Building a rake of AnDel Rolling Stock
- Chris Cairns
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- Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Building a rake of AnDel Rolling Stock
For someone who has yet to build his garden, before a garden railway can then be added, I very much enjoy the photos and videos that other members post of their achievements which does provide very useful inspiration.
In particular I think the idea of making up rakes of matching rolling stock is very appropriate from railways like the WLLR.
I was fortunate to meet Andy Bell at the 2008 Merstham Steam Rally when he was just starting his business. Having never modelled in resin before he demonstrated his Mark II wheels which include iron in their content, and I bought one of his Guards Van kits. Recently I obtained a Workman's Coach kit off eBay, and a 2nd hand 3 plank open wagon & box van through this Forum.
These 2nd hand vehicles helped to highlight a problem I was partly aware of whilst building the 2 kits, plus another one following a spectacular roll over behind a rather fast Mamod Brunel locomotive.
1. The chassis rails come pre-assembled with the axle boxes. However some of these axle boxes have not been mounted centrally so you need to allow for that when assembling the chassis. In addition there seems to be some inaccuracies in the base inner and chassis rails so if they are mounted at 90 degrees there can be some excessive sideways play of the axles. This is worst on the box van which having a high centre of gravity makes it susceptible to roll over at speed on curves. This is on the 32mm versions - I'm told that the 45mm versions do not have this sideways play by a fellow Forum member.
2. The brass rod used to make the coupling connections under the buffers is quite soft and the link pulled apart in the above box van roll over. So I solder up this coupling links.
I have also adopted some standards for this rake of rolling stock - matt black riveted strapping and buffer beams, white handles on brake operating levers, and white entrance/exit steps.
No.3 - 3 Plank Open Wagon
This was obtained 2nd hand from this Forum and needed some brass rod replacing in the brake gear, a minor repair to some riveted strapping, and the matt black paint touching up.
I already have enough coal wagons so I'll either leave this wagon empty to fill with a load as necessary, or perhaps make up a removable load of gravel.
It is fitted with curved spoke wheels and the maximum sideways play of the axles is 0.12"/3.05mm.
This model has been updated and is available (July 2013) with a new chassis and one piece body casting.
No.5 - Box Van
Again this was obtained 2nd hand from this Forum and needed some brass rod replacing in the brake gear, a missing coupling hook made from brass rod, the riveted strapping painted matt black and the roof glued back down. The roof has a crack which was previously repaired and I'm filling that in with milliput when resources permit.
Running this behind my Mamod Brunel which was speeding along at one point ended up with this box van rolling over on a curve and opening one of the coupling links which then de-coupled.
It is fitted with 3 hole disk wheels and the maximum sideways play of the axles is 0.14"/3.6mm.
I may add some lead weight to the bottom of the chassis to lower the centre of gravity and reduce the roll over tendency. This model is no longer available from AnDel.
I've nearly finished the Workman's Coach (takes time to paint everything), but the Guards Van is still work in progress as I wish to enhance the interior and make the roof removable.
Chris Cairns.
In particular I think the idea of making up rakes of matching rolling stock is very appropriate from railways like the WLLR.
I was fortunate to meet Andy Bell at the 2008 Merstham Steam Rally when he was just starting his business. Having never modelled in resin before he demonstrated his Mark II wheels which include iron in their content, and I bought one of his Guards Van kits. Recently I obtained a Workman's Coach kit off eBay, and a 2nd hand 3 plank open wagon & box van through this Forum.
These 2nd hand vehicles helped to highlight a problem I was partly aware of whilst building the 2 kits, plus another one following a spectacular roll over behind a rather fast Mamod Brunel locomotive.
1. The chassis rails come pre-assembled with the axle boxes. However some of these axle boxes have not been mounted centrally so you need to allow for that when assembling the chassis. In addition there seems to be some inaccuracies in the base inner and chassis rails so if they are mounted at 90 degrees there can be some excessive sideways play of the axles. This is worst on the box van which having a high centre of gravity makes it susceptible to roll over at speed on curves. This is on the 32mm versions - I'm told that the 45mm versions do not have this sideways play by a fellow Forum member.
