4mm An EM Workbench: Mineral allsorts

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ICI Lime
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    AJC

    Western Thunderer
    The second wooden mineral on my radar is something less-decrepit, one of ICI's fleet of lime wagons which we last saw here: 4mm - An EM workbench - rolled into the long grass.

    POWSides do transfers for this as well and in all honesty those that arrived weren't amazing:

    ICI_Lime_Open_006.jpg

    I've botched the alignment here, too, but never mind.

    ICI_Lime_Open_007.jpg

    With a bit of overcoating and tidying up the result is more or less acceptable (and note that I've taken the trouble to press the dry print transfers into the planks). These close-ups are still a bit cruel but the end result is what I wanted. Inside, as well as the low-tech-sheet rail, there's a folded wagon sheet - these would have belonged to ICI and have travelled with the wagon - made from two layers of tissue paper (I've bought some trainers recently and this time remembered to keep the stuff!).

    ICI_Lime_Open_008.jpg

    At some point I must do a loaded one with the tarp in place to travel in the opposite direction...

    Adam
     
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    Overseer

    Western Thunderer
    AJC said:
    The second wooden mineral on my radar is something less-decrepit, one of ICI's fleet of lime wagons which we last saw here: 4mm - An EM workbench - rolled into the long grass.

    POWSides do transfers for this as well and in all honesty those that arrived weren't amazing:

    View attachment 103951

    I've botched the alignment here, too, but never mind.

    View attachment 103952

    With a bit of overcoating and tidying up the result is more or less acceptable (and note that I've taken the trouble to press the dry print transfers into the planks). These close-ups are still a bit cruel but the end result is what I wanted. Inside, as well as the low-tech-sheet rail, there's a folded wagon sheet - these would have belonged to ICI and have travelled with the wagon - made from two layers of tissue paper (I've bought some trainers recently and this time remembered to keep the stuff!).

    View attachment 103953

    At some point I must do a loaded one with the tarp in place to travel in the opposite direction...

    Adam
    Click to expand...
    Hi Adam
    The transfers amaze me, not in a good way, but you have rescued the situation.

    Your comment about having the tarp in place made me think. The lime as it comes out of the kilns is quicklime and really needs to be kept dry. Adding water to quicklime produces lots of heat and converts the calcium oxide back to calcium carbonate. I am not certain but I think the tarps would have been kept on the wagons whether loaded or empty to keep the interior of the wagon dry. Running without the tarp suggests that the wagon is heading to a workshop for repairs. Photos might prove me completely wrong.

    Fraser
     
    AJC

    AJC

    Western Thunderer
    I agree that would be logical, but photos of the Cromford and High Peak Railway (and the Dave Larkin shot, probably taken at Hoo Junction) suggest that they regularly ran without. They were certainly parked up in sidings at Buxton without sheets in place, so I'm unsure.

    Adam
     
    AJC

    AJC

    Western Thunderer
    Something simple. Richard Hollingsworth's obit in the current MRJ (no. 271) made me ponder some of the best kits he produced. In 4mm these certainly included his crop of fish vans. I've built a couple of the insulated variety which more or less fell together and picked up one of the uninsulated type recently, in part inspired by this image: c.08/1963 - Dairycoates East, Hull, East Yorkshire.

    This is about as simple as an EM wagon gets and as close as I'm ever likely to get to building something absolutely out of the packet:

    LNE_Fish_001.jpg

    The long handrail along the bottom of the door and the swapping round of door catch and small handrail relative to the 'as designed' option make it interesting but the only reason it isn't finished already - aside from some work on the house - is that I have no suitable buffers or lever guides in stock. Ho hum...

    Adam
     
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    M

    matto21

    Western Thunderer
    I've built a couple of the insulated ones too and I agree that they're great kits.

    Are you keeping it as a fish van?

    Matt
     
    AJC

    AJC

    Western Thunderer
    matto21 said:
    I've built a couple of the insulated ones too and I agree that they're great kits.

    Are you keeping it as a fish van?

    Matt
    Click to expand...

    Yes - I can in the era I model. I don't think they were used for much else? The wooden under frames on these saw them off relatively early. Fish vans like this did turn up in ones and twos all over the place - as the pictures by Dave Larkin and more pertinently, A.E. West who worked on the railway in precisely the area I'm interested in - demonstrate. The later, longer insulated vans were converted for parcels of course. I've made a start on the brake gear and the LNER type is among the easier types to do, so this evening's job will involve bending up safety loops...

