Vacation Modelling

As usual I bring a project for some slow vacation modelling in the cottage. This year I chose three 3D printed Hudson underground skips. They are second stage of a six wagon build proces with three skips finished in first stage back in 2023. With experience from building the first three skips there shouldn't be much to worry about! 

Three skips posing assembly line like on the cottage table cloth. One-piece full length 4 mm diameter brass bearings fitted.

One skip fitted with wheels - two still waiting.

The skips' wheels are designed for 3 mm axles and I used Albion Alloys thin-walled brass tube with a 4 mm outer diameter for bearings. To make the wagon a few grams heavier, I cut a single, long brass bearing completely enveloping the axle instead of two bearings fitted into the axleboxes on each side of the skip. With limited view of anything below the skip's tub the slightly larger appearance of the axle has hardly been noticable on the first three wagons. The axles were then cut to length and the wheels' axleholes were reamed with a 3 mm drill, the axle fitted in the tube bearings and the wheels pushed on. 

Before fitting, the wheels were cleaned up a bit and the worst dimples on the running surfaces removed with a sanding stick. 

Three skips fitted with 'caked on' ash on frames and skip bodies. The modeller enjoying a beer while working.

The putty has dried and now lead sheet is fitted as ballast.

Before the wheels were fitted, I sanded the printing traces from the sides of the frames. That was an easier job than to remove the traces on the sides of the skips' tubs. As the wagons were used to transport ash on Nystrup Gravel I'm applying a heavy weathering that will help to cover the last traces of the printing proces.  From prototype photos the skips were covered with 'cakes' of ash on the sides and to represent that, I added texture to the skips with modelling putty. I applied the putty with a wooden toothpick and worked the semi-dried putty into a thin layer with texture with an old tooth brush. 

With the putty dried I turned my attention to fit the lead ballast that is crucial to achieve accetable running from the skips. The first pieces of lead sheet was super glued into the skip body rests after being bent to a perfect fit.

Now work to bend up couplings are waiting.

New Figures

Risk of overstaffing at Nystrup Gravel? It could be the case with the latest delivery from the busy 3D printing maternity clinic in Bristol, also known as Modelu. 6 new employees were included in the package. The figures were accompanied by two foxes to add a little life to the area behind the loading ramp. 

One of the new figures resting againgst the footplate of the Fowler (with added detail parts yet unpainted). Small remnants of the 3D printings supports can still be seen here and there on the figure.

As with earlier purchases from Modelu I've not planned getting all figures ready for service at once. The most pressing need is to get a driver figure for the Fowler locomotive. The idea is to select one or two figures from the two crew packs to be converted to a Fowler driver. I'll probably have to do minor surgery and a little sculpting as I did a lot when I modelled in 1:35 scale.

Modelu crew pack 11208 for the small England engine. Photo: Modelu

Modelu crew pack 11219 for quarry Hunslet engine. Photo: Modelu.

After a switft production time of one week and a one week postal and customs trip to Denmark I couldn't wait to open the package. Safely wrapped in several layers of bubble wrap inside a solid cardboard box the figures waited for me to examine them and test fit them in the Fowler cab. I had a surprise waiting for me. My earlier deliveries from Modelu have been of figures with the 3D printing supports removed. Now the figures are supplied with the complete support structure of a web of thin posts. They help the figure to remain firmly supported during printing and initial curing. The removal of the support posts isn't a difficult task. Only a sharp knife, a side cutter and some time is needed. What surprised me the most is the new level of detail. My 1/19 scale figures from Modelu has been adequate in detail, but I have often been disappointed by weak facial detail, soft and missing detail in clothing and bad demarcation from eg. trousers to shoes. Most of those objections are now gone. I'll be going into detail when I start working on one of the new figures. And by the way: the price has gone down as well!

The right figure from pack 11219 resting his back side on the low rear wall in the Fowler cab. To call him a perfect fit isn't quite true, but it's a close call.

Here the figure is seen from the side.

The left figure from pack 11208 was my second bet on a possible driver figure for the Fowler. He looks good too, but needs something the rest his right arm on. 

