Tales from the carriage shops

[Mayner]

A bit of my personal modelling for a change IRM Bullied Open with Bachmann BR container load & one of my own GSWR/GSR/CIE "Irish Standard" Open Wagons with Bachmann conainer load.

Took some carving (removing of rasied detail from the containers) to fit the containers into both opens, though the IRM wagon possibly as a result of its very rigid construction was a very tight fit.

I guess Leslie must be right its a collective figment of the imagination that BR containers were carried in Irish open wagons, though its just about possible the rasied detail on the containers is a bit on the heavy side.

I spray painted the underframe to match the 'light grey" of the Standard Open and finished the wagon with a coat of Gunz "Mr Clear" flat finish to tone down the "sheen" of the unpainted corrugated iron body panels, its likely sheen the wore off quickly once the wagons enered service/were exposed to the Irish weather.

[Mayner]

664 is just about complete after another coat of "GSR' grey this time a semi-gloss laquer allowed to cure for a week before a coat of Gunz Mr Clear Super Clear Flat aerosol my standard finish. The existing paint finished was easily damaged and tended to chip when handled, the laquer appears more resistant to damage and the 'Clear Flat" results in nice eggshell finish

This time I soldered the vacuum pipe to the front buffer beam. I need to glaze the cab spectacle before dispatch to the customer.

On test the loco is capable of hauling 10 of my not so free running 3D printed wagons

Loco is wired for DC on the customers request using the "American" using 'live axle' pick up on the loco and tender. 

I probabably now have enough of my own loco/rolling stock projects to keep me busy for several years without needing to buy another kit or rtr model.

Edited November 8, 2024 by Mayner

[Tullygrainey]

Beautiful finish. Looks really well.

[Mol_PMB]

On 25/10/2024 at 3:10 AM, Mayner said:

A bit of my personal modelling for a change IRM Bullied Open with Bachmann BR container load & one of my own GSWR/GSR/CIE "Irish Standard" Open Wagons with Bachmann conainer load.

Took some carving (removing of rasied detail from the containers) to fit the containers into both opens, though the IRM wagon possibly as a result of its very rigid construction was a very tight fit.

I guess Leslie must be right its a collective figment of the imagination that BR containers were carried in Irish open wagons, though its just about possible the rasied detail on the containers is a bit on the heavy side.

I spray painted the underframe to match the 'light grey" of the Standard Open and finished the wagon with a coat of Gunz "Mr Clear" flat finish to tone down the "sheen" of the unpainted corrugated iron body panels, its likely sheen the wore off quickly once the wagons enered service/were exposed to the Irish weather.

Those look excellent and are a nice inspiration for a load. There are plenty of photos of BR containers (and the less common CIE containers) loaded into open wagons of both the corrugated and wooden varieties, and it looks like there's plenty of space within them. I suspect the wagon sides are a bit thicker than prototypical, and the detail moulded on the containers and wagons is a bit thicker than prototype, meaning that they don't fit so well in model form.

This IRRS photo shows dozens of (bacon) containers in wagons at Rosslare waiting to be exported:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53449386736

But they also appear in smaller quantities in images in the public domain, such as these from Ernie:

And this from Roger Joanes:

And finally from Brian Flannigan:

Was it the length or the width that was the problem with fitting them in? Or both?

[Mol_PMB]

The Barrowmore MRG have a BR container diagram book here:

BRContainerIssueB.pdf

They are not all the same size. The common 'BD' which features in many of the photos above has a footprint of 16'x7' over the body, but is 5 inches bigger in both directions over the fenders. 

An Irish standard underframe is about 16'11" long over headstocks; subtract 3" each end for plank thickness and interior ironwork and you're down to 16'5" which is exactly the same as the container length over fenders. No wonder it's a tight fit - perhaps it was meant to be?

Widthwise I wouldn't expect such a problem in the wooden wagons, but the corrugated wagons seem a little narrower?

[Mayner]

More of a taking stock and prioritising for 2025 than a workbench, I have very little time available for modelling for the next year or so as a result of family committments.

First priority is to complete a pair of 21mm gauge J15s started several years ago as a low priority 'standby' project as potential motive power for a Burma Road layout if I ever get round to building it, failing that find a space in a display case.

Although both kits were originally complete, I managed to mislay the coupling rods and some of the gearbox parts for the superheated loco. I have a set of rods from a spare chassis fret, though I will probably end up replacing the gearbox as its an old pattern High Level Load Hauler and replacement gears my no longer be available.

Apart from assembling the replacement the rods, next job is to fit the brake gear to both locos and small GSWR tender before completing detailing before I loose any more parts.

Next priority is to assemble a set of etched parts for a GSWR 60 Class 4-4-0 I designed in Jan 2024 and had in stock since last March! The 60 Class worked Limerick-Sligo passenger trains until replaced by AEC railcars during the 1950s.

