Monday, October 20

WHL Engineers Wagons - Hake

The HAKE was one of the WHL's interesting and unusual engineers' wagons in the mid to late 80s. Gavin Judd has a few good pictures which can be found on the UK Rolling Stock album, including a photo of one at Fort William:

http://ukrailrollingstock.fotopic.net/p36854749.html

After a discussion on modelling another ballast wagon, the SEAL, on the RMWeb forum, Paul Bartlett has posted a set of Hake photos on his excellent BR Wagon Photos website here:

http://gallery6801.fotopic.net/c1597684.html

So my plan for this wagon is to use the more recent issue of the Parkside Grampus kit (the one with the option for the air-braked Rudd version). The ends and suspension of the Hake are quite different to any of the options in the kit, so I plan to use the FAT25 suspension (axleguards, springs etc) from a Cambrian OTA kit, and to modify the Rudd ends from the Parkside Grampus kit. I did think about using a Hornby Rudd chassis to save time, but it would have to be modified so much that it probably wouldn't be worth the effort.

Here's the start of the process - Grampus sides and ends being prepared.



Last night I rough cut all the bracing off the Rudd end and (after the photo) sanded and filed it flush, repeating for the other end. On the right of the picture, you can see the original (left) and rudd style ends on the sprue and the rough cut end for the model below.

Next I'll use the end detail photo on Paul B's website to build a representation of the bracing on the ends, and then I can assemble the wagon body. More on this as things progress...

Thursday, October 16

Another (belated) update - and wagons

Hello all.

Been quite busy, holidays and what-not, including a ride on the splendid Stockholm to Narvik sleeper train (and some walking in Lappland). Here's the return train at Boden, where portions to and from Lulea are shunted.

I've not done much modelling since the last update, but in the last few weeks, I've gone a little further with planning a small layout (mentioned before), which I think I've settled on a track plan for - more of this later...

I did a day demonstrating for DEMU at the Manchester show. I took the Mark 1s I was working on at Christmas, but also some Parkside Vanwide kits I want to get finished for a 1980s vacuum braked train which is taking shape. I spent a nice few hours cleaning up the main parts for the four Vanwides, and chatting away to folks.

Tonight I had the Vanwides out again and removed the moulded door handles on the first one and replaced them with wire ones. I've also made a start cleaning up the parts for a Cambrian Turbot.

On the research front I've found some info on the ZBA "Hake" grampus conversions which were at Fort William in the mid and late 80s. These will make a nice model, and I've started collecting parts for a couple.

More later, hopefully with less of a delay than last time!