7mm Rob's Rolling Stock Workbench

[Rob Pulham]

In between working on the Kirk twin art set I have been slowly assembling a Parkside NBR Jubilee Mineral wagon. Not the best mouldings that I have seen from the Parkside stable but I think it will be fine once painted and weathered.

I made the loops that allow the end door to open on the original from 0.6mm styrene rod which I wound around a 0.5mm drill bit in a PIN vice, I then poured boiling water over it and then quenched it in cold water which retained the coil. It was then an easy matter to trim and fit the loops. I used a couple of the off cuts to make the rings for the horse hooks. I would have normally used brass wire for these but I didn't have any to hand the correct size so I decide to see what I could do with styrene.

The more observant will note that the brake levers are in different positions in the photos. This is done because I find it a real pain masking them off while painting so I decided to make them move.

To achieve this I drilled the back of the lever and glued in a short section of 1.5mm styrene rod. I drilled through the mounting block under the sole bar and then cut a short length of 1.5mm inside diameter styrene tube to fit over the rod once it passed through the mounting block to create a locking washer which retains the lever but allows movement.

Before it hits the paint shop, I still need to solder the coupling links closed and add the pins and chain to the brake levers.

 

[Steph Dale]

That looks rather neat Rob - I think the extra details work well. I'm just wondering if the capping strips need some strips across them, as many later wagons have?

Steph

 

[Scale7JB]

Judging by the product code on these PS01, it would suggest that it was the first kit that was produced, possibly hence the less than standard quality mouldings.

JB.

 

[7mmMick]

That looks rather neat Rob - I think the extra details work well. I'm just wondering if the capping strips need some strips across them, as many later wagons have?

Steph

Either that or a round top bolt representing Steph. On initial fitting a lot of these strips were bolted through into the side sheeting, the straps were generally ( not always ) a later incarnation to retain damaged and work worn strips,

Really nice work Rob BTW

Mick

 

[Rob Pulham]

Thanks Steph,

I had to really study the photos to confirm that there was any capping strip at all on these, As Mick suggests the strips across them were a later addition, than the 20's/early 30's that I am portraying with this. - I intend finishing it in shabby NBR livery. I have the body of a second one well on it's way and the moulding on that one seems slightly better.

Mick, thanks for the reminder on the bolt heads. I knew that I had something else to do but couldn't for the life of me remember it.

 

[Steph Dale]

Either that or a round top bolt representing ...

Aah, right you are , makes sense to me; but not something I've come across myself.

Steph

 

[Rob Pulham]

Judging by the product code on these PS01, it would suggest that it was the first kit that was produced, possibly hence the less than standard quality mouldings.

JB.

Thanks JB, I hadn't noted the early product code I just had in mind that this and the Jubilee vans were amongst the first in the range.

 

[Overseer]

Thanks JB, I hadn't noted the early product code I just had in mind that this and the Jubilee vans were amongst the first in the range.

Rob, you have been continuing your Kirk theme with this one. The patterns for this and the other low catalogue number NB vehicles were made by Ian Kirk and taken over by Parkside when they started up. Original Kirk packaged kits still turn up every so often. The other thing you can do with them is cut 7mm from the centre and add dumb buffers to produce the earlier NB mineral wagons.

 

[Rob Pulham]

Thanks Fraser, I wish that I had known that before I assembled the body of the other one or I might have had a go at that.

When you say cut 7mm out is that length or width wise?

 

[Martin Shaw]

Rob
I have been looking at the beginnings of this thread to pass some time, you started a D&S NER horsebox, did you ever finish it? One of your comments caused me to look mine out to see what I did regarding the vertical half etch on the ends, I must have read the instructions because I did fill with a length of wire.
Regards
Martin

 

[Rob Pulham]

Hi Martin, to my embarrassment no, the castings were missing for the door springs/dampers and I started to make replacements but never got beyond the one and I need to make another 3. Aside from that it doesn't really need much to finish it.

 

[Martin Shaw]

Rob
A couple of pics of mine, built nearly 30 years ago, confession time, I didn't paint it. I didn't fit the door stops, I felt that for the intended use they would be somewhat fragile. It was also fitted with coarse wheels that would be difficult to change without damage, and it is rather pretty.
Martin

 

[Rob Pulham]

Very nice Martin, if you didn't know you wouldn't miss the door stops.

 

[Overseer]

Thanks Fraser, I wish that I had known that before I assembled the body of the other one or I might have had a go at that.

When you say cut 7mm out is that length or width wise?

The length, the doors were a foot narrower on the earlier wagons, there is a photo here Highland Railway wagons of the conversion and the GA is in the NB wagons book.

 

[Rob Pulham]

I had a really busy weekend this weekend and one the things that I made much progress on was the SR Brake van that I started earlier in the thread.

After work today I gave it blast of primer and here it is.

Now I have a bit of a dilemma, I plan to sell it once it's finished (I bought it specifically to build and sell on as I neither model BR or the Southern) and I have seen examples with both screw and 3 link coupling and I am unsure which to add - If I add screw couplings it will add another £5 to the price.

Similarly with a stove, if I add a cast stove it will again add another £5 to the cost. without my adding anything for the assembly etc. of them.

If you were a buyer would you prefer screw couplings and a stove or to get the van £10 cheaper?

 

[Martin Shaw]

Rob
For a seemingly standard brake van there are a lot of variations, according to Bixley et al there weren't that many vac fitted ones so 3 link couplings, and personally if the kit doesn't have a stove I wouldn't bother fitting one, but I presume your going to fit a lum on the roof. That you've chosen a variant without sandboxes almost determines it as a BR period finish. Aren't Dapol producing a RTR one?
Regards
Martin

 

[Rob Pulham]

Hi Martin,

They are and it's my own fault for not getting it finished sooner if it doesn't sell. Hopefully the extra detail that I had added will appeal.

 

[Steph Dale]

Rob,

Further to what Martin says, none of the SR versions were vac-fitted, although some were latterly through-piped: Very rarely were they converted to full vacuum. The lack of sandboxes is generally a BR 'thing'.

It's not one of Parkside's best to be honest, but it can be built up to a good outline model - work to a photo of one in service, I suggest, as the combination of brakegear, planking, footboard brackets, etc is only right for certain vehicles. I don't think you've got the brakegear quite right either - in this photo the brake linkage around the wheel set is correct on the left hand side/end and a little bit the wrong way up at the right hand end. The pull rod always passes over the axle:

In terms of sale price, it'll be your labour that carries the greatest component of the end cost, so I'd just do whatever's easiest!

I've an idea there are some detail photos lurking somewhere on WT - there are, here; Prototype - Southern brake van which is the correct style of brakegear, but not right otherwise as it has a left-hand ducket and SECR-type footboards which is correct for the first batch, but not the Parkside kit.

Here's a couple of links which might help you nail down a suitable candidate to copy:
http://www.ws.vintagecarriagestrust.org/ws/wresults.asp
SR Brake vans - 4 wheeled ZTO ZTV ZPO ZPW ZTR ZXR ZTQ ZTP

Steph

 

[Rob Pulham]

Thanks Steph,

I am not sure that I can alter the brake pull rod without causing a lot of unwanted damage at this point

 

[Steph Dale]

Ooo, sorry. That's a bit of a blow.

Steph