4mm An EM Workbench: Mineral allsorts

[AJC]

And like you I found during my research no two Terriers ended up looking alike.

Oh goodness, it's endless! Brakes (air, vacuum, all combinations and none thereof), boilers, smokeboxes, chimneys, cylinder diameters, buffer heights, brake hangers, injectors... I think the cabs were - bunkers apart - broadly the same, or at least, the roofs were! I guess that this is part of the appeal but my goodness they're complicated and exhibited much more variation than industrials are generally thought to have done [pet peeve - most industrial concerns didn't have the facilities to perform major modifications and thus didn't: mainline companies could and did].

Adam

 

[AJC]

Another thing that emerged in the course of the move was this Cambrian kit for a SR dia. 1599 Borail. Such long wagons often adopted a bow in reality but in moulded plastic this is not always desirable. In this instance, the floor is moulded in two halves and there is precious little structure to prevent it warping all over the place.



Here's a crude but effective (and cheap!) solution: A waste bicycle spoke (the wheel was written off in a collision my sister had a few weeks back - she's fine, mercifully) is stiff, straight and was epoxied in place quite messily but invisibly when the wagon is the right way up.



There is also the question of weight or, rather, the lack of it. Not sure about what to do about that at the minute... Back to being a box queen it is then.

Adam

 

[AJC]

Mucking about with the Terrier. At this point the work is about putting the detail I removed back on in the right place or simply more of it. So the straps on the smokebox have been replaced in 10x20 thou' strip, thinned down, the buffer beams have been tidied up and a bit of plastic strip added to represent the overlap of the footplate, the plate for the drawhook knocked up from 10 thou' and, obviously, new buffers (no, they won't be sprung). I've also moved the buffers down a smidge.



Subsequently, I've also made up some splashers - in 4mm a good template for scribing the circumference is a 2p piece (though my compass cutter has been located!). The sandbox lids were spares from something else and the start of the cab floor can be seen - some splashers are wanted there, too.



Otherwise, the Italian ferry van has moved forward too with the first brakegear elements assembled. The vee hangers are Masokits parts intended for LMS vehicles are are a pretty decent match, I think. These vehicles were dual braked: the vac' cylinder acted on one shaft and the air brake gear on the other with a linkage between the two. The question (I have an excellent isometric drawing showing what goes where) is how much of it to add...



Adam

 

[AJC]

Now that Simon has made the reveal over there, I suppose that - even though the magazine won't yet have made it to the shops - a reveal of sorts is allowable here. A little while ago, I had an email from Karl Crowther asking whether I'd be interested in contributing to MRJ and well, why not? The resulting article will, I understand, be in two parts so as to accommodate a feature on pioneer EM layout, Metropolitan Junction which will act as a preview for EXPO EM in May.

The brief was to produce a wagon using a Rumney Models chassis so here, unseen until now is the result, a BR-built Shoc High in the company of my slop-sided mineral featured elsewhere in the thread. I hope that even the 7mm types that predominate on this forum enjoy it.



Adam

 

[Heather Kay]

I still dabble in 4mm stuff, so yes, I do enjoy it!

 

[Dikitriki]

I hope that even the 7mm types that predominate on this forum enjoy it.

Adam

I always enjoy your posts Adam. It's good to see as much detail and research going into a humble wagon as is more often put into the motive power.

Richard

 

[AJC]

I always enjoy your posts Adam. It's good to see as much detail and research going into a humble wagon as is more often put into the motive power.

Richard

Thanks Richard. Ah, well, as I've written before my perspective is a bit different; wagons are to point of the railway and locomotives came along later. Most modellers have this the wrong way about.

The latest contribution to that maxim is further development on the Italian ferry van, preparatory work for the roof:



The false roof that will sit on top of these ribs will be 40 thou' and, as can be seen, will be well-vented.



Also added are the curious things below the buffers - they're often referred to as lashing points but photos of the wagons show that they were never used for that on train ferries at least. Lots more detail still to add, of course.

Adam

 

[AJC]

Still scratching around post-house move, but I've now found my batch of open highs. These have, in consequence, inched forwards a little. All now have basic brakegear, door securing chains and vacuum pipes (with dummy connectors in two different lengths - the longer ones seem to have been a Western thing).



Note the holes drilled for lamp irons and tarp' bar mechanism. This one will also have spindle buffers when I can find a whole set...



The BR one also uses the brakegear from the kit: the remaining pair use ABS whitemetal versions which will receive separate safety loops. The door spring protector plate has been moved across a smidge because the vac' cylinder forces the door spring across towards the centre line (the BR one is still to be done).



Onwards and upwards.

Adam

 

[Lyndhurstman]

Also added are the curious things below the buffers - they're often referred to as lashing points but photos of the wagons show that they were never used for that on train ferries at least. Lots more detail still to add, of course.

Adam

Hi Adam,

Are these the same as Commode Handles? I'm sure I've seen them on some minerals (probs ex-SNCF) on Paul Bartlett's site, but I can't find them at present.

Cheers

Jan

 

[AJC]

Hi Adam,

Are these the same as Commode Handles? I'm sure I've seen them on some minerals (probs ex-SNCF) on Paul Bartlett's site, but I can't find them at present.

