Superb John!

Thanks Rob, I think these are keepers.

John

Carrying on with the Slaters GWR Cattle Truck, I managed to get the brakes done:



Theh instructions were very frustrating because they are drawn as iff the floor is glass and looking down.  No-one (well I sure don't) builds an underframe like that.  I made a number of errors as my brain tried to turn the drawing upside down.

In any event, the brake arrangement shown is simplified.  I have collected quite a bit of info and discovered that:

a)  the W5 cattle wagon had several brake variations.  These include:
     - non Hayward, vacuum fitted, 4 shoes
     - Hayward, vacuum fitted, 4 shoe (this is the version I attempted to make)
     - Clasp brake version, vacuum fitted, 8 shoes, DCII
     - Clasp brake version, vacuum fitted, 8 shoes, DCIII



The kit is wrong as follows:

1)  the left most vee hangers should be spaced a scale 28", shorter than those on the right.
2)  no subframing, I added this but I'm not sure of the accuracy.
3)  I added trunnions to the vacuum cylinder as well as a representation of bolts.
4)  For manual brake actuation there is an intermediate slotted link between the main lever and the ratchet on the right.  This can be seen in the middle of the underframe.  It took me about an hour to make the link itself.
5)  The link from the leftmost lever to the rightmost has an intermediate support.

Here are a couple of close ups:





I found this to be very useful:

DC 2 brakegear as fitted to 4w wagons - GWR Rolling Stock: model and prototype - RMweb

There are a lot of underframe shots showing some of the details I mentioned.

John

Embarrassingly I have half a dozen of these in a part built state. 
One is mine and the other five I am building for a friend. He wants his to scale 7 with quite a few mods and I need to be in the right frame of mind to tackle them..

Perhaps my efforts can be of help then Rob.  This is for a friend too.

GWR brake rigging seems to me to be a minefield.

I have a very good PDF, given to me by a kind soul on RMWeb, with excellent details of brakes for all manner of GWR wagons.  Email?

John

My researches turned up that the interior of these wagons were unpainted.  I originally had thought that they were painted cream.

So:



I scribed the interior planks and used coarse sandpaper to give them some grain effect.  I started with Tamiya Panel Lining paint (very thin enamel wash).  Having let that dry, today I applied umber and black powder to get a grungy effect.

John

Work continues of the cattle wagon.  I have painted the underframe black, added tiebars and a vacuum pipe:



I still need to install the springs and axleboxes.

John

Underframe work seems to take the bulk of my effort and build time.  With that done, kit completion comes quickly:



The body assembly went well and fit is good.  I added the partition support.

I also fitted axleboxes and springs.  Care is needed to ensure that the rocking axle is free to move.

John

I've also been having a go at Parksides' GWR Toad Brake Van.

I was amazed to find a plethora of pictures by googling "GWR toad interior".

I spent a lot of time on the interior:



Planks were scribed, benches made, door and hatch detailed with some strip.  The stove is made from bits and pieces of plastic and some brass tube.

Obviously you don't have to do this but I like to make my builds unique.  Besides I quite like the challenge.



The veranda floor had planks moulded but the van floor was plain so I scribed planks.  Usual method to get the wood effect.

John

If I find the time to detail the interiors of my N gauge Toad brake vans you'll know that I'm getting to the point of calling my layout close to finished!
 Very interested in both of these builds as they are both represented on NE. Kept it coming.

Marty

Cattle wagon was painted last night, it will need touching up.  I need to make a desk for the brake van, that's underway.

John

Cattle wagon looking good John, and I really like the BV interior, even if it is from the wrong end of the country

Yes, well, it's not for me but a friend of mine who follows that sort of thing.

John

Further work on the brake van today.  The brakes are an ordeal but I got it done:



This is the veranda end.  There's a screw actuator that operates the brakes.  Note the safety loops around the yokes.  There's also a safety loop around the screw actuator.



Here you see the brake rod.  Also note the vacuum pipe.  I reckon BR would have added these (and pictures that I've seen bear this out) to make the van suitable for use on vacuum braked trains.  By the 60s the goods wagon fleet was being rapidly changed to vacuum braked.



This is the van end.

John

I had a happy accident tonight.  I thought to distress the Toad interior and started to paint on the Panel lining paint.  Now the lining paint is mostly enamel thinner and the paint on the interior sides is also enamel.  To my dismay, the paint started to come off.  I left it to dry thinking I would have to repaint the thing.

However, when it was dry, I took a fiberglass pencil and lightly brushed with the grain of the planks.  The intention was to remove the existing paint so as to not have a too thick coat of paint on the sides.

Instead, I got a very good effect as the brown pigment from the lining paint got worked into the grain.

Viola!



I think it all looks suitably scruffy.  Note the desk on the door end.  The boxes on the hatch end are sanding boxes.  There is a similar arrangement at the veranda end.

John

I finished the Cattle Wagon today:



Looking quite smart in ex works gloss varnish.  Now ready for transfers.

Screw link couplings are Dapol.  Vacuum pipe and lamp brackets are Slaters.

John

Very nice John,
I do like happy accidents they enhance the pleasure of the build.

Yep, this is how new techniques come about.

I've built the main cabin onto the chassis:



The parts are a very good fit.

I'm very pleased with the interior:



I've also been working on the veranda:



Sandbox operating lever.

John

Terrific interior!
Marty

Hi John,

Does all that come with the kit for the veranda detail or have you added it yourself?