CSX WAGON PART 2

Well I have done version 3 , No end plates or tarp supports using the same methods outlined in my previous post.With the help of some photos from Mark Bau's website .Which shows a wagon of coils using  3 different tarps  to cover the load.And an empty wagon with 2 or 3 rolled up tarps in the coil wells and 1 coil restraint per side taken off with the other still in position.        

               http://www.victorianrailways.net/freight/freight%20pages/csx/csx.html

 

I used a piece of  16mm  electrical conduit cut to 4 ft long to represent the coils and glue in place ,before covering with the tarps which I cut at 15 ft x 20 ft then colored with different dilutions of Tamiya Field Gray XF-65 and Khaki Drab XF-51 plus a yellow which was an artist tube to represent a VR tarp. 

                     For the unloaded wagon the tarp supports need to be cut off just above the side where the pipe shape starts leaving the square base in place.Place the coil restraints in position and roll up you tarps , colour then add to the wagon.

 

Once again it only takes 1 hour per wagon to change these wagons from toy world to the real world.

CSX WAGON

`Having a 4 pack of the the Auscion CSX coil steel wagons I of coarse took them out of the pack and marveled at the detail, smooth running and just thought how lucky we are now to have such good wagons available.
The one thing that did worry me was how terrible they look being so clean and stark.

                                               Fresh from the pack an almost surgical appearance
                                Note how unweathered wagon refuses to sit correctly on my layout


Not ever seeing these wagons in real life I set about researching the prototype and over time came up with some general idea of how the wagon looked  in real life.

Unloaded wagons with rolled up tarp in coil well and removed coil restraint dropped into each well.It appears only one restraint was removed to unload the coils and the coil restraints where wooden.with steel ends

                                All Black and White images from the ROB OREGAN COLLECTION
                           

 Note damaged tarp support this would have been a common problem and also common look for the wagon

                                                            The tarped wagon with one piece tarp.

The problem with the model is you must buy each pack to get each different version
And the tarps available look terrible.

 No 1 Tarped
 No 2  Empty
 No 3 No ends or tarp supports

But if you get the empty wagon pack with ends and tarp supports you can make the 3 differant versions above.
You can simply brake the ends and tarp supports off to make the No 3 version .

For the other 2 versions.I started by making the tarps. I used a section of cotton sheet "Ask your wife for some as cutting a piece out of the bed sheets will cause trouble".They notice stuff like that.
I made the piece 34' x 21'
 Shown is the piece ready for painting with TAMIYA FIELD GREY XF 65           And a rolled up one with a dot of superglue on the end to keep it rolled up.Both can be painted now and left to dry.

                                            A quick coat of FLOQUIL RUST on the wheel discs

Next remove all the pieces used to restrain the coils from the wagon .These will just pull off with no trouble

Next weather the wagon to suit your style.I used a light dry brushing with FLOQUIL GRIMY BLACK and RUST and paint all the timber supports in the wagon cradles and the coil restraints with RAILROAD TIE BROWN .If your doing the tarped version dont worry about the inside painting as you wont see it on the finished model
.

                                 The wagons weathered for the tarped and untarped versions

For the unloaded and untarped version.  Position your rolled up tarp and glue down and then glue each coil restraint into position.Its about this time I decided to deform some of the tarp supports with some heat from a lighter "You only need a little bit or you will end up with no support"

 

 For the tarped version position the painted tarp on a bead of superglue run along the edge of the wagon with equal amounts at both ends.

                                           When dry attach to sides of supports and end plate

                       Repeat for all sides untill you get back to the other side and glue along edge to finish

                                    The ends are folded in and glued in position with the sides first.

                                                                 

                                                                  And then the top

 I gave the finished tarp a coat of diluted Aquadere in water to try to depress it between the supports and weathered it at the same time with some weathering powders.

THE FINISHED WAGONS

2 wagons being sent back for more loading

                                                       2 wagons loaded and on there way

Some other things to do would be the tie down ropes, Stenciling on the tarps, Different coloured patches on the tarps .The work turned the wagons into really good looking models and only took about 1 hour per wagon.Next to do is the No 3 version with and without coils .But I ran out of wagons.

PX WAGON

The PX wagon fleet which totaled 20, was built by the Chullora workshops during 1975-76.Numbered 30307-30326.The wagons where probably one of the last flat wagons for general freight built before the container wagon revolution  took over in importance.

                                                                        PX  30308


Originally coded PX then with the four letter coding changed to NFPX, the wagons today can still be seen as RKPF steel plate wagons with Pacific National.


The dimensions for the wagon are.

Over Headstocks           17678 mm
Over Coupling Faces     18542 mm
Width Of Deck              2815 mm
Deck Height                  1240 mm
Bogie Centres                14326 mm
Tare                              22 Tonnes
Capacity                        51 Tonnes

Constructed from steel with a wooden deck for the conveyance of steel,pipes long loads,machinery ect.These wagons where also used extensively for Military loading of APC,s and army construction equipment but not tanks.
 A lashing bar is provided on each side of the wagon ( In the image it appears the lashing bar is also on the ends of the wagon ? ) and chaining points are located at 1 067mm centers and at the head stock.
An under deck storage box ,open to the side is fitted at diagonally opposite ends of the wagon for the storage of stanchions and chains.
The wagon is also suitable for bogie exchange so could be fitted with any of the exchange bogie types.             .
The wagon is painted PTC Blue all over , I presume the deck was left unpainted wood.

The wagon would make an important addition to most modelers wagon fleets being used from 1975 right through to today,also being bogie and not to long with the ability to lash any of the machinery ,trucks or agricultural machinery available now to its deck or with the stanchions a load of pipes or steel beams.It would make a nice addition to a general mixed goods.

           PX 30310 at Albury 11/78 Showing a typical load  Photo from the Rob ORegan Collection


The wagon is available in model form from IDR RAILWAY CASTINGS  available at Micro Model Hobbyland at Hornsby  02 94762588

  http://www.hobbylandaustralia.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=14&Itemid=6


 The kit comes as one piece deck and under frame casting with all necessarily parts except paint to complete the model.
The castings are all very clean and sharp with the underframe section being very strong with no flex or bend in its length so one would expect no sagging over time or in hot weather.
The castings where cleaned up with the side tie rail being cast onto the side of the deck, the tedious job of cleaning between the deck and rail takes a while .I did this with a craft knife but one the next one I will try drilling along between the parts with  a suitably sized number drill.
The top deck needs to be attached to the under frame, I chose to line up both pieces upside down on a flat surface and weight them down once happy with the positioning and fit I used the capillary action of the super glue to join both sections together.As opposed to the method in the instructions.
Every thing goes together nicely until you get to the underfloor piping which runs all over the place and with the pictures in the instructions it very hard to work out where the pipes should go or end up.I persevered and it looks alright to me .Being on who dosnt believe in modelling stuff you cant actually see it was a good effort on my part, but it wont happen next time.
Once finished the modeled was painted PTC Blue as in the photo but the instructions suggested dark grey all over.
Overall a very good kit apart from the piping.
And basically a one night project..