Flat for stone transport (1/35)

I started building a new braked skip from Scale Link parts, but ended up with a longer than standard flat wagon for stone transport. Even with planning you never know what you'll get when you start a model!

During building I apparently relaxed so much that I forgot to place the axle boxes in the correct off-set position for a braked skip. Instead of redoing the work, I fitted different wheels from the spares box and a ‘skeleton’ wooden floor to make a flat wagon for stone transport. The 'skeleton' floor is simply four heavy balks bolted to the frame. The balks were distressed with knife, file and wire brush.

Images from the construction and painting proces.

The finished flat with stone block.

The wagon is painted black and the wood grey and red with heavy weathering. Flaked off paint made with the help of Humbrol Maskol. Numbering is old decals from an Accurate Armour military kit. The granite block came out of a heap of ballast at HVB.  

The old stone wagons pulled by loco 8.

The new wagon will add nice variety to my stone train, which has so far consisted of three identical flats. More images of the old flats can be found on Flickr. 

As I had no more skip kits in stock, I ordered another 8 skips from Scale Link. They will enable me to build that braked skip – and to fit bogies under my two Hudson bogie wagons from David Provan, although it will probably last some time before construction gets underway. The rest of the kits will be assembled as ordinary skips. Expirience has shown me that it is feasible to run trains with as many as 11 skips on my modules without derailments or other difficulties. You can never have too many skips!