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Sweet Miscellany
Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2023 3:01 am
by Old Man Aaron
I've been meaning for quite some time, to start a general sugar mill rollingstock thread, akin to Andrew's wonderful
(WH)WHR Rolling Stock.
Plan is to cover various wagonry development here in future. Locos will retain their own threads.
12/11/2019
A favourite prototype of mine is thought to be the last surviving wagon from the Mapleton Tramway here in QLD, which closed in 1945. The line, it's wagons and the two 13-ton Shays (see Accucraft's upcoming release) were bought by the nearby Moreton Central Mill. The line's
cream and fruit van was later converted into a carriage and rolling tool shed for the mill's bridge building/maintenance gang, and is
privately preserved today.
Using the usual balsa, popsicle sticks and coffee stirrers, the dimensions were eyeballed. I'm not modelling the real thing
exactly, just very closely.
As I was working in 45mm gauge at the time, a pair of rebuilt New Bright bogeys with Binnie wheels, was used.
25/01/2021
Very much a backburner project, progress was sporadic. Sugar mills being notoriously cheap, the prototype was painted with house paint - presumably already on hand. These older colours are widely available today as "heritage colours", and I too had them on hand for my foamboard buildings.
25/11/2023
I wanted my doors to slide like the real thing, and a simple arrangement was concocted from styrene square tube and I-beam.
The corrugated iron was made in the usual manner, but this time had to be pre-formed to fit - The real galvanised sheeting was left bare inside the wagon, and the model sheets were painted to reflect this prior to gluing into place. The panels were distressed with a tiny hammer and various screwdrivers before masking and spraying green. Since conversion to 32mm, the wagon now rides on a pair of Binnie skip frames. The "steel mesh" in the windows is flyscreen.
Not sure when I'll finish this one..
Re: Sweet Miscellany
Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2023 4:12 am
by dudeface
I approve!!
Re: Sweet Miscellany
Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2023 10:54 am
by Peter Butler
Your choice of building materials would never appear on my list, but they clearly work well for you.... lovely job!
Re: Sweet Miscellany
Posted: Wed Nov 29, 2023 4:36 am
by gregh
Geez Aaaron, your post came in 4 hours too late for me. I'm building a tiny brake van and had just finished scribing the 'timber' sides. It would have been much better made from corrugated iron.
Your model looks fantastic.
Re: Sweet Miscellany
Posted: Sat Dec 16, 2023 5:34 pm
by invicta280
That corrugated 'tin' van is the bees knees. Top marks on the cunning sliding door feature.
The mesh window guards are a great feature too. I have in mind to build a mail van from an adapted coach kit and fly screen mesh would be ideal, though you don't see it much here. Don't know why; it may be colder here but we still get flies in summer.
Re: Sweet Miscellany
Posted: Sat Dec 16, 2023 9:23 pm
by GAP
Old Man Aaron wrote: ↑Tue Nov 28, 2023 3:01 am
I've been meaning for quite some time, to start a general sugar mill rollingstock thread, akin to Andrew's wonderful
(WH)WHR Rolling Stock.
Plan is to cover various wagonry development here in future. Locos will retain their own threads.
12/11/2019
A favourite prototype of mine is thought to be the last surviving wagon from the Mapleton Tramway here in QLD, which closed in 1945. The line, it's wagons and the two 13-ton Shays (see Accucraft's upcoming release) were bought by the nearby Moreton Central Mill. The line's
cream and fruit van was later converted into a carriage and rolling tool shed for the mill's bridge building/maintenance gang, and is
privately preserved today.
Using the usual balsa, popsicle sticks and coffee stirrers, the dimensions were eyeballed. I'm not modelling the real thing
exactly, just very closely.
As I was working in 45mm gauge at the time, a pair of rebuilt New Bright bogeys with Binnie wheels, was used.
25/01/2021
Very much a backburner project, progress was sporadic. Sugar mills being notoriously cheap, the prototype was painted with house paint - presumably already on hand. These older colours are widely available today as "heritage colours", and I too had them on hand for my foamboard buildings.
25/11/2023
I wanted my doors to slide like the real thing, and a simple arrangement was concocted from styrene square tube and I-beam.
