Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Discussion of Rolling Stock related topics should go here
bazzer42
Driver
Driver
Posts: 1215
Joined: Sun Nov 25, 2012 1:37 pm
Location: Forest of Dean

Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by bazzer42 » Mon Sep 03, 2018 6:56 pm

Nothing better than "more space" :D

User avatar
IrishPeter
Driver
Driver
Posts: 1400
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:24 am
Location: 'Boro, VA

Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by IrishPeter » Mon Oct 08, 2018 4:20 am

Whilst I am waiting for the winter 'die back' to give me an idea of how much room I have for the Far End Tramway, I am building a little diesel loco out of one of HGLW's kits to provide some motive power whilst I get operations up and running. The chassis kit seems to drop together fairly easily, as the instructions are easily followed, and the parts are very clean. Got the basic frame put together in about 20 minutes 'reading the pictures' in the instruction. However, I am now temporarily stymied until I can get to the hardware shop for some primer - the last can's nozzle has died the death.


Cheers,

Peter in Va
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

User avatar
IrishPeter
Driver
Driver
Posts: 1400
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:24 am
Location: 'Boro, VA

Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by IrishPeter » Tue Nov 13, 2018 5:07 am

The little diesel was completed about a month ago, and has been wobbling up and down the 12 feet of 32mm gauge track in the basement. The wobble is due to the track been thrown down on a none too even shelf. Performance is reasonably satisfactory, but it needs some more weight. I may eventually branch out with my diesel livery, but this one is black like the one on my other line, the Skebawn and Castleknox Tramway.

The lastest wagon build for the S&CT&LR has left me with some spare wheelsets which have been re-gauged to 32mm, and will be the basis for a steel body 4-wh van similar to those used on the Darj. I have retrieved the materials for the basement (minor flooding imminent according to the weather forecast, and the blip-blip-blip from the floor sink down there) so I can start the build tomorrow or Wednesday. Well, I said I needed to build some more vans only trouble is it is for the wrong railway!

Anyway, what is in the back of my mind is the following:
Nicked off t'Internet
Nicked off t'Internet
DarjVans.jpg (302.46 KiB) Viewed 5653 times
They look a bit like small versions of the BR standard ventilated vans that were being cut up with such enthusiasm when I was a kid. I am wondering whether I need to make templates for these as I reckon there is going to be 'a few' of them. Mine will probably be a bit taller - say 160mm by 96mm by about 125mm - to reduce the wear and tear on 16mm scale flat caps.

The outdoor line is looking increasingly like I may follow LNR Grant's suggestion and go 'Mountain Railway' with it given the steep terrain around the back!

Cheers,
Peter in Va
Last edited by IrishPeter on Tue Nov 13, 2018 1:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

User avatar
ge_rik
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 6497
Joined: Sun Oct 25, 2009 10:20 pm
Location: Cheshire
Contact:

Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by ge_rik » Tue Nov 13, 2018 9:02 am

Hi Peter
Depending on how accurate you want them to be, the Newqida box car might provide you with a body shell as a starting point.
IMG_8405.JPG
IMG_8405.JPG (37.32 KiB) Viewed 5633 times
Rik
------------------------
Peckforton Light Railway - Blog Facebook Youtube

User avatar
IrishPeter
Driver
Driver
Posts: 1400
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:24 am
Location: 'Boro, VA

Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by IrishPeter » Wed Nov 14, 2018 4:31 am

Great idea, but it would involve putting my hand in my pocket and the scrap box is free! I have just paid the water bill, the personal property tax, the dog license, the gas, the electricity, and I also need to pay my quarterly income tax, so I am currently tighter than an Aberdonian at a church fete. The underframe consists of a lump of 12mm x 6mm basswood; part of a sheet of basswood left over from the last coach building project, and some logging car journals that I bought when playing the 'free postage if you spend so much' game.

