Wagon Modification

The best and most common way to modify your wagons and improve there look is to add a load. Whether it be putting cars on a car transporter or putting coal in a coal truck, some methods as always are better than others.

Aggregate load (Coal, Ballast, granite)

Of cause the easiest way to add aggregate to a load is to simply poor it in. The problem with this is it will use a lot of aggregate, be expensive, and make the train heavy and thus difficult to pull. Also consider what would happen if the train crashed or tipped over. You would have a big mess, which if at a set of points, may take some time to clean up. The added weight would also increase the damage of a crash, to the model. If your layout is not a permeate one you would have to empty the wagons before putting it away, not to mention cleaning the wagons of dust. There are even mechanical reasons why not to use this method, as dust and fine grit can can cause damage to your loco as well as the wagons.

Hornby EWS 2 axle wagon (With load)

Imitation ballast Load (Side View)

The method I used was to cut out pieces of card to fit inside the wagon. I then used layers of smaller pieces to build up the height of the card to the level of the load I wished to have. I then applied additional pieces of card to the centre of the larger card to create a mound. I then painted the card (coal-black, granite-grey) before applied a layer of PVA glue and scattering the aggregate over it. When the glue had dried, I checked the fit and removed any aggregate that was stopping a good fit. Result surprised me!! The total time taken was maybe 1 hour to make 3. Simply use the first as a template for the others.