    Adam
     
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    AJC

    AJC

    Western Thunderer
    About as far as I can go without spending any money (out of buffers, out of lever guides - perhaps I'll use the moulded ones this time?).

    LNE_Fish_002.jpg

    Safety loops and linkages in place and the brackets joining the solebars to the bottom rail of the body rendered in 3D. The tumbler on the brakeshaft is a bit chunky but will only ever be seen in profile. Quite tidy.

    EDIT - here's a delightful picture of one in service on the Dornoch branch: 2850 55053 Dornoch 22-06-56 (CJB Sanderson) 317

    Adam
     
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    Overseer

    Overseer

    Western Thunderer
    AJC said:
    EDIT - here's a delightful picture of one in service on the Dornoch branch: 2850 55053 Dornoch 22-06-56 (CJB Sanderson) 317

    Adam
    Click to expand...
    In service, but not for fish traffic. A vacuum fitted van was a feature of every (maybe not literally every) Dornoch branch train in BR days to carry passengers luggage as the brake composites had small van sections. From photographs, the same van would stay on the branch for weeks or months. I don't think there was any outgoing fish traffic from Dornoch at this time.
     
    AJC

    AJC

    Western Thunderer
    Overseer said:
    In service, but not for fish traffic. A vacuum fitted van was a feature of every (maybe not literally every) Dornoch branch train in BR days to carry passengers luggage as the brake composites had small van sections. From photographs, the same van would stay on the branch for weeks or months. I don't think there was any outgoing fish traffic from Dornoch at this time.
    Click to expand...

    Worth knowing, and a typically pragmatic solution which wouldn't be that unusual, especially once the insulated vans were widely available. The Dornoch branch is a long way off my usual beat, of course (delightful though it was).

    Adam
     
    BR unfitted brake
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    AJC

    Western Thunderer
    And now for something more sophisticated. Dave Bradwell is best known for his hi-fi 4mm loco kits but also does a small range of wagons and wagon chassis. I've built several, all for coal hoppers but what I really wanted to have a go at, long before Bachmann and Hornby got in on the act with their plastic renditions was the chassis for the BR standard 20 ton brake van. The rarest of these standard vehicles was the unfitted version and this chassis will sit under an old Airfix/Dapol body (with a new roof). The chassis is fiddly, but cleverly and thoughtfully designed and goes together very well indeed.

    Bradwell_003.jpg

    No, my soldering is no tidier...

    Bradwell_001.jpg

    ... but the results are robust.

    Bradwell_002.jpg

    Footboards next.

    Adam
     
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    Western Thunderer
    matto21 said:
    Excellent stuff!

    Etched underframes are beyond me so I'll follow this with great interest!

    Matt
    Click to expand...

    The word you're looking for is 'yet', Matt. ;)

    Some are more straightforward than others and this is a little tricky because of some of the small parts. and because the brakegear is fully modelled. That said, the visible bits - the brake shoes and trusses - are well-designed and robust. This chassis is less ingeniously self-jigging than some of @jjnewitt's designs but is pretty good. A handicap here is that I've not taken any pictures along the way because this has been my unwinding project over a few weeks: I know that Dave's designs will go together and will fit first time (some of the hoppers need a bit of fettling, but that's the nature of the beast). The basic frame is really simple and you can learn to solder - if you were closer I'd be happy to help!

    Adam
     
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    matto21

    Western Thunderer
    That's kind of you to say Adam, but I'm well aware of my limitations! Combining metal, bending, accuracy and heat does not come easy to me! :))

    Matt
     
    Lyndhurstman

    Lyndhurstman

    Western Thunderer
    M

    matto21

    Western Thunderer
    Lyndhurstman said:
    @matto21
    I’d concur with Adam. Never say never. You can always start small with something that has simple folds and doesn’t take long; it doesn’t even have to be rolling stock these days:

    OO Gauge / 4mm to 1 foot - Severn Models

    If you’re worried about bends, then a Hold & Fold - while not cheap - can pay for itself very quickly:

    Hold & Fold Tools

    And we’re all here to help... even from afar

    Cheers

    Jan
    Click to expand...

    Thanks Jan, the support and advice here is second to none, despite what's being said elsewhere! ;)

    As to metalwork: maybe one day but thank you for taking the time to post those links!

    Matt
     
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