LNER 20T Brake Conversion

Pencarrow

Western Thunderer
A 20t brake from coaches and stonework.

Before Christmas I was given a part completed model of a BR 20t brake van by a good friend. Damian (of Diesels in the Duchy 'fame') had dabbled in 7mm before and never got round to finishing the Slaters kit. Rather generously he thought it would be of use to me on Pencarrow.

post-6675-0-53416200-1449097002.jpg

Well it's been sat on the shelf for a few months whilst I've been working on my Maunsell coach but, I needed a break from that so this brake was picked up. Finishing the model as the BR version was obviously too easy and therefore I decided to alter it into the late LNER variant.

I did think that this would be straight forward but there's no end of differences. Those I've spotted are:
  • Rainstrips should be flat and straight not curved
  • Majority of the rivets on and around the ducket need to be removed
  • The planking above and below the ducket is different
  • Different arrangement of lamp irons on the ends
  • No handrails on the end platforms
  • Insets in the concrete end weights need to be filled (this seems correct for a Toad to Diag 158 but not the later 1/500)
  • Different arrangement of handrails either side of the entries
  • Shortened step boards
  • Vacuum braking equipment added
  • Different brake shoes
  • Altered axle guards and J hangers (amending the kit parts to better reflect the shape in photos)
Most of the above alterations aren't mentioned in the Slaters destructions. Their drawings of the early Diag 61 van (no concrete ends) also includes the underframe trussing which of course shouldn't be there on the early vans. The kit doesn't mention the Vac equipment on the Diag 158 and there are no parts in the kit for it. Thankfully I've learned the hard way that it's best to look at books and photos before making stuff.
As the kit was part completed, some of the mods above required open kit surgery and a little backwards progress before moving forwards. Would have been easier to start with a fresh kit but where is the fun in that?

Like many others I've struggled to find details of how all the brake linkages work but there's a fair few photos buried within various threads on here and elsewhere. I've enough info now to produce a passable representation.

I did want to add chassis springing to this van using either bill Bedford or ambis parts but that would have required significantly more surgery to reset the solebars.

Today's first task is to find the roof vent I dropped in the full waste basket under my desk...

tmp_11586-rps20160313_100322-865375173.jpg Surgery

tmp_11586-rps20160313_1004091805892079.jpg Reconstruction (weight added to concrete slabs)

tmp_11586-rps20160313_100449-570230713.jpg Slab mods

tmp_11586-rps20160313_100529164591888.jpg Stepbboard brackets

tmp_11586-rps20160313_1010341015612159.jpg Weight added and Vac equipment

tmp_11586-rps20160313_1011181880747337.jpg
More underside work

tmp_11586-rps20160313_101446587521549.jpg Brakes, axle guards, J hangers, surgery for compensation units (late change of mind)

tmp_11586-rps20160312_2214271862599241.jpg
Step boards (shortened) being added

tmp_20236-rps20160313_113341507666215.jpg
Roof detail. All the photos I carried show the rainstrip bring flat and straight rather than heavily curved (as per kit) or straight and raked (as per later BR builds).

tmp_20236-rps20160313_113409-1964028523.jpg Ducket detail. Majority of the rivets removed and the vertical planking extended to the edge of the ducket. Some tidying to do.

tmp_20236-rps20160313_11512042087688.jpg second stepboards
 
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Scale7JB

Western Thunderer
Re the BR brake van, there were three different versions with regard to braking..

Unfitted
Through pipe and gauge only
Piped with gauge and vacuum brake handle

And the astragal bars in the end windows and doors relate to these different versions too, though without looking properly I couldn't tell you which is which.

JB.
 

Pencarrow

Western Thunderer
LNER 20t Brake continued...

As it was last night, trial fit of all the various bits.
tmp_29541-rps20160314_1043061594243759.jpg

Handrails on one side done. Soldering next to plastic - in and out quick!
tmp_29541-rps20160314_123824-1653877549.jpg

All handrails now fitted, all lamp irons, both Vac pipes assembled and fitted.

