Garden Railway Forum

6 new "Whole Stick" wagons have just rolled out of the Ringbalin Light Railway workshop and have had their first test run which went well.

Enjoy these wagons in their current new state because after a cane cutting season out in the paddocks they will not look all that pretty.

They look good, Graeme.

Rik

GAP wrote: ↑Mon Nov 23, 2020 10:00 am 6 new "Whole Stick" wagons have just rolled out of the Ringbalin Light Railway workshop and have had their first test run which went well.

Enjoy these wagons in their current new state because after a cane cutting season out in the paddocks they will not look all that pretty.

Good to see. Nothing like a bit of batch building........ How many more left to build?

I assume no-one bothered painting cane trucks very often, so the standard livery would be weathered wood and rust, much like log bogies in Vic. and Tassie.?

Graeme

Very nice!

Glad they run well, there's nowhere to hide extra weight if they need any help staying on the track!

I look forward to seeing them suitably weathered in due course...

All the best,

Andrew.

This is the total number to be built they will be pulled by a LGB Stainz modified to look like an Australian sugar tank engine.

The wagons started life out as small kits from an EBay seller called Pasidump then were subjected to some surgery with a Dremel tool.

These type of wagons were made, used, abused then when they were no longer usable the wheels were pulled off and fitted to new chassis.

For extra weight I glued 5/16" washers behind each wheel (plastic) but if more weight is needed I will fit them with Bachmann small steel wheels, so far all the other wagons of this type have had no running problems. Actually the gap in the middle was cause by a puff of wind blowing as I took the picture that is how smooth they run.

Weathering will be a wash of acrylic artist paint thinned with methylated spirits and some rusty colour dry brushed on.

Weathering is now completed.
I used acrylic artist paint thinned with methylated spirit to try and get a grey timber that has been outside for a while.
The journals and buffer were painted with a mix of 2:1 Burnt Umber and Raw Umber.
Now all I need is an old straw/millet broom to make the cane loads.

Some pictures.

Another nice weathering job, good to see.
Grant.

Always nice to see more cane modelling. They've come up real nice - though you needn't I to tell you that! Are you going to permanently couple them as a rake? It's surprising how expensive millet brooms usually are. But shop around and you may be surprised at how cheap they can be, too.
Incidentally, I recently built a cane truck from scrap balsa; as a prototype for a planned rake of 30.

Would love to see that Stainz, if you've any photos?

Regards,
Aaron

Nice pair of wagons and I like the weathered effect, too.

Very impressed with your weathering

Old Man Aaron wrote: ↑Fri Nov 27, 2020 7:23 am Always nice to see more cane modelling. They've come up real nice - though you needn't I to tell you that! Are you going to permanently couple them as a rake? It's surprising how expensive millet brooms usually are. But shop around and you may be surprised at how cheap they can be, too.
Incidentally, I recently built a cane truck from scrap balsa; as a prototype for a planned rake of 30.

Would love to see that Stainz, if you've any photos?

Regards,
Aaron

Some pictures of the Stainz build.
The Stainz is the next cab off the rank to be built, loosely based on cane trains I have seen when I was young living in a sugar town and others around Queensland over the years. I also looked at the locos at the Australian Sugar Cane railway in Bundaberg where I volunteer. http://www.bundabergcanetrains.org.au/
Water tank hatch taken from a Newquida loco
Back dome made from Worcestershire sauce lid with parts from a Bachmann Big Hauler.
The front one from a radio volume knob glued to original dome.

I do like the look of those wagons. Gives me ideas for my dreamed of indoor line. Can you tell me how long they are please?

I agree, the wagons look great. Liking the look of the Stainz conversion too...

Cheers,

Andrew

gregh wrote: ↑Sat Nov 28, 2020 2:21 am I do like the look of those wagons. Gives me ideas for my dreamed of indoor line. Can you tell me how long they are please?

Deck size 140mm Long, 85mm Wide
Length overall (inc couplers) 180mm
Height 45mm

I get them from here, just ask for the flat car kit
https://www.ebay.com.au/sch/pasidump/m. ... pg=&_from=

Love what you're doing with that Stainz, and that rarely-modelled Qunaba livery. Another funny coincidence, I've a Stainz here waiting to receive a similar rebuild. Looking forward to seeing yours complete at the head of that rake.

Regards,
Aaron

For those who have no idea of what I am talking about when I say "whole stick wagons" this picture is from a local sugar mill marshalling area dated 1905, the wagons are what I am talking about.

The cane was all cut by hand in those days now it is done by machines known as harvesters.

It took a while but the Stainz to Cane Tank Engine conversion is close enough to call complete, just needs a few finishing touches.
As luck would have it, the coupler height of the Stainz shunting device (do not know the correct name) is the same height as the whole stick wagons.

A couple of pictures to whet the appetite till the blog gets an update.

1. The inspiration
2. My version
3. Side view of loco
4. Motor Controller is a Pololu 18V7 simple motor controller with a Hobbyking R/C receiver
5. Sound is supplied by a Mylocosound card
6. Components fitted

Just right, that is. Great work.

Next project is to make whole stick loads for the rake of wagons I have. I am going to try raffia which was suggested to me by someone on a forum.

Some pictures of the wagons and the new loco on the twilight run out to the farms, to drop off some empties for the morning's cut.

Running across the low trestle and backward up the incline.