The Bigbee Line

Slight change of subject... Nothing strange there then... During a visit to a friend I had the offer to rummage in his spares / surplus box.... Apart from some brakework, there were the ends of a Plate wagon. These looked like a potential base for another wagon, so in the tool box they went.... There are plenty of drawings about, but would these ever have run onto the Southern Region? I look at wagons in the back ground of other pictures and last night, came across this.. In the same shot is 34066 with cut down tender, so that narrows the time frame A clasp braked, vacuum fitted plate. Fitted with Roller Bearings, shame I can't read the number..

The first job this morning was to clean out the hole at the back of the headstock and get a buffer face fitted. I'm pleased with the effect. It has a nice spring action, so One down Three to go...

You can choose a prototype, with a head full ideas, the suffer endless frustration when you look,more closely... Sometimes it is better to take a more light hearted approach. We visited the Forest of Dean Railway on a drizzly day and had a great time. We paid extra for the brake van ride and took some good pictures of the track alignment and formations. With my scant knowledge I would start with a pannier in BR early black (that's the extent of my pannier know how), some wagons and a couple of very decrepit 4 wheelers for the morning and evening 'workmans' train. I will look out my pictures..

Mike I am a just a 'hacker', but I have some goals. One is to be able to maintain the underneath of the wagon, and I have a pet hate, which is a wagon where the wheelsets are trapped in the underframe. I did start by fixing one side frame and screwing the other. This method uses just 2 screws to hold the underframe halves. If there needs to be adjustment, some packing can be added to the required corner. With this underframe I will create the lift link brake gear using parts from the spares box. I will ditch the moulded safety loops and use thin wire. I have some thin metal brake levers that can be bent and shaped. That is for tomorrow.... Just being thrashed by Linda... Don't get excited just a spelling game with 13 dice.....

Paul I am after some key dimensions for the tank linked : https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/iciunfittank Will a download give any detail to show any dimensions? Thanks Ernie

I also separated the 2 halves of the underframe. Then with the wheelsets out, added some scrap styrene to hold the axleguards solidly. I'll also round off the rough ends of the axles....

Busy with work, but found time to have a fettle with the buffers. The first one is in position, I created a styrene plate at the back of the headstock with a piece of scrap joining the plate to the buffer base, to give a kind of clamping effect. When the cement has set I will add some wire 'bolts' to create another additional mechanical bond... A quick coat of paint shows the effect. Looks quite good...

Tonight is buffer night.. The prototype is vacuum fitted, so will follow the Southern Railway method of packing out the buffer with a piece of oak timber. This gave the desired projection to match the RCH Screw coupling that was fitted. The carpentry looks quite random, just the job as it will match my cutting skills.. I've used a set of Parkside buffers as fitted to the Southern Railway Pillbox Brake. A piece of styrene from the scrap box had some holes drilled to take the buffers spigots. The projection looks OK, the edges needs a bit of filing before fixing. I need to put some thought into the fixing of the styrene to the card...

The underframe is getting there. First is the too long and not high enough version. With the improved version Next what a difference in floor height....

The 4 axle guards and shortened wheel sets are now in position. When the cement has dried I will add some additional pieces of styrene around the base of the axle guard to form a mechanical bond. Hopefully it will get fitted today and I can get the brake work fitted. If I can find some fine tube I’ll make the brake cross shaft in 2 halves with a small pin to make the joint down the centre line of the wagon.

Shortening Axles To avoid the big gap between axle guards and wheels I’ve been shortening axles. With the SECR van I am using white metal axle guards. The method is to clip the end of the axle and use bearings with no end. Axle end before: Axle end after: Bearings: Comparison of axle lengths: I do like the look. Less fresh air behind the axle guards.

Next job has been to build the correct 9'6" wheelbase underframe for the SECR van. I started with a rectangle of styrene, then cut out for each axleguard. The first side is started.... Here with the strip that will back the false solebar... With 3 blobs of solvent... Pushed into place with a selection of nuts...

In the pictures of the previous post the bottom edge of the roof is 'on the wonk', I had a cunning plan up my sleeve, to add a continuous rain strip noted on DS1921 when seen at Eastleigh in 1950, when it was added to the MP list of wagons. Made from a strip of manilla card... So before.... and after... And a close up of the strip...