Rails to hold the roof on have been fabricated from scrap etch and clamped in place:
tmp_22970-rps20160314_1944061742148369.jpg

Strips attached to the underside of the roof. The engage in the gaps inter body side rails...
tmp_31366-rps20160315_075118-123858155.jpg

And the roof is then slid forward locking it in place.
tmp_31366-rps20160315_075047722139592.jpg

Roof firmly attached but removable.
tmp_31366-rps20160315_0750132022682196.jpg

Almost there, just the undergubbins to finish off.
tmp_31366-rps20160315_075153-142010884.jpg

Growing fleet of brake vans.
tmp_31366-rps20160315_0752231602809948.jpg

My interpretation of the various brake gear etc fitted around the compensation units.
tmp_25482-rps20160315_2230161413673664.jpg

to be continued...
 
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Pencarrow

Western Thunderer
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Pencarrow

Western Thunderer
Steady now. You'll have things finished before you know where you are!

Sorry! Have stopped now having obviously earned a glass of red.

Need to find suitable BR period transfers for the PMV and Coach. Slaters seem to ignore that period on their transfer sheets.
 

AJC

Western Thunderer
How about Camhridge Cudtom Transfers? John certainly does the full suite of CCT and PMVs (including the plastic ones) and, I think, coach set numbers in 7mm. You'll end up with a few spares but that shouldn't pose too much of a problem.

Adam

PS - I've had a custom job queued with Railtec for the better part of a year now, must chase them...
 

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
I used HMRS transfers which includes the set numbers for my Maunsell push pull set, but that's a lot of money to pay for the sheet for just a couple of vehicles. I can't remember whether there was anything on the sheet suitable for CCTs and PMVs and can't check because all my model making stuff is in storage at the mo.

Brian
 

Pencarrow

Western Thunderer
How about Camhridge Cudtom Transfers? John certainly does the full suite of CCT and PMVs (including the plastic ones) and, I think, coach set numbers in 7mm. You'll end up with a few spares but that shouldn't pose too much of a problem.

Adam

PS - I've had a custom job queued with Railtec for the better part of a year now, must chase them...

I do like CCT stuff, used them a lot in 4mm previously. Cambridge Custom Transfers

The only downside is that his 7mm sheets cost a lot of cash and generally there's lots of the same wagon type on a sheet. I can't imagine me building 26 parcels vans on 7mm!

Having priced up various sheets by various companies I'm beginning to think CCT's Sheet S1 might be a good long term buy as it covers shed loads of wagon types. Still a big price but probably a better value over the fleet:

"Sheet S1 - This covers ALL of the kits in the Parkside 4mm. scale range which are appropriate to the BR Nationalisation to mid 60's period.

You get 104 sets of wagon, van and container lettering, and many of the sets contain alternative numbers to suit different variations of the basic prototype.

A specially-designed Gill Sans letterface is used, for maximum fidelity to the prototype.

All lettering is laid out in panels as per the prototype, eliminating the need to cut and fiddle with individual words or characters. For instance, the lettering for the LNER long CCT, (Kit PC30), consists of ten lines of tiny characters. You only have to apply ONE transfer per side for all of this!

As Parkside release more kits, lettering for these will be added to the S1 pack."
 

AJC

Western Thunderer
I do like CCT stuff, used them a lot in 4mm previously. Cambridge Custom Transfers

"Sheet S1 - This covers ALL of the kits in the Parkside 4mm. scale range which are appropriate to the BR Nationalisation to mid 60's period.

Hi Chris - had I not been on the train to work (somewhere near Michedever...) I'd have made that suggestion by way of a follow up since it's almost certainly the most cost effective route.

Adam
 

Pencarrow

Western Thunderer
Mr Isherwood of CCT has delivered excellent service again. Ordered sheet S1 on Thursday evening and it arrived, carefully packed, this morning. Well done that man.

Spent a couple of happy hours going through the 100+ wagons worth of transfers working out what I can use on the kits I already have. Also identified the sets I won't use as they are and what they could be butchered to become.

Should have more than enough transfers for the next few years' wagon builds.
 

Pencarrow

Western Thunderer
Attended the Gauge O Guild event at Telford today. Had a good chat with Nick from the technical committee and half the Finney7 brigade.

Parts bought from a wide variety of traders to complete my Agenoria 1366. New frames from Premier Components, horn blocks from Finney7 (and a very neat compensation idea which I'll be borrowing), and a selection of castings from Warren Shephard and Laurie Griffin. Was hoping to get 1368 number plates from Severn Mill but they weren't there.

Very impressed with the Finney7 team and the Bulleid Light Pacific build.
 
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