SSM brakevan

[Sentinel281]

Hi all,

 

as I promised to try to post pictures, I now show you the result of my sundays work.

 

 

These are my first steps to assemble an SSM etched brass kit I bought at Raheny. I had no experience in soldering such Kits so I thougt this rather square object would be a great opportunity to improve my skills. I surely will not solder all parts, but until now soldering worked quite well after the I could manage not to burn my fingers . I will update this thread when there will be visible progress on the project.

 

Cheers,

 

Gerhard.

 

BTW: The platform etch is not yet fixed but only loosely put in.

[Broithe]

That looks good so far..!

[Weshty]

Gerhard,

 

Good work, and given it's boxy design with loads of tabs, a sound choice to start soldering with.

[Guest hidden-agenda]

Very tidy work.

[Kirley]

Neat. Looking forward to more pics.

[Garfield]

Lovely work.

[heirflick]

fair play to you gerhard for giving it a lash! i couldnt solder anything if my life depended on it!

[scahalane]

Great job, I've being meaning to start this little project myself as I also have no soldering experience, this might give me the encouragement to give a blast.

[Weshty]

Great job, I've being meaning to start this little project myself as I also have no soldering experience, this might give me the encouragement to give a blast.

`

 

Sound man. As I've stated on these pages before, if you decide to give it a shot, do NOT proceed without the following

 

1. bog standard soldering iron 25-35 watts

 

 

2. Carrs 145 solder and Carrs Green Flux (Chronos or DCC concepts)

The 145 solder melts at a lower temp and much faster (added bonus: you can hold one end of a piece without burning your fingers)

The flux reduces surface tension and helps the solder to flow very easily into a joint

 

3. Fine sandpaper or better still a fibre brush

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fibre-glass-scratch-remover-brush-watch-scratch-tool-/400345713587?pt=UK_Jewellery_Watches_WatchAccessories_SpareParts_SM&hash=item5d3676cbb3

You need this to remove the brass oxide layer. Solder and flux will work much better with the oxide removed. The brush removes it without leaving scratch marks or removing detail on the bras sheet

[scahalane]

Thanks for the advise Des.

[RedRich]

That's looking really good Gerhard. It's an ideal kit for beginners and experienced modellers. The end results look fantastic when they are complete.

 

Rich,

[Flying Scotsman 4472]

Looking good can't wait to see the finished model

[Aussie Phil]

Never worked in brass and rarely solder so very jealous of your talent. Looking great. Cant wait to see finished model

[Weshty]

Never worked in brass and rarely solder so very jealous of your talent. Looking great. Cant wait to see finished model

 

Phil, don't forget, I specifically designed this kit to be easily put together by solder or superglue. So, if you've ever built an Airfix kit, you can build this one.

Regards

Weshty.

[Horsetan]

`

 

Sound man. As I've stated on these pages before, if you decide to give it a shot, do NOT proceed without the following

 

1. bog standard soldering iron 25-35 watts

 

 

2. Carrs 145 solder and Carrs Green Flux (Chronos or DCC concepts)

The 145 solder melts at a lower temp and much faster (added bonus: you can hold one end of a piece without burning your fingers)

The flux reduces surface tension and helps the solder to flow very easily into a joint

 

3. Fine sandpaper or better still a fibre brush

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fibre-glass-scratch-remover-brush-watch-scratch-tool-/400345713587?pt=UK_Jewellery_Watches_WatchAccessories_SpareParts_SM&hash=item5d3676cbb3

You need this to remove the brass oxide layer. Solder and flux will work much better with the oxide removed. The brush removes it without leaving scratch marks or removing detail on the bras sheet

 

A resistance soldering unit, used with solder paint / solder cream, will also work well, and you will achieve some very neat, controlled joints.

[Mike 84C]

I am also building one of Whesty"s brake vans; three questions, were they running in the latter steam period and if they had the snail totem where would it have been placed? Were they always painted oxide red or is grey an option? I am thinking of putting vacuum brake gear underneath as it looks a bit naked!

Thanks in anticipation, Mike

[burnthebox]

Quote " Never worked in brass and never solder so very jealous of your talent. Looking great. Cant wait to see finished model " I'm with Aussie Phil on this one,

[Glenderg]

I am also building one of Whesty"s brake vans; three questions, were they running in the latter steam period and if they had the snail totem where would it have been placed? Were they always painted oxide red or is grey an option? I am thinking of putting vacuum brake gear underneath as it looks a bit naked!

Thanks in anticipation, Mike

 

They did run with the snail totem but only rated as 20 tonners - even though the body is identical to the 30 tonner, would love to know the genesis of these- without the vac brake text. Undergear appears to be naked, but you'd never notice in fairness. The long steps tend to obliterate that view.

Mid build - please forgive the unfinished look.