Peeking out from the cab. 

I'm quite confident that I now have a decent driver for the Fowler. Adding a little material to the back side of the figure from pack 11219 and adjusting the height (trimming shoes and cap) will obtain a near perfect fit in the cab. And the figure will even be removable and at the same being able to keep its position while traversing bad track (as all track is at Nystrup Gravel).

As for the rest of the figures pictures will have to wait. It's Spring and I'm too busy with the 1:1 scale vintage railway, maintenance of two wooden houses and real work. But one of the Modelu foxes sneaked out and was photographed near the lorry loading ramp.

A Modelu fox in 3D print has crossed the meadow covered by static grass from the photographic rendition of a wood where it usually lives. 

Detailing Timber Bolsters

Last month I received 4 bogie timber bolsters in 3D print ready to roll. As usual with 3D printed models I feel I have to remove the most visible traces of the printing proces - the thin lines of layered resin or plastic material. A lot of work with sanding sticks and sand paper will usually take care of most of it. I also wanted to add a little extra detail. I'm still working on the bogies and below is a status of the progress.

One rusty timber bolster bogie, a horse without harness and a bewildered workshop manager drinking coffee. Weekend approaching at Nystrup Gravel?

As I took a closer look on the timber bolsters I decided to limit my work on them to the following tasks:

• remove most of the 3D printing layering lines by sanding (the paint I use help to hide the rest)
• fill holes in the bogies' top plates (don't know why they are there?)
• replace printed on footsteps with scratchbuilt metal items
• add bolt detail
• remove brake gear
• add hand rails

Filling holes with putty and sanding (particularly the upper surfaces) was done on all 4 bogies in assembly line-style. After testbuilding the first footstep and fitting it on one side of a single bogie, I built and fitted the remaining three steps. I intentionally made two of the steps crooked as the steps were prone to be damaged by occasional derailments. From there I concentrated my efforts on a single braked bogie. The rest will hopefully follow in quick succession.

New footstep made from nickle silver sheet and brass wire next to the item to be replaced. The 3D printed part was too clumsy in my opinion and easy to replace.

'Pretty decent work', the Nystrup Gravel chief mechanic seem to think, 'Now three more steps needs replacing'.

From the beginning I had been a little disappointed with the look of the brake installation printed integral to the platform railing. As Nystrup Gravel's lines were without steep gradients braking, besides what could be accomplished by the locomotives, weren't necesarry during a train's movement. To keep wagons stationary on sidings a branch or a stone placed on the railhead would usually suffice. Only a few braked skips are documented on photos from Nystrup and consequently I decided to discard the brake installation. I presume it was removed on the real version of Nystrup Gravel to cut down on maintenance and to avoid complicating the operational environment for the workers who seldom were among the most mechanically experienced. 

Having cut away the brake installation from the platform railing I added handrails and corresponding bolt imitations. The railing was then glued to the bogie with AC-glue. More bolt heads from sliced octagonal plastic strip were added to bogie ends and under the axle box guides. Total sum of new parts added to the bogie reached 36. In addition I glued two pieces of lead under the bogie to increase its weight. 

The first 1/19 scale timber bolster bogie in rusty condition. Hardly anyone will notice my work adding bolt heads, handrails and replacing footsteps. But I know it's been done.

The bolster works as the real thing: lift the side support and it falls down to allow loading or unloading.

I separated bogie and timber bolster before painting to avoid everything being 'welded' solidly together by dried paint. I used a rust colour in a rattle can. The paint has a slight texture to it. I used a German made product 'Rosteffekt' from the brand Belton in a standard 400 ml spray can. The paint does smell quite a bit and it's probably best to use it outside the house - I did.  

The bogie will have a partly covering layer of dark grey paint over a covering of chipping fluid from Vallejo. That will allow me to create an impression of flaking and worn paint with rust showing through. But first I will finish the other three bogies.

Steel Sleepered Track Panels

With the package containing the 'Planet' motorised skip I also received an assortment of track panels with steel sleepers. I have aquired the track parts to be able to quickly get a train running when I'm away from home. A few straight lengths of heavy Peco SM32 flextrack isn't exactly light or handy - nor does it allow for easy continous running.

