Slaters Plastikard

Steamcoaster · Post by **Steamcoaster** » Tue Jan 01, 2013 2:40 pm

Happy New Year!

I am trying to get some feedback.

I like the Slaters brass slate Waggon. Their website says they are not currently available. Any news?

I am trying to decide between Andel Models or Slaters for a WD bogie Waggon. Any views? The websites suggest to me that Slaters have the edge.

Being in Perth WA means I can't view anything for real at exhibitions.

All help gratefully received.

Regards

Rupert

tuppenced · Post by **tuppenced** » Tue Jan 01, 2013 5:36 pm

The best WD wagons by far are Swanswood, which are wood and whitemetal, with whitemetal bogies from Wrightscale and scale wheels from Slaters.

Andel is cast resin, while Slaters is well-detailed but delicate polystyrene - more of an indoor thing.

David

taliesin · Post by **taliesin** » Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:51 pm

Unfortunately Swanswood appear to have left the scene, however the white metal bogies were from Wrightscale who are very much with us.
The Swanswood kits were originally supplied by DJB Engineering who have released a couple of wagon kits in recent years so maybe there is more to come? cheers Rob

tuppenced · Post by **tuppenced** » Tue Jan 01, 2013 10:14 pm

When I spoke to Felton Vowler a few weeks ago, he said he can still supply some types of wagon from stock.

David

taliesin · Post by **taliesin** » Wed Jan 02, 2013 9:07 am

You did well to speak to him David, several threads on this forum have shown that he has been a hard man to get hold of in recent times. Any idea what kits he has left? cheers Rob

Steamcoaster · Post by **Steamcoaster** » Wed Jan 02, 2013 9:19 am

Hi

The Swanson stuff certainly looks good. The timber body is just what I'm looking for.

Couldn't find anything at DJB but found Wrightscale.

Thanks for the feedback.

Chris Cairns · Post by **Chris Cairns** » Wed Jan 02, 2013 10:58 am

Swanswood are still being advertised on the SM32 website - http://www.appc27.dsl.pipex.com/swanindex.htm

Chris Cairns.

taliesin · Post by **taliesin** » Wed Jan 02, 2013 11:17 am

Thats the easy bit Chris, you try contacting him

cheers Rob

astropsidings · Post by **astropsidings** » Fri Jan 04, 2013 11:55 am

Rupert,

I built and ran a Slaters WD bogie wagon for a while on my (now closed) railway (see http://gardenrails.myfreeforum.org/ftop ... asc-60.php and scroll down a little).

With the closure of the line, and a slight change of interest, this wagon is surplus to requirements and I'm happy to sell it. I also have another unbuilt Slaters kit along with an unbuilt slate wagon kit surplus also.

The WD wagon has run very successfully in the garden. The only thing I would do in future is perhaps insert a thin metal washer between the bogie and body, or make a thin brass sheet bearing.

It is odd that Slaters website seems to be showing the whole range as unavailable. They were there a couple of weeks ago.

Ian

Andrew · Post by **Andrew** » Mon Jan 07, 2013 4:55 pm

Hi Rupert,

I've nearly finished a pair of D class wagons which combine scratchbuilt wooden bodies with Andel bogies and strapping etc - Andy provided me with those parts separately as a special order. On the whole I'm quite pleased with how they've come out, although I'm struggling with he finishing touch which is weathering the strapping and bogies with "Real Rust". Don't think I've got the technique quite right yet.

Haven't tested themin the garden yet, think they'll be fine although I do have some concerns about the couplings, which are only held on with superglue.

If you go down that route beware which version you build - it seems they produced three and four plank versions which I didn't notice until I put it all together and found I had three plank starpping and a four plank body, or vica-versa, can't remember which...

All the best,

Andrew.

Steamcoaster · Post by **Steamcoaster** » Wed Jan 09, 2013 8:20 am

I'm looking at Wrightscale or Andels because I also need a set of bogies for an Ashover coach I'm building. One I started about 25 years ago. I've been working on a Roubdhouse kit of diamond frame bogies from the same period . A disappointing kit I would say and not cheap at the time. The wheels don't fit, but the IP Engineering ones do fit nicely. Getting the bearings to sit well and get the axles true and square is not easy or possible.

Or I might try and scratch build. Either said the done with no drawings. The irony here being that I used to drive at Leighton Buzzard pulling D wagons! I'm in Perth WA now. That way I can try and get some compensation included.

I'm disappointed with white metal from the diamond frame experience and I have no experience of resin.

Andrew · Post by **Andrew** » Wed Jan 09, 2013 10:56 am

Hello again,

The drawings I used are here:

http://www.wdlr.org.uk/wdlr/drawings.htm

Hope they're useful, they reproduce very nicely at 16mm scale.

I originally purchased Andel WD bogies for a Hudson toastrack which I've still not finished three years later (nothing on your 25 though!) then decided to build the 2 D Class wagons too. I asked Andy to supply the strapping too once I realised just how complicated it was going to be to fabricate.

I found the resin bits fine to put together, but as I said, I've not run them yet so don't know how that'll go, we'll see.

I'll hopefully finish the wagons by the weekend and will post pictures then.

Cheers,

Andrew.

TonyW · Post by **TonyW** » Thu Jan 17, 2013 12:54 pm

Steamcoaster:78731 wrote:I like the Slaters brass slate Waggon. Their website says they are not currently available. Any news?

I ordered some of both types (braked and unbraked) online yesterday, and they have just been delivered.

IrishPeter · Post by **IrishPeter** » Thu Jan 17, 2013 4:54 pm

Resin should be OK for bogie sides etc., provided there is not too much distortion as the casting dries, as it is a pretty resilient material. However, it is somewhat brittle.

White metal is useful only for details and relative smallparts such as W-irons in 16mm scale as it is a little too soft for the larger componants without some sort of stiffening. That is to say, white metal sideframes as detail over a brass body OK; all white metal can be a bit dicey given the heft of some SM32/45 vehicles.

Peter in AZ

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