Atlantic's works: Portable layout - Scenic details next

[Atlantic 3279]

This evening's work: The right buffers are now on in the right places. All (I hope) of the many necessary holes have been drilled in the bodywork without breaking any drill bits, not even an 0.5mm, which is quite an achievement for me. These include 4 holes drilled obliquely up into each solebar to take stepboard brackets which I have formed up from 0.7mm brass wire. I did this after realising just how flimsy and vulnerable the w/m stepboards were after I had cleaned off the flash, including the in-fill that was present in the gaps for the axleboxes. I saw liitle hope of the stepboards surviving in-service handling as they were, and even if I replaced them in brass I'd probably feel obliged to represent the brackets, so I hope I have found the compromise that gives acceptable results for least work. I have also made up some rough upper ends from two thickness of 40 thou plastikard, which I hope to file to final shape tomorrow evening. I've also been looking at those inner ends again and wondering how much I achieved through all my efforts to get them square and level, as the truth is that the horizontal/vertical lines of the windows, planking, and door edges on those parts are not all in agreement anyway . I suppose I could have made new inner ends, but were does one draw the line given a finite lifespan?

[wehf100]

It's a skilled chap who can get old white-metal footboards exactly straight! I tend to always throw them out and find some plastic strip.

Interesting wagon.

Will

[Atlantic 3279]

We have yet to see how well they go on....

Just laminated some plastikard ready for sculpting axleboxes this evening. Must work for a living this afternoon, unfortunately.

[jwealleans]

I'm with Will - I usually junk them and use brass. Looking good so far, Graeme: I must get mine out and make sure you're not showing me up.

What size are the wheels on your Toad D? Almost the last thing I did before leaving home on Sunday night was place my chassis on a piece of track next to some other trucks. It stood about half a buffer too high. I've used 12mm Hornby wheels; I wonder now if the Lima ones were smaller?

[Atlantic 3279]

New stepboards - Hmmmmm .... extra work now versus risk of poor result if not done. I'll have to think it over.

Lima Toad D, 14mm buffer height on original 11.4mm Lima pizza cutters
Ex Bachmann V4, 14mm buffer ht on new 14mm spoked wheels
Airfix Toad D, 13 - 13.5mm buffer ht on 12.5mm 1990s Dapol plastic wheel/metal axle sets.

I believe we're aiming for 3' 4" to 3' 6" depending on date, owning company, RCH preferred dimension, and state of load/repair of vehicle?

Typical though isn't it, fit "better" wheels to solve one problem and you immediately find you create another?

My axleboxes are under way. I drilled the 2.5mm blind holes in this strip while it was still 4+mm wide, then filed the egdes down and rounded the end so as to avoid splitting the sides with the drill. 2.5mm should give me a little room to adjust fit over the brass cups. I'll have to round the other end to form what will be the final box bottom before I cut individual boxes off in sequence from one end only. I don't want the last piece to be too short to hold easily when filing to shape. I should have made the original strip a bit longer of course.

Now I bet somebody will tell me that the old round-bottomed axleboxes would have been changed to a later squarer type by the 1930s, if any of these 10 ton vans lasted that long.

[Atlantic 3279]

Here's an axle boxed trimmed to final shape and size, with sloping top, epoxied in place over the brass bearing cup. The two stepboard brackets are on a trial fit, simply slotted into the holes. Note the GNR numberplate in relief on the solebar.

The stepboard brackets will require some adjustment. This image shows the board higher at one end than the other with everything still loose. The brackets will have to fit more tightly against the solebar and the rear of the stepboard too, as the boards will otherwise be out of gauge. I think a little local filing of whitemetal to accomodate the radii of the bracket bends may suffice. The second bracket from the left may be awkward, as it fits into the solebar directly above the spring shackle which stops it from going fully "home".

[wehf100]

looks good. I would wager you'd be fairly ok portraying GNR axleboxes on a 1930s era wagon, the 10ton brakes not exactly been crack frontline stock by then. Indeed, the photo in Tatlow of a 10ton wagon #410882 in what I take to be quite early on in LNER ownership (GNR style fonts used on the solebar lettering) includes the legend 'not to run on express trains' on its sides- and of course retains its grease axleboxes.

The 10 ton class (part of LNER diagram 4123 which included 10-15-20 ton wagons) was 230 strong in 1922, numerically the most numerous brake van, but also the oldest, was extinct by 1940. Not that that narrows things down by much. It is interesting that the pictured example in Tatlow has sanding apparatus and automatic brakes, but retained 3-link couplings.

