I thought I'd share an ongoing project I've been working on during lockdown. I'd been thinking about a breakdown train for a few years now so when Oxford Rail announced they were to produce a Cowans Sheldon 15ton crane I started to think about some off the support vehicles to run with it.
Crane Runner
Probably the most obvious wagon to run with a steam crane. The cranes were paired with a few different wagons over the years. I opted for a 6 wheel dumb buffer one simply because I liked the look of it. The model is based on a TLM open goods wagon with the underframe modified to suit. I used MJT wagon compensation units and cut the outside W irons on the Silhouette cutter. The lettering was done using HMRS transfer sheets. I'll leave the jib support until I have the crane.
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Emergency Van
This was built using Lindsay's drawing for the Silhouette cutter. Still needs a little bit of detailing to finish it off.
This is based on the drawing on P56 of the Wagon Book supplement. I haven't came across any photographs of these so its a bit of a best guess. Again done on the Silhouette cutter.
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Packing Wagons
These are based on the three wagons in the background of the photograph on p279 of the Wagon Book. I'm assuming that they are packing wagons but I've not came across any reference to them. The models have a scratch built body but are otherwise similar to the crane runner. I based them on the ballast wagon on p265 of the same book. I'm not sure what to do about the livery. The lettering looks to be something like 'Motherwell Crane(?) XXXXX XXX'
Great stuff Ross. In the enlargement of the St. Rollox picture on p. 279, the packing wagon is almost certainly lettered MOTHERWELL STEAM CRANE No. X. Crucially, the exhaust from crane No.4 just fogs it slightly.
Excellent, thanks Mike. Do you think the packing wagons would have carried the number of the crane they were associated with like the match wagons did? Presumably the actual wagon number would be displayed separately if so.
It would take the identity of the crane, Ross. The number of the wagon in the photo is single digit, so in this case it would be 3 or 4 since both cranes were on the scene.
I've now lettered the packing wagon and painted the kitchen van. The kitchen van is a bit of a guess, I can't see them keeping their full passenger livery after conversion. The colours haven't shown up too well in the photograph but the ends are vermillion and I used a light grey for the roof and tires rather than the bright white of a freshly ex-works vehicle. I'm just waiting now for someone to produce a photograph of one showing what it should look like!
Thanks Lindsay. All the lettering is from HMRS sheets. I find that if the surface of the model is wetted first, the letters won't sick straight away and they can be used like waterslide decals once released from the backing. They take a while to dry in but it does mean that the individual letters can be adjusted once the whole word is in place. I use them for traders wagons too.
Hi Ross
Hadn't heard of that before. Are you talking about Pressfix or Methfix?
I'm interested because I've just had an email from Eileens that the HMRS transfers I've been waiting for since May are in the post!! So I can get that 498 Class engine finished at last.....
It's the Pressfix transfers Alan. I've tried using them as intended but I've always found them difficult to position and almost impossible to adjust without damaging them.
Ross, I've just looked at the photo of your runner wagon again. You need to reduce the depth of the axleboxes. Part of the journal was inside the w-iron - see the end elevation and photos of the 7-ton bogie on pp. 86-7 of the wagon book. Your arrangement probably does funny things to the footboards as well. You may have the same problem on the packing wagons too, but I can't tell from your photos.