The Bigbee Line

John I have a buffer fetish, head size being a fascination.. The RCH head is 1'1" , but looking in the 'A history of GWR goods wagons - Atkins, Beard, Hyde and Tourret', there is a reference: "In 1910 the GWR itself introduced a new self-contained design of L673 of O11/14 and L682 of V12, characterised by a large 7 1/2" diameter shank fitting into a parallel body with 6 ribs cast on the square base and a 15" head..." There is a good picture on page 84 showing such a head against an RCH 13" head. There we go... Best regards Ernie

Rivets / Bolts have been driving me up the wall. Scale, over scale, just a blob, what is the solution. As the construction medium is card I don't think I can emboss them from the rear, might just try it.. Ones made from card seemed too random and have a tendency to delaminate,, So brainwave time. I found some 40 thou square evergreen Drilled a hole and inserted a small piece... Need to see how they look when painted.. I thought long and hard about some form of standardisation. Maybe push the long strip into the hole and cut off with a 'fence'.... So far so good, Then some printed cosmetic solebars... Until the PVA dries there is a bit of grease proof paper stopping the under frame getting glued in. Final thing is this session is to fix a bit of delamination in the headstock area, PVA larruped on and the area braced to dry, after I will brace the area, the draw bars will be solid, no springing there...

I split the underframe down the middle and with a strap fixed to each half I was able to secure the underframe with 2 screws. I then sliced up a business card for hinges and other iron work. That’s it for tonight. You might have notices the bolt heads are sometimes in random positions, that is because I cannot see what I'm doing.. Need better light and the old magnifier.....

Rainstrips have been added overnight. fixed with shellac. Then 2 coats over the top. Strapping and boltheads to add next. In a copy of the Southern Way is a really good picture of one just entering internal use at Newhaven in the early 50s

The van got various bits and bobs added today. This evening the roof went on. Some of the edges need fixing down a bit more. Plus the end needs the battens added that would have held the canvas down.

Some Manila card was marked up for the drawbar face plates. The slot made with 2 drilled holes joined with a knife. Then using a Peco coupling modded with 2 non magnetic copper links, it is glued in place. I’m quite pleased with the effect. I like the fact that I’m making the parts myself.

I glued the roof sections. The PVA allowed movement fit setting up. It was pegged up for an hour, the swapped to the slightly tighter radius of the inside of the Parkside roof. Let’s see how stiff it is tomorrow. I gave the interior a quick run down and a rough coat of acrylic to show the bumps and dips before filling for the last time. in the background is a BTC red / green card.

This shot looks quite arty. It’s my jig for roof moulding. 2 layers of HMSO Manila card soaked for 30 minutes. Then wrapped around a section of Parkside LNER van roof. I’ll leave if for a couple of hours, then glue the 2 layers together with PVA.

A marriage made in heaven. Here with card strips etc added. Then with the Ronseal wood filler added...... Ready to sand in 2 hours.. We’ll see...

Did you shorten the Set Track points at all? It looks very effective as it is.

When we were out I purchased a pack of the Peco Fine Track Pins. I had a crisis of confidence earlier and Steve Farmer gave me the kick I needed... Thanks Steve. I drilled a pilot hole first, then inserted the shortened pin...... Here's the cruel close up... They might seem a bit over scale, but I think the contrast in colour doesn't help. Let's see how they look when grey all over..

Been out this afternoon to Lynn (Kings) with Linda, discovered a not bad model shop and a Caribbean Restaurant, double bonus. Couldn't wait to try the under frame. I had to pull out some of the bits of card I'd stuck inside the body. Near enough for a test run. Posed it on the Brighton Works headshunt, showing off the LED lighting... In handling I've slightly bowed the tops of the sides, but that will soon straighten out. Here is a side on view...

The second axle guard is now cemented in place, set up at the correct 10'6" wheelbase. I seem to have slipped up a bit as the are not symmetrical on the solebars.. That will easily be corrected when fitting. You can see that I have used odd pieces to laminate the solebar. Tonight I can fix the other 2 axle guards, the tomorrow have a test run, I'd better have got the ride height correct.. The underframe with the 'too deep' solebars is destined for an LBSC twin bolster. These made it just into BR days on the mainland, but into the 60's on 'The Island' (The Isle of Wight) a couple were converted to crane runners, so not a problem for me...

The wooden solebar is a lamination of 3 pieces of sheet (I've used up all my chunky evergreen). Here is a plastic axle guard in position. That is now set up, so the second side is now being added. The assembly sits of the greaseproof type paper that is the backing on sticky labels. The support is a plated brass 'earthing' block. Very handy as the are heavy and square...

I discovered I'd made a slight faux pas.. The under frame was a little too deep to sit at the correct level. Rather than hack it about I started to make a new one with timber sole bars of the correct depth..

I’m adding a few roof supports. just odd bits of card. With a few supports.

Steve I will message you about the buffers. My next thing with the Lima van is a new roof. I have another project for the Lima one.

Tonight it was buffers. I think these are North British. But they will do. Just taken the out and larruped shellac into the holes.

Also on the workbench this evening was the trial fitting of some brass sprung UIC buffers to a Lima Ferry wagon. I need to add some correct sized wheels, then re-set the buffer heights and widths. Here is the before picture.. Now the 'first draft' with the replacement buffers... Some additional fettling is required..

I am determined to get the LSWR van finished.. The second end was added and some wood strip sanded down to create the timbers on the end, here having a test 'sit' on the underframe.. Here is a side view..

The Underframe had some fettling to allow it to be fitted to the body. Although the Slaters underframe had wooden solebars, I have decided to recreate a diagram 1408 steel underframed version. The front of the solebar will be smoothed off and a cosmetic steel solebar added... The underframe assembly will be split down the middle and each section screwed in place to the body. First dry run against the part built body.. I need to check the ride height as the buffer height is very important.

First 2 axleguards in place. They need to dry overnight before adding the others. Showing the WB increased to 10’6” This is the body waiting for its final end to be fitted.

While the body is assembled I was thinking of the underframe. I had a Slaters Midland Railway Van, a bit short and maybe a touch too early for me. It was an ebay purchase with defective buffers. The underframe timbers were quite deep, but it would be my donor. I stripped off the underframe and reviewed the parts. The wheels stood quite a way off the axle boxes, so snipped a bit off each axle stub and cleaned the ends with a file. The sole bars are moulded as a channel, so the lower web would form a good location for a new part to join the solebar sections. I had a measure and drew up a plate that would give a nice set the underframe timbers at the correct width and allow the increase in wheelbase from 9' to 10'6". The first axleguard has been cemented onto the base and the parts rest on a square to harden.

The cold weather is here... I always seem to be sorting out stuff. There’s so much of it... Work has been quite intense, but interesting. I’ve had a couple of trips to the Mendips so cannot complain. On the modelling front l have re-activated my LSWR van in card. The intention was to use a wooden core, for stability and weight. As my woodworking skills are poor, I improvised. These 3 parts will form the core. Craftily joined with card to create a solid with square corners. It’s amazing what you can do with PVA and a load of clamps. Tomorrow the sides and ends go on.

The Grain and Feed Mill is being re-worked.... Some roof work tomorrow.