Comet N2 Chassis now...

[Colin parks]

1.jpg

 

After enjoying the build of my Coopercraft cattle wagon, I though I'd have a go at their V4 Mink next. It looks as if some of these might just have lasted into my preferred early BR days. Plus you can never have too many box vans in my opinion.

 

It's been a lovely little van to put together. The supplied plastic wheels were discarded in place of Alan Gibson spoked. I would have liked to replace the supplied plastic buffers with something a bit more sturdy )and better looking), but they can easily be replaced when funds allow. The photo shows the van at a stage nearing completion. One thing that still needs to be added is a swan-neck brake lever for the Dean DCI brake gear. I've ordered a fret of Bill Bedford's DCI brake gear (which could easily end up as a lifetime's supply), and will probably keep the brake gear as it is, and just fit the missing lever.

 

If I ever get round to building a layout it will be more than likely an early 50s branch set somewhere in the East of England, so my love affair with Coopercraft is likely to come to a sad end after the building of this one. Then again...

 

3.jpg

 

The second photo shows the just about complete cattle wagon. The roof has yet to be stuck on, and lettering will be added at a later date (again when funds allow!). Something that has just become apparent is that the buffers on this wagon appear to be so low in relation to the rest. I really must look into that...

 

All the best

 

Mick

Nice work Mick.

 

Re. the cattle wagon, it looks as if the wheels are set too high in the axle boxes when compared to the Mink van you are building.  That could be the reason for the discrepancy in the buffer height between that wagon and the vans.

 

All the best,

 

Colin

Edited June 26, 2017 by Colin parks

[iak]

Those Coopercraft beasties are a bit odd in a few ways from memory. But then I am s Picky so...

I think frae memory the floor and solebars are a bit odd in the way they align. The information is out there but can I remember? Wibbling furiously again.

Same applies to the cattle wagon.

Mind,ones assembly techniques are getting there - onwards I say...

[Guy Rixon]

Concerning the GWR ventilated van, bad news, I'm afraid. Although they were built unfitted with DCI brake-gear, very soon after building they were vacuum fitted for use in the express goods trains. Therefore, for almost any period when the van could have appeared it will not have brakes as in the model and will not have a swan's-neck lever either.

 

This is from memory - I'll look up the detail in Atkins et al. this evening.

Edited June 27, 2017 by Guy Rixon

[micked]

Nice work Mick.

 

Re. the cattle wagon, it looks as if the wheels are set too high in the axle boxes when compared to the Mink van you are building.  That could be the reason for the discrepancy in the buffer height between that wagon and the vans.

 

All the best,

 

Colin

 

 

Thanks Colin,

 

I'll see what I can do. Hopefully the bearings will prise out, and then perhaps the holes can be either filled and redrilled or expanded and then filled to lower the wheels by a mill. Either way I'll give it a go. I (stupidly?) assumed that the moulded hole height would be correct.

 

It's a shame, as the wheels were running very nicely.

 

Mick

[micked]

Concerning the GWR ventilated van, bad news, I'm afraid. Although they were built unfitted with DCI brake-gear, very soon after building they were vacuum fitted for use in the express goods trains. Therefore, for almost any period when the van could have appeared it will not have brakes as in the model and will not have a swan's-neck lever either.

 

This is from memory - I'll look up the detail in Atkins et al. this evening.

 

Thanks Guy,

 

I've got a feeling that I've mixed up the V4 and V5 Minks along the way. My kit is for a V4, and it looks as if it was a few of the V5s that kept the DCI brakes until the end of their lives.

 

Mick.

[micked]

Those Coopercraft beasties are a bit odd in a few ways from memory. But then I am s Picky ###### so...

I think frae memory the floor and solebars are a bit odd in the way they align. The information is out there but can I remember? Wibbling furiously again.

Same applies to the cattle wagon.

Mind,ones assembly techniques are getting there - onwards I say...

 

Thanks iak,

 

Yes, some of the fitting was a bit odd in the Mink van. The floor supplied was too narrow by a few mill, and in the end I made a new one. Overall the kits are very nicely moulded though - just a few things to look out for. Something I've learnt just a bit too late by the look of it though.

