Overseer
Western Thunderer
Things don't seem to move as fast when it comes to adding the details but there has been some progress in odd hours since the last post. Apologies for the dodgy photos.
Brake safety loops added, a few other bits and pieces and the first spring. The end door pin chain was not hanging properly in the photo so a detail shows it in close up. I was going to put the pins in as well as the round loop but decided I wouldn't bother.
The spring shoes (RCH part number 1012/17 for anyone who needs to know) on the steel framed RCH wagons are a bit of a pain but not too hard to make to scale. The bits are below with a couple of shoes soldered together. I had already selected the best bits so will need to adjust some of the ones left to make them more symmetrical. It helps to make extras as they are quite pingable and disappear on the floor. To make drilling small holes (0.4mm in this case) easier I punch the locations first with the rivet press then file off the rivet and open the hole up with the drill. The trial shoes were soldered in place with the plastic spring (modified Exactoscale - file off the timber solebar spring shoes and drill for the fixing wires) in place. The plastic seems to cope fine provided you don't dwell too long with the soldering iron. I did have a bit of melt down of one of the brake shoes by having the soldering iron too close to it while soldering another part so need to rebuild it.
The end is in sight. Adding the details is pretty much the same whether it is a kit or scratchbuild. Which reminds me I have a batch of wagons in need of brake gear and other bits to finish them off, and a collection of brake bits from various sources to go with them. Maybe a putting a comparative review together might get me motivated to finish them.
Brake safety loops added, a few other bits and pieces and the first spring. The end door pin chain was not hanging properly in the photo so a detail shows it in close up. I was going to put the pins in as well as the round loop but decided I wouldn't bother.
The spring shoes (RCH part number 1012/17 for anyone who needs to know) on the steel framed RCH wagons are a bit of a pain but not too hard to make to scale. The bits are below with a couple of shoes soldered together. I had already selected the best bits so will need to adjust some of the ones left to make them more symmetrical. It helps to make extras as they are quite pingable and disappear on the floor. To make drilling small holes (0.4mm in this case) easier I punch the locations first with the rivet press then file off the rivet and open the hole up with the drill. The trial shoes were soldered in place with the plastic spring (modified Exactoscale - file off the timber solebar spring shoes and drill for the fixing wires) in place. The plastic seems to cope fine provided you don't dwell too long with the soldering iron. I did have a bit of melt down of one of the brake shoes by having the soldering iron too close to it while soldering another part so need to rebuild it.
The end is in sight. Adding the details is pretty much the same whether it is a kit or scratchbuild. Which reminds me I have a batch of wagons in need of brake gear and other bits to finish them off, and a collection of brake bits from various sources to go with them. Maybe a putting a comparative review together might get me motivated to finish them.