Cheers

Jan

No idea what their official name is, Jan, but the consensus is that our continental colleagues intended them as handrails for shunters when coupling up. They've gradually become part of UK practise but yes, the SNCF minerals (and some slope-sided ones) had them fitted as standard. Perhaps those fiddly commode handles on mineral wagon end doors were meant for the same purpose ?

Adam

EDIT - See these two shots from Paul Bartlett's collection:

BR/SNCF 16T Mineral MoS cupboard door | B194xxx SNCF

And as new:

BR/SNCF 16T Mineral MoS cupboard door | B194xxx SNCF - note the longer buffers, through air pipe and screw couplings.

 

[Lyndhurstman]

Perhaps those fiddly commode handles on mineral wagon end doors were meant for the same purpose ?

Hi Adam
Good to see I wasn't imagining the Bartlett Connection - thanks!

I've wondered about the mineral handles, too. They seem to close to the centre line to be much use to shunters, and no use to help close the door. Maybe a question for the BR Wagon Research Yahoo Group...

 

[unklian]

I always thought the handles under the buffers were to swing on as the shunter ducked under the buffers to couple up . Most European wagons have them not just the French ones.

 

[Pugsley]

It is for use by shunters - they are included in the UIC specifications for freight stock, part of which is concerned with shunter safety. I knew those measures as the 'Berne Triangle', but that may not be correct as I can't find any reference to that at all on the 'net.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

handles under the buffers

It is for use by shunters - they are included in the UIC specifications for freight stock, part of which is concerned with shunter safety.

These grab irons are also in the same position on US freight cars.

I knew those measures as the 'Berne Triangle'

It's the Berne Convention. Although I like the 'triangle' idea .

 

[AJC]

A couple of updates from the wagon shop. First, the Ferry van has acquired the first of its strapping - T section from 5 thou' and 10 thou' strip with the corners from 5 thou'. Yes, they really did have that half-way up arrangement in the middle.



Something ready for painting - a modified grain hopper: new brake shoes situated close to the wheels being the biggest change and lots of tiny grabs.



Re-lettering and weathering to go.

Adam

 

[AJC]

Not a lot of modelling on the agenda just lately but I have managed to progress a few things, just a little bit. Hence, here we have the three opens which now all have door springs (of different patterns - scrap etch in the case of the GW pair and spares from Rumney Models for the BR one).



The GW opens, being modelled on earlier versions of the GW 5 and half plank, have necessitated more modifications with more to come. The most obvious are the capping clips which I have done in this instance by cutting slots in the top edge with a razor saw and fitting little bits of 20 thou' plastic solvent-welded in. This idea came from Colin Parks and works quite well; it's certainly less fiddly than mucking about with 5 thou'. The protector plate on the door has been moved closer to the centre line to match the door spring (itself moved in order to make way for the vac' cylinder).



The other side of the same wagon - the prototype picture I'm following shows different types of tie-down cleats at different points on the same side - the round ones are from Rumney Models' etch for tarp' rail details - and different capping clips (that type will be better rendered using 5 thou' strip). Almost time for brake levers and then, paint!



That's all for another time. Meanwhile, it's currently dry and Cricket is calling...

Adam

 

[AJC]

Inching forward now, and the GW pair have taken the lead, arriving at the primer stage. I'm quite pleased with the little rope cleats which I've done using little bits of 10 thou' solvent welded in place and, once set, pinched at the ends with pliers.





The BR hybar hasn't got to the same stage just yet, but it's getting there and really, all that's left to do is the tarp' bar which will be a bit of a fiddle involving flattening and drilling 0.7mm brass - the scale of the challenge is here:

Wagon details - PO mineral and other parts



So, all good fun.

Adam

PS - I had my usual cursory flick through Model Rail in Smiths earlier and to my surprise and pleasure I note that in the next edition (225) Yeovil MRG's South Junction will appear in all it's Chris Nevard photographed glory. The preview pic' inside the rear cover shows dad's BRCW type 3 and a collection of our wagons. That same type 3 featured in Railway Modeller about twenty five or so years back with a 'coming soon' tag. We live in hope on that one...

 

[AJC]

Escaping the unexpected heat this afternoon, following the addition of livery colour and a first pass on the underframes, the GW opens have been given identities or, in one case, a couple of identities based on the wagon illustrated in the picture below. This has been extensively replanked including planks from some other vehicle, retaining its original lettering:

4F 44603 taking water nr. Nottingham. Jun'64.



The lettering is a mix of Modelmaster's ex Cambrian sheet and Cambridge Custom Transfers, the arrangement being based on photos.



Finally, with the load for one posed and the first pass weathering painting in the replaced planks. Already two near identical wagons look slightly different.

Adam

 

[AJC]

This particular pair of wagons are now complete and have been snapped in the sunshine. There's a grain and a covhop to finish weathering now but they're a little way off, awaiting paint to dry.





Adam

 

[jjnewitt]

Hi Adam,

I really like the GWR 5 1/2 planks opens, they look great! I especially like the fact that you've moved the protecting strip on the door due to the vacuum cylinder. Often such little things are overlooked but it's a nice little touch. It reminds me I must do the same on one of my Shocopens.

Justin