ITMA   

Allan, instanter couplings were only used on vacuum brake fitted wagons as far as I know.  They were an alternative to the screw link type which your Terrier should have.  Instanters could be used as regular three link for loose coupled trains or by putting the instanter link vertical reducing the coupling gap for fitted trains.  They were cheaper and lighter than screw link but would not be used (I don't think) on passenger trains.

Unfitted wagons could have them I suppose but more commonly they would have 3 link.  I never like to be too definitive because Sods Law says that as soon as you are, some smart aleck will find evidence to contradict you.

A bit more:  http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/gansg/4-rstock/04arstock2b.htm

HTH

John

I have my wheels for the water tank now so I'm slowly bringing that to completion.  Brake shoes have to be fitted and that's slow because I have to wait for CA to cure properly.

While that's happening I thought I'd return to my LMS steel mineral:



I've made pretty good progress over the last day.  Everything's hard work with multiple laminations.  I spent probably 2 hours yesterday making the drawbars from 6 laminations  :roll:.

These MMP kits are ideal for the OCD modeller.

Happily, there's a section on these in Essery's "Official Drawings of LMS Wagons" Vol 1.

John

The last day has been spent detailing the solebar:



Grab handle, waybill clip, owners plate, vee hangers, door banger bracket and body support brackets.

Doesn't seem a lot but we plod along one bit at a time.  There are a lot of parts, many of them quite tiny, however I console myself with the assurance that there are a finite number.

John

Hi John,
But just think how many hour's of enjoyment in the hobby you are getting for the money.

I'm just glad kit makers don't charge on that basis.

I just hope I don't make a fundamental mistake.  All this is terra incognita.  Once I've done this the others will be a little easier because I'll know what to expect.

John

I came to a reluctant decision yesterday and stopped work on the underframe.  I was becoming increasingly unhappy about the state of things.  It came to a head when I tried to assemble the leaf springs.  These are supposed to work but as I proceeded, it was evident that this is not the case.  A trial with wheels showed the chassis to be shocking out of whack and I had some ideas as to how to deal with that.

In cases like this, there is a risk that you will become exceedingly discouraged and go sulk for 6 months.

I took a step back and refocused on the priority to have reasonable models of steel mineral wagons.

Plan B this morning therefore was to buy Peco underframe kits.  I can use details from the MMP kits to improve their fidelity.  These will look good, even if they don't include the ridiculous level of detail that MMP provides.  The main thing is that I'm confident I can assemble the underframes to work properly.

As for the bodies, I will have a go at the MMP kit.  At least there aren't any things critical to running.

John

[user=565]Brossard[/user] wrote

In cases like this, there is a risk that you will become exceedingly discouraged and go sulk for 6 months.

John

No wonder it takes so long to build a layout, John and, as for me, I'm in a permanent  sulk !


Allan

We can't let these things get us down Allan, there's almost always a solution.

A cup of tea and a plate of biscuits and all is right with the world.

John

[user=565]Brossard[/user] wrote:

In cases like this, there is a risk that you will become exceedingly discouraged and go sulk for 6 months.

Hi John,

When I built my first MMP kit I ended up doing just that and for a lot longer than 6 months but eventually I returned to it and this is the result





I have since lettered it but alas it still needs the black bit's painting and some weathering. I have subsequently done some other MMP stuff without a hitch.

Encouraging to know Rob.  Do your springs work?  Perhaps if I were to do another underframe (I had bought three kits) I would do much better knowing what to expect.  This doesn't change the fact that there are still fragile bits that get bent and twisted as the model is handled.  These parts will take only so much correction before they break.

As it is, my plan is to use the Peco underframes and the MMP bodies (I can imagine you rolling your eyes) because the goal is to produce credible mineral wagons and not to spend half my life soldering bits and pieces to the underframe.

I also bought a Parkside Dia 1/100 Mineral wagon kit.

John

[user=565]Brossard[/user] wrote:

We can't let these things get us down Allan, there's almost always a solution.

A cup of tea and a plate of biscuits and the current issue of Playboy and all is right with the world.

John

John's post edited to come in line with modern trends ( well here in Immingham anyway…)


Allan

Is Playboy even a thing anymore….?   :hmm

John

Not those under my bed, John !

Allan.

OK, now you're giving too much information.

I had a vision of dust bunnies cavorting with the Playboy bunnies.

John

[user=565]Brossard[/user] wrote:

Encouraging to know Rob.  Do your springs work?  

Hi John,
They do, although I couldn't seem to get all the leaves in - I recall that I left one layer of them out on my first go. I subsequently built some MMP sprung W Irons for a scratch built tank and I managed to get them all in on that - the first go is definitely a learning curve.

Hah!  I discovered that the one spring pocket I had left from the kit was too small to get all the leafs in.  I had built up the hornblocks with the spring pockets back to front (I know, I know  :roll:) so repaired by bending up brass strip and soldering that on.  My scratch pocket allowed all the leaves in, so I think you and I are on the same page.

Anyway, my point was that if the springs don't work, there isn't much point in going to the trouble of all this detail.  To me a moulded spring would be fine.

John

I finally got the water tank to a point where I can call it finished.  The brake shoe fixing took a longtime and the lettering was a sorry tale of equipment not up to the job, errors and experiments gone horribly wrong.



This is why weathering was invented.

John

Looks good from here, John.   :cool:

From here too,  I am looking forward to your take on the weathering.

These last two wagons (the Hybar and Water Tank) are a commission from a buddy of mine who hasn't the time to make kits (he emailed me a few days ago from UK to say he's bought two more kits, thankfully routine prototypes).  I need to discuss with him about weathering, it's not for everyone.

John