<<Sorry to disappoint DJP but I have to admit to using Slaters buffers. I might add dummy buffer spindles and springs to fill the spaces. I decided to use the Slaters buffers because they were on the bench and I thought it would be nice to have brass buffer guides to go with all the rest of the brass on the wagon. The white metal ones will find a use on a plastic wagon.>>
The castings are abour 2% short of pewter - we just add a little lead to keep the gates small. They are very strong indeed. I just thought it a shame as these are the first wagons on the market to my knowledge where the springing of the buffers follows the prototype for RCH type buffers - being sprung externally and against an underframe member. Cost a lot to have those buffers turned too!!!
<<The coupling hooks are as provided in the kit, the laminated profile is good but they need to be filed to match the prototype shape>>
That is what you are supposed to do. It is important to point out though that this applies to the cross-section only and then only on the section of the hook outside the buffer beam. Side-on the hook is exactly right as per LMS/RCH drawings. Your posting kind of implies the reverse.
<<Personally I don't think etched brass is a good material for wooden wagons >>
Depends on how they are designed - see method for outrLMS 2102 Open or LMS Tube Wagons - then etching really comes into its own.
<<-the corner reinforcement pieces were not used - photos show some with and some without - and small pieces of etch waste were soldered in to fill the gap at the fixed end.>>
Well at least we supply them! - and they ARE the different types to those fitted to the BR wagons - but you can find variants with the BR rounded ones being fitted to LMS wagons in later years. The whole point was to maximise the difference visually between the LMS & BR kits to give max. variation for the modeller.
<<- the end door lower reinforcing horizontal was modified to look more like one of the photos - there seems to have been lots of variation in this area. While on this, I think there is an error on the artwork for the end doors with the half etch lines to locate the horizontal angles is on the wrong side - it is easy to fix by filing the grooves after laminating the two layers of the door>>
Not so - see hatched lines on instructions. We would not have made the same mistake on all EIGHT kits with this style of door! The location slots/grooves for the horizontal plates are at EACH END of the end door and on the rear of the fascia plate. You can see outlines/stresslines on the inside of many of the wagons surveyed for these kits where the horizontal plates are welded and we were just trying to represent these.
<<I decided to add a length of 0.3 mm wire along the bottom edge of the side panels to represent the protruding floor plate which is one of the characteristic features of the BR 16T mineral wagons, the sides being externally welded to the top of the floor. The kit includes a fine etched line to represent this but I decided it would look better with the floor appearing to project past the side>>
We did it this way as it would have been unreasonable to expect customers to solder the sides to grooves in the floor and keep them vertical!.
<<the standard Diag. 2134 kit comes with LMS style W irons but I decided to model one of the wagons with BR style W irons so ordered them at the same time as the kit. On comparing them to photographs I think they are over size so filed them down a bit and cut the bottoms off.>>
The ones we measured for the kit were probably the wrong size!!! Again by suppling LMS ones we were looking to maximise the visual differences between LMS & BR wagons for the modeler - see link to Paul Bartlett's excellent web site:
http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/lmsmineral/h2eaf8043#h2eaf8043
<<The spring hanger 'ears' are also too big and look much better filed down>>..
Yes - these had to be beefed up a bit for strength in relation to the spring assembly.
<<I like the idea of the phosphor bronze springs but after assembling a set I decided that they are too thick and bulky. They would also need a huge weight on them to function. The only PB sheet material I have is too thin so after looking at the various cast and moulded springs I had lying around decided to make six leaf springs using 0.25 mm brass and the etched top leaf from the kit. The single PB leaf provides some springing. The separate BR W irons come with a choice of sliding bits [horn blocks], I chose the shortest ones to allow space for the springs to have a prototypical camber in them>>
We only intend the the top leaf to do the springing anyway !- so there seems to be a contradiction in what you are saying as, had you used the kit springs for the rest of the assembly, it would have made no difference. Right back when we first did these on the Glass Truck we tried .25mm but they looked too thin so we went with the Erik Olsen method of using .3mm and I think his results speak for themselves. Also a slight chambfer on the outer edges of each spring [with a scalpel or swiss file] works wonders on the appearance. BTW - I 've yet to see anyone build these and form the springs to match each other - yet! I feel an online build coming on - if only I could find the time.
<<Exactoscale plastic brake blocks were used purely to avoid any potential shorts on the wheels. The laminated ones from the kit look good and will be used on a plastic wagon where shorting is not an issue>>
Not a problem if you ensure zero sideplay as you should with all our wagons. Its a personal thing but I do not like plastic brake shoes.
<<I ended up using Exactoscale brake push rods because I think the kit ones are too high/wide and decided not to spend time filing them down>>
Again, we only measured the incorrect prototype! For BR admittedly - but they did check out with the drawing in LMS Wagon Drawings
<<I used Exactoscale brake levers because they were in front of me and saved having to laminate the kit ones, I had some difficulty getting the bends in exactly corresponding positions before laminating the kit ones so they have been put aside for another wagon>>
You use the template provided for the outer lever and then form the inner lever to match. Once the two are fused together with solder you can perform any 'tweaks' required as they will form as one.
I hope the above will be helpful to you and any other builders on our kits.
Excellent workmanship on the build BTW
David Parkins,
Modern Motive Power,
www.djparkins.com[/quote]
