An 'S' Scale Adventure

Marsh Lane

Western Thunderer
Just a small opening salvo for a thread. I have swapped and changed between a few different scales in recent years, trying to fall on something that I felt was achievable for me, while at the same time trying to come up with an idea of a layout that was (again) achievable, but also small and offered operating potential.

I landed with S Scale during lockdown, thinking 'ooh that is something different' and in the knowledge that I could not get drawn away by a manufacturer announcing the release of something new! It also ticked the box, for building things and creating a layout that was literally made of scratch. I have some 'grand ideas' but am starting with no-layout and building up a few of the S Scale Society RCH 7-plank wagon kits. Once I have got a few and potentially scratch-built an engine, I'll give some thought some some shunting layout.

The Society kit is a nice build - part brass/part plastic. I have built a few plastic kits before, but never really got on with brass. A lot of reading up in recent months has given me a bit of confidence to get it right. Still not totally sure on laminating brass pieces together, but hey we'll see where go! I am as keen to try rolling stock construction as I am to scratch building the actual buildings for the layout, so hopefully it will be an interesting thread for people to follow - and I can recommend the S Scale Society for anyone that wants something different, they are a friendly bunch!

First wagon build
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The original etches

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The body before construction...

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... and afterwards! I am building the kit using a glass crafting board, hopefully making sure everything is square.

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The basic chassis set up. I made the mistake of trying to solder the bearings in, before realising that they couldn't come out anyway, once the wheels are there - so little point in doing that!

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The rocking wheel set that is built in to the chassis to give some compensation.

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Where I am now. The observant will note that the laminated brake shoes and linkage is too long. Apparently, this could be to do with the use of Slaters wheels rather than the previous kind (which may have been Gibson, I cannot quite remember). Is I have decided to draw up my own brake gear etch, which I am now awaiting coming back, in order to finish the wagon.

Lovely kit, and really enjoyed building it, despite the learning curve! Still have the axle boxes, springs and buffers to put on, but will build the other two kits I have before painting them. Hope people will find the occasional posts on this thread interesting?

Always open to advice and suggestions for doing things different / better / easier.

Richie
 

JimG

Western Thunderer
The observant will note that the laminated brake shoes and linkage is too long. Apparently, this could be to do with the use of Slaters wheels rather than the previous kind (which may have been Gibson, I cannot quite remember). Is I have decided to draw up my own brake gear etch, which I am now awaiting coming back, in order to finish the wagon.

Down to me, Richie. :) I commissioned the new wagon wheels from David White at Slaters and the spec was to have them at scale diameter. The previous wagon wheels supplied from Alan Gibson Workshop were under scale diameter. Dave Provan designed the wagon underbase in the era of the AGW wheels so the brake shoe frets were drawn to match the Gibson wheels. I think other members with the same problem as you have hacked the existing fret, or filed the brake shoes to clear the Slaters wheels. If your own etch works, Paul Greene, our Parts Officer, will probably want to talk to you. :):)

Jim.
 

Marsh Lane

Western Thunderer
I think other members with the same problem as you have hacked the existing fret, or filed the brake shoes to clear the Slaters wheels. If your own etch works, Paul Greene, our Parts Officer, will probably want to talk to you. :):)

Hi Jim,
Thanks for that, I was going to try filing the shoes clear but I dont think I did a good job of soldering on the laminated pieces as it fell apart!! Certainly if the etch works and is of use to the Society, id be more than happy to donate the artwork.
Rich

EDIT: Spelling!
 
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Joe's Garage

Western Thunderer
This is an interesting thread Richie, I have always been fascinated by S Scale.

What date is the RCH 7 plank wagon? What era do you intend to paint the wagons?

Thanks

Julian
 

ScottW

Western Thunderer
The brake gear can be made narrower by cutting & shutting the etch. I used the same etch to produce the brake gear for 7'-9" WB wagon. New push rods had to be made from 1mm brass strip but the same principle could be used in this situation. It does mean a little extra work though.

1.JPG

2.JPG

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Scott
 

Marsh Lane

Western Thunderer
The brake gear can be made narrower by cutting & shutting the etch. I used the same etch to produce the brake gear for 7'-9" WB wagon. New push rods had to be made from 1mm brass strip but the same principle could be used in this situation. It does mean a little extra work though.
Scott

Hi Scott,
Thanks for that, hmm I had thought of that, but considered that I would manage to make a complete pigs ear of it. Logically, keeping the 'V' hangers central is the key part, so it would need a bit of 'cut-and-shut' on both sides. The distance between the wheel rims on my wagon is 28.5mm, where as the brake etch is measuring 29.8mm, so it would need 3.3mm removing, logically 1.15mm each side of the 'v' hangers. Parts 1 and 4 of the etchess are simple enough to reduce, its taking two very small sections out of Parts 2 and 3 that I am not confident about - although having said that the worst that can happen is that I mess it up and have to do an etch of my own, which I was going to do anyway, so nothing to lose really!

I have had a play in Illustrator tonight, but it isn't precise enough (or my skill level with Illustrator is not precise enough more to the point!) so my conclusion is to CAD the brass under frame up in Fusion360 next weekend and deal with it that way.

While I am posting, can anyone identify what the two parts circled in Red are on the etch? I thought the top right might have been guard rails but there's only one set and no guard rails in any photos of these wagon! As for the one on the left, I am just totally mystified!

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Your 7'9" Wheelbase wagon looks very nice - bodywork out of plasticard I presume?? What will it become?

Richie
 
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AJC

Western Thunderer
All very interesting, Richie. I reckon the right hand ring encloses strip to be use for safety loops: the left looks like it's just there to hold the etch together. Not the most efficient use of brass, perhaps, but it means the bits don't turn up distorted.

