Garden Railway Forum

The conversion has begun, firstly by searching through my spares box to find 'Cambrian' bogies and steel wheel sets and building up the centre pivot to raise the height of the chassis...
Next the scratch-built plasticard chassis frame to support the tank. This includes access work platforms at either end. Made from car repair aluminium sheeting they look just right...
The original tank support frame is included next as it has parts of the detail attached and is an important part of the structure...
Finally the tank...
Apart from this (which still needs painting and detailing) I have also been busy building a retaining wall from local stone, here it is modelled by my glamorous assistant, Penny...
The plan is to add more space for another siding leading to an engine shed which I already have....
The base for the shed is made from 6 x 1 treated timber on a very substantial structure underneath...
More to follow.

Nice looking wall Peter, very substantial. I see the town planners are still working on ideas in the background. Waiting to see how that all pans out.
Grant.

I think your freightcar looks great. I however do not understand the use of it completely, since the thing originally is used to spread cow**** on a farmers land.. I can imagine that when visitors being unfriendly to your dog, you get out the secret weapon-car and cover them

I wondered why you'd been quiet for a while ..... Interesting mix of jobs, one requiring a lump-hammer and the other requiring tweezers. Glad you remembered which tool was required when - and as ever, both carried out with infinite patience and attention to detail.

Rik

"Yesterday's meals on wheels"
A rail honey- wagon. I assume that the houses in your village are on septic tanks not mains sewerage then?

I think he's going to use it to fertilise the lineside vegetation.

Great picture of Penny Peter, my dog Milo always sit outside in the garden when I am tinkering in the garage - something about having a dog and a railway isn't there?

Hi Peter,

Lovely work again, the underframe is a materspiece on it's own! The detailing makes it look like you could fire up the pump and start spraying!

I hope you took pity on Penny and threw that stick for her

Andrew

Thanks for all the kind replies guys..... in turn I will try to respond and explain.

LNR.... the Town Planners are all away on holiday (at our expense) so the location of structures is temporarily on hold.
Daan... the original purpose of the tank may well be as you describe but I try to look at objects (and life) differently and adapt to my needs.
Rik... I have been waiting for suitable weather conditions for ages and as soon as I could I got on with wall building during the day and model making in the
evenings. I'm pleased to say I was never tempted to use the lump hammer inappropriately!
Jim.... Got it in one.... the tank is being used to suck, not blow. My imagination created a need for disposal of unwanted 'stuff' from the railway premises along
the line. Living in the country, with no mains drainage, gave me the idea of reproducing this in miniature, after all, everything should be 1/19th of the real
thing.
Philipy... No need for that, everything is growing well at the moment.
Tom.... Totally agree, dogs and railways are a perfect mix, as has already been stated on earlier threads.
Andrew.... It took me twice as long to finish the wall as Penny kept me busy throwing her ball. She is so quick at retrieving she has it at my feet before I pick up tools
and get back to the job. I wouldn't have it any other way as she is great company.

Anyway.... The tank is now assembled, painted and detailed, just waiting for weathering. I wonder how brown it should be???

When I first saw this model tanker my thoughts were to build a 'Drain Train' which is something I have had in mind for a while, however I couldn't remember where the spark of this daft idea originated. This morning Google came to my rescue (again!) and behold, a selection of 12"/ft. Drain Trains appeared..... prototype for everything if you look for it.

Looks like you're not alone in combining an interest in drains and trains .... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... nyone.html

Rik

To accompany my tank wagon and make up the Drain Train, I decided to convert one of my bogie wagons into a pipe carrier, complete with generator to power the pump on the tank and the HIAB which is used to lift damaged pipes and lay new ones....
The original bogie wagon which I built about 20 years ago...
The converted wagon which now carries pipes ready for installing on site as required... A personnel vehicle will follow shortly.

Will the loco used to pull the train be powered by Natural Gas?

Gralyn wrote: Mon May 15, 2017 10:00 pm Will the loco used to pull the train be powered by Natural Gas?

Your mind seems to work like mine although I hadn't thought that far ahead. Perhaps I'll work on that one.

Powered by un natural gas would be more amusing.

Perhaps the line may have to be renamed - The Reek and Manifold Railway

Thanks to all for your replies, the Drain Train has been one of my current projects and is now nearing completion. In order for it to be a representation of a self sufficient work platform I have built a workmen's carriage combined with a lockable storage unit for their valuable tools (not that they would be stolen in my friendly and honest village) and a cage for holding various sizes of spare pipes and couplings.... just in case! A useful train I think.... just needs some 'mucking-up'

looking good peter nice industrial looking train

Very smart! As you say, maybe a little strategically placed muck will round it off.

Rik

Spot on Peter,
Perhaps you should rename the loco IZAL?