Just on four years ago I posted about building one of the resin kits which had been done as a limited run of these vans. My comment then was that I hoped I would eventually get my own if it were added to Steve’s Shapeways shop. Fortunately it has been (There is a link to the shop in the original post) and while the exchange rates and general costs haven’t been especially friendly, I took an opportunity late last year when Shapeways had a free shipping plus 10% discount sale on for designers to add one to my order.
Essentially it was much the same as the cast version – chassis and body but the buffers were printed on as was the brake gear to the chassis. You also need with this one to supply wheels and couplings.
I managed to break a buffer off by dropping it before I had done much and having spent a few minutes looking decided a brass replacement was going to be quicker so that’s what it got. The print is pretty good and considering it is of a wooden paneled vehicle I didn’t find the lining an issue but if you wanted to rubbing the roof down between coats of paint would help. Doing in the individual panels…. that would be tedious and fraught with danger I think.
The two parts were cleaned with Simply Green – I’ll put a pic of the bottle up next week – which I got from Bunnings. I don’t know if it is available in the UK or elsewhere (although Bunnings and its snags are in the UK) but it worked a treat – best cleaner for FUD I’ve found. Painting then followed with some rattle can primer and Humbrol crimson (also the rattle can – quicker than getting the airbrush out). The roof is Grimy Black from Modelmaster. The chassis was painted separately with a rattle of black.
The couplers are NEM boxes as part of the print – as I run minimum 15” curves I opted for a pair of the short Farish ones and, unlike Ben’s, didn’t put the steam heat pipes on – guess it is summer for mine. Glazing done with Krysal Klear. Following the transfers Testors dulcote was applied and then glazing. The glazing was done with Krysal Klear. Transfers from the collection – the number was lucky as a set of coach numbers had the 5 digits in almost the right order – took the two from the front and put them at the back. Wheels from the spares box – they fitted and rolled smoothly which was the criteria. Not Peco but I don’t know whose they are.
Similarly to Ben’s, Tatlow’s book was consulted for a number (70209 to go with Ben’s 70199) and the whole lot finished within about 2 weeks of getting it. A lightening fast time for me!
So a pretty quick and easy model of a prototype which would appear to have travelled fairly widely in the days when homing pigeon races were a frequent weekend event.
Lastly, thanks for the comments on last weeks post – I am pleased that some find my ramblings and bits and pieces of interest. Hopefully you’ll also be inspired to give something a go.
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