Nice, What are you using for the van roof(s)

As something different I put a couple of coats of bauxite on the SECR Box Wagon. I used some 'Life Color Acrylic'. It brushes on well, has good coverage and seems to have a nice finish. I've still got some detailing to do, but like to have the base colour in place. In actuality as an early 50's overhaul at Ashford, Kimberley Wagon Works it was more likely to have been a version of SR wagon Brown... I am actually going to make a new underframe. The Slaters ex 9' WB Midland under frame has very deep sole bars and the axle guards are slightly dumpy, plus the fact that I got it in my head that it was a 10'6" wheelbase, when in fact it is 9'6"... Here is the paint...

Work today, so only a little time for modelling. So bits of gluing etc. I’ve started building the body into the underframe. Weighing and glueing to get rid of unwanted bends. The channels have received a first coat of shellac. if they get another coat tonight they should be stiff enough to be trimmed tomorrow.

Here are the channel sections, ready for some fettling. The width was set by using a piece of evergreen section as a former. It was a good technique.

I've just found this thread through an unrelated search. Is there a drawing / diagram that shows the key dimensions. length over buffers, pitch of the tank barrel, barrel diameter etc of the ICI tanks? Thanks

I just came across this series of pictures from 28th March 2003 at Worksop, DB981000 was hiding in the sidings...

The Hopper continues... this one is a bit of a trial, with a couple of techniques being tried out. The biggest change with the second hopper wagon will be to complete the sides 'in the flat'. The sides at the moment have a mind of their own regarding curvature, especially when the first coat of shellac has been applied. But as the say 'I've started. so I'll finish'.... The stanchions (uprights) on the 'other side' of the first wagon will be actual channel section, fabricated by a middle strip of card, with two strips of business card to form the sides of the C section, here is the first attempt... and in detail The base is just a thin strip of card.. A small adjustable square is clamped ready to guide the piece of card... The card has some thinned PVA added and placed in position... Being card it is softened when the PVA is applied, so pressure to hold it in position needs to be gentle.. Some handy IKEA metal dowels are a suitable size and weight. A 6" metal rule and smallest clamp are also good... After 20-30 minutes I can add the last one, thank goodness. I know styrene could give an instant fix, but I resisted the temptation to 'cheat' with this one and to use as much re-cycled card as possible. The way to make 'output' more efficient is to have a couple of projects on the go at any one time. I will start the marking out of the second hopper this morning, as mentioned the stanchions and detail will be added 'in the flat'. In the meantime I will start building the first body around the die cast underframe, adding the chutes under the wagon and building up end detail.

The tie bar aspect is really interesting... some people may yawn at this point, but for me it is a case of 'curiosity killed the cat..." Just spent a few minutes looking on the internet. What I did noticed is that some LMS long wheelbase wagons had an extra brace to the W iron. John Turner has an excellent picture: https://www.flickr.com/photos/blue-diesels/45287158184/ The W iron looks like this.. The brace is connected to the solebar and one of the bolts on the 'bridle bar'. Not sure when these stopped being used, or if it's use was workshop related.

In the cold light of day.... It definitely has the look now. Today the chassis needs some work to allow the build to be fixed to the underframe. I'm busy with the angle grinder trimming the end set of tank supports from the underframe. As it's a dry day, outside and garden jobs might get prioritised.

How about this scene for inspiration..... Swanley in the early 80s. Taken from the rear cab of a Betteshanger to Cricklewood Coal train. I probably relieved at Ashford, Kent, then via Maidstone East and Otford Junction. Quite an interesting selection of wagons. Considering the pictures were taken on the move, the quality is not too bad, possible to read some numbers. The end of the 'GRAMPUS' shows the 'green triangle', nice.

The hopper is progressing. As it is really a prototype I’m making the channels on the side out of a solid piece of card. Really to see if it looks right. Here one side is clamped straight whilst the glue dries overnight. The moral is - You can’t have too many clamps....

The Oleos are quite long, so choose the prototype to be modelled carefully... I would find a picture of one that fit's your bill and use that. Looking forward to seeing your verdict on the brass body.