It turns out this may not be the first 'steel van' but some sort of sentry box van, which is what the Far End Tramway uses instead of brake vans. The idea was a bit of lateral thinking, which is something I am good at even before a couple of beers. Mountain railways need to keep tare weights down, so a brake van that earns its keep as the place to dump LCL shipments, and parcels is an advantage. The initial design - sketched out on the back of a spare church bulletin - owes quite a bit to the Festobahn sentry boxes, though the box is in the middle not on the port side looking uphill. The rest is generic wooden van, though I might still go 'steel.'

More later!
Peter in VA

P.S. I reckon there is enough basswood left to act as the floor for the next passenger carriage. If not, it'll do for a couple of vans.
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

User avatar
FWLR
Driver
Driver
Posts: 4262
Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2017 9:45 am
Location: Preston, Lancashire, UK

Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by FWLR » Thu Nov 15, 2018 8:33 am

Sounds a very interesting build Peter. Looking forward to some update photos soon. :thumbright:

User avatar
IrishPeter
Driver
Driver
Posts: 1400
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:24 am
Location: 'Boro, VA

Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by IrishPeter » Fri Nov 16, 2018 8:05 pm

Photos in camera ready to be downloaded and resized by SWMBO. She wants to get the church bulletins done first.

Peter in Va
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

User avatar
IrishPeter
Driver
Driver
Posts: 1400
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:24 am
Location: 'Boro, VA

Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by IrishPeter » Sat Nov 17, 2018 11:31 pm

Here goes...
Sentry Box Brake 1
Sentry Box Brake 1
IMG_4302.JPG (217.16 KiB) Viewed 5417 times
Sentry Box Brake 2
Sentry Box Brake 2
IMG_4303.JPG (247.08 KiB) Viewed 5417 times
The 32mm gauge side of thing also has it first piece of motive power, and HGLW LB1
Far End "Diesel"
Far End "Diesel"
IMG_4304.JPG (279.22 KiB) Viewed 5417 times
Here seen at the head of the buffer and chain gang

Cheers,
Peter in Va
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

User avatar
FWLR
Driver
Driver
Posts: 4262
Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2017 9:45 am
Location: Preston, Lancashire, UK

Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by FWLR » Sun Nov 18, 2018 8:54 am

Loving your Box Van Peter. :thumbright:
Are they hex heads on the van.

The Loco looks good too.

User avatar
IrishPeter
Driver
Driver
Posts: 1400
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:24 am
Location: 'Boro, VA

Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by IrishPeter » Sun Nov 18, 2018 2:24 pm

Nothing so sophisticated as hex heads. 18 AWG trim nails IIRC. I usually glue the frame together, let it dry under weights on a very flat surface, and then drill out pilot holes for a few to strengthen the corners of the frames, and the ends of the vehicle. I like the frames to be square-ish and tight. No "limping lulus" if I can help it. I must have been feeling a bit ambitious when I started erecting this sentry box van 'cause I bunged them in down the sides as well, which is not my usual MO. I am now working on a history for this van, as my railway tend to develop quite complicated histories as I build them.

Cheers,
Peter in Va
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

User avatar
FWLR
Driver
Driver
Posts: 4262
Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2017 9:45 am
Location: Preston, Lancashire, UK

Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by FWLR » Mon Nov 19, 2018 11:33 am

You do an excellent job Peter. :thumbright: :thumbright:

I am just a simple soul myself though… :lol: :lol:

User avatar
IrishPeter
Driver
Driver
Posts: 1400
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:24 am
Location: 'Boro, VA

Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by IrishPeter » Wed Nov 21, 2018 3:15 am

Platform built on Sunday night and roof spars in tonight. I am not quite as fanatical about these for a goods wagon as I am when I am making a detachable roof for a passenger carriage mainly because the roof is fixed. That said, I do not like more than about 2" unsupported or you end up with hills and hollers in the roof. Still trying to decide the precise form of the sentry box, but I have not got much longer to dither on that point.

More pics tomorrow (hopefully) when I am putting the roof on.

