Monthly Archives: February 2015

Loco coal anyone?

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Another one that got some weathering attention last weekend was the LMS coal wagon.

Slaters LMS Loco Coal Wagon Slaters LMS Loco Coal Wagon Slaters LMS Loco Coal Wagon

The sunlight has lightened the inside somewhat – much more than in reality.

Slaters LMS Loco Coal Wagon Slaters LMS Loco Coal Wagon Slaters LMS Loco Coal Wagon

I am undecided as to whether I put a few lumps of stray coal inside to finish it off.

Thirst quenching

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The Beer van now has it’s transfers and I have started to weather the roof.

Gladiator LNWR Beer Van

The buffer looks to droop in the next shot but having checked it’s an optical illusion.

Gladiator LNWR Beer Van Gladiator LNWR Beer Van Gladiator LNWR Beer Van Gladiator LNWR Beer Van

And lastly I tried some of the Skytrex barrels out to see how they fit – they could have been designed for it.

Gladiator LNWR Beer Van

A Southern Interloper

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I had an interloper across the bench in the last few weeks in the form of a Parkside ex-SR Meat Van. I have had it in stock for a while but it doesn’t really fit my modelling needs so I enquired as to the best livery to make it attractive for sale and ultimately arranged to swap it for a couple of open wagon kits. Parkside SR Meat Van Parkside SR Meat Van Parkside SR Meat Van Parkside SR Meat Van Parkside SR Meat Van Parkside SR Meat Van

Gladiator LNWR-LMS Beer Van

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The next kit across the bench was one of my Christmas pressies (well you have to don’t you)
Along the way I picked up a new technique along the way that helped tremendously on this one with the overlays and I thought it worth sharing.
First I would like to offer my thanks to Geoff Stratford of Gladiator for sending me some more end stanchions after I melted one. Such customer service will be missed in your well earned retirement Geoff!
I planned from the outset to glue the etched overlays onto the cast frames on the sides but as I was tinning the various body sections to allow me to add the cast parts with 70 degree solder and subsequently melting one of the end stanchions I started to think ahead to the bits that I might struggle with later – in terms of either melting them or bit’s dropping off.
I decided to try tinning the overlays with 145 degree and then tinning them again with 70 degree over the top of the 145. I then placed the overlay on the cast frame applied some flux and ran my lower temp iron down the side of the overlay and hey presto it was stuck fast.
I even used the same process on the corner brackets on the bras to brass bit’s where they covered the cast frames.
Gladiator LNWR-LMS Beer Van Gladiator LNWR-LMS Beer Van Gladiator LNWR-LMS Beer Van Gladiator LNWR-LMS Beer Van Gladiator LNWR-LMS Beer Van
In terms of the kit itself I made it up as per the instructions with the only deviations in the form of adding a brass floor and a couple of 14ba nuts on the outsides of the brake levers where they attach to the V hangers.
I also made the roof removable to aid painting.

Another From North of the Border

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This weekend hasn’t seen any construction works but I did added transfers to the open wagon and start to weather it. I also finished the weathering on another NBR 8 ton box van.

I am on the look out for some more of these to use as the basis for some semi scratch builds.

I used this van as a bit of a test to see if IPA works the same as meths for manipulating acrylic paint after it’s dried and I am pleased to say it does and it isn’t quite as aggressive as meths which is a bonus – I have had a couple of instances with meths where I have inadvertently taken the paint back to bare plastic.

Weathered Parkside NBR-LNER 8 Ton Van Weathered Parkside NBR-LNER 8 Ton Van Weathered Parkside NBR-LNER 8 Ton Van Weathered Parkside NBR-LNER 8 Ton Van

Slaters LMS 7 Plank Loco Coal wagon ready for painting.

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The final installment of the build of this wagon. The underframe details are a bit Heinz 57

The W Irons and V hangers are Exactoscale

The Axle boxes and Brake levers are Parkside

The brakes, guards and lever guard are from the kit.

The door banger is scrap etch from Parkside couplings

The extension timbers and bottom door levers are MMP detailing kit.

Slaters LMS 7 Plank Open Wagon Slaters LMS 7 Plank Open Wagon Slaters LMS 7 Plank Open Wagon Slaters LMS 7 Plank Open Wagon Slaters LMS 7 Plank Open Wagon Slaters LMS 7 Plank Open Wagon

I also added some representations of the bottom doors to the underside to cover the exposed Exactoscale underframe – not that you can see it in the photos or when it’s on it wheels…..