2. The brass rod used to make the coupling connections under the buffers is quite soft and the link pulled apart in the above box van roll over. So I solder up this coupling links.
I have also adopted some standards for this rake of rolling stock - matt black riveted strapping and buffer beams, white handles on brake operating levers, and white entrance/exit steps.
No.3 - 3 Plank Open Wagon
This was obtained 2nd hand from this Forum and needed some brass rod replacing in the brake gear, a minor repair to some riveted strapping, and the matt black paint touching up.
I already have enough coal wagons so I'll either leave this wagon empty to fill with a load as necessary, or perhaps make up a removable load of gravel.
It is fitted with curved spoke wheels and the maximum sideways play of the axles is 0.12"/3.05mm.
This model has been updated and is available (July 2013) with a new chassis and one piece body casting.
No.5 - Box Van
Again this was obtained 2nd hand from this Forum and needed some brass rod replacing in the brake gear, a missing coupling hook made from brass rod, the riveted strapping painted matt black and the roof glued back down. The roof has a crack which was previously repaired and I'm filling that in with milliput when resources permit.
Running this behind my Mamod Brunel which was speeding along at one point ended up with this box van rolling over on a curve and opening one of the coupling links which then de-coupled.
It is fitted with 3 hole disk wheels and the maximum sideways play of the axles is 0.14"/3.6mm.
I may add some lead weight to the bottom of the chassis to lower the centre of gravity and reduce the roll over tendency. This model is no longer available from AnDel.
I've nearly finished the Workman's Coach (takes time to paint everything), but the Guards Van is still work in progress as I wish to enhance the interior and make the roof removable.
Chris Cairns.
- tom_tom_go
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Re: Building a rake of AnDel Rolling Stock
Chris,Chris Cairns:85501 wrote:
It is fitted with curved spoke wheels and the maximum sideways play of the axles is 0.12"/3.05mm.
It is fitted with 3 hole disk wheels and the maximum sideways play of the axles is 0.14"/3.6mm.
The easiest way to control the sideplay is to cut pieces of 1/8" bore K&S tube to the necessary length and slip them over the axle ends. Doesn't make a lot of difference if the axles are 3mm or 1/8" (I think Andel use 1/8"), as the piece of tube is acting as a crude thrust washer, not a bearing.
The alternative method is to just stack up washers on the axle ends to reduce the end float. Not as finely adjustable as pieces of tube cut and filed, but still a lot better than what you've got now.
Graeme
- Chris Cairns
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- Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Hi Graeme,
2nd response as myfreeforums was playing silly b-----s earlier.
The two 2nd hand wagons were obtained fully assembled and I have superglue'd in the replacement brake brass rod. Not sure how these were constructed (probably superglue'd, I have put the chassis's together on my 2 kits using 5 minute epoxy) so trying to remove one of the chassis rails will probably end up breaking something.
On my Guards van kit the sideways play is a maximum of 0.09"/2.3mm, whereas after knowing about the problem I was able to build my Workman's Coach by mounting one of the chassis rails towards the centre of the chassis thus giving only 0.04"/1mm sideways play whilst still allowing free running of the axles.
The Box Van suffers from the highest centre of gravity having no windows or balcony cut outs like the Coach & Guards Van so I'll only attach it to a locomotive that I know I can control properly (I had just made some running improvements to my Mamod Brunel and had not got used to the new regulator position when the box van rolled over - I'm slowly building a rake of industrial stock which will suit the Brunel & PPS De Winton better).
Chris Cairns.
2nd response as myfreeforums was playing silly b-----s earlier.
