Weather protection for your miniature wagon loads.

Yes, you have always called them tarpaulins but, in fact, they should really be called wagon sheets. I bet you didn't know that, did you?

Anyway, how to make them in model form?  Let me start by saying that basic idea is not mine. I read about it on another forum and ran with it, adapting it to suit my own particular requirements.  This method should be suitable for any of the smaller scales up to and including 7mm scale.

I model 4mm scale and the examples shown will be in this scale.

There have been discussions before on this website regarding the best material to use for the wagon sheet (or tarpaulin if you must), and even a discussion on the most suitable material for the miniature ropes, tea bag string even being suggested.  I wish that I had seen that before I started.

So to work.  Firstly, if you live in the UK pop along to your nearest supermarket and buy yourself a pack of Tunnock's caramel wafer biscuits.  They are those lovely chewy, chocolate covered wafer bars, which are particularly nice with a hot cup of tea.  I understand that Tunnock export worldwide so hopefully those of you not fortunate enough to live in the UK might be able to get your hands on them. Failing that, get yourself a UK penpal!


Next, pop the kettle on and make your favourite brew.  Enjoy one of the caramel wafers but do not throw away the foil wrapper as this will form the basis of our wagon sheet.  The foil is attached to a paper backing which forms the inside of the wrapper.  This paper will be the outside surface of our wagon sheet.


Now, down to business.  Brush off any chocolate clinging to the inside of the wrapper and screw it up into a ball. Now carefully unwrap the ball and gently smooth out the wrapper.  It should now be covered with small creases and be quite pliable. Remember that it is the paper side which will form the surface of our wagon sheet.


Wagon sheets were usually around 21 feet long by 14 feet wide, or thereabouts.  So, with reference to your particular modelling scale, cut the required number of sheets from the wrapper.  Each wrapper will provide two wagon sheets for 4mm scale and one for 7mm scale.


The following picture shows two wagon sheets cut from one wrapper.  The ink marks on the paper side are a result of my working out where the ropes would be attached.  Once I had established the positions I transferred the marks to the rear (foil) side of the sheets.  I would add here that my intention was to make two sheets but I prepared six, my reasoning being that I would probably make a hash of the lettering and numbering on some of them.  The idea was to select the best two at the end of the process.

Strictly speaking, the wagon sheets for the Southern Railway, and some other railway companies, should have the company initials, sheet number and manufacture date on all four sides.  All I was looking for was a reasonable impression of the lettering/numbering so I decided only to put them on the two long sides.

In my armoury of tools I came across this paint pen which had been purchased for a previous project…

        

The company initials were applied with the paint pen using the jig as previously mentioned.  The resultant letters needed a certain amount of refining to get the correct shape.  To achieve this I used a Pilot drawing pen and a straight edge.  The pen contains black ink.

       

To represent the ropes I bought a reel of polyester thread of an appropriate brown colour.  Lengths of the thread were glued to the foil side of the sheet, with five along each long edge and three along each short edge.                

That's nice Terry - any excuse I can get to try those Tunnock's caramel biscuits is most welcome ……………   I think they must have deleted our part of France from their export portfolio - I've never seen them here but assume "other wrappers" are available ………… :roll:

 Sheets or tarpaulins eh  -  :hmm   If you're a sailor, ex or exisiting, they'd have to be tarpaulins.  A "sheet" is a totally different beastie on a sailing boat…………….. ;-)

Incidentally, in days of yore, a company called "Smiths" produced a very good representation of wago tarpaulins (sheets) - not sure if they're still available. 
 

Hi Terry,

I use the printer and a template drawn up in a graphics program (CorelDraw or similar). White or very light grey lettering, dark grey background). Use lightweight cheap paper. Print, then crumple/fold the paper until the fibers get broken. Cut and fold to shape using glue to keep the shape. New sheets have white lettering, almost black background. Older ones grayer lettering and mid grey background. I use the spray function for splatter.


Nigel

"The spray function" ???   :hmm

You get the "spray function" from eating a Tunnock's biscuit while you are working on a wagon sheet. 
One of these days I'll get into putting wagon sheets on my N scale rolling stock, it will be an interesting exercise in miniature modelling… thanks for the suggested methods. very useful. 

cheers

[user=19]Marty[/user] wrote:

You get the "spray function" from eating a Tunnock's biscuit while you are working on a wagon sheet. 
………….

 

Ed

I think they still are but not sure where. Occasionally on fleabay.

se next post
 

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote:

That's nice Terry - any excuse I can get to try those Tunnock's caramel biscuits is most welcome ……………   I think they must have deleted our part of France from their export portfolio - I've never seen them here but assume "other wrappers" are available ………… :roll:

Sheets or tarpaulins eh  -  :hmm   If you're a sailor, ex or exisiting, they'd have to be tarpaulins.  A "sheet" is a totally different beastie on a sailing boat…………….. ;-)

Incidentally, in days of yore, a company called "Smiths" produced a very good representation of wago tarpaulins (sheets) - not sure if they're still available. 

I think they still  are but not sure where, ie primary source, occasionally on fleabay

Spray function? Most draw/paint and edit software has a spray gun function that can speckle using a different color. Basically a localized random pixe! color editor. Useful for cat tail weathering streaks on the ends of wagons as well. 

If and when we are running properly I'll do some examples. Early pre grouping tarps came in various colors for lettering. Watch the tarp dates if a rivet counter, they only lasted a few years. A 1930s tarp on a wagon in the 1950s would be a bit odd.


Nigel

Thanks for the explanation Nigel - I hadn't heard the term before - at least, not in this context !

Thank you all for your comments.  The Smiths' tarpaulins are still available for around £5 or £6 for a pack of five.  Here is one supplier, other are available:
Smiths Tarpaulins OO Gauge - Smiths Tarpaulins OO / N | Peters Spares Model Railways

Peco also manufacture wagon tarpaulins at £10.20 for a pack of eight.  They are printed on what appears to be felt and despite Peco's claim that the material convincingly replicates the textue and look of canvas, I remain to be convinced.  See one here:



As mentioned previously I required two wagon sheets.  One has already been shown adorning a wagon earlier in this thread.  The other is in place on its wagon but further detail is being added to make this a really interesting model.  All will be revealed shortly.

Terry 

And now we come to the second wagon sheet.  Whilst perusing my books looking for photos of wagon sheets to establish how they were used on the railways,  I chanced on an interesting picture.  The open wagon pictured was covered with a wagon sheet which was sagging under the weight of a large pool of water.  Apparently, this was quite common although I have never seen it modelled.  This struck me as one of those situtions which was crying out to be done.  I selected a Bachmann generic wagon in SR livery as my victim.  Two large rectangles of card were glued together, one on top of the other, and they were glued to the inside of the wagon.  This block of card was intended to support the centre of the wagon sheet.  The sheet was glued in place starting with pushing the centre down onto the card block to which glue had been applied.   The ropes were glued in place beneath the wagon as shown on the wagon previously completed in this thread.  Over the course of about six days a number of coats of gloss varnish were brushed into the well which had been created in the wagon sheet.  I chose to use Humbrol gloss varnish as it is of a thick consistency which I thought would be useful to build up the layers and give some depth to the 'water'.

Anyway, here is the finished result with which I am quite pleased.

Terry

 

Hi Terry,

Your photos show the tarpaulin is waterproof!

Your work has inspired me to do tarps for the Mining Railway in Wombat Creek.