Monday 20 December 2021

More “H” Wagons

 A general overview of “H” and “HJ” wagons can be found in blog post, dated January 2018.

Some time back I asked a question “What’s on our Trains”, blog post March 2019.  In short loading on a train can be different due to direction of travel. In another blog post I commented on the ratio of box wagons to open wagons on my layout. Of cause, this will change given the goods/freight types carried in a given location. Plus, the makeup of some trains calls for a select type of rollingstock for partial traffic where wagons could be in sets etc. I think era also played a part it this, in later years with palletise loading and easy loading methods, more goods/freight was loading into box wagon.   

For some time now I have felt the layout was a bit short on open type wagons. Over the years I have purchased several “H” type wagons from various manufactures. All have been different in some way, some had inside details, and other didn’t. Even kits from the same manufacture were different at times. All needed some adjustments of some form to fit in with other rollingstock on the layout. They were at the same size at 32 ft long. This allowed the kit to be used as “H” and “HJ” wagons subject to bogie type. Only the later “H” wagons were 32 ft. long, most “H” wagons were 30 ft. long with a number of shorties at 21 and 26 feet. All the wagons in the class look much the same at a glance, as they say, the devil is in the detail.  

26 ft. H wagon


H wagon without door stops.

H wagon with door stops on the end doors and a spring mechanism on the centre door.

This H wagon with two spring mechanism. Door stop pads are square and on other wagons they could be at 90°.

H wagon with door stops on all doors.

During 1969 the painting of goods/freight wagons was changed from black and red oxide to grey.    

Coupled to this, many of my loads are fixed into the wagons with securing equipment in place over the sides, hiding the lack of inside detail. Returning the wagon empty on a train is out of the question. Scratch building a few wagons allowed me to have a few wagons with different lengths and some empty wagons. A plus was the side door thickness was more prototypical.        

Looking at photos taken by various photographers over a number of years as above, showed up quite a few differences which gave me the opportunity to provide some different wagons. Some the differences include the length and type of the door stops. Doors of wooden wagons are quite heavy and generally they were knock open from inside with the door falling down freely. The door stops prevent the dropping doors damaging the axle boxes. In the reverse, two guys were required to close the door, some locations forklifts were used. Some wagons had a springing mechanism on the middle door to assist in closing the door. Pads on the doors to protecting the timber where the dropping doors hits the doorstops are in two different positions.  Some wagons had securing rings, others didn’t. 

Models 

All wagons were constructed from styrene sheet and Evergreen strip and rod. Wood grain was added by rubbing wet & dry paper backward and forward along the styrene sheet in the direction of the scribing for timber boards. In other words, grain to run along the boards, not across.  

 

21ft. H with load, concrete gang on the move to the next job.

PGC Kit with farming machines. Implements (disc & stump jump plough) were scratch build using photos located on the internet.

A PGC HJ wagon Kit with tank and pipe fittings from a Wathers Kit. Cotton from the wife’s sewing room has been used for the securing equipment.  


Both wagons were scratch built, decals rivets used on the strapping.


26ft. H wagon scratch built.

The wagons were painted using PGC Acrylic Lacquer Red Oxide and weathered with Vallejo paints.

The next batch of five wagons were built in a similar way and were painted using the same paint. At this stage, school is out on whether the models will be weathered.  

As an experiment, the rivets were made using a styrene goo made up with scrap styrene and solvent. The thickness to the goo is governed by the amount of solvent added to scrap styrene in the bottle. Acrylic paint was added to give the goo colour, without the paint it is white onto white. The colour helps to highlight what you are doing. The goo was added to the model using 8 thou brass wire as the applicator. A drop of goo is place on a scrap piece of styrene with a tooth pick, the wire is dipped into the goo drop and carried to the model. You need to be quick as the goo drop can dry quickly.

The wagons were fitted with the new Wuiske bar frame bogies, these bogies have an injected moulded side frames, the wagons are 6 grams lighter than the wagons fitted with white metal bogies I generally use, reducing the overall weight of the wagon. I intend to run these wagons empty, I see how they will measure up with my style of operations with lots of pushing and pulling during shunting.    

 

A number of wagons were fitted with the centre door spring mechanism


This wagon was fitted with timber door stops.

Most wagon were fitted steel door stops which were made from brass mini-strip. The hand brake levers were made up using the same material. 

The goose neck air hoses on the end and queen posts are Queensland Railway Miniatures brass parts. Buffers are Caintode Flats CFD 1. 

The question often comes up from time to time about the colour of the wagon inside. Looking at wagons in museums, which modellers often used as a reference, most are painted. This next photo taken in 1967 showing some were unpainted and were bare timber.  

Mackay sugar season, Benholme – Gargett section climbing up to The Gap.

Acknowledgements.

QR Plans

Australian Model Railway Association Queensland Library.

Trust you find the information helpful, and it can assist you in your modelling projects.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Stay safe until we catch up next time in the New Year.

Be sure to check out the YouTube channel to see the wagons at work on the layout.

Arthur Hayes - YouTube

Arthur H.  

