1/32 New Northern Finescale Brake Van

Simon

Flying Squad
I've managed a tiny bit more, the cabin is now erected on to the chassis, although the internal veranda ends aren't yet fitted as I want to do a bit more work on them first. Repair panel added above duckets and I've started to make up the brackets on the chassis.

The roof is just laid on temporarily, it needs extending in length but is too thick and will be used on another wagon. I'll make one out of metal sheet and old shirt for this one I think.

Vanup.jpg
 

Simon

Flying Squad
Well, I subsequently cut down the width of the brackets on the sole bar as they were too wide and have now solvented on the "returns" at 90 degrees to the uprights on each bracket. The rest of life momentarily tamed, tonight I am thickening up the depth of the end platforms using 80 thou Plastikard. Currently clamped and drying, apart from cleaning up the edges the next job will be doing the same for the veranda floors using the same thickness of Plastikard.

Vanplats.jpg
 

Simon

Flying Squad
Veranda floors now glued in place, I have scribed the curb rail and floor planks into the Plastikard with my trusty Olfa and notched the floor around the end posts of the veranda. I have set the inside edge such that the inner veranda ends sit just inside the ends of the sides, which I think is correct. This picture shows the current state of play, the "concrete" ends have undergone some cleaning up, a bit of filling may be required to lose the "laminated look":rolleyes:

Vanver1.jpg

And here are the dreaded brackets, they're OK but they ought to be full height across the solebar face. I may let this last point go as by the time the footboards and brackets are in and it's all painted, it will be an error that's hard to spot. Then again I may just solvent on some oblong "chips" to fill in the gaps - I could of course have cut them to the right length just as easily….

Vanbrak1.jpg

That's it for tonight!
 
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Simon

Flying Squad
I have been slowly working away at the body, starting to add rivets etc, losing unwanted joint lines, filling in unwanted holes and better replicating the arrangement of timbering over the veranda doors etc. All OK, but as I've been looking at it in more detail I have become increasingly fed up with the chassis side of things. Although I spent pretty much a whole day making them, my W irons were frankly rubbish. Apart from shape issues, I'd managed to make one of them with the axle centre line on the proverbial, the wheelbase was slightly too long, the holes were in the wrong place, the metal I'd used was too thin, and so last night I tore them out and binned them. I also removed the springs and hangers fitted from the kit as they are just too lumpen, especially noticeable as the body acquires more detail. I shall replace them with the very nice Slaters ones from their milk tank.

So after much cleaning up underneath I have now placed the body on to two W irons folded up from an etch that Fred did for my Lowfit "kit" a whole eight years ago (gaaah!). I didn't use it initially as it goes with all the gubbins for LMS clasp brake gear which is sort of "wasted" now as this van won't need it.

Newguard1.jpg

Here's a clearer shot of the etched work.

Vanguard2.jpg

And yes, the rivets on the sole bar are now in the wrong place, such was the inaccuracy of the previous bodge up.

I shall also be replacing the buffers with the Slaters product as although they aren't bad, the Slaters are better.

It has to be said that the £140.00 spent buying the kit is looking to have been increasingly poor value, although a lot of what I'm doing might be argued to be optional, I'll be interested to see what others do with theirs - Barry?!?

I have also just noticed that I have very firmly epoxied an axlebox out of square:headbang:

On the brighter side of things, the body is starting to look increasingly "right" and I think this will sit happily alongside the brass model when it's finished. Still a lot left to do though.

Simon
 

lankytank

Western Thunderer
optional, I'll be interested to see what others do with theirs - Barry?!?


Simon, Brake van is currently a shelf queen - while I ponder the dross on the workbench - L&Y tintab break van (that I spent a small fortune on getting the etches blown up), various Slaters Opens (pukka purchases along with auction wins), various buildings/sheds/thunder boxes, that I volunteered to build for the Yorkshire groups new 'layout' Ridings (why......???), along with trying to get over to Keighley to give John T. a hand to build his colliery layout - to name just a few. :)):'(:)):'( That's without peering over the fence into the G3 garden..............!!!!!!!!

Look, I know I had some mojo when I put it down - now, do you think I can find it......... :eek:

Baz
 

Neil

Western Thunderer
.....

Look, I know I had some mojo when I put it down - now, do you think I can find it......... :eek:

Baz

My mojo often lurks under a pile of debris on my workbench. I find that a good tidy up and a clear cutting mat help me find it if it's gone missing.
 

Stoke5D

Western Thunderer
Simon


It's impressive to me to see the result of such hard work - well done.

