Dave
Western Thunderer
I think I know the type of tank that you mean and the nearest that I can think of is a brass kit that I saw a Telford last year. Not sure of the manufacturer though.
My cylindrical tanks, though none are the type you're after, are as follows:
2x 14ton Anchor-mounted - these are Powsides kits that are a mixture of brass (frames), whitemetal (axlebox/spring/W-iron castings) and resin (tank). The tanks are very poor and aren't actually cylindrical. They're more egg-shaped! I binned one tank and replaced it with a scratchbuild.
3x Slaters kits - no explanation required.
1x Home Office 1901 pattern tank - scratchbuilt from plasticard, plastic strip/rod, drinks can ends, drain pipe, and spare parts from kits (brake shoes, levers, axleboxes. The buffers, wheels and W-irons are Slaters items that I bought especially for the job.
The frames etc. are self-explanatory from the photos but the tank isn't quite so obvious. The basis is a piece of drain pipe - the sort under the kitchen sink, which has ends made from drinks cans araldited on the ends. The pipe's diameter can be adjusted to the required size by slitting it along its length, prizing it apart and then adding in plasticard strips to wedge it open - this slit faces the bottom of the tank when in place.
The empty can has to be filed around the bottom until the edges become so thin that the end falls in. It is then araldited onto the end of the pipe. At this stage the end is way too big but once the glue is hard the excess can be trimmed with scissors. This, of course, will be rough as a bear's arse so it must then be filed in the same way as the can end was removed, i.e. until the edge becomes so thin that the excess falls off.
The pipe is then wrapped with a sheet of pre-cut plasticard - the thinnest available, after the rivets have been embossed by means of the point from a pair of compasses.
The steel ropes are from multi-strand wire that has been twisted in a drill chuck and the ends soldered. The shackles are made using 4mm scale screw coupling parts.
The crown plates are made from plasticard, using a tool that I turned in the lathe. First a hole punch is used to make holes in a sheet of plasticard and then squares, with the holes in, are cut out of the sheet. The tool goes through the hole and the other half of the tool is pressed up against it, sandwiching the plasticard. This allows the excess to be trimmed away, leaving a perfect circle, which is then cut in half.
The last tank isn't an exact prototype. It's based on a Gloucester design and on frames of a similar pattern (from a Slaters RCH coal wagon) but is too short.
I'll take some photos of them on the railway if you want to see more?
Ooooh!!.... nice finish on that Tar Tank...!!
Great layout and lovely detailing. So much to cast your eyes on. The D tank, Markham and machinb tools are real characters.