The corrugated iron was made in the usual manner, but this time had to be pre-formed to fit - The real galvanised sheeting was left bare inside the wagon, and the model sheets were painted to reflect this prior to gluing into place. The panels were distressed with a tiny hammer and various screwdrivers before masking and spraying green. Since conversion to 32mm, the wagon now rides on a pair of Binnie skip frames. The "steel mesh" in the windows is flyscreen.
Not sure when I'll finish this one..
Again another impressive piece of modelling.
Have you ever considered writing a blog showing your efforts?
If you did a lot more people could see and be helped by your modelling skills (Rik has had 1 million viewers on his) and you would have a chronological record of your work.
I started mine to have a record of what I had done, I find it easier to update the blog and then post links.
Re: Sweet Miscellany
Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2023 12:09 am
by Old Man Aaron
Surely you have more wheelsets somewhere, Greg.. What's one more van?
- Dewit.jpg (20.23 KiB) Viewed 4182 times
Funny you say that Graeme, I do have a
blog, for the same reason as you. I used to post there, then copy/paste text and images to the forum. But this takes hours to do, and I found that blogger had an infuriating tendency to mess with the page layout and spacing without my input. The forum is much easier to use. Besides, I don't get out much. I switched to using only the forum few years ago, for the social aspect as much as anything else.
Re: Sweet Miscellany
Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2023 2:06 am
by GAP
Old Man Aaron wrote: ↑Wed Dec 20, 2023 12:09 am
Surely you have more wheelsets somewhere, Greg.. What's one more van?
Dewit.jpg
Funny you say that Graeme, I do have a
blog, for the same reason as you. I used to post there, then copy/paste text and images to the forum. But this takes hours to do, and I found that blogger had an infuriating tendency to mess with the page layout and spacing without my input. The forum is much easier to use. Besides, I don't get out much. I switched to using only the forum few years ago, for the social aspect as much as anything else.
I just update my blog then post a link to it as I up date it, I do that on multiple forums and I find it easier.
Agree blogger can be a bit of a pain sometimes but I have learned through trial and error to drive it now.
Re: Sweet Miscellany
Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2024 8:10 am
by Old Man Aaron
Alright, the job I've been saving for a rainy day.
For whatever reason, I was looking forward to filling the wagon with a plethora of tiny tools - that I'd spent far too much money (and time) collecting.
Passing time getting over my first bout with The Plague™, several days were spent picking and painting the various tools and scrapbox junk.
Armour painting techniques are great for this.
A light grimy wash was applied to the interior and everything in it, to tie things together. My camera doesn't seem to bring it out - nor focus.
I've finally bought a "smart" phone after 15 years of doing without one, hopefully it's camera will be up to the up to the task of replacing my cheap old DSLR..
I've since fitted the roof bows, leaving only the corrugated roof and steps below the doors to do.
The three cane trucks I've kept separate from the rake (as permanent navvy wagons) have also been "tool-scattered".
No photos yet, I was going to try and make some rotted sleepers to load a couple of trucks.
When I re-timbered a rotted set of points 5 years back, I kept the old timbers for just such detailing. Those turned out to be unsuitable for anything but lineside detail, outdoors.
Thinking about it now, it'd be much easier to cut some "fresh" replacement sleepers instead..
Re: Sweet Miscellany
Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2024 8:24 am
by philipy
I just love those tools etc simply dumped on the bench, in addition to the heavier lumps left lying around. The generalweathering and wear is all superb as well. It will be such a shame to put the roof on and hide it all.
Re: Sweet Miscellany
Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2024 9:45 am
by ge_rik
That looks great. Love the details.
My only observation is that the floor looks immaculately clean. Clearly, one of the crew is extremely fastidious
Rik
Re: Sweet Miscellany
Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2024 10:47 am
by Phil.P
I too, spotted the shiny floor!
The rest is brilliant..
I have a load of tools, but am afraid to try painting anything..
Phil.P
Re: Sweet Miscellany
Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2024 5:26 pm
by Andrew
That's a REALLY lovely model! The detail's just fantastic...
It's a shame you're modelling a prototype, otherwise you could add skylights to allow the a better view of the inside, like those on a tool van that's just been restored on the GWSR, being pointed out most helpfully by the chap in this photo (courtesy of the excellent GWSR C&W blog):