Locos final priority, if I get round to it! 21mm gauge 650 Class. Although I completed a couple of 21mm test builds and completed a number of OO RTR commissions, I have not completed a 21mm gauge 650 for myself. 

Body assemby on both locos is basically complete, though require fitting with an operating chassis.

One of these locos will use Sharman wheels re-cycled from my first attempt at a 650 Class in 1985 but fitted with a more modern gearbox and motor.

Coaching Stock, I have 4 SSM GSWR 6wheelers of different types & GSR decals stashed away to compliment my pair of assembled GSWR 6 wheelers.

 

[Mol_PMB]

Very nice! Plenty to keep you busy by the looks of it. 

[Mayner]

E421 Returns to service in OO!

I originally assembled E421 using a Shapeways "Valve Design" body on a custom built 21mm Gauge Bull-Ant chassis about 15 years ago, not satisfied with the surface finish/level of detail of the Shapeways FDM material I used the model as a guinea pig for my exercise in designing/manufacturing etched detail parts and achieved a reasonable surface finish on the 3D printed shell with automotive techniques using sandable promer fillers lots of sanding and an enamel top coat.

E421 spent most of the past 15 years in a display case until I decided to dust it off and convert to OO gauge about 18 months ago for use as a shunter on a minimal space (by my standards) shunting layout.

The initial conversion turned out to be a disaster as I simply pushed in the existing wheels to OO gauge without dismantling the chassis bending/distorting two of the axles. I eventually managed to get E421 to run but it turned out to be a wobbly runner with a tendency to de-rail so back to the workshop to try and turn E421 into a less wobbly runner less likely to de-rail as my MM B121s are a bit of overkill for an early 60s shunting layout.

Bull-Ant bogies primarily intended for narrow gauge have a layshaft drive similar to that used in theOO9 Minitrains Baldwin of the 1960s with a 2:1? step down drive from motor to layshaft and worm and gear final drive to the individual axles. Bull-Ant use a modular system using nylon gearboxes with removable cover/keeper which bolt to a channel which forms the main chassis and a system of wings which locate both the pick up mounts and the body.

The Bull-Ant wheels are a direct press fit to the axle on one side, with an insulation bush on the opposite, I managed to distort two of the axles when attempting to press the live wheels to OO gauge.

Although only 2 axles were distorted I ended up replacing all three axles with 28mm steel axles supplied as part of a bulk order by Markits, I pressed the live axles to gauge using a small vice and 2mm ID brass bushes I had in stock (not sure their intended purpose. The Bull-Ant motor mount had began to work loose from the chassis and gearbox and dismantled and re-assembled the assembly using threadlock to the securing bolts to minimise the risk of the assembly working loose. E421 chassis is fitted with a large can motor complete with flywheel and only securred at one end vibration may have lead to the motor mount working loose from the chassis and gearbox, I will probabably mount the "loose end" of the motor on silicone to reduce vibration at the final commissioning/detailing/decoder fitting stage.

E421 on test on DC at North Wharf, the tank wagons are from the IRM Weed Killer Train on my own 3D printed chassis and similar to Bitument Tank wagons used by CIE (but without the lagging!) Des of SSM supplied E421s decals as a special order,

E421 is now fitted with Kadees with Bachmann coupler pockets fitted into slots cut in the buffer beams, I am not sure what coupler I intended fitting when I originally assembled the loco.

Riveted bufferbeams, cab roof, side window frames, engine compartment doors and grills are all etched nickle silver as the original 3D printed parts were just not up to sanding.

One touch was to produce rebated and see-through radiator grills.

The running no on the cab have partially worn off on one side as a result of handling during re-building , my G Class G617 has almost completly lost its cab numbers because of the same problem

 

[Mayner]

Well my plans to set out some modelling time daily came unstuck when I collapsed at home on Friday was admitted to Emergency and ended up spending 24 hrs under observation in hospital. Luckily my 15 year old who is suffers with anxiety stayed calm gave first aid, called the ambulance and accompanied me to hospital, Luckily they found nothing life threatening, most likely cause was a sudden loss of blood pressure possibly de-hydration or stress. Our family have been in a difficult position for the past 18 months split between the United States where my wife has been caring for her elderly father while I care for our 15 year old who has mental health problems and my elderly mother in law.

Strangely we though we had got through the worst of it, my father in-law (a great guy) recently peacefully passed away and our 15 year old had begun showing signs of improvement before we experienced a series of setbacks during the past four weeks.

I suppose my collapse was a warning sign for me that I am not invincible and to slow down or I may not be around for my family or to play trains, The irony is I have been down this way in my working life 3 times over the past 20 years and still think I am invincible and can keep everything under control.

