HR d.4 van ready for traffic

HR d.4 Box Van complete

Built as a much needed addition to my Highland Railway train this is the second HR goods vehicle that I've completed, it's still a short train! My mate Grahame Brind sent me a jar of Floquil "Tuscan Red" which apparently he'd had for ages. He assured me that it was the best match for HR "claret" in which colour these vans were painted before 1896, and I think he was right. I've dry brushed the van with lighter tuscan red and air brushed my weathering mix from below for a lightly weathered effect.

There appears to be only a single photo of these vans in existence, and that hardly a close-up; it's in Peter Tatlow's "Highland Miscellany"...Plate 230; there is no visible insignia to identify the van as belonging to the HR and it may be that these vehicles simply relied on the cast plate on the solebar for identification. I've similarly allowed my van to display reticence regarding its identity.

Highland Railway D.4 Van

Plate 1. Railway workman RW6 in nonchalant pose beside HR d.4 van

The nonchalant workman is ref: RW6 from Pete's own "Heroes of the Footplate" range of 1:43 scale figures.

Plate 2. HR d.4 Van from a "Lochgorm Kits" etch, with additions.

I made a few additions and alterations to Lochgorm's Highland Railway d.4 Van...

I dispensed with the "rib and stringer" construction inside the roof and simply added a curved rib at each end and doubled the thickness of the roof all round with 0.45mm strip. I think this ensures an adequately robust roof structure. The roof can be removed though I can't see any reason why it needs to be; I think I'll glue it down to stop it rattling over the points.

I added a simple door fastening with a security chain made from twisted 0.2mm wire for the peg.

The ride height of the van needed adjusting which I achieved by adding more metal to the vertical rib that supports the rocking-axle tray.

The upper riveted corner plates when soldered to the side top rail and folded didn't meet the end top rail, they were in the air. I thickened the end top rails with short lengths of 1 x 1mm brass section which allowed the corner plates to seat snugly, you can see this modification in Plate1 above.

I made new brake levers as I found that when I'd removed the cusps from etched levers there was practically nothing left! I added lamp irons to the sides and ends in the positions indicated on the drawing supplied... and I made those little chains and pegs that dangle from the brake guards and are used to peg down the brake levers.

The axle boxes I found were oversize, so I modified them by sawing a square of metal out of the back so the bottom of the spring sat on the axle box. Then I cut away enough of the top of each axle box at the front to ensure that they didn't mask the springs, which I think much improved the look of the van below the sole bar. I had to cut away even more metal from the axle boxes at the rocking-axle end to ensure some rocking movement was retained.

Couplings were made up from CPL castings. Safety chains, which hang from modified hand-rail knobs, were made from 0.6mm n/s wire.

The completed van weighs in at a satisfyingly chunky 250g...possibly a little overweight, but undoubtedly adding to her smooth running qualities.

 

A new project...HR d.4 van

Lochgorm Kits' HR d.4 Goods Van, ends erected.

I'm not at my most fertile as a modeller in the summer as the seasonal distractions, not least of which is my role as a mountain guide in the Lake District, prove overwhelmingly diverting http://keswickrambles.blogspot.co.uk/. However, Andy Copp of Lochgorm Kits recently sent me one of the first production kits of his new Highland Railway d.4 Goods Van and despite the calls of fell walking, tennis, gardening and the like I found it irresistible and made an immediate start. I worked on the parts as time allowed adding as much detail as possible and cleaning them up as I went "in the flat" and I'm now ready to put the van together.

I made a few changes to the buffer beams as the etched parts supplied were at variance with the drawing in the instructions. I thought the buffer beam was too wide as well, the drawing shows it narrower than the body of the van, so I shortened it, which meant removing the end fold-overs that make the thickness of the beam. I replaced these with an inner buffer beam which fits up against the sole bars to form the back of the beam; the gap between the inner and outer buffer beam will be filled with Milliput later.

I soldered the coupling hook solid into the buffer beam draw-plate instead of using the usual sprung coupling hook method after reading what Raymond Walley had to say on the subject of sprung couplings. Springing doesn't add to the realistic effect when an engine starts its train if springs start springing and wagons rebound from one another in an undignified manner. It's a state of affairs that can easily be rectified by omitting the offending springs.     