Two straight track segments from Loco Remote. 

The track panels are designed by Loco Remote on basis of the lightweight track system made by British company Robert Hudson from Leeds. The track system known as 'Jubilee' consisted of light rail profile attached to pressed steel sleepers to make up a track panel that could easily be carried and connected to other panels. Curved panels in several radii were offered by Hudson and with points also in the catalogue you could basically order a complete narrow gauge railway from a single supplier. The concept, pioneered by French producer Decauville, were offered by a range of German producers as well. Now Loco Remote allows me to order a similar designed rail system in 1/19 scale. If I had a 3D printer myself I could even have downloaded the printing files free of charge and printed out my own track system.

In my old scale of 1/35 I previously worked with steel sleepered track panels. I used two different designs made in resin and 3D printing with Code 100 and 83 track. 

Close up of a straight track panel. Small imitations of bolts or rivet heads are visible. Both types of fastenings could be found on prototype panels.

A sharp radius turnout. The tongue assembly isn't exactly true to prototype, but it works and once painted it will be far less noticable.

With close inspection (and a bit a luck) a dedicated expert can probably identify the maker of a full scale track panel, but in model form I don't think the very small differences are worth much attention. It was without any worries that I ordered 10 straight and 10 curved panels as well as 2 points. In the set were also two buffer stops, but they were so ugly that I binned them immidiately.

The Loco Remoto track panels have a sleeper profile corresponding to the original Jubilee track. Some 'lining' traces from the printing proces can be seen on the sleeper surface. Small imitations of bolts or rivet heads are visible. Both types of fastenings could be found on prototype panels, but I'm unaware if Jubilee track was bolted or riveted. The rail profile on the 3D printed track isn't qiute matching a vignoles profile, but very few will notice that. The track handles all my rolling stock and locos, even those with high (and unprototypically) flanges. The track panel 'couples' by the means of a Lego inspired stud system that connects one half sleeper to another half sleeper on the neighbouring track panel - a simple and clever solution.

Painted and unpainted track panels connected. The lines from the printing proces are visible on the top of the sleepers. The studs connecting the two track segments are clearly visible.

The track system works fine on a level tabletop, floor or as built into a layout, but I doubt it will work on an uneven surface due to its light construction and method of connecting the individual panels. For running trains in the garden the track system isn't a good choise. But then again: I ordered the track to be able to play trains on a table to show some simple modelling in a large scale on narrow gauge. For that purpose the track is close to perfect!

600 mm track panels on steel sleepers from the German Army 'Brigade' railways used to supply frontline units with ammunition, food and building materials during WWI. Here seen at Besucherbergwerk 'Volle Rose', Ilmenau, 2019.

Random stack of track panels at the heritage line Hedelands Veteranbane in Denmark showing US/French army track (rounded sleeper ends) German Brigade track and lightweight track with sleepers looking like 'Jubilee'/Loco Remote track. Never walk past a stack of track panels without taking a closer look!

Nystrup's Timber Bogie Bolsters

Several of Nystrup Gravel's pits were located in wooded areas and before removing the overburden over the gravel deposits, trees had to be cleared away. For transporting felled trees from the pits Nystrup Gravel used a pair of bogie bolster units. I have now aquired 4 bogies and will in no time have them up and running on the layout.

Four timber bogies fresh from the producer in the UK. Chief mechanic Petersen inspecting the new equipment.

The bogie bolsters are from the British producer Rail Print and 3D printed in resin in differing colours. The print quality is from fine to moderately fine. On some spots the prints will benefit from sanding. As usual for 3D printed models in the scale an assortment of bolts and rivets are missing, particularly on the buffer planks. I note that brake shoes and rods are also missing on the braked bogie. As they are not particularly visible I haven't yet decided if I will fit them myself.

Braked bogie with plank deck for the brake man. Railing and brake handle is supplied in the kit ready to fit in the corner brackets.

My timber bogies as delivered. While they basically only need a single part fitted and paint to finish, I will be working a bit more on them adding details.