The two 2nd hand wagons were obtained fully assembled and I have superglue'd in the replacement brake brass rod. Not sure how these were constructed (probably superglue'd, I have put the chassis's together on my 2 kits using 5 minute epoxy) so trying to remove one of the chassis rails will probably end up breaking something.
On my Guards van kit the sideways play is a maximum of 0.09"/2.3mm, whereas after knowing about the problem I was able to build my Workman's Coach by mounting one of the chassis rails towards the centre of the chassis thus giving only 0.04"/1mm sideways play whilst still allowing free running of the axles.
The Box Van suffers from the highest centre of gravity having no windows or balcony cut outs like the Coach & Guards Van so I'll only attach it to a locomotive that I know I can control properly (I had just made some running improvements to my Mamod Brunel and had not got used to the new regulator position when the box van rolled over - I'm slowly building a rake of industrial stock which will suit the Brunel & PPS De Winton better).
Chris Cairns.
- Chris Cairns
- Driver
- Posts: 2366
- Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2007 7:25 pm
- Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Graeme/Ian,
Thanks for your spacer ideas. Initially I thought of using some plastikard to make some spacers, but I found if I cut a slit in my nylon washers, that I use as thrust washers on Mamod/MSS rolling stock axles, I could push these over the axle ends. So the sideways play is now much reduced.
I do have some lead sheet so I'll cut some of that up to glue to the inside of the box van chassis.
Chris Cairns.
Thanks for your spacer ideas. Initially I thought of using some plastikard to make some spacers, but I found if I cut a slit in my nylon washers, that I use as thrust washers on Mamod/MSS rolling stock axles, I could push these over the axle ends. So the sideways play is now much reduced.
I do have some lead sheet so I'll cut some of that up to glue to the inside of the box van chassis.
Chris Cairns.
- Chris Cairns
- Driver
- Posts: 2366
- Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2007 7:25 pm
- Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Finally got some painting completed.
No.6 - Workman's Coach
This unmade kit was obtained at a good price from eBay.
The kit is well equipped including glazing. I added interior door handles, and 2 grab rails to the outside (there was plenty of surplus brass rod).
There have been many discussions, both on this Forum and elsewhere on-line, regarding a lack of figures in models. As I will be glueing the roof down on this model I decided to include 2 figures inside - a leaning workman figure from Back2Bay6 (show special 5 figures for £10), and a Mr Swift from Swift Sixteen picked up at Peterborough for £1:25.
To finish this model you can see that the roof needs reshaping (the roof on my Guards Van kit is just as bad a fit) then glueing down, Mr Swift needs glueing to the seat, and the coupling rings need soldering up.
Being aware of the axle sideways play with these models I assembled the chassis with the rails slightly leaning towards the centre of the coach thus reducing the axle sideways play to 0.04"/1mm.
This kit is fitted with curved spoked wheels and is no longer available.
There has been no more progress on my Guards Van kit as I wait to sort out some interior detailing.
Chris Cairns.
No.6 - Workman's Coach
This unmade kit was obtained at a good price from eBay.
The kit is well equipped including glazing. I added interior door handles, and 2 grab rails to the outside (there was plenty of surplus brass rod).
There have been many discussions, both on this Forum and elsewhere on-line, regarding a lack of figures in models. As I will be glueing the roof down on this model I decided to include 2 figures inside - a leaning workman figure from Back2Bay6 (show special 5 figures for £10), and a Mr Swift from Swift Sixteen picked up at Peterborough for £1:25.
To finish this model you can see that the roof needs reshaping (the roof on my Guards Van kit is just as bad a fit) then glueing down, Mr Swift needs glueing to the seat, and the coupling rings need soldering up.
Being aware of the axle sideways play with these models I assembled the chassis with the rails slightly leaning towards the centre of the coach thus reducing the axle sideways play to 0.04"/1mm.
This kit is fitted with curved spoked wheels and is no longer available.
There has been no more progress on my Guards Van kit as I wait to sort out some interior detailing.
Chris Cairns.
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