Adam

'Barclay', that's lovely - as is what appears to be one of those Nasmyth Wilson 0-8-0 tanks in your avatar? - have you seen my Bagnall thread? http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/30496-preston-docks-bagnalls-impetus-kit-and-prototype/?hl=bagnall Adam

We left the tale of the Italian ferry van here: As can be seen below, the bare carcass now has all the various framing, the double skin on the roof and a start made on the door fixtures. Most of this is from Evergreen strip, though in the case of the hinge detail, the 10 thou' thickness has been sanded back a little: it will still be over scale! Next on the agenda are the remaining door details before I think more about the underframe. Here's the real thing, on the left, and painted silver, believe it or not... Italian Vans at Hove Station, 30 June 1966 by Ian Nolan, on Flickr Adam

Hi Chris, I recall that you've asked about this before: did you get around to contacting Glasgow University Archives who hold this material? The scope and details of the collections are detailed here: https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/search/archives/c6033f7d-600a-37d8-98ec-c98913dd81d7 Their site and details of copying services are here: http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/archives/copyingservices/ Contact details are here: https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/search/locations/b920e43b-a2b7-3614-88f5-a4f5db22d571 - I have had no dealings with Glasgow University Archives through the day job, but have generally found university (and other) archive services helpful. Give them a ring in the new year with your requirements and I'm sure they can assist. I understand from Mike Edge that drawings are catalogued by works number; while the drawings collection isn't complete, identifiable 10" locos are listed here: http://www.industrial-loco.org.uk/works_list800.htm Adam

Yes - funnily enough I'd tried that - but it's sold out! Adam

Thank you Paul: I can almost certainly lay my hands on the relevant edition of Model Railways, but Railway Archive is proving a challenge so if anyone has a copy or knows where I could lay my hands on one, this would be appreciated. Adam

Thanks for those - I was aware of that, but hadn't decided. My inclination was to take a prototypical approach which means I can paint the tank barrel and fit it afterwards. Yes, I know I should have filled these earlier... Adam PS - no worries about getting the name wrong; we've been having that sort of week ourselves...

Thanks all, it's good to see that there's interest in this one. It's also useful that the things travelled singly - one of the downsides of being born years after the era I'm modelling is that these sorts of throwaway details are not something stowed away in the memory banks. Presumably Chlorine tanks would also require barrier wagons? Anyway, another small detail has been added and the end supports are now completed, and with them, the visible soldering (I still need to add a couple of plates for fixing points). I didn't have suitable channel for these, but I did have some L section which, once soldered in place provided the bones of the answer. The remaining side of the channel is from scrap etch from the chassis kit while the holes are part of an abortive attempt to model the boltheads that hold the real things in place. I had thought of doing this by soldering in pins but will instead use little plastic cubes; there's less risk of everything falling apart that way. The other current project is another 21 ton hopper - a fairly substantial rebuild of a Parkside LNER dia. 100 wagon into a BR dia. 1/145. These were built by Metropolitan Cammell and also by Hurst, Nelson. They were interesting in their hybrid construction with riveted panels and framing in the same style as the welded 1/146. Here's a link to a Paul Bartlett picture: http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/br21thopperrivet/h2af34d4c#h2af34d4c Here's my version: Now I'm not certain what the handrails inside the wagons were actually for and though Parkside supply them I usually trim them away. In this case, I've chosen to reinstate them in 0.3mm brass. The end platforms are from the (excellent value) Bradwell etch - which will also yield steps and rap plates in due course - because they are thinner than the Parkside versions - while the corner reinforcement plates are spares from the Rumney Models chassis which went under my dia. 1/107. There's still a very long way to go with this one. Adam

Now that is good news. Thank you Justin, I can see that I might have a few more things like this on the cards, given time: there's all sorts of interesting things in the diagram books that might be opened up this way, and not only tank wagons. Bring on the Plastruct tube! Adam

Yes, it's a shame that he doesn't do one with the visible framing: I have uses for one or two of these. Adam

This wagon is by way of an experiment in producing an ICI hydroflouric acid tank used for liquid chlorine traffic. For some reason, Hornby Dublo chose to model this years ago and John Isherwood of CCT does transfers for it (as well as the more common purpose-built chlorine tanks which were shorter, with a 10' 6" wheelbase). I happened across a deformed and beaten up tank, sans chassis, at the bottom of a box. John used an Airfix RTR hopper chassis under his (a good option - if I wanted a 10' 6" one, I'd use Parkside components) but I've chosen to use a Rumney Models production intended to go under a 21 ton coal hopper since it provides for the visible framing. This isn't 100 per cent correct, but gives the right impression. The tank is in a reasonable state, following lots of filler and some internal bracing: Adam

