Scratch Built Wagons....

[FWLR]

It has been sometime since I have posted on the forum due to my recent illness's. Although I am still not completely over it I am making a lot of progress.

So here is a thread on some scratch builds I have been undertaking. It may take sometime to show them mainly because my time has been limited by Anne because I still get very tired quickly, so it needs to been done even more slowly then usual

These wagons are just something I am playing around with to see what they turn out like and also to get some feed back on them. I won't get upset (that was one of the reasons I fell ill, getting wound up and stressing my heart) and won't take offence. You have to bare in mind that I run what Anne and I like to run on our line. Talking of which, we have moved to a more permeant place, so a new line is going to be built over time.

Here is a wagon I have built. The chassis is my attempt on the 3D printer, hopefully it is ok for you guys Then I decided to use some ply that I have and see how it turns out.

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Something is wrong, I can't see the photos when I Preview the post

anyway hopefully you can see them. The wheels are some Accrucraft I had bought sometime ago and the rest is all wood or 3D printed. The corner and centre straps are 3D printed so are the buffers. I didn't like them with that amount of space between them, so I have made adjustments.

I will show the other wagon tomorrow. Hopefully I will be able to see the preview before I post. Can a member of the team help me please.
This is what I see..

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[ge_rik]

Good to see you are on the mend and back on the forum, Rod.

Not sure why you aren't seeing any photos in preview. Are you seeing them once the post has been posted?

Rik

PS I've just tested your permissions and tried posting as you. I got the full post with attachments in preview.
Try another post, but this time only attach one image.

Sometimes, depending on your broadband speed, the images take a little while to upload to the system and so don't appear immediately.

PPS - Try editing your original post (by clicking on the pencil icon). Then try preview. Now the photos are on the system they should appear in preview

[philipy]

As Rik, said, it's good to see you back and hear that your health is improving, and also that a new line is in the offing.
That wagon looks really good, especially the u/f.

Like Rik, I don't understand why you can't see the pics in preview, but they do seem to be showing up OK in the post.
However, the screenshot that you've posted is cut off at the bottom, so I do wonder if its something as basic as you just haven't scrolled down far enough in the preview window? I know I've confused myself like that in the past

[FWLR]

Thank you both for your very kind comments, both on my recovery and the wagon.

I can see the photos in the post and I did get to see them when I previewed it again. I agree Phillip, I think it maybe our broadband speed. It has slowed down considerably since we have moved, although we are only 3/4's of a mile down the road and we are still near the green box. Unfortunately we can't get fibre yet...

[Peter Butler]

Excellent news to hear from you again Rod, I do like your wagon very much and your collection of paint-brushes puts mine to shame.... I only use cheapo ones and chuck them away when they get tired.
Looking forward to hearing and seeing more when you are able.

[ge_rik]

Hi Rod
Soory, forgot to say how much I like the wagon - and as Peter says, your paintbrushes are top-notch. I especially like the neat and tidy way they are stored. I have to admit that mine are just shoved (hand down) in a jam jar

Rik

[Andrew]

Welcome back Rod! Glad to hear you're on the mend.

Great wagon - I particularly like the individual planking and the bolt head detail on the strapping...

I was impressed by the paintbrush collection too! Grace keeps nicking mine for her ceramics work, the ones left in the jam jar leave a lot to be desired...

All the best,

Andrew.

[Lonsdaler]

Hello Rod! : back!
Glad to hear you are on the mend and things are looking more settled for you. Your waggon looks very good to me, and your workspace makes me ashamed Look forward to seeing more from you in the future

[Soar Valley Light]

Hi Rod,

Nice to see you back and to hear things are getting better for you.

The wagon looks great -far better than anything I could achieve.

Take it easy,

SVLR Andrew

[FWLR]

Hi Guys,

Some more on the scratch built wagons. Here are some photos showing how I made this one. The first photo is a price of ply that is marked out every 10mm and scored with a small screwdriver tip.

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It was scored on both sides. Then I did the sides and front and back of the wagon. I did do the front and back as one piece and then cut it in half. It's easier to score a bigger piece.

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They were all given a black wash, I wanted to try and get the grain to show through, but I did forget how to do it and consequently it went too dark. So unfortunately the rest of the wagons I have planned for the line will need now to be very dark also.

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Then I started to assemble it.
First I superglued the floor to the chassis.

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The two sides were than done the same way, but with the help of those ceramic squares.

