The Bigbee Line

For me the conversion of an ex Lima or Big Train mineral wagon is not cost effective... but if obtained cheap enough it can be 'kit bashing fun'. I have a box of part built conversions. The other day I created a storage box from a 'Really Useful' plastic storage box. I'm putting the parts required to finish them off in a bag with each model... Here is my ex Palbrick conversion... It is has a new door fabricated on a replacement section where the 'too short' side door was removed. The body height is increased by padding at the bottom, and on this one the ribbing above the end door was replaced with re-cycled sheet from takeaway drink cups. You can re-use the original headstock and buffers, but this one is having sprung buffers fitted. If I were making 'kiddies' runner wagons I would just remove the headstock, add some padding to make the body deeper, refit headstocks at the new height. As it is a pure compromise I would leave the door as it is. I have put Peco wheels straight in and they run fine. If you want easy, more to scale models by Dapol, Parkside or Peco, the choice is yours...

Mr No Patience strikes again. I’ve rough cut of the surplus. Here sitting on the underframe. The rough top edge will “iron” out. Soften with some slight damping then clamp up overnight. When dry it will get shellac.

I’m creating the top lip. Cutting a rectangular hole in a piece of card. The body sits in the hole upside down. A bead of thinned PVA is worked along the join. Then some paper strips are bent into angle and glued along each join. When it is dry a thick steel rule will be used as a fence to trim the edge.

Card seems to be the medium of choice at the moment. In my head I had a project bumbling around... The LSWR derived Southern Bogie Ballast Hopper. I was attracted as a use for a Darstead Tank wagon underframe. So using some of my stash of re-cycled card I roughed out the body.... I think card with paper reinforcing angles in the joints will replicate the style of these hoppers. Here is a more modern version... I am setting the body to sit correctly on the under frame... More later...

Good evening, After some poring over books (and learning how to count compartments!!) I found them in the OPC LSWR Carriages of the 20th Century by G R Wweddell. A good pre-conversion picture of 6509 on page 139 Based on 56' brakes: 948 built as a tri-compo brake, then re-numbered to 2650 when converted to a brake third in 6/45 for the Midhurst line, then later to Hayling Island, withdrawn 7/56 1003 built as a brake compo, then re-numbered 6259 with lavatory and vestibules removed 6/53 to Hayling Island, withdrawn 11/58 227 built as a brake compo, then re-numbered 6518 with lav and vestibules removed 4/45 to Hayling Island, withdrawn 3/53, with a strange comment "altered to Diagram 412 (12 first)", not sure what that means...

Rodney Thanks, got to find the book now.....

Jon The door bangers are a relic from its time as part of a breakdown train https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/gwrloriotlowmac/h15E7A843#h15e7a843 Thanks for pointing out the pull rod and it's safety loop. Ernie

Jon, Really interesting pictures. Apart from the brakes, a couple of observations: Above each axle fixed to the inner longitudinals are what appear to be 'things' to support the axle if a spring broke' or the wagon was overloaded. I have only seen these previously on a GW fruit van on the SVR. On the outer longitudinals are door springs or 'bangers, so that narrows it down to the 1917 Hydra D 42193... Back to the issue in hand, the brakes are most interesting, so a trip to Didcot, has been added to the 2020 list. Do you have any more pictures of the brakework? Was there a rod running between the sets of brakework at each end (to transfer the vacuum brake force to the 'other end'). RSVP Many thanks Ernie

Another chance find on the HMRS site https://hmrs.org.uk/gkb-bridgend-planking-close-up-of-2-plk-open-657-digger-left-dumper-truck-muirhill-no-1-being-loaded-by-mechanical-shovel.html

The Hayling Island project slumbers in the workshop. When I can rearrange all the cr@p I have (mostly useful stuff) it will get re-erected to allow progress as and when. I have 'frog juicers' and Hankscraft motors ready for the points. A Kirk Maunsell Brake is to get 'bashed' into an ex Push Pull Brake. The most interesting thing was a chance find in the HMRS website https://hmrs.org.uk/alterations-to-carriages-for-use-on-midhurst-hayling-island-branch-services.html Did these actually get converted?

Try and plan first before any rash purchases..... The voice of experience.... Welcome to the world of 7mm. It’s great.

Thanks. Somewhere I have a Maunsell brake to do. This may be the inspiration.

Here is my brief survey... My 'To Do' list when visiting this type of wagon; Lowmac Weltrol etc with single axles will be to look at the brakework. Numerous questions. With the Loriot N and its lever handbrake, was there one block or two. With blocks visible from the end of the wagon, were there always blocks on the inside...

OK. There’s a theme here. Had to wake Lily to get a picture Back to business..... Looking through various books, all seem to have clasp brakes except the Loriot N. 42325 now on the SVR. That has no blocks visible, so assume blocks on the inside only.

The second end will receive finer end irons. “Fabbed” from the stiff paper. First make two angles.... Apply PVA and place on a piece of thin “till roll”.. Keep aligned with two steel rules......

Here is one side with most detail added. The side angles are the stiff paper mentioned earlier. Quite pleased with the effect.

No patience, that's me.. Here is the before and after of narrowing the stanchion. I used a steel rule as my fence for cutting. It needs more shellac then some fine tune trimming....

Here is the first stanchion. I used some pre-shellaced high quality pre printed paper, which I believe is already treated with some china clay to stiffen it. If I can find some, I will let some superglue soak in as on another thread, that is used as a stiffener.... I know it's overscale, but when the same as the body colour is might look smaller.

Where the side stanchions extended down below the bottom edge of the bodyside, I wondered, were they bent at 90 degrees and then fixed to the solebar... So spent some time yesterday trying to find a suitable example. Here is a Swindon example... It is a piece of flat bar with 3 x 90 degree bends, 2 rivets at the top and a curious thing at the bottom where a couple of bits are riveted to locate the bottom part, most strange. That isn't what I was expecting, but actually easier....

It rolls...... The “stanchion supports” have been trimmed and coated with shellac. My list for today includes: More stanchions. Buffers. Fix underframe. The other cosmetic sole bar.

Starting down below... Some thin card forms the cosmetic steel sole bars. To reinforce and support the body frame angles, where they extend below the body sides are some squares of card. Trying to get small pieces in position was a pain. By making them a small plank I could do some fine adjustment. Then trim up after it has been shellacked up. This is the re-cycled underframe. Now with the 4 supports in position, just needs to be fettled up as the PVA dries.

With a coat of Shellac..... The pilot holes for the buffers and drawhook have been soaked in shellac.

Pushing ahead with the SECR van, I’ve been trying different techniques to form the angles etc. The first end is being finished with “business card” as the material. However I am looking out for stiffer thin card to use for the other end. The other thing I was finding difficult is lining things up. The end stanchions look OK, but are slightly on the wonk. I used a “snap off” craft knife with about 50mm of blade extended, to slice underneath. Luckily the shellac did not bond too well with the PVA. So it pinged off easily. Then using a handy piece of wood and some plastic I made a jig.... That allowed better, more satisfactory fitting. The vent was next. Card was scored folded and glued... Staring to get there.... There is even a tail lamp bracket......

Jim, The Lowmac was primarily loaded over the end, vehicles could be driven along a row of such wagons, whereas the Weltol had to be loaded over the side. If to be loaded over the side, the floor was flush. All interesting stuff. Thanks Ernie

...and always when your on “a flier..”