A pair of bogies seen from above.

On the real Nystrup Gravel felled tree trunks were pulled to the 600 mm narrow gauge line with horses and after WWII with a huge Soviet made crawler tractor. The timber was then loaded on a pair of bogie bolster units and taken to Nystrup by rail where they were sold to a local timber merchant selling them on to a saw mill in the other end of the country in the town of Sundborg. Must have been some rather good timber to warrant such long transport!

Bogie bolsters were seldom seen on Danish industrial narrow gauge railways and Nystrup's 4 bogies are thus quite unique. Most likely they were brought to Denmark by the German authorities during the occupation of Denmark 1940-1945 for work at the airfield at Mellemåen (Middle Stream) not far from Nystrup. A selection of locos, track and wagons was aquired from the airfield by Nystrup Gravel after the war. Read more about the airfield and Nystrup Gravel's relationship here.

German timber bolster bogies at the 600 mm gauge Waldeisenbahn Muskau. 2012.

Two unbraked bogies coupled. Notice the dangerously narrow spacing between the bogies leaving very little room for the worker doing the coupling. Photographed at Waldeisenbahn Muskau in 2003

The Rail Print bogies are a good and reasonably priced way of getting some charateristic timber bolsters on my little 1/19 scale layout. For me the task of removing some of the traces from the printing proces and adding a little extra detail doesn't detract from their quality. I like to work on any model regardless of quality to make it my own personal interpretation of the prototype. For the modeller needing a a pair of bolsters in 32 mm gauge with no need for extra detail, all that has to be done is fix the railing and apply a coat of paint. Ready to roll! And speaking of rolling, the 3D printed wheels worked fine on my short test run. I expect them to perform quite well in traffic. Time will tell.  

The 3D printed part for the brake platform. Detail isn't super sharp, but nothing that I can't fix.

Image of 4 bogies printed (or painted?) in black with loads. With a load of tree trunks they are looking really good. 

With loads of new stuff having now arrived I better get the worktable geared up for some modelling!

Self-propelled Skip

The variety of vehicles on narrow gauge industrial railways is enormous! From huge locos to the tiniest being basically nothing but motorised skips. With two large locos on their way into service on Nystrup Gravel I looked for a quick way to balance the Fowler and Baguley-Drewry. I could hardly think of a better way than transferring a resonably sum to Loco Remote for their recently designed and produced 3D printed 'Planet' 6 hp motorised skip.

Loco Remote image of assembled 'Planet' motorised skip. A small and simple kit of a unique prototype that fits very well on a small 1/19 scale layout like Nystrup Gravel.

Several Danish industrial railways used self-propelled skips for smaller tasks. On one railway the motorised skip was the only form of mechanical traction present. On the waste processing plant in the Danish town Thisted a small 600 mm railway transported household waste on a short track. The motorised skip was probably homebuilt by adding a lawn mower engine to a standard steel skip with chain drive to one axle. Contrary to the factory made 'Planet' skip, no dedicated place for the driver was provided. When driving he simply stood next to the engine on the skip's frame.

ILO lawn mower engine mounted on a lengthened skip at the waste processing plant in Thisted. Photo: S. A. Guldvang, 1972.

Engine and transmission seen from above. The rebuild only allowed coupling at the rear of the motorised skip. Photo: S. A. Guldvang, 1972.

The kit arrived packed in a sturdy box with no damage from the transport. The kit includes everything you need to build a running model of the 'Planet' skip except for a battery. The Loco Remote website gives good advise on which battery to buy for a perfect fit in the battery mounting under the skip. Print quality varies from fine to relatively coarse. Fortunately the coarse printing is mostly appearing on parts rather hidden in the finished model or in places where the surface irregularities are easily sanded smooth. The only real challenge is on some of the frame parts, where the layers of the printing are clearly visible. I will have to deal with those in the build process. When ordering the kit I had to choose a version of a vehicle equipped either with a standard V-skip or a wooden cargo box. My model will be with a skip assembly, and as usual I will add and replace detail on the kit. Expect my model to feature metal spring for the axle boxes, rebuilt floor under the skip body, detailed driver's position as well as added bolt and rivet detail.  