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I am sorry, I didn't take a photo of the ends getting put on, I must remember to in the future to take photos of all stages of any builds I do. Maybe when I do the next one I will take a couple of photos of the ends.

Then i 3d printed the buffers for the wagon. You have seen the photo of them, so I won't bore you with it again. Then it was weathered and sealed with clear matt varnish.

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I have since altered the buffer slightly with the spacing of the buffer plates. I will show you more when I get a rest and with some more weathering done, if I can get it to look something like it should be. But then again it all depends on how much or little, people want the weathering to be.

[philipy]

They were all given a black wash, I wanted to try and get the grain to show through, but I did forget how to do it and consequently it went too dark. So unfortunately the rest of the wagons I have planned for the line will need now to be very dark also.

The wagon looks good Rod.
I wouldn't worry too much about the colour, you can always lighten it a little by using light coloured weathering over the top, and there is certainly no ned to make all other stock the same dark shade if you don't want to. Wagons come in all sorts of shades once they've been hard worked and stood in rain and sun for a few years.

[FWLR]

Thanks Phillip for your kind words.

I did think though that wagons needed to be the same colour and style. I learn something new everyday on this brilliant forum. I will try a lighter colour and see if it helps to brighten them up a bit.

[philipy]

I did think though that wagons needed to be the same colour and style.

Just take a look at Andrew's thread and particularly the two 'red' open wagons in the 3rd and 4th pictures. The rake has a wide variety of colours, but those two vehicles with the same basic livery, look totally different due to the level of weathering.
https://gardenrails.org/forum/viewtopic ... &start=615

[FWLR]

Thanks Phillip.

I forgot all about Andrew's thread. You are so right, they do look different. Looks like I will be getting them different after all.

[Soar Valley Light]

On the Midland Railway wagons were painted grey. Even as new that could vary between a pale grey and a dark grey. The reason was that the wagon paint was 'stretched out' by mixing in all the scraps of paint from the paint shop, so the 'colour of the day' depended on what other vehicles were being painted and how much paint they had over from the job! I imagine similar things must have happened on many 'low budget ' railways, which includes a great many narrow gauge enterprises. I've frequently placed great reliance on that practise for some of the colours my wagons have ended up being painted in.

SVLR Andrew

[FWLR]

On the Midland Railway wagons were painted grey. Even as new that could vary between a pale grey and a dark grey. The reason was that the wagon paint was 'stretched out' by mixing in all the scraps of paint from the paint shop, so the 'colour of the day' depended on what other vehicles were being painted and how much paint they had over from the job! I imagine similar things must have happened on many 'low budget ' railways, which includes a great many narrow gauge enterprises. I've frequently placed great reliance on that practise for some of the colours my wagons have ended up being painted in.

SVLR Andrew

Hi Andrew,

Thanks for your reply explaining a little bit more about the colours for rolling stock. So it was simply what paint was available at the time. I did wonder why there were different variants of colour on wagons and vans. I suppose that was the case for coaches also. But I suspect that wasn't the case in the really early years of railways.

[Seb_N&BLR]

I really like your wagon, it’s great to scratch build as the satisfaction afterwards is greater than simply assembling a kit in my experience.

Echoing what others have said, don’t fret about the colour. The thing about painted timber (or metal for that matter!) is that it fades in the sunlight. Therefore a wagon that has spent its time predominantly outdoors, would end up fading quicker than a wagon that has been stabled in a goods shed, under a canopy / tarpaulin or even just in natural shade. Equally a previously faded wagon might have been repainted and now look darker than the others. Or, if the railway is thrifty/broke, only damaged panels might have been painted so you end up with a patchwork effect, or even a different colour!

In terms of overall colour, if you don’t want to standardise on your first attempt, just paint some letters or initials on the side (e.g. “S.J.B. Coal” or something) and designate it a private-owner wagon. Your line might not physically own all its own rolling stock? I made that exact choice with my own first scratch built wagon - painted it red and decided that was a rubbish standard colour choice, so now it’s assigned to a local merchant who regularly ships barrels via my railway. This also helps to develop the overall narrative

[FWLR]

Hi Seb,

Thanks for your kind comment. I also would like to thank for your input on the colours of rolling stock. It is very welcome indeed.

[sjrixon]

That's a really nice wagon, the 3D printed chassis looks very neat and tidy.

Question - Where are you wheels from? They do look good.

[big-ted]

Those look great! I'm most impressed with those axle boxes. Did you 3D print those a well? I've found it really tricky to draw leaf springs in CAD. I think your efforts might inspire me to try again.