(WH)WHR Rolling Stock

[FWLR]

Very very nice that van is Andrew.

A Christmas Mail train would be an excellent idea, for which I think you are doing secretly

[ge_rik]

I like the subtle weathering

Rik

[Andrew]

I like the subtle weathering

Thanks Rik - I wanted to go for "work worn" rather than "worn out" with this one...

[SimonWood]

Absolutely agree the weather is brilliant. Stunning job.

[Andrew]

Famous last words, of course, but I thought I'd try to squeeze in just a quick little project before Christmas.

Inspired by JMORG of this forum, indeed by his words on this very thread, I'm having a go at using a couple of Lineside Hut slate wagon kits to recreate a pair of the NWNGR's wooden slate wagons, as seen in this builders photo (courtesy of Gloucestershire Record Office, D4791/16/1):

At first glance, it's pretty similar to the Ffestiniog's wooden slate wagons, so my first attempt at a model used the classic Binnie kit. The problem is it's clearly too narrow, so Take Two involves Lineside Hut's wider wagons intended to run on 45mm track, as suggested by JMORG. LH kindly made me a special version of the kit, with an extra chassis piece, so I can use larger wheels of the correct pattern.

So far, I've made up the kits, with various minor modifications along the way, including biro inner tube slices on the uprights to represent the "bobbins", extra planks along the sides, and Binnie axleboxes. I've pinched the distinctive brake handle from the original Binnie version, which will revert almost to its original FR guise as art of the project.

Before I undertake lettering and weathering, I thought I'd temporarily put it together and try a quick recreation of the works photo - and here it is:

You can clearly tell that it's an approximation rather than an accurate model but it (and its unbraked twin) are turning into quite attractive models, I think...

Cheers all,

Andrew

[philipy]

Looks very good Andrew. As you say "approximation", but the curved brake plate should have 2 rows of holes and a man of your perspicasity could surely knock one up from styrene?

[Andrew]

Looks very good Andrew. As you say "approximation", but the curved brake plate should have 2 rows of holes and a man of your perspicasity could surely knock one up from styrene?

Ah, naturally I would have loved to make myself go cross-eyed doing that, but that's an optical illusion - the second row's on the rearmost plate. Phew!

[FWLR]

That is very good Andrew. You have shown it to be the real interpretation of the Ffestiniog's wagon.

You are really good at this aren't you.

[Peter Butler]

Very nice work Andrew, a fine representation.
Question..... on the 12" scale wagon, with 'bobbins' on the posts, how would the laths be slotted on and what then keeps them in place?

[Andrew]

Question..... on the 12" scale wagon, with 'bobbins' on the posts, how would the laths be slotted on and what then keeps them in place?

I don't actually know, but there are nuts on the top lath, so I think there's probably a threaded rod that runs all the way through, with the bobbins acting as spacers?

[Andrew]

Question..... on the 12" scale wagon, with 'bobbins' on the posts, how would the laths be slotted on and what then keeps them in place?

I don't actually know, but there are nuts on the top lath, so I think there's probably a threaded rod that runs all the way through, with the bobbins acting as spacers?

Aha! Here's a picture (from Festipedia) illustrating just that! Looks like the place of the bobbins is being taken by some plastic pipe during construction?

[Peter Butler]

That makes perfect sense in our 21st C. way of doing things but in the mid to late 19th C. I might question the availability of threaded rod. Perhaps a metal bar with threads at either end would be pushed through once the framework has been built (as per the picture) and the (hollow?) bobbins threaded on as it is inserted? Just a guess!

[philipy]

I think I'd agree with Peter ( not that I know!). Quarry workshops could turn out some amazing stuf, so threaded rod may well have been possible, but from a manufacturing cost, time, and simplicity, point of view, cutting a thread on a few inches at each end might make far more sense.

[StuartJ]

I think I'd agree with Peter ( not that I know!). Quarry workshops could turn out some amazing stuf, so threaded rod may well have been possible, but from a manufacturing cost, time, and simplicity, point of view, cutting a thread on a few inches at each end might make far more sense.

This is the remains of a slab waggon (upside down) rather than a slate waggon, but it shows the concept perfectly. The iron rods are all basically long bolts rather than threaded rods:


From: http://www.penmorfa.com/Rhosydd/gallery2.html

[Andrew]

I think I'd agree with Peter ( not that I know!). Quarry workshops could turn out some amazing stuf, so threaded rod may well have been possible, but from a manufacturing cost, time, and simplicity, point of view, cutting a thread on a few inches at each end might make far more sense.

This is the remains of a slab waggon (upside down) rather than a slate waggon, but it shows the concept perfectly. The iron rods are all basically long bolts rather than threaded rods:


From: http://www.penmorfa.com/Rhosydd/gallery2.html

All that lovely rust, mmmmmmm...