Timber Bogies - Coupling Bars and Pole

When I finished the 4 timber bolster bogies in april 2024, I hadn't the stamina to build coupling bars for use between two bogies to avoid them being dragged apart when carrying timber. Until now I have used the two resin coupling bars that came with the bogies, but they are flimsy and not very safe in daily use. After having not been at the work table for a long time, the coupling bars seemed a good and easy task to get into the modelling fun again. 

New metal coupling bars for my two sets of Rail Print timber bogies. Necessary for safe and reliable running.

I cut pieces of 3.5 cm lengths of Peco IL-7 FB Code 143 rail left over from my track building on the Nystrup layout. I soldered nickle silver scraps with a 2 mm hole drilled in them to each end of the rail. With a heavy pin connecting coupling bar and bogie bracket the complete coupling set-up should keep the bogies safely coupled and able to navigate curves and unevenness in the track. In total the coupling bars are 4.5 cm long and provide the long sought after reliable running loaded with logs.

Running without a coupling bar between the timber bogies carries the risk of them separating. Here a derailment caused by bogie separation.

Timber bogie, resin coupling bar and parts for my new metal coupling bars.

Wooden coupling pole with metal coupling gear and coupling pins. The coupling pole's wooden part is wrapped in masking tape awaiting painting af the metal parts.

Having made the two coupling bars fitting the short logs I have cut for the bogies, I remembered to make a long wooden coupling pole for when running with longer loads (that could be rhubarb from the garden). The pole is a piece of round wooden stock fitted with metal coupling gear at the ends. The type of pole is seen on Waldeisenbahn Muskau in a far longer version.

Metal parts were given a spray of 'Chaos Black' primer from the can and spot painted Vallejo 'Dark Grey' with brush. When dry the black grey parts were washed with heavily diluted rust oil paint in turpentine. Later I will add further weathering with dust and worn metal areas. The wooden pole was distressed with knife and files and the given a wash with dark grey wood stain fluid in addition to a little drybrushing with grey and dark grey. 

One set of timber bogies loaded with birch timber coupled with a metal coupling bar.

The long wooden coupling pole fitted to bogies 72 and 79. Workshop manager Petersen looks happy (as happy as he is able to).

I have one more task to accomplish, as I need to make special coupling chains for the bogies. The tight chains can cause derailments as well. That will have to wait for another time, though.

1/87 Diorama Progressing

In March I started a small diorama in 1/87 scale planned as an expanded 'photo plank' to show off my growing collection of Soviet narrow-gauge models. Measuring 85x35 cm it has now had the main terrain features added. After an almost total modellingless April I'm now getting back into productive modelling! 

The diorama's main terrain feature - a low railway embankment - built from foam material and covered in disposable kitchen rags. 

On top of the plywood base I added a low embankment from foam material at the rear. This will carry a broad gauge track elevated above the narrow gauge tracks in front of it. The track will be glued to a 4 mm thick foamboard strip profiled to provide a representation of the subballast formation. I plan to fit the embankment with concrete sleepered track to represent a single track unelectrified broad gauge main line.

Lovely Spring weather has seen me working outside. Here I'm gluing foamboard as foundation for H0f and H0e track. The bricks with the mark of The Royal Danish Post and Telegraph Service were saved years ago from a demolished post office. They now serve to keep everything in position as the glue dries.

I have also begun covering the lower narrow gauge track area in 5 mm foambord. This will enable me to add drainage ditches between tracks where relevant. I've not quite decided the final track layout and placement of building elements, so I will be covering the majority of the area with foamboard.

A typical Soviet style prefabricated concrete fence of PO-2 type separates the embankment from the narrow gauge area and I cut foundations from scrap parts of plasticard for the placing of the fence. The fence is 'one-sided' and is made to be viewed from the narrow gauge area only, and consequently its rear side will be covered with a varied growth of shrubbery. The fence is glued in place and to strengthen the connection small foamboard columns support the fence from its backside, helping to make a strong bond.

The position of main broad gauge line and the main track of the 750 mm narrow gauge line is more or less decided. Between the fence and 750 mm track I plan to fit a 600 mm track with dilapidated rolling stock. In the front area I hope to fit in another 750 mm track with a few turnouts to a siding and a work shop building.

I'm now playing with track segments, turnouts and cardboard mock-ups to find out how best to place them on the diorama.