West End Workbench

rob · Post by **rob** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 10:21 pm

These look fabulous,the "teak" on the coach is utterly convincing. Look forward to more exGn coaches as promised!
Cheers,
Rob

jwealleans · Post by **jwealleans** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 10:15 am

I'm waiting for transfers for all those trucks, so I've gone back to an idea I had some time ago, which Bass then followed up here I was looking at the Parkside grain vans (PC13) and wondering how hard it would be to backdate one to the original build, which was to a GWR diagram (V20, I have learned). I posted a query on RMWeb here and all sorts of interesting possibilities opened up.

In the end I decided to try an original LNER build and a GWR V29 reconversion to grain traffic. Both will be for use on Thurston. There's a picture of the LNER one on the thread referenced above, and the GWR rebuild here. Parkside do extra sprues as spares for 75 p each, so away we went.

The LNER one I did as a cut and shut, moving the cross braced section to the centre and adding new sections with Slaters 6" planking. It doesn't quite match the Parkside, but once all that door bracing is over the top of it you'll not be able to tell. This is now waiting for some Evergreen strip to arrive. The framing is built up with 40 thou. x 30 thou. but the door frames themselves were of a larger section.

For the GWR one I removed the bracing on a plain side and then reinstated it in a different configuration using 10 thou x 30 thou. strip.

There are a few other minor differences between the vehicles - single roof door, buffers, axleboxes, steps. I'm fortunate to have a colleague in the Ely MRC who models the Dark Side and he's sent through a number of scans of the Russell GWR wagons book, which are proving very useful.

Frazmataz · Post by **Frazmataz** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 4:23 pm

Looking good Jwealleans, I saw the photo of the prototype on the RMWeb thread, looks like a great project

I can't wait to see how it ends up!

jwealleans · Post by **jwealleans** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 2:25 pm

Some more progress over the last couple of days. I've built up both bodies using a floor from 60 thou plastikard. I don't like the two piece floor Parkside provide. I also find the side/end joints on these kits very hard to get neat - they just don't seem to locate in the easy way many Parkside kits (presumably the more recent ones) do.

This is the GWR van showing my first attempt at the roof door. It also had very prominent frames around the end windows which the LNER don't seem to have adopted.

I've made up the LNER one as well and did the work on the roof door last night.

I've also assembled the hoppers and filled them with lead shot. This gets the weight right down where it needs to be and greatly helps the stability of the vehicle.

I will fit compensation units to these as they'll be used to shunt on Thurston.

wehf100 · Post by **wehf100** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 3:30 pm

ingenious! Must have taken a lot of work out of a full scratchbuild. Now, where's my Tatlow...

(although I dont think anyone would object if you described the finished model as scratchbuilt- there's hardly any kit left to 'bash'!)

Frazmataz · Post by **Frazmataz** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 4:26 pm

Excellent work with the roof door, it looks very convincing

jwealleans · Post by **jwealleans** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 1:52 pm

Thanks. I will use the solebars, ends, hopper and other bits from the kit, so it is more of a bash than anything else. This was my progress over the weekend: door bracing and the round doorstops which are very distinctive. I'm now onto the intricacies of the door mechanisms.

Frazmataz · Post by **Frazmataz** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 4:54 pm

Fantastic! That looks so good that I'm itching to have a go now!

jwealleans · Post by **jwealleans** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 10:58 am

Tell you what - why not have a crack at the LNER - GNR cattle wagon conversion? Then you can tell me about the pitfalls. On first inspection, you need to remake the door, perhaps add some extra end posts (I think there were examples with both two and four) and alter the solebars to make it a 10' wheelbase. I'm sure there are other little details in there I've missed.

Frazmataz · Post by **Frazmataz** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 4:01 pm

Well, I'll have to pick one up at the next Exhibition I'm going to (BorderRail, August), 'Cause I've just built my two LNER Cattle trucks as they are!

In the meantime, can you provide me with a photo of the prototype?

jwealleans · Post by **jwealleans** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 8:21 am

Bass - PM sent re the GNR Cattle van.

Slow progress this week, but there has been some... door gubbins added and a start made on the body-to-solebar brackets. I had to ditch the Parkside solebars as the brass W-iron assemblies wouldn't go between them. The replacements are Evergreen channel.

Adding the wheels has made a great difference - it feels like they're getting somewhere. I had to shorten the hopper unit to allow the rocking W-iron to work, but you have to look very hard to tell. Buffers on the LNER one are the RCH 18" type from ABS. The axleboxes and springs on this first LNER build were different to the Parkside kit - I'll have to look into sourcing those. The GWR ones are on the way from Dart Castings.

The door fastening mechanism was a small handwheel on a threaded rod - I imagine both for security of closing and to make it very hard for someone to open a full hopper side door and have 15 tons of grain land on his head. These were made of .33 brass wire and some small handwheels from a Brassmasters detailing kit.

Robpulham · Post by **Robpulham** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 12:00 am

Excellent work Jonathan, I have one on the bench at the moment that I was building as per the instructions, just replacing the brake gear for some mainly trains etched ones. Having seen your efforts I may try a little harder. Thanks for the subtle encouragement.

jwealleans · Post by **jwealleans** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 6:19 am

Pleased to be of service, Rob. For the kit version you can't do better than Geoff Kent's upgrade in The 4mm Wagon Vol. 1. That's what started me on detailing stock properly and he sets a standard I can only aspire to.

Robpulham · Post by **Robpulham** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 7:30 pm

Thanks for the tip Jonathan. By coincidence I was looking at the Geoff Kent wagon series in my local model shop wondering if they were worth investing in, but I got distracted and never actually opened one.

jwealleans · Post by **jwealleans** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 7:39 pm

Definitely worth the investment. Vol 1 covers the Grain Hopper, but all 3 are worth reading.