 

Mick

[John Isherwood]

conflat-transfers.jpg

 

...and here's the result of a few evening's work this week - an almost complete Parkside ex-LNER Conflat with British Railways BD container. This was a very nice kit to put together, and I don't remember any major problems or traumas along the way. It's been built pretty much the way Parkside intended, with Lanarkshire vacuum hoses fitted.

 

I've added a few pieces of wire underneath for the rods that connect the clasp brakes, and I'll add a safety loop to the brake linkage, and the bars to protect the brakes (at least think that's what they do) as well. I got the idea of doing this while examining a photo downloaded from Paul Bartlett's site. The photo will also help me with the lettering of the wagon itself. I've also got the plates to protect the tops of the buffers to fit.

 

The extra weight for this wagon is a strip of lead sitting in the container. It's well glued down, but sod's law says it'll work itself loose one day.

 

Painting was as the recent Palvan, using Humbrol bauxite and black, with Humbrol Gloss 20 for the container. Obviously it's quite shiny at the moment, but I'll use some matt varnish to sort that out when the lettering has dried out.

 

Then I'll think about chains to secure the container, then couplings and then maybe weathering.

 

Crikey! I thought the wagon was just about finished, but I see I've still got quite a bit of work to do.

 

All the best

 

Mick

 

Mick,

 

Sorry to sound a negative note, but crimson containers had straw yellow lettering; later, containers were painted bauxite with white lettering.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

[micked]

Mick,

 

Sorry to sound a negative note, but crimson containers had straw yellow lettering; later, containers were painted bauxite with white lettering.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

 

 

Thanks John,

 

Don't worry about sounding negative - you don't to me. Any constructive criticism is gratefully received.

 

I suppose it's logical given the colour of the container.

 

You don't happen to supply yellow transfers for the container do you? If so, and order could be heading your way.

 

Mick

[John Isherwood]

Thanks John,

 

Don't worry about sounding negative - you don't to me. Any constructive criticism is gratefully received.

 

I suppose it's logical given the colour of the container.

 

You don't happen to supply yellow transfers for the container do you? If so, and order could be heading your way.

 

Mick

 

Mick,

 

I do - but that was not my motive for posting; I know that you like to get things correct.

 

See Sheet BL39 at https://www.cctrans.org.uk/products.htm .

 

Regards,

John.

[micked]

Mick,

 

I do - but that was not my motive for posting; I know that you like to get things correct.

 

See Sheet BL39 at https://www.cctrans.org.uk/products.htm .

 

Regards,

John.

 

 

I'm sure it wasn't John, and apologies if it came across in any way as sounding as if it might be.

 

Yes, I do like to get things right...

 

...eventually!

 

Mick

[Guy Rixon]

Concerning Minks of V4 and V5, some details, paraphrased from Atkins et al., GWR Goods Wagons, 1998.

 

V5 were introduced in 1902. They were 7'0" high inside and had DC1 brakes.

 

In 1905, 200 taller vans were built as lot 476. These included two different body-heights. The first 178 were 8'0.5" tall inside and rated at 10 tons; the last 22 were 7'6.5" tall inside and rated at 9 tons. Both types were later assigned to diagram V4.

 

The tall 10-ton V4 were altered "almost immediately after construction" to DC2 vacuum brakes with 8 shoes (i.e. clasp brakes). I suspect, but cannot confirm, that this rig has a fixed vacuum-cylinder and moving piston, as opposed to the Dean moving-cylinder arrangement. This matters slightly for appearance as the cylinders look different.

 

V4 did not have shuttered, louvred vents in the ends. They got twin bonnet vents after grouping.

 

Atkins et al. reproduce a photo confirming a V4 with clasp brakes, DC brake lever at right-hand end, bonnet vents (so after grouping) and the V hanger for the main brake-shaft centrally under the doors. The latter point is important, as slightly-earlier vans with clasp brakes, such as Y2 fruit vans and X1 meat vans, had offset V-hangers (vacuum cylinder centred under doors) and lever handbrakes.