Peter in Va
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

User avatar
IrishPeter
Driver
Driver
Posts: 1400
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:24 am
Location: 'Boro, VA

Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by IrishPeter » Wed Nov 28, 2018 5:10 am

The sentry box van seen broadside on. Small rolling stock like this comes from the early days of the Far End Tramway so far as thinking is concerned
Broadside shot
Broadside shot
IMG_4310.JPG (37.92 KiB) Viewed 5190 times
Nice three-quarter shot. Not sure about the extra step on the balcony.
Van 3/4 shot
Van 3/4 shot
IMG_4312.JPG (42.69 KiB) Viewed 5190 times
Little Black Diesel No. 2 and the Sentry Box Van
Van and the usual motive power
Van and the usual motive power
IMG_4313.JPG (42.8 KiB) Viewed 5190 times

Cheers,
Peter in Va
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

User avatar
FWLR
Driver
Driver
Posts: 4262
Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2017 9:45 am
Location: Preston, Lancashire, UK

Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by FWLR » Wed Nov 28, 2018 8:15 am

Nice van there Peter. Can't help with the step....it does seem a bit odd...But it's your build mate and if you like it that's all that matters.

User avatar
IrishPeter
Driver
Driver
Posts: 1400
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:24 am
Location: 'Boro, VA

Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by IrishPeter » Thu Nov 29, 2018 2:25 am

I did decide it was a bit odd, and knocked it off. The original idea was to make the floor of the sentry box high enough that an ordinary height guard could peer over the top, but the van sides are 96mm, and with the curve of the roof that ended up being 104mm in the centre, which meant that even with the step, the guard would have had to have been considerably over the Victorian average of 5'6" to be able to peer over. Instead we'll just make him a nice little sentry box to keep the worst off. As things develop a bit, I think the small stuff will end up being allocated to maintenance of way duties.

Cheers,
Peter in Va
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

User avatar
Andrew
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 3247
Joined: Tue Jul 03, 2012 1:33 pm
Location: Bristol, UK
Contact:

Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by Andrew » Thu Nov 29, 2018 8:55 am

I rather like the step, quirky in a Ffestiniog-esque kind of way, but I agree that if the guard still won't be able to peer over the top it's probably best left off... I've often thought that a "birdcage" style brake would be fun to make... Anyway, a nice van, and great to see you're back in modelling mode.

I really like the bogie brake third/compo in the background too (rather WHR Pickering-y?), including that beautifully utilitarian brown livery. Don't know about you, but I get a strange satisfaction when I'm sloshing plain "Kentish Green" over panelled carriages that would once have been more ornately decorated, a strange (and probably entirely misplaced) empathy with the staff at Boston Lodge or Dinas in the 20s. I think that's one of the reasons I brush paint too...

All the best,

Andrew.

User avatar
IrishPeter
Driver
Driver
Posts: 1400
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:24 am
Location: 'Boro, VA

Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by IrishPeter » Thu Nov 29, 2018 3:06 pm

I have two interests - Irish three foot gauge, and the sort of heavy duty 2' gauge that was sometimes used in the Colonies. At the moment the only 32mm gauge track I have is laid along the site of the goods platform at Skebawn station on the indoor Irish side of things, but that is about to change. I keep casting my eye on the garden looking for exactly where I need to put a couple of sweeping loops to get the railway going out there.

The coach in the background is based on a Bristol Composite built for the Tralee and Dingle. I say "based on" because I made the underframe a bit too long, so it ended up scale 28' not 27'! The utilitarian "brown" was the Great Southern's livery for second string carriages in the 1920s and 30s, it has a bit of red in it and resembles the old LNWR's colour, but it slightly lighter. I am glad though that you say it looks brown in bad light, because that it what folks used to say about the old GSR livery, especially when it was a bit worn.

I do have a bit of a utilitarian streak. The 45mm gauge /15mm scale Skebawn and Castleknox tends to reflect the quirky side, and my 32mm gauge/16mm scale line tends to be a manifestation of the Calthrop way of doing things. Standardisation, decent size rolling stock, good track, but a decided leaning towards minimalism and the corrugated iron club when it comes to stations and other buildings. The van is a bit of whimsey. The story goes that Engineers Department inherited some non-standard vehicles that the Traffic Department did not want, so they use them for minor works. Most of my other vehicles for the 2' gauge will be going on 400mm and 480mm underframes, and I will probably be cribbing liberally from SAR(NG) and Victorian Government Narrow Gauge Railways who also liked big equipment and standardisation. I was down in Nibelheim last night starting a couple of new underframes. :D