Adam
 

Marsh Lane

Western Thunderer
This is an interesting thread Richie, I have always been fascinated by S Scale.
What date is the RCH 7 plank wagon? What era do you intend to paint the wagons?
Julian

Hi Julian,
Thanks for the comment, glad your finding it interesting - hopefully I can move things forward in the next week and keep the interest there for people.

I believe the S-Scale Society kit is a 1907 unbraked 7-plank open wagon. There are options on the etch for two different types of floors, although to be honest if you put a load in the wagon or weather the empty interior nobody would probably notice which one had been used! I discovered S Scale through Trevor Nunn's 'East Lynn & Nunstanton' layout at the Doncaster Exhibition a few years ago, and was even more amazed to discover everything had been scratchbuilt. It was a wonderful layout, and somehow stuck with me.

The fact that everything has to be hand-built in this case, really does encourage me, as a modeller, to develop my skills, and to be honest I have probably had more modelling satisfaction from building this kit so-far and learning about kit building, that I have had from any modelling activity in a couple of years! There is also the aspect you cannot be tempted by nice looking RTR models from other era's pulling you away!!

My plan is do a pre-grouping layout .. love the loco designs and liveries of the pre-Grouping companies such as the Great Northern, North Eastern, before they became part of the Big Four, so this will probably be early 1920s (between WW1 and the Grouping) and possibly looking at one Yorkshire Colliery - something like Manvers Main - for the first couple of wagons.

Richie
 

Marsh Lane

Western Thunderer
All very interesting, Richie. I reckon the right hand ring encloses strip to be use for safety loops: the left looks like it's just there to hold the etch together. Not the most efficient use of brass, perhaps, but it means the bits don't turn up distorted.
Adam

Cheers Adam, that makes sense - I am probably over thinking it!
 

Joe's Garage

Western Thunderer
Hi Richie, thank you for that I look forward to more.

I know exactly what you mean about the attraction of S Scale. It was back in the 80s when I first saw Trevor's first layout Wicken that made me think that is a very nice scale. I have issue 10 of the MRJ as one of my top ten Desert Island Books well thumbed! There are some very talented modellers in S Scale. Interesting scenario with PO wagons in abundance.

Like you say there is less to distract you with new products and trying to make up a story to fit. The wagon mouldings look very clean, lovely.

All the best

Julian
 

ScottW

Western Thunderer
Thanks for that, hmm I had thought of that, but considered that I would manage to make a complete pigs ear of it. Logically, keeping the 'V' hangers central is the key part, so it would need a bit of 'cut-and-shut' on both sides. The distance between the wheel rims on my wagon is 28.5mm, where as the brake etch is measuring 29.8mm, so it would need 3.3mm removing, logically 1.15mm each side of the 'v' hangers. Parts 1 and 4 of the etchess are simple enough to reduce, its taking two very small sections out of Parts 2 and 3 that I am not confident about - although having said that the worst that can happen is that I mess it up and have to do an etch of my own, which I was going to do anyway, so nothing to lose really!

The S Scale Society also sells cast brake gear for both 9'-0" and 10'-0" WB wagons, which could be a much simpler alternative. Having just measured a set of the 9'-0" WB brake gear the distance between the brake blocks is 27mm or 1 - 1/16", to be more politically correct. ;)

While I am posting, can anyone identify what the two parts circled in Red are on the etch? I thought the top right might have been guard rails but there's only one set and no guard rails in any photos of these wagon! As for the one on the left, I am just totally mystified!

I would agree with @AJC, the stripes of brass to the right are for forming the safety loops whilst the piece on the left is just a bit of waste etch.

Scott
 

Marsh Lane

Western Thunderer
The S Scale Society also sells cast brake gear for both 9'-0" and 10'-0" WB wagons, which could be a much simpler alternative. Having just measured a set of the 9'-0" WB brake gear the distance between the brake blocks is 27mm or 1 - 1/16", to be more politically correct. ;) I would agree with @AJC, the stripes of brass to the right are for forming the safety loops whilst the piece on the left is just a bit of waste etch.
Scott

Scott,
Many thanks, I hadn't realised about the cast brake gear, I'll take a look at that. Your wagon looks superb, how did you do the lettering if you dont mind me asking? Is it bespoke transfers or something else?

Richie
 

ScottW

Western Thunderer
Your wagon looks superb, how did you do the lettering if you dont mind me asking? Is it bespoke transfers or something else?

The decals were custom made.

Nothing technically fancy I’m afraid, there’s no way I would have ended up with the same result had I done the lettering myself.

Scott
 

Joe's Garage

Western Thunderer
Also Scott a lovely model of the humble PO wagon, I used to watch Ian Pussey letter his PO wagons on the MRC demonstration stand and yes that was certainly an artist at work.

Julian
 

Marsh Lane

Western Thunderer
Well things are moving forward with the wagon. Paul, the S Scale Society Parts Officer, has confirmed there is an issue with the etch on the original batch that resulted in the brake laminate being two long. I have acquired a set of the white metal cast brake shoes and associated metal work as a replacement, and these arrived today, so just need fitting.

The wagon still needs detailing, and some fine-tuning but overall is looking very nice:
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Once the buffers and couplings have been added, then the task of painting is resolved. I may look at having some custom transfers done by Railtec, if I can draw up the artwork and Steve can fit me in!

While waiting for the brake issue to be resolved, however the parts for another kit appeared, which resulted in this
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and low-and-behold subsequently a third one has been built as well! So there is now a small rake appeared. The last two still need axle boxes and springs, so a bit of a way off being complete, and I still haven't made any decision regarding actual couplings. The AJs still look to be my favourite at the moment.

Thoughts are turning to some form of motive power and a diorama on which to run/display them

Richie
 
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