LBSCR Open Carriage Truck

Jon Nazareth

Western Thunderer
As I can't do any more to the horsebox until the weather warms up enough for painting, I've gone back to this. There's only one picture of the model on my G3 Workbench so, I thought that it would be easier to start a new thread. I saw this carriage truck on a drawing dated 1863 and felt that would be a good one to build. Problem is, the London and Brighton didn't actually build one quite like this and I'd already started the construction when I found this out. However, as I'd started, I thought that I would finish, if nothing else, it will be unique :D. There will be a problem if I ever want to put a number on it but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Jon

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Jon Nazareth

Western Thunderer
Just a mock up to show progress so far. It's riding a bit high as I've used the buffer coil springs by mistake. I thought that they were a bit strong :rolleyes:. I need to make the retaining bars that go across the width of the vehicle and then that's about it until the warmer weather gets here and then I can paint it.

Jon
 

Jon Nazareth

Western Thunderer
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This is going to be one of the bars that stops the carriage rolling to and fro on truck. The 'end' hasn't been soldered on yet but, I was wondering if this is how the end looked. The drawing isn't that clear, does anyone know how the end should look? While on the subject, a pin passes through the end of the bar and locates into one of the holes that can be seen on the drawing. Any guesses as to dia of pin? Or shall we say 1/2"?

Jon
 

jamiepage

Western Thunderer
A couple of details from an 1882 drawing for SM&AR/ M&SWJR carriage truck which may show something contemporary.
Wooden cross bars, chamfered, with metal ends bolted on.
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The forged ends of the cross bar are forked to pass above/ below the wider portion of metal side capping, and secured with Tee handled 'keys' which are presumably threaded and pass through the holes and into the lower fork (which is also presumably threaded).
Something like 1/2in seems reasonable.
Jamie
 

Mike W

Western Thunderer
Very nice Jon. Note on Jamie's drawing the flat bits sticking out of the side to locate around the wheels of a vehicle.

Mike
 

jamiepage

Western Thunderer
The Tee handle is shown here outboard of the 'notched strap buckle carrier' (or whatever it's called), but the crossbar could of course be positioned anywhere along the row of holes shown in the plan view above.
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Jon Nazareth

Western Thunderer
Jamie
Thanks for that. It's different but the same, if you see what I mean. I have some 'T' handles that I should be able to file up to look like the ones in the drawing.

Mike
Sorry but, I can't see any 'flat bits sticking out' on the drawing. I can see the strap, the bar and steel plate that the wheels would run on but that's all.

Jon
 

Mike W

Western Thunderer
On the plan view the crossbar has a pair of steel fittings towards one side, facing inwards towards the vehicle being loaded. LNWR OCts had these too and I suspect they are universal.

Mike
 

Mike W

Western Thunderer
They are towards the the top of the drawing, mid-way over the wheel plates. I think each crossbar had one pair on one side only - enough to hold a wheel from sliding sideways across the vehicle.

Mike
 

jamiepage

Western Thunderer
These two prongs, Jon.
As Mike says, they were to capture a wheel on the carried carriage to help prevent sideways movement. Each crossbar had them fitted to one end, diametrically opposite each other. (Which made the crossbars identical, thinking about it).
Jamie

ps Crossbar labelled as measuring 2in x 4in.
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AndyB

Western Thunderer
Here is a similar end from a Midland Open Carriage Truck.
Hole (well, slot, actually) is 9/16" wide, so clearance size for a 1/2" pin or screw.

Andy
 

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Jon Nazareth

Western Thunderer
Andy
Yes, half inch seems to be favourite but looks quite small on the truck coming in at .022"! The T handles that I have are far too big so, I'll have to make something up.
Jon
 

Mike W

Western Thunderer
Sorry if this seems like a very small detail Jon, but if you happened to have a suitable and contemporary Gauge 3 road vehicle which you happened to think of as a load (hint hint), it would be nice to secure it correctly.

Mike
 

Jon Nazareth

Western Thunderer
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The G3 T handles were far too big for this job but, I found some O gauge handles which looked the part which I silver soldered them onto a short length of .027 nickel wire. The handles in the raw are above, one cleaned up handle to the left and three more on the right to finish off.

Jon
 
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Jon Nazareth

Western Thunderer
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Mike, just for you showing progress so far. I'm not that happy with the way that it goes together but, I'm pressing on with it. Obviously the cad files exist for this version and I'm wondering how difficult it would be to use them to produce some brass etches.
Jon
 

AndyB

Western Thunderer
I hope this is not deviating too much from Jon's thread, but a general question to all:
I don't recall seeing many (if any) photos of carriage trucks actually in use - most are works photos of empty vehicles. Did carriage trucks get used for transporting any and all sorts of horse-drawn vehicles around the country, or were they restricted to the conveyances of the wealthy gentry?
Yes, I know that our manufacturing base in those days was much more local, so larger towns and certainly cities would have local carriage builders. What about the railway companies' own horse-drawn vehicles? Certainly the Midland built theirs in Derby, and must have been transported to its goods depots such as Lawley Street (Birmingham) and Wicker (Sheffield).
Did the other large railway companies build their own? And if so, how were they transported?

Andy
 
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