale as a waterline model and I have two wharf side layouts (1 canal and 1 dockside)  and no vessels! 

 

TIA Phil T.

Edited January 14, 2022 by Phil Traxson

[Mol_PMB]

6 minutes ago, Phil Traxson said:

Mol, off topic a little. I don't suppose you have any info on the rather tired and battered vessel in the foreground of this shot? It just appears interesting, basic, and small enough to be built in 7mm scale as a waterline model and I have two wharf side layouts (1 canal and 1 dockside)  and no vessels! 

 

TIA Phil T.

Hi Phil,

I do indeed, this a very interesting and historic vessel, and she still exists, 120 years old this year. Her name is 'Basuto', she was built as a Clyde Puffer but in the 1920s was sold and converted to a dumb barge. Some decades later she was acquired by Manchester Dry Docks, and re-equipped with a new boiler and (probably not new) steam engine. She pottered around Manchester for many years and is now gracefully rotting away at the Ellesmere Port boat museum.

Some details here but Google will find more:

https://www.nationalhistoricships.org.uk/register/11/basuto

It would be great to see a model of her. There are some Clyde Puffer kits I think, that might make a good starting point.

Mol

[Mol_PMB]

Recently it has felt like life is on fast-forward and I've been struggling to find any time for modelling.

However, I have managed to have a slightly more chilled-out Sunday and have made incremental progress on three, maybe five projects. I always have far too many things on the go at once!

 

First up, the container flat wagon rebuild from an ex-LMS D2029 bolster with WWI war office origins. The wagon is now complete and painted, most of the weathering is done, but it awaits lettering and final weathering.

With its short wheelbase and unusual W irons and buffers it makes an interesting contrast to the other two:

 

Second (and third), still on the container traffic theme, I have been painting and lettering my CONFLAT ISO wagons.

The nearer one is a heavily modified 'first class kits' lowmac, while the other is a secondhand Skytrex one. They both have their pros and cons in terms of accuracy. Lettering is done, more weathering is required.

So far I have only half-built one of the two frames needed to carry ISO containers, I need to finish this one and build a second one for the Skytrex lowmac so that it can carry ISO boxes too.

Fifth, and also shown in the photo above, I have added the soft-top to the early Manchester Liners container, in prototypical yellow. This uses the 'Tunnocks' method as described here, which works very well:

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/158921-tarpaulins-a-taste-sensation/#comment-4153019

 

Finally, a 'new' wagon that hasn't appeared here before although it has been on the workbench for a few weeks. In David Parkins's recent sell-off of the old stock of ABS kits, I managed to get one of the late BR iron ore tippler kits.

The kit was for the unfitted version, but it does have the lower body, longer wheelbase and roller bearings of the later batches.

I wanted a fitted one, which has required a fair bit of work on the brake gear; so far the bits box has produced most of what was needed but the brake levers and changeover levers are going to need a bit more work.

Otherwise the kit is built largely as intended, except a brass floor instead of plastic, and Oleo buffers.

It will not be finished as a BR vehicle, but as one of the hundred owned by Lancashire Steel Corporation and used for ore traffic to Irlam Steelworks.

There's more info on these wagons (and models in 4mm scale) here:

 

Thanks very much to @Mark Saunders for some prototype photos including the one in this thread:

[Mol_PMB]

For the last few days I have been working on some mineral wagons. I find these quite therapeutic, and they will provide a suitable train for the Kitson to haul. That has been stalled awaiting the motor and gearbox to arrive, they're finally here so I can get on with it again now!

 

Anyway, the minerals. Here's a rake of the current projects:

From left to right:

1. Lionheart RTR 1923 RCH 7-plank, straight out of the box. This will have a repaint into Lancashire Tar Distillers livery, along with a similar one to be built from a Parkside kit.

2. Dapol RTR diagram 1/109 16t mineral. I weathered and loaded this last year.

3. Peco kit diagram 1/102 16t mineral. I've built this recently, with a few detail modifications to represent my chosen prototype. It still requires a few more weathering stages which I'll do at the same time as wagons 4 and 5.

4. Dapol RTR diagram 1/109 16t mineral, modified to a 1/105 by replacing the brake gear and adding a representation of the bottom doors. Renumbered but I haven't started the weathering yet.