I quite appreciate that: I lived in Southampton and commuted to London until very recently and am well familiar with that. The fact is that Airport Parkway is a mere mile away from Eastleigh and has excellent road - including bus - links to much of Southampton, Fareham, Eastleigh and Chandlers Ford and the motorway avoiding the congested town centre approach roads and Eastleigh station has extremely limited parking as it is: I'm not sure that the borough and the retailers would appreciate their car parks for shoppers being filled with commuters. I know nothing of Hook but would agree that it lacks fast services to London. If this service is to be viable these are secondary questions really. The key ones are the 442s an adequate tool for the job? And, can capacity between Wimbledon and Waterloo cope? I don't have answers on those, but I suspect the answer to the first is 'maybe not' or at least, not without a lot of money being spent on 'em (and then, why not new trains?) and the second is extremely problematic. Adam

All very interesting, though I'm still not sure how they access Waterloo reliably - particularly with the forthcoming remodelling work - and whether the knackered 442s are really the tools for the job. With new stock so (relatively) cheap at the minute, one wonders whether that would not be a better option? Similarly, while stops at Eastleigh might be a selling point, could the station take the extra vehicular and access traffic? This is surely one of the reasons that Parkway exists: personal experience of travel by bike and car through Eastleigh at busy times suggests that Eastleigh's traffic system isn't up to it. Adam

Nope. Not happening. I'm happy with my EM lot. Adam

I alluded above to the weathering backlog and have now done something about it. This prbably isn't enough, but it's a start. First, the BR hybar which is, finally, complete: Points to note are that I've used just the four colours for weathering: matt leather, metalcote gunmetal, matt rust brown (no. 100) and a spot of white, mainly employed on the bare timbers inside. Other things to notice is that the bottom plank (the one that protects the ends of the floor boards) is stained with goodness knows what that have leach out for the foor and the similar much showing around the bolt heads on the corner plates. The other wagon to be complete is a Dogfish, the third featured in this thread. This one is in its original black livery - http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brdogfish/h2e31cc05#h2e31cc05 - with black handwheels. Perhaps surprisingly, these survived in traffic for quite a while. The weatehring is based on this picture, taken at Penderyn quarry (which is the 'return to' branding on the two wagons furthest from the photgrapher): https://www.flickr.com/photos/taffytank/14124929045/in/photolist-bDSf6E-ec5GaZ-nwaXip-ecbuJA-bSC9hP-ec5waM-bSC9gB-bSC9gv-bSC9iR-bSC9iM And here with its pair: Transfers in each case are from Cambridge Custom Transfers. Adam EDITED to remove the worst of the many typos

And here it is, ready for paint. Wagons that have been painted - ok, repainted (and it looks a bit of a mess, to tell you the truth) - include the Charringtons 21 tonner now with the orrect, if scruffy grey band. I have a plan for the required red letters... Rather tidier is the 1/107, dressed in the original livery with limited black boxes. This, like quite a few other vehicles right now, wants weathering. Adam

Yup - these were royal warrant markings: I've got an old copy of Vintage Roadscene showing these very clearly, albeit in black and white. A sample of these same photos, part of the Chris Hodge Truck photos collection can be found here: https://chrishodgetrucks.co.uk/gallery/Truck-Archive/Latest (though a bit of CTRL + F will be needed to find them). Adam

Taking a break from mineral wagons of various kinds and in the midst of a rather stressful couple of weeks at work, I've knocked up a Parkside Palvan on a Rumney Models chassis. There's nothing wrong with the chassis supplied, and the body is a superb set of mouldings, but I wanted an 8-shoe braked version. I rather like Palvans, for all that they were a failure in their intended use. They represent transition in the post-war world in a way that almost no other railway vehicle does. They are thoroughly traditional, based on RCH spec's and dimensions and entirely in keeping with pre-nationalisation design philosophy in their size and the small-load, common carrier, ethos. There are hints at modernity in their construction: plywood sheeting and AVB from new. And yet... the traffic they were built for was a new phenomenon, the early days of palletised, mechanically handled bulk goods. Going on the allocations, to places like Port Sunlight, this was in the form of washing powder and tinned products: it's notable that for similar traffics, such as motor car parts, were carried in hired in continental ferry vans (there are some nice pictures in Dave Larkin's latest - Italian vans with Austin labels). Like much of the Modernisation Plan rolling stock, they were built in substantial numbers, often alongside or very shortly before vehicles properly realising the transformation that these techniques would realise. The vanwide, a near contemporary in design terms, was a much more successful, if still reactive design. The visual contrast is not quite as stark as the fitted 21 tonners (a late 19th century design idea) alongside the first of the MGR hoppers, but it was the extent to which the railway was behind the curve is every bit as striking. Finally, their failure - witness this pair condemned at Feltham in '68 - owing to the technological problems of getting short wheelbase running gear to cope with the uneven loading caused by the large hinged doors on opposing corners - ironically has led to the type being massively over-represented in preservation; their afterlife in stores and army service saw to that. Adam

