Dog Star
Western Thunderer
To recap... additions to Peter's train of engineer's wagons are a couple of Parkside Grampus kits whilst Peter's liking for hopper wagons has prompted the purchase of two Parkside kits for the 21T (unfitted) coal hopper, as here:-
To continue:- browsing Paul Bartlett's wagon photos showed that by the mid 1980s the remaining HTOs in the north of the country had been fitted with the vacuum brake and taken the TOPS code of HTV. The addition of a cast vacuum cylinder to our Parkside HTO kit was arranged and then photos acquired to illustrate the difference(s) between HTO and HTV for the brake arrangement. At the same time I was given a link to the Rumney Models website where I found the instructions for an underframe kit which is suitable for a vac-fitted diagram 1/146 21T hopper wagon ( as per the Parkside kit). The instructions are very helpful is getting to grips with the HTO / HTV changes... the only downside for me is that the kit is for 4mm modellers rather than our chosen scale of 7mm .
Earlier this year I contacted Julian (@jjnewitt) to see if he might consider preparing an etch for adding the HTV gear to a Parkside 7mm HTO kit. Initial discussions suggested that our requirement for detail packs was less than Justin's view of a minimum to proceed. However, after realising that the brake gear of a HTO was similar to that of a Grampus - and we are intending to have more than a couple of those Parkside kits - the emphasis changed from being focussed on the HTV to detailing a Grampus with the vac gear parts of a HTV hiding in the corners of Grampus detailing sheet .
The current position is that Julian and I are discussing preparation of drawings / photo tools for a detailing pack for the Parkside 7mm Grampus kit, the contents to include, as a minimum:-
* lifting link brake gear for 12'0" WB underframe;
* V-hangers for brake cross-shaft and for lifting link;
* handbrake lever guard;
* storage basket for ends of the body.
Justin is thinking about including wagon numberplates and label clips. I shall provide an un-made kit so that Justin can test his drawings / parts against the mouldings.
In addition, we have discussed preparation of drawings for the etching of the vac cylinder brackets... vac brake shaft brackets... additional levers for the brake cross-shaft and vac brake shaft... bottom door levers...
What else ought to be considered as desirable for the Grampus detailing pack? and for the HTV conversion?
Please comment here or PM to Justin.
thanks, Graham
Visitors to the folding table this weekend have been kits from the Parkside Dundas range... some Grampii (kit ref. PS14) and a couple of the BR welded hopper (kit ref. PS104). The Grampus kit goes together nicely and we have selected a couple of candidates from Paul Bartlett's website (Paul is a member of this forum). The hopper kit is for an unfitted wagon to diagram 1/146 and TOPS code HTO and thereby can be found the reason for this post.
We are modelling the late BR period, circa 1986-88, and whilst there are a good number of photographs of these hoppers to be found on Paul's website the scenario for wagons post 1980 is that diagram 1/146 wagons with the original style of body (five stanchions) and subsequent modification (shortened centre stanchion) have been given vacuum cylinders (now TOPS code HTV). The photos show a single vacuum cylinder which is located on top and to one corner of the underframe. As yet I have no idea as to the arrangement of levers / pull-rods which connect the vacuum cylinder to the cross-shaft under the solebars.
Anyone converted the Parkside kit from un-fitted to fitted braking?
To continue:- browsing Paul Bartlett's wagon photos showed that by the mid 1980s the remaining HTOs in the north of the country had been fitted with the vacuum brake and taken the TOPS code of HTV. The addition of a cast vacuum cylinder to our Parkside HTO kit was arranged and then photos acquired to illustrate the difference(s) between HTO and HTV for the brake arrangement. At the same time I was given a link to the Rumney Models website where I found the instructions for an underframe kit which is suitable for a vac-fitted diagram 1/146 21T hopper wagon ( as per the Parkside kit). The instructions are very helpful is getting to grips with the HTO / HTV changes... the only downside for me is that the kit is for 4mm modellers rather than our chosen scale of 7mm .
Earlier this year I contacted Julian (@jjnewitt) to see if he might consider preparing an etch for adding the HTV gear to a Parkside 7mm HTO kit. Initial discussions suggested that our requirement for detail packs was less than Justin's view of a minimum to proceed. However, after realising that the brake gear of a HTO was similar to that of a Grampus - and we are intending to have more than a couple of those Parkside kits - the emphasis changed from being focussed on the HTV to detailing a Grampus with the vac gear parts of a HTV hiding in the corners of Grampus detailing sheet .
The current position is that Julian and I are discussing preparation of drawings / photo tools for a detailing pack for the Parkside 7mm Grampus kit, the contents to include, as a minimum:-
* lifting link brake gear for 12'0" WB underframe;
* V-hangers for brake cross-shaft and for lifting link;
* handbrake lever guard;
* storage basket for ends of the body.
Justin is thinking about including wagon numberplates and label clips. I shall provide an un-made kit so that Justin can test his drawings / parts against the mouldings.
In addition, we have discussed preparation of drawings for the etching of the vac cylinder brackets... vac brake shaft brackets... additional levers for the brake cross-shaft and vac brake shaft... bottom door levers...
What else ought to be considered as desirable for the Grampus detailing pack? and for the HTV conversion?
Please comment here or PM to Justin.
thanks, Graham