5. ABS iron ore tippler kit, modified with new brakes and buffers to represent diagram 1/185 and then painted as the identical diagram 6/672 private owner version. Still needs some detail painting and lots of weathering. I must confess I've only lettered one side so far, for two reasons: I ran out of letters about the same time I ran out of sanity! I put some dents in the sides as per prototype, and then wished I hadn't as it made it much more difficult to get the letters on in straight lines. Hopefully the weathering will hide the worse of it.

 

The iron ore tippler is very much a 'local' wagon as the steelworks was only a mile or so from my layout's location, but in reality they would have run in block trains directly from the steelworks onto BR, so it needs an application of Rule 1 to be seen here.

 

I also have plans for a couple more - a bog standard 1/108 and an unusual 1/101.

 

That's all for now.

Mol

 

 

 

[Sweet pea]

Mol that's a nice selection of RTR and kit version mineral wagons, nicely painted and weathered.

[Mol_PMB]

1 hour ago, Kevin Johnson said:

Mol that's a nice selection of RTR and kit version mineral wagons, nicely painted and weathered.

Many thanks, Kevin.

I'm getting on with some more weathering on them at the moment, plus some modifications to the Lionheart wagon.

To me, they look so much better when heavily weathered, I might allow myself one clean one!

Watch this space for more developments.

[Fat Controller]

17 hours ago, Mol_PMB said:

For the last few days I have been working on some mineral wagons. I find these quite therapeutic, and they will provide a suitable train for the Kitson to haul. That has been stalled awaiting the motor and gearbox to arrive, they're finally here so I can get on with it again now!

 

Anyway, the minerals. Here's a rake of the current projects:

From left to right:

1. Lionheart RTR 1923 RCH 7-plank, straight out of the box. This will have a repaint into Lancashire Tar Distillers livery, along with a similar one to be built from a Parkside kit.

2. Dapol RTR diagram 1/109 16t mineral. I weathered and loaded this last year.

3. Peco kit diagram 1/102 16t mineral. I've built this recently, with a few detail modifications to represent my chosen prototype. It still requires a few more weathering stages which I'll do at the same time as wagons 4 and 5.

4. Dapol RTR diagram 1/109 16t mineral, modified to a 1/105 by replacing the brake gear and adding a representation of the bottom doors. Renumbered but I haven't started the weathering yet.

5. ABS iron ore tippler kit, modified with new brakes and buffers to represent diagram 1/185 and then painted as the identical diagram 6/672 private owner version. Still needs some detail painting and lots of weathering. I must confess I've only lettered one side so far, for two reasons: I ran out of letters about the same time I ran out of sanity! I put some dents in the sides as per prototype, and then wished I hadn't as it made it much more difficult to get the letters on in straight lines. Hopefully the weathering will hide the worse of it.

 

The iron ore tippler is very much a 'local' wagon as the steelworks was only a mile or so from my layout's location, but in reality they would have run in block trains directly from the steelworks onto BR, so it needs an application of Rule 1 to be seen here.

 

I also have plans for a couple more - a bog standard 1/108 and an unusual 1/101.

 

That's all for now.

Mol

 

 

 

I saw one of the Lancashire Steel tipplers at Stoke Down Yard in the late 1970s/ early 1980s. I wonder where Irlam got their ore from?

[Mol_PMB]

24 minutes ago, Fat Controller said:

I saw one of the Lancashire Steel tipplers at Stoke Down Yard in the late 1970s/ early 1980s. I wonder where Irlam got their ore from?

Interesting - by then Irlam was no longer making steel from first principles, but the wagons seem to have been leased out for a short period on other traffics.

 

Most of Irlam's ore came in by ship direct to their own wharf on the Manchester Ship Canal.

Some also came by ship to Irwell Park wharf in Salford, and was railed to Irlam along the MSC (this traffic would have passed my layout's location)

But there was also iron ore traffic from within the UK. Some of these wagons were noted at Desborough Warren Ironstone Pits, Northants, in the mid-1960s.

 

Irlam had quite a range of ironstone wagons, from wooden-bodied hoppers around the WWI period, then steel hoppers, 100 20t steel tipplers pre-WWII and finally these 100 26t tipplers.

Here's one of each of the later types, possibly an LMS iron ore tippler on the right?

 

 

[Marshall5]

I came across these 40 yr old images whilst scanning slides last week but wasn't sure which thread to post these in. They were taken at the MSC's Ellesmere Port depot in October 1982.  The van is an ex LMS D1659 (built to an MR design) and clearly still in use,  Hope they are of interest.

Ray.

 

[Sweet pea]

Great photos, I do like the MSC brake van.