Timber Tram Combination Van
The timber tram van is based on the small one built for the Mapleton Tramway in Queensland and was built to provide basic passenger accomodation and goods transport on the timber tram for the timber company employees and a few selectors farming along part of the line. Simple rolling stock like this would have been built by the mill carpenter and blacksmith, using as few bought in parts as possible, probably just the wheel sets.
A cool change enabled the wheels and axles to be machined and a second one saw the wood cut for the build. The bogies on the Mapleton van were based on cane truck under frames and were the first part built.
The first pic shows a side frame built in much the same fashion as the prototype ones out of wood and brass.
The second pic. shows the two bogies assembled.
Next pic. is the conventional wooden underframe assembled from clear pine cut to size on the little Proxxon bench saw.
I drew the line at board by board construction for the body panels and the floor and bodywork is assembled from scribed ply and clear pine sawn sections. The pic shows the assembled body before the roof was completed and fitted. Some carlines are fitted to stiffen the body and the rest fitted to the roof to maintain the shape.
Because the underside of the roof is visible, it was reluctantly decided to build it board by board, which took me back to my ship modelling days. The final result is shown in the pic below, needing a few more details fitting and a coat of paint..
The next pic. shows the completed model. Timber tram rolling stock like this wasn't elaborately painted (if it was painted at all) and this one is in plain red oxide.
Passenger amenities were minimal and the next pic. shows the interior of the passenger compartment. A couple of slatted wooden seats for the few passengers and a shelf for any mail and parcels in the guards care. The guard gets glass windows, but the only thing between the passengers and the elements are canvas blinds that can be rolled down in wet weather.
The final pic. shows the van sitting in the sun on a hot afternoon with the timber company Krauss for company.
TVT Guards Van
The other project in this period was to change the bogies on the TVT bogie guards van, built a while ago as part of the bogie goods stock project.
It was fitted with LGB bar frame bogies when built, as there was no available alternative at the time. I had intended to fit a pair of Brandbright VoR bogies, but they went off the grid before I started the model.
Early this year Doug had a pair of Newqida passenger bogies for sale and I was back in business. Being based on an LGB design, fitting them just required making up some wheel sets and minor modification to the bogie mounting arrangements to set the ride height. Another cool change saw the wheel sets completed and the conversion started.
This pic shows a new bogie on the left and one of the old type on the right.
This pic. shows the van as originally built with the bar frame bogies.
The next pic. shows the van fitted with the passenger type bogies. I was considering recoding it for passenger work and it may yet get a VR style sign on the side stating 'SUITABLE FOR PASSENGER TRAINS'.
Regards,
Graeme
