Rob's 7mm Rolling Stock Workbench

[Robpulham]

Wow it's been some time since I posted on here, and some time since I did any modelling.

Although the house isn't finished and we have no chance of getting our furniture and other belongings out of storage I have managed to set up a temporary workbench and have made a start on a Slaters LNER Diagram 61 Brake van that I picked up from the club stand at Pontefract show.

To my dismay quite a few of my tools had gathered a layer of rust while not being used so I had to set to and clean and oil them.

Well I got the tools that needed it cleaned up and tested the soldering irons. All still do what they are meant to so I opened the Slaters box and made a start.

Here's where I got to in my first session.

[Dave]

Good to see you back Rob.

[Robpulham]

Good to see you back Rob.

Thanks Dave,

[Robpulham]

This build has slowed down a little because when reviewing the two GA's that I have and some photos that I took of an LNER brake van at Grosmont on the NYMR a few years ago, all of them have fully timber panelled doors whereas the Slaters kit depicts a 4 paned window in the door.

At first I was going to just cut out the framing and fit a panel in the upper part of the door (and I will do that at one end) but being me I decided that I would have a door at one end open so I am just about to start carving the door out of one of the ends.

[Robpulham]

So where was I, ahh yes the door carving.

First I removed the door on one cabin end.



Then I cut the lower panel that I removed to fit in the space where the window had been on the other end.



Then I drew up the parts for the replacement opening door to cut on the Silhouette.



I also completed the drawing of the insides of the ends.



Lastly I made a start on adding the lamp irons to the out ends.

[Robpulham]

I had most of the day at the bench today and to be honest there doesn't look much to show for it at present. I have progressed the drawings for the internals quite a bit though.



I spent some time measuring and scribing the planking on the floor and also on the underside of the roof - yes I know that you can see it unless you turn it upside down but I know it's there....

I did manage to get the inner ends and one side on the cabin after dressing the sides with duckets, lamp and grab rails.

[Dave]

Looking good Rob, I know what you mean when you say 'you know it's there' I have the same problem at times.
One day I will learn.

[jwealleans]

I'm expecting working TV and an opening drinks cabinet in this one.

[Danby Wiske]

I'm expecting working TV and an opening drinks cabinet in this one.

A working brake should probably be the first priority!

[Robpulham]

I'm expecting working TV and an opening drinks cabinet in this one.

You may be lucky and get an opening cabin door....

[Robpulham]

In my experiences with plastic wagon kits from such as Slaters and Parkside (Peco), the way that they do the corners sometimes leaves a little to be desired (or more realistically fettled).

The designer attempts to make not only the corner timbers marry up but also the corner plates where fitted too. When making my own design of wagons via the Silhouette cutter I always make the iron work as 10 thou overlays.

I digress, having got as far as fitting the first of the outer Veranda partitions at first try there was a gap of around half a mil or more.



That shown above is the other end which is still to fettle. This is the end that I have done and it does fit cleanly when pushed into place it was just difficult to get it perfectly in place and take a photo of it.



To achieve this snug fit I had to file scrape and otherwise nibble away at the two bits highlighted on both edges of the partition.

[Robpulham]

Another day spent mostly drawing up the internals. I have now finished them apart from drawing up a stove and oven - more on that later.

I have moved all the drawings from their original files/layers to fit on to two drawings each with a single layer for cutting. The first will be cut from 10 thou styrene and the second 20 thou.





The plan was to cut them this morning but that's gone by the wayside after discovering that the pack of styrene sheet that I have with me only contains the stuff that is too thick to go through the cutter... I have lots of it in storage so I am not going to buy any more, I will just crack on with other things until I can go out again.

I did get the veranda end fitted last night though so the next job is to add the canvas to the roof.









You may be getting overloaded with photos showing minute levels of progress. This is because I am also taking the opportunity to play about with my new camera and it's ability to be remote controlled via wifi.

Finally for this post, a return the stove and oven discussion.

Slaters do a really nice cast pot bellied type stove which I have used in a few of my builds but it's to an LMS design (I think). The LNER stoves are completely different being flat planes - see the snip below.



While having an online discussion with a friend he mentioned that he had GA's for the LNER stove and oven should I have a desire to make one. He duly sent them over and now has come the time to at least draw one up. I will probably do it in Inkscape but it might even be the push needed to get me to learn to draw in 3D so that I could print a master for subsequent casting.

[Robpulham]

Although progress is steady because I keep getting distracted with photography the BV is moving forward.

The roof now has canvas and the etched end plates have the rivets pressed out and ready to fit as is the other veranda but that won't be done until I make the door.





I did wonder if I would need to remove the rainstrips in order to get the canvas to sit down bt a bit of patient smoothing with a bit of spare plastic sprue saw it cover very nicely indeed.

[Robpulham]

While waiting for the glue to dry on the first pair of W Irons I was studying the GA's and noted that in the cain fastened to the roof is what is described as a "Running Rail with Hooks" So I thought what better to get me back into making the little details than this. I also noted that there are a couple of coat hooks too.





And finally one with the obligatory coin to give an idea of scale.

[Robpulham]

The temporary workbench has been dismantled again but before it went I did manage to get the brake van up on it's wheels and sitting nice nicely on a sheet of glass.



Since this photo was taken I have added the brake gear and some screw couplings.