20Ton 6-wheel Goods Brake Van

I decided to stop work on the brake van featured in my previous post as it was proving too time consuming to correct all the mistakes, so at the moment it’s consigned to the sidings of shame. A better use of my time I decided was to build a 20 ton brake van from one of the etched sheets I had made some time ago, it was the last of these etches and there will be no more. The etched sheet is a basic “aid to wagon building” and though the parts provided are accurate it is not an easy project, there is much work before a recognisable van emerges. Construction of the model took me four weeks, working 2 or 3 hours a day and I thought the result pictured above worthwhile. Note the new improved HR pattern buffers which are now available from the GOG. I await some warmer weather in the north and the departure of the family of robins nesting in my workshop to glaze and  paint the van, number 14 is favourite.

Building a Jones d.25 goods brake van, a new project for ‘26

Jones d.25 goods brake van, Type B in original condition. 

The model started life as a series of etched sheets which I undertook to assess to see whether they would build into a respectable model and be suitable for issue as a kit or at least as a modelling aid . I soon realised that there were far too many mistakes and omissions to expect a modeller to rectify or make good, it would never do. However as I’d made some progress by the time this dawned on me I thought I’d continue and try and complete the model and here you can see progress to date.

Below the sole bar all is my own design. 

The superstructure and underframe are built as separate units which screw together. This facilitates construction and allows access to the interior for painting and glazing. The w-iron trays were raised slightly with Plastikard sheet to give clearance for the springs and axle boxes. I used my own etched w-irons without compensation of any sort and found that the chassis runs surprisingly smoothly.

Internal walls and cross-braces have been added to strengthen the structure and support the roof which is half etched and rather flimsy. Window openings have been thickened too to give a more robust appearance and add strength to the structure.

 

New Kit to build a Jones Open Wagon in 7mm scale

Pete can now offer a complete multi-media kit, or a fairly complete kit, to build a Highland Railway Jones open wagon. You still need to source your own choice of buffers, wheels, couplings and make a floor. Apart from these bits it's all there. 

This is what you get... 

1.Resin cast sides and ends with crisp interior as well as exterior detail. 

2.Etched brass sheet with w-irons and brake gear. 

3.Cast white metal springs and axle boxes. 

4.Cast brass horse hooks and brake lever pin-rack. 

Highland Railway sprung buffers, Ref. FO28 are now available from the Gauge O Guild shop.

Price of Jones Open Wagon, post free is …£35.00 or buy two for only £60.00

Tel. 07342 637 813

Email. armstrongps1@gmx.com    

 

Castings for axle boxes and springs are supplied with the kit. The brake gear shown here is supplied on the etched sheet.

Completed Jones open wagon displays the interior detail, the floor is from Slater’s 7mm planking.

The multi-media construction of the kit is evident here, the safety chains on the buffer beam are optional/ not included.

Etched w-irons and brake gear, cast axle box and springs add to the realism of the model, these items are available separately.
Axle boxes and springs for wagon £5.50 
Etch for w-irons and brake gear £10.50
Postage £1.55 2nd class or £2.60 first class

Also available are the wagons pictured below, these are not a complete kit. The sets comprise resin sides and ends, axle boxes and springs and an etched w-iron sheet. Price £35.00 or two for £60.00

Double-deck sheep wagon built from Pete’s “sides and ends” with added detail from his castings and etched sheet. 

16T Loco Coal Wagon, built from Pete’s “sides and ends” and etched w-iron sheet.

20Ton 6-wheel Goods Brake Van built from an etched sheet and completed with castings and other items from the trade. One etch remaining and it’s the last.

Drummond Fish Wagon. This wagon is more of a challenge to modellers, here seen complete though unpainted.

The underside showing a challenging aspect of this model, brake gear similar to a coach. More scratch building skills on display here.

Fish wagon complete, an indispensable addition to any Highland Railway train and a great model, well worth the effort it took to build.

NER Goods Brake Van

 I recently constructed this NER V4 brake van from a Connoisseur kit that’s a pleasure to build, it will be finished in NER livery using Ian Sadler’s book for reference. I made a few improvements, like thickening the end upright posts and filling in the rear of the veranda with planking, otherwise only minor tweaks. The NER lamp on the rear of the van is from one of my own masters and castings are now available from 1039 Models. The van runs beautifully without any compensation and weighs in at a satisfying 250g. The roof is removable so I can glaze the van later and is held fast by a long screw through the floor. Though the verandas are detailed and a guard will be included in the model from my new range of figures, there is no interior to the house, that task proved to be a bridge too far in this case.

V4 brake van completed recently in NER livery, using Ian Sadler’s book on these vehicles. The van is complemented and enlivened by one of my own 1:43 scale hand sculpted cast white metal figures.

Indispensable "Aid to Wagon Building" now available.

W-iron etch with brake gear

Pete's newly designed W-Iron etch is specifically designed for Highland Railway rolling stock and is suitable for all 7mm scale stock with both 3' 1" and the larger 3' 7" wheels.  It is etched in 0.4 brass and provides compensated w-irons for one vehicle. 
 