 

 

The totem was on the upper left panel, and the "20 ton brake" text on the upper right with the number stencilled on the lower right hand panel. Works' stencil tests seems not to be present. I have a few photos from the O'Dea collection showing same with date - don't have them on the tablet here but will post tomorrow from the big rig.

 

Grey and black for the centre panel is an option for early running - late 70,s.

 

Lemme dig through a few snaps and see if any capture the undercarraige. R.

[scahalane]

That's suburb looking Richie, How much more finished could it possibly get!!

[Weshty]

Drooling here Richie. Lovely job. A fine gradiated approach to the painting and gentle weathering

[heirflick]

ATTACH=CONFIG]15005[/ATTACH]

 

beautiful richie! dont know how that sulzer got there!

Edited September 10, 2014 by heirflick

[Glenderg]

Cheers lads - heres the photo I was talking about. You can barely make out the stencil of the flying snail on the upper left, and "20 TON BRAKE" to the right.

 

 

[Glenderg]

Sorry Mike - only one I could find that shows an approximation of what's beneath.

 

 

and

 

 

Edited September 10, 2014 by Glenderg

[BSGSV]

I never knew they had oil axleboxes originally. Every day is a learning day. Love the photo of Tipperary with the oil tank off the road.

[Noel]

Fabulous models. Please spare my ignorance but what was the protruding box on the sides used for? Is it a vent, stove chimney, window, or other, and if windows for what purpose?

Edited September 11, 2014 by Noel

[minister_for_hardship]

Fabulous models. Please spare my ignorance but what was the protruding box on the sides used for? Is it a vent, stove chimney, window, or other?

 

It's called a ducket, with little windows the guard can look out of to keep tabs on what's going on outside.

[Junctionmad]

I travelled on them in the late 70s behind Beet trains , they were rough inside

[aclass007]

Just looking at the last pic of the three (new?) brake vans lined up, with the flying snail logo, I notice that the chimney was much higher back then......

[minister_for_hardship]

Just looking at the last pic of the three (new?) brake vans lined up, with the flying snail logo, I notice that the chimney was much higher back then......

 

Looks like they originally had a little cap to stop rain going down the flue, probably they rusted and broke off or bashed off trees or other overhanging things leaving a stubbier chimney.

[Mike 84C]

Thanks Richie, you have answered all my questions! and another I have just thought about. If the van has a full length foot board is it supported in the middle? answer is yes! I did not feel supports at the ends was a very elegant engineering solution! And your model has shell type vents on the roof.

Thanks again Mike

[Mayner]

I travelled on them in the late 70s behind Beet trains , they were rough inside

 

The 30T vans seem to have been less popular with guards and the Operating Department than earlier CIE/GSR/GSWR brake vans. The all steel body would have been like a freezer or an oven to work in compared to the earlier wooden or ply bodied vans. The original oil boxes gave trouble with overheating and the hand brake was not supposed to be as good as a 20 Tonner.

 

Apart from the running gear and foot boards the main spotting difference was greater variation among 20T vans, planked or ply body sheeting, wooden or steel duckets. Hybrids with a mixture of ply and planking.

 

Perhaps another variation for Des?

[Weshty]

T

 

Perhaps another variation for Des?

 

Yup. The main challenge is to get the distinctive planking and strapping detail right, but without too much what we'd call in the technical world...fiddlyness.

 

Need to just ruminate on a few photos for a while

[Mike 84C]

Nearly finished mine,when i have a photo or two I"ll post them. The battery was flat in the camera! Weshty, would you mind if I wrote a few words to show where I deviated from your Instructions?

Mike

[Weshty]

More than welcome Mike, good to see alternative approaches.

[Mike 84C]

Hope I have done the attachments correctly! I deviated from Wheshtys Instuctions a little by makeing the roof from a ply lamination of 2x20thou; plastic sheet;this was curved by taping the sheet to a curved biscuit tin and gentle heat from the SWIMBO"s hair drier. The chimney is a piece of brass tube into a hole drilled in the roof with a chimney collar punched from the plastic sheet. I then covered the roof with a single ply of handkerchief tissue to represent felt fixed with a wash of Di-Limonene solvent. But! before doing all that I glued with acc Ever Green strip to the curve of the roof at the balcony ends and just above the doors into the cabin.

My van is all soldered, I did try acc on the running boards but would recommend solder,glue didnt work for me! I also put extra bracing on the back of the hanging brackets before accing them in position. The other extra was to sloder an 8BA nut to the veranda floor then attatch the chassis with a short 8BA nut. This trapped the running boards and has made the whole van seem stronger. I also put a very basic representation of the brake pull rods underneath.

I am pleased with the way the kit has turned out, having never built an etched kit before and my soldering skills have been improved. My only dissapointment was the lines around some of the transfers. I did use solvaset and have not had this happen before;advise please?