1/32 A new venture, a GWR V18 Box Van.

[Dave Bowden]

Hi All
Here’s a new venture with a friend of mine from our local O Gauge group (KLOGG) to produce a GWR 16’ V18 Box Van at a sensible price. He has made the patterns from plastikard for one side and one end.

This has been ongoing for a while now; so whilst I’ve been away on holiday for the last five weeks in Canada Mike Williams (Williams Models) has been fettling the masters into a form that he could produce moulds from. Mike posted two sets of sides to me on Monday this week, with the ends to follow in a couple of weeks’ time.

In between catching up on mowing the grass and various other things that needed attention on our return I’ve been looking for suppliers for parts.

The idea is that I will make these available to whoever is interested in one or more. This could be made available as a complete kit of parts or just a set of the resin castings! I don’t envisage this being in a box as that adds additional cost, more of a jiffy bag. I would make available a list of suppliers for those who choose to source their own parts.

I haven’t resolved yet how to proceed with the sole bars and buffer beams, but I have been looking at Peter Corzilius’s range of chassis he produces, his are more aimed at more modern vehicles, but something to get ideas from.

The V18 16’ box vans were produced in two variants.
(1) 12t Vacuum braked with S/C buffers end bonnet ventilators and Morton hand brakes. 499 built from 1923-25 to Lot 919, numbers 104001-140, 104141-499 some of these were built with Iron Roofs.
(2) As (1) but unfitted. 989 built from 1923-25 to Lot 920, numbers 14501-5489 none of these had Iron Roofs.

Further information can be found from the excellent articles that John Lewis produced in 5 parts for the GWRJ, the V18 is covered in part 5.
I will post a photo of the two sides tomorrow taken in natural light, and as more information becomes available I’ll post it. I look forward to your comments!!

On further thoughts I have added the GA of the side end view and chassis. These were produced from a TIFF file bought from the Search Engine at the NRM.

 

[Dave Bowden]

Hi All

Here's three views of the resin van sides, taken at different light angles.




See the uploaded data for the V18 variants, these are extracts from the previously mentioned article.

Dave

 

[BrushType4]

Interesting. Looking forward to seeing the build of this.

 

[Dave Bowden]

Hi Phil

Thanks for the comment, there's still a long way to go with this yet, as I said previously I shall keep adding updates periodically. One thing I forgot to mention before is that there was an excellent article on The Peco Box Van by Ed Whailey in the Winter 2004 edition of The Larger Scale Journal. This covered the vans conversion into several variants.

The V18 Unfitted, Fitted and the Y12, V16 unfitted, V14 and Y4, S2 Fish Van.

If anyone would like a pdf copy then PM me.

Dave

 

[BrushType4]

Dave, for the sole bars and buffer beams, what parts are available? So in other words what are you missing?

 

[Dave Bowden]

Hi Phil

It may be that we have to get the buffer beams + buffers made up in resin as well!
I have been looking at made up chassis from various sources but these are all in 10mm,
and the wrong size over the headstock's.

Same for the sole bars, we could use brass H/T angle but that would mean no rivet detail!
There also doesn't appear to be any 1/32 scale S/C buffers available on the market either.

The idea was when we stared out was to produce a kit for a lot less than what was currently available on the market.

Dave

 

[Mike W]

Dave,

I think you are brake putting up a photo of the raw cast side taken against the light, and displaying on the screen twice full size.

Considering all of that, it looks good! Hope you can source or make the underframe OK.

Mike

 

[Dave Bowden]

Hi Mike

I think you meant brave not brake I think!

Since I put the photos up Mike Williams has rechecked the patten and the mould and he believes it will be OK after it is painted, he said he could not feel any blemishes, but for right or wrong I wanted people to see it in the raw.

Dave

 

[BrushType4]

A quick blast of Halfords primer will hide a multitude of sins and finger prints

 

[Dave Bowden]

Thanks Phil

I think myself and my friend who made the pattens had also come to the same conclusion.

Dave

See also my topic in Q & A on GWR freight grey paint.

 

[Simon]

Dave, for the chassis section one idea is to use the channel section that Slaters provide in their milk tank kit, it is the right section although not all the rivets will be in the right place(!)

If you wanted to try it out I cold let you have enough for one wagon, although Slaters are very good at supplying component parts if you ask them.

Alternatively you could make up our own channel section from strips of Plastikard, getting the curve in the web with small strips and or filler. That was what I did when I built my Toad brake van and its not quite as tedious as it sounds.