 

I assume, but have not proven, that the fitted V4s had 3'1" spoked wheels rather than 3'6" Mansell. Again, this is a change of practice from earlier, fitted vans.

 

Coopercraft sold kits for V5, tall V4 and lower V4. The tall V4 has, correctly for pre-group, ends without vents, but not the clasp brakes; after-market parts are available to simulate the latter. The low V4 has incorrect ends with louvred vents (so my old model is all wrong, dammit). I don't know what they did to the V5.

[31A]

I've made a couple of Cambrian LMS van kits (not the one you've made though) and found they turned out with the buffers slightly high compared with other wagons; I'm not quite sure why!  So perhaps the cattle wagon isn't necessarily to blame ... 

[Colin parks]

Thanks Colin,

 

I'll see what I can do. Hopefully the bearings will prise out, and then perhaps the holes can be either filled and redrilled or expanded and then filled to lower the wheels by a mill. Either way I'll give it a go. I (stupidly?) assumed that the moulded hole height would be correct.

 

It's a shame, as the wheels were running very nicely.

 

Mick

It might be worth checking the buffer height before major surgery on wagon Mick.  The scale height should be 3'4" or 13.3 mm in 4 mm scale.  It would be interesting to hear the results. As 31A suggests, it might be that the vans positioned either side in the picture that are too high, though I based my comments on examining the relative positions of the wheel centres to axle box centres of the cattle wagon as shown in your photo.

 

All the best,

 

Colin 

Edited June 27, 2017 by Colin parks

[micked]

 

Thanks 31A and Colin for the buffer tips.

 

It looks as if the Coopercraft cattle wagon's buffers are now in line. After taking the bearings out, I measured 1mm below the moulded holes and proceeded to carefully drill them out. The holes were then filled with epoxy and the bearings put back in to line up along the bottom edges of the holes. I'll leave the epoxy to thoroughly harden overnight, but everything seems to be in line now and the wheels still run freely. It's all a bit of a badge, but hopefully I've got away with it.

 

Before starting, I checked the Cambrian buffer height against the Parkside height and they both seem to be pretty close (any very slight differences, I'll put down to my shoddy workmanship on the previous wagons).

 

I only saw Colin's tip about measuring first after I'd finished, but now all wagons' buffers appear to be around 13.3mm (ish!) above rail height. It's going to be something that I'll be checking at an early stage in any wagon construction from now on.

 

Thanks as well Guy for going to the trouble of writing out that V4/V5 piece. I'm not sure yet what I'm going to do with the van, but I know I'm going to have to wait before trying out DCI brakes.

 

All the best, and thanks again

 

Mick

[Guy Rixon]

Probably worth getting a buffer-height gauge. There's one in the Bedford range, sold by Eileen's.

[Colin parks]

That looks so much better Mick.  

 

To be frank, I think that 3' 4" would be the specified height of the buffer centres as new, but worn springs could reduce the measurement and certainly prototype photos would bear this out.  (Come to think of it, worn out wheels would also be a factor in the ride height of a wagon, so 3' 3" would also be acceptable as a minimum - unless someone else knows better of course!)

 

Enjoying watching your kit building progress,

 

Colin

[micked]

 

A month of Job searching has meant that modelling has taken a bit of a back seat over the last few weeks. Saying that hobby are a great way of destressing after a day of seemingly endless internet searches and filling in equally endless forms, and I have found time to keep myself sane with a couple more Parkside wagons.

 

I thought it might be a good idea to build a couple of Parkside BR 12 ton vans as a sort of mini batch. This particular kit gets top marks from me for good fitting of parts, and if I had to recommend a kit for an absolute beginner then this would be the one I'd choose.

 

You'll see that one van is a lot closer to completion than the other. The reason for this is that I misplaced the sprue  containing some of the brake gear for one. I'll give it another week or two for it to turn up, otherwise I'll see about butchering something from my pile of Parkside spares to make some new brake gear.

 

I've also been practicing tinning and tacking on some pieces of brass, and have a Lochgorm van ready to be started sometime. Saying that I've also seen a couple of London Road kits that I quite fancy as well. Oh decisions, decisions!

 

By the way, that bottle of Dunlop Lemon Oil in the photo isn't used for model making! 

