Out in The Garden (1/35)

Spring has definately arrived in Denmark and I have had the first outdoor model railway afternoon.

Two steel profiles from the large locomotive jacks loaded on bogie wagon 49. In a moment the loco driver will emerge from the left side of the image, enter the loco and slowly take the small train out the right side of the picture.

I didn't get anything built, but I did som planning on the next projects and took a few images of some of my models. The weather was sunny and good and I enjoyed just watering a few plants while having a look at the module at the fence.

The closed wagon used for track maintenance resting outside the loco shed. Presumably it has had its bearings greased, usually done once a year. One of the workers' bikes are casually left against the loco shed. The doors in the shed seems to have suffered some serious warping.

The weather was splendid during the weekend where I participated in the yearly preparation of buildings and surroundings at the Hedelands vintage railway in advance of the Summer's traffic. A short break and a joke! Photo: Leif Johannsen.

Foundry Sand to Langeland (1/35)

Nystrup Gravel's Multisand for foundry use found users in both Denmark and abroad. One small user was a machine shop on Langeland, one of Denmark's many small islands.

An old Ford AA-lorry at the truck stop in Nystrup with foundry sand for Langeland.

It had been  my intention to make the Multisand sacks for the second Hudson bogie wagon at a later stage. But having the task on my list, I decided to finish it before I got too involved with other projects. During the weekend I finished 26 sacks, sealing paint and decals with a layer of matt varnish. Four of the sacks are now on their way to a friend's 1:32 scale railway on Langeland.

Sacks primed. The sacks are mounted on two rocket sticks (from fireworks rockets) with double sided tape. Makes handling very easy.

Decaling in progress. Cut out decals at right over brush and tweezers. Plate with water in the center and decal softener to the left. Painted sacks left - some of them with decals.

The weekend wasn't only spent modelling. I also worked on the heritage railway HVB. Moving a Dutch built diesel loco to our storage shed.

Jacking down a four wheel diesel loco built in the Netherlands by Spoorijzer in Delft. In 785 mm. gauge the loco is now going into storage. Here I'm working with a mate 20 years younger than me. But I kept up the pace! More images on the HVB members' blog.

Nystrup Gravel's Wagons no. 49 and 51 (1/35)

It may have taken some time, but now the two Hudson bogie wagons are ready for service on the 1:35 scale version of Nystrup Gravel. I started building the wagons from two David Prowan kits back in September 2013. Now more than three years later the wagons are evidence that I finish what I start - also when modelling.

Nystrup Gravel used the two wagons to transport bagged sand for foundry use. Nystrup's foundry sand 'Multisand' was a specialised product sold to foundries in both Denmark and Germany. The two wagons were bought from Great Britain through the Danish dealer of narrow gauge equipment V. Spøer. The wagons were delivered with steel sides which were obviously discarded quite soon by the Danish workers as they hampered easy on- and offloading. At least one of the steel drop doors was left rusting behind the loco shed for many years. In the recent issue (108) of Narrow Gauge & Industrial Railway Modelling Review the Hudson bogie wagons are mentioned as having been delivered in large numbers to the British War Office for use in e.g. ammunition dumps.

The two Hudson wagons (one unloaded) photographed in front of 'Bankes Bakelit'. Apparently the original Hudson bogies were swapped for rebuilt skip frames at Nystrup.

When the second wagon was painted I could add the final weathering to both of them. I used pastel chalk for dust on the load area and graphite from a soft pencil for worn metal - primarily on the buffers on the bogies. I painted 19 sacks and added decals - enough for a symbolic load on one wagon. The next 25-30 sacks will be done when I need a therapeutic break from another project.

Being from etched metal and fitted with white metal bogies the wagons are comparatively heavy for their size. I fitted the bogies with a thin washer between bogie and wagon and small gap between the two to enable the bogies to adjust to uneven track. Time will show if more weight and washers are needed for safe running. 

Jung loco no. 6 shunting wagons 49 and 51 between the small industries in the western part of Nystrup.

Approaching the Finish Line - Bogie Wagons (1/35)

With a troubled history my two Hudson bogie wagons are now approaching the finish line. Being put back in a card board box several times due to missing parts or lack of motivation the wagons are now subject to a focused building and painting process. Fueled by the delivery of decals for the load of sacks and last week's progress on one of the wagons.

Cleaned up resin sacks and fresh decals from 'Skilteskoven'. The sacks will hopefully make the otherwise quite dull wagons a little more interesting.

With new found energy I glued on the 68 rivets (made from thinly sliced strched sprue) on the remaining wagon and primed it and its two bogies. A few of the cleaned up resin sacks were quickly painted and prepared for decals. When paint and varnish had dried I fitted the decals designed for the sacks. As expected the decals fitted perfectly on the resin sacks from Wespe Models.

One newly primed flat wagon and its almost finished cousin carrying a few test samples of sacks with foundry sand.

Straight from above: Three sacks with 'Nystrup Multisand' - the well known brand of high quality foundry sand from Nystrup Gravel, Denmark. The sacks still need a layer of matt varnish and a little weathering.

Next time you'll hear about the two bogie wagons they will be completely finished. I promise. You won't hear more about them for some time after that. I have a few other projects to tell you about in the time to come.

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 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.