This is exactly what David did with the O2 - the extra bulk is probably helpful with the array of whitemetal castings I'd reckon. Adam

I don't see why not - but note that I've only used it on the ends, built up over a sub-frame of plastic sheet. Clayhoods are perhaps a bit different to the kind of wagons I've built because the hood is different - the sheet were designed to be fixed and to sit against the ends and allow the end door to open as a flap. There are no end fixtures (hinges for the folding sheet rails): http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brclayhood/h15ae1e81#h9303b36 In this case, what I'd try is doing this all from tissue paper (the sort used in wrapping rather than Kleenex or similar) soaked with diluted PVA. First, I'd cover the ends, and then the 'tent', sealing the whole with PVA to get the nylon texture. Milliput would work, but it is a faff... Adam

Llantanam Abbey is the smaller machine - the cab looks bigger because it is, proportionately, to the rest of the loco. Drawings for Barclays are held at Glasgow University: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/rd/N13939914 http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/archives/ While there are relatively few published, I understand that survival is good and that they are indexed by works number. Adam

I was sorry that I couldn't make it - other commitments unfortunately. I've sent you a PM... Adam

Thanks Justin - hope you had a good time in greater Portsmouth? This model wouldn't have progressed to this extent had it not been for the spares in your kits. I wouldn't be amazed if one of the uniftted versions was forthcoming at some point but in the current economic environment, who knows when? My next challenge will have to be independent of the spares box, since I've decided the brakeshoes are beyond the pale and nothing in stock is really suitable. While I think about what I'll do about that, I've fished out one of your BR clasp-braked chassis. I've got quite some way already - this will be the third one I've done so I'm familiar with the way it goes together - and this one will go under a Palvan (Parkside). Thanks Paul - believe me, the fold up solebar is the least of your worries... That said, it will go together, but all that whitemetal really makes resort to adhesive a case of when rather than if. Adam

Not a lot of the detail you see comes with the kit in the form you see it and the brakeshoes (which I'm currently grappling with) are especially horrid; they're about 150% of the size they should be in every direction. The outers, at least, will be replaced, probably in plastic since they don't actually fit. Even so, it shan't be wanting for weight. See the Wizard Models pages for a picture of the out of the packet version: http://www.51l.co.uk/new/wagon_kits/ironstone/166_page.htm There's also a kit for an unfitted 1/163: http://www.51l.co.uk/new/wagon_kits/ironstone/163_page.htm which looks good (and at £21 is probably better value, though sharing the over-thick brass etches and odd material choices, it also has the nice cast resin hopper and fewer complicated bits reproduced much larger than scale). I'd happily pay extra for one designed by Justin Newitt (not that I have any idea whether this is something Justin might be planning). Adam

Ambis do plates for quite a few of the Stewarts and Lloyds engines - I've used the plates for Carnarvon: http://www.ambisengineering.co.uk/ Adam

More plugging away at 51L's 1/166 hopper. I think I've reached the end of soldering for the moment without the risk of damaging what I've already done; it's time to start on the epoxy... At the vac' cylinder end (I've straightened the lever and guide since), the cylinders themselves have been completely replaced with examples from Rumney Models while the brackets have been knocked up from scratch. The rod between the paired cylinders is a pragmatic decision since I couldn't easily solder the cylinders to the piston rods. The latter are soldered on to the chassis, the cylinders drilled slightly oversize vertically and then cross-drilled allowing them to hang off the rod which fulfils the role of the trunnions either side of the real cylinders. All this is held in with epoxy. On the real thing, the hopper supports serve as brackets for the cylinders and will here but in the meantime, the rod serves the purpose. While I can't say that my work is in the Guy Williams or John Hayes league (look at all that solder!), it's a world away from the crude whitemetal lumps supplied. From now on, it's a matter of fettling castings and sticking them on. Soldering fiddly bits of brass would be quicker! Adam