Buffer wise, if Slaters BR ribbed doesn't suit then I'd use some of Neil Butcher's lovely castings. I had steel rams turned up or me by Peter Korzelius, I think he will still do that if you ask. They came complete with springs and nuts for the turned shanks and were one of my best G1 purchases.

Simon

 

[Dave Bowden]

Dave, for the chassis section one idea is to use the channel section that Slaters provide in their milk tank kit, it is the right section although not all the rivets will be in the right place(!)

If you wanted to try it out I cold let you have enough for one wagon, although Slaters are very good at supplying component parts if you ask them.

Alternatively you could make up our own channel section from strips of Plastikard, getting the curve in the web with small strips and or filler. That was what I did when I built my Toad brake van and its not quite as tedious as it sounds.

Buffer wise, if Slaters BR ribbed doesn't suit then I'd use some of Neil Butcher's lovely castings. I had steel rams turned up or me by Peter Korzelius, I think he will still do that if you ask. They came complete with springs and nuts for the turned shanks and were one of my best G1 purchases.

Simon

Thanks Simon for the offer if you could let me have two 6" pieces enough for one wagon I'll replace them later or return yours to you.

I've already spoken to Neil Butcher about the buffers, but doesn't wont to do any S/C types, something to do with the amount of W/M I'd also earmarked Peter K for the heads & springs. Slater's do the instanter couplings which are required for a fitted version but are a bit stiff at £10.30 + P&P.

Dave

PS are you aware of the problem in uploading a file! I'm trying to upload photos in my Paint topic but nothing happens when clicking on 'upload a file'

 

[Simon]

Hi Dave, if you pm me your address I'll get some channel off to you, no need to replace it as I have several spare bits that came on a sprue with something else I needed for my lowfit.

I'm not aware of any upload problem.

Simon

 

[Dave Bowden]

Hi Dave, if you pm me your address I'll get some channel off to you, no need to replace it as I have several spare bits that came on a sprue with something else I needed for my lowfit.

I'm not aware of any upload problem.

Simon

I just figured it out what was happening the upload window was going behind my other open pages on my desktop. Sorted now, photos uploaded.

Dave

 

[Dave Bowden]

Hi All

I've now got the V18's ends back from Mike Williams, so here's a photo of a cleaned up end.



Because the original pattens were much thinner than Mike would have liked, he added about as much again to the backs. This insured they came out of the mould in one piece but the down side is 8 edges now need chamfering to give a nice joint at the corners.

We may decide to use one of the first sides and ends as a new patten and make new moulds from these. This hopefully would elevate having to file down the corners every time.

Ken Martin says he can possibly supply the Instanter coupling for those who wish to built a fitted version, he also can supply 3 link coupling for the unfitted.

I did find a source for S/C buffers from Walsall Model Industries, but are a bit expensive at £16.95 for a set of four. I can't remember if they were L/W or W/M. They also produce a suitable Vac Cyl @ £1.20 plus P & P of course.

Still a way to go yet!!

Dave

 

[Dave Bowden]

Hi All

Three more items arrived in the post from Ken Martin today, a set of three link couplings (Unfitted Van) and a set of couplings with the instanter coupling. (Fitted Van)

Also a nice set of L/W casting for an Axleguard with Spring, Axlebox, & keeper plate.

The Coupling are £5 per set and the Axleguard set are £18 per set of four.

The couplings are now ready for the BC treatment.



Dave

 

[Simon]

Ken's stuff is really nice, I've got his SR axleguards on my plywood van.

I'm afraid I still haven't found the Slater's milk tank underframe channel, it's here somewhere but is still eluding me

Simon

 

[BrushType4]

Dave, when are you going to start put this together? I'm looking forward to seeing this built up.

 

[Dave Bowden]

Ken's stuff is really nice, I've got his SR axleguards on my plywood van.

I'm afraid I still haven't found the Slater's milk tank underframe channel, it's here somewhere but is still eluding me

Simon

No problems Simon I'm quite happy to wait till it shows up.

Is there a photo of the milk tank in any of you topics I could look at?

Dave

 

[Simon]

No problems Simon I'm quite happy to wait till it shows up.

Is there a photo of the milk tank in any of you topics I could look at?

Dave

I don't think there is, like several of my models it badly needs weathering, it is an appallingly glossy blue at the moment

Simon