Nor can I, but just remember I did recommend you start with something simple.  Rigging clasp brakes can make you crazy.

John

Over the last while I've been working on a Slaters kit of the BR Insulated van, Dia 1/251.   250 were built starting in 1952.  These were initially white but changed to pale blue in the early 60s.  Their final livery was bauxite in the 1970s.

Since my era is ~1962, I left the model white.



Things to note are the 4 shoe Morton brake gear and instanter couplings.  Note also the reinforcing bar between the axle boxes.  White is an annoying colour and there are mucky fingermarks from handling.  The van will be weathered so I'm not too bothered.

Even though the plastic was white, once the body was built and on the underframe it was sprayed with light grey primer.  This was followed by Testors flat white.

Next I sprayed it with gloss varnish to form a base for the transfers.  Transfers are from Fox and went on without drama.  Once the transfers had dried (overnight), I finished with Testors matte varnish.

John

Very nice John, at least (unlike me) you didn't paint it blue to find that it should have been white. Since spending a bit of time mixing the 'right' colour blue for my A type container I have found that in 1928 (when the photo that I am working from is dated) that it should have been bauxite.
All is not lost because I have few engineers wagons in the stash which will need my Oxford Blue paint but I will need to repaint the container to suit my plan for it.

I did have a bit of a debate with myself about the colour, perhaps someone will come along to tell me its all wrong.

I'm working on a Slaters Conflat A at the moment along with two containers.  I painted one maroon and the other bauxite.  My reasoning is that 1962 seems to be something of a transition point for liveries.

John

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

  My reasoning is that 1962 seems to be something of a transition point for liveries.

1937 seems to have been a similar point in time for the grouping liveries. 

Sadly I don't even have that excuse. I have only ever seen LNER containers in blue so hadn't realised that they had been bauxite originally and hadn't researched them at all. 

At least it has been pointed out before I got to the point of fastening onto the OCT which I suspect would have been a pain to undo. - You live and learn as they say.

A problem I keep running into Rob, is that the vast majority of photos, whether it be the 1930s or 1960s are black and white.  Even those few that are in colour cannot be trusted.  Everyone says you should use photos for weathering, but B&W isn't very helpful.

Anyway, every day should teach us something.

John

I think I've finished the Toad D.  The only thing left is weathering.

First, the interior:



Brake standard and you can make out the stovepipe.



From the other side.  None of this can be seen easily with the roof on.  It may help others who are building this in other scales.

A view underneath:



Note the safety loops around the brake yokes.  I've mentioned this before, not only don't kit makers include the parts but they completely ignore them and don't even mention them in the instructions…strange.

Finally, the van itself:



Looking pretty smart I think in ex works condition.  Handrails are 0.45mm NS wire.  I carefully fitted these to their location.  The tee rail is made by but soldering wire.  I used a plastic spacer which didn't show any melting at all.  The result of obeying a cardinal rule of soldering: get in and get out quick sharp.

The shaped wire was then chemically blackened and fitted.  The rails were secured with CA.  After that I brush painted them white.

I used the same process for the corner lamp brackets.

As usual, the coupling is screw link from Dapol.

The model is based on a picture of E19244.

To finish, I sprayed the van all over with gloss varnish.  The helps to seat the transfers.  Transfers were applied using microset.  When hard another coat of varnish  to seal.  I won't you with the booboos and other slipups.  :oops:

Yes, I know, the bottom step is crooked - didn't notice that until I saw the photo -  :roll:

John

The last wagon kit I have to build is a Slaters Conflat A.  Here's the state of play:



A lot of busy looking gubbins under the wagon.  The wagon itself is simple enough.  There's an etched brass template provided to drill those holes which will take the hold down loops.  The toolbox is an etched plate, bent to suit.  Rivets were pushed out with a scriber.



Brake gear was pretty complicated and this took the bulk of build effort.  Most of it is etched brass.  Again my homemade safety loops can be seen.

To complement this wagon I have two containers:



The one on the left is in 1950s maroon livery.  On the right is the later, 1960s, bauxite livery.



The corner brackets and roof brackets are brass castings.  There's a fiddly link that is inserted into the bracket.



Transfers are from Fox.  The corner data doesn't have a border in the pictures I've found.  I toyed with the idea of trimming but in the end left it.  I did scrap a couple of transfers, they are very fragile.

John

Excellent work, John.   :thumbs

[user=269]MaxSouthOz[/user] wrote:

Excellent work, John.   :thumbs

I can only agree with Max, Superb stuff both of them.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Absolutely top class kit building.


Magnificent.


Allan.

Thanks guys.

Did you ever get a wagon kit Allan?

John

Not yet John, still seeking the essential therapy.

BTW John. What are 'safety loops' and what do they do ?

Allan

Well keep up the therapy and make sure you take your tablets.

Safety loops are pieces of bent iron positioned so that if part of the brake gear becomes undone or breaks they will catch the parts before they hit the track.  Without these, the train could well derail if broken parts get tangled up.

Four shoe brakes also had them in the form of (usually) vertical strapping around the pull rods.

John

The LNER brake has been weathered:



Usual methods.  Note the red standpipe to denote vacuum fitted (white for through piped).

John

Here's the weathered Toad E:



Pictures show the van to be grimy but not utterly filthy so I hope I've captured that.

John

Two more nice ones.   :thumbs  :thumbs

Interesting to note that BR painted some Grey and some Bauxite (presumably unfitted and fitted?) but the LNER painted them all bauxite irrespective of whether they were fitted or not.

Cheers Max.

You are right Rob, BR had a system as you say.  I think it might be more correct to say that brake vans that could work fitted trains were painted bauxite.  This would include through piped vans.

I know LMS didn't distinguish, they simply changed their goods livery to bauxite in 1936.  Starting about 1940, NPCS vehicles also started to be painted bauxite (they called it "lake" which was the undercoat) instead of maroon - a wartime austerity measure.

John

More weathering today, this time the BR open wagons:





Couplings can be a bit of a trial, the links keep getting tangled.  I actually installed a Slaters set on this.



Trying to replicate the look of well used bare wood.  The wagon started with a cream floor and sides.  I airbrushed a light coat of concrete (kind of a dark cream) first.  I then airbrushed some dirt and then some black.  Not too much.

I then brushed on and rubbed in dirt and black on individual planks to try to show the different shades.

John