Making Wagon Sheeting?

Dave

Dave

Western Thunderer
Hi chaps and chapesses,

I'm pondering on how to make sheets for open wagons in 7mm. The load is meant to be empty chemical drums in an LNER pattern 13t high wagon. I've made a former out several pieces of rolled up paper so now I want to cover it with a tarp. I want something that will sag like the real thing and conform to the shape of the former so it gives an idea as to what the load is.

So before I start wasting my time experimenting and making a mess on the dining room table I thought I may as well ask if anyone's done this or has any ideas about how to do it.

Ta.
 
Buckjumper

Buckjumper

Flying Squad
For folded or discarded sheets I've been printing onto 80gsm paper which isn't too bad. However, there were some interesting new wagon sheets on sale from MSC Models at Kettering, which, with a little patience, may turn out to be very useful. They were printed on a thin type of paper and backed with a type of foil which appeared to deflect around objects and sag realistically, retaining its shape. Ropes were included in the packs.

Types available so far are:

7mm BR, GWR (2 types), LNER, LMS, SR (2 types), LBSCR, LSWR, SER, SECR (2 types), CR, HR and LNWR.

Gauge 1 (1/32 or 10mm not specified): BR, GWR, LNER, SR, LMS.

Duncan Bridge at MSC seemed keen to expand the range if source material could be provided, and was dishing out his email addy: duncan (dot) bridge (at) hotmail (dot) com
 
Dave

Dave

Western Thunderer
Cheers, Guv,I might have a go with tissue and PVA.

I have some sheets with printed BR numbers in N scale by Smiths, I think. I've also seen them in 4mm so I'm wonering if they do them for 7mm?
 
Dave

Dave

Western Thunderer
I've had a go at this but I didn't have any tissue paper so used newspaper, soaked in diluted PVA glue, instead. The effect looks alright once painted. I took it off as the main problem was sizing the 'tarp' to the wagon and it ended up covering most of the wagon sides.

Does anyone know the actual size of the real things? It would be easier to make one to a known scaled size than mess around with trial and error.

Thanks.
 
Pennine MC

Pennine MC

Western Thunderer
Size of wagon sheets is one of those perennials on Rmweb, I did try and check on a reply that I *know* is there, but between the now-default Google 'search' (sic) facility and the slooooooooooowness, I inevitably gave up. Very frustrating to have contributed so much content that is now effectively irretrievable:( Anyhoo, my Smiths sheets scale at around 20'6 x 14'6, which I'd previously confirmed was within an inch or three of RCH standards (although as ever, they no doubt varied a bit).

Cynric's 11ft width dimension is interesting though, because to me a Smith's sheet seems to cover virtually all of the wagon sides (as Dave observes is so with his own), whereas prototype photos dont usually give that appearance. Admittedly they would rarely be thrown over the wagon evenly, and one side would usually be covered more than t'other, but even so, an 11ft width would make a significant difference to that effect.

I wonder if there's anything in the Barrowmore stuff?
 
28ten

28ten

Guv'nor
I suspect it may have been an old opc book, I just remember that the size seemed to look about right on a wagon, not terribly technical I know :))
 
J

John D

Western Thunderer
I'm pondering on how to make sheets for open wagons in 7mm.
Click to expand...

I've seen it somewhere on t'internet wish, I could remember where as I look at so much 'stuff', somebody used very thin ( less than a mm ) lead sheet ......the way is was formed to 'collapse' over the load and the resultant folds was extremely realistic and, I guess had the additional benefit of adding extra weight to the wagon.
 
Buckjumper

Buckjumper

Flying Squad
Not much help to Dave, but a few pre-Grouping examples:

Midland, LC&DR, and possibly LB&SCR - 21'0 x 14' 4"
LSWR - 21' 4" x 15' 4"
SER & SE&CR to circa 1913 - 21'0 x 17' 2"
SE&CR post-circa 1913 - 19' 6" x 16' 3"
LNWR to 1910 - 19' 6" x 15' 5"
LNWR post-1910 - 21' 6" x 14' 5"

Like Cynric, 21' x 11' is the figure I have in my notes for RCH / British Railways.

Interesting that the LNW enlarged its sheeting to cope with the higher wagons being produced in 1910, whereas the SE&CR reduced its sheet sizes almost contemporaneously, though that may have something to do with the sharp reduction of arch-ended wagons in service.

The attached pdf deals with folding and roping sheeting.
 

Attachments

  • Wagon_sheeting_short_version.pdf
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28ten

28ten

Guv'nor
I think Russell shows some huge loads of hay being sheeted, where the sheeting would just seem to hold the load in place rather than provide cover
 
Pennine MC

Pennine MC

Western Thunderer
Buckjumper said:
Like Cynric, 21' x 11' is the figure I have in my notes for RCH / British Railways.
Click to expand...

I've obviously been expecting an answer in the wrong place;) I think I shall settle on that then, particularly as Cynric says 'it looks about right':cool:

Some interesting sizes though Adrian, particularly that 17' 2 width and the way they've reduced - I suppose as you say, it would be due to the wagon construction methods then prevalent.
 
S

Simon Dunkley

Guest
Don't worry: we, as a group, won't hold it against you.

I, however, shall store it up and recall it when it most embarrasses you!

Shoddy, just shoddy....
 
S

Skaboy

Guest
Hi ive made some by useing craft paper (crepe) then getting a bottle of liquid glue cut up some bits of plastic and put into the glue put the lid on and leave over night you then get a bottle of liquid plastic,cut your tissue paper to size then put it on wagon paint the liquid plastic onto the paper and gently mould it to the shapes when it drys you havea nice thin plastic cover i used this method for 4mm clay hoods.

cheers
 
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