Lionheart 1923 Rch 7-plank Mineral Wagons

[Willy]

I haven't posted for a while so I thought it was about time I shared my latest effort with you.

These are a pair of Lionheart 1923 RCH 7-plank Mineral Wagons which I picked up a few weeks ago and at £72.00 for the pair, I think they are excellent value when you compare them with similar wagons in kit form. I have modified one of the wagons to a “London” plank over the side doors which I think adds a bit of interest.
I still have a bit of work to do but they are getting there so if anyone has any suggestions for improvement I would be glad to hear them.

Willy

 

[D1054]

Very nice Willy. What will be shunting them?

 

[Willy]

Very nice Willy. What will be shunting them?

Probably my 64xx pannier although I am waiting to see what the new Dapol 08 looks like and if it seems OK I hope to get a green one!

On second thoughts I have just acquired a Bachmann 03 in unpainted brass so that is now a likely candidate when I paint it plain green.

Willy

 

[Willy]

In case anyone is interested this is how I did it and as I said these were undecorated wagons so I didn’t have to do any paint striping which was a bonus.
I usually use an airbrush for the body colour but this time I decided to brush paint. I placed some Polly Scale Acrylic SP dark lark grey, CSX Tan, Oily Black and DRGW Building Brown on an artist’s pallet and just mixed and matched as I went along. When this was dry I used weathering powders and my favourite is a small pot of ladies eye-shadow which contains a dark silver grey, a light grey and a white! The dark one in particular is very good and when it is brushed on and rubbed in it gives the planks the appearance of aged wood. Unfortunately it doesn’t come up so well in the digital photo but it is there. I then dry-brushed the underframe with a mixture of Floquil rust, earth and dust and I will now leave that for a few days and if I am satisfied I will spray on a coat of varnish to hold everything in place.
The transfers are remnants from those supplied with the Parkside 16T mineral wagon.
I now intend to get a couple of ready-painted 7-plank wagons and weather them as they would have been in their last days with replacement planks etc.

Willy

 

[3 LINK]

Hi Willy,

I think the wagon interiors look spot on and as I have found out from experience weathered timber isn't the easiest to replicate, could you tell me what varnish you will be using to fix the powders in place.

ATB,

Martyn.

 

[Willy]

Hi Willy,

I think the wagon interiors look spot on and as I have found out from experience weathered timber isn't the easiest to replicate, could you tell me what varnish you will be using to fix the powders in place.

ATB,

Martyn.

Martyn thank you for you comment.
I am going to use another product from the USA called "Micro Coat Flat" from Microscale, the same people who do the transfers. I got mine along with a Satin and a Gloss from "Model Junction" in Slough although it looks as though they are out of stock of them all except the gloss at the moment. I will not need to varnish the interior as it will not get any handling and indeed sometimes I get second thoughs about varnishing at all because it can remove the effects of the weathering powders.

Willy

 

[Willy]

I note the extensive use of Dark Side colors....

Seriously, a very neat job!! What's the origin of the term "London plank"?

Thank you Jordan.

The use of "Dark side" colours comes from many years of of dark side modelling and I find them hard to beat.

I am no expert but apparently the 'London' plank originated during the war when the LMS and LNER converted a number of 7-plank Mineral Wagons by cutting down the top plank to assist with unloading when they were used as merchandise wagons. Later under BR ownership some private owner wagons had the plank cut down as well and I can only assume it was a practice that first appeared in London!


If anyone else knows the definitive answer I would like to know for sure as well!

Willy

 

[Pennine MC]

I've never been sure about the 'London plank' thing, if I've ever read the definitive explanation I've forgotten There could well be a connection though with the representations by the coal traders that got the top flap door incorporated as standard in early builds of 16 ton steel minerals (I think it was the 1948 programme, it's covered in Peter Fidczuk's brilliant three parter in Modellers BackTrack). This was due to the additional physical effort (and hence wages ) involved in unloading a wagon with sides over a certain height - incorporating the drop flap effectively 'lowered' that part of the wagon.

 

[Willy]

I've never been sure about the 'London plank' thing, if I've ever read the definitive explanation I've forgotten There could well be a connection though with the representations by the coal traders that got the top flap door incorporated as standard in early builds of 16 ton steel minerals (I think it was the 1948 programme, it's covered in Peter Fidczuk's brilliant three parter in Modellers BackTrack). This was due to the additional physical effort (and hence wages ) involved in unloading a wagon with sides over a certain height - incorporating the drop flap effectively 'lowered' that part of the wagon.

