Flat Wagon Progress (1/35)

With soldering done the two wagons were washed thoroughly with hot water and a used toothbrush. When the wagons were dry I began fitting plastic details like brackets and rivets. The work adding rivets is somewhat tedious. Consequently my motivation hasn't been sky high.

One of the wagons with boards test fitted as low sides and sacks with foundry sand. The drawing is my concept for a decal for the sacks. I'm slowly cleaning up the many sacks - one more boring task!

Finally I pulled myself together and finished rivetting one of the wagons. It and the bogies got primed immediatly and now awaits painting.

A Local Hobby Shop in Berlin

While in Berlin this summer I came across this fantastic shop front of a hobby shop. Apart from childrens' toys the shop carried a lot of plastic kits, railway books and a wide selection of Märklin model railway items inside. But most amazing to me was the old fashioned shop front with neon signs in old Märklin design. If you fancy a visit yourself, find the shop on Wilmersdorfer Strasse 157 in Charlottenburg, Berlin or visit the shop's website.

The costumer at the door seems to hesitate. No need for that as there is plenty of nice stuff inside! I must confess I didn't buy anything. But as I model a Danish narrow gauge industrial railway in 1:35 scale I didn't expect a lot of things relevant to me.

The iconic neon signs over the shop front windows. Must look wonderful when lit in the dark.

A Long Story: Hudson Bogie Wagons (1/35)

Almost three years ago I started building two bogie flats in an attempt to recreate the two wagons used by Nystrup Gravel to carry foundry sand in sacks. The build process was stalled by several factors and the wagons somehow ended up in a box. The wagons have now returned to my work bench again and I'm determined to get them finished this time.

The box has landed. I can begin to plan what has to be done, how and in what sequence.

Status on the wagons is that all soldering is done and my home made bogies test fitted with cut down M2 bolts. As the kit's etched end angle profiles where too short I replaced them with pieces of brass profile cut and filed to suit.

The end profiles are filed to the right length in my small vice.

I got the vice as a birthday present in my early teens from my mom and dad. In more than one way a piece of history now. The Union of Socialist Soviet Republics was dissolved in December 1991

I'm now progressing with cleaning up my solder work which wasn't up to my usual standard. Next is fitting of small details like rivets. The load will need some work too, as the sand bag resin castings aren't exactly perfect. 

Both wagons ready for clean up. I bought the resin sand bags from Wespe Models on a Summer sale when I had another kit sent north anyway.