  



Wednesday 1 December 2021

“GV” Guard’s Vans - Part # 2

 Most of the Griffith Vans were 32 feet long, the Queensland Railways “List of Classes of Coaching Rolling Stock and Description” dated 3rd January 1963 shows 34 vans with two compartments.


The average tare of these vans was 13 tons 18 cwt and they carried 20 passengers. The book shows the following running numbers were in service at the time. 634, 635, 644, 647, 696, 699, 700, 702 – 713, 716 – 730. John Armstrong Book “Brake Vans of the Queensland Railways 1864 – 1980” shows 43 vans were built from 1905. John also explains that the vans were renumbered around 1912 which may throw some light on the gap in numbers for these vans.  

BGV 726 (Black out Van) 

BGV 717 fitted with electric light.

BGV 644 (Black out Van)


 

Train 568 Coopers Plains hauled by DEL1645. 

The main difference between the small 28 ft van with one passenger compartment and the larger 32 ft van with two compartments was the luggage area, the only access was the double guard’s door.

 Model:-

Construction and painting was the same as the previous van.  This time I remembered to take a few photos before painting.






Plumbers lead sheet (approx. 1 mm thick) has been added under the floor for some weight, on the scales the van weights 64 grams.





Inside detail included seats, dog in the dog box, seated passengers in the passenger compartments, Guard standing at the door learning the road, a Guard seated, Guards Box, Goods and parcels, Hand brake lever, Sorting box and first-aid box (green) on the wall. Out of view is the emergency tap and Brake pipe gauge. Guards and Driver sheet on the counter.  

Brake gear was added under the floor, combined brake cylinder, levers and rods.


Acknowledgements.

Brake Vans of the Queensland Railways 1864 - 1980 by John Armstrong.

QR Working Time Tables

QR Plans

QR Coaching By-Laws

Australian Model Railway Association Queensland Library

QR 1963 List of Classes of Coaching Rollingstock and Description. 

As above, painting was the same as the previous van in the previous blog post.

 I think I did a better job than the previous van, maybe scribed sheet for the floor could add a bit more to the model!!!!!

 Trust you found the information helpful for your modelling projects.

 Both vans can be viewed working trains on the layout on the my YouTube channel

Stay safe until next time.

Arthur H. 




 










Tuesday 2 November 2021

"GV” Guard’s Vans - Part #1.

Queensland Railways “List of Classes of Coaching Rolling Stock and Description” dated 3rd January 1963 lists a number of GV class Guard’s Vans. The list shows 102 vans, all except three vans are shown as having second class passenger compartments.

Five separate listings are shown for the vans with passenger accommodation. All with the exception on one van are known at “Griffith’s Vans”. The name comes from the manufacture of the first contract “Griffith Brothers” (Toowoomba Foundry). The vans are shown in four categories within three types. One, two and three passenger compartments conveying 10, 20 or 30 passengers respectably. All vans were equip with dog boxes and the one and two compartment vans were the only goods van to be fitted with coffin chambers

GV 640 (Blackout Van)

GV 725 (Blackout Van)

GV 622  (Blackout Van) 

Plans show the vans were fitted with gas lights, some notes showed a few had electric light. In the 1960’s, most vans in the class were “black out” vans, in other words they had no lights. Kerosene tail/side lights marked the end of the train at night. The Guard used his kero shunting light for his compartment. Most of the livestock vans were the same, in the late 1960’s on the Mt Isa line guards were issued with battery Latten lights when working train with these vans.   

Some of the class had electric lights fitted in the late 1960’s early 1970’s. Around the same time the vans were classified BGV, I guess to reflect they had 2nd class passenger compartments. 

GV 668 Van fitted with electric light. 

One group of 31 vans were shown as 28 feet long, tare 12 ton 15 cwt with one compartment for 10 passengers. Numbers shown are 627, 648, 650, 653, 654, 656, 657, 659, 660, 662, 668, 669, 671, 673 – 676, 678 – 681, 683, 685 – 689, 691, 692, 694, 695. There was also 5 vans with one compartment that were 32 ft long (Nos. 629, 631, 640, 642, 643). 

The vans were 7ft 6 inches wide, the timber wall boards were wider than the later vans and passenger cars.  Most vans appeared to have 4 ft 6 in Angle Iron Bogies with 2 ft 2 in wheels, some also had the bar frame bogie. Buffer did very a bit for van to van.  

GV 659 (Blackout Van)

GV 657 (Blackout Van) These two vans have bar frame bogies. 

As built the luggage compartment had double outwards swings doors fitted with windows. The 32 ft vans had a single sliding doors for the luggage compartment. 

John Armstrong book “Brake Vans of the Queensland Railways 1864 – 1980” shows 52 28 ft vans were built between 1897 and 1902. Eight 32 ft vans were built between 1902 and 1905 A plan for the van 28ft van came be found in John’s book.

BGV 631 (Blackout Van)

BGV 643 (Blackout Van) 

Photos show a few modifications surfaced over the years, In later years the doors did not have windows. Some also lost their coffin cambers and were fitted with electric light.