 

Mick 

[57xx]

Before starting, I checked the Cambrian buffer height against the Parkside height and they both seem to be pretty close (any very slight differences, I'll put down to my shoddy workmanship on the previous wagons).

 

Or put any very slight difference down to a heavier load in one wagon over another

 

By the way, that bottle of Dunlop Lemon Oil in the photo isn't used for model making! 

 

Guitar fretboard?

[Zero Gravitas]

wagons.jpg

 

A month of Job searching has meant that modelling has taken a bit of a back seat over the last few weeks. Saying that hobby are a great way of destressing after a day of seemingly endless internet searches and filling in equally endless forms, and I have found time to keep myself sane with a couple more Parkside wagons.

 

I thought it might be a good idea to build a couple of Parkside BR 12 ton vans as a sort of mini batch. This particular kit gets top marks from me for good fitting of parts, and if I had to recommend a kit for an absolute beginner then this would be the one I'd choose.

 

You'll see that one van is a lot closer to completion than the other. The reason for this is that I misplaced the sprue  containing some of the brake gear for one. I'll give it another week or two for it to turn up, otherwise I'll see about butchering something from my pile of Parkside spares to make some new brake gear.

 

I've also been practicing tinning and tacking on some pieces of brass, and have a Lochgorm van ready to be started sometime. Saying that I've also seen a couple of London Road kits that I quite fancy as well. Oh decisions, decisions!

 

By the way, that bottle of Dunlop Lemon Oil in the photo isn't used for model making! 

 

Mick

 

Call me Mr. Picky if you will, but the van on the right should have the brake lever with the Morton clutch on this side of the wagon. As it stands, moving the lever down will move the brake shoes away from the wheels.

 

Sorry.

[micked]

Call me Mr. Picky if you will, but the van on the right should have the brake lever with the Morton clutch on this side of the wagon. As it stands, moving the lever down will move the brake shoes away from the wheels.

 

Sorry.

 

 

Thanks Zero Gravitas. It looks as if I've got my brake handles on the wrong sides again on the wagon on the left. Not the first time, and I'm sure it won't be the last! Luckily they're the easiest things to detach and swap over.

[micked]

Or put any very slight difference down to a heavier load in one wagon over another

 

 

Guitar fretboard?

 

Thanks 57xx. I like your way of thinking! 

 

Yup! Fender Jazz.

 

Mick

[57xx]

Nice. Wasn't too hard to guess the use though as I have a bottle too (different brand but still lem-oil) Brings up the fretboards on my Musicman Sterling and Epi LP very nicely.

 

Back to wagons, I've got a half built Coopercraft cattle wagon that I'm going to have to pay attention to and make sure the buffer height is ok on too.

[micked]

 

After cctransuk pointed out that the colour of my container's lettering should really should be straw yellow, rather than white, I set about rectifying the matter. Remembering the generally translucent nature of yellow paints, I painted a yellow wash over the lettering. This had the effect of turning the lettering to a more acceptable colour, while barely changing the darker colour of the body. A coat of matt varnish later you can't see the join (especially in this rather shakey photo). I don't have any prototype photos of the containers as built, so can't be sure that the style of lettering is correct for the early period, but I'm happy enough.

 

 

Back to wagons, I've got a half built Coopercraft cattle wagon that I'm going to have to pay attention to and make sure the buffer height is ok on too.

 

Just study what I've done very carefully 57xx, and then do the exact opposite. You won't go wrong.

 

Mick

 

Edited to replace blurred photo with a better one

Edited August 10, 2017 by micked

[Risdale]

Hi Micked,Which transfers did you use on the container? (I appreciate that they should be yellow however knowing where you got them will help immensely)

[John Isherwood]

Hi Micked,Which transfers did you use on the container? (I appreciate that they should be yellow however knowing where you got them will help immensely)

 

With respect, the container should have considerably more lettering - the dimensions etc. were quoted in both imperial and metric units.

 

I can supply a range of authentic container transfers - see Sheets S1, BL37, BL38, BL39, BL40, BL52 & BL53 at https://www.cctrans.org.uk/products.htm .

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.