4mm An EM Workbench: plastic steels

[Eastsidepilot]

Yeah, I see what you mean Tony, and the legs or whatever they've used would have to be well clear of the tractor unit, I'm surprised that there are no clear photo's about. I've tried searching but to no avail so far. There's a lot more on Express Dairies than United.

 

[AJC]

Three complete - if not quite finished - minerals for my loaded road stone rake. The fourth has been primed and the fifth, a little bit unusual, just started, but more of that anon.



Adam

EDIT - apologies for the naff photo: the weather is dire and the house quite dark no matter what I do.

 

[AJC]

And here’s the final item - the headshunt only has space for five - for my road stone rake. It’s a 21 tonner, but one of the batch built for the Ministry of Transport on an underframe that was meant to go to France, but didn’t owing to ‘events’. Unlikely? In as much as BR thought about these things, it's simply a 21 ton hopper, with a slightly different body and continental 'W' irons on odd-size wheels (1040mm so the drawing says). Somerset stone traffic used a lot of 21 tonners - and 24 1/2 tonners allocated to Cheddar, come to that - in the '60s so why not? And there's a kit from Dave Bradwell, fittings from Rumney Models and wheels Bachmann via dad's lathe...

Being Dave Bradwell, the instructions are a nice mix of laconic phrasing and measurements given to two decimal places, describing parts that fit. It's good fun, thus far.




Adam

EDIT - despite the preamble about use in Somerset, @hrmspaul does have a couple of shots of the things - one in Freight Stock Red (which was a not uncommon thing in the hopper fleet once you start looking) - at Feltham, which is the right side of the Humber, at least.

Britain's railway wagons | E253421K ex MoT ore @ Feltham MY 67-11- 15

Diag 167 Continental frame and fittings Railfreight red unfitted

PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com

Britain's railway wagons | E251701K HOP 21 ex MoT ore @ Feltham MY 67-11- 15

Diag 167 Continental frame and fittings

PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com

 

[Matt.S.]

Nice to ring the subtle changes Adam!

 

[AJC]

Nice to wring the subtle changes Adam!

In a rake of 21 tonners it might be subtle! Not so sure that's true if it's the only one...

Adam

 

[Tappa]

Looking forward to seeing this! I did one using a Parkside kit and Ambis w irons and brake lever as he does the MoT version along with Rumney Models axleboxes and springs. I chickened out of the original body tho’ and did mine as a rebuild (there was at least one).

 

[AJC]

Not that anything has been soldered together, but I have embossed the rivets and formed the parts for the hopper: the sides have to be angled at 136.4 degrees (there’s a jig, you don’t need to take a measurement). It all seems to go together, but we’ll see once the iron goes on.



Adam

 

[AJC]

Owing to one of the small people being ill I’ve not done much over the last week or two, but I have got the body together and test fitted into the frame.



Lots more detail to go on before I can solder it together but the wagon is identifiable as such now.

Adam

 

[AJC]

One of the best things about a good etched kit is the gradual accumulation of small details. In this case, lots of rivet strips and bracing. On the real thing this was in bulb section. Mr Bradwell achieves this by back to back half-etched pieces which need dressing on the outer edges to get the section - most LNER hoppers seem to have used angle and T section, as on the ends of this one, which is rather easier to do.



Adam

 

[Mike Garwood]

That looks incredibly complicated, not to mention finger stinging.

Mike

 

[AJC]

That looks incredibly complicated, not to mention finger stinging.

Mike

Not so much the former - it's mostly self-jigging - there's lots of location aids and the cheating option of T section instead of bulb (the drawings allowed for that, Dave's prototype notes suggest that he hasn't seen a prototype image so fitted). Quite a lot of singed digits though, yes.

Adam

 

[AJC]

And all in one piece, looking like a wagon at least, but endless (ok, not endless, but certainly tiny and numerous), bits still to add.



Still, a worthwhile half hour’s entertainment this evening.

Adam

 

[AJC]

Quite a lot of Labour for limited visual effect!



Once the corner brackets are on - they went into hiding until I’d washed the thing and turned the iron off - that’s the body of the hopper more or less done.

 

[Gadgie]

Looking good. I have one of these in the stash, so it’s really helpful to see one taking shape. It certainly seems to have all the hallmarks of a Dave Bradwell kit. I’m sure he will be delighted to see one of his kits *actually* being built though.

Are you going to fit the springs or build it rigid?

Richard
—

 

[AJC]

Looking good. I have one of these in the stash, so it’s really helpful to see one taking shape. It certainly seems to have all the hallmarks of a Dave Bradwell kit. I’m sure he will be delighted to see one of his kits *actually* being built though.

Are you going to fit the springs or build it rigid?

Richard
—

Thanks, Richard! I'll be sure to send him a picture - it's a nice kit, if inevitably a bit fiddly. I'll certainly try to spring it, but I do have form in just soldering these things up rigid, but that's a matter of personal impatience! I have left the springs working on my Bradwell-chassis'd brakevan though. Must sort the roof out on that...

Adam

 

[AJC]

Nearly, but not quite. I seem to have run out of 1mm angle, so I can’t quite complete the soldering, and have also run out of time to solder the buffers on before the Christmas break. For @Gadgie’s benefit, I couldn’t find the patience to stick the angles on the back of the outer ‘T’s: the only way is to secure them in place before putting the hopper on, I think. Similarly, I gave up on the springing, again, a patience deficit rather than anything else.





A sturdy thing. I think the plan from here is to solder the angle, when it arrives, at the bottom of the hopper bases, scrub, blacken, and etch prime. Then add the rather neat 3D prints from Rumney Models before priming and a top coat.

All that’s for another week though. Happy Christmas!

Adam

 

[AJC]

A bit of a post-Christmas break, and a departure from the recent mineral theme. It’s too cold to paint anything so here’s a cheat, a Christmas present. Three Accurascale Coil A (and one from dad’s trio, from the first batch - he skimmed the original wheels down on his, because they had unusual axles: second batch conventional 2mm diameter, 26mm long types so I’ve popped some Gibsons in).

Otherwise, I’ve swapped in the wider brake units (supplied), and stuck the bits that came off in the process back on. The safety loops need to be reinstated, and brake pipes fitted. At that point, I’ll have to think about modifying the hoods…



Obviously, these aren’t for the Ilchester branch, they simply add to the collection of steel wagons, because I happen to like making them. We probably almost need a second EE type 3 at this rate…

Adam