Wife Linda hopes to return during the next 6-8 weeks which should spread the load in caring for our child and supporting Linda's mum, in the mean time I need just to do the bear essential at home.

I did manage to sneak into the workshop last night and complete some adjustments on E421, which now runs more reliably though still occasionally de-rails on Peco small radius points.

Edited March 18 by Mayner

[fishplate7]

51 minutes ago, Mayner said:

Well my plans to set out some modelling time daily came unstuck when I collapsed at home on Friday was admitted to Emergency and ended up spending 24 hrs under observation in hospital. Luckily my 15 year old who is suffers with anxiety stayed calm gave first aid, called the ambulance and accompanied me to hospital, Luckily they found nothing life threatening, most likely cause was a sudden loss of blood pressure possibly de-hydration or stress. Our family have been in a difficult position for the past 18 months split between the United States where my wife has been caring for her elderly father while I care for our 15 year old who has mental health problems and my elderly mother in law.

Strangely we though we had got through the worst of it, my father in-law (a great guy) recently peacefully passed away and our 15 year old had begun showing signs of improvement before we experienced a series of setbacks during the past four weeks.

I suppose my collapse was a warning sign for me that I am not invincible and to slow down or I may not be around for my family or to play trains, The irony is I have been down this way in my working life 3 times over the past 20 years and still think I am invincible and can keep everything under control.

Wife Linda hopes to return during the next 6-8 weeks which should spread the load in caring for our child and supporting Linda's mum, in the mean time I need just to do the bear essential at home.

I did manage to sneak into the workshop last night and complete some adjustments on E421, which now runs more reliably though still occasionally de-rails on Peco small radius points.

Gosh John! That is some tale to tell! So glad to hear you had good, calm help at hand and that it has all worked out ok, and that you are now on the mend. None of us are getting any younger! I have come to the world of building my model railway late in life, in my 3rd year of retirement! There is a great sharing of knowledge and inspiration on this forum, and that keeps me above water!!  Your story is a timely reminder for me to crack on and get trains running! Keep us updated, keep posting your modelling skills, and keep inspiring! us all Eamonn

[NorthWallDocker]

John, heartiest good wishes to your wife, your 15-year-old, your mother-in-law, and you.

Martin

[Galteemore]

So sorry to hear this John. Thoughts and prayers for you and family going forwards. That was a very courageous act by your 15 year old. 

[flange lubricator]

Sorry to hear this John , look after yourself and none of us are invincible and sometimes things like this happen to help remind us . 

[David Holman]

Yep. Very best wishes John and hope things settle down for you all now.

[GSR 800]

Sorry to hear this John, best wishes to you and the family.

[Flying Snail]

Wow - goes to show life can throw curveballs at any time. My condolences on your FIL's passing. I'm glad your incident wasn't more serious and I hope you're feeling better and that things settle down for your family again soon.

Also, well done to your son, hopefully his capable response will turn out to be a helpful experience for him too!

[Mol_PMB]

John, so sorry to hear of your troubles, and very glad that you have come through it OK with the support of your family.

I hope you get a chance to take it easy for a while and can continue life at a slightly more relaxed pace in future.

Best wishes, Paul

[Tullygrainey]

Sending my hopes and best wishes to you and your family John for recovery and a calmer time ahead.

Alan

[leslie10646]

Very sorry to hear of your setback, John, but pleased to hear that you have come through it with your usual fortitude. Well done the 15 year old!

Thoughts and prayers that you all pull out of this with flying colours .

Leslie

[Northroader]

get Into hospital with dehydration, and they’ll give you that much saline drip you can hear the waves lapping inside you. Hope you’re stable now, and able to hold the fort with the family.

best wishes, Bob.

[Mike 84C]

Hey John! you look after yourself. You  and I have chatted so much over the years .You feel like a pal, a friend and if you rocked up on my doorstep, come on in you are welcome. Just take a bit of time and chill! Do not neglect yourself.

very best wishes Mick

[Broithe]

Keep an eye on yourself - and the others.

Sometimes you do just have to prioritise things - you can't do everything, even if seems as though you must.

I remember the worry here when it was silent after the earthquake, not really knowing your location in relation to it.

Your event will have been of great benefit in relation to the anxiety issues. There is nothing anywhere near as good as dealing properly with a real event for some confidence in yourself.

Etc...

But, you know all this anyway.

[StevieB]

Learning when and how to slow down is not that easy but do try for everyone’s sake. What’s the saying, you’re a long time dead! Best wishes.

Stephen

[J-Mo Arts]

Best wishes to you and your family, well done to your kid and take care of yourself! 

[Mayner]

Thanks everyone for their support during the last week, my kid seems to be determined to keep me on the straight and narrow, and make sure I don't over-do things.