Freelance early steel wagon

[Jon Nazareth]

I have some spare tender etches from the Jennifer Who project so, I decided to make them up into a wagon. It’s going to be very loosely based on the early curved end LNWR wagon designed by Henry H Henson. It would have been nice to have had the curved ends but that seemed like a bridge too far for my limited skills.
The tender sides are 57mm high but I’ve reduced this for the wagon to 29mm. The photos show the before and after with the etches and, if I get time, I’ll start drilling out for the rivets, I’ve ordered more, this afternoon. I’m thinking of using angle sections in the corners and to make any sense of them, I’m going to have to have rivets or the appearance of rivets showing on the inside. I have a few ideas, not sure if they’ll work, but I’m hoping that more will come in time . I used soldered angle in the corners of the tender but they are tucked away inside the tank and can’t be seen. Very early days with this build.

Jon


This is the Henson wagon that I’m basing my effort on.



Full height tender sides.


Sides cut down to 29mm.

 

[Osgood]

I like the curved corners of the Henson wagon with the transition to higher ends -possibly 18” radius?

 

[Jon Nazareth]

Osgood
Yes, I do too but, as I said above, I don't think that I could make a good job of it.

Jon

 

[Rob R]

Osgood
Yes, I do too but, as I said above, I don't think that I could make a good job of it.

Jon

Jon,
I think you are underselling yourself there.


Rob

 

[NickB]

The curved corners would really make this wagon stand out in the crowd. I don't think they are as bad as they might appear at first sight. I think it's reasonable to assume that the flat bits of the ends between the corners are separate plates so that there would be vertical straps with double rows of rivets there, as for the sides. In that case, I would make each side with two corners in the flat, complete with all the riveted straps, then bend the corners. Use a flat piece at each end to join them together, and conceal the joins behind riveted strips.

Jon, you are probably too far on to change course now so I'll leave it there. I'm sure the final result, with or without curved corners, will look as spendid as the tender does.

Nick

 

[Jon Nazareth]

Nick
Yes, you are right there, too far along the road now to change. I did think about building curved ends but I felt sure that I couldn’t keep all square once the bends were put in. Maybe another time.
I’ve attached a picture of the end view for anyone interested.

Jon

P.S. I was going to drill lengths of angle and rivet them into the corners therefore holding therefore holding the two sides and two ends together. I can’t do that now as the holes in those sides and ends are too close to their edges and I wouldn’t easily be able to peen over the ends of the rivets. Now, my thoughts are to simply solder the angles and leave it at that. It’s all a bit of a bummer as I did want rivets showing on the inside even if only peened over ones.

 

[Jon Nazareth]

An aside.
While drilling holes and de-burring them, my mind started to wander noticing the ‘off-cuts’ from the cutting down of the tender etches. My, I thought to myself, they would make another wagon. It would have sides something in the region of 25mm high but would still be a mate for the current wagon project.
While sorting through my stock of brass, I came across this L shaped section which I can’t remember why I bought it in the first place. Two thoughts came to me one, it would make capping for the sides but two, it would make a good pattern for the hole spacing. One of the long pre-drilled strips were placed hard up against the edge and drilled through. I fixed a .8mm nut and bolt to hold it in place and then drilled another again about fifteen holes along and fixed it with another nut and bolt. I carried on like this until I got to the end before going back and drilling through the rest of the holes. I would need more cover strips and the pattern would mean that the hole spacing would be spot on. I did offer it up as capping but it looked too clean and sharp, if you get my meaning. I do have some more of the L shaped section so, I can use it as such if I change my mind.

Jon

 

[Jon Nazareth]

One side finished but the rivet spacing didn’t quite work out using the etched dimples on the cut down sides. I can alter this for the second wagon so that they make more sense.

Jon