My friends at 247 Developments under their Dulais Valley Models brand have produced 3D printed kits for the Diagram 1673 LSWR 20t steel & Diagram 1674 12t timber underframe machinery wagons. They are available in either 4mm or 7mm scales priced at £15 for the 4mm and £40 for the 7mm versions, Brian at 247 Developments has kindy sent me one of each kit to build for Canute Road Quay.
The LSWR built, between 1902 and 1913, two types of timber underframe machinery wagons, a 4 wheel 12T (21′ over buffers) version, as per this kit, that became SR Diagram 1674 numbered 61010/14-18 (LSWR numbers included 1196-13546-50); and a 20T 6 wheel version (23′ over buffers) that became SR Diagram 1675. Six of both diagrams passed into SR stock with the last D1674 12T No. 61015 surviving until 1944 and the last 20T D1673 lasting until 1947.
Five steel underframe, 29’9″ over buffers 20t machinery wagons, that became SR Diagram 1673, were built between 1908 and 1910, Their SR numbers were 61009/11-13/19 (LSWR numbers 935, 1209, 2570/1, 13856), all survived past nationalisation and ended in departmental service until withdrawal in 1958.
The kits comprise of 3D printed main body, underframe and brake lever parts, leaving the purchaser to source suitable 2’9″ spoked wheels, bearings and buffers.
For the 4mm versions I obtained Alan Gibson 10.5mm spoked wheels from my friends at the very efficient H&A Models (or Slaters cat.no.7129 for 7mm) standard brass top hat bearings from my own stock, and suitable white metal buffers cat. no. B011 from the excellent Lanarkshire Models range (for the 7mm versions use either Slaters cat. no. 71566 or Parkside cat. no. PS78)
The parts required very little cleaning up and were simply glued together using superglue. The axle boxes have been designed to take standard brass top hat bearings and they are a good snug push fit. As the 3D printed material has no flex, it should be noted that the wheels need to be fitted as you assemble and glue in place the axle boxes.
As supplied the brake gear pull rods attached to the Vee hangers for the Diagram 1674 wagon were supplied upside down (so pulling the brake lever down would actually pull the brakes off, a surprisingly common mistake, that has caught out a number of RTR manufacturers!). I raised this with Brian at 247 Developments and it has now been corrected, I have now also received and fitted replacements accordingly.
As I am using my method of remote uncoupling with tension lock couplings, I have filed to shape and fitted Peco Parkside coupling mounts behind the buffer beams ensuring that the couplings would be the correct height.
Once assembled I gave a light coat of Halfords plastic primer, the sides, when I get the time, will be painted with Precision Paints P91 SR Goods Brown, the metal work beneath the sides and wheels black and the wooden decking painted with a mix of greys and a slight hint of brown to represent unpainted and weathered wood. Lettering and numbers will be applied using the trusty HMRS pressfix transfer sheet 13 for SR/LSWR wagons.
Being 3D printed and when built they are quite light so I have added lead sheet pieces cut to fit between the chassis beams to increase the weight to approximately 30g.
Nice kits from Dulais Valley Models / 247 Developments that make a simple quick win project to produce two interesting prototype wagons that, once fully painted (I will update this post once done so) will make interesting additions to the fleet on Canute Road Quay.
These look to be super model kits at a reasonable price too!
Thank you for the ‘heads-up’ Graham.