Dad-1 - Workbench - West Bay Wagon Works

[Dad-1]

A colleague of mine knows all about me complaining that I have to stop wagon building because
I can't get the couplings. He has a kit that he wants making up, so it's been posted to me, complete
with a pair of couplings - smart move !!

A Parkside 'Beetle' PC64. I've also run out of auto wheel balance weights, in this case I've again used
2 penny pieces, I've boxed 2 in at each end. The first few times I've done this the superglue fails after
a while and you end up with loose weights. Now I stick some plastic strapping so they stay in place
and to prevent any rattle from movement I plug the sides with some Bluetack.





I was going to add couplings today, but that would have involved checking heights and running qualities
in my garage. NO WAY far too cold. In desperation I've now added the roof and given a layer of medium grey paint.

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

Derek's 'Bullion' van being tested on St Oval my small garage located oval.

https://youtu.be/gRhXJIpwbkM

I was surprised the Ratio 5 plank wagons took the strain without derailing, they are VERY light.
Most of this stock is kit built, with a few legacy RTR included. Even the first wagon a Ratio
coke wagon is a historic model, not been available for decades, the kit for this one is from
before 1963.
Anyway it proves kit built wagon can be free running and as reliable as RTR.

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

I'd forgotten that I'd never put a picture of Derek's Prize Cattle Wagon in finished condition.
Still not weathered, but all decals on.



Because there are just no Bachmann short tension-lock couplings available anywhere I've
had to stop making wagons. So yesterday while picking around some old inherited kits I
came across a Ratio Midland 48 foot Clerestory. It seems all there except wheels where
just one lonely plastic wheel came out of the damaged box.
Price on box £2.59 !! must have been some time in the 1970's ????

I know NOTHING about coaches, but as I don't need a NEM pocket and will attach an
ex-Dapol narrow tension-lock coupler I shall try to make up. Something NEW for me
to do !!

More to follow unless it ends up in the bin !!

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

The Lock-Down is coming to an end
Sunshine with just a little warmth ( excluding Easter weekend)
Even better - Bachmann narrow tension-lock couplings back in stock !!!!!
I'm not greedy, having only ordered 6 packets. 60 couplers, 2 to a wagon
so that's only 30 Wagons and at least 10 have had their couplers pinched
to complete various re-builds and kits.

I've not even decided what will be the first New build, but I'd think by
next week something in '00' will be back in West Bay Wagon Works !!

Meantime I suppose I'd better finish weathering the outside of this 'O'
gauge 16 ton mineral.



Geoff T.

[Bufferstop]

Oh Ye of Little Faith, see! Your couplers weren't stuck in the Suez Canal

[Dad-1]

Hi John,

My luck is on the UP !! Goods not in the bottom container of a delayed vessel.
Been in our Club House (Village Hall) cellar today.
They want our racking moved while some electrical works are carried out.
Now to try & drag a trio of guys to get it moved by 10th April.
When first mentioned I thought we may have had to find a temporary store
for layouts, timber, tools, kiddie steps, but it looks like we can re-arrange
in the short term - easier than expected. See sunshine again.

Still contemplating the purchase of a few more couplings.

Geoff T

[Dad-1]

Back at the end of page 81 I had details of a Cambrian kit C60 build.
Due to the shortage of Bachmann couplers it's been parked away. Well today a packet with 40 couplings
arrived from Rails of Sheffield. 3 hours later this testing was being done. I now have to search my loft
as I'd pinched couplings from about 10 wagons before I just stopped making anything new and these will
need replacing.
Do your wagons need ballast ?? without ballast do they come off the rails ??
Perhaps you should look elsewhere after noting how this 12.66 gram wagon circulates with 20 hooked up
behind. Check all coupling for sitting on the centreline, harmonize all to the same height, try to keep to
one set standard of coupler and finally make certain the hooks are not crossed when loading your stock
onto your layout.
This wagon has NOT got my standard fitment because the Peco PA34 mounting blocks would foul the axles
were I to use straight couplers. By using Bachmann angled couplers I've been able to place the mountings
underneath the axles. I don't like that the draw weight has to be taken through an angled coupler, but as
can be seen it's not a disaster. Watch the video :-

https://youtu.be/CW5wrRGuCPQ

I might now buy another couple of these kits. They will carry stone blocks in due course, but that for
another day, or year depending ....

Geoff T.

[Mountain]

It is interesting. I used to have a Mainline wagon "Ellis & Everard". If any would come off the track it was that one, but I was mixing the older Hornby and Lima stock with wide couplings with this Mainline medium coupling wagon. BUT, what I will say is that because my other Mainline wagons were slightly heavier, even though I had mixed coupling standards, they seemed ok.

One aspect I noticed was that it was not so much the width of the coupling loop that caused the issue, but it was the length of the coupling hooks themselves, as the different lengths of the coupling hooks would mean that one hook would be doing the work, while the other hook would be floating and be free to fowl the working shorter hook.

The most reliable couplings I had were the older Hornby (Later Triang/Hornby) screw on thin metal wide types, as a train full of those would really behave themselves no matter how brutal one was with them... Ideal for when I was a youngster! They just behaved themselves. Unfortunately they would have been better mounted with less gap between vehicles and this could have been done even with 1st radius curves, and those thin metal wide loop couplings were less noticeable then plastic versions as they did blend in better. It is a shame that a medium "Fixed" or even a small loop (But would have to be sprung for sideways play) is not made and available in metal form (In black) as a replacement for plastic tension lock couplings, as I feel that such a coupling would blend in more, and ideally if some sort of reach adjustment is made so one can adjust them on the rolling stock so that ones stock would only need to have sufficient gap between vehicles for the curves one is using.... If such a coupling is made and sold, I would imagine they would be great sellers, especially if mounting blocks can be sold as an option for them as well. I can see a market for something like this, especially when any decent small tension lock coupling is difficult to obtain...
Maybe it is what the 00 gauge market has been looking for! (Of course I am stating theory but it is something that the manufacturers could look into).

[Bufferstop]

I think your point about getting the "pull" in line throughout the train is as important as the other possible adjustments. St Oval is quite a good test those first radius curves will quickly highlight any wagon with an upward element to the coupling stresses. Propelling a light wagon through pointwork will show up slightly raised buffing bar. Sounds like a job on Two Short Planks.

[Dad-1]

I will admit to being a railway wagon building addict, but there are some old Gems
around that are worth bringing up to date. For a very long time I've been restricted
by the availability of my chosen couplers, now with a recent order being received
I can do some of the renovations that have been on hold.
The ex-Airfix GMR range were good, in fact probably in advance of most others of that
period for accuracy. I have 2 x 54313-0 Huntley & Palmers liveried 12 ton vent vans that
have 1975 moulded on the base. That may have been the initial tooling date, but I
have no doubt these were on the market before the 1980's dawned, so over 40 years
old !



My conversion has been a simple one. No brass bearings, but new metal wheels fitted.
Buffer beams drilled and hooks added from the LMS range. The old coupler mountings
sawn off and replaced with Peco mounting blocks with Bachmann NEM pockets fitted
with short narrow tension-lock couplers.

I see these are fetching around £20 each, IF you can find one, with posting & packaging
to go on top of that. My conversion also has a price and that must come out somewhere
between £6 and £7 with running quality as good as anything you'd buy new, a bargain !

Perhaps the 'Persil' van next ??

Geoff T.