Weathering coal hoppers

[hrmspaul]

Hi @steve50
Now, about those chunky brake levers...

Cheers

Jan

Brake levers are chunky. They are heavy forgings (I assume). Etchings don't do them justice. Plastic is better but often misses the thickness and the way they reduce in width from the V hanger to the handle. Try lifting one at a heritage railway sometime.

Paul

 

[Lyndhurstman]

Brake levers are chunky. They are heavy forgings (I assume). Etchings don't do them justice. Plastic is better but often misses the thickness and the way they reduce in width from the V hanger to the handle. Try lifting one at a heritage railway sometime.

Paul

Hello @hrmspaul
Been there; don’t that. Having been active in preservation for nigh-on 20 years, I’m fully aware of the heft of these things. But I don’t believe that the representation in model form scales well; indeed, I’d much rather use etched, as it allows the shape. It also gives separation between the end of the handle and the solebar… not the mention the lever and it’s guide..

Cheers

Jan

 

[steve50]

Out of interest, what would I use to replace the chunky brake levers? I've also got to do the handrails/release levers at the end which I was going to use wire for.

 

[Lyndhurstman]

Out of interest, what would I use to replace the chunky brake levers? I've also got to do the handrails/release levers at the end which I was going to use wire for.

Hello @steve50
Ambis AMBIS Engineering and Wizard Wagon Kits and Components Archives - Wizard Models Limited are my general Go To’s for after market wagon bits. If you want buffer, hook, and axlebox upgrades then LMS Lanarkshire Models and Supplies Home are excellent

Cheers

Jan

 

[steve50]

Thank you Jan.

Regards.
Steve.

 

[steve50]

All done, over the base of frame dirt I used pigments on the underframes, Back Smoke, Dark Earth and Dark Rust. I'll look at how to add the rails/release levers that are at the ends of the wagon next.

 

[steve50]

I've had a go at adding the handrails on the ends of the wagons. There seemed to be many variations of how they were fitted so I wasn't too bothered about 100% accuracy. I found them really tough to do, especially holding it all in place while the glue was setting, they still need painting and weathering and I'm wondering if it's worth doing or just going with the single handrail as per the model on the left. Looking at the cruel close up I realise how big the tension lock couplers are and I need to remove the mould line on the buffer beams!

 

[steve50]

Finally all 3 wagons done, just got to paint and weather to blend them in. I know they are not 100% accurate but there were a lot of variation in photo's I looked at of the prototype with some handrails being particularly battered! They look ok from a distance on the layout.

 

[Lyndhurstman]

@steve50
Don’t sell yourself short; I think they look really good. I seem to recall Iain Rice (caveat: it may have been someone completely different - Chris Pendleton springs to mind…) who did a ‘study’ of the variety of handrails on hoppers. It might have been in an MRJ…

Anyway, we’ll done.

Cheers

Jan

 

[steve50]

@steve50
Don’t sell yourself short; I think they look really good. I seem to recall Iain Rice (caveat: it may have been someone completely different - Chris Pendleton springs to mind…) who did a ‘study’ of the variety of handrails on hoppers. It might have been in an MRJ…

Anyway, we’ll done.

Cheers

Jan

Thank you Jan. That sound like an interesting study, there seems so many variations.

 

[steve50]

The Hoppers are finally done and ready for service, just awaiting collection from Ruston Sidings.


Steve.