Thank you for that extra information Ian and, although you give a different origin, that does fit in with the "ease of unloading" aspect of my post. I really have no idea and my only source was “The 4mm coal wagon” by John Hayes and then there is only a brief reference in it; in fact no more than I have written in my previous post.

Willy

 

[ceejaydee]

A beautifully distressed looking pair of wagons.
I've never been sure about the Lionheart range of wagons but agree that at around twice the price of a wagon kit they do seem to represent very good value for money.

 

[Willy]

The Lionheart wagons have great detail and in my opinion they are worth every penny considering the price of a decent kit these days.

Willy

 

[ceejaydee]

I think it's because they sell them in pairs... the price then seems a bit steep, but divide it by two and for British R-T-R O Scale it is pretty good; kits are cheaper (although not by that much) but need time & effort to complete, with the added 'bonus' of the opportunity to make a complete Horlicks of them.....

That it what I neglected to put in my original post doh!

Certainly value for money especially if you had to put a cost on your time to build wagons.
Horlicks indeed; I think that the only O Gauge wagon that I ever built that didn't warp was an Ex-Websters 4 plank open - that was only because it had rudimentary compensation.
Do the Lionheart wagons have any form of compensation or springing?

 

[Willy]

Do the Lionheart wagons have any form of compensation or springing?

They have a system of compensation where there is a rocking beam between the two wheel bearings on one side and the other side is fixed. It seems to work fairly well.

Willy

 

[7mmMick]

Very nice indeed Willy. I had a good look at the S7 lionheart PO wagons at Halifax and to echo other comments I thought they were great value for money. I'm currently on with some PO wagons and if the finished article looks as good as yours I'll be very happy. Not sure if it's the light glare in the pictures but I'd be tempted to chemically blacken those buffer shanks to dull them down a bit, but still very very nice,

ATB Mick

 

[Willy]

Very nice indeed Willy. I had a good look at the S7 lionheart PO wagons at Halifax and to echo other comments I thought they were great value for money. I'm currently on with some PO wagons and if the finished article looks as good as yours I'll be very happy. Not sure if it's the light glare in the pictures but I'd be tempted to chemically blacken those buffer shanks to dull them down a bit, but still very very nice,

ATB Mick

Thank you Mick.

It's interesting that you should mention the buffer shanks because they were in fact black as new but I painted them steel as I though the black didn't look right. I get your point though and I will have a look at taking a bit of the shine off them as it were!

I was impressed with the quality of these wagons and I have a mind to get a couple of decorated ones, probably BOLSOVER, and weather them for the same time period.

Willy

 

[7mmMick]

Willy

I think there is always room for some decorated wagons. I model early 50's and have opted for the Slater's Pre printed wagons with MMP detailing. After this batch though I will be tempted by the lionheart wagons as the end door arrangement is different to the Slater's. If possible could you please post some pictures of the under frame detail,

Many thanks Mick

 

[ceejaydee]

They have a system of compensation where there is a rocking beam between the two wheel bearings on one side and the other side is fixed. It seems to work fairly well.

Willy

Thanks Willy.
Just had a look at the Lionheart website and didn't realise there was such a strong link with Websters and Ratio.

 

[Willy]

Willy

I think there is always room for some decorated wagons. I model early 50's and have opted for the Slater's Pre printed wagons with MMP detailing. After this batch though I will be tempted by the lionheart wagons as the end door arrangement is different to the Slater's. If possible could you please post some pictures of the under frame detail,

Many thanks Mick

I will take some photos later this morning Mick and get them posted this afternoon.


Willy

 

[Willy]

Thanks Willy.
Just had a look at the Lionheart website and didn't realise there was such a strong link with Websters and Ratio.

Richard Webster is also the man who designed the PECO range of 7mm wagons and they were well ahead of their time and indeed stand up well to the best plastic kits available today.

Willy

 

[Willy]

As promised Mick.

The sub floor is metal and althought I have't put it on the scales to see exactly how much, it does give the wagon a good weight. Everything else shoud be self explanatory.

Willy