At the risk of being accused of pedantry (again). Don't forget that there is a much lighter design body support bracket (basically a bent thin flat steel strip) that goes under the veranda outer ends at the four locations. This makes six body supports per side in total. It's quite noticeable, so I would expect you would want to include it but if not, it's still a good model compared to what you've started with.


Andrew
 

Simon

Flying Squad
Hi Andrew

Thank you for the timely reminder, I haven't forgotten about them but am debating whether to make them out of plastic strip or bend them up from brass.

Actually, you may be able to help me as there is a detail I'm fretting over which you can never see from photographs (and yes I know, this means it doesn't really matter that much) - being the top flange of the solebars. I think this runs along underneath the steel plate upon which the body is built, but that would mean that the brackets (that I have already represented) would be "notched" around it at their "top corners" if you see what I mean. Or does the top flange sort of "sit behind" the floor plating, which would actually make sense of the brackets?

Any guidance appreciated, I'm quite enjoying getting this level of detail right, it's my cack-handed workmanship on running gear that's getting to me!

A friend has today given me a proper GW plan of another wagon that I'm going to attempt in G1. Stupid, as I've got loads of projects on the go, but this brake van has re-awakened my taste for making wagon type shapes in plastikard and the subject is satisfyingly "different" looking:)

Simon
 

Simon

Flying Squad
I am now nearly where I thought I was a couple of weeks ago, such is the meteoric progress of this project:rolleyes:

W irons epoxied in place, correct wheelbase, square to chassis and Slaters spring mouldings worked on and fixed to chassis, errant rivet heads removed.

vanagain1.jpg

Interior and veranda inner faces painted grey, veranda inners need some bauxite re-touching then can be fixed in place.

vanagain2.jpg

I'll leave the paint to harden off for now. I may stick with the buffers as fitted, they don't shout out too much I think.

Simon
 

Stoke5D

Western Thunderer
Simon


The sole bar is a standard U channel beam as you see on most wagons and vans of the era. So as you say, you have to cut away the brackets to clear the top of the beam. See photo. below that shows this cut-away (incidentally, not one of my vans, which is just as well, as it looks like it was 'dropped' at some point...).

Also, see in this photo. one of the end brackets I mentioned previously. I think nickel silver or brass strip would be the best material to make these from, as you want to capture the prototypical 'bent tin' look...

Finally, note that there's several rivets etc. to consider, holding the axle guards on etc.

Hope this helps - keep up the good work.


Andrew


BR Brake Van body mount bracket notch and end bracket.jpg
 

Simon

Flying Squad
Thank you very much Andrew - that is a very helpful picture.

Not least because it also answers my next question, which was how does the "dropped" end of the vertical handrail terminate in front of the solebar.

Simon
 

Stoke5D

Western Thunderer
Thank you very much Andrew - that is a very helpful picture.

Not least because it also answers my next question, which was how does the "dropped" end of the vertical handrail terminate in front of the solebar.

Simon


Glad to be of help. Do let me know if I can supply more info.


Andrew
 

Simon

Flying Squad
A bit more progress, holes re-drilled for handrails, end brackets in, grabs on doors (out of view here) and handrails over concrete platforms in place. Also a bit more paint, visually "proving" the platform sides and around the veranda inner ends, which can now be fixed in place I think.

Endrails.jpg
 

Stoke5D

Western Thunderer
Nice brackets...

What's the idea behind the large circular hole on the buffer beam? I assume it's a feature of the original kit of course.


Andrew
 

Simon

Flying Squad
The hole is for the coupling surround - which was missing from the kit!! I'll chase it up later, but in the meantime I have been farting around with bits of brass and have codged the lower handrail supports and attached some of the other handrails. The veranda inner ends are now fixed in place.

Handrails.jpg

Bigrail.jpg
 

unklian

Western Thunderer
Your van just gets better and better Simon. I am following with great interest, as I have a similar project for Gauge 3. Just one thing, can I ask where you are getting your prototype info from please ?

Cheers Ian
 

Simon

Flying Squad
Thank you for your kind comments on the van. Apart from Paul Bartlett's site and looking through books, especially Larkin, my prime source of information has been that contained in two magazine articles, Roger Silsbury's "Datafile" in May 1983 MRC, from which I blew up a drawing to 1/32 and a Feb 2002 article from "Model Rail", both of which were very kindly lent to me by Neil. There are some good pictures on threads here too. I think the subject deserves its own book(!) the oft cited Eric Gent HMRS publication I find to be pretty useless for modelling purposes.

Simon
 
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