BGV 631. (32’ Van) Altered luggage compartment doors, coffin chamber gone and fitted with electric light. QR Logo and grey ballast hopper places the era in the mid 1970’s. It’s no longer 2nd class passenger accommodation, it’s Economy Class

I think this one could be a project down the track!! 

Wooloongabba


The transportation of dogs and corps are covered in the Coaching By-Laws, that’s item carried on passenger trains in Guards Vans and Baggage Cars.  Both were still carried by QR up to the early 2000’s. This is one of the reasons why MMV vans stayed on the western mails after two driver operation (TDO) can in. In 1970, a corps was conveyed at the rate of 10 cents per mile. Special conditions were required over 100 miles. They were allowed between Brisbane and Toowoomba (101 miles) and Gympie (106 miles) without these conditions. At one time before the rule was changed, a special stop was made at Harlaxton (99 miles) to unload coffins for Toowoomba.       

Senders of dogs needed to supple a chain to secure the dog into the dog box on guard’s vans. Other small animals such as goats and sheep will not be accepted for conveyance by passenger trains unless they are contained in suitable crates, in which case they may be loaded in either the guard’s van or dog-boxes. The Commissioner will not be responsible for the safety of dogs and other small animals and when necessary a drinking vessel must be supplied by the sender. 

The rate for conveyance of dogs in dog-boxes or Guard’s Vans which must be prepaid in all cases, were as follows in 1970. 

10 miles and under

$0.35 each

11 to 20 miles

$0.40 each

21 to 40 miles

$0.50 each

41 to 80 miles

$0.70 each

81 to 100 miles

$0.90 each

101 to 130 miles

$1.10 each

131 to 150 miles

$1.35 each

151 to 200 miles

$1.80 each

201 to 250 miles

$2.20 each

251 to 300 miles

$2.65 each

and 30c for each additional 50 miles or part thereof, but in no case shall the charge for a dog be in excess of the second class passenger fare. 

Dogs and other small animals must be removed from the station premises immediately after the arrival of the train, otherwise they will be maintained at the owner’s risk and expense; and if not claimed within three days they may be sold at auction, and the proceeds applied in payment of all expenses incurred and the balance handed to the owner or consignee. 

I have observed up to four dogs in the dog box on the Westlander at Charleville. 

Model 

For the layout I chose a 28 ft version with double luggage doors with windows. For me a short van at the back of a train looks better on a small layout. In operational prototype practice any vans were used on trains regardless of their length, at times 50 foot vans worked trains consisting of four wheeled coal hoppers. In later years conditions was placed on the weight of a van working express freight trains, I think they had to be over 16 tons tare. 


 

A spare crew is travelling passenger returning to their depot with their tucker boxes on the seat. A water bowl of drinking water for the dog has been supplied in the dog box.  Styrene blocks have been painted for goods/parcels in the luggage compartment.  


The van was built with guard’s doors open and the windows in the passenger compartment down. I think this beings a new dimension to the layout and was very prototypical for a good’s trains.  

Evergreen scribe and strip styrene was used to make the van. The roof was made to be removable. The canvas top is a washed out used tea bag and glued into place with super glue. The strips were cut three scale feet wide. 

Caintode Flats bogies, brake cylinder and buffers, the air hoses on the end and queen posts are Queensland Railway Miniatures brass parts. 

The sides and ends were airbrushed with PGC “Passenger Red” Acrylic Lacquer.

The underframe was painted with SMS (Ready to spray) Acrylic Lacquer “Chassis Black” 

After the decals were applied, sides, ends and underframe was sprayed with SMS “Flat Clear”

The roof was hand painted using Vallejo Model Color # 70.862 Black Grey. 

The van was weathered with the following

Vallejo Model Air # 71.139 US Field Drab

Vallejo Model Air # 71.133 Dirt

Vallejo Game Air # 72.762 Earth

AK # AK 723 Dust.

The paints were thinned using a mix of Vallejo Flow Improver 70%, Vallejo Thinners 30% with a couple of drops of Vallejo Retarder Medium. I mix this up in bulk and decant into smaller usable dropper bottles.  I start with the darker colours and applying the lighter colours last. So all models are not the same I will drop out one of the colours from time to time. Some modellers apply the lighter colours first and the darker colours last. I feel the darker colour has been on the vehicle longest and the lighter colours is recent dust.  

Inside was hand painted using Vallejo Model Colors.

Seats # 70.862 Black Grey

Walls # 70.860 Medium Flesh Tone.

Passenger Compartment Floor # 70.983 Flat Earth  (Lino)

Guard’s and Luggage Compartment Floor # 70.988 Khaki  (Floor boars) 

Passenger and Guard was painted using Vallejo Model Colors 

Part 2 next time will cover the construction of the 32 ft, 2 compartment van.

Acknowledgements.

Brake Vans of the Queensland Railways 1864 - 1980 by John Armstrong.

QR Working Time Tables

QR Plans

QR Coaching By-Laws

Australian Model Railway Association Queensland Library

QR List of Classes of Coaching Rollingstock and Description. 


Trust you find the information helpful and assist you in your modelling projects.

Until next posting stay safe.

Arthur H.