Jump to content
 

Black Country Blues


Indomitable026
 Share

Recommended Posts

If you zoom in on the posts Stubby you'll spot that the outside edge has been chamfered at roughly 45 degrees. Will have a trip back there when it's dry and take more photos of the fixings as the viaduct is only a few feet high over an area that floods so ideal for research.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Yep, I see that now. Have purchased appropriately sized angle strip (1.6mm x 1.6mm) from KMRC this lunchtime, so will be having fun later drilling all the holes...

Hi Stubby

 

This may upset you a bit, but when I used angle to manufature handrail stantions we used 3"x3" angle for the stantion and 1" dia tube, which in 4mm is 1mm for the stantion and .33mm or nearest for the handrail.

 

SS

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

SS,

I did look at that size of angle, but I'm guessing the size of the real stuff in Nigel's pics is about 4", so went for the larger (!) size.

It is only for a fence on the SWAG Module, so not vital it's possibly oversize.

Stu

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

...we used 3"x3" angle for the stantion and 1" dia tube, which in 4mm is 1mm for the stantion and .33mm or nearest for the handrail.

That's handy, as materials in those dimensions should be easy enough to obtain.

 

A couple of other photos:

5430264573_09b13f49ab_z.jpg

31284 and 31153 Camp Hill, Birmingham by SilsonRoadrunner, on Flickr

 

5472949283_981d7dc2d1_z.jpg

4074 "Caldicot Castle" by Tutenkhamun Sleeping, on Flickr

 

 

Love the atmosphere in this one, although the railing probably isn't really what we're after:

5244548957_8174977afd_z.jpg

Home-time by Lost-Albion, on Flickr

 

 

 

 

and, probably the most useful in terms of detail:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/blue-diesels/8205978078/

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Quite pleased how the road vehicles have come out on Howard's photos from Ally Pally, the cortina looks particularly distressed!

 

At the end of the Doncaster show when Chris gave me the cortina he also gave me the two Minix cars he had been given, these are a Vauxhall HA Viva and a Morris 1100. The 1100 was missing an axle but it will be better to replace the wheels anyway. The wheels on the Viva were there and although not the best wheels ever fitted to a model car, aren't too bad, they did need to have the axle cut and moved out a bit. It has been painted grey and will be based on this one.

I was going to base the 1100 on this one, then realised it is an estate. I then came across this one also with a Cleese connection. So it's now painted dark blue and I now need to find some suitable wheels.

 

post-7104-0-62635600-1365869149_thumb.jpg

 

post-7104-0-26558900-1365869158_thumb.jpg

 

I also picked up two Ford Thames 400E 15cwt cans for 50p each so there will be one for the BCB and one for me!

 

post-7104-0-65994200-1365869308_thumb.jpg

  • Like 9
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Not 100% sure what THAT car was but I think the one Paul has in mind is from the film Clockwise. Would make an interesting cameo though (surely it's been done?)

The famous red one was an 1100 but a 2 door estate. The blue one I have since found needs the rear wing/fins shortening to make a Mk2.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

I bought some of the Heljan Dogfish early on in the project with a view to providing a ballast train for the layout.  EM conversion turned out to be a bit tricky, due to 25mm axles in place of the standard 26mm, and (after drilling straight through one of the axle boxes) I decided to leave them alone while I got on with a few quicker wins to get stock ready for our deadline.

Today I've been having another look at these and I'm quite pleased with the result of a couple of hours work:

post-6677-0-40075300-1365871899_thumb.jpg

 

I (just about) managed to countersink the rear of the axle guards to take some brass pin point bearings at the correct spacing to accept standard length axles.  I ended up doing a few other bits too; the handbrake wheels are 51L, buffers ABS, roller bearing axle boxes MJT and brake pipes Lanarkshire Model Supplies (plus Smiths instanter couplings).

Here is the real thing on Paul Bartlett's site: http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brdogfish/h364748bf#h364748bf

 

post-6677-0-29267500-1365874523_thumb.jpg

  • Like 10
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

For the 1100 I would suggest using the wheels from a Cararama Mini as they are the right size and pattern of hub cap. The Thames van I would suggest the wheels from the Oxford Zephyr as both vehicles shared many components.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

They do looks good Mark, probably a lot simpler than building the Cambrian kit. Are there any other types of Engineer's Wagons that you have in the pipeline for BCB?

We've amassed a motley rake of Highs, Medfits and Grampus for a spoiled ballast working - largely thanks to Martin Wales of this parish who was having a bit of a clear out of surplus stock.