The "rocking-axle" and compensation unit.

The fold-over axle box keeper plate should first be bent back on itself dry, without solder. The etched dimples are not intended for rivets to be pressed out, they are designed to be drilled 0.5mm when the plate is in position and a brass 0.8mm head rivet inserted and soldered in place. You can see how neat these look in the picture above. When using the larger 3' 7" wheels some material needs to be removed from the rocking-axle tray to allow the wheels clearance. You need to enlarge the slot in the tray behind the wheels to 8 x 16 mm with a piercing saw.

The rocking-axle tray in place with 3' 1" wheels

W-iron in place with 3' 1" wheels, brake shoe and lever from the etch, note the use of brass rivets on both keeper plate and brake shoe. Springs and axle boxes are castings available form myself.

The W-iron etch completes a recently constructed 8 ton double-deck sheep wagon, built from my own resin cast "aid to wagon building". 

The W-Iron etch is available price £10.50 + postage at cost £1.70 1st class or 0.87 2nd class.

Order 3 and it's post free.

To order e-mail Pete on armstrongps1@gmx.com

Scrap Tank, complete, painted and ready for action.

7mm scale Scrap Tank HR 23 in Drummond II livery.

No.23 has been built without the aid of a kit and with the help of only a few castings sourced from manufacturers lists. The chimney, which is not available commercially, is the sole 3D printed component, it's made from a robust material and once I'd managed to seat it properly, I thought it looked very well. I inadvertently filed the rivets off the flare while working on it and replaced them before painting with resin transfer rivets, which are about the right size. The model was painted with Phoenix P727 Highland Rly. Dark Green (1885-1912) which is no longer available, it was my last tin. Only the superstructure was airbrushed, the rest of the engine was hand painted with Humbrol matt paints. The frames were painted dark green to which I added a touch of talc and a little matt black to add depth to the detail under the footplate; all the hand painted areas were later brushed with a stiff bristled brush to enliven them. Brightwork was masked before painting began with Tamiya masking tape, helped along by W & N Masking Fluid. Transfers on the buffer beam and rear of the bunker are  Methfix ones by Guilplates, these have no carrying film and are my preference, however they are no longer produced and my supply is running low, so I had to resort to water-slide ones from Fox Transfers for the H . R on the side tanks. 

  

The lamp in front of the chimney is a casting by LGM with a lense made from epoxy glue. Photographic evidence suggests that lamps were rather haphazardly positioned rather than conforming to the rules, which required two lamps on the roof for a shunter or yard engine.

Rear view shows firebox tools on the roof on the fireman's side of the cab and real coal in the 1 3/4 Ton bunker. The rear buffer beam carries neither insignia nor a vacuum pipe, as these yard engines were not equipped with that braking system. The rear windows are protected by vertical bars which were soldered to the brass window surrounds. Coupling hooks are cut from chunky nickel silver sheet and sprung behind the buffer beam, links are formed from n/s wire on a jig.   

Large balance weights were cut from 0.4 n/s sheet and impressed with rivets.

The tools, tool box and the driver and fireman are my own sculpture, cast in white metal in my workshop, they are designed to enliven the confined space of the cab without crowding it.

I constructed the reverser from chunky nickel silver sheet and detailed the basic shape with bits and pieces before painting it. The floor is real wood strip, back-head castings are from LGM and 62C with modifications, the oil cans are my own castings.

Rare Post Card of HR23 Discovered

 

Click on the image to enlarge. 

I recently purchased this fine high-resolution post card image of 23 on ebay for a song. It's a little known image of this Scrap Tank and shows the engine in its early days at Perth, still in its original livery, with the company title in full on the side tanks. There are signs of wear and hard service which would suggest the picture was taken some time after the engine entered service in 1903.

The photo cropped up after I'd finished construction of the engine and resulted in a few retrospective additions, which would have been easier at the outset, nevertheless these details though minor, added a satisfying completeness to the model.

The interior of the cab is partially visible, revealing an upright rod topped by a winder, affixed to the front of the inner bunker which the fireman or driver has his right hand on; I think it might be a water valve. Whatever it is, it was worthwhile adding to increase interest in the cab interior.

Behind the cab step can be discerned the downward extension of the brake column, masked by the crew member. I added this elusive detail, which rarely shows up on photos, along with its link to the rear cross-member, which completed the brake rigging of the engine.

If you look closely at the cylinders I think you'll agree that they are not a pair as the nearside has a rivetted cover and the offside a plain one. I did not model this oddity as I think it was probably a temporary one and in any case my model represents the engine after 1919, in its days in service at Inverness. By this time the livery would have been updated so that only the initials H . R appeared on the tanks and I'm sure the cylinder covers would have been regularised by then.

Of interest also is the buffer beam, which doesn't seem to display the usual insignia, though this may be due to wear. The cylinder drain-cocks are of an early pattern and are not linked together. On the plate between the cylinders there is a curious central triangle of bolt heads; I modelled these just for fun.

I'd be interested to hear from any member who has a copy of this photo or has seen it before anywhere.