Scratchbuild a wagon in styrene

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
Fraser (@Overseer),

I am intrigued by the re-used plank to the right of the side door - from where do you think that plank was recovered given the "unpainted" portion which appears to have been behind a diagonal washer plate? Looking at your model I can imgine that the plank could have been previously one plank down from the current position... and hence maybe ought to be showing a weathered "S".

This is an enjoyable topic, thank you.

regards, Graham
 

Overseer

Western Thunderer
Fraser (@Overseer),

I am intrigued by the re-used plank to the right of the side door - from where do you think that plank was recovered given the "unpainted" portion which appears to have been behind a diagonal washer plate? Looking at your model I can imgine that the plank could have been previously one plank down from the current position... and hence maybe ought to be showing a weathered "S".

This is an enjoyable topic, thank you.

regards, Graham
The prototype photo shows a plank which had the bare stripe further to the left but it looked odd when I painted it sticking out of the remains of the S so I moved it. The plank must have come from another wagon without the large lettering . . . Now you have spotted it might have to change it. Looking at photos it was common for planks to be reused in different locations, often with the ends cropped off in doors for example.
 

simond

Western Thunderer
I have to say I asked myself exactly the same question as Graham, so perhaps you will want to change it.

maybe stick to what the photo showed on the basis the colours will differentiate it from the "S" which I guess your b/w image does not?
 
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Joe's Garage

Western Thunderer
Fraser, don't worry as I remember the great Cyril Freezer once saying to me at Keen House one Thursday evening that you only get comments made when you put something in writing or model form.

On the note of a re-used plank surely the wagon works would have had a range of planks stock piled and the carpenters would use/cut accordingly.

Still a lovely model....keep it coming. Impressionistic or fidelity?

Julian
 

Overseer

Western Thunderer
The photo is in the LNWR Wagons Vol 1 book. I can’t scan it until tomorrow as it is at the office. As I mentioned previously I am modelling the wagon as it could have been in the early 1950s rather than exactly as in the photo taken in 1958 (I thought it was early 60s) so some of the replacement planks will look newer than they did 5 years later and other details could be different. Maybe I should paint it as one of the 2000 diagram 84 wagons given/sold to Belgium after WW2, but then it wouldn’t fit in with the other stock.
 

simond

Western Thunderer
Well, it is what it is, “publish and be damned”.

I think if it were me

a) I’d be very pleased with what I’d achieved &

b) Graham & I can get knotted

:)
 

Joe's Garage

Western Thunderer
It is amazing how such a humble wagon can cause such a stir....very characteristic of such a wagon. At this size you can really appreciate the scale clearance of the brake blocks to the rims...a cigarette paper!

Patination is just the right word...

Well, I thought my memory was pretty good but just as I was doubting whether those wagons ever received RCH axleboxes there is the evidence. All the more worrying because I wrote most of that book!

Mike

In response to Mike's comment on writing the book and remembering details I was trying to find a book on Amazon ( not railway related) and then I suddenly remembered I had it in cupboard half read, ready to take back to Spain!! You are not alone Mike!

Julian
 

Overseer

Western Thunderer
Thanks for all the likes. The wagon is not meant to stand out, just blend into the background with all the other 40 and 50 year old stock still serving a useful purpose in the 1950s.

At this size you can really appreciate the scale clearance of the brake blocks to the rims...a cigarette paper!
The brake block clearance is down to the precision of the Exactoscale etches and the way they work. Exactoscale provided attachments on the sliding suspension parts to mount the brake hangers so the brake blocks move up and down with the wheels. It does rely on the pivots in the brake gear pivoting so it can all move while connected to the fixed V irons. The system trades off loss of prototype accuracy of the hanger mountings for more realistic appearance at the visible wheel brake block interface.
d84 u1.jpg
 

AJC

Western Thunderer
Hi Fraser,

I too was impressed with the closeness of the brakeshoes and the work on the body - I like the mix of rusts and weather very much. That said, I wonder whether the weathering colours have missed the tops of the push rods and the insides of the spokes. I'm aware from things I built years ago that I am often guilty of this, so that's why I went over to matt chocolate as a base colour a few years back on the basis that it's easier to make things darker where required than to fill the corners (especially in 4mm). Obviously, black wagons and recently 'shopped stock need a different approach, but perhaps that's worth considering?

Adam
 

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
Fraser (@Overseer),

If the brake block/hanger are attached to the bearing carrier... what do you do if you wish to remove the wheels from the wagon? Is there a loose joint between the push rods and the brake blocks?

regards, Graham
 

Overseer

Western Thunderer
Hi Fraser,

I too was impressed with the closeness of the brakeshoes and the work on the body - I like the mix of rusts and weather very much. That said, I wonder whether the weathering colours have missed the tops of the push rods and the insides of the spokes. I'm aware from things I built years ago that I am often guilty of this, so that's why I went over to matt chocolate as a base colour a few years back on the basis that it's easier to make things darker where required than to fill the corners (especially in 4mm). Obviously, black wagons and recently 'shopped stock need a different approach, but perhaps that's worth considering?

Adam
Adam,
You will notice that I haven't painted the axles or back of the wheels yet (or the front of one side), they will be done sometime when I have a suitable dirty rust colour mixed. There is another stage which hasn't happened yet as well, airbrushing road grime over the wheels etc. which will deal with any black paint (which isn't actually pure black). See the pipe for a cleanish example. I haven't decided how much grime would have splashed up on this one. Below 30mph there tends not to be much spray, up to 40 a bit more and that is as fast as the wagon would have travelled. Also depends where it has been and how muddy the ballast was.
Fraser
 

Overseer

Western Thunderer
Fraser (@Overseer),

If the brake block/hanger are attached to the bearing carrier... what do you do if you wish to remove the wheels from the wagon? Is there a loose joint between the push rods and the brake blocks?

regards, Graham
Removing wheels from a wagon is not something I have needed or wanted to do since starting to model in S7 circa 1993. If I did plan to remove axles I would use the Exactoscale bearings and shorten the axles so they could be levered out. If the wheels had to come off this wagon it would not be hard to dismantle the brake linkages, but there would be some paint touch up required on reassembly.
 

22045

Member
Removing wheels from a wagon is not something I have needed or wanted to do since starting to model in S7 circa 1993. If I did plan to remove axles I would use the Exactoscale bearings and shorten the axles so they could be levered out. If the wheels had to come off this wagon it would not be hard to dismantle the brake linkages, but there would be some paint touch up required on reassembly.
Superb work and very interesting thread.
 
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