Tony’s Workbench – LSWR wagon rebuild

Tony Overton

Tony Overton

Western Thunderer
Evening all,

I've "ummed and arrghhed" about whether to post what I'm up to or not for days, I normally beaver away quietly in a corner. So here goes, the start of a thread describing work to rebuild, and hopefully upgrade, a ‘second-hand’ O gauge wagon.

Having bought an ABS O gauge LSWR Dia.1309 ‘D’ ended open wagon from a friend recently and found a few niggling things wrong with what was essentially still a good kit. So I've opted for a complete strip down and rebuild rather than trying to just repair it.
LSWR WAGON 12819.JPG
Dismantled, the body and axle boxes spent over 24 hours in a covered bath of Phoenix Precision Superstrip PQ18. Wonderful stuff, it lifted everything, even epoxy resin glue came away. After a quick scrub with a nylon scratch brush, ha presto, it’s almost pristine, and now ready for the rebuild.
IMG_6137.JPG
Some components were found to be past their best or incorrect for this wagon so were discarded and will be replaced by new parts, this includes the brake gear, etched axle guards and wagon bearing springs. As we all find I think some vulnerable parts are better made from etched brass/NS or as a lost wax brass casting than white metal. A new door banger (hope that's the correct LSWR term) needs fabricating too. The white metal one had already snapped off.

My modelling theme is the MR circa 1905 in S7 by way. I’m adding this wagon to the fleet so as to provide variety.

I'm feeling my way at the moment, but there’ll be more as work progresses.

Tony
 
Tony Overton

Tony Overton

Western Thunderer
A little more progress……


LSWR AXLE GUARDS.JPG When the wagon was built the ABS white metal axle guards had been replaced with the Slaters’s MR etched sprung type. These had seen better days, were wrong for this wagon, and one was buckled, so whilst retaining the axle boxes (now nice and clean) the Slater’s axle guards were put to one side and replaced with some new etched LSWR design one’s obtained from a friend. Not a lot of difference between the two design’s but……

With the new axle guards fettled and Slaters wagon horn blocks fitted next came the bridles. I now favour removable bridles. Experience has shown wheels often get in the way during building so I looked for a method to allow axle guards to be fitted whilst wheels sets can be lifted out and put back at any time with little or no fuss. The method I adopt is to provide 0.5mm N/S rod ‘pins’ soldered on each axle guard which bridles then drop onto (mounted at the back for this LSWR build). Each bridle is either left off, or remains loose on the pins, until final fixing with a spot of Superglue at the end of the build– I’ve left two ‘pins’ deliberately over length here so as to illustrate my method, they’ll be trimmed right back later.
I prefer my wagon stock to be fully sprung using the Slaters method. It works for me.

Later in the build the axle guards and bridles will be chemically blackened – paint bungs things up too much. There are other parts requiring blackening, so I’ll do that job all in one go.

CUTTING SPRINGS OUT.JPG
The wagon had previously been provided with what appears to have been Slaters plastic MR wagon leaf springs. As the photo at the start of this project shows they didn't even fit properly. They just had to go. They were replaced with the leaf springs taken from ABS LSWR wagon axle guards pack Ref:0.933. Whilst coming as a one piece casting they are easily (well fairly easily) cut down, providing you with an excellent quality and correct leaf spring.

The method I use is to clip off the axle guard off right back down to the spring then, securing the remaining casting in a vice, I use my trusty hand vice, it’s ready for sawing. Positioning the blade where the spring and the remaining chunk of axle guard meet I saw down wards very carefully with a fine fret saw until the spring just falls off, attacking it from both sides by turning the casting. A quick fettle with a file and the job is done. Looking at my work I’ve now realised I had failed to file half round groves in the backs of the leaf springs so as to allow the axle guard coil spring free movement – memo to self…….

There'll be more later in the week.
 
Tony Overton

Tony Overton

Western Thunderer
More progress, though it had been three steps forward and two back this time……

B.JPG
I found the hole for the draw hook in the original white metal draw bar plates a touch too big, too much slop, so after carefully cutting and filing both away right down to the body I replaced them with new etched ones with 0.7 mm brass rod to replicate the bolt detail. The draw hooks now glide in and out with almost zero slop.

A.JPG

D.JPG With the body rebuilt, floor in, new etched vee hangers and new horse hook thingy’s in place, and the broken ‘door banger’ replaced with a new one fabricated from brass strip again with rod for bolt detail, attention has now turned to the under frame. The planking by the way was scribed onto 40 thou plast-card with the help of my trusty dividers, steel rule, and a modelling knife - even though I started from the middle and worked outwards and took my time doing it, it took three attempts until I was happy. With internal detail getting in the way I decided it was best to slot the floor in place from the side during building the body.

E.JPG
So as to bring the sole bars up to a required 5 inch thickness and provide the necessary 6ft. 3 inch between soles, two 40 thou plasti-card strips were superglued to their inside faces. Two cross members have now been added, with others to follow. Whilst nobody ever really sees it I still think it’s nice and worth the effort to add an underframe. It’s my intension to fit draw bars, a cradle carrier with springs, and so have functioning draw gear, though it may not be 100% prototypical, we'll see.

Next will be axle guards and then brake gear
 
Tony Overton

Tony Overton

Western Thunderer
Yet more progress…….

Unfortunately I got carried away and failed to take photos of some work before I moved on, sorry about that.
F.JPG
As it stands at the moment the under frame is added, using Evergreen No.169 and 189 strip for the 5 x12’s and 3.5 x 12’s. I even remembered to drill the holes in readiness for threading the draw bar through this time.
G.JPG

Also added, but not photographed at the time, are the four new etched axle guards. These are held in place with three small discs of 30 thou plasti-card (stamped out with short length of sharpened brass tube) per axle guard then Mek-Pak’ed in place in holes especially etched for the purpose, a spot of Superglue was also added for that extra security. This method provides for a secure and importantly clutter free underframe.

After a final bit of fettling here and there the exterior of the body has since received a coat of red primer whilst the interior a coat of ‘new wood’ prior to eventual weathering - the frightening bit!
Being a white metal kit I had wondered whether or not to use Etch Primer but opted in the end for Halford's red primer because it is to be painted in LSWR Goods Brown (Phoenix Precision No.91 SR Freight Brown). Comments are most welcome on this.

So we’re getting there……
Cheers
Tony
 
Tony Overton

Tony Overton

Western Thunderer
My ABS LSWR Dia.1309 is progressing well. It’s now had a coat of Phoenix Precision No.91 SR Freight Brown. I may scribe all body planking on my ABS kits in future. Whilst I’m careful not to flood the body sides they do seem to have filled more readily in places with paint than I would have wished, especially awkward if a second coat is needed.

The axle guards etc. have been chemically blackened but I’m not 100% happy, so they may get another doing.
H.JPG
I've already opened the box of my next ABS kit for when this one is finished......:)
 
Chas Levin

Chas Levin

Western Thunderer
Just found this thread Tony, very much enjoyed the photos of very neat work, and wondered if there are any updates to the LSWR rebuild?
 
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