Cheers,
Peter in Va
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

User avatar
IrishPeter
Driver
Driver
Posts: 1400
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:24 am
Location: 'Boro, VA

Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by IrishPeter » Thu Dec 06, 2018 4:50 am

The sentry box van is somewhat further along. Here is the evidence...
3/4 View
3/4 View
IMG_4327.JPG (47.43 KiB) Viewed 4882 times
What the shunter sees...
End View
End View
IMG_4328.JPG (37.35 KiB) Viewed 4882 times
Another view...
Ole fills in as the Guard
Ole fills in as the Guard
IMG_4329.JPG (40.29 KiB) Viewed 4882 times
Handrails and faux brake mechanism are still needed, as Ole needs something to hang on to - he is a bit fond of a beer and a bump (repeat as necessary until the pain eases) when off duty. He fell off a freighter about five years ago and has been helping out on the railway ever since. I am also thinking of adding some curtains to help keep the rain off.
Side View
Side View
IMG_4330.JPG (42.06 KiB) Viewed 4881 times
Somewhat scruffy grey paint is a hallmark of the Far End, goods vehicles are well maintained mechanically, but the aesthetics are a bit lacking as they are needed back in traffic earning money. I will paint the ends of vehicle red, to give drivers something to aim at.

There is also another project down in Nibelheim, and this is to increase the quantity of available SM32 carriages from one to two.
Carriage - left
Carriage - left
IMG_4332.JPG (39.96 KiB) Viewed 4880 times
Based on a carriage built by Sachsishes Wagenfabrik, Werdau, in 1926 for the SAR/SAS narrow gauge. The original had a roughly 8 metre body on a 30' frame, so that fits in with the longer of my two standard frame lengths. The frame length was dictated by the SAR-SAS specification, which was basically in Imperial measure, and the rest was left up to the builders - in this case a German firm uses to using metric. The SAS NG had a mix of British and Dutch/Belgian/German built stock due to the peculiarities of South African politics as when the Afrikaner parties had a share in running the government the orders tended to go to Hannomag, Cockerill, Henschell, basically anyone who was not UK based, as payback for the second Boer War.

This carriage has a small 1st class compartment to the left; then the loo - this was a long distance carriage; and finally third class to the right. I suspect the prototype was probably an all-third or a composite without a loo originally, however, the sheer length of the Avontuur branch would have soon required the management to provide facilities, or for train crews to be very patient at the main stations! I went for the German built vehicle because I liked the look of it, and so I would not have to cut 18 x 4 windows (or 16 x 4, if it had a loo) to model the British-built compartment/semi-corridor stock. The next photo shows the other side. The two small windows were opposite one another, so there was either one large lavatory compartment, or more likely two, one for each class. The odd thing is That I have not been able to find the water tank for the flush, so I might be wrong about the purpose of the compartment with the small windows.
Carriage - t'other side
Carriage - t'other side
IMG_4334.JPG (39.69 KiB) Viewed 4880 times
As you can tell. My workbench is a disaster area, and I had a fairly profitable day off.

Cheers,
Peter in Va
Last edited by IrishPeter on Fri Dec 07, 2018 2:23 am, edited 5 times in total.
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

User avatar
FWLR
Driver
Driver
Posts: 4262
Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2017 9:45 am
Location: Preston, Lancashire, UK

Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by FWLR » Thu Dec 06, 2018 8:42 am

Like the way you have Ole peering out of the van, very good.

The new build looks very interesting..... :thumbright:

User avatar
Andrew
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 3247
Joined: Tue Jul 03, 2012 1:33 pm
Location: Bristol, UK
Contact:

Re: Rolling Stock for the Far End Tramway

Post by Andrew » Thu Dec 06, 2018 6:07 pm

The van looks great, the new carriage is fascinating - and there are interesting things in the background again! The 4-wheel passenger brake's very nice (I've a ig soft spot for such vehicles...) - and is the curvy-roofed vehicle next to it a tram car??

Andrew.

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 4 guests