7mm On Heather's Workbench - a reptile on my bench

Heather Kay

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
This is another personal project to fill some space on my demonstration table. I've had this Scorpio Models Crocodile G 35 ton Trolley in the stash for some years, so I thought it might make a pleasant build for a weekend.

My aim is to produce a somewhat weatherbeaten example in BR service late in the 1950s, possibly departmental. The spoked wheels will have been replaced by three-hole ones.

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I'm enjoying this kit. It's been neatly designed to build up the complex dropped well form. Parts need minimal cleaning up, and form cleanly. I may even manage to get it on wheels by the end of the weekend, when it can be put to one side with the other wagons I'm building patiently waiting for some paint shop time.
 
Heather Kay

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
I've managed to get the end platforms installed. Lots of blobby tack soldering, but it'll be mostly hidden.

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Now, I don't know if it's me, or its meant to be that way, but the ends slope down slightly. I have been most careful to ensure everything was as square as it could be, and as most of the parts almost literally snap into slots I'm inclined to the notion the real thing had the same feature. I can only assume it's a built-in camber, as many coaches had, which was taken up when loaded.
 
D

djparkins

Western Thunderer
Heather Kay said:
I'm inclined to the notion the real thing had the same feature. I can only assume it's a built-in camber, as many coaches had, which was taken up when loaded.
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That is almost certainly the case. It definitely is on the LMS 40ton Bogie Trolley wagon. We did not incorporate it on our kit of this wagon though as I thought most would want to model the wagon with a load - and we sell it with an optional load of two ship props.

DJP/MMP
 
Heather Kay

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
djparkins said:
That is almost certainly the case. It definitely is on the LMS 40ton Bogie Trolley wagon. We did not incorporate it on our kit of this wagon though as I thought most would want to model the wagon with a load - and we sell it with an optional load of two ship props.
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I'm still pondering whether to put a load in. Under normal circumstances you can't see the camber. You really have to squint along the model at quite an acute angle.
 
Heather Kay

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
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We are on wheels. The less said about the bogies and the castings the better. Compared with the brass parts, they are quite the disappointment. Still, they're more or less square and run smoothly. I might see if I can find better bogies from another manufacturer.

All the major brass bashing is complete now. If I feel strong enough later I'll fit the buffers and draw gear. That would just leave the handbrake equipment to fit.
 
Heather Kay

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
I had a fettle with the buffers last night. Quiet at the back! Sleeping on the results, I shall be sourcing better ones. The housings are whitemetal, and needed quite a bit of cleaning up to pass as adequate. The heads are cast nickel silver, but again took quite a bit of cleaning up.

So, rather than spoil the ship for a ha'peth of tar I shall replace the headstock parts in due course, and the bogies as well. I found Connoisseur has suitable bogies in his GW kits, so I might ask if I can purchase them separately.
 
Heather Kay

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
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I think this is about ready for the paint shop. The buffers are from JLTRT, the drawhooks and links from the kit.

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The buffers are designed to be sprung with wire, but I made a variation. Wire was not soft enough for me, so after some brain cell workout I extended each cast buffer with about 10mm of brass tube, and attached it to a phosphor bronze strip soldered to the side frame.

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It gives a nice soft spring, and since the heads don't need to compress very far anyway I'm quite pleased.

Best get some of those transfers on order!
 
Heather Kay

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
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First coats of the BR unfitted wagon grey, some grot on the bogies and wheels, and this critter is beginning to look the part. The floor will be given some treatment at some point, the main livery recoated, and some transfers sourced. Then it'll be given a good dose of weathering.
 
Les Golledge

Les Golledge

Active Member
Heather Kay said:
View attachment 47292

Transfers from Railtec, as Ian's post. A dose of varnish, then some serious untidying to make the thing look like its old and tired. I plan to purchase the CPL container chains at Telford, and I'll sit at the bench fettling them as something to do.
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Hi Heather,

In case you don't know securing chains for loads other than containers don't seem to use the spring units included with the CPL chains. All the photos I've seen and from my Army days when chaining down armoured vehicles on railway wagons do not have any kind of spring unit, the load is pulled down tight as can be done with the tommy bars, I suspect if spring units were used the loads would move around during travel. An armoured vehicle shifting and catching something alongside the line could result in a lot of damage.
HTH.
Regards,

Les.
 
Ian G

Ian G

Western Thunderer
Heather
In the GWR miscellany the transformers are secured by chains from the lifting points, if the transformer is square you can spin it 90% & secure it with chains to the furthest rings, the picture in the book shows croc 'H' being loaded.
The lifting points have Bow shackles attached to them.


Ian G
 
Heather Kay

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
Ian G said:
Heather
In the GWR miscellany the transformers are secured by chains from the lifting points, if the transformer is square you can spin it 90% & secure it with chains to the furthest rings, the picture in the book shows croc 'H' being loaded.
The lifting points have Bow shackles attached to them.
Click to expand...

This would make sense. Sadly, while the transformer body is square the oil pipes are not. In order to let the transformer sit in the well and not foul a loading gauge it has to be sat with the lifting brackets to the sides.

I plan to make the shackles from superfluous brass cast screw link couplings. I may have suitable chain in stock, and I do have an etch of various hooks I might be able to use. I think a bit of playing this afternoon might be beneficial.
 
Heather Kay

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
Interesting. Thanks Ian. :thumbs:

You know, the more I look into loads and the various methods of restraining them, the more I'm coming to the conclusion I don't think I'll bother fitting a load to the Croc at the moment. It's a complicated subject, and I think I need to get some research into it to do it properly. I can't find enough good images and information for me to be confident I would be getting the fittings correct.

I might find a more suitable load for the wagon at Telford. Alternatively, I may just leave random packing timbers and lengths of chain in the well.
 
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