HR d.39 Interior and Guard

HR d.39 Interior

The interior detail was supplied by a GA drawing though I think some detail may not have been included. The interior walls are painted "buff"; the exterior is "red oxide", transfers are from HMRS. HR goods vehicle lamps are from my own range of castings.

HR Guard c.1923

I found a photo of a HR guard on the HRSoc website, he was among a group of station staff and was clearly a "Guard" by the title on his cap. As the Highland ran mixed trains of passenger and goods stock I presumed that guards were guards and that there was no distinction in dress between passenger and goods guards.
I intend to add him to my range of "Heroes of the Footplate" soon with a choice of right arms to make him a multi-pose figure.

D.39 Brake Van at CD0GG

CR Pug on Carlisle & District 0 Gauge Guild layout

CD0GG's David Gibson built the fine station buildings and signal boxes that make a realistic backdrop for models running on the layout. Here my Caledonian 0-4-0 264 Class loco snakes her way through the goods sidings with a train composed entirely of  "Furness Wagon Works" stock, built by Mark and Jeff Dobson, proprietors of the wagon works. Ten fairly lightweight unloaded wagons with resin-cast uppers composed the train. It was only light work for a powerful little "Pug", in this case a largely scratch-built engine with an ABC gearbox and M1833 motor hidden away inside.

Unfinished but running well...LNER J36

Jeff Davidson's J36 is modelled as it would appear in its later days and will eventually be turned out in BR colours in well weathered condition. Here, with patched tender side she pushes a train of coal wagons through the scenic section of the Carlisle group's layout

Entries in the the April Modelling Competition.

The annual April CD0GG Modelling Competition was won on a vote by David Gibson's signal boxes and station buildings, which are in situ on the layout and form a realistic backdrop to the pictures I took today.

HR d.39 Brake Van brings up the tail.

A little light weathering at the last minute added a realistic touch to my d.39 van. Compared to the resin-cast wagons of the "Furness Wagon Works" train she's a heavyweight, weighing in at over 400g which I think adds to the realistic way she runs.

Bob Goodyear's late C19  Scottish Brake Van.

Bob shares my taste for early and rather obscure railway subjects and has indulged himself by adding a great deal of detail to the fairly basic set of etches which he used as his starting point for this model.

Pete's HR d.39 Brake Van at CD0GG today

HR d.39 

Towards the end of the CD0GG meeting my d.39 had her first taste of work at the tail of the "Furness" train.
There are new projects in the pipeline back in the studio, there's a new loco under construction and several more engines taking their turn in the paint-shop, all of which activity I'll feature on the Blog soon.

HR d.39 Construction Complete

HR d.39 Brake Van of 1922

Construction of the d.39 van, complete with its interior, is complete, I think I've included all the detail I could see on the GA drawing. The double skin and other additional details all add to the weight, the van's remarkably heavy, weighing in at around 400g, and a very smooth running vehicle it is. I think HR brake vans carried two tail lamps, so there will eventually be a double-aspect lamp mounted on the bracket above the near door.

HR d.39 Interior detail

Information regarding the interior of the van comes from a GA drawing which does not quite provide the full story, particularly in the area around the lookouts, one feels there may be other omissions. The lidded boxes at each end are sand-boxes. There are seats in the lookouts each side but apart from these and the stove there seems to be little of creature comfort for the guard. The plasticard wood planking is from Slaters and is mounted on the brass inner-skin; the four door sections can be removed for painting. The stove is a brass casting from Slaters ref: x705301. The brake mechanism is one of my own castings, with hand wheels from Ragstone Models, mounted on a scratch-built pillar.

 

HR d.39 Brake gear and sanding equipment

It's satisfyingly busy under the van, adding much interest to the model. Apart from the usual brake rigging there  sand pipes which curve down towards the wheels in each corner and are supported towards the bottom by brackets attached to the buffer beam.

You can see a nicely made 4mm version of the d.39 brake van built for the Portchullin layout at...  highlandmiscellany.com

A Fine Figure of a Fireman.

Heroes of the Footplate Ref.  R11

I painted this fireman, complete with coal, for an advertising agency in London who are working on a project for the Royal Mail, I'm not sure how they intend to use him. He was made, along with the driver R10, to crew my Highland Railway Skye Bogie, which he suits admirably, though I'm sure he'd be at home on many another engine.