Garden Railway Forum

Summer this year has been too hot to spend much time out in the workshop, so I've been inside building rolling stock.

Back when I started building wagons for the TVT, I built a batch of three drop-side open wagons. I recently built another batch with some minor changes and finally got around to taking a photo. the other day. These will probably the last 4 wheel stock built, as I've moved on to completing the bogie goods vehicles that have been sitting around for some time.......



The sunlight at the time was a funny colour due to smoke haze from the bush fires in Gippsland, hence the slight orange tint.

The following photo. is the original batch of trucks for comparison.



Regards,
Graeme

Usual high standard Graeme, beautiful...

I was thinking for the Accucraft choppers that we both cut down could a belt/disc sander be used on the coupler housing once cut to make it square?

Magnificent modelling. Thanks for showing us.

Very high-quality modelling. Much nicer than my feeble attempts.

These wagons ooze perfection, they are superb. Its almost a shame to expose them to the elements.

Those wagons are all just stunning

superb quality modelling, very nicely done

Brill

Exquisite!!!!!
High standard of modelling and superbly finished.
I can't bring myself to do more than one of anything so I admire your persistence.

Graeme

The quality of your work never ceases to amaze me. Beautiful wagons!

BTW, is that track code 250 rail spiked to sleepers? If so, what wood are you using to get a combination of “spikability” and resistance to the great Aussie outdoors?

Regards

Rob

tom_tom_go:96860 wrote:I was thinking for the Accucraft choppers that we both cut down could a belt/disc sander be used on the coupler housing once cut to make it square?

I usually use a 4" warding file to clean up after sawing (my standard size file....).

I have a small Ryobi combination sanding disc/linisher and have used the vertical linishing belt to square up a coupler box, but holding the thing safely and square to the belt was the problem. If I was going to do it again I'd screw the coupler box to a block of wood to use as a handle and to keep it square. A powered sanding disc or belt can remove a lot of metal in a hurry, so it takes some care to use one.

For rolling stock, I just bury the coupler in the headstock. I've only shortened them for use on locos., so haven't had to do many.

Don't know about you, but I'm unimpressed with the thick shiny paint that the Accucraft factory used on the latest batch of couplers.....

Graeme

Keith S:96871 wrote:Very high-quality modelling. Much nicer than my feeble attempts.

I've had forty years practice, plus work no longer interrupts my modelling time.......

Graeme

robc_wa:96879 wrote:BTW,  is that track code 250 rail spiked to sleepers?

That's just my photo track, it only sees sunlight when I take pictures.

The rail is some locally made brass code 330 and the sleepers were sawn from an off-cut of mountain ash, which wouldn't last very long at all outside in this area. The base is just an MDF off-cut.

If I get around to building a track at home, I was planning on using brass or aluminium code 250 rail and cypress sleepers. Cypress is used locally for fence posts and pickets and seems to last pretty well, so I'll just rip a few pickets down to sleeper size. Jarrah would be better, but it's a bit pricey here in the Eastern States. I'd like to try recycled plastic sleepers, but can't currently find it in suitable sheet form.

I prefer a raised track, so was planning to use recycled plastic for the support structure. There's a company making it locally who sell direct and I notice Masters stock something similar now. Haven't seen recycled plastic at Bunnings and the local hardware doesn't stock it anymore.

Graeme

GTB:96881 wrote:
Don't know about you, but I'm unimpressed with the thick shiny paint that the Accucraft factory used on the latest batch of couplers.....

Graeme

Yes I agree, it seems more difficult to cut accurately as well (whether that's just the paint finish or they are using a different material?)

I appreciate Accucraft have to provide to a mass market, however, I would of thought the demand is there for them to offer a smaller version of their chopper coupling as even with mine shortened they still work fine round 2ft 6" curves.

Beautiful wagons, well done!! A whole rake of your scratchbuilt stock will be a sight to behold... Just out of interest, what do the little white squares signify?

Andrew.

Andrew:96888 wrote:Just out of interest, what do the little white squares signify?

The VR had a lot of goods trucks with handbrakes on only one side and the white square gave the shunters an indication of where it was when they needed to get to the brakes in a hurry. The TVT is located in Victoria, so follows VR ng practice.