 

I've been thinking about a Hornby Trout or two, but not entirely sure how common they were in our area. I might have to be brave and tackle a Cambrian Catfish or two to add a little variety.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Mark,

 

Steve Hall did an article in MRJ a while back showing a full re-work of these wagons to P4 (if memory serves).  According to the MRJ index website it's in No. 163.  If I recall he did a LOT of work to convert these to P4, finding it less than straightforward!

 

May be of use - I can dig out my copy and scan if you haven't seen it.

 

Cheers

 

Alastair

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Thanks for that Alastair. Yes, I rememeber reading that article after the wagons I had bought arrived and feeling a bit daunted by the about of work required to rework them! I must dig it out and have another look - I guess what I was hoping to acheive was the old EM compromise of 80% of the improvements for 20% of the effort.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I bought some of the Heljan Dogfish early on in the project with a view to providing a ballast train for the layout.  EM conversion turned out to be a bit tricky, due to 25mm axles in place of the standard 26mm, and (after drilling straight through one of the axle boxes) I decided to leave them alone while I got on with a few quicker wins to get stock ready for our deadline.

Today I've been having another look at these and I'm quite pleased with the result of a couple of hours work:

attachicon.gifDSCF3217.JPG

 

I (just about) managed to countersink the rear of the axle guards to take some brass pin point bearings at the correct spacing to accept standard length axles.  I ended up doing a few other bits too; the handbrake wheels are 51L, buffers ABS, roller bearing axle boxes MJT and brake pipes Lanarkshire Model Supplies (plus Smiths instanter couplings).

Mark - your wagon dabblings are always an inspiration to me and this Dogfish is no exception. Seeing as you have replaced the hand brake wheel for a much finer example, do you reckon the steps at the opposite end could be replaced by shims of brass ? The prototypes are wooden plank painted white, but the white draws attention to the thickness. Interested in your thoughts having already "dabbled with the Dogfish".

 

Great work by the way

Edited by Phil
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Hi Phil - thanks

Seeing as you have replaced the hand brake wheel for a much finer example, do you reckon the steps at the opposite end could be replaced by shims of brass ?

Yes, I think you're right - there probably is a bit to be done on those steps. The thickness could be disguised to some extent with a bit of paint, but something in brass would be better.
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

With the Ally Pally deadline past I can dig out some projects from earlier.

 

 BAA wagon kits from Cambrian.

 

These will be passing traffic with eye to the sky steel coils

 

post-8894-0-52929500-1366221836_thumb.jpg

 

Added brake gear air brake valve)

 

post-8894-0-55412600-1366221878_thumb.jpg

 

The load. Two masters ready for casting.  They are carefully cut strips of lining paper rolled and glued.

 

post-8894-0-83087200-1366222124_thumb.jpg

 

watch this space forr progress. 

 

There are four BAA wagons intended to carry inbound billets to bore you with.

 

Andy

 

Andy

 

 

 

 

  • Like 7
Link to post
Share on other sites

Coils of hot rolled steel, such as you show, would have gone to Wednesfield to the then (1960s) new GKN (IIRC) Planetary Mill, so called because of the "satellite" rollers supporting the Prime Rollers of the mill which ensured a uniform thickness of the re-rolled product across its width. State-of-the-art at the time !

The core diameter of the coils looks OK to me, but I don't know what it should be to fit the re-roller's mandrels, perhaps Arthur knows? I only used the final product and although I visited the mill on a number of occasions, that sort of info. eludes  me!! 

Don't know if this is a help in correctly routing these loads through BCB ?? although my initial thought was that they would not have gone into BCB's transfer sidings. 

  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

I agree Don, as I mentioned in the  thread 'passing traffic' so as you say....  not for Trafalgar works.   As for justifying any Black Country traffic on BCB you have to remember that BCB route is fictional so hard to fully justify.  The traffic can only ever be Black County Like  ;)

 

Andy

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

The load. Two masters ready for casting. They are carefully cut strips of lining paper rolled and glued.

 

attachicon.gifsteel coils.jpg

A couple of "local" photos of steel coil that might be of interest:

 

6480117141_67692ebb47_z.jpg

The 'P&O' line by blackjacklabrador, on Flickr

 

6480129759_4a41903992_z.jpg

Ocker Hill by blackjacklabrador, on Flickr

 

How many did you say you were doing? :mosking:

  • Like 6
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...