The moulded on number plate is nice- something that frustrates me enormously on even 7mm kits- they are a pain to source.

Will

[Atlantic 3279]

Thanks Will, nice to know that there is some general justification for the model on a 1930s layout anyway.

I decided to move the awkward stepboard bracket slightly to the plain part of the solebar just right of the spring shackle. A photo, and a look at the not-quite-matching other side of the model suggested to me that it ought to be clear of the spring shackle position in any case. I'll have to put a new representation of the upper part of the bracket on the face of the solebar in due course. After repeatedly trying the stepboard in place, tweaking the brackets and filing clerances as I went, I was eventually satisfied with the fitting position. I then temporarily took the brackets out to tin their lower ends with 145 solder, then put them back into their sockets, re-set their positions, and locked the first one into its socket with some lowmelt. With the van turned upside down for better access, and using a guiding steel straight edge to get all the lower ends and bends in alignment I then locked the others in place. As a trial, I have now added the stepboard, one side only, to see how it survives handling while I fit handrails, floor, roof and so on. I'm quite surpprised so far at how relatively robust it feels. I suppose it's a bit like floorboards, individually they are very flexible and flimsy, and you'd be brave or foolish to stand on a single loose floorboard thrown across a hole. However, nail them down to joists at regular intervals and the multiple fixings (even those well away from the imposed load) make the board very much stiffer - enough to support pianos and the like when the tongue-and-groove joints come in to play also.

Additionally, I've swapped the wheels for another set. Both lots were Maygig or Gibson of a certain vintage, but the first set gave the van both nodding dog and drunken duck behaviour. The substitutes are better. The plastic upper ends are now epoxied in place too, awaiting final filing to shape.

[rob]

Snap!...including the suffering involved....

In my case I found that to compound the issues you've had Graeme the two sides were different lenghts!When I built my C4 many years ago the owner of the range explained that the actual casting was subcontracted and he experienced frequent problems....I can believe this as I have some more McGowan in stock and the quality of both metal and casting varies widely...my impression is always that the masters were not entirely to blame....can't fault that numberplate!..better than my numbering I now see oh crikey and they're different too!

This was in fact a kind gift from Joe Keegan of this parish many years ago,came with header card but no instructions...I don't know if I ever let you know I'd actually got around to building it Joe but thanks again,I'm glad to have it,here in company with a D&S 8 wheeler....

[Atlantic 3279]

Thanks Rob, very nice! Are the chimney and ventilator positions, plus straight rainstrips, based on good evidence?

[rob]

These were completed in May '04 along with a D&S GN ballast brake-to the best of my knowledge I based the 4 wheel vans roof layout on the 8 wheels...best I could do at the time....I wonder if anyone else here can come up with a more accurate take?

[Atlantic 3279]

In the absence of anything better, my plan would be to assume similarity with the eight wheeler. I see you have also adopted the idea that as the stepboards were timber, they ought to be painted brown-red oxide. I asked a little way back in this thread whether that was considered correct for the 1930s, or whether (on steel underframed brakes at least) they were part of an overall black scheme for the underframe. Perhaps nobody now has surviving first-hand knowledge, or documentary evidence to contribute?

[Bill Bedford]

In the absence of anything better, my plan would be to assume similarity with the eight wheeler. I see you have also adopted the idea that as the stepboards were timber, they ought to be painted brown-red oxide. I asked a little way back in this thread whether that was considered correct for the 1930s, or whether (on steel underframed brakes at least) they were part of an overall black scheme for the underframe. Perhaps nobody now has surviving first-hand knowledge, or documentary evidence to contribute?

The centre top faces, at least, of the footboards should be a dirty grey, since the paint would have worn off with use.

[Atlantic 3279]

Agreed.

And what of those boards or parts of boards with intact or new paint, when clean enough to be seen?

[Atlantic 3279]

Handrails from 0.45mm brass wire, and verandah floors of planked plasikard epoxied in:

Since taking this picture, I've also glued some thin strips down the edges of the inner ends to hide the gaping joints, thinking this marginally easier or better than trying to fill and clean up effectively with restricted access.
Adding the handrails was a bit of a bind. Many of those on the side go into the body in places that are backed by the inner and outer ends, so the chance to easily attach them firmly by soldering on the inside is denied. In addition to the challenge of soldering up the T joints in four places per side, I also had fun with the two supporting points for the long horizontal rails. Thinking none of my shouldered handrail knobs short enough, and failing to find my shoulderless ones with discrete heads, I resorted to soldering the rails onto stubs of 0.75mm wire planted in the van side