What I found in the kit's box (except for 5 box parts to the left). Here in a very orderly spread-out arranged and photographed by Loco Remote.

Frame part with coarsely lined surface from the printing process and driver's 'cab' with only minimal traces of the printing.

Included in the box was a custom designed driver made by David Clavey. Named 'Ben' the figure has been made to specifically fit the skip's driver's seat and controls. Despite the figure not looking as detailed as Modelu's scanned and 3D printed figures I ordered it anyway. Having now examined the figure and the two different heads accompanying it, I'm glad I made the purchase. The quality is far better than the images circulating of it online. I will still be refining the figure a little (particularly around the pelvis and legs) but having a starting point where legs and arms actually fit the model and facial detail is quite good is an excellent opportunity I'm glad I didn't miss. You can see David's figures here.

The David Clavey figure for the 'Planet' with different heads.

Currently I'm designing and building the cab interior for the Fowler and adding ballast and ground cover on the layout. I'll be ordering a battery (or two) and possibly a charger so I'm ready for building the little vehicle once the other things are out of the way.

In the box from Loco Remote was also a complete 1/19 scale 32 mm gauge 3D printed railway for exhibition purposes. More on the steel sleepered track panels in a later post.

Underground Skip on Track

With Christmas and New Year celebrated and having settled stage 1 of the work associated with my daughter's wedding and new apartement, I finally got half an hour at the hobby table. The result was a rolling 3D printed Hudson underground skip, one of six that arrived shortly before Christmas. A lot of work still remain, but as a 'proof of concept' the result was satisfying enough.

U-tub skip for underground use next to a standard Hudson V-skip. 

With a 3D printed construction a small model like the Hudson skip is extremely light - even in a scale as large as 16 mm. With some rather coarsely printed wheels thrown under the construction I expected a model with less than mediocre running qualities. To enhance running replacement metal wheels would be a natural solution, but as I haven't yet found any metal wheels of the correct type I'm going to use the printed ones for a start. That means that I have to cram as much weight into the skip as possible, preferably as low as possible to avoid a high centre of gravity.

First I had to get the skip running. The wheels are designed for 3 mm axles and I ordered axles as well as brass tube with a 3 mm internal diameter to fabricate bearings. When arriving the brass tube turned out to be 5 mm outer diameter and impossible to fit in the model's axleboxes without wrecking them. It turned out that Albion Alloys had thin-walled brass tube with a 4 mm outer diameter. The tubes were even available from a Danish seller, SMT- modeltog, making a delivery to my door in less than 48 hours possible. To make the postage worth the investment, I added some glues to my order. 

BT4M brass tube with 4 mm outer diameter and inner diameter of 3,1 mm. 

Picking a skip frame, I quickly sanded most of the printing traces from the sides of the frame and opened up the holes in the axleboxes to 4 mm. To make the wagon a few grams heavier, I decided to cut a single, long brass bearing completely enveloping the 3 mm brass axle instead of two bearings fitted into the axleboxes on each side of the skip. With limited view of anything below the skip's tub I think the slightly larger appearance of the axle will hardly be noticed. The axles were cut to length (39 mm even if the instructions said 42 mm). The wheels' axleholes were reamed with a 3 mm drill, the axle fitted in the tube bearings and the wheels pushed on. Before fitting, the wheels were cleaned up a bit and the worst dimples on the running surfaces removed. The wheels are by no way worse than what I have seen on prototype industrial narrow gauge rolling stock in Denmark. In model they may need further treatment, though.

Tube bearings, axles and wheels fitted. The wheel profile isn't the prettiest I've seen!

Skip frame on my Code 100 test track undergoing the first rolling test. 

The first finger pushing tests conducted on a test track and the on the real Nystrup Gravel track, showed that he wagon behaved quite well, even on uneven and curved track. Next up is adding a little weight in the tub and making tests with loco pushing. Once the rolling tests and weight experiments have been carried out I will take the skip apart again and figure out how to fit coupling chains and hooks. Then it will need sanding and add ing of texture, painting and weathering. And then there is five more waiting! I have previously done assembly line work on identical models and I will probably do the same on the underground skips.

All parts for a single skip brought together on my worktable test track panel.

After being hand pushed on the layout with reasonably succes the U-tub skip is now resting, waiting for further tests and improvements.

Underground Skips

Being a hard working ordinary gravel line Nystrup Gravel's primary type of rolling stock is of course the side-tipping skip. From an old list we know that the company owned a mixed range of standard steel skips of German-inspired DIN-type as well as a few British Hudson-skips. Recent research in the company archives has now revealed that the company also had a number of Hudson underground skips with U-tubs and narrow profile. 

Workshop manager Petersen inspecting a newly arrived 3D printed underground skip. 

With documentation for underground skips on the prototype Nystrup Gravel my model of the gravel line obviously had to have some as well. I found some rather credible looking 3D printed U-tub skips resembling a well known British type built (or at least marketed) by Hudson. Recently I have had rather positive experiences with 3D printed products including loco parts, porcelain isolators and figures. My first 3D model was a Schöma locomotive back in 2013 when I was modelling in 1/35 scale.

Four standard skips set aside for the weekend. On my 1/19 scale model of the Nystrup Gravel I have a mix of DIN- and Hudson-type skips just as the real gravel company had. A single Hudson can be seen far left. Now a new type of skip will soon join them.

Nystrup Gravel wasn't home to any underground activity (except for some resistance activities against the German occupation 1940-1945) and the reason for having underground skips were most likely some limited clearances inside one of the buildings in the Nystrup Gravel complex. The few images I have so far seen of the wagons shows them dumping ash and general waste in the emptied part of a gravel pit. Observations that could point to their use for transporting waste from within the production facilities.

A page from a Hudson catalogue showing various U-shape skips for underground use. Here sourced from the website of The Yorkshire Group of 16mm N.G. Modellers Ltd.

The 3D printed kits are sold as 'SM32 16mm Scale Hudson Skip Kit' on ebay. It is mentioned that the parts are printed in polyethylene terephthalate glycol. The kit consists of two large parts (frame and tub) as well as four smaller parts (wheels). I had 6 skips shipped as I like to have a number of the same type of wagon. On Danish industrial railways a single wagon of a type wasn't the norm, as most industries bought rolling stock in batches. I continue that shopping habit.

One of the U-tub skips taken directly from its zip-lock bag. More awaits unpacking in the background.

Newly unpacked skip seen from a slightly different angle.

Skip and tub separated with wheels in the foreground.

Close-up of the 15 mm diamater wheels which are of questionable quality, at first glance at least.

The parts are rather finely printed with no large marks from the printing proces. On some surfaces there is a very fine layering pattern visible. The bottom of the U-tub isn't genuinely half-round but 'stepped'. Both effects are known disadvantages from the printing proces and the design/drawing phase. The layering effects have diminished in the recent years due to advances in printing technology, but ruined most small scale 3D printed models some years back. Usually the effects are less serious in large scales where it is also a little easier to remove or cover them with surface texture and paint.

A view of the underside of the skip frame.

As customary on late Hudson products the open end of the U-profile is on the inner side of the frame. 

The prints are very light weight and I suspect that will be a challange if not taken care of. Even if I find appropriate metal wheels I will probably have to add weight to make the wagons run well on my prototypically bad industrial railway track.

A look into the tub. There is no detail on the tub's inner surfaces. I will decide if I fill the tubs with a load or fit detail to at least the upper inner surfaces.

A tub seen from below. The rivets are nicely done.

From this view the tub's riveted construction is clearly visible.

I have ordered brass piping with an inner diameter of 3 mm to be used as bearings and 3 mm axles. That should enable me to test the printed wheels on my track and find out if metal wheels are a must. 

Have you similar wagons in service on your 16 mm railway or any advice on where to find 15 mm diameter curly spoked wheels that will match the skips? Please leave a comment